Epaper – May 25 ISB 2021

Tuesday, 25 May, 2021 I 13 Shawwal, 1442 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XI No 324 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition

Women’s financial inclusion crucial to fast-track poverty alleviation: imran g

PM LAUNCHES EHSAS SAVINg WALLETS INITIATIVE

IsLAMABAD Staff report

p

RIME Minister Imran Khan on Monday said women’s financial inclusion was crucial to fast-track poverty alleviation, thereby contributing to the national economic development.

Addressing the gathering during the launch of the Ehsaas Saving Wallets programme, the prime minister said no nation could progress until it empowers its weaker social groups.

The initiative, an essential component of Ehsaas Financial Inclusion Strategy, was launched by the prime minister during the visit of Queen Máxima of the Netherlands in 2019.

The prime minister said the saving wallets programme was in line with the universal fact that the inclusion of women in the financial system could help them run independent businesses and save money to overcome the economic woes. He said the Ehsaas programme was acknowledged by World Bank as the fourth effective welfare initiative to provide a safety net to the poor and deserving during the coronavirus.

Imran said across the world, the pandemic pushed millions of people below the poverty line, however, Ehsaas succeeded in reaching out to the poor inspired by the principles of compassion of the State of Medina.

He thanked Queen Máxima for coming to Pakistan as a Special UN Advocate for Inclu-

sive Finance for Development and support the project, aimed at the financial empowerment of women.

The prime minister mentioned that Pakistan also desired to follow the model of China that helped 700 million people come out of extreme poverty.

He expressed confidence that the latest initiative would prove to be an effective step towards helping households in managing their finances better and meet emergency needs and invest to increase their earnings.

On the occasion, Dutch ambassador Wouter Plomp read out the message of Queen Máxima, expressing her satisfaction with the implementation of the drive.

The prime minister interacted with beneficiary women of the wallet programme and issued directions to resolve their grievances.

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar said the initiative would lead to digital and financial inclusion of women and open avenues for them to take better advantage of opportunities offered under the Ehsaas initiative. She said globally, there were examples of economies that had encouraged a mindset shift towards savings and had reaped its benefits.

Kenya, she mentioned, had introduced mobile money transfers, resulting in savings increase of 22 percent in the beneficiary households, and helped lift 2 percent of these households out of extreme poverty.

coronavirus in

pakistan

CONFIRMED CASES:

903,599

LAST UPDATED AT 7:28 AM ON MAY 24, 2021

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

NEW CASES:

74

3,084

RECOVERED:

DEATHS:

820,374 20,308 SINDH:

PUNJAB:

309,647

334,760

KP:

BALOCHISTAN:

129,883 AJK/GB:

24,583 ISLAMABAD:

18,808 / 5,500

80,418

She said Argentina transitioned from cash handouts to account transfers for a national anti-poverty programme, and the transition was found to reduce corruption.

On cash payments, she said, four percent of recipients reported paying kickbacks to people or organisations that helped enroll them in the programme. On the other hand, when the payments were made directly into accounts, the number dropped to just 0.03 percent. Sania also mentioned Bangladesh as an example of how digital savings accounts were used to change the nature of government-to-person programmes from social protection to social investment using financial literacy campaigns.

She said the seven goals of socio-welfare importance under 270 projects of Ehsaas were actively being carried out with weekly and monthly reviews in line with the 32 covenants.

The programme is making headways keeping in view the areas of transparency and audit, information security, data governance and financial control, she added. She also mentioned that a national Ehsaas survey was 88 percent completed and announced that its first onewindow operation centre would soon be opened at the Sitara Market in Islamabad.

She also gave a snapshot of the overall achievements under the umbrella of Ehsaas programme: the undergraduate scholarship, emergency cash programme, primary, secondary and undergraduate educational stipends, nashunuma programme to check stunting in 15 districts, the establishment of 35 soup kitchens out of 112, and the orphanages and shelter homes with one-star bed and breakfast facility. Sania further said a programme had been designed in collaboration with the National Bank of Pakistan to give soft loans to small grocery shop owners.

The latest programme will deepen the financial inclusion initiated under the “One Woman, One Bank Account” policy. The design of the savings bank account is simple in the following ways: the accounts are targeted to Kafaalat beneficiaries, beneficiaries can open these accounts at agent shops or ATMs, and initial transactions through these accounts will include balance inquiry, cash in and cash out, transfer funds received from Ehsaas to mobile accounts, mobile top-up, utility bill payments, and money transfers.

Additionally, the accounts will also offer savings on deposits.

Sindh announces new coronavirus restrictions as cases increase kARACHI Staff report

The Sindh government on Monday announced sweeping restrictions to curtail the spread of the pandemic in the province after Health Ministry data showed 50 percent of the active coronavirus cases in the country were present in the province. Confirmed infections climbed to 309,647 after the province reported 1,529 new infections on Monday. The authorities tested 21,808 samples to receive back a positivity ratio of 7 percent. It also reported 11 deaths, raising the toll to 4,920. Meanwhile, the recoveries rose by 599 to 281,596. Overall, the province now has 23,131 active cases of the coronavirus. A meeting of the provincial task force on the pandemic held under the chairmanship Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah announced a ban on unnecessary movement after 8:00 pm starting May 25. It also directed the police to stop people travelling in cars “unnecessarily”. The new directions suggested the businesses will operate until 6pm, while bakeries and milk shops will be allowed to operate until midnight. Pharmacies in shopping malls and superstores will close by 6:00 pm. Indoor or outdoor dining will not be allowed at restaurants. However, delivery and takeaway will be permitted. Public transport — intercity, intra-city and inter-provincial — will be allowed subject to 50 percent occupancy and compliance with health guidelines. All education institutions including schools, colleges and universities will remain closed for two weeks until the situation improves, or until further review by the task force. Fridays and Sundays will be observed as closed days by b sinesses across the province except Hyderabad where Fridays and Saturdays will be observed as closed days instead. During the meeting, the chief minister further said if the people follow the guidelines for two more weeks, the latest rise in new infections can be arrested. “We can ease Covid-19 restrictions in the city [Karachi] when new cases are restricted.” He said that he will pay surprise visits to check the implementation of guidelines, adding that 50 percent of the total cases in the country are from Sindh.

Ex-interior minister claims he isn’t part of any political game News Desk Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, the former interior minister of Pakistan, has said that he is not part of any political game.

While taking oath as a lawmaker in the Punjab Assembly, Nisar spoke to the media wherein he said: “As you all know, I had won the election on the provincial assembly seat in the 2018 general elections by a lead of 34,000”.

“I had decided to take oath after a political development took place. The government plans to introduce an ordinance that eyes disqualification of members; however, the qualification and disqualification of members are included in the Constitution of Pakistan,” he said.

“Imran Khan should tone down [his aggressiveness] towards the Opposition. The government should take into account all political viewpoints as this country needs increased understanding. This nation needs to unite, not divide,” he said. Nisar also maintained that news about his meeting with Shehbaz Sharif is only based on speculations.

It should be noted that

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Five injured in Quetta blast STORY ON PAGE 03

Education ministers decide to hold board exams after June 20 STORY ON PAGE 03 Zubair MehfooZ

speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi is currently the acting governor in the absence of Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar. He is not attending the assembly session.

Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Mohammad Mazari is not attending either due to personal engagements, sources in the Punjab Assembly said.

Earlier, alarm bells rang for Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar as a veteran politician, and MPA-elect Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Sunday formally announced to take oath as Member of Punjab Assembly in today’s session.

The announcement comes

PM visits ISI headquarters, briefed on security situation

after a series of back-to-back quiet meetings between Nisar and some key players in Rawalpindi and Lahore. Though Nisar had won election from PP10, Rawalpindi in general elections held three years back in 2018, but he chose not to take oath and the seat remained vacant for three long years.

Nisar contested the 2018 general elections from two National Assembly and two provincial seats, losing all but the PP-10 (Rawalpindi-V) seat which he won with a good margin of over 30,000 votes.

CanSino vaccines to be available to public by end of the month

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STORY ON PAGE 03

STORY ON BACK PAGE

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Tuesday, 25 May, 2021

ISLAMABAD

NEWS

NA bOdy direcTs sPOT cHecKiNG Of WATer lOsses ON PuNjAb-siNdH bOrder ISLAMABAD

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MiaN abRaR

ATIONAL Assembly Standing Committee on Water Resources Monday expressed grave concerns over the loss of 85 percent water between Punjnad and Kotri, Sindh, and directed the Indus River System Authority and the governments of Punjab and Sindh provinces to appoint water inspectors to control water losses.

The direction was given during a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Water Resources chaired by Nawab Yousaf Talpur MNA. The committee directed for appointment of water inspectors for spotchecking of water losses and the formation of a committee comprising representatives of Irrigation Departments of Punjab and Sindh and IRSA to examine and control water losses.

The standing committee was informed that the canal system of Punjab is the biggest canal system of the country. The committee was informed that losses of the

water in Punjab are only 15 percent of total losses of the country. But after Punjab border, 85 percent of water losses are recorded between the area of Punjnad and Kotri. The standing committee was also informed that thousands of cusec of water is being lost in the country, regularly.

The committee expressed its grave concerns over huge water losses. So, the Standing Committee directed that Irrigation Department, Punjab, Irrigation Department, Sindh and IRSA to sit together and examine the reasons of the

water losses so that the water losses could be stopped and the saved water could be utilised for the betterment of the agriculture sector.

The standing committee directed that IRSA may deploy inspectors for spotchecking to control water losses and misreporting.

It was informed that after Water Apportionment Accord, 1991, the water was distributed accordingly. After detailed deliberation the standing committee directed the IRSA to ensure the distribution

of water among different provinces under Section 2(B) of the Water Apportionment Accord, 1991.

The meeting was presided over by the Standing Committee of National Assembly on Water Resources Chairman Nawab Muhammad Yousuf Talpur through videolink and attended by Members of National Assembly Ali Nawaz Awan, Sheikh Rashid Shafiq, Chaudhry Shokat Ali Bhatti, Dr Muhammad Afzal Khan Dhandla, Muhammad Farooq Azam Malik, Chaudhry Javed Iqbal Warraich, Khalid Hussain Magsi, Chaudhry Muhammad Hamid Hameed, Riaz-ul-Haq and Mir Munawwar Ali Talpur. Saleh Muhammad, parliamentary secretary for water resources was also present in the meeting. Minister for Irrigation Department, Punjab and secretaries, Irrigation Department, Punjab and Sindh attended the meeting through video-link.

The meeting was also attended by the IRSA Chairman director general, Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs director general, Pakistan Meteorological Department and senior civil officers of the Ministry of Water Resources and WAPDA.

Punjab challenges SC restoration of 2013 LB system ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

The Punjab government on Monday filed a review petition in the Supreme Court against the restoration of the local bodies apparatus in the province.

Punjab Chief Secretary Jawad Rafique Malik moved the review petition, requesting the court to reconsider its March 25 decision to restore the system in the province on the basis of previous delimitations.

The official took a plea that the delimitation under which the 2013 elections were held have been abolished

and restoring the local governments for few months will cause a loss of billions to the national exchequer.

“We have carried out new delimitation,” Malik apprised the court and asked the court to annul its decision.

The Supreme Court on March 25 restored the local government system in Punjab, by terming the Local Bodies Act, 2019 in contradiction with the Constitution.

The Punjab Local Government Act, 2019 was passed by the legislative assembly in May 2019.

A bench of the Supreme Court headed

by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed, terming

Tribal chief, three sons arrested in Karachi KARACHI: Teghani tribe Chief Tegho Khan Teghani and his three sons were arrested by police on Monday, Shikarpur Senior Superintendent of Police Ameer Saud Magsi said. According to the SSP, Tegho and his sons, Khalid, Mushtaq and Munawar, were arrested from their residence in Gulistan-e-Jauhar. He said that the Shikarpur police raided the residence and arrested them. “We will not allow the blood of our martyred personnel to go waste,” he said. “I am overseeing the operation against dacoits in Katcha area,” he added.

Teghani’s cousin Abdul Nabi said that there are criminal elements in every tribe but it does not mean that the tribal chief is responsible. He said the arrest is political victimization of his cousin and it is not acceptable. He expressed grief over the demise of four policemen and said that those involved in the crime must be arrested. It is pertinent to mention that four policemen were earlier martyred when dacoits fired a launcher at their vehicle during an operation in Garhi Tegho. ppi

Graft watchdog to probe road scam LAHORE: The Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment on Monday constituted a special team to investigate the Rawalpindi Ring Road scam. Punjab ACE Director General Muhammad Gohar formed the team comprising legal, technical and economic experts, according to a spokesperson for the anti-corruption watchdog. He said the ACE will apprise the nation about facts after completing its investigation. The investigation into the project scam was launched on the directives of Chief Minister Usman Buzdar. A factfinding inquiry committee detected large-scale irregularities in the project. The inquiry committee formed by the provincial government revealed that former Rawalpindi commissioner Muhammad Mehmood made illegal changes in the actual plan of the project to benefit influential people. Two former public officials Abdullah were also found to be involved in the project, said the report. iNp

section 3 of the Local Bodies Act in contradiction of the Constitution, ordered to restore the local government system.

During the hearing, the additional attorney general had also apprised the

court that the Punjab government is ready to hold LB polls to ensure devolution of powers to grassroots.

The Council of Common Interest is discussing the matter, he added.

Evaluating the AstraZeneca vaccine MuhAMMAD KhurrAM, Mehreen FAtIMA Pakistan received its first shipment of 1.2 million OxfordAstraZeneca vaccine shots through the Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access facility earlier this month. As uncertainty surrounds the efficiency and potential consequences of the drug, let’s weigh the benefits and risks of the vaccine.

THE DRUG: The Oxford-AstraZeneca — also known as AZD1222 — uses a chimpanzee adenovirus vaccine vector. Covid-19 is more economic and efficient as it is less expensive and can be stored in an ordinary fridge, unlike other vaccines that should be kept at very low temperature and are really expensive.

Covid-19 gave us all a difficult time figuring out the treatment and producing vaccination. AstraZeneca is one of the vaccines that target the virus by producing the antigens by triggering the cells.

Antigen’s genetic code is delivered by using a vector which is a modified virus and an immune response is triggered. Natural procedure against infections is mimicked in this vaccine.

AstraZeneca can trigger powerful T cell’s cellular immune response while B cells produce antibodies by the action of vaccine. This vaccine is produced from weakened viruses of common cold or adenovirus taken from Chimpanzees.

HOW DOES IT WORK? AstraZeneca vaccine is prepared by taking genes from the Covid-19 spike proteins present on the surface and inserting those genes in the harmless virus. Then this virus is inserted into the human body.

This vaccine enters the human body’s cells and produces spike proteins. The immune system of the body is activated because of spike proteins and start producing antibodies by B cells and T cells trigger cellular immunity and destroy those cells which have spike proteins. Now, the body is immune to coronavirus and even if a patient catches the virus and gets infected, his body detects and kills the virus.

EFFICACY: Research states that the AstraZeneca vaccine is 79 percent effective at Covid-19 protection.

Two doses are administrated in the person with an interval of four to six weeks. Some studies suggest that immune response is stronger if the interval period is larger and it provides protection up to 80 percent.

This vaccine has been proven effective against the first strain of Covid-19. Then new strains developed that were stronger and more transmissible.

bahrain suspends entry for travellers from Pakistan, four other countries MANAMA: Bahrain will suspend entry of travellers from countries on its Red List — including Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal — from May, 24, the state news agency said. Bahrain nationals and residency visa holders are not covered by the suspension, but will have to provide a PCR test before boarding a plane and quarantine for 10 days upon arrival, BNA added.

Bahrain will also apply precautionary 10-day quarantine to vaccinated and non-vaccinated individuals from all other countries, in their homes or in places licensed for quarantining.

Last week, Canada extended until June 21 a ban on direct passenger flights from Pakistan and India after increased Covid-19 cases were detected in travellers arriving from these countries. The measure, first announced on April 22, was set to expire Saturday (May 22). “Our battle against Covid-19 continues,” Transportation Minister Omar Alghabra told a news conference. “On April 22 Transport Canada issued a notice to ban all direct commercial and private passenger flights from India and Pakistan for 30 days based on public health advice to reduce the importation risk of Covid-19 and its variants,” he said. “We are now extending this measure to June 21.” The minister noted a “significant reduction” in the number of positive Covid-19 cases arriving on international flights of late. Staff RepoRt

Two session judges contract covid-19 KARACHI: Two judges of the District and Sessions Court in Karachi have tested positive for the Covid-19. The number of coronaviruspositive officials posted at the court has witnessed a surge in recent days. Civil Judge (South) Asghar Ali after contracting the coronavirus has quarantined himself, while another civil judge, Kamran Kalhoro, is also hospitalised after testing positive. Showing concern on the increasing number of positive cases at the court, the Karachi chapter of All Pakistan Judicial Employees Association has said the lack of protective measures is leading to an increase in infections. Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah announced Covid-19 restrictions were being tightened in the province to stem the spread of the disease.

Chairing a meeting of the Coronavirus Task Force, he said new restrictions will be enforced from midnight tonight. No one would be allowed to leave their homes after 8:00 pm except for emergency and essential business. There would be a complete ban on commercial activities after 6:00 pm. Essential services, including pharmacies, medical facilities, petrol pumps, bakeries, and dairy shops, takeaways and home deliveries have been excepted from the ban, he announced. iNp

PMA urges WHO to resolve vaccine acceptability issue

A study reported that the vaccine is as effective for the UK strain B.1.1.7 and its efficacy is up to 80 percent.

While the strain B.1.351 that was detected in South Africa was less protected by this vaccine and efficacy was up to 25 percent. This vaccine could not protect against that mild and moderate infection by this South African variant.

But still, the vaccine was able to protect from severe infection.

BENEFITS AND RISKS: The positive side of the AstraZeneca vaccine is that it is cheaper and can be stored in the fridge, unlike other vaccines. It is effective against most strains of coronavirus. It does not have any direct or indirect effects on pregnancy, breastfeeding and fertility.

The negative side of the vaccine is that it caused thromboembolic effects that caused blood clots. But positive factors of this vaccine overpowers the blood clots that are also rare in study trials. The Covid-19 disease also causes clotting of blood and a decrease in the number of platelets.

Studies suggest that blood clotting and a lower number of platelets is more common in Covid-19 patients rather than in vaccinated people.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Medical Association has urged the World Health Organisation to play its role in getting all vaccines acceptable by countries that have made it mandatory for visitors to be inoculated by certain brands only. In a letter to WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PMA Secretary General Dr Qaisar Sajjad requested the body to help resolve the vaccination issue for people who need to travel abroad because the authorities concerned of some countries had approved vaccines of certain companies only. Dr Sajjad said everyone was aware of the fact that different countries were using vaccines of various companies to administer to their citizens. He said despite knowing this fact, some countries had made it mandatory for visitors to be vaccinated by specific brands, adding that this policy would have a devastating effect on international travel and trade. “Keeping in view the above facts we request WHO to convince such countries to accept all vaccine brands approved by other countries for their citizens, otherwise it will create problems for people who wish to go abroad for employment, business, education, medical treatment and for other purposes,” Dr Sajjad said. Staff RepoRt

Tuesday, 25 May, 2021

ISLAMABAD

eDUCATION MINIsTers DeCIDe TO HOlD bOArD exAMs AFTer jUNe 20 ISLAMABAD

T

aPP

HE Inter-Provincial Education Ministers Committee on Monday unanimously decided to hold examinations after June 20, hence, the announcement in that regard would be made by the concerned provinces.

The 29th Inter-Provincial Education Ministers Committee meeting was held under the chairmanship of the Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mehmood.

The meeting was participated by all

provincial education ministers including Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir along with secretaries.

Higher Education Commission Executive Director Dr Shaista Sohail, Federal Government Educational Institutions Cantt & Garrison Director General Maj General Asghar, Inter-Board Committee of Chairmen Secretary Dr Ghulam Ali Mallah, Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Chairman Qaisar Alam and Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority Chairperson Zia Batool also attended the meeting.

IPEMC reviewed in detail the possible

Tareen group not involved in transfer of DPO, says PTI MNA Jahangir Khan Tareen group top leader National Assembly member Raja Riaz on Monday any role in the transfer of a senior police officer in Lodhran which created controversy among political circles. District Police Officer Lodhran Karrar Hussain Syed has been transferred and a ‘junior most’ police officer of grade 18 hailing from DG Khan has replaced him to please the JKT group. Talking to a local news station, MNA Raja Riaz rejected media reports saying the police officer was not transferred on their request. Riaz said that this is a routine matter and an internal issue of the police department and they did not pressurise the Punjab government for this. While responding to a question about a junior officer given the charge of the Lodhran district police officer, the MNA said the Punjab police should be questioned on this. “Transfer, posting in any department should be based on merit,” he added The newspaper report stated that the replacement of Karrar was “one of the top demands” of the JKT group MPAs when they met Chief Minister Usman Buzdar last week. “Part of the Tareen camp team, two MPAs reportedly told the CM that Karar Husain Syed was not resolving their local issues,” the report added. According to the report, the appointment of the DPO had been a bone of contention and he, on the first day of his posting in Lodhran last year, was reportedly asked ‘not to assume charge of the post’ as the Punjab government had not consulted Tareen before appointing him. However, then IGP Shoaib Dastgeer “directed Karar to follow the department decision and assume charge”. news Desk

APHC lauds Qureshi for urging UN chief to resolve Kashmir dispute ISLAMABAD: All Parties Hurriyat Conference on Monday lauded Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi for asking the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres to resolve the Kashmir dispute in line with the UN Charter and the Security Council resolutions. Qureshi recently held a meeting with Guterres at New York to discuss the situation in the held region on the sidelines of a special session of the General Assembly on Palestine. The foreign minister had urged him to use his position to resolve the dispute and press India to rescind its revoking of the region’s semi-autonomous status and to allow the people of Kashmir to exercise their right to self-determination. An APHC spokesperson in a statement said Pakistan, being a party to the Kashmir dispute, has a valid mandate to appraise the UN and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to take serious action against the war crimes committed by India in held Kashmir. Pakistan being a responsible nuclear power was also an ambassador of peace with respect to an early resolution of the dispute, said the statement. The spokesman thanked Islamabad for its political, moral and diplomatic support to resolve the longpending dispute and expressed the hope that it would continue to expose Indian barbarism at global forums. aPP

operations for conduction of examinations

across the country and decided that exams

Journey to State of Medina’s system a constant struggle: PM IMRAN EXPRESSES GRIEF OVER DEATH OF AVIATION MINISTER’S BROTHER ISLAMABAD tLtP

Prime Minister Imran Khan has said the journey to the system of the State of Medina is a constant struggle in which the role of all sections of society, including religious leaders, is important.

The prime minister was talking to the Chairman Council of Islamic Ideology Dr Qibla Ayaz and Council members who called on him on Monday.

Prime Minister Khan stressed the need for following the guiding principles of Islam to establish

justice and get rid of corruption. He said that the core aim of his political struggle is to serve the poor by applying the principles of the state of Medina.

He said after observing the West very closely, he has come to the conclusion that only by following the guiding principles of Islam and the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), Pakistan can become a prosperous and developed country. The chairman and members of CII paid rich tributes to Imran for his defence of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), his

statement on Islamophobia, and his fight for the rights of Kashmir and the Palestinians.

Separately, the prime minister said that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has recovered Rs484 billion in the last three years (2018-2020) in contrast to Rs290 billion recovered during 1999-2017.

“When the government does not protect the criminals and lets investigation agencies and accountability work without interference, it shows in the results being achieved,” the premier remarked on Twitter. On May 21, the country’s anti-graft body claimed to have recovered Rs23.85 billion in the fake bank accounts scam.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran has expressed grief and sorrow over the death of Liaquat Khan, the brother of Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan. In his condolence message, he prayed for the departed soul and commiserated with the bereaved family.

Minister urges Nawaz to return ISLAMABAD aPP

Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar said deposed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif should return to Pakistan and, if he does so, the government would keep him in a safe place with good care.

Talking to reporters at Sukkur Airport on Sunday night, he said that there was no safer place in Pakistan [for Sharif] than prison because he had gone [to London] from one.

Prime Minister Imran Khan’s politics is based on justice, he would never deviate from his foundation, he asserted.

Replying to a question, he said: “The government has received no information about Nawaz Sharif being attacked in London because we are in Pakistan and he is in London.”

If he has been attacked, I would suggest that he

should return to his country immediately the minister said.

He further said that the base for the politics of Prime Minister Imran Khan was justice, it was not possible for him to deviate from his promise of politics. The demands of justice must be the same for all.

The minister said that the same should be done in the case of estranged PTI leader Jahangir Tareen and if he did not commit any wrongdoing, he would be acquitted but the requirements of the law should be met.

Responding to a question, he said that the coronavirus was spreading at a dangerous pace early on but the situation has since improved after the steps being taken at the government level.

The coronavirus vaccine was a must for everyone […] my family has also been vaccinated, he said, adding, it could reduce the danger to your life.

CPEC to open up tremendous opportunities for economic growth, development, says PM Imran ISLAMABAD Mian abrar

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday said the ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor projects will open up tremendous opportunities for increased economic growth and development in the region and beyond.

The premier expressed these views during a meeting with Chinese Ambassador Nong Rong who called on him here at the PM’s House.

“Prime Minister reaffirmed the highest priority accorded by the Government to CPEC and the firm commitment to expeditiously complete CPEC projects,

which will open up tremendous opportunities for increased economic growth and development in the region and beyond,” said an official statement.

The subjects covered during the meeting included Pakistan-China bilateral relations, including CPEC, the 70thanniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties, vaccine cooperation, and high-level bilateral exchanges.

The PM deeply appreciated Chinese leadership and conveyed his warm greetings for President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang.

Emphasising the time-tested “All-Weather Strategic Co-operative Partnership”, Prime Minister Imran reaffirmed Pakistan’s deep commitment to further

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should be started after June 20, hence, the announcement in that regard would be made by the concerned provinces.

Regarding summer vacations, IPEMC decided that it would be in limited numbers so that the students could cover their syllabus.

IPEMC Chairman Shafqat Mahmood stressed the all federating units ensure timely vaccination of teachers, monitoring staff, and other managing staff. Those who do not have vaccination certificates, would not be called for invigilation, he added.

In the light of decisions taken by the Council of Common Interests, the IPEMC also exchanged views on the matter of transfer of the National Commission for Human Development and Basic Education Community Schools staff to the provinces after June 30.

Shafqat asked the provinces to issue notification earlier in that regard.

During the meeting, the National Education Assessment Framework was also given approval and shared with the provinces.

FIve INjUreD IN QUeTTA blAsT QUETTA: At least five people got injured in an explosion on Qambrani Road in the provincial capital on Monday. A large number of law enforcers cordoned off the area after the explosion and shifted the injured to nearby hospitals. The nature of the explosion was being ascertained by investigative authorities till the filing of this report. This is the second explosion in Balochistan within a week.

Earlier on May 21, at least seven people, including three leaders of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Nazaryati, were killed and 14 others injured in an explosion in Chaman, Qila Abdullah district. Police officials said that the blast took place in the Boghara Chowk area of the border town after the conclusion of the Palestine solidarity rally staged by the JUI-N to condemn the Israeli aggression against the oppressed Palestinians in Gaza. Official sources said a motorcycle rigged with an improvised explosive device was parked near the venue of the rally and detonated when Maulana Luni was leaving along with other party leaders and workers. staff rePort

Cansino vaccines to be available to public by end of the month A day after Dr Faisal Sultan announced the CanSino would be available by the end of May, the Ministry of National Health Services confirmed on Monday that the first batch of China’s single-dose CanSino vaccine would be available for administration to the citizens by the end of May after thorough rigorous quality control checks. “The first batch of bulk CanSino vaccine is being processed at the National Institute of Health’s plant, which was set up for this purpose last month, and a specially trained team is working on it,” according to an official of the ministry, The official added that due to the agreement on technology transfer, the NIH would be able to produce three million doses per month which would significantly reduce the country’s dependence on other countries.

Earlier, it was reported that the much-awaited vaccine supply under the World Health Organisation’s COVAX programme began, with the first batch, comprising 1.23 million doses of OxfordAstraZeneca jabs, reaching Pakistan, the National Command and Operation Centre said. The NCOC, the unified government effort against the pandemic, also said in a statement that out of the 3.5 million SinoVac doses, a consignment of 1 million jabs would reach the country while another batch of 1 million doses would arrive between May 13-15. The government is procuring vaccines to boost the nationwide vaccination campaign, which started in the first week of February. So far, 10.19 million doses of different vaccines – Sinopharm, SinoVac, and CanSino – have been procured from China. news Desk

enhance and broaden Pakistan-China ties.

The PM recalled his earlier telephone conversation with Premier Li Keqiang, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties, which is the reflection of excellent cooperation between Pakistan and China.

The Chinese Ambassador extended President Xi Jinping’s invitation to the PM to participate in the ‘CPC and World Political Parties Summit’, to be held in July 2021. The premier graciously accepted the invitation to attend the virtual event.

Ambassador Nong Rong reassured that China will continue to firmly support Pakistan in its fight against the Covid-19 pandemic and accords high priority to help address Pakistan’s requirements.

It was agreed to continue with the momentum of high-level bilateral exchanges to further solidify strategic cooperative gains between the two countries.

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Tuesday, 25 May, 2021

ISLAMABAD

NEWS

ruckus in sindh assembly as Pti, PPP lawmakers exchange blows KARACHI

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INP

session of the Sindh Assembly on Monday descended into chaos as Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) lawmakers exchanged harsh words over the water distribution issue.

The session was presided over by Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani. The house witnessed chaos when the PTI opposed the resolution presented by a PPP lawmaker, demanding Sindh’s due share of water from Centre under the law. The resolution was opposed by PTI lawmaker Mohammad Ali Aziz.

Sindh Irrigation Minister Sohail Anwar Siyal got annoyed over the attitude of PTI lawmakers regarding shortage of water in Sindh. Addressing the session, Siyal said that there is an acute shortage of water in the province as it is not getting its due share. “You should be ashamed of yourself for opposing the resolution on water crisis in Sindh,” Siyal shouted out at the PTI lawmakers sitting on opposition benches. The PPP minister also tried to attack the PTI lawmaker but he was timely stopped by his fellow PPP lawmakers.

Later, the session was adjourned till Tuesday.

On the other hand, the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) on Monday said that it has detected a water theft of 50 percent in the Sindh

province between Sukkur and Kotri Barrages.

In a letter written to the provincial government to respond to its claim regarding less water being supplied to the province, the IRSA said that 50 percent of water supplied is being stolen between Sukkur and Kotri barrages. “Despite repeated requests, water is being allowed to pass under the Kotri Barrage,” said IRSA, sharing that 52,000-acre feet of water was allowed to pass under the barrage during the period from April 01 to May 22.

The IRSA in its letter said that from May 14, 16,000-cusec water is being supplied from Sukkur to Kotri Barrage, however, only 50 percent of the water is reaching the Kotri Barrage.

4 killed, 7 injured in accident in Peshawar PESHAWAR INP

At least four people died and seven others sustained injuries in an accident between a car and a motorbike on Peshawar Ring Road on Monday. As per details, four people were killed on the spot when a car and a motorcycle collided with each other on Peshawar Ring Road. The Rescue 1122 officials responded quickly to the accident and shifted the injured to Hayatabad Medical Complex.Further investigations into the accident were underway.

rivals cut off father, son arms over petty issue in dik DERA ISMAIL KHAN INP

Some rivals in Dera Ismail Khan cut off arms of a man and his son over a petty issue, the local police said on Monday. The gruesome and horrific incident occurred in Jhok Mirani Kacha area of Cantonment Police Station. The police said both the parties fought over the issue of carrying a wood-loaded trolley from an agricultural land of the area. Accused Jahangir and three others chopped arms of the father and son with a machine cutter and escaped from the scene. Both the injured were brought to a nearby hospital in critical condition, where medical treatment was provided to them. The police lodged an FIR and started a search operation for the accused involved in the incident.

ntdc starts repair work of damaged towers

PESHAWAR: An old man prepares pots to earn his livelihood in the provincial capital. INP

PM orders inquiry into mishandling of complaint at Citizen Portal ISLAMABAD INP

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday took serious notice of a complaint filed by two widow sisters at Pakistan Citizen Portal and directed for an inquiry against the Rawalpindi additional deputy commissioner due to mishandling of the complaint.

The prime minister directed the provincial chief secretary to order an inquiry into the matter by nominating a senior officer, initiate action under the rules and submit the report by May 31.

He also directed the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit

to carry out a performance evaluation of the dashboards of all revenue officers in the Rawalpindi division.

A joint application of two widow sisters along with relevant documents was filed at Pakistan Citizen Portal on February 23. As per the complaint’s processing history, it was sent to the Rawalpindi deputy commissioner, who later forwarded it to the Rawalpindi ADC. However, the ADC office, in violation of the User’s Guidelines Manual, dropped the application the same day by considering that the matter is under process in a court.

The applicants then approached the Prime Minister’s Office to reopen the case while denying it

being under process in a court. The PMDU brought the matter to the notice of the chief secretary and Rawalpindi DC. Subsequent to the intervention of the two offices, the complaint was reopened after being considered appropriate and not pending in any court. The case was thereafter fixed for hearing by the ADC on April 7.

Meanwhile, another complaint was received directly to the PM’s dashboard on April 19, wherein the applicant had complained that the ADC had asked them to first withdraw the complaint from the portal as action will be taken thereafter.

Main accused confesses to Belgian-Pakistani Maira’s murder LAHORE INP

LAHORE PR

The National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) has started rehabilitation work of towers of high power transmission lines, which were damaged due to recent windstorm in southern part of Pakistan. The windstorm had damaged five towers of 500 kV transmission line between Jamshoro and Port Qasim, and two towers of 500 kV remission line between Jamshoro and Dadu.

NTDC Managing Director Engineer Mohammad Ayub reached to the sites immediately and started supervising the repair work of the damaged towers. He directed to complete the rehabilitation work within four days. It is pertinent to mention that the alternative sources are providing full load and no load management is being carried out in any part of the country. The recent windstorm had played havoc with two extra high voltage transmission lines in Jamshoro, which had caused power suspension in different areas. However, due to availability of adequate power in the system, the NTDC had managed power supply through alternate sources and the whole transmission system had remained normal and stable in the country.

In a major breakthrough in the investigation of 26-year-old Belgian national Maira Zulfiqar’s murder case, main accused, Zahir Jadoon, has confessed the murder in police custody.

The police had nominated Zahir in the FIR and arrested him. During the interrogation, Zahir said he had an argument with Maira while she was drunk.

In a confessional statement, Zahir said, “I killed Maira on the morning of May 3. A friend, Iqra, was also aware of the murder.” He added that he committed the murder along with a friend of slain Maira. “Since 2019, Maira’s family knew that Maira was in Dubai and they had no contact with Maira. Maira blackmailed me with a video and I killed her after I got annoyed over her blackmailing,” the confessional statement reads.

Police said that Zahir had earlier fled

Graana, HOG Pakistan host bike rally to express solidarity with Palestinians, Kashmiris ISLAMABAD PR

Graana.com, in association with HOG Pakistan, hosted a bike rally to express solidarity with Palestinians and Kashmiris.

According to the details, the bikers gathered at a meeting point and started

the rally at 4:30pm from E-11, Islamabad.

The flags of Palestine and Kashmir were also distributed among the participants to show solidarity with Kashmir and Palestine cause.

Moreover, the participants also made donations to the team of Edhi Foundation present on the spot.

to Islamabad after the murder.

Earlier in the day, the Punjab inspector general shifted the inquiry of Maira murder case from CIA Police Cantonment to CIA Police Model Town after the father of Maira met with the IG and expressed his dissatisfaction over the CIA Cantonment. The father of Maira said her daughter’s life would have been saved, if CIA Cantonment had acted on her complaint of receiving threats.

Another accused, Saad Amir Butt,

also appeared before the police and recorded his statement. Saad Amir had availed interim bail in the case.

He said he was sleeping at his house when Maira was murdered and he did not kill her. “Maira was my friend but later our friendship was broken,” he said. "I never tried to kidnap Maira," Saad added while recording his statement before the police. He said Maira lodged a case against him on the behest of Zahir and the case was written by the lawyer of Zahir.

Maira Zulfiqar, 26, was killed after four men allegedly broke into her home in Lahore and shot her.

Tuesday, 25 May, 2021

ISLAMABAD

NEWS

05

BankS aLLowEd to iSSuE guarantEES on BEhaLF oF PakiStani FirMS KARACHI

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TlTP

HE State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Monday allowed banks to issue guarantees on behalf of Pakistani firms and companies against the back-to-back / counter–guarantees of banks/development financial institutions (DFIs) rated at least A or equivalent by a credit rating agency on approved panel of the central bank.

The SBP amended prudential regulations for corporate and commercial banking and

decided that banks/DFIs can issue guarantees on behalf of Pakistani firms and companies functioning in Pakistan against the back to back/counter-guarantees of banks/DFIs rated at least ‘A’ or equivalent by a credit rating agency on the approved panel of State Bank of Pakistan.

Besides, the counter-guarantee of bank/DFI situated in a foreign country is also acceptable if it has the rating of at least ‘A’ or equivalent on global or National Rating scale by Standard & Poor, Moody’s, Fitch, Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCRA) or a local credit rating agency of the respective country provided the guarantee issuing bank

Exports surge 13.63pc to $20.906bn in 10MFY21 NEWS DESK Pakistan’s exports increased by 13.63 per cent during the first 10 months of the current fiscal year (10MFY21) as compared to corresponding period of the last year; however, exports decreased by 6.13 per cent on a month-on-month (MoM) basis. According to the data provided by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the exports during July–April, 2020-21 totalled $20,906 million against $18,399 million during the corresponding period of last year. The exports in April 2021 were $2,219 million as compared to $2,364 million in March 2021, showing a decrease of 6.13 per cent; however, exports increased by 132.36 per cent as compared to $955 million in April 2020.

Main commodities of exports during April 2021 included knitwear, ready-made garments, bed wear, cotton cloth, cotton yarn, towels, basmati rice, and fish and fish preparations.

in Pakistan is comfortable with and accepts the counter -guarantee of such foreign bank.

Moreover, subject to the following conditions and limits, banks/DFIs can issue guarantee against the back-to-back/counter guarantee of an unrated, or rated below ‘A’, bank/DFI that is situated in a foreign country: First, the aggregate amount of all such guarantees at any point in time should not exceed 10% of the bank’s/DFI’s own equity as disclosed in the latest audited financial statements; second, the banks/DFIs will have a board of directors (BoD) approved policy having internal limits for acceptance of such counter guarantees based

on, inter alia, their own risk appetite and relevant risk factors. The policy may also set more conservative limits than as pre-

PTA asks CMOs to seek consumers’ permission for VAS activation NEWS DESK The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has taken notice of complaints against activation of valueadded services (VAS) without the consent of mobile phone consumers.

According to details, the PTA in a statement on Monday said that it has directed cellular mobile operators (CMOs) to send mandatory confirmation messages to their consumers to get explicit consent for opting in or activation of value-added services. The authority added that the CMOs have further been directed to submit

compliance reports within three weeks from the issuance of the order.

The PTA said that it was in receipt of consumers’ complaints that value added services, including third party content/games, are sometimes activated by mobile operators without the prior consent of consumers.

The authority said that serious notice has been taken of such complaints as activation of any value-added service without explicit consent of consumers in a violation of Clause 9 (3) (vii) of the Telecom Consumers Protection Regulations, 2009.

In addition to this, PTA said that this step is expected to provide great relief to mobile consumers.

scribed in para (a) above. There shall also be instituted a mechanism to monitor such exposures and limits.

Lavish banquets can’t bring lifeless opposition into power: Fawad ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry on Monday said that lavish banquets cannot bring a lifeless opposition into power. In a statement, he said that he was disappointed by the opposition’s negative behaviour, as no issue related to the problems of the common man came under discussion during the banquet. He was commenting on the dinner hosted by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Shehbaz Sharif for the opposition parties in Islamabad. He said that the opposition leader Shehbaz cannot bring such a scattered opposition together. The information minister said that the opposition should do politics on issues, as politics on public issues was the real service to the nation.

Sindh announces new coronavirus restrictions as cases increase CoNtINuED fRoM pAgE 01 He noted that complaints have been received from the southern and eastern districts of Karachi and directed the respective deputy commissioners to ensure the implementation of safety protocols in their jurisdictions. With regard to the positivity rate of cases in Karachi, the session was informed that it stood at 21 percent in district East, 16 percent in district South, and 10 percent in district Central. Other districts of the province meanwhile had 11 percent in Hyderabad, 10 percent in Dadu and 8 percent in Sukkur. The province announced on Sunday to continue strict measures to counter the rise of cases by closing educational institutes, marriage halls, restaurants for the next 14 days and banning inter-provincial and intercity transport over the weekend.

NEW CASES: Pakistan confirmed 3,060 new cases and 57 deaths during the last 24 hours, said the NCOC in its daily update. The new cases increased the total number of confirmed cases to 903,599, including 820,374 recoveries and 62,917 active cases across the country. Punjab confirmed 334,760 cases, the highest in the country, followed by Sindh which has 309,647 positive cases, the statement said.

The death toll from Covid-related infections has risen to 20,308, said the NCOC, adding that 4,763 patients are in critical condition.

Bank of Punjab established a free coronavirus vaccination centre at their head office in Lahore. PRESS RElEASE

Ex-interior minister claims he isn’t part of any political game CoNtINuED fRoM pAgE 01 “I have consulted my associates and the people of my constituency and will be taking oath in the Punjab Assembly tomorrow, on Monday,” a statement issued by his office said.

Nisar, a former Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz stalwart, parted ways with his party of more than 35 years in 2019 after developing differences with deposed prime minister and party’s leader Nawaz Sharif.

In his statement, Nisar said that his agreement to take the oath did not mean he had changed his mind but maintained that he would neither take his salary, nor avail the perks provided to legislators.

He further said that he had decided to take the oath almost three years after winning the seat so as to take control of the political situation in his constituency.

Boycotting the by-election and leaving the political turf unoccupied for rivals will be a major political mistake, he said.

He said that it would not be sensible to participate in the by-polls without becoming a member of the provincial assembly.

He further said that he was also mindful of the risk of the spread of Covid-19 during election campaigns and mass gatherings in case of him stepping down as a lawmaker and the subsequent scheduling of a by-poll.

Nisar’s decision has come amid the govern-

ment’s plan to bring an ordinance for cancelling the membership of lawmakers who have not taken oath within the required period after winning the election.

His decision to not taking oath for three long years has also been challenged in the Lahore High Court.

A petition was filed in the court pleading to direct the Election Commission of Pakistan to de-notify Nisar for his failure to take oath, and also order the federal and Punjab governments to amend the relevant laws and introduce a time frame for lawmakers-elect to take their oath. The petitioner said that Nisar’s decision to not take his oath was a violation of the law of people’s representation.

PSX turns bullish with KSE-100 crosses 46,000-mark KARACHI TlTP

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) remained bullish on Monday amid positive developments on the economic front and the benchmark KSE-100 Index gained 182.13 points (+0.4 percent) to close the session at 46,097.11 points.

The KSE-100 Index remained positive throughout the session touching an intraday high of 46,314.8 points. Among other indices, the KSE All Share Index gained 130.77 points (+0.42 percent) to close at 31,199.37 points, while All Share Islamic Index gained 139.42 points (+0.62 percent) to close at 22,531.23 points.

A total of 408 companies traded shares in the stock exchange, out of them shares of 242 closed up, shares of 149 closed down while shares of 17 companies remained un-

changed. The overall market volumes increased by 56.21 million to 766.64 million shares, while market capitalisation increased

by Rs37.25 billion. The number of total trades increased by 7,976 to 177,018, and value traded increased by Rs0.28 billion to Rs19.93.

Among scrips, WTL topped the volumes with 275.89 million shares, followed by SILK (36.61 million) and SMBL (36.49 million). Stocks that contributed significantly to the volumes include WTL, SILK, SMBL, HASCOL and FFL, which formed 51.36 percent of total volumes.

The sectors propping up the index were cement with 87 points, commercial banks with 42 points, automobile assembler with 36 points, fertilizer with 26 points and chemical with 22 points. The most points added to the index were by SYS which contributed 24 points followed by MTL with 23 points, PPL with 21 points, MLCF with 21 points and COLG with 20 points. Sector wise, the index was let down by technology & communication with 22 points, power generation & distribution with 16 points, oil & gas marketing companies with 14 points, investment banks/ investment companies/ securities companies with 9 points and tobacco with 6 points. The most points taken off the index were by TRG which stripped the index of 43 points followed by HUBC with 12 points, PSO with 12 points, MARI with 8 points and SEARL with 7 points.

According to a closing note by Arif

Habib Limited, the benchmark KSE-100 Index gained almost 400 points earlier in the session, taking cues from the surprise gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate projected by the National Account Committee (NAC) before levelling off some gains to settle the day at 46,097.11 level with the gain of 182.13 points.

The bullish momentum was also supported by domestic news flow that suggested the government may be formulating a populist budget proposal to keep the personal income taxes and power tariffs unchanged, the report said. Furthermore, market expectations on the upcoming monetary policy meeting scheduled for 28th of May also added to elevated volumes during the day, it added. Although the roll-over week began, unlike past months activity remained low in tech stocks and in the end TRG closed below LDCP, it further said.

Tuesday, 25 May, 2021

06 COMMENT

Renaming Qaddafi stadium

Chaudhry Nisar’s return to politics Significant, considering recent developments

Cherry picking never helps in the long-run

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ltHoUGH estranged senior Pml-n leader Chaudhry nisar was unable to take oath as a Punjab assembly mPa yesterday due to the absence of both the speaker and deputy speaker, his willingness to do so after three years of silent absence from the country and its politics, is a significant development. not one to shy away from conflict, nisar has typically spoken his mind and done things his way, sometimes in defiance of his former boss, ex-Pm and Pml-n supremo mian nawaz Sharif’s wishes. His reentry into active politics cannot be ignored simply because of the fact that he has not made this move to become a mere mPa and comes at a time when the Pti government is facing a number of threats and challenges from within the party and opposition. the emergence of Jehangir Khan tareen’s (JKt) group, a collection of disgruntled Pti mPas and mnas served as a stark reminder of the fragility and composition of this government to Prime minister imran Khan. JKt-group’s primary objections are against Chief minister Usman Buzdar and its decision to carry out any agitation in the Punjab assembly coupled with mr nisar restarting his politics from the same province does not seem like a coincidence and it will become clear in the coming days if it leads to any changes in the top cadre of Punjab’ government.

So far, there has been a deafening silence from the Pml-n camp over mr nisar’s return. it is no secret that mariyam nawaz, who has been effectively and quite successfully leading the party in the absence of her father and uncle, does not get along with Chaudhry nisar at all. their many spats leading up to the 2018 general elections forced mr nisar to exit the party. Since his release from jail, mian Shehbaz Sharif has taken the reins with ms nawaz taking a back seat. Both nisar and the younger Sharif believe in taking the conservative approach when dealing with the establishment and are otherwise good friends as well. this change in guard is likely to have a serious effect on the power struggle within the Pml-n. an obvious change in strategy is evident and it includes maintaining better and cordial relations with the establishment.

SALMAN MUNIR

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motional as we are, we renamed “the lahore Stadium” as Qaddafi Stadium, following Col. muammar Qaddafi’s rousing speech supporting Pakistan’s nuclear program during his visit to lahore in 1974. Col. Qaddafi was in lahore to attend the islamic Summit along with other muslim Heads of State.

Qaddafi, Yasser arafat (Palestine liberation organization) and idi amin of Uganda held a special place in the hearts and minds of the young muslims in the 70s. they were the rock stars, the equivalent of the Beatles and it was not important that two were brutal military dictators and the third was a freedom fighter of sorts carrying a pistol 24/7. So it should come as no surprise why Prime minister Z. a. Bhutto named the lahore Stadium after Col. Qaddafi. this singular step brought Qaddafi a step closer to such disgraced and despised world leaders as mussolini, Hitler and Stalin after whom stadiums had been named.

Qaddafi ruled libya from 1969 with an iron hand, cloak and dagger until he was assassinated in october 2011. Born in a poor Bedouin family in 1942, he managed to enter the army and form a revolutionary group which ousted the Western backed monarchy of idris in 1969. He was fond of “islamic Socialism”, nationalized oil industry and tried to form a Pan-arab political union that did not succeed. over period he started funding foreign terrorist groups and meddling into the affairs of the neighboring countries, even Egypt, which was once a big ally. increasingly isolated for terror funding,

Shaukat Tarin out to beard the lion Raising taxes without tears

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BoUt two years before elections, it was understandable on the part of Pm imran Khan to have cold feet about implementing the commitments made to the imF by former Finance minister Hafeez Sheikh. Under new Finance minister Shaukat tarin there is a talk now to achieve some of the agreed targets while trying to negotiate others with the Fund. the all too familiar scenario for successive governments in the past has been to implement a painful adjustment for one to three years, then switch to election mode and spend heavily to try and shore up their electoral prospects, a move that again depletes the reserves and increases deficits. are we seeing a repeat of that or witnessing something new? the FBR faces an uphill task of achieving the revenue target of Rs 5,963 billion fixed by the imF. tarin’s promise not to increase the taxes for the salaried class and not to further burden those already in the tax net would be widely welcomed. We are being assured that the revenue target would be achieved through broadening of tax base with the help of innovation and technology. there are large chunks of the population who remain untaxed on account of their political clout. Former Chairman FBR Shabbar Zaidi tried to use some of the innovative techniques to bring the bulk of the trading community into tax net but failed. a similar case is that of the socalled progressive farmers using modern methods of irrigation, cultivation, and preserving the crops. as the provincial assemblies are under their control, they continue to dodge income tax. Similarly, parliamentarians and ministers who spend tens of millions of rupees to get elected pay only nominal taxes. Hopefully mr tarin will make them cough up what they owe the state a little earlier SaPm tabish Gauhar had maintained categorically that power tariff hikes are inevitable in order to control the circular debt. Early this month nepra was reported to have raised power tariff yet again. Finance minister tarin however has promised to convince the imF to show a lenient attitude as he had an alternate strategy to tackle the rising monster of circular debt. mr tarin would deserve the highest national award if he can bring down circular debt without raising power charges.

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n may 5, a london-based Belgian women mayra Zulfiqar was found dead in her flat in Defence Housing authority (DHa), lahore. She was strangled and shot twice, once in arm and second in neck. as per Police assistant Superintendent lahore Sidra Khan, the victim came back to Pakistan some three months ago. after the incident, the media reports and police investigation revealed that there are two suspects in the murder, Saad ameer Butt and Zahid Jadoon. according to mayra’s uncle, her niece was shot dead after refusing the marriage proposal of these two suspects.

“She had visited his residence a day before her murder and told him that her two male friends — asad ameer Butt and Zahid Jadoon — wanted to marry her and upon her refusal they threatened her with dire consequences,” he said. in the First information Report (FiR) mayra’s uncle further said that Butt forced her to marry him, followed by Jadoon with the same demand, but she outrightly refused both proposals. observers note that the most important aspect of this whole case is that victim had earlier warned police that her life is in danger. on april 20, mayra went to police station and told them that an individual had abducted her but she ran away. “He threatened me saying ‘you won’t be able to escape, i will kill you’” she stated in the police report. it is further revealed that she asked for the protection, but none was given to her.

Police did come to the house and saw CCtV footage of alleged abduction but no further action was taken on the incident. as per neighbors, the loud voices of argument used to come from mayra’s residence and on “one occasion men brandishing knives had been seen threatening ms. Zulfiqar from the street.”

Experts say that this development is enough to highlight the seriousness of the issue. However, po-

Editor Joint Editor

Umar Aziz Executive Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

The writer is a management consultant and innocence lawyer. He can be reached at as1236m@gmail.com

Belgian national’s murder underlines how bad the problem has gotten

Arif Nizami

Managing Editor

At the time of the Arab Spring, directed against oppressive regimes and a low standard of living, he faced a serious uprising in 2011 that ended his rule. If we look at his overall rule of some 40 years we might not be able to justify naming our premier cricket stadium after him.

Violence against women

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Yousaf Nizami Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

he was allegedly held responsible for lockerbie bombing in Scotland. a highly divisive figure, he ruled libya for four decades creating a vicious personality cult, trampled human rights and alienated his people. at the time of the arab Spring, directed against oppressive regimes and a low standard of living, he faced a serious uprising in 2011 that ended his rule. if we look at his overall rule of some 40 years we might not be able to justify naming our premier cricket stadium after him. in a recent case in January 2020, australia decided to award margaret Court, one of australia’s and indeed the world’s greatest tennis players, the country’s highest honor. this step sparked angry criticism and widespread condemnation because of her anti-gay views. two state governors publicly opposed giving her the order of australia’s highest level. the 79 years old margaret Court won a record 24 singles and 40 doubles majors (erroneously called grand slams). She also won a grand slam in 1970 (winning australian open, French open, Wimbledon and US open all in the same calendar year). Her 24 wins in singles are now being chased by the american tennis great Serena Williams who is on 23 wins. Players like martina navratilova and John mcEnroe paraded a banner at the australian open calling for the margaret Court arena in melbourne to be renamed “Evonne Goolagong arena” to celebrate australian Women’s tennis. Such is the opposition to margaret Court’s pronouncements against lGBtQ community. martina navratilova justified, renaming the arena as Evonne Goolagong arena at the australian open (2020), “You don’t want to diminish in any way margaret Court’s achievements, she was celebrated yesterday for winning grand slams 50 years ago—absolutely. But when buildings are named after you, or airports, or streets it’s the whole body of work, it’s not just one part of your life and then ignore the rest.” australia still went on to award margaret Court it’s highest national award and tennis australia refused to change the name of the

arena. But the point has been made to look at the whole before you proceed with naming a building or an airport or a street after anyone.

Well things work a little differently here. in 2016 maria Sharapova, a renowned tennis player, failed a drug test. Result: nike, Porsche and tag Heuer immediately dropped her as brand ambassador. Her Un goodwill ambassadorial post was suspended. on the other hand, our local hero Shahid afridi was seen by millions chewing a cricket ball to make his bowling successful. not a single mnC dropped him as brand ambassador. Why is there such a big difference between values? or is it because our values have changed so much that such acts do not bother us? or is it the system here that makes us behave differently? as children we are taught the same values by our parents as other children the world over including the West. We are taught not to lie or cheat or steal or shout or deceive, to share with others, to respect elders and teachers, not to tell on others and so on. Yet we behave very differently here in Pakistan when we grow up. Does this make us bad people?

Well i do not think so.

Why? in just a two hours flight to UaE we transform. We become law abiding because the system at UaE demands such behavior from us. this means that inherently we are good people. So we should just strive to improve our system of governance and the country will transform. to do this we will need to walk the talk. apply good governance across the board without fear or favor. Both Judiciary and Executive can play a leading role in this. Big, ugly and bad names should not sway our leadership or their opinions. they must start looking at the whole rather than one side of the people. if Zia and musharraf were bad for Pakistan because they were military dictators then Qaddafi was as bad because he was a military dictator too. Rename Qaddafi stadium now and send a message. Cherry picking never helps in the long run.

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Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

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lice did not take any action or followed the report. and this resulted in loss of a life. according to observers, the story, again, highlights a very serious issue: the violence against women in Pakistan. “in Pakistan, a deeply patriarchal society, almost every week brings news of wives strangled, daughters shot and sisters drowned for a perceived slight to ‘honour’” noted analyst Emine Sinmaz. “and last month, prime minister imran Khan caused outrage after he appeared to blame how some women dress for a rise in rape cases, saying: ‘this entire concept of purdah is to avoid temptation. not everyone has the willpower to avoid it.’ Violence against women, in other words, is commonplace.” as per a report by Sustainable Social Development organization (SSDo), “1,422 cases of domestic violence and 9,401 cases of violence against women were reported during the last six months of 2020.” the data was taken from January 1 to December 31, 2020. the report further said that these incidents are under reported. “the official number of violence incidents is missing from the government record, and that is why it has never truly reached legislation and policy development process with no solid ground for key decisionmaking at the government level,” the report said. the organization urged the government to take

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

serious steps to counter such incidents as serious efforts are needed to stop violence against women in the country. according to latest media reports, the police have arrested Butt and mayra’s roommate, iqra, in the case. Experts say police most probably will solve the case. However, the question is, could the life of mayra Zulfiqar have been saved? Did our victimblaming narrative play a part in the crime?

“Blaming the victims of sexual violence is a social phenomenon with serious implications for personal recovery of the victims and towards a collective response to prevent such crimes,” noted writer and consultant psychiatrist asma Humayun. “Failure to acknowledge the true nature of crimes against women is also a violation of human rights.” observers maintain that if the police had taken precautionary measures and provided security to the diseased, this murder could’ve been avoided. legal analysts say that proper legislation against violence against the women is need of the time, because without it, nothing can be achieved since it has become easy to target a girl over marriage refusal. the cases of men throwing acid or using other forms of violence on women continue unabated in the country.

Observers maintain that if the police had taken precautionary measures and provided security to the diseased, this murder could’ve been avoided.

Legal analysts say that proper legislation against violence against the women is need of the time, because without it, nothing can be achieved since it has become easy to target a girl over marriage refusal.

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Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

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The writer is a freelance columnist

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Tuesday, 25 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

Reopening schools AS the rise of global pandemic and increasing number of cases every day in Pakistan. The government has taken a decision to postponed the school opening till mid-June. it is not confirmed that there will be no prevalence of cOViD-19 soon, it may be here to stay for a while, which means the schools must prepare to operate in times of cOViD-19. This calls in for actions to be taken by the various educational authorities to launch relevant programs that focus on the professional development of the key educational leaders pertinent to cOViD and school reopening management. Schools have an organic culture of peer interactions, infrastructure that supports group and cluster learning, children and teachers interacting for formal and informal learning and many stakeholders under one roof making learning happening. This means high volume of social interactions and potential human transmission of the virus. On the other hand, it is utmost essential to also continue the learning in a structured manner so that students’ academic development is optimally benefited. This makes it fundamental for the school owners and administrators to plan and mitigate strategies for school reopening and cOViD management.

This can be done by planning and streamlining standard operating procedures to practice physical distancing, disinfecting the school premises and the classrooms, training of teachers and parent communities for preventive health care and mitigating for risk expected to emerge on the school reopening.

Dr ShEila Bhammani Karachi

Israel-Palestine peace Not possible without a process of reconciliation

Dr Alon Ben Meir

S

ince a ceasefire between israel and the Palestinians has been agreed upon, there are those who advocate that peace negotiations between the two sides should commence immediately to prevent future conflagration and bring an end to the destructive seven-decades-old conflict. I could not disagree more. Whereas a peace agreement based on a two-state solution must eventually be the outcome, no agreement can be reached unless it is preceded by a process of reconciliation for a period of at least five years to mitigate the ingrained hatred and distrust between them. Such a process would consist of multiple measures that run simultaneously on government-to- government and people-to-people levels, which can accelerate and enhance the implementation of the reconciliation process.

There are several preconditions upon which israel must agree to allow reconciliation to advance unimpeded. This includes: no further annexation of a single inch of Palestinian territory, no expanding settlements beyond their established parameters, and maintaining the current status quo of Jerusalem.

Government-to-government reconciliatory measures Halting the mutually acrimonious public narrative: israeli and Palestinian leaders must stop their acrimonious public narratives against each other. indeed, rather than preparing the public for the inevitability of peace and engaging in constructive public dialogue, they have been poisoning the political atmosphere and setting one side against the other, creating the perception that peace is an illusion and that the differences between them are simply irreconcilable.

Establishing an economic relationship: israelis and Palestinians must develop a strong economic relationship. Other than trade, israeli investors should be encouraged to invest in the future Palestinian state. economic exchanges, investment, and development will foster a very close relationship between the two sides.

Modifying school textbooks: israel and the Palestinians must modify their textbooks to reflect an objectively more accurate and less biased historic account throughout their educational institutions. Both sides must stop disseminating inaccurate historic accounts in their textbooks and reinforce that through their public discourse.

Taking no provocative action: The Palestinians should not turn to the international criminal court (icc) to charge israel with crimes against humanity, and must prevent any terrorist attack against israeli targets. israel on the other hand must not unduly restrict the movement of Palestinians, and must stop the practice of night raids and end the demolition and/or eviction of Palestinians from their residences anywhere, and especially in east Jerusalem.

Maintaining security cooperation: israel and the Palestinians should not only continue to collaborate on all security matters but further augment future cooperation. Alleviating concerns over security will have both psychological and practical implications, especially as both sides move toward substantive peace talks.

People-to-people measures on the ground As the above measures are taken, people-topeople interaction becomes a natural process conducted in a constantly improving atmosphere. The following measures are being pursued today on a small scale and should be greatly expanded. i) Mutual visitation: israel and the Palestinian Authority must agree to allow mutual visitation. it is hard to exaggerate the value of such visits when ordinary israelis and Palestinians meet in their respective places of residence to share experiences and understand each other’s grievances and concerns, and often discover that their shared interests and aspirations are far greater than their differences. ii) Women activism: Activism by israeli and Palestinian women can be a very important part of the reconciliation process. israeli and Palestinian women should use their formidable power to demand that their respective leaders end the conflict. The role of women in ending the conflict in northern ireland offers a vivid picture of how women can impact the course of events. iii) Joint sporting events: Sports are an incredibly useful tool in building camaraderie and friendship between the two sides, whether competing against each other or as part of a joint team. Football, basketball, and other sports teams can meet alternately in israel and Palestine to train and compete, and together they can cheer the generous spirit of the game where the victory is the game itself, not the final score. iv) Student interaction: Palestinian and israeli students should connect with one another and talk about their aspirations and hopes for the future. israeli and Palestinian youth should be taught that they are destined to peacefully coexist and be encouraged to use social media to communicate with each other, as the future rests in their hands. v) Art exhibitions: There are scores of israeli and Palestinian artists who have never met

or delved into each other’s feelings and mindset to see how their works reflect their lives. Joint exhibitions should take place both in israel and Palestine. These cultural exchanges can expand to include music festivals, theater performances, and other forms of art. vi) Public discourse: Universities, think tanks, and other learning institutions should organize roundtable discussions on the inevitability of coexistence and how both sides can remove the barriers to make it not only inevitable but desirable. Such small enclaves can be disseminated online to millions of people, including israelis and Palestinians, instantly. vii) Forums to discuss conflicting issues: Joint forums should be established, consisting of qualified israelis and Palestinians with varied academic and personal experiences who enjoy respect in their field, are independent thinkers, hold no formal position in their respective governments, and have thorough knowledge of the conflicting issues. viii) The role of the media: instead of focusing almost solely on violence and acrimonious charges and counter-charges which make headlines, israeli and Palestinian media should also be encouraged to report on positive developments between the two sides to inform the people that the bilateral relations are not all discouraging. in addition, journalist exchange programs will bring reporters to the field on the other side, where they can see and report on the reality free of political propaganda and bias.

The conflagration between israel and Hamas, which has caused massive destruction and terrible loss of life, especially among the Palestinians, should remind everyone that this round of hostilities, like all previous ones, will not be the last. Both sides must come to their senses and realize that they must find a way to coexist peacefully, because the alternative is more wars and bloodshed. To achieve a lasting agreement will be impossible given the current hostile atmosphere, which is laden with profound hatred and mistrust. A process of reconciliation first becomes central to achieving an enduring peace.

The US with the strong backing of the eU and the Arab states must use their leverage to pressure both sides to fully adhere to such a process and demonstrate that they are keen on seeking peace or face serious consequences.

Otherwise, any new peace talks will be nothing but an exercise in futility.

Whereas a peace agreement based on a two-state solution must eventually be the outcome, no agreement can be reached unless it is preceded by a process of reconciliation for a period of at least five years to mitigate the ingrained hatred and distrust between them.

Dr Alon Ben-Meir is a professor of international relations at the Centre for Global Affairs at NYU. He teaches courses on international negotiation and Middle Eastern studies. alon@alonben-meir.com

Child labour crisis A very important social issue that is tearing our society apart is the menace of child labour. it is affecting the children of our country. Many children between the ages of 7 to 15 start working for their families to help them.

152 million kids are still in child labour and it also said that in some places children work in hazardous places too.

Our society is not helping these children. They are making these children to do more work and then they give them less wages. These children also get mentally and physically abused. now a days, due to cOViD-19, i feel these children might be in much worse conditions and without a safety net. We as a society should work together to find a solid solution to end child labour. We need to realise that change starts with us!

We need to change our mindset and Pakistan needs to create better living standards for the underprivileged so that their children never have to work. m hamza EhSan rawalpinDi

Support the farmers TODAy’S writing is just to direct the government’s attention to a sector that is adding more than 25% to the economy. yes, this is the agriculture sector. Our peasants are facing three types of pandemics when the worlds are combating only to the novel virus.

Firstly the borders are closed and the export is limited due to which the prices of tomato and watermelon and other corps are too low, which is unable to provide meat to the peasant’s family. Secondly, locust is also an epidemic that is abolishing the crops in more than fifty districts in the country. The third one is the change in weather, due to which rain in awkward days, rise, and fall of temperature are also affecting the growth of corps. considering the above problems govt should chalk out a supportive program for the poor and small peasants, by providing them resources not only to make sure the availability of basic needs of life but also to bring them able to grow the corps. Such a program will be like as a helping hand to improve the agriculture sector.

Fari ahmED havElian

Illicit cigarette trade LTe against the published advertisement. it makes sense that higher taxation rate on cigarette manufacturers may persuade smokers to switch to low-priced, tax-evading products if they are freely available, which they indeed are. Hence, higher taxes may encourage and create a heavier burden on the public-health expenditure. civil society should realize that the tobacco industry in Pakistan is among the highest taxpayers in Pakistan, while a much larger number of unregistered cigarette producers are not paying any taxes and selling their product at lower prices than the minimum rates set by the government.

One holds no brief for cigarette manufacturers but while we should look at raising taxes on the few companies that pay, the smarter thing would be for government and civil society to also take effective measures against those that are undermining the whole purpose of taxing cigarette makers to begin with. We hope that a stop will be put soon to illegal trade of cigarettes.

Siraj munir Karachi

Self medication in our country, everyone becomes a doctor for himself/herself by themselves. The practice of self-medication has now socially been adopted which seems to be indelible. Many great experts have warned about this peril on national and international basis but we are here to listen none.

Likely, in my home, my mother is our doctor with no doctorate degree.

My sister is having a normal cough from couple of days. Meanwhile, my mom handed her some medicines and forced her to take to. i was quite amazed seeing the scenario. it is often observed that people take medicines for flu, fever, headache and other minor disturbing health factors; knowing the fact that these are timely problems for which we should not take medicine at all. We just encourage our hearts and maintain a fake balance by containing cough-syrup, pain-killer, ointments, tonics, vitamins and such similar equipments but we have never pondered over the side effects of these silenced killers.

There are more than 50,000 unnecessarily registered medicines in Pakistan. According to the official reports, 500,000 people die annually in Pakistan due to medication errors, wrong prescription, overdose of drugs, self-medication and adverse effects of medicines. aSiF muraD umrani Karachi

Tuesday, 25 May, 2021

08 WORLD VIEW

HoW AmericAn journAlism becAme A moutHpiece of tHe deep stAte LEON PANETTA, ONCE DIRECTOR OF CIA, EXPLAINED BLUNTLY THAT THE AGENCY INFLUENCED FOREIGN MEDIA OUTLETS AHEAD OF ELECTIONS IN ORDER TO “CHANGE ATTITUDES WITHIN THE COUNTRY”

AmerIcAn conservAtIve

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PeTeR VAN BUReN

ePORTeRS joke that the easiest job in Washington is CiA spokesman. You need only listen carefully to questions, say, “No comment,” and head to happy hour. The joke, however, is on us. The reporters pretend to see only one side of the CiA, the passive hiding of information. They meanwhile profit from the other side of the equation, active information operations designed to influence events in America. it is 2021 and the CiA is running an op against the American people. leon Panetta, once director of CiA, explained bluntly that the agency influenced foreign media outlets ahead of elections in order to “change attitudes within the country.” The method was to “acquire media within a country or within a region that could very well be used for being able to deliver a specific message or work to influence those that may own elements of the media to be able to cooperate, work with you in delivering that message.” The CiA has been running such ops to influence foreign elections continuously since the end of WWii. The goal is to control information as a tool of influence. Sometimes the control is very direct, operating the media outlet yourself. The problem is this is easily exposed, destroying credibility.

A more effective strategy is to become a source for legitimate media such that your (dis)information inherits their credibility.

Most effective is when one CiA plant is the initial source while a second CiA plant acts seemingly independently as a confirming source. You can push information to the mainstream media, who can then “independently” confirm it, sometimes unknowingly, through your secondary agents. You can basically write tomorrow’s headlines.

Other techniques include exclusive true information mixed with disinformation to establish credibility, using official sources like

embassy spokesmen “inadvertently” confirm sub details, and covert funding of research and side gigs to promote academics and experts who can discredit counter-narratives.

From the end of WWii to the Church Committee in 1976, this was all dismissed as a conspiracy theory. Of course the U.S. would not use the CiA to influence elections, especially in fellow democracies. except it did. Real-time reporting on intelligence is by nature based on limited information, albeit marked with the unambiguous fingerprints of established tradecraft. Always give time a chance to explain.

Through Operation Mockingbird the CiA ran over 400 American journalists as direct assets. Almost none have ever discussed their work publicly. Journalists performed these tasks for the CiA with the consent of America’s leading news organizations. The New York Times alone willingly provided cover for ten CiA officers over decades and kept quiet about it. long term relationships are a powerful tool, so feeding a true big story to a young reporter to get him promoted is part of the game. Don’t forget the anonymous source who drove the Watergate story was an FBi official who through his actions made the careers of cub reporters Woodward and Bernstein. Bernstein went on to champion Russiagate. Woodward became a Washington hagiographer. Ken Dilanian, formerly with the Associated Press and now working for NBC, still maintains a “collaborative relationship” with the CiA. That’s the tradecraft. The problem for America is once again the tools of war abroad have come home, just the same as when post-9/11 the NSA turned its antennas inward. The intelligence community is currently operating against the American people using established media.

Some of it can’t be more obvious. The CiA always planted stories abroad for American outlets to pick up. To influence public opinion, they lied to journalists in the run up to the 2003 iraq war. The agency works directly with hollywood to control movies about itself.

Turn on any of the advocacy media outlets and you see panels of former CiA officials.

None however is more egregious than John Brennan, former director, who for years touted Russiagate when he knew from information

gathered while he was still in office that it was all fake. Brennan probably leaked the foundational lie alleging Trump was dirty with Russia to the press in January of 2017 as the kickoff event to the info op still running today.

Brennan’s role is more than speculation.

John Durham, the U.S. attorney leading the ongoing “how it happened” Russiagate investigation into the intelligence community, has requested Brennan’s emails and call logs from CiA. Durham is also examining whether Brennan changed his story between his public comments (not under oath: say anything) and his May 2017 testimony to Congress (under oath: watch out for perjury) about the dossier. Reporter Aaron Mate is less delicate, laying out the evidence Brennan was “a central architect and promoter of the conspiracy theory from its inception.” even blunter is Senator Rand Paul, who directly accuses Brennan of trying “to bring down a sitting president.” how that worked helps show how info ops intertwine with covert ops. Justice Department inspector General Michael horowitz’s report shows the FBi unleashed a full-spectrum spying campaign with the primary document of the information op, the Steele Dossier, as an excuse. Dossier author and ex-British intel officer Christopher Steele also created a textbook information loop to publicize his work, secretly becoming his own corroborating source.

The horowitz report also shows it was a 5 eyes team effort; Australian diplomat Alexander Downer, a man with ties to his nation’s intel services, arranged a meeting with Trump staffer George Papadopoulos to set in motion FiSA surveillance. British GChQ monitored Trump officials and passed info to the NSA. The op used CiA assets, shadowy academics Stefan halper and Joseph Mifsud, as dangles. There was even a honey trap with a female FBi undercover agent inserted into israeli-arranged social situations with a Trump staffer. it was all based on nothing but disinformation and the American press swallowed every bit of it to falsely convince a vast number of citizens their nation was run by a Russian asset. Robert Mueller, whose investigation was supposed to propel all this nothing into impeachment, ended up exercising one of the last bits of political courage Americans will ever see in walking right to the

edge of essentially a coup and refusing to go one step more.

The CiA is a learning institution, and it recovered well from Russiagate. Details can be investigated. That’s where the old story fell apart. The Steele Dossier wasn’t true.

But the a-ha discovery was the realization that since you’ll never formally prosecute anyone, you don’t need to bother with evidence when you can just throw out accusations. The new paradigm let the nature of the source—the brave lads of the intelligence agencies—legitimize the accusations. Go overt and let the unexpected prestige of the CiA as progressive heroes substantiate things. it worked.

So in December 2017 CNN reported Donald Trump, Jr., had advance access to the Wikileaks archive. Within an hour, NBC’s Ken Dilanian and CBS both claimed independent confirmation. it was a complete lie. how do you confirm a lie? Ask another liar. in February 2020, the Office of the Director of National intelligence (ODNi) briefed the house intelligence Committee the Russians were election meddling again to favor Trump. A few weeks earlier, the ODNi briefed Bernie Sanders the Russians were also meddling in the Democratic primaries in his favor. Both briefings were leaked, the former to the New York Times to smear Trump for replacing his DNi, the latter to the Washington Post ahead of the Nevada caucuses to damage Sanders. Who benefits is always a good question. The answer was Joe Biden. in June 2020 the New York Times stated the CiA concluded the Russians “secretly offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants for killing coalition forces in Afghanistan — including targeting American troops.” The story ran near another claiming Trump had spoken disrespectfully about fallen soldiers.

Neither was true. But they broke around Trump’s announcement about withdrawing troops from Afghanistan and were aimed at discouraging pro-military voters. earlier this month the Washington Post, citing anonymous sources, claimed the FBi gave a defensive briefing to Rudy Giuliani in 2019, before he traveled to Ukraine. Giuliani supposedly ignored the warning. The story was “independently confirmed” by both NBC and the New York Times. it was totally false.

We are left to wonder how all these

media outlets keep making the same mistakes with sources and only in disfavor to Trump, et al., and never the other way. They have become a machine as trustworthy as the spies they rely on.

The American system always envisioned an adversarial role for the media. One of the earliest challenges to freedom of the press was the colonial-era Peter Zenger case, which established the right of the press to criticize politicians free from libel charges. At times when things really mattered, men like edward R. Murrow worked their craft to preserve democracy. Same for Walter Cronkite reaching his opposition to the Vietnam War, and the New York Times reporters weighing imprisonment to publish the Pentagon Papers. in each of those instances the handful of reporters who risked everything to tell the truth were held up as heroes. Seeing the Times fighting for its life, the Washington Post co-published the Pentagon Papers to force the government to make its case not just against a rival newspaper, but the 1A itself.

Not today. Journalism is devoted to eliminating practitioners unwilling to play the game. Few have been targeted more than Glenn Greenwald (with Matt Taibbi as runner up.)

Greenwald exploded into a journalistic superhero for his reporting on edward Snowden’s NSA archive, founding the intercept to serve as a platform for that work.

Then something very, very odd made it appear the intercept outed one of its own whistleblower sources. evidence suggests the source was a patsy, set up by the intel community, and exposed via Matt Cole, one of the intercept journalists on this story. Cole was also involved in outing CiA officer John Kiriakou as a source on torture. Whistleblowers were made to think twice before turning to the intercept.

Greenwald’s later criticism of the media for accepting Deep State lies as truth, particularly concerning Russiagate, turned him into a villain for progressives. MSNBC banned him, and other media outlets ran smear stories. he recently quit the intercept after it refused to publish his article on hunter Biden’s ties to China unless he deleted portions critical of Joe Biden.

Greenwald wrote, ‘’the most significant Trump-era alliance is between corporate outlets and security state agencies, whose evidence-free claims they unquestioningly disseminate… every journalist, even the most honest and careful, will get things wrong sometimes, and trustworthy journalists issue prompt corrections when they do.

That behavior should be trust-building…But when media outlets continue to use the same reckless and deceitful tactics — such as claiming to have “independently confirmed” one another’s false stories when they have merely served as stenographers for the same anonymous security state agents while “confirming” nothing — that strongly suggests a complete indifference to the truth and, even more so, a willingness to serve as disinformation agents.’’

Peter Van Buren is the author of We Meant Well: How I Helped Lose the Battle for the Hearts and Minds of the Iraqi People.

Canadian journalists fear retaliation for criticising coverage of Israeli attacks on Gaza AN OPEN LETTER ON MEDIA STANDARDS IN CANADA, WHERE SOME STYLE GUIDES BAN THE WORD “PALESTINE,” GARNERED OVER 2,000 SIGNATURES

Intercept

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AkelA lAcy

hile israel launched strikes against Gaza last week after Palestinians protested planned evictions in Jerusalem, a group chat of journalists in Canada was lighting up with notifications.

They were frustrated with Canadian media coverage that painted the strikes without context and with a glaring absence of Palestinian voices. Some in the group, which included several Muslim journalists, shared frustrating experiences of advocating for nuanced coverage of international issues in their newsrooms. Some asked for advice on how to approach their editors about concerns with coverage, or lack thereof, of what was really going on in the region. So they drafted an open letter. “‘The Middle east is complicated. We need to hear both sides. everyone has a lot of emotions about this.’ [sic] These are just some of the excuses news editors have provided to Canadian journalists trying to cover the

escalating violence against Palestinians,” the letter read.

“The lack of nuanced Canadian media coverage of forced expulsions and indiscriminate airstrikes over the last three days, which have so far killed at least 137 Palestinians, including 36 children, has been disappointing.” At the time of publication, israeli airstrikes have killed at least 230 Palestinians, including 65 children.

The reported death toll among israelis is just 12.

More than 2,000 people signed the letter, which was addressed broadly to Canadian newsrooms, including journalists in Canada and the U.S., writers, and students.

Shortly after it was published on Friday, letter organizers started hearing from journalists who had been called into meetings with management at their respective newsrooms to discuss why they had signed. At least three people were completely taken off coverage of the region, according to two people familiar with the organizing efforts, who spoke with The intercept on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation from employers.

The letter noted that some Canadian style guides “still ban the use of the word ‘Palestine’ in coverage,” and highlighted a May 6 Al-Jazeera column that pointed out that only two Canadian publications covered a human Rights Watch report last month on decades of israel’s crimes in Palestine.

Andray Domise, a contributing editor at Maclean’s magazine who signed the letter, told The intercept that

he had also heard from fellow signatories at other newsrooms who were asked to meet with their management.

One reporter circulated a Google Doc on Twitter to share resources with reporters experiencing reprisal.

Domise said he was already disturbed by media coverage of israeli attacks on Palestinian protesters when the letter came to his attention. “i was listening to the radio, watching news conferences, and so forth,” he said. “The most nuanced coverage i was able to get was in social media. Which, as a journalist, should be embarrassing.”

Then police forces attacked Palestinians at the Al Aqsa Mosque. The headlines highlighted hamas’s rocket launches on israel.

“This is a holy site. But there was hardly any mention of that whatsoever. it was just described as a clash between worshippers and the iDF,” Domise said. “it looks something like starting the clock late.” like in many U.S. newsrooms, Canadian journalists are still dealing with a reckoning over coverage of marginalized communities sparked in part by worldwide protests last summer against police brutality. Numerous journalists were reprimanded for speaking up about those issues, Domise said, but little has actually changed. “So after having gone through all that, and knowing that nothing was done, why would anyone feel safe going to management and saying, ‘i don’t feel like the coverage on this particular issue is fair?’”

if the industry could have tough conversations about covering Black lives Matter, it should be able to do the same for Palestine, the letter’s authors argued. “Our industry rallied to properly cover the Black lives Matter protests after the brutal police killing of George Floyd, and the disproportionate impacts of the pandemic on marginalized communities at home and around the world,” their statement read. “We are learning to report on indigenous experiences and issues in a nuanced way that recognizes the long historical impact of colonialism. Why shouldn’t Palestinians be afforded the same nuance?”

Numerous outlets reported over the weekend that Palestinian protesters in Toronto had assaulted an older Jewish man. What they did not note, Domise pointed out, was that the older man had been armed and had joined a group of people who had already instigated the fight. The group appeared to be attending a counterprotest by the Jewish Defense league, which the Southern Poverty law Center designates as a hate group for promoting “a violent form of anti-Arab, Jewish nationalism.” The man told the Toronto Sun that he was not a JDl member. in response to the video, Toronto Mayor John Tory made a statement condemning antisemitism, as did Ontario Premier Doug Ford. CBC later reported on the full video, which showed that the man had been armed and instigated a fight.

“We’re asking for better coverage and better language to describe what’s happening,” in israel and Palestine, one of the letter’s organizers told The intercept. “Because in effect, when we use the wrong language, it really minimizes and reduces the pain of people felt here. And isolates millions of Canadians. if we’re misrepresenting it through our language, that is an indictment on our journalism.”

According to Domise, many people are still reluctant to speak out. “Folks are willing to go so far,” he said.

Tuesday, 25 May, 2021

ISLAMABAD

PAkIstAn tO rAIsE $500 FrOM GrEEn BOnD Getz Pharmacy in collaboration with Scarryammi organized a three day conference on motherhood and child health.

Jazz has collaborated with Universal Service Fund (USF) to provide 4G services in Jacobabad, Shikarpur and Kashmore districts of Sindh. The contract was signed by USF CEO Haaris Mahmood Chaudhary and Jazz CEO Aamir Ibrahim. Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Syed Amin Ul Haque; Federal Minister for Planning, Development, Reforms and Special Initiatives Asad Umar; and Federal Minister for Privatisation Mian Muhammad Somroo graced the occasion with their presence.

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NEWS DESK

AKISTAN plans to raise $500 million this week with the sale of a debut green bond that may lead the way for similar deals from the country to fund hydroelectric projects.

The Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) is looking to sell a 10-year note this month, and intends to offer more environmentally-friendly debt over the next two years, according to Chairman Wapda Muzammil Hussain. Pakistan aims to tap soaring investor demand globally for green debt as it pushes forward with plans to increase renewable and hydroelectric generation to 60 per cent of total electricity by 2030.

Pakistan is targeting economic growth of 5 per cent in the year starting July from 3.94 per cent this fiscal year with the help of spending on large infrastructure projects. The funds from

the proposed dollar bond will be used to fund the Diamer Basha and Mohmand dams in the nation, according to Muzammil Hussain.

“We are taking a lead against fossil

ISLAMABAD APP

President Dr Arif Alvi on Monday stressed the need for developing Pakistan’s livestock sector, saying that it could contribute to economic development, food security and poverty alleviation.

Highlighting the importance of livestock in the economic development of Pakistan, the president said the livestock sector had great potential to earn foreign exchange and called for increasing the export value by meeting international requirements and ensuring quality control of products.

He was chairing a follow-up meeting on meat exports and processing at Aiwan-e-Sadr. The meeting was attended by the provincial secretaries and director generals of livestock departments, members of the All Pakistan Meat Exporters and Processors Association (APMEPA) and senior officials from the Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of National Food Security.

KARACHI PRESS RELEASE

Oil prices rise as storm forms in Gulf, doubts emerge on Iran deal SINGAPORE AGENCIES

Oil prices rose on Monday as a storm formed in the Gulf of Mexico and Iran said a three-month nuclear monitoring deal had expired, raising doubts about the future of indirect talks that could end U.S. sanctions on Iranian crude exports. Brent crude oil futures for July rose 32 cents, or 0.5%, to $66.76 a barrel by 0143 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate for July was at $63.93 a barrel, up 35 cents, or 0.6%. Oil prices fell last week after Iran’s president, Hassan Rouhani, said the United States was ready to lift sanctions on his country’s oil, banking and shipping sectors. “Iran’s oil production has been rising in recent months, likely in anticipation of a lifting of the sanctions,” ANZ analysts said in a note on Monday. However, the speaker of Iran’s parliament said on Su day a three-month monitoring deal between Tehran and the U.N. nuclear watchdog had expired and that its access to images from inside some Iranian nuclear sites would cease.

European diplomats said last week that failure to agree an extension of the monitoring deal would plunge wider, indirect talks between Washington and Tehran on reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal into crisis.

Those talks are due to resume in Vienna this week. Former President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the deal in 2018 and re-imposed sanctions.

Meanwhile, a low pressure system located over the western Gulf of Mexico with winds of 30-35 miles per hour (48 to 56 km per hour) near and east of the center, has a 60% chance of becoming a cyclone in the next 48 hours, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said on Friday. Concerns of rising coronavirus cases in Asia capped price gains.

fuel,” he said.

The country sold $2.5 billion of dollar bonds in March, its first since 2017, in a sign of investor demand for debt from the nation. Fitch Ratings af-

firmed its B- ratings for WAPDA, the same as for sovereign, earlier this year.

“The government currently provides a large share of financing for power-related capex, but the policy direction for WAPDA is to expand its own indebtedness without the government’s commitment,” Fitch said at the time. “The government owns 100% of WAPDA and has a tight grip on its overall operation, including financing.”

The bonds will be issued for the tenor of seven or 10 years depending on the demand. The international market is promising for the launch of Eurobonds and it is expected that the bids will be received from UK, USA and Singapore.

The size of the green bond has not yet been firmed up as it will be determined by the appetite of the global market but there are signs that the government would likely opt to go ahead with the issuance of Eurobonds worth $500 million.

Promotion of livestock sector to ensure food security: President Alvi

Faysal Bank issues first shariah compliant alternate to credit cards with IDEMIA Faysal Bank Limited has teamed up with IDEMIA, the global leader in Augmented Identity, to launch its first Shariah-compliant alternate to conventional credit cards by the name of Faysal Islami NOOR. The republic’s Islamic banking industry has experienced double-digit growth year-on-year since 2015. The meteoric rise in this type of banking has also brought about a corresponding demand for Shariah-compliant payment tools. Eager to support its customers, Faysal Bank turned to IDEMIA to deliver a unique payment experience that adheres to the religion’s principles. This new EMV Card provides Faysal Bank’s customers with the benefits of a full fledge credit card, while ensuring that all payments and repayments are Shariah-compliant.

BUSINESS 09

The meeting reviewed the progress on the decisions taken during the last meeting.

Secretary Livestock Punjab informed the meeting about the efforts made by provincial government to control the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in animals. The meeting proposed various solutions and strategies for controlling FMD in the country.

Similarly, meat exporters apprised the meeting about various issues and challenges being faced by them. The president asked the concerned ministries and departments to facilitate meat exporters and address their problems, particularly the in rationalisation of certification process of halal food and issuance of quarantine certificates.

He reiterated the government’s commitment to address the problems of exporters and processors enabling them to enhance production and increase exports. He urged the private sector to play its role in promoting livestock sector as it had potential to generate foreign exchange as well as generate employment opportunities in the country.

Koto hydropower project to be completed by Dec MONITORING REPORT 90 per cent work on the under-construction Koto hydropower project (Koto-HPP) has been done and it will be completed by December this year, said assistant project director while briefing a team of the district administration.

According to a local media report, he powerhouse would generate 40.8MW of electricity that would be added to the national grid.

The remaining 10 per cent work on the project would be completed by coming December.

Work on the project was started in Feb 2015 and according to its contract it was to be completed in Feb

2019. The project was jointly identified by the Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organisation (PEDO) and GTZ Germany in 1992.

Executive Committee of the National Economic Council approved the project on Aug 18, 2014, with a revised cost of Rs13.9 billion while the contract was awarded on Dec 10, 2014.

Crypto miners halt China business after Beijing cracks down, bitcoin tumbles BEIJING AGENCIES

Cryptocurrency miners, including HashCow and BTC.TOP, have halted their China operations after Beijing intensified a crackdown on bitcoin mining and trading, hammering digital currencies amid heightened global regulatory scrutiny of them.

A State Council committee led by Vice Premier Liu He announced the crackdown late on Friday as part of efforts to fend off financial risks. It was the first time the council has targeted virtual currency mining, a big business in China that accounts for as much as 70 per cent of the world’s crypto supply. Cryptocurrency exchange Huobi on Monday suspended both crypto-mining and trading services to mainland Chinese clients, adding it will instead focus on overseas businesses. BTC.TOP, a crypto mining pool, also announced the suspension of its China business citing regulatory risks, while crypto miner HashCow said it would halt buying new bitcoin rigs.

Crypto miners use increasingly powerful, specially-designed computer equipment, or rigs, to verify virtual coin transactions in a process which pro-

duces newly minted crypto currencies such as bitcoin. “Crypto mining consumes a lot of energy, which runs counter to China’s carbon neutrality goals,” said Chen Jiahe, chief investment officer of Beijing-based family office Novem Arcae Technologies.

The crackdown is also part of China’s stepped-up drive to curb speculative crypto trading, he added.

Bitcoin took a beating after the latest Chinese move, and is now down nearly 50pc from it’s all-time high. It shed as much as 17pc on Sunday, before paring some losses and was last trading steady in Asia.

Elsewhere, Ether fell to a twomonth low on Sunday, down 60pc from a record peak hit just 12 days ago, Investor protection and money laundering are particular concerns of global financial regulators who are grappling with whether and how they should regulate the cryptocurrency industry. The latest shakeout in digital currencies also stems from tighter scrutiny in the United States. Last Thursday, US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said they pose risks to financial stability, and indicating that greater regulation of the increasingly

popular electronic currency may be warranted. Huobi made the announcement via its official Telegram community for Huobi Mall, as well in a statement to Reuters. BTC.TOP and HashCow could not be immediately reached for comment Dirty business: The annual energy consumption of China’s cryptocurrency miners is expected to peak in 2024 at about 297 terawatt-hours, greater than all the power consumption

by Italy in 2016, according to a study recently published in Nature Communications. Chinese President Xi Jinping has pledged carbon neutrality by 2060.

China has already lost its position as a global cryptocurrency trading cen-

tre after Beijing banned crypto exchanges in 2017. “Eventually, China will lose crypto computing power to foreign markets as well,” BTC.TOP founder Jiang wrote in a micro blog post via Weibo, predicting the rise of US and European mining pools. Chen of Novem Arcae said the crypto craze, if not curbed, could turn into froth similar to the Dutch tulipmania in the 17th century — often regarded as the first financial bubble in recorded history.

“The only difference is that after the tulip bubble burst, there were still some beautiful flowers left,” Chen said.

“But when the virtual currency bubble bursts, what would be left are merely some computer codes.”

Tuesday, 25 May, 2021

10 FOREIGN NEWS

ISLAMABAD

IndIa vIrus death toll passes 300,000, thIrd hIghest In world NEW DELHI

I

Agencies

NDIA crossed another grim milestone Monday of more than 300,000 people lost to the coronavirus as a devastating surge of infections appeared to be easing in big cities but was swamping the poorer countryside.

The milestone, as recorded by India’s health ministry, comes as slowed vaccine deliveries have marred the country’s fight against the pandemic, forcing many to miss their shots, and a rare but fatal fungal infection affecting Covid-19 patients has worried doctors.

India’s death toll is the thirdhighest reported in the world, accounting for 8.6 percent of the nearly 34.7 million coronavirus fatalities globally, though the true numbers are thought to be significantly greater.

The health ministry Monday reported 4,454 new death in the

last 24 hours, bringing India’s total fatalities to 303,720. It also reported 222,315 new infections,

Johnson to wed fiancee symonds next summer: report LONDON: Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his fiancee Carrie Symonds have sent wedding invitations to family and friends for July 30, 2022, The Sun reported on Sunday. Details of the couple’s wedding destination remain a closely guarded secret, according to The Sun. In February 2020, Johnson and his girlfriend Carrie Symonds said they were engaged to be married. Johnson, 56, and Symonds, 33, have been living together in Downing Street since Johnson became prime minister in 2019. They share a son named Wilfred Lawrie Nicholas Johnson, born last year. Johnson, known for his rumpled appearance and flamboyant oratory, was previously married to Marina Wheeler, and they had four children together. They announced in September 2018 that they had separated and would divorce after 25 years of marriage. Johnson was also married once before Wheeler to Allegra MostynOwen, and Symonds will be his third wife. Agencies

Iraqi asad base, where us forces work, attacked with rocket BAGHDAD: Iraq's Ain al-Asad air base, which hosts United States and other international forces, was attacked with a rocket on Monday, but no one was hurt, a coalition spokesman said. US Army Colonel Wayne Marotto, spokesman for the US-led international military coalition, tweeted that initial reports suggested the attack took place at 1:35 p.m. (1035 GMT). He said the damage was being assessed. The United States accuses militia groups of launching regular rocket attacks against its troops in Iraq. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Monday's attack. Agencies

which raised the overall total to nearly 27 million. Both are almost certainly undercounts.

From the remote Himalayan villages in the north, through the vast humid central plains and to

the sandy beaches in the south, the pandemic has swamped India’s underfunded health care system after spreading fast across the country.

In the capital, New Delhi, residents have died at home with no oxygen as hospitals exhausted limited supplies. In Mumbai, Covid19 patients have died in crowded hospital corridors. In rural villages, fever and breathlessness took people before they were even tested for coronavirus.

While the megacities have seen signs of improvement in recent days, the virus isn’t finished with India by any means.

It appears to have already taken a ghastly toll in the country’s vast rural areas, where a majority of the people live and where health care is limited.

In recent weeks, hundreds of bodies have washed up on the banks of the Ganges River in Uttar Pradesh state. Many others have been found buried in shallow graves along its sandy banks. It has prompted concerns that they’re the

remains of Covid-19 victims.

India’s vaccination drive has also slowed recently, and many states say they don’t have enough vaccines to administer.

The world’s largest vaccineproducing nation has fully vaccinated just over 41.6 million people, or only 3.8 percent of its nearly 1.4 billion population.

The first known Covid-19 death in India happened on March 12, 2020, in southern Karnataka state. It took seven months to reach the first 100,000 dead. The toll hit 200,000 deaths in late April. The next 100,000 deaths were recorded in just 27 days after new infections tore through dense cities and rural areas alike and overwhelmed health care systems on the brink of collapse.

Average daily deaths and cases have slightly decreased in the past few weeks and the government on Sunday said it is conducting the highest number of Covid-19 tests, with more than 2.1 million samples tested in the previous 24 hours.

Myanmar's Suu Kyi appears in court in person for first time since coup YANGON Agencies

Myanmar's deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi appeared in person at a court hearing on Monday for the first time since her government was overthrown by the military in a February 1 coup, her lawyer told Reuters. Suu Kyi looked in good health and held a face-to-face meeting with her legal team for about 30 minutes before the hearing, lawyer Thae Maung Maung said.

Suu Kyi, 75, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her efforts to build democracy, is among more than 4,000 people detained since the coup. She faces charges that range from illegally possessing walkie-talkie radios to violating a state secrets law.

The ousted leader "wished people good health" in her meeting with her lawyers and also made an apparent reference to her National League for Democracy party that could be dissolved soon.

"She said the party was established for the people so the party will be there as long as the people are," Thae Maung Maung told Reuters.

Myanmar's junta-appointed election commission will dissolve Suu Kyi's political party for vote fraud in a November election, media reported on Friday, citing a commissioner, who threatened action against "traitors" involved.

The army seized power claiming fraud in an election won by Suu Kyi's party in November. Its accusations had been dismissed by the former electoral commission.

In his first interview with foreign media since the coup, junta leader Min Aung Hlaing had also

said Suu Kyi was in good health as he disputed the number of people killed by security forces in protests since the coup.

Myanmar has been in chaos since the army took power, with daily protests, marches and strikes nationwide against the junta, which has responded

with lethal force, killing more than 800 people, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners activist group.

Min Aung Hlaing in the May 20 interview said the actual casualty figure was about 300 and that 47 police had also been killed.

Social media postings appear to show Dubai ruler’s daughter DUBAI Agencies

Two images of Sheikha Latifa, a daughter of the ruler of Dubai, have appeared on Instagram in recent days, three months after the BBC aired a video message in which she said she was being held captive in a barricaded villa.

The images, if verified, would mark one of the few times Latifa has been photographed in public since shortly before she mounted a failed attempt three years ago to escape her father’s control by boarding a yacht to sail across the Indian Ocean.

Since then, Latifa and her supporters claim she has been held against her will on the orders of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai and a vicepresident of the United Arab Emirates.

The sheikh and the UAE categorically deny the accusations.

In April, U.N. rights experts demanded

that the United Arab Emirates show “proof of life” for and release Latifa bint Mohammed al-Maktoum, 35, after the video aired in February by the BBC‘s investigative news programme Panorama.

A source close to campaigners who have lobbied for her release said that the two pictures, posted on the Instagram account of Sioned Taylor, were genuine and had been taken recently. Reuters could not independently verify whether Latifa has freedom of movement.

The UAE foreign ministry referred requests for comment on the Instagram images to the Dubai government’s media office, which did not respond when contacted by Reuters. When contacted by Reuters via Instagram, Taylor, whose profile identifies her as a teacher at a state-run Dubai school, did not respond.

The first image, posted on Taylor’s account on Thursday, shows Latifa outside a movie theatre inside a Dubai mall. An adver-

tisement for a film released in Dubai on May 13 can be seen in the background.

The second image, posted on Taylor’s account on Saturday, shows Latifa sitting outside a restaurant with the Dubai Mall in

the backdrop.

After the video aired by the BBC in February, the UAE embassy in London issued a statement saying Latifa was being cared for at home by her family and medical profes-

sionals and that she would return to “public life at the appropriate time”.

Latifa drew international attention in 2018 when a human rights group released a video made by her in which she described an attempt to escape Dubai. She was captured off the coast of India by special forces and taken back to Dubai.

In March 2020, a London High Court judge said he accepted as proved a series of allegations made by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum’s former wife, Princess Haya, in a legal battle, including that the sheikh ordered the abduction of Latifa. The sheikh’s lawyers rejected the allegations.

In late 2018, Latifa’s family released photos of her sitting with Mary Robinson, a former Irish president and a United Nations high commissioner for human rights. Robinson subsequently told the BBC that she was “tricked” during the visit and never asked Latifa about her situation.

Tuesday, 25 May, 2021

SPORTS 11

ISLAMABAD

Ligue 1: LiLLe end PSg’S dominance to be crowned French chamPionS ANGERS

L

AGENCIES

ILLE won the Ligue 1 title on Sunday thanks to a 2-1 victory at Angers which ensured they were crowned French champions for the first time since 2011 on the final day of the season.

An early Jonathan David strike and Burak Yilmaz’s penalty in first-half stoppage time ensured that Christophe Galtier’s Lille finished one point ahead of second-placed Paris Saint-Germain, who won 2-0 at Brest.

Angelo Fulgini pulled one back in added time at the end of the match, but the hosts could not stop Lille becoming champions for the fourth time in their history.

The match was played behind closed doors due to Covid-19 restrictions but fans poured into the streets of Lille to celebrate at the final whistle.

Supporters lit flares and chanted songs in the northern city’s central Place Charles de Gaulle in jubilation at a historic triumph against far wealthier opposition.

“This is exceptional. It’s been a long day and a lot of pressure. To beat Paris SaintGermain to the league title is something exceptional,” a jubilant Galtier said to Canal+.

“The players were amazing... the credit goes to the players, they are the heroes.” The title triumph came after another away success for Lille, who finish the season unbeaten on the road since November, and ends a three-year league winning streak for PSG. It was fitting that it was David and Yilmaz who scored the crucial goals at Angers, as both have been key to an improbable run to the title that has also held significant pres-

sure from Monaco.

Canadian young gun David latched on to a superb Renato Sanches pass to coolly slot home his 13th of the league season with nine minutes on the clock, immediately calming any nerves after last week’s disappointing draw with Saint-Etienne left them needing a win to make sure of the title.

David was the man who won the penalty that secured the points and the championship just before the break, Paul Bernardon bringing the 21-year-old down and allowing Yilmaz to score his 16th league goal of a remarkable season for the veteran Turkey striker.

‘FOCUS ON FUTURE’: Mauricio Pochettino’s PSG will have to settle for the French

Cup in a disappointing season for the megarich club. They lost eight times – a record since they were taken over by Qatar Sports Investments in 2011 – and took only one point from their two matches with Lille.

Neymar had already missed a penalty when they took the lead in the 37th minute at Brest thanks to a freak own goal from Ro-

main Faivre, who somehow diverted Angel Di Maria’s corner into his own goal from way out near his own touch line.

Kylian Mbappe made sure of the win in the 71st minute but by that time the destination of the title was already as good as certain. “There are no worries. We lost the title and now we have to focus on the future,” said Mbappe, who was crowned Ligue 1 top scorer for the third year in a row.

Monaco won the race for the final Champions League position despite only managing a goalless draw at Lens, as Lyon lost 3-2 at home to mid-table outfit Nice and allowed the Principality club to claim third spot. Rudi Garcia revealed he will step down as Lyon coach after only leading his team to the Europa League.

“I wanted to quit the club with them in the Champions League, but it’s not happened,” said Garcia, who led Lille to the 2011 title. “I will speak to the president (JeanMichel Aulas) on Monday but I decided a long time ago that I will not continue here.”

Lyon will be in the Europa League alongside fifth-placed Marseille, who scraped a 1-1 drew at Metz thanks to a penalty from Arkadiusz Milik in the 14th minute of added time.

Milik struck from the spot in an incredible ending to a match which came seven minutes after Farid Boulaya had given 10thplaced Metz the lead with a stoppage-time spot-kick of his own.

Nantes finished in the relegation play-off place after losing 2-1 at home to Montpellier.

The 18th-placed team will play Toulouse to decide whether they stay in the top division.

Nimes and Dijon were already relegated going into the final round of matches.

Mickelson becomes the oldest major winner with epic PGA C’ship win

CHARLESTON AGENCIES

Phil Mickelson became the oldest major winner in golf history on Sunday, the 50year-old left-hander capturing the PGA Championship by two strokes for his sixth and most iconic major title.

The age-defying American took the $2.1 million (1.7 million euro) top prize with an epic victory for the ages, producing a dazzling shotmaking display at windy Kiawah Island’s while younger rivals faded. “It has been an incredible day,” Mickelson said. “Certainly one of the moments I’ll cherish my entire life.”

Mickelson erased the major age win mark set by American Julius Boros when he captured the 1968 PGA Championship at age 48. “I don’t know how to describe the feeling of excitement and fulfillment and accomplishment to do something of this magnitude when very few people thought that I could,” Mickelson said.

Mickelson grinded out a final-round one-over par 73 to finish 72 holes on sixunder 282 with South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen, the 2010 British Open champion, and American Brooks Koepka, a four-time major winner, sharing second on 284.

It was the first major victory for Mick-

elson since the 2013 British Open.

“This is just an incredible feeling because I believed that it was possible but yet everything was saying it wasn’t,” Mickelson said. “I hope others find that inspirational.” Spectators created a surreal scene at the 18th hole, swarming around Mickelson after his second shot as he tried to walk to the 18th green, needing to threeputt from 16 feet for the epic triumph.

Outnumbered security guards forced Mickelson through a throng of thousands of people who encircled the green chanting “Lefty, Lefty,” and roared with delight as he tapped in for par to complete a victory for the ages. “I don’t think I’ve ever had an experience like that, so thank you for that,” Mickelson told the crowd as he accepted the Wanamaker Trophy.

“Slightly unnerving, but exceptionally awesome.” The crowd, limited to 10,000 people by Covid-19 safety measures, roared with every successful swing by Mickelson, creating an electric atmosphere all day on the punishing Ocean Course, the longest layout in major history at 7,876 yards.

On the front nine, Mickelson answered three bogeys with three birdies in a rollercoaster start, his most astonishing effort a 50-foot chip-in from the sand at the par-3 sixth, for a two-stroke lead at the turn.

World number 115 Mickelson sank a 12-foot birdie putt at the 10th while Koepka and Oosthuizen made bogeys to leave “Lefty” with a four-stroke edge.

Koepka fell back with three bogeys in the first four holes on the back nine. When Oosthuizen made double bogey at the 13th, Mickelson owned a five-stroke lead with six holes remaining.

Mickelson found water at the 13th and made bogey on Sunday’s hardest hole, then missed a seven-foot par putt at the par-3 14th for a bogey that increased the tension, leaving Oosthuizen two adrift and the week’s toughest holes remaining.

But Mickelson hit his longest drive of the week, 366 yards, into the 16th fairway, then went over the green, pitched within inches from the cup and tapped in for birdie to restore his three-stroke edge.

Mickelson took a bogey at 17 and drove left at 18 near a hospitality tent then put his approach on the green to spark the chaotic finish.

45TH US PGA TOUR TITLE: It was the 45th career US PGA Tour triumph, his first since 2019 at Pebble Beach.

Mickelson improved to 4-for-6 in majors with 54-hole leads or shared leads, winning at the 2004 and 2006 Masters and the 2005 and 2021 PGA but sharing second at the 2006 and 2013 US Opens.

His other major wins came at the 2010 Masters and the 2013 British Open. With 16 years between PGA Championship triumphs, Mickelson owns the longest gap between wins at the same major.

Koepka, fighting through pain to play after right knee surgery two months ago, won the 2018 and 2019 PGAs and could have become the first player to win the same major three times in four years since Tom Watson at the 1980, 1982 and 1983 British Opens.

Irishmen Padraig Harrington, Europe’s 49-year-old captain for September’s Ryder Cup, and Shane Lowry, the 2019 British Open champion, shared fourth with American Harry Higgs and England’s Paul Casey on 286. American Jordan Spieth, trying to win to complete a career Grand Slam, closed on 74 to finish on 290.

Four-time major winner Rory McIlroy, who won the 2012 PGA at Kiawah, grinded out a 72 to finish on 293.

CMYK

Shahid Afridi ruled out of PSL 6 due to back injury NEWS DESK Multan Sultans’ all-rounder Shahid Afridi has been ruled out of the HBL Pakistan Super League’s (PSL) sixth season due to a back injury.

Earlier, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had announced to hold the remaining PSL 6 matches in UAE after the league in Pakistan was postponed due to increased coronavirus cases.

On Monday, Shahid Afridi experienced pain in his lower back during a training ses-

sion in Karachi for the upcoming PSL 6 matches, following which he was examined by a doctor and suggested complete rest.

“While training for the remainder of the Pakistan Super League 6, I felt lower back pain and had to consult a doctor. Unfortunately, I have been advised to rest and can no longer accompany my team Multan Sultans for the Abu Dhabi-leg. I am disappointed as I was practicing and training really hard,” Afridi said. Afridi has been replaced Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s spinner Asif Afridi, who would join the Multan Sultans squad in Abu Dhabi.

Aguero close to joining Barcelona next season: Guardiola LONDON AGENCIES

Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero is close to agreeing a deal to join Barcelona after his contract expires at the Premier League champions, manager Pep Guardiola said.

The 32-year-old scored twice in his final league match for City on Sunday as he helped them celebrate their title success in style with a 5-0 thrashing of Everton.

City's record goalscorer is set to leave as a free agent after the Champions League final against Chelsea on May 29 in Porto.

Guardiola was confident Aguero would enjoy playing at Barcelona, who won three

La Liga and two Champions League titles under the Spanish manager. "Maybe I reveal a secret. Maybe he is close to agreeing a deal for the club of my heart - for Barcelona," Guardiola told the BBC after Sunday's game.

"He is going to be playing alongside the best player of all time, (Lionel) Messi."

Barcelona finished third in La Liga seven points behind champions Atletico Madrid and five behind Real Madrid. They were knocked out of the Champions League in the round of 16 by Paris St Germain. "I'm pretty sure he is going to enjoy," Guardiola added.

"And maybe Barcelona are stronger and stronger with him on the pitch."

Tuesday, 25 May, 2021

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PM vIsIts IsI headquarters, BrIefed on seCurIty sItuatIon islAMABAd

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Staff RepoRt

RIME Minister Imran Khan was given a briefing on the security situation in the country and the region during a visit to the Inter-Services Intelligence Secretariat on Monday.

He was accompanied by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Defence Minister Pervez Khattak, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Chief of Army Staff General

Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Nadeem Raza, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Mohammad Amjad Khan Niazi and Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu. They were received at the ISI Secretariat by Director General Lt Gen Faiz Hameed, according to a press release by the Prime Minister’s Office.

During the visit, the national and military leadership was given a “comprehensive briefing on the regional and national security situation”, the release stated.

Prime Minister Imran appreciated the

ISI’s “diligent efforts for national security and expressed his satisfaction over professional preparedness”.

In March, the COAS and ISI chief had met the prime minister as part of the interactions between the civilian and military leadership on national issues.

An official, speaking on background, had said the meeting was held to review the “internal and external situation”.

Five publicly known meetings between Prime Minister Imran and the army chief and ISI director-general have taken place in the past couple of months under this format.

Confusion as Bangladesh drops ‘except Israel’ from new passports

Pakistan, US agree to advance practical cooperation GENEVA

ANAdolu AGENcy

Staff RepoRt

Pakistan and the United States have agreed to advance practical cooperation in bilateral, regional and global issues.

An understanding to this effect came during a meeting of national security advisers of Pakistan and the United States in Geneva.

“Both sides had a positive conversation on a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues of mutual interest and agreed to advance practical cooperation on these issues,” read a statement issued by the office of NSA on Monday.

The national security advisors of Pakistan and the United States met in a first high-level face-to-face contact since the Biden administration took charge.

The meeting between Pakistani NSA Dr Moeed Yusuf and his US counterpart Jake Sullivan is being seen as significant against the backdrop of the current Afghan situation, which observers believe will determine the future of Pak-US cooperation.

The two sides are tight-lipped over the meeting and there has been no explanation as yet on why they opted for a third country for the meeting.

Moeed was only last week appointed as the NSA by the government that had abolished the office after coming into power. The meeting appears to be necessitated by the current situation in Afghanistan where there is a stalemate after little progress in the intraAfghan talks.

The US troops withdrawal has threatened further instability, and Washington, along with other regional countries, is keen

to seek a political deal before the last US soldier leaves the war-ravaged country by September 11.

In addition to bringing peace in Afghanistan, an improvement in the overall bilateral relationship is also a priority for Pakistan. It is believed that the NSA went to Geneva with a brief envisaging the country’s plan on how to expand ties with the US beyond Afghanistan.

The development comes after a top Pentagon official said Pakistan has played an important role in supporting the peace process in Afghanistan. Assistant Secretary of Defence for Indo-Pacific Affairs David F Helvey issued the statement while addressing law-

makers of the Senate Armed Services Committee in the US on Saturday.

He was responding to a question from Senator Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat, about his “assessment of Pakistan” and its intelligence agencies and the role expected by both in the future.

“Pakistan has played an important role in Afghanistan. They supported the Afghan peace process. Pakistan also has allowed us to have overflight and access to be able to support our military presence in Afghanistan,” Helvey said. He said the US will continue its conversation with Pakistan because of its support and contribution to the future of Afghanistan.

Bangladeshi passports will no longer bear the text “valid for all countries of the world except Israel,” officials confirmed on Sunday. The Bangladeshi passport earlier had a note written on it that said it was acceptable for travel to all countries of the world except Israel. A number of countries, including Pakistan, have a similar restriction for travel to Israel in their passports. But a few months ago, Bangladesh dropped the words “except Israel” from the new electronic passports. Since the South Asian Muslim-majority country came into being in 1971, it has openly affirmed its position in favour of Palestine and against the Israeli oppression in the occupied Palestinian territories. During the recent attacks on the Palestinians by Israeli forces, Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen confirmed the country’s support for the struggle of Palestinians and condemned the Israeli aggression against civilians. Recent tensions that started in East Jerusalem during the holy month of Ramadan spread to Gaza as a result of Israeli assaults on worshippers in the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood. Israel launched airstrikes that killed at least 248 Palestinians, including 66 children and 39 women, and injured more than 1,900 others. Health authorities in the West Bank also confirmed that 31 people were killed in the occupied region, totalling 279 across all Palestinian territories.

CONFUSION: Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Imtiaz Ahmed, a professor of International Relations at Dhaka University, said that the timing of disclosing this development was a major factor that caused confusion among citizens of the country. “Recently, when some Muslim countries forged relations with Israel, Bangladesh expressed its support to the Palestinian cause. So I don’t think that withdrawing two words from the passports will shake Bangladesh’s long-standing moral position on the Israel-Palestine conflict,” Ahmed said. He noted that there is no Israeli embassy in Bangladesh and no bilateral trade between the two countries. “On the other hand, Bangladeshi authorities have been allowing the Palestinian Embassy in Dhaka for years,” he added. The academic said Bangladesh has been supporting a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict with strong opposition to the illegal Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories, adding: “I hope that Bangladesh will never change this position.”

US reaches out to Palestinian leaders many angrily reject AGENciEs After weeks of unrest and a devastating 11day war in Gaza, the US and the international community plan to engage with the Palestinians to revive peace efforts.

But when US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits on Tuesday, he will meet with Palestinian leaders who were sidelined by the protests and outmanoeuvred by Hamas — and who seem to be more despised by Palestinians than at any time in their long reign.

The Palestinian Authority is no closer to statehood than it was when Mahmoud Abbas, now 85, was elected president in 2005 after the death of Yasser Arafat, and the Palestinians are far more deeply divided.

Abbas called off the first elections in 15 years last month when it looked like his splintering Fatah party would suffer an embarrassing defeat.

However, the PA maintains close security ties with Israel and is deeply invested in the idea of a two-state solution. Internationally, that’s seen as the only way to resolve the conflict, even though there have been no substantive peace talks in more than a decade.

Hamas won a landslide victory in the last elections in 2006 and was poised to do well again. But it is blacklisted as a terrorist organisation. The protests in Jerusalem and elsewhere are mostly leaderless.

“The option is either to engage with Hamas or an incredibly unrepresentative and defunct governing — somewhat of a governing — authority that holds absolutely no legitimacy,” said Tahani Mustafa, an analyst at the Crisis Group, an international think tank.

Israel and the US appear to be taking the second route, with officials in both countries saying they hope to strengthen the PA at the expense of Hamas, something that has been tried and failed repeatedly since Hamas seized power in Gaza from Abbas’ forces in 2007. Many Palestinians have come to see the PA as part of an entrenched and increasingly unbearable system of Israeli domination that extends far beyond the occupied West Bank, where the PA administers major population centers under overarching Israeli control.

Their anger boiled over last month with protests and clashes in Jerusalem that eventually spread across the region, drawing in Palestinian citizens of Israel and triggering the Gaza war.

It was on vivid display at Friday prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the holy site at the heart of the recent unrest, when thousands of Palestinian worshippers chanted “Dogs of the authority, get out!” in response to a sermon from a PA-appointed cleric.

That was in sharp contrast to raucous rallies held at Al-Aqsa and elsewhere in support of Hamas and Mohammed Deif, the shadowy commander of the group’s armed wing.

Unlike the PA, which released sternlyworded statements against Israel’s policing of Al-Aqsa Mosque and attempts by Jewish settlers to evict dozens of families from a nearby neighborhood, Deif issued an ultimatum. When time ran out, Hamas fired rockets that disrupted an Israeli parade celebrating its occupation of the city.

That triggered a devastating Gaza war that killed more than 250 people in Palestine, including 70 children, and caused widespread destruction in the impoverished territory. But it also allowed Hamas to portray itself as a wily defender of Jerusalem,

to which both sides in the Middle East conflict have deeply emotional ties, and to say it had struck a blow against the far more powerful Israel. Mkhaimar Abusada, a political science professor at Al-Azhar University in Gaza, says that even their support for Hamas has risen amid widespread disappointment with the PA. “At the end of the day, it’s Israel that destroyed these buildings,” he said. “We suffer because of Israeli occupation, we suffer because of Israeli oppression […] The Palestinians are not going to blame Hamas.”

Hanan Ashrawi, a former senior Palestinian official and veteran of the peace process who broke with the Palestinian leadership last year, partly blames Israel for the downfall of the PA, saying it “sabotaged” attempts at a two-state solution, including by expanding settlements.

“The more this happened, the more (Palestinian leaders) were seen as helpless before Israeli violations,” she said. “Israel proceeded with full impunity to make life more and more miserable for Palestinians.”

Israel says it made various proposals over the years for a Palestinian state in most of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem — territories it occupied in the 1967 war — that were rejected.

The Palestinians, negotiating from a position of weakness, said the offers did not go far enough.

Khalil Shikaki, a respected pollster who

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has been surveying Palestinian public opinion for more than two decades, said Hamas’ popularity normally rises during periods of confrontation only to return to normal when things settle down. But he says the PA’s crisis of legitimacy is real.

“This last war between Israel and Hamas has shown that the emperor is truly naked,” he said. Hamas was able to argue that it defended Jerusalem when no one else — neither Abbas, nor Arab countries, nor the international community — was willing to do anything, Shikaki said.

“This narrative is absolutely fantastic in terms of its effectiveness, and Hamas got away with it because Abbas has zero credibility among Palestinians,” he said.

That won’t keep Abbas from welcoming Blinken to the presidential palace in Ramallah this week as the leader of the Palestinians, even though he administers less than 40 percent of the West Bank and his presidential mandate expired more than a decade ago.

His forces have no presence in Gaza, and with the elections cancelled, are unlikely to return anytime soon.

For that reason, it’s widely expected that any rebuilding money will go through the UN and Qatar. They were already funnelling aid to Gaza and carrying out humanitarian projects there as part of informal cease-fires between Israel and Hamas — the only meaningful Israeli-Palestinian agreements reached in recent memory.