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Saturday, 2 May, 2020 I 8 Ramzan-ul-Mubarak, 1441 I Rs 15.00 I Vol X No 304 I 12 Pages I Lahore Edition
PPP aCCuses Centre of ‘sabotaging’ sindh’s anti-Corona efforts g
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BIlAwAl SAYS CEnTRE HAS lET PROvInCES dOwn, ASkS PM IMRAn nOT TO UndERMInE PROvInCIAl EFFORTS IF HIS gOvT CAn’T HElP THEM
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SAYS lOCkdOwn wAS IMPOSEd AFTER nCOC MEETIng, qUESTIOnS PM’S ‘ElITES’ REMARkS
dEdICATES lABOUR dAY TO HEAlTH wORkERS, dEMAndS gOvT TO PROvIdE THEM PPES
KARACHI StAff report
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AkISTAn People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Friday lashed out at the federal government for its repeated attempts to “sabotage efforts of creating a united front against coronavirus” and unwarranted criticism of the Sindh government. In a press conference, the PPP chief said Prime Minister Imran khan had disappointed the entire nation during this pandemic, which had exposed the incompetence of the federal government. “Prime minister and his spokespersons are attacking Sindh and its people day and night,” said Bilawal. “He undermines the efforts of the healthcare workers, doctors and law enforcement personnel, who are fighting the virus on the front line. “He questions the work of Sindh’s ministers and subjects them to charac-
ter assassinations.” He said if the PM could not support the Sindh government then the least he could do was to not undermine its directives to people about staying at home. The PPP co-chairperson further stated that the Sindh government was treating coronavirus patients with its own resources, as the Centre did not provide any help whatsoever. “The Centre has disappointed every province,” the PPP chairman said. “They did not provide adequate facilities to the government of Balochistan at Taftan border, neither advised the Punjab government to take precautionary measures during the Raiwind gathering.” He added that if Imran khan wants to remain the prime minister of only Islamabad, then fighting this pandemic would be very difficult. “god forbid, karachi would suffer the same fate as new York.” “They also let down the Punjab government by not warning them about the Rai-
Coronavirus in
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wind Ijtima. They did not take any practical steps to protect those who participated and later did not support the provinces in tracing the participants,” he lashed out. “The federal government caused harm to all the provinces by not playing its proper role in the Raiwind Ijtima.” Referring to the premier’s speech a day earlier in which he said that an “elite” imposed the lockdown after they realised the virus affected the rich as well, Bilawal questioned who those “elites” were. “The decision to extend the lockdown was taken in a meeting at the national Command and Operations Centre (nCOC). It was based on recommendations by Punjab and khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the announcement was made by a federal minister. who then are these elites the prime minister talks about?” he questioned. MAY 1 DEDICATED TO DOCTORS: Bilawal dedicated labour day, being observed on May 1, to those frontline workers who lost their lives in the fight against the coronavirus. He grilled the government for its “failure to fulfill basic demands of the doctors fighting coronavirus on the frontlines”. “Can you imagine Pakistan declaring war and sending its army without guns, bullets, and a uniform,” he asked.
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PTI leaders accuse Bilawal of doing politics amid crisis STORY ON PAGE 02
Don’t play politics in times of corona, Faraz tells Bilawal g
FEdERAl InFO MInISTER SAYS SIndH gOvT FAIlEd In IMPlEMEnTIng lOCkdOwn EFFECTIvElY ISLAMABAD StAff report
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz on Friday rejected the criticism of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari over the federal government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, saying the outbreak is a national problem and the public will not forgive those who are trying to play politics in the midst of crisis. Faraz was addressing his first press conference after taking charge as the information minister. He said the nation is faced with an unprecedented challenge of COvId-19 and a collective response is required to meet it. He said the relief packages announced by the federal government were for the whole country rather any specific province or area. He said that the deserving families from across the country, including Sindh, were getting an amount of Rs 12,000 each transparently under the Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme. Commenting on the Sindh government’s steps regarding coronavirus, the minister said that the PPP’s government in Sindh had
Inflation eases to 8.5pc in April g
ExPERTS BElIEvE InFlATIOn MAY dROP FURTHER In MAY FOllOwIng A MAJOR CUT In OIl PRICES ISLAMABAD
failed in effective implementation of its lockdown decision as people could be witnessed roaming in streets freely. Faraz said the federal government adopted the concept of smart lockdown under the vision of Prime Minister Imran khan to protect the daily wagers and labourers from the economic impact of coronavirus. The country could not afford a complete lockdown due to the economic situation and even the developed states were also opting for the smart lockdown to keep their economic wheels running, he added. The information minister said now there was a realization on the importance of striking a balance between the lockdown and revival of economic activities to save the vulnerable segments of the society from hunger and starvation. The strategy was being finalized for reopening of the industrial sector, he said, appealing to the people related to the industries to take precautionary measures. The prime minister wanted that the lockdown should be eased to some extent so that the country’s economy could grow, he added.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 05 fiqah-e-hanfia
lahore sehr: 3:46 aM iftar: 6:44 PM
karachi sehr: 4:33 aM iftar: 7:03 PM
islaMabad sehr: 3:45 aM iftar: 6:53 PM fiqah-e-jafaria
lahore sehr: 3:36 aM iftar: 6:54 PM
islaMabad sehr: 3:35 aM iftar: 7:03 PM
karachi sehr: 4:23 aM iftar: 7:13 PM
GHULAM ABBAS
CONFIRMED CASES:
17,699
RECOVERED:
DEATHS:
SINDH:
PUNJAB:
4,351 6,675
408
6,340
KP:
BALOCHISTAN:
AJK/GB:
ISLAMABAD:
2,799 66/340
1,136 343
Annual consumer inflation edged down to 8.5 per cent in April from 10.24pc in March, which is the third consecutive decline since January 2020, data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) revealed on Friday. The Consumer Price Inflation (CPI) index was recorded at 14.56pc in January, the highest jump in over a decade, severely squeezing household budgets. However, the index started falling from February, when it had eased to 12.4pc. The CPI index showed a 6pc decline during the past three months mainly due to economic slowdown amidst Covid19, dwindling oil prices and unchanged energy tariffs in the last few months. Experts believe inflation may drop further in May following the major cut in oil prices in the country. They said since the demand in the economy is likely to be subdued, the central bank may be provided further room to cut in interest rate. The central bank kept inter-
more inside
PM Imran vows to protect workers from COVID-19 crisis STORY ON PAGE 03 est rates unchanged at 13.25pc in January but once the coronavirus began battering business and household finances, it slashed rates three times in recent weeks to 9pc. International financial institutions, the SBP and the Ministry of Finance have projected up to 1.6pc negative economic growth for the current fiscal year. The PBS calculates the inflation index by monitoring prices of 356 commodities in 35 cities and 244 goods in 27 rural markets. Urban CPI inflation decreased by 1.6pc in April as compared to March 2020. The Urban CPI index was recorded
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7.7pc YoY in April 2020, as compared to 9.3pc in March 2020 and 8.4pc in April 2019. This decrease in inflation was mainly attributed to a fall in the prices of onions (-22.94pc), chicken (21.81pc), tomatoes (-11.1pc), fresh milk (-4.29pc), vegetables (-3.86pc), wheat (-3.29pc) and vegetable ghee (-1.01pc). On the other hand, Rural CPI inflation decreased 1.9pc, from 11.7pc in March to 9.8pc in April. The core inflation, which is calculated by excluding food and energy items, went down in urban as well as in rural areas.
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Over a quarter of Pakistan’s women workforce fired or suspended amid lockdown STORY ON PAGE 05
Afghanistan’s Ghani agrees to formation of ‘national govt’ STORY ON BACK PAGE
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Saturday, 2 May, 2020
NEWS
PTI leaDerS aCCUSe BIlawal Of DOING POlITICS aMID CrISIS LAHORE
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STAFF REPORT
HORTly after Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari lashed out at Prime Minister Imran Khan and asked him to step down, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Ali Zaidi, Khurram Sher Zaman and Dr Shahbaz Gill returned the favour, slamming the Bhutto scion for doing politics at a time of crisis. “I had a good laugh watching his ‘show’ on TV,” said Zaidi while talking to a news channel. “I can’t understand why people take him seriously. If he makes silly statements,
World Economic Forum acknowledges PM Imran’s ‘Green stimulus’ package as ‘win-win’ ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
he will be called stupid,” he added. The federal minister repeated the same questions he had asked Bilawal on Twitter, pointing out that the Sindh government’s annual budget was Rs1,217bn while Rs114bn had been allocated for the health sector. “Where is this money going,” he asked. “I don’t know who advises this man. This man is a joke on national TV. He doesn’t know anything at all and his party is in power in Sindh for the past 12 years,” he added. Parliamentary leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in Sindh Assembly, Khurram Sher Zaman alleged that the PPP government has almost destroyed the Sindh province in its over 12 years of continuous rule.
“Since Pakistan locked down starting March 23 to try to stem the spread of COVID-19, unemployed day labourers have been given new jobs as “jungle workers”, planting saplings as part of the country’s 10 Billion Tree Tsunami programme,” the report stated. “Such ‘green stimulus’ efforts are an example of how funds that aim to help families and keep the economy running during pandemic shutdowns could also help nations prepare for the next big threat: climate change.” Rab Nawaz, an official of WWF-Pakistan also hailed the project and said the government’s move is “a very good idea to create green jobs and get people employed.” “The government should be very selective on how it spends money, and focus on resilience,” he urged. While approving the scheme, PM Imran had said that addressing climatic issues and enhancing green cover of the country were among the foremost priorities of the present government. He said the Green Stimulus package, especially the Green Nigehbaan initiative, would offer employment opportunities to the youth and help in promoting the objectives of clean and green Pakistan. The prime minister directed the Ministry of Climate Change to prepare a plan of action for engaging the international community under the “Debt for Nature Swap” programme to convert part of country’s debt into a grant for greater plantation and environment protection activities.
World Economic Forum (WEF) has acknowledged Prime Minister Imran Khan’s “Green Stimulus” package which was approved on Wednesday as part of the government’s efforts to extend green cover in the county and create job opportunities for the youth, especially in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis. The package is part of the Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf government’s 10 Billion Tree Tsunami project and aimed at promoting plantation, setting up nurseries and natural forests, as well as honey, fruit and olive plantation in the country. Under the package, a “Green Nigehbaan” initiative would also be launched to initially provide job opportunities to 65,000 youths/daily wage earners, making them part of the plantation campaign. The report titled “COVID-19: Pakistan’s ‘green stimulus’ scheme is a win-win for the environment and the unemployed” was published in collaboration with Thomson
Reuters Foundation on the WEF website. The feature also highlighted as to how the project is providing employment opportunities to those who were rendered jobless due to coronavirus lockdown.
Minority commission: Govt accused of ignoring Dalits
Missing Baloch journalist Sajid Hussain found dead in Sweden
KARACHI: Pakistan People’s Party MPA Surendar Valasai has accused the federal government led by Imran Khan of inflicting negative discrimination against the Dalits or Scheduled Castes communities of Pakistan by completely ignoring them in the proposed nominations for National Commission for Minority Rights (NCMR). In a statement issued here on Friday, Valasai said that Scheduled Castes form almost close to half of the total non-Muslim population in the country yet not a single member has been nominated from them by PTI government in the proposed NCMR, which was a sheer form of negative discrimination against the marginalized majority. He further said that provincial governments should be taken on board in the formation of the said Commission. The federal government must induct the best brains from the non-Muslims as per their population ratio instead of making it another political arm of PTI, the PPP MPA added. The federal cabinet meeting on Wednesday approved the inclusion of Ahmadis in the minority commission, prompting a backlash from certain political and religious quarters. The cabinet had considered the summary titled ‘Re-Constitution of National Commission for Minorities’ dated April 15, 2020 which was submitted by the Religious Affairs Division, and approved the constitution of the commission in principle. STAFF REPORT
ISLAMABAD
Shahera Shahid appointed as PIO ISLAMABAD: The Establishment Division has notified Press Secretary to Prime Minister Shahera Shahid as the new Principal Information Officer (PIO) at the Press Information Department (PID). Shahid, a BPS-21 officer of the Information Group, was notified against her now-former post in August last year. Previously, she has headed the Directorate of Electronic Media and Publications (DEMP) and Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC). According to reports, Shahid’s appointment has been made in consultation with the newly sworn-in Minister for Information Senator Shibli Faraz. Furthermore, the outgoing PIO, Tahir Hassan, has been posted as director general of Information Ministry’s cyber wing. STAFF REPORT
Sindh seeks border closure with Balochistan over wheat smuggling
AGENCIES
Pakistani journalist Sajid Hussain, who was living in exile in Sweden and had been missing since March 2, has been found dead, police said on Friday. “His body was found on April 23 in the Fyris river outside Uppsala,” police spokesperson Jonas Eronen told AFP. Hussain, hailing from Balochistan, was working parttime as a professor in Uppsala, about 60 kilometres north of Stockholm, when he went missing on March 2. He was also the chief editor of the Balochistan Times, an online magazine he had set up, in which he wrote about drug trafficking, forced disappearances and a long-running insurgency. “The autopsy has dispelled some of the suspicion that he was the victim of a crime,” Eronen said. The police spokesperson added that while a crime could not be completely ruled out, Hussain’s death could equally have been the result of an accident or a suicide. “As long as a crime cannot be excluded, there remains the risk that his death is linked to his work as a journalist,” Erik Halkjaer, head of the Swedish branch of Reporters without Borders (RSF), told AFP. According to the RSF, Hussain was last seen getting onto a train for Uppsala in Stockholm. Hussain came to
Zaman alleged that Bilawal’s father Asif Zardari and aunt Faryal Talpur are both culprits of Sindh and its residents. He said if PPP wants to compare performance in times of coronavirus then they should answer for all the ration that has gone ‘missing’. “Who got the 2 million ration bags?” he questioned. He said that he feels sadness knowing the fact that the Sindh government has eaten away critical ration supplies of the poor segment of the province. PM’s aide Dr Shahbaz Gill lashed out at Bilawal too, saying that the PPP chairman’s press conference was an admission of his failure to manage the coronavirus situation. “you and your chief minister are responsible for people from lyari to landhi, not the federal government,” Gill wrote on Twitter. He urged the PPP to provide relief to labourers and workers across the province instead of lashing out at the federal government. “The propaganda of those who are ruling Sindh for the past 30 years won’t succeed,” he said. “Bilawal should tell us what the Sindh government is doing apart from hurling accusations at the centre?”
Sweden in 2017 and secured political asylum in 2019. The Pakistan Foreign Office declined to comment when asked about Hussain by AFP. The editorial board of Balochistan Times had publicly shared the news that he had been missing from the Swedish city of Uppsala since March 2 and that a formal case had been filed with the Swedish police on March 3. Taj Baloch, a friend of Hussain’s in Sweden, had met him a day before his disappearance and said everything seemed fine. The next day, his phone was off, and he would not return any calls. The last someone had heard from him was when he was in a hostel office, getting the key of his room and he said he would call back.
KARACHI: The Sindh government on Friday decided to seal its border with Balochistan in a bid to stop wheat smuggling from the province. In this context, Sindh’s Food department has requested the Interior ministry in written for the closure of the border under the Food Act. The decision was taken after the approval of the Sindh cabinet. According to the, Sindh Food department, a mafia is active to smuggle the wheat of the province, which cannot be allowed. The Sindh government has fixed 1.4 million tons of wheat procurement target for the current crop. Sindh Food department has issued stern directives for the regional deputy directors, district food controllers and other concerned staff to meet the target. STAFF REPORT
UN hails Pakistani peacekeepers’ role in Congo flood rescue operations
Firdous blames ‘multiple pseudo-info ministers’ for her ouster
RAWALPINDI: The United Nations (UN) has hailed Pakistani peacekeepers’ role in rescuing more than 2,000 people stranded due to heavy floods in the Uvira region of South Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). While sharing an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) video on rescue and relief efforts by the Pakistani peacekeepers in saving hundreds of lives in DRC on Friday, the UN spokesperson said that the country is among the top contributors in the UN peacekeeping operations around the world. “Watch how Pakistani peacekeepers from @MONUSCO helped save hundreds of lives during the deadly floods in the #DRCongo,” read the tweet. Earlier on April 26, the ISPR had said that the torrential floods erupted in the city of Uvira and its surrounding areas last week and continued for days and had damaged thousands of houses, affecting some 75,000 people. According to military’s media wing, Pakistani Blue Helmets, which serve the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Congo (MONUSCO), “immediately rushed to the affected areas for rescue and relief of local Congolese populace”. APP
Former special assistant to prime minister on information and broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan on Friday denied the allegations of corruption and misuse of power during her time as the PM’s aide. Speaking to a local news outlet, Firdous denied the allegations and said that how could she take 10 per cent commission while giving advertisements when no such advertisements were given to the media during her tenure. She said that the files related to her ministry were never shown to her, but rather they were taken to Prime Minister Imran Khan directly by the secretary for six months. “A case pertaining to an advertisement company who I supposedly gave money to, they got through to me after six months of trying even then they remain unpaid,” she claimed. Discussing her dismissal from the post, she said that to her knowledge, the premier was satisfied with her performance but wanted someone else to take charge. Firdous said that during her tenure there were multiple pseudo-information ministers who may have hindered her progress at a few instances or confused the
NEWS
narrative she wanted to present as a government representative. She added that she was sure that PM Imran Khan would not want a handicapped minister working in his cabinet. The premier would also not like bureaucracy and politicians trading blows or leveraging blames, she further said. The former SAPM said that during her tenure, she was concerned about stories being leaked to the media instead of going through official channels. She said that she gave the office her best but “there was infighting in the ministry for the past three months as some people appointed to the office were not required”. “PM Imran took a decision about Fawad Chaudhry after eight months and I too was sidelined after a year,” she added. She also said that there were many in the party who supported her and her efforts whereas some also wanted and expected more from her. When asked if she was insinuating towards Shahbaz Gill, she replied that the wise could understand who she was pointing at. She also said that whatever was told to the premier regarding her, be it personal or professional, was a grave distortion of facts. “I was told by the prime minister to continue my duties as a party worker and
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elected member and he would call upon me when needed,” she added. Firdous also said that she was hopeful that the premier’s new team will live up to his expectations. “The prime minister is well within his rights to choose the cabinet he wants, the Ministry of Information is a pivotal office and I wish Shibli Faraz the best,” she added. She praised Shibli Faraz and his struggle for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), being alongside and an integral part to the party for the past 22 years.
Saturday, 2 May, 2020
PM IMraN vOwS TO PrOTeCT wOrkerS frOM COvID-19 CrISIS PM SAYS GOVT AIMS TO DEVELOP INTEGRATED SYSTEMS FOR WORKERS’WELFARE INSTITUTIONS ISLAMABAD
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APP
RIME Minister Imran Khan, in his message on the occasion of International labour Day, has expressed the commitment of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government to protect workers from the coronavirus lockdown impact that has shattered economic growth. The prime minister said that the spread of COVID-19 in the country had serious implications not only on the health of the population but also on the
closure of the industrial establishment, factories and in making workers more vulnerable than before. “Considering the difficulties of the labourers and the daily wagers due to COVID-19 lockdown, the government announced a fiscal stimulus package and allocated an amount of Rs200 billion for the poor segment of the society,” the prime minister said in his message on the occasion of World labour Day observed on May 1. “The government aims to develop automated, integrated systems for workers’ welfare institutions to ensure transparency and to curtail delays in providing
Punjab doctors end protest after successful talks LAHORE: Doctors of the Grand Health Alliance (GHA) ended their sit-in after 16 days on Friday following successful talks with the Punjab Health Department. Under the agreement reached between both parties, the provincial government will establish committees in all hospitals for the distribution of protective gear. It was also decided that a GHA member will be part of each committee. Both sides also agreed that all doctors, nurses and paramedical staff would be screened for coronavirus and those found to be infected would be given the best medical and quarantine facilities. The provincial government also agreed to give risk allowance to all health professionals, including medical staff working on ad-hoc basis, contractual staff and trainees performing their duties in quarantine facilities across Punjab. The government also decided to provide life insurance to medics besides withdrawing steps taken against them. STAFF REPORT
Nawaz’s surgery postponed due to Covid-19, Maryam says Pakistan Muslim league-Nawaz (PMl-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Friday said that her father and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s surgery has been postponed due to coronavirus. In a tweet, the PMl-N vice president said, “Doctors say he is a high risk patient which is why every kind of precaution needs to be taken.” “His treatment continues,” she added. Maryam further requested people to keep Nawaz in their special prayers during Ramzan. Nawaz Sharif left for london in November 2019 for treatment after the lahore High Court (lHC) allowed him to go abroad on medical grounds for four weeks. According to his personal physician Dr Adnan Khan, the PMl-N supremo is suffering from complex multi-vessel coronary artery disease and substantial ischemic and threatened myocardium for which he is due to undergo surgery. The lahore High Court had, in October last year, granted bail to the former PM on medical grounds for four weeks, allowing the Punjab government to extend it further in the light of his medical reports. The Islamabad High Court had also granted bail to him in the Al Azizia Mills corruption case, in which the former prime minister was serving a seven-year jail term, clearing his way to travel abroad for medical treatment. Nawaz Sharif has given an undertaking to the lahore High Court to return to Pakistan citing his record to face the process of law and justice within four weeks or as soon as he is declared fit to travel. NEWS DESK
relief to the workers,” he said. “1st of May, the International Workers’ Day, reminds us of the sacrifices of the workers who laid down their lives for their rights. The day symbolizes the sanctity and dignity of labour and at the same time, it is an acknowledgement of the importance of workers for the economic growth of the country,” he added. “Our religion emphasizes the principles of social justice and respect for the rights of people. Our Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) himself worked on occasions including Ghazwa-e-Khandaq to demonstrate respect for work. Respect for hard work and recognition of the rights of workers are extremely important in the process of
progress,” he said. “The PTI government has embarked upon programmes of vocational training and skills development to enable workers to get their due share in job markets within and outside the country,” he added. The prime minister said that as workers’ role was pivotal for the economic development of any country, his government was committed to ensure that benefits of economic progress translated into the prosperity of all sections of the populations including workers. “May Allah helps us to truly put in our best efforts for the prosperity of our workers and our country,” he maintained.
Over Rs3bn collected in PM Imran’s coronavirus relief fund NEWS DESK Prime Minister Imran Khan’s coronavirus relief fund, which was setup to collect donations to deal with the health crisis, has crossed Rs3 billion mark, Senator Faisal Javed Khan announced on Friday. “So far Rs3,022 have been deposited for prime minister’s COVID-19 relief fund,” Javed said in a tweet while hailing the generosity and altruism of all those who stepped forward and contributed for the cause. “Together we can and together we must,” the tweet added. last month, Prime Minister Imran Khan had launched a relief fund to fight coronavirus and had urged everyone to donate generously to the initiative. PM Imran had appealed the citizens to send their taxdeductible donation to account number 4162 786 786 set up at the main branch of National Bank of Pakistan in Karachi. labelling this an unprecedented initiative and
putting stock in people’s charitable spirits, the prime minister had said that Pakistanis donate like no other nation in the world. He recalled earthquakes and floods which had wreaked much damage in the country but put no dent in people’s willingness to help. The premier had also appeared on the Ehsaas Telethon last month to help collect funds for the coronavirus affectees during which Rs550 million were collected. The telethon was held at the Prime Minister House with journalists Mohammad Malick, Hamid Mir Nadeem Malik, Kashif Abbasi and Mansoor Ali Khan participating. Muniba Mazari and Shiffa yousafzai hosted the transmission. Speaking about the coronavirus, the prime minister said that the entire nation will have to take part in the battle against the infection. “No single government can battle the pandemic. The entire nation needs to join hands to fight this virus, keeping in mind the times that are ahead,” he had said.
RSPs asked to run COVID-19 awareness campaign ISLAMABAD APP
The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Friday directed the Rural Support Programmes (RSPs) to enhance community mobilization for effectively containing COVID-19 pandemic in the rural parts of the country. The NCOC, which met with Minister for Planning Development Reforms and Special Initiatives Asad Umar in the chair, observed the existing structure of RSPs in the country. It noted that community mobilization was of utmost significance to cope with any pandemic or national crisis and that public awareness is important in overcoming many critical issues. Keeping this in view, the NCOC has developed its community strategy and conducted data mapping across the country. As per the data analysis, 67 per cent population of the country lived in rural areas, 81 per cent were using
mobile phones, 78 per cent watched television, 37 per cent listened to radio where the statistics also included social media usage. The NCOC, in the light of this information developed four data groups comprising individual, family, society and community whereas based on these strata language medium was also devised for public awareness. The forum had extensively mulled over community mobilization to ensure that smooth and prior information sharing was ensured to masses till date and after May 9. The RSPs directed to come forward for playing its role in community mobilization were Aga Khan Rural Support Programme, Sarhad Rural Support Programme, National Rural Support Programme, Institute of Rural Management, Balochistan Rural Support Programme, Sindh Graduate Association and Sindh Rural Management. The network of these RSPs was based on 2,152 local support organizations, a total of 36,897 village organizations and 489,525 community support organizations.
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COvID-19 deaths cross 400 amid new cases ISLAMABAD: The coronavirus count reached 17,699 in Pakistan as over 850 more cases were reported within 24 hours in the country, according to the latest statistics released by National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Friday. According to the national dashboard, the death toll of coronavirus infected individuals has increased to 408 while 4,315 patients recovered from the virus and 153 are still critical. 12,733 patients are still under treatment in the hospitals and quarantine facilities in the country. The country has conducted 182,131 coronavirus tests including 7,971 tests in last 24 hours. Nearly 3.3 million people worldwide – including more than 1 million people in the United States – have been infected with the coronavirus, and the number of deaths from the outbreak continues to rise. The global death toll from the coronavirus surpassed 230,000 yesterday. A total of 230,309 deaths have been registered from 3,218,415 cases, the tally showed. Europe is the worst hit continent with 137,714 deaths, while the United States has registered the most for one country with 61,717. STAFF REPORT
18 more healthcare providers contract COvID-19 ISLAMABAD: Eighteen more healthcare providers on the frontline of the fight against the novel coronavirus have been infected with the infection in the country during the previous 24 hours, according to National Command and Control Centre’s report. Those diagnosed with the deadly virus included 15 doctors, one nurse, and two paramedics. Of the total, eight doctors tested positive for the infection in Balochistan, while seven doctors and two health workers have been affected by the disease in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. No healthcare provider was diagnosed as positive in Sindh and Punjab during this period. The report said a doctor died from the infection in KP during the last 24 hours. The total number of health care providers who have been affected by the disease thus far stands at 462, including 231 doctors, 68 nurses and 173 health workers. Of them, 219 health professionals have self-isolated while 138 are under treatment in various hospitals with 94 healthcare givers recuperated from the infection so far. A total of 58 doctors, 21 nurses and 23 paramedics have been infected with the virus in Punjab so far. STAFF REPORT
Don’t use anti-malaria drug to treat coronavirus, DraP warns ISLAMABAD: The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has warned against using anti-malaria drug chloroquine and a related derivative, hydroxychloroquine – the medicine that is being touted as a potential cure for the novel coronavirus. The regulator in an advisory on Friday said that clinical trials are underway to evaluate the effectiveness of chloroquine against Covid-19 and currently, the medicine is not being used to treat the contagious disease. There are serious side effects of chloroquine including renal, liver and heart damage, DRAP said in the advisory, adding that the medicine could also cause fits and lower the blood sugar level. It strictly advised the people against self-medication. Around the world, countries are expanding access to hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and chloroquine (CQ), related compounds that are synthetic forms of quinine, which comes from cinchona trees and has been used for centuries to treat malaria. STAFF REPORT
Govt publishes book to train medics in handling corona patients ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
Special Assistant to Prime Minister on National Health Services Dr Zafar Mirza on Friday said that the government has published a book for training and awareness of doctors, nurses, and paramedical staff deployed at intensive care units (ICUs) to look after corona patients. In a media briefing on COVID-19, Mirza said that the book ‘Basic Assessment and Support in Intensive Care’ will also be available on the official website and termed
it a good resource for health professionals. He said that the situation is better in Pakistan regarding Covid-19 as compared with other countries of the world. He added the government has gradually normalized the lockdown in order to give relief to the common man and for poor segments of society. He said initially those businesses are allowed where the chances of spread of disease were very low but with the obligation to follow those SOPs which were prepared to continue business activities with zero space for any negligence to invite spread of corona.
Mirza asked citizens to strictly follow all SOPs issued by the government to protect the citizens from the disease including SOPs for shopping, for use of masks, for business activities for quarantine or for mosques. He added the policy of smart lockdown could be successfully implemented if citizens are fully cooperated with the government and implemented all such SOPs. He said that people will be informed through media about their responsibilities and the citizens can also visit official websites to know about these SOPs. He advised people to strictly follow
the social distancing and other precautionary measures to stem the increase in coronavirus cases. He said that citizens should continue implementing protective measures as per health officials’ directions to prevent from carrying coronavirus. He contradicted the news item appearing in some section of the press regarding the ministry’s reservation on procurement by National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). He made it clear that the ministry did not raise any question on procurement and asked to use facts in reporting with responsibility.
04 LAHORE
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LittLe reLief for sanitary workers in Punjab amid Covid-19 MAJORITY OF WORKERS CARRYING OUT DUTIES AT PUBLIC PLACES WITHOUT PROTECTIVE GEAR, SUFFERING SALARY DELAYS LAHORE
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large number of sanitary workers across Punjab continue to work in public places amid the deadly viral outbreak without any protective gear and payment of due salaries in spite of a Supreme Court (SC) order, rights activists said. On April 13, during the hearing of the coronavirus suo motu, a fivemember bench of the apex court, under Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed, had ordered the federal and provincial governments, including Gilgit-Baltistan and Islamabad Capital Territory administration, to ensure that sanitation workers are provided with necessary protective gear since they too are working on the frontlines in the fight against the pandemic. "The condition of sanitary staff is also not good and it is informed that they are exposed to all sorts of diseases, while they are working in hospitals and other places. No effective care is being provided to them
and a request has been made that they be provided with the requisite protection, so that they may perform their work without any fear. “In the circumstances, the federal government as well as all the provincial governments, including, the ICT and GB shall ensure that sanitary staff are taken care of and are provided with proper and secure uniforms so that they can work without fear of being affected by the disease,” the apex court had stated in its order. However, rights activists have claimed that the top court’s order has fallen on deaf ears in the government quarters. Talking to Pakistan Today, Implementation Minority Rights Forum (IMRF) Chairman Samuel Pyara said the court gave its directions 15 days ago but there has been little action in this regard. Pyara, who is also a party in the suo motu case, said that their team had inspected several hospitals and conducted surveys in public spaces to see how many sanitary workers were wearing protective gear. “Only some workers assigned to corona wards in hospitals were seen wearing some sort of protective
RIGHTS ACTIVISTS DEMAND FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF SC’S ORDER, CALL FOR GRANT OF RISK ALLOWANCE AND RELIEF PACKAGE FOR SWEEPERS clothing whereas a majority of workers employed in solid waste management and sanitation were without any protection, not even face masks,” he claimed. Pyara added that they will bring this to the SC’s notice when it takes up the case for hearing on May 4, Monday. ‘NO RISK ALLOWANCE, RELIEF PACKAGE’: Centre for Law and Justice Executive Director Mary James Gill shared similar concerns and demanded that besides the provision of protective gear, the government should also give timely salaries to sanitary workers and announce risk allowance and a relief package for them. “As per WHO guidelines, maintaining hygiene and sanitation within the public spaces plays an important role in countering the spread of the pandemic. But the sanitary workers who are working day and night to keep public spaces clean are not being given due protection,” she lamented. According to Gill, these workers are more exposed to the pandemic or other illnesses than any other segment of the society because they are
also responsible for disposing of all types of hazardous waste. Gill, who is also spearheading an advocacy campaign ‘Sweepers Are Superheros’ that outlines the horrific working conditions and attitude towards sweepers in Pakistan, said that distributing masks and gloves of substandard quality was not enough to save the lives of these workers. “They are also facing salary issues and a large number of them have complained that they haven’t been paid for over two months,” she said. She demanded that the government should clear all outstanding salaries of the sanitation staff and ensure that these frontline fighters against Covid-19 are paid on time. “Moreover, the government should formally announce a separate relief package for workers serving at hospitals just as it has done for doctors and other paramedical staff. These workers are directly in contact with corona patients and are at a higher risk of getting infected,” she said. ‘SWEEPERS INCLUDED IN SHUHADA PACKAGE’: Commenting on the issue, Punjab Minis-
MINISTER SAYS SWEEPERS DEPLOYED AT HEALTHCARE FACILITIES ENTITLED TO SHAHEED PACKAGE
ter for Human Rights and Minority Affairs Ijaz Alam Augustine said that the Punjab government had included sanitation workers deployed at hospitals and quarantine facilities in its Shaheed (Martyr) Package announced for health workers. “From May 1, all the staff which is performing duties related to Covid-19 patients is eligible to an honorarium equal to one month’s running basic pay till active presence of the pandemic,” he said. Augustine said that in case of death due to Covid-19, any employee serving in a healthcare establishment shall be declared a ‘Shaheed’ (Martyr) and the family shall be entitled to the Shaheed package. “Employees who are working in BS 1-16 will be eligible for a compensation of Rs4 million and BS 17 and above will be eligible for Rs8m in Shaheed Package,” he added. Regarding the implementation of the Supreme Court’s order in the coronavirus measures suo motu, Augustine said that he was personally monitoring the provision of protective gear to the sanitation staff deployed at hospitals and other
healthcare facilities. “We have also distributed face masks and hand sanitizers to a large number of workers in several cities. Although we are yet to formally receive the SC’s detailed order, work has already started in this regard,” he added. According to a joint report titled 'Health, Safety and Dignity of Sanitation Workers', released in November 2019 by the World Bank, World Health Organisation, International Labour Organisation, and WaterAid, sanitation workers are among the most invisible and neglected segments in society. "These workers are often the most marginalised, poor, and discriminated-against members of society who carry out their jobs with no equipment, protection, or legal rights, often violating their dignity and human rights. "It is only when those critical services fail, when society is confronted with fecal waste in ditches, streets, rivers, and beaches or occasional media reports of sanitation worker deaths, that the daily practice and plight of sanitation workers come to light," the report said.
Punjab govt seeks to register more labourers LAHORE SHAHAB OMER
The Punjab government has decided to automate the Punjab Labour and Human Resource Department (PL&HRD) to increase registration of labourers in the government’s database for providing social security grants to them in time. Speaking to Pakistan Today, the Punjab Minister Labour and Human Resource Ansar Majeed Khan Niazi said, “The entire department system will be automated with the help of information technology and all labourers will be registered in this system.” “Our labourers have to wait for months to get social security funds such as marriage, scholarship and health funds, but after automation, all such grants will be issued to them within hours. Similarly, in this system we will also put the data of the employees of the PL&HRD through which the transfer posting and promotions will be done in a transparent manner,” he added. “The lack of a centralised database is a major problem. Unfortunately, no survey for registering labourers had been conducted since 2014. We have now started the survey in the entire province. Currently, we have the data of 1.2 million labourers, mainly comprising those who are working in different industries, and this is insufficient because according to the International Labor Organisation (ILO), our department should have three million labouers registered. When our government assumed charge, the figure was one million but we
managed to add another two million. My target is to register another two million labourers by 2022 and we will definitely achieve this target,” he added. Niazi said that they have almost seven to eight million registered labourers from formal and informal sectors. “The problem with the formal sector is that many workers work on contracts that are not even registered by industry owners, but now we are bringing in a law that would make it mandatory for registering every contractual employee for social security. Moreover, we have almost four million labourers registered in informal sectors and this number will increase,” he said. He added that it was an uphill task to collect data about the informal sector. “We have taken the chambers, associations and unions onboard to collect the data about informal sectors. We are even in touch with the focal persons of those labourers who work on daily wages. We are also giving this data to the Ehsaas Programme and the National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) is also providing us the data from informal sector. We are also planning to provide social protection to this sector and if we need to change the law for this, we will do that,” he further said. When asked about the alliance of labour inspector and industry owner for the registration of labourers, the minister said that the labour inspector is a threat to the industry. Many laborers may not be registered with the connivance of the labor inspector and the industry owner, but our job is not to register
the labourers because this is the responsibility of the industry owner, whereas the job of a labor inspector is only to verify that the data industry is providing the data, he added. “In this regard, we are working on inspection regime. We want to build trust with the industry so that they can register all their labor data directly and we will assure them that our labour inspector will not come to them. For all this, we are bringing a surprise checking mechanism and this checking will be done through computer balloting. An industry that is checked once will not be checked again for two years. Our job is to stop the exploitation of labourers. We want to develop trust with the industry that the money they give us in the name of workers' social security is being used properly,” he further said. Speaking about the healthcare facilities for labourers, Niazi said, “We are going to build new hospitals in Sargodha, Rahim Yar Khan and DG Khan for the social security of labours. Similarly, we are upgrading all the emergency centers in Punjab to medical centers.” When asked about the registered units/industries in Punjab, he said, “So far, we have only 22,000 units registered in the entire province, which is very low. We are bringing amnesty schemes for industries through which those industries which have not yet registered their workers will be able to do so. The coronavirus outbreak has changed the way the world thinks. Many people are working from home and for all this we are bringing Home Base Workers Bill as well.”
All MPAs to take corona tests as Punjab Assembly meets on May 8 LAHORE: Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has summoned a session of the Punjab Assembly on May 8, Friday. The decision to convene the session was taken during a videolink meeting of the special All-Parties Parliamentary Committee of the Punjab Assembly with the Speaker PA in the chair. Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat, Deputy Speaker PA Dost Mohammad Mazari, MPAs Sardar Awais Leghari, Malik Nadeem Kamran, Samiullah Khan, Ahmed Ali Aulakh, Sajid Ahmed Khan Bhatti, Muhammad Muawiya, Khawaja Salman Rafique, Nazir Chohan and secretary PA Muhammad Khan Bhatti attended the video-link meeting. STAFF REPORT
Saturday, 2 May, 2020
Over a quarter Of Pakistan’s wOmen wOrkfOrce fired Or susPended amid lOckdOwn iSLamaBaD
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APP
ORE than a quarter of Pakistan’s women workforce have been fired or suspended as the lockdown to curb the novel coronavirus came into effect, while a majority of those laid off reported they had not been paid their dues, a survey report released Friday indicated. According to a survey of 904 respondents conducted by the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) between April 15-30, 26% of the women workforce has either been terminated or suspended and of those, 14% lost their jobs permanently whereas 12% were temporarily laid off. Of the women who were terminated, the largest proportion was of factory workers. Separately, 51% of the total respondents who were laid off said they were awaiting their dues to be cleared by their employers. The survey results were released on Labour Day, with the FAFEN terming them “serious violations of the guidelines issued by the federal and
provincial governments” to protect workers’ rights amid the coronavirus lockdown. It included respondents from Faisalabad, Haripur, Lahore, Sialkot, Peshawar, Rahimyar Khan, Quetta, and Karachi, with their professions ranging from factory
Journalist nadir Hassan dies at 37 KaraCHi
workers, salespersons, and employees of private schools, hospitals, and other commercial establishments. At least 7% were daily wagers, 85% paid on a monthly basis, and 8% on a weekly or bimonthly basis. FAFEN has raised alarm over the dis-
LaHorE
STAFF REPORT
Journalist Nadir Hassan, 37, passed away on Thursday night due to a brain haemorrhage. He leaves behind a brother, sister and mother. Hassan worked with a number of publications during his career, including Newsline, The Express Tribune, The News, and Dawn’s Herald magazine. He also wrote for The Economist. His death was grieved by many from the journalist community. Veteran journalist Abbas Nasir said Hassan was “an incorrigible Liverpool FC fan and a fine young man and journo”. “Heartbroken, lost for words at the tragic loss. RIP. Thoughts, prayers with the family.” Owais Tohid tweeted: “At 37. Tragic& unbelievable. Nadir was an extremely bright journalist.Worked for Newsline& Express Tribune. Shared common interest of sports. RIP” Senator Sherry Rehman wrote: “So sorry and shocked to hear that @Nadir_Hassan is no more. May God give his family the strength to bear this sudden, tragic loss.”
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) President Shehbaz Sharif rejected the reduction in fuel prices “extremely insufficient and unrepresentative of the massive cut in global oil prices”. In a statement, Shehbaz said the fruits of global decline in oil prices are not being transferred to the people of Pakistan. He said the government failed to capitalize on the golden opportunity of buying dirt-cheap oil from the international market during the historic slump. The PML-N president said this reduction is severely paltry and demanded that the government must reduce the price of fuel by at least Rs 50. There is no economic backlash of such a reduc-
CoNtiNuED from pagE 01 The PPP chairman lamented that the doctors were only demanding two things — protective gear and a reduced burden on hospitals so that they may carry out their jobs more effectively. “The prime minister has failed to deliver […] He mentioned daily wagers in all of his addresses, but sadly none of them has received a single dime yet,” he regretted. It is our responsibility to provide for them as we would provide for our armed forces, he said, adding: “We are trying to provide for our doctors who are in contact with COVID-19 patients, I know that all provincial governments are playing their due role as well.” “But the Centre should also play its role in supporting the provinces in the war against coronavirus,” he noted. “These are pressing times, but 74% of our labour force which comprises daily wagers are affected the most during these times,” he said. “In collaboration with the BISP, the Centre disbursed cash to the already registered beneficiaries but the daily wagers did not receive anything.” The PPP chairman went on to say that the federal government had announced Rs2 billion for daily wagers after which it was revised to Rs70 billion, but none had received a single rupee. “During a national crisis, we cannot afford a delay [in such matters]. The Centre will have to take responsibility.” He said 400 doctors have been diagnosed with the disease, while nine have died. “I pay my respects to them,” he said, adding: “We also pay our respects to the daily wagers who have lost their livelihood due to the lockdown.
mal report, urging “the federal and provincial governments to take immediate actions to ensure that employers do not terminate or suspend the employment of workers, particularly women during the ongoing lockdown in the wake of COVID-19”. Interestingly, women bear a relatively bigger brunt of the lockdown as not only have some of them lost their jobs but their unpaid labour at home has increased multifold. The body also lamented mass layoffs despite “multiple tax rebates, easy credits, and utilities’ relief schemes” from the government. It stressed that the incumbent government’s social security programme remained “out of reach for most of the workers”. Of those who were let go by their employers, 78% were unaware if they had been registered with any social security organization. On the other hand, 13% noted that they were registered with Employees’ Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) and only 1% with Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP). A mere 28% of the women workforce were able to apply for support under the PTI-government’s Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme. Shedding light on the workplace arrangements and precautions, the women complained of occupational safety hazards and lack of adherence to COVID-19 prevention measures. Of the total respondents, almost half — 49% — said there were no measures to protect employees from the pandemic at their offices. Citing the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics’ (PIDE) forecast, the FAFEN further warned that daily wagers and contractual workers were at the brink as the virus crisis may force “71 million people below the poverty line and may cost 18 million workers their jobs”.
Shehbaz wants petrol price at Rs50 STAFF REPORT
PPP accuses centre of ‘sabotaging’ sindh’s anti-corona efforts
NEWS
tion in prices, he added. He termed the government’s decision of not buying oil at historic low prices criminal negligence. This, he said, could have helped
lower electricity generation costs. Shehbaz demanded that the electricity and gas tariffs must be reduced by at least one-third. This relief will help the nation already reeling from the fallout of the new coronavirus. He lambasted that PTI who boasted of giving people patrol at Rs 45 per litre have abandoned the nation when it is most plausible to do so. He said the reduction of fuel prices by Rs 50 will lead to the reduction in the prices of flour, lentils, cooking oil, sugar and other essential commodities. This is crucial especially during the state of affairs due to joblessness during Covid19. This government can neither deliver a financial package nor any level of relief to the poor, it should at least transfer this price cut to the people, he stressed.
Mazari says Imran’s foreign policy similar to Bhutto’s NEWS DESK Federal Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari on Friday said that the foreign policy of Prime Minister Imran Khan is quite similar to that of former premier Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. “Imran Khan’s foreign policy is quite nationalistic,” she said while talking to a private news channel. She added that she joined the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) because of Imran Khan’s nationalistic perspective on foreign policy. Mazari said that she had always encouraged dialogue with the Afghan Taliban because of which many US publishers started calling her ‘Lady Taliban’. She said that even Benazir Bhutto didn’t follow through with her father’s vision. “And when Zardari came, he brought his own set of new policies,” she claimed. “When you come into power, the establishment is a part of it,” said Mazari. “I don’t consider myself to be either pro or anti-establishment. Many people know that I have frequently raised the issue of enforced disappearances and we
have even drafted a law over it. The stakeholders are currently discussing it and consultations are ongoing.” When you are not in the government, then it is very easy to say certain things publicly, she shared. “But being in government means that you have to make sure that everyone works together and move forward,” the federal minister remarked. “The government and all its institutions are on the same page,” she said, but added that conspiracies are being planned against the government. “This is happening because the top leaders of the opposition are scared of being held accountable,” she said. On rights of women, she said that most men say that they have left a seat deliberately for a woman. “We don’t want this, what we want is our rights,” she added. Reacting to her statements, PPP leader Sherry Rehman said that the government should talk about unity in these times rather than criticising other parties. “At least, the PPP still has an ideology, what does your party have? PTI is a sinking ship with no ideology.”
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Pakistan Post abolishes stamps requirement for foreign letters NEWS DESK Pakistan Post has abolished the use of postage stamps on foreign letters besides approving new rates for the letters and parcels. According to a notification issued by the PPO on Friday, the Pakistan Postal Services Management Board in its meeting decided to stop the usage of postage stamps on foreign letters and also approved the new rates. The board meeting revealed that receivers have been complaining about paying extra money for the stamps “missing” on the letters. From now onwards, the foreign postal letters would only bear a seal of the PPO. Also, the PPO has fixed the new rates for foreign postal letters. The countries around the globe are divided into three categories for posting letters and the weight of the first slab has been increased from 20 grams to 50 grams. For the Zone A countries, including China, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Qatar, the UK, Japan, Qatar, Morocco, Jordan, Korea, Afghanistan, India, France, Germany, Rs200 will be charged for up to 50 grams. For Zone B countries, including the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Rs270 will be charged while for Zone C countries like Romania, Tunis, Tanzania Uganda and others, Rs280 will be charged.
inflation eases to 8.5pc CoNtiNuED from pagE 01 Core inflation in urban areas decreased from 7.4pc to 6.4pc while in rural areas, it declined from 9.4pc to 8.5pc. The prices of food and nonalcoholic beverages group, which have 34.6pc weight in the CPI basket, surged 11.7pc in April over a year ago. The perishable food items prices increased 11.16pc in one month. Similarly, the housing, water, electricity, gas and fuels group – having one-fourth weight in CPI basket, increased only 5.13pc last month. Transport fares, having 5.9pc weight in CPI basket, increased 3.44pc on an average in April over a year ago. Average inflation in the first 10 months (July-April) pf FY20 stood at 11.22pc, as compared to 6.51pc recorded during the same period last year. Pakistan is struggling to keep its economy afloat as the reported number of infections from Covid-19, the highly contagious respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus, has risen to 16,817, with 385 deaths. The State Bank of Pakistan kept interest rates unchanged at 13.25pc in January but, once the coronavirus began battering business and household finances, it slashed rates three times in recent weeks to 9pc to help cushion the blow. Pakistan now faces a balance of payment crisis as the economy heads towards a major recession with a 1.5pc contraction forecast in the current financial year ending in June, compared with a pre-Covid-19 forecast of nearly 3pc growth, according to the finance ministry and central bank. Growth is projected to recover to about 2pc in the 2021-22 fiscal year. A steep drop in oil prices, which comprise most of Pakistan’s import bill, has been welcome, allowing pump prices for petrol and diesel to be cut by 27pc and 35pc respectively since February, with the biggest cut coming on Thursday. But critics say the government has not passed on the full advantage of the oil price fall to the public, instead raising taxes on petrol and diesel by up to 300pc. With the current account deficit mounting and foreign reserves shrivelling, businesses and industries that were shut to contain the spread of the coronavirus have been allowed to start reopening. Pakistan agreed a $6 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) last year and secured another $1.386 billion in rapid financing from the IMF at zero interest last month. Islamabad is hoping for more bailout packages from the World Bank and other development partners as it plans to file for debt relief from G20 countries and bilateral partners, mainly longtime ally China.
Don’t play politics in times of corona, Faraz tells Bilawal CoNtiNuED from pagE 01 Faraz said the welfare of workers and labourers had always remained the topmost priority of the government. Even before the coronavirus outbreak, their welfare was the main focus of the government’s planning under the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan. The government announced a Rs 200 billion package under the Ehsaas Cash Emergency Programme, under which Rs 12,000 were being distributed among every deserving family, including the labourers, he added. He said the prime minister took the steps for the betterment of workers and the
homeless by opening shelter homes and soup kitchen. To a question, the minister said consultations with the opposition for finalizing standard operating procedures to summon the session of parliament were in advanced stage. The government wanted to hold the sessions of both the National Assembly and the Senate, but it was vital to adopt precautionary measures in the given situation when NA Speaker Asad Qaiser had been diagnosed with the coronavirus. He said it was important to call the sessions of two houses of the parliament as approval of certain bills, which were going to lapse, was necessary. The opposition was a part and parcel
of the political system and the government welcomed its constructive criticism which proved helpful in improving the standard of governance and transparency. The opposition should play its role within the realm of democratic norms and values, he remarked. Regarding the situation in Indian Occupied Kashmir, the information minister said the government had effectively highlighted the lingering dispute at the world forums, including the United Nations. Prime Minister Imran Khan had raised his voice regarding Kashmir on all relevant forums and his speech in the General Assembly on the issue had become part of the history.
Replying to a question, Shibli Faraz said it was the prime minister’s prerogative to change his team members keeping in view the situation and interest of the country. He expressed the commitment to transform the Information Ministry as per the modern requirements, and enhance its outreach to project the national interests and the country’s image. To a question, he said the policy was being formulated for the betterment of media workers and payment of outstanding dues to the media houses were being done on a war footing. However, under the policy, the payment of outstanding salaries to the media workers by media houses management would be ensured.
Saturday, 2 May, 2020
06 COMMENT
Novel-Corona virus and our preparedness
Human rights From bleak to bleaker, year after year
T
hE annual State of the human Rights report issued by the hRCP is a yearly review of the rights’ situation under different categories. The generally well-researched report has been published for nearly three decades now and is the major source of information about the state of the vulnerable sections of society, rule of law, fundamental freedoms, democratic development and economic rights The report presents a grim picture of the weakest segments of society that include children, women, minorities and the working class. As the report puts it, the year 2019 will be remembered for systematic curbs on political dissent, the chokehold on press freedom, and the grievous neglect of economic and social rights. Crimes against children multiplied with at least 2,846 cases of abuse, although the true number was likely higher. Child labour was particularly a target of economic and sexual exploitation. Women continued to face discrimination in employment, financial inclusion, political representation and access to connectivity and education. honour crimes were rampant. Thana culture flourished. Extortion and custodial torture that once characterised Punjab police spread to the other provinces also. Justice remained delayed and by the year end, there were about 1.8 million cases pending in the courts. last year will be remembered for systematic curbs on political dissent, the chokehold on press freedom and grievous neglect of economic and social rights. it became even more difficult to criticise the state policy. Coupled with the erosion of social media spaces and a deliberate financial squeeze on mainstream media, it led to Pakistan’s position slipping on the World Press Freedom index. violations of rights was by no means a new phenomenon as it had existed under previous governments also. The Prime Minister, who had contested elections on the platform of social justice, got fixated on revenge against his political rivals and the section of media that criticized his policies. The PTi had no time and little inclination for safeguarding the interests of the weak and marginalised sections of society. The year 2019 was a bleak period. With the national economy under stress due to the coronavirus pandemic and the PTi still fixated on punishing rivals and critics, 2020 is likely to be bleaker for the weaker segments of society.
The pandemic teaches the importance of education Dr attIq ur rehman
T
hE outbreak of covid-19 in the world and its deadly effects on states pushed the entire international system into an indefinite period of constant fear. The leaders from different corners of the world are trying their best to escape from this global epidemic. Through empowering their scientific communities, the governments around the world are trying to discover remedies. in addition to providing a vaccine for this epidemic, the implementation of protecting measures at societal levels along with providing financial assistance to people have become major challenges to the nations. The transnational spread of covid-19 has not only left the states less protected and more defenseless, but it has compelled the governments to emphasize the scientific communities of mainstream education institutions. in other words, various circles of academic communities, mainly consisting of health officials, economic experts, medical specialists and iT professionals, are busy rescuing their nations from deadly virus. in this way, the role of education cannot be marginalized in a society where the members of society contain substantial potential for exploring new avenues. The education system of a state, structured on an extensive culture of research and development, generally shapes the social, political, and economic patterns of the nations. Under this conception, the nations ambitious of improving their standings in the international system consistently improve their traditional patterns of education. Because education is generally considered an appropriate means of helping policymakers and security architectures overcome such crises. The nations carrying high education standards and exploring new avenues of research, have been paralyzed by the threats of covid-19. Without finding a permanent solution to the problem, the leading research centres of the world are trying to protect their nations by introducing different social, economic and political policies. Even the strategic communities from various corners of the world has accepted the new age of non-traditional security threats which are major threat to all states. in contemporary global politics, the significance of nontraditional security threats and their relevance to states cannot be ignored easily. The case of Pakistan cannot be ignored, where the conventional trends of mainstream education are unable to accept the realities of the new world. in addition to understanding the significance of nontraditional security threats, the government of Pakistan needs to realize the weak strength of the nation which has forced islamabad to import the supplies of surgical masks and testing kits along with other essential medical equipment. No doubt, all states are equally vulnerable to covid-19, but they are trying to overcome the shortage of medical necessities through indigenous mechanisms. The reasons behind the uncontrollable virus
Minority Commission problem Without Ahmadi member
A
PPARENTly, the PTi government is taking a forthright constitutional stand with its Religious Affairs Minister Noorul haq Qadri saying that it will not include an Ahmadi on the Minorities Commission of Pakistan, unless that member respects the Constitution, and thus it is not being formed because of this. The Ahmadi community (both sects) insist that they are Muslims, and do not accept the constitutional amendment which declared them non-Muslims in 1975. The PTi government is thus unable to solve the question of how to form a Minorities Commission without Ahmadi representation. The question has become urgent because the Supreme Court had ordered the Commission’s formation. This has not been done, even though legislation mandating it had been passed in 2015. The Act only specifies that 10 of the 12 members shall be from the minorities, but as the Ahmadis are the third-largest minority in Pakistan, forming a Commission without an Ahmadi member would be meaningless. however, any Ahmadi who accepted that Ahmadis are a minority would have violated the tenets of his faith, and thus his representative character would be in doubt. it may appear a matter of clergies at war. While Muslim clerics insist on the sanctity of the Constitution when it comes to Ahmadis, a section does not accept that it is valid otherwise, Ahmadi clerics insist on a Muslimness that violates the Constitution. however, Ahmadis have served after 1975 as MNAs, thereby taking oaths on the Constitution. At present, though, none are. While the government should not endanger anyone’s faith, it must consider that its treatment of minorities is under scrutiny from the comity of nations. There was illconcealed glee in islamabad on the US Commission on international Religious Freedom’s condemnation of indian atrocities against Muslims, but there is no need for any action that would land Pakistan into similar international disapprobation. it is true that india acts according to a biased policy based on an extremist hindu philosophy, and Pakistan on a kind of blundering stupidity, but the result will be the same: international and general condemnation of the treatment of minorities. The difficulty of getting a representative Ahmadi on the commission should not be underestimated, but the present option of not having a Commission has been negated by the Supreme Court.
Dysfunctional educational infrastructure War-torn areas deserve better IsmaIl WazIr
C
ovid-19 pandemic has exposed the vulnerabilities of a digital and globalised world in profound ways. This pandemic has hit humanity like a thunderbolt and the international community is still scrambling to contain the spread of this deadly virus. it has wreaked havoc in both developed and developing world indiscriminately and laid bare the dysfunctional governance systems that were ill-prepared to provide an effective response to this transnational pandemic. The pandemic has, no doubt, disrupted the economic, political and social world order and put the modernization theory of civilization advancement to rest. Although, this pandemic does not differentiate between the haves and have-nots, but the ravages it unleashed have unmasked the weaknesses and incapability’s that is part and parcel of our inequitable global world order. despite a pessimistic global outlook, this pandemic also provides us the opportunity to overcome our vulnerabilities by redefining the contours of statecraft that are sustainable enough to withstand the perils of future pandemics. Educational infrastructure is badly shaken in the wake of this pandemic and UNESCo reported that nationwide closures have impacted 89% of the world’s student population. developed countries have robust technological infrastructures and have switched to digital platforms in order to cope with the evolving situation. Educational institutes in Pakistan have also adopted this strategy of making use of the digital platforms to engage students but this strategy is exclusive as it only caters for the students who can
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issue are not merely restricted to the lack of good protect the country from the future of non-tradigovernance. The education system based on fixed tional security threats. Moreover, the research compatterns is also responsible for paralyzing the na- munities carrying out their studies in different tions under covid-19. An appropriate upgradation dimensions need to realize the potential of the coroof the education system according to the demands navirus crisis instead of still relying on quantities of of the 21st century always remained an area of low their research publications. in this way, the future contingencies in the form priority for Pakistan’s governments. The education system, along with an innovative culture of re- of any non-traditional security threat can undermine search, always remained victims of financial crisis. the conventional patterns of addressing security While discussing the culture of countrywide aca- challenges. The world of new realities is demanding demic activities, it is essential to mention the insuf- governments depart from their conventional role of ficient funding to the major research projects. The defining security threats to nations. While preparing itself for the repetition of a financial issues in the presence of inappropriate attention of the government further degraded the role pandemic issue in future, the government needs to of academic communities in the country. Thus, the increase the strength of education communities countrywide. With the help research students of variof a quality education and ous universities are unable an advanced research culto carry out research on ture, the country can pronew projects. Contrary to the developed duce a number of products Another source of disbeyond the surgical masks appointment appears in the countries, the situation in and testing kits. The ineffiform of a teaching environment in which the new Pakistan is worrisome where a ciency of the nation has already stigmatized the ideas are not only less aplot of effort in education is national image with the repreciated but an independceiving of foreign assisent thinking process needed. Therefore, the leading tance, including a vast supported by critical apamount of surgical masks proaches of knowledge is policymakers of Islamabad and other medical equiprarely accepted in higher need to take timely measures ment. education. The level of Further, a widespread higher education is reto empower the whole nation approach of critical thinkstricted to certain convening parallel to a promotion tional standards and the against the repetition of a of independent questioning innovative skills of the stufuture pandemic crisis by culture is needed, which dents are limited to theoretcan let educational instituical documents. in the enabling the mainstream tions introduce new ideas to absence of adequate finansolve various problems. in cial resources and apprecieducation institutions addition to enhancing the ation to the innovative nation’s academic capabiliideas, the nation cannot be ties, the architectures of nasecured from future contintional security strategy gencies. As a result, the whole nation is looking towards other countries for need to pay a considerable attention to the non-traditional security issues because the escape from corona-curing medicines. The inability of discovering the vaccine eradi- transnational security problems cannot be possible cating the novel-coronavirus is not purely linked to in future. No doubt, the whole world is passing the education system. Through the higher Educa- through an unforgettable problematic phase in tion Commission (hEC), the government is deter- which the leading policymakers of the governments mined to promote the culture of research and are trying to address the novel issue of the pandevelopment. For the advancement of a countrywide demic but the chances of its repetition in the develresearch culture, a few circles of education commu- oped nations are low. The education system of nity are engaged in various research activities with developed nations is well-prepared to overcome futhe help of hEC. Research funding to different in- ture challenges by altering their conventional edudividuals across the country has, no doubt, raised cational patterns. Contrary to the developed countries, the situathe financial responsibilities of the government but the production and advancement of knowledge not tion in Pakistan is worrisome where a lot of effort in education is needed. Therefore, the leading polibeing practically implemented. This situation has inaugurated an unending race cymakers of islamabad need to take timely measto increase the number of publications instead of ures to empower the whole nation against the producing new knowledge. Knowledge based on in- repetition of a future pandemic crisis by enabling novative ideas can provide appropriate solutions to the mainstream education institutions. problems. in the absence of a research-based eduDr Attiq ur Rehman is Assistant Professor in the cation culture structured on theoretically solid and practically applicable ideas, the government cannot International Relations Department, NUML
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afford digital accessibility. Both students and teachers are complaining about the hurdles that come their way owing to poor internet connectivity. Students belonging to FATA and Balochistan are worse off when it comes to accessing these digital platforms owing to lack of internet facility in these poverty stricken areas. Students are protesting and voicing their concerns for being excluded from these digital platforms which would affect their academic year. Students belonging to these areas are voicing their concerns on social media and criticizing the policy decision of transition to online platforms without taking into account the ground realities. Majority of students belonging to these areas are studying on scholarships and they ill afford internet access. These students are now exposed to the class differences that are part and parcel of our inequitable society. These online platforms are accessible to students belonging to well off families, but students from poor households are deprived of this facility which speaks volumes about state’s criminal neglect and misplaced priorities. Balochistan and erstwhile FATA were the epicenter of terrorism and military operations that disrupted the socio-economic fabric of these underdeveloped areas. After being on the receiving end of terrorist violence for well over a decade, these areas are plagued with illiteracy, unemployment and deplorable health facilities which speak volumes about state criminal neglect and its failure to bring normalcy to these areas. Students belonging to these areas were enrolled in different universities of Punjab to pursue their higher education. They were forced to vacate their hostels and were advised to go back to their hometowns in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic. This nonprovision of internet facility is sowing the seeds of discontent and students have started questioning the inequitable state structure which has resulted in persecution of people belonging to these areas.
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Education is the best antidote to keep extremist and terrorist tendencies at bay. Terrorism in these areas has raised the social conscience of people and they had sent their children to settled areas for pursuit of higher education. The exclusion of students from the digital education platforms in these tumultuous times will further aggravate the unrest and social disharmony in these areas. Access to education is the constitutional right of every citizen and excluding few citizens from this right is not only unjust but also discriminatory. This pandemic is an opportunity for the government to provide digital access to these war torn areas which lso help in ameliorating their grievances. digital access will also be helpful in jumpstarting the economic activity in these underdeveloped areas. Both FATA and Balochistan have a promising geostrategic location owing to its proximity with landlocked Afghanistan. They have the potential to become important economic corridors once peace is established in war-torn Afghanistan. Pakistan’s access to energy rich Central Asia via Afghanistan and Persian Gulf through Balochistan carries significant economic weight. digital connectivity of these areas is of paramount importance for reaping the dividends of geo-economics which will be of utmost importance for the country’s transition into a developed economy. Therefore, provision of digital connectivity in these underdeveloped areas will not only spurt socio-economic development but can also be vital in economic transformation of our beloved country. Political will and honest leadership is the need of hour to actualize the dream of a progressive and prosperous Pakistan. Ismail Wazir is a policy analyst and teaches politics at various institutes of Lahore. He tweets @Islamwazir92
Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk
Saturday, 2 May, 2020
COMMENT 07 Editor’s mail Send your letters to: Letters to Editor, Pakistan Today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan. E-mail: letters@pakistantoday.com.pk Letters should be addressed to Pakistan Today exclusively
Month of business RAMAzAN is the ninth month of the islamic calendar, observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting prayer, spiritual reflection, selfimprovement, and heightened devotion and worship. But here people have made it the month of business by increasing the cost of fruits, vegetables and specifically the things which are needed in Ramazan taking much more profit in this month. people are facing many problems due to the exorbitant. it has become much harder for the people who are keeping fast and unable to afford the things for breaking the fast. Additionally, Covid#19 and exorbitant are throwing Pakistan into poverty but the citizens are adding it too for earning more profit this month. The government is not stopping earners and they are still continuing it by looting people which can be very shameful for a Muslim country that we are increasing the difficulties of people. KHUDADAD BALocH Lahore
Use of Surgical Mask in CovID-19
Challenges of female child education and CovID-19 The gains of decades will be wiped out without attention Dr rajkumar sIngh
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S covid-19 forces school closures in more than 190 countries, it will act as a potential factor for increased dropout rates, disproportionately affect adolescent girls, further entrench gender gaps in education and lead to increased risk of sexual exploitation, early pregnancy and early and forced marriage. out of the total population of students enrolled in education globally, UNESCo estimates that over 89 percent are currently out of school because of covid-19 closures. This represents 1.54 billion children and youth enrolled in school or university, including nearly 743 million girls. Better educated women tend to be healthier, participate more in the formal labour market, earn higher incomes, have fewer children, marry at a later age, and enable better health care and education for their children, should they choose to become mothers. All these factors combined can help lift households, communities, and nations out of poverty. Girls’ education goes beyond getting girls into school. it is also about ensuring that girls learn and feel safe while in school; complete all levels of education with the skills to effectively compete in the labour market; learn the socio-emotional and life skills necessary to navigate and adapt to a changing world; make decisions about their own lives; and contribute to their communities and the world. According to UNESCo estimates, 130 million girls between the age of six and 17 are out of school and 15 million girls of primary-school age— half of them in sub-Saharan Africa— will never enter a classroom. Poverty remains the most important factor for determining whether a girl can access an education. For example, in Nigeria, only four percent of poor young women in the North West zone can read, compared with 99 percent of rich young women in the South East. Studies consistently reinforce that girls who face multiple disadvantages— such as low family income, living in remote or underserved locations, disability or belonging to a minority ethno-linguistic group— are farthest behind in terms of access to and completion of education. Every day, girls face barriers to education caused by poverty, cultural norms and practices, poor infrastructure, violence, and fragility. The World Bank Group has joined with governments, civil society organizations, multilateral organization, the private sector, and donors to advance multisectoral approaches to overcome these challenges. Working together with girls and women, the Group focus includes: over 111 million of these girls are living in the world’s least developed countries where getting an education is already a struggle. These are contexts of extreme poverty, economic vulnerability and crisis where gender disparities in education are highest. in Mali, Niger and South Sudan— 3 countries with some of the lowest enrolment and completion rates for girls— closures have forced over four million girls out of school. For girls living in refugee camps or who
are internally displaced, school closures will be fore call on governments to protect progress most devastating as they are already at a disad- made in favour of girls’ education: (a.) Work vantage. Refugee girls at secondary level are closely with teachers, school staff and commuonly half as likely to enrol as their male peers. nities to ensure inclusive methods of distance We are only beginning to understand the eco- learning are adopted and communicated to call nomic impacts of covid-19, but they are ex- for continued investments in girls’ learning, (b.) pected to be widespread and devastating, Adopt appropriate distance learning practices: particularly for women and girls. in the Global in contexts where digital solutions are less acSouth, where limited social protection measures cessible, consider low-tech and gender-responare in place, economic hardships caused by the sive approaches. Send reading and writing crisis will have spill-over effects as families con- materials home and use radio and television sider the financial and opportunity costs of edu- broadcasts to reach the most marginalised, (c.) cating their daughters. While many girls will Consider the gender digital divide: in contexts continue with their education once the school where digital solutions to distance learning and gates reopen, others will never return to school. internet is accessible, ensure that girls are Education responses must prioritize the needs of trained with the necessary digital skills, includadolescent girls’ at the risk of reversing 20 years ing the knowledge and skills they need to stay safe online, (d) Safeguard vital services: Girls of gains made for girls’ education. and the most vulneraWhile the magnible children and youth tude of the Covid-19 miss out on vital servcrisis is unprecedented, ices when schools are we can look to the lesThe ramifications of Covid-19 closed, specifically sons learnt from the school meals and soEbola epidemic in have resulted in a record cial protection. Make Africa. in many cases, schools access points school drop-outs were number of children, youth and for psychosocial supcaused by an increase port and food distribuin domestic and caring adults not attending schools tion, work across responsibilities and a or universities. Confinement sectors to ensure altershift towards income native social services generation. This means and school closures often and deliver support that girls’ learning at over the phone, text or home was limited, as have longer-term other forms of media, shown by Plan internaconsequences, especially for (e) Engage young peotional’s analysis. in vilple: Give space to lages with established the most vulnerable and youth, particularly “girls’ clubs” and existgirls, to shape the deciing sensitization efforts marginalized, magnifying sions made about their to promote girls’ educaalready-existing disparities education. include tion, fewer girls experithem in the developenced adverse effects within the education system ment of strategies and and were more likely to policies around school continue their learning. closures and distance Several studies found learning based on their that the closure of schools increased girls’ vulnerability to physical experiences and needs and (f) Provide flexible and sexual abuse both by their peers and by learning approaches so that girls are not deolder men, as girls were often are at home alone terred from returning to school when they reand unsupervised. Transactional sex was also open. This includes pregnant girls and young widely reported as vulnerable girls and their mothers who often face stigma and discriminafamilies struggled to cover basic needs. As fam- tory school re-entry laws that prevent them from ily breadwinners perished from Ebola and accessing education. Allow automatic promolivelihoods were destroyed, many families tion and appropriate opportunities in admissions chose to marry their daughters off, falsely hop- processes that recognise the particular chaling this would offer them protection. in one lenges faced by girls. Catch-up courses and acstudy, most girls reported this increase was a di- celerated learning may be necessary for girls rect result of being outside the protective envi- who return to school The ramifications of Covid-19 have resulted ronment provided by schools. Many of these girls never returned to the classroom, largely in a record number of children, youth and adults due to a recently revoked policy preventing not attending schools or universities. Confinepregnant girls from attending school. But for ment and school closures often have longer-term girls, who have lived or are living through a cri- consequences, especially for the most vulnerable sis, education is a lifeline, offering protection and marginalized, magnifying already-existing from violence and exploitation and providing disparities within the education system. them with skills and hope for a brighter future. Dr Rajkumar Singh is head of the political As governments prepare for indefinite school closures, policy makers and practitioners science department, B.N. Mandal Unversity, can look to lessons from past crises to address Madhepura, Bihar, India. He can be reached at: the specific challenges faced by girls. We there- rajkumarsinghpg@gmail.com
NoWAdAyS everyone is using masks to prevent themselves and the possibility of not to infect others from coronavirus. There are different types of masks people are using: Surgical mask, N95 Respirator mask. But somehow surgical mask is dangerous for people in this pandemic. Surgical mask can protect a person from infectious agents transmitted from droplets but a surgical mask does not protect against “airborne” infectious agents so it will not prevent the wearer from being potentially contaminated by a virus such as Coronavirus. But if one is using this mask it should be used only for 3 to 8 hours. People are using one surgical mask for 3 to 4 days which is very dangerous because if we use surgical mask for a long time it will catch dust, smoke, mist and if one is not suffering from coronavirus, he/she can get other dangerous diseases. on the other side respiratory mask has filters in it that prevents wearer from inhaling dust, smoke, airborne infectious agents contaminated by virus. it can also be reuse and it is possible to replace filter when it is full. FAIqA MEHBooB Islamabad
A different plague PEdoPhEliA is a mental disorder which is characterized by intense urges, sexual fantasies and sexual behavior towards children age 13 years or younger. Pedophelics are strongly attracted towards younger boys or girls in order to fulfill their intense sexual needs. it seems to be a source of distress for them, which appears to be a new wave that has struck the entire Pakistani society. A society which fought for its freedom in order to have a islamic ordinance, has miserably failed to protect the rights of innocent children. This has been the most taboo subject in our society exclusively in backward areas of Pakistan where this type of molestation takes place in the form of their societal norms where a 50 years old man’s getting married to a 13 years old seems to be their societal standards. This is when we accept the molestation by normalising their societal standards and muffle the voice of an innocent and do not bring them to justice. And when the same aged children get raped by an older man then we remember our responsibilities of bringing them to justice, but unfortunately we fail to do so as well . how many of these pedophilers are still out there and government has been failed to capture them and bring those innocent souls to justice, in addition to that those who are in jails criminals like sohail ayyaz, who was involve in child pronography in order to release his distress and feel pleasure abused 30+ children, should faced with severe punishment including castration, life imprisonment, and the death penalty (publicly) or else sex offenders keep molesting children and case numbers will continue to climbing. ISHRAq ASHRAF Islamabad
University fees WE know that due to corona virus everything are closed there is lock down in a country and people are self-quarantine at their homes .people are in stress that no income is coming what they will do in this situation .this time is very difficult and tough for all those who are at homes and no income coming. So coming to the main point that all the education institutes are also closed due to corona pandemics. So universities are taking online classes to complete their syllabus. i am a university student and our university have told us to submit your fees otherwise you all will not get the admissions. i want to tell to know that there is lock down in country everything’s are closed and all the people income have been stop.no income is coming because everything are closed. The faulty of university should understand that there is lock down and everything is closed so how the students will pay their fees if our parent’s incoming is not coming at home. But they want just fees can not feel that this time is very difficult for all of us. it’s a request to our government kindly please take notice against these universities that they should delay fee date so that the situation get better than they should ask to clear your fees . FATIMA GUL Islamabad
Clerics, Public and Corona SiR, the reckless behavior of public can throw us all in a havoc. Though we know the pathetic conditions of 1st world countries due to the outbreak of pandemic corona virus, yet, we are taking it as a jest by leaving behind all the guides. Government has locked down the country and imposed article 144 as preventative measures. But we, people, don’t leave any chance to break this law. on the other the side, the clerics were brought on the table to discuss for a way out regarding prayers including (Juma). The decision came up to remain the mosques open with distancing each other from 3 feet. That was a sensible decision as for seeing the situations. The practices by people were wholly different in our city. Juma’s prayer was offered in the mosques without any preventative measures. People are not giving any serious heed on government impositions. JAHANGIR JAMEEL Turbat
Saturday, 2 May, 2020
08 WORLD VIEW
The oil bankRupTcies aRe jusT beginning
Religion and fReedom: on india and communal violence India must protect its freedoms, and come down heavily on religious violence
HERE’S WHO COULD BE NEXT
Hindu Religious freedom is of paramount importance, not because it is about religion, but because it is about freedom. The characterisation by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) of India as a country of particular concern, in its annual report, is not entirely surprising, considering its dim and known views about sectarian violence and aggravating governmental measures over the last year. The Indian government not only repudiated the report but also ridiculed the USCIRF. The autonomous, bipartisan commission’s influence over any U.S. executive action is limited and occasional but its presumption of global authority appears amusingly expansive. Whether or not the U.S. government acts on its recommendation to impose targeted sanctions on Indian government agencies and officials depends on American strategic interests. The U.S. has used arguments of freedom, democracy, tolerance, and transparency as tools in its strategic pursuits, but there is no proof of any uniform or predictable pattern of enforcement of such moral attributes. The process can be selective and often arbitrary in spotlighting countries. Mirroring this pattern, India selectively approaches global opinions on itself, embracing and celebrating laudatory ones and rejecting inconvenient ones. The frantic, and relatively successful, efforts to raise its Ease of Doing Business ranking by the World Bank is a case in point. Many of these reports have a circulatory life — the USCIRF report quotes U.N. Special Rapporteurs to buttress its point on the discriminatory outcome of the National Register of Citizens in Assam. Overall, such reports contribute to the construction of an image of a country, and the Indian government is cognisant of this pattern. In March, the Indian government told Niti Aayog to track 32 global indices and engage with the bodies that measure them, to advance reform and growth. India advertises itself as a multi-religious democracy and as an adherent to global norms of rule of law. It also aspires to be on the table of global rule making. For a country with such stated ambitions, its record on religious freedom as reflected through events of the last one year is deeply disconcerting. The catalogue of religious violence, incitement and wrecking of the rule of law in several parts of the country remains an unsettling fact. The partisan nature of the ruling dispensation is also difficult to wish away. Reputation is important for a country’s economic development and global standing but beyond that instrumental perspective, rule of law and communal harmony are essential for any functioning democracy.
Cnn
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Matt egan
hE oil crash is blocking American frackers from accessing the cheap credit that fueled their prolific rise. That reversal of fortunes could prove fatal for overleveraged shale oil companies. The downturn in the oil industry has laid bare just how much America’s rise to superpower status in the energy world was made possible by easy money. virtually unlimited borrowing allowed shale companies to dramatically ramp up production, whether that oil was needed or not. Getting locked out of the junk bond market will tip the weakest players into bankruptcy, risking countless US jobs along the way. That’s what happened during the last oil crash that began in 2015. The looming oil patch bankruptcies underscore the fragile state of the boom-to-bust industry even before the coronavirus crisis. “These companies were in trouble before COvID19 happened,” John Kempf, senior director at Fitch Ratings, told CNN Business. “After 2015 and 2016, they never really got their balance sheets back together. When stress came, they weren’t prepared for it.” Despite a recent rebound, US oil prices have imploded by three-quarters since early January, to just $15 a barrel. The crash was driven by excess supply, especially from Russia and Saudi Arabia, and an unprecedented collapse in demand because of the coronavirus pandemic. There’s so much crude that the world is running out of space to store it all. That conundrum caused crude to tumble well below zero last week, marking the first instance of negative oil prices since futures launched in 1983. $43 BILLION OF ENERGY JUNK BOND DEFAULTS: Prices are so weak that Rystad Energy has warned that hundreds of US oil exploration and production companies could file for bankruptcy by the end of 2021. The bankruptcy wave has already started. Earlier this month Whiting Petroleum (WLL) filed for bankruptcy, marking the first high profile Chapter 11 filing of the current crisis. Diamond Offshore Drilling (DO) joined the bankruptcy club on Sunday. Diamond, which provides offshore drilling rigs for hess (hES),
Occidental (OXY) and BP (BP), was posting losses months before the crisis. Fitch Ratings is warning that more than $43 billion of high-yield bonds and leveraged loans in the energy sector will default in 2020. For context, that’s nearly five times the sector’s average level of defaults over the previous dozen years. Moody’s Investors Service cut its near-term oil price assumptions this week, forecasting that US oil prices will now average just $30 per barrel in 2020, a price too low for virtually any US shale oil company to turn a profit. Moody’s sees US crude rising to just $40 in 2021. “Financial risk is rising and likely to remain very high for all but the highest-rated oil and gas issuers,” Moody’s wrote in the report. CHESAPEAKE ENERGY AT RISK: The energy sector dominates Fitch’s Top Bonds of Concern list of troubled debt, accounting for 60% of the list. Fitch warned several of those companies “could be imminent defaults,” including Chesapeake Energy (ChK), the shale pioneer that recently transitioned from a focus on natural gas to target oil. Reuters reported Wednesday that Chesapeake is preparing a potential bankruptcy filing and has held talks with creditors about a possible loan to keep it in business while navigating Chapter 11 proceedings. The company did not respond to a request for comment. Chesapeake’s share price has crashed more than 80% just this year. In order to keep its stock above the $1 minimum required by the New York Stock Exchange, Chesapeake recently launched a 1-for200 reverse stock split. The shale company also suspended quarterly dividends on preferred stock, noting that the move “does not constitute a default” under debt instruments. California Resources (CRC), another oil company flagged by Fitch as a potential default, has suffered a 76% drop in its stock this year. The energy company has cut spending to the bone, keeping just the bare minimum needed for “mechanical integrity.” In response to market speculation about its fate, California Resources released a statement last month saying it is “fighting hard for the best outcome for our shareholders and other stakeholders.” Fitch also cited elevated default risk at Denbury Resources (DNR), an oil-and-gas driller focused on the Gulf Coast and Rocky Mountain regions. Denbury’s
stock is down more than 70% this year. Last month, the company cut its capital budget nearly in half. Other companies that could imminently default on their debt include Chaparral Energy (ChAP), Colorado-based Jonah Energy, houston’s Bruin E&P Partners and vine Oil and Gas, Fitch said. ‘SKITTISH’ LENDERS: No one wants to lend to a shale oil company that can’t generate free cash flow at cheap prices. That makes it difficult for frackers to roll over existing debt before it’s due. “There is no access to capital markets to refinance. Lenders are skittish about giving money to this industry,” said Kempf, the Fitch director. Moreover, there is investor fatigue given that the energy industry has struggled for years. The S&P 500 energy sector was the worst performer — by a long shot — throughout last decade. “Portfolio managers are tired of the volatility in oil and gas prices. They don’t want to be in the sector anymore,” Kempf said. WASHINGTON TO THE RESCUE? One big wild card is President Donald Trump’s promise to rescue the oil industry. Trump tweeted on April 21, ta day after crude went negative, that he instructed officials to “formulate a plan” to “make funds available” to oil and gas companies. “We will never let the great US oil & gas industry down,” the president said. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said last weekend that the Trump administration is considering providing a “lending facility” to the energy industry. “We’re looking at a lot of different options, and we have not made any conclusions,” Mnuchin told Bloomberg News. No concrete details have been released on what this program might look like. Analysts said oil companies with sturdy investment grade credit ratings will likely have access to these emergency funds. “We can only make loans to solvent entities with the expectation that the loans will be repaid,” Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said Thursday while speaking generally about the central bank’s lending abilities. But it’s not clear whether junk-rated shale oil companies will get access to the funds they need to survive because of their shaky financial conditions. “I’m not counting on it to protect against defaults,” Fitch’s Kempf said. “A lot of these companies could not access capital markets even before COvID.”
Socialism for investors, capitalism for everyone else WALL STREET AND THE CORPORATE SECTOR HAVE NOW ACHIEVED THAT STATE OF FINANCIAL NIRVANA IN WHICH PRIVATE INVESTORS EARN OUTSIZE REWARDS DURING GOOD TIMES, WHILE IN BAD, OUTSIZE RISKS ARE SOCIALISED THROUGH GOVERNMENT RESCUES
WasHington Post Steven PearlStein
vER the past several weeks, you might have found it rather curious that at a time when coronavirus deaths were still climbing and economists and business leaders were warning of a long and deep recession, a rally was underway on financial markets. Stock prices have regained half of what they lost since their peak in February, while on the bond market, companies were borrowing near-record amounts, and the interest rates paid by the most heavily indebted companies were going down, not up. It’s not only curious - it’s disturbing. What it suggests is that American capitalism has entered a new and dangerous phase, one in which the Federal Reserve has assumed the role as a financial backstop and lender of last resort to every major corporation, along with the banks and investors that provide them with capital. By declaring that it will do “whatever it takes” to assure that a corporate sector that borrowed too much can borrow a bit more, the Fed has effectively put a floor under stock and bond prices. As a result, it’s no longer just banks that are too big to fail - it’s now the entire corporate sector. The Fed would have us believe that it has offered no such guarantees and sent no such signal to investors. Rather, it is simply fulfilling its mandate to keep US workers fully employed by providing “liquidity” to companies during a once-in-a-lifetime global pandemic that nobody could have anticipated. But that is only half the story. The other half is that because of loose money and the lax regulatory policies it has embraced for most of the past 30 years, the Fed has made it possible for corporations, banks and investment funds to take on so much debt, with so little of their own capital at
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risk, that whenever a recession or financial crisis threatens, the government has no choice but to bail them out. As a result, Wall Street and the corporate sector have now achieved that state of financial nirvana in which private investors earn outsize rewards during good times, while in bad, outsize risks are socialised through government rescues. “This isn’t capitalism - it’s state control of the economy through the credit channel,” fumed one Wall Street insider whom I spoke with this week. What the US Agriculture Department does for farmers through crop supports the Fed now does for Wall Street and the rest of the corporate sector. Fed officials have learned to play a cute messaging game around this creep toward corporate and investor socialism, denying it in public speeches and news conferences even as their actions send the unmistakable signal to Wall Street that “we’ve got your back.” Where all this now plays out is in several obscure “loan facilities” and “special purpose vehicles” that the Fed set up last month - initiatives that for the first time will put the Fed in the business of buying the debt of private companies. Since its founding, the Fed has routinely carried out its mandate to manage the country’s money supply by buying and selling US government bonds or government-guaranteed securities and increasing or decreasing the amount of reserves in government-regulated banks. ‘This isn’t capitalism - it’s state control of the economy through the credit channel.’ A WALL STREET INSIDER: Now, however, the Fed has committed more than $US2 trillion ($3.1 trillion) to buying (or taking as loan collateral) corporate bonds, shorter-term commercial paper, shares of corporate bond funds and ETFs and securitised packages of commercial loans. In effect, the Fed has turned itself into the world’s largest hedge fund - only unlike a hedge fund, it won’t have to raise its money from investors. Instead it simply prints it. In announcing this extraordinary expansion of its risk-taking and market intervention, the Fed took pains
to assure that it would only be dealing in loans and credit instruments from companies that had investment credit ratings before the pandemic - solidly profitable businesses with modest debt that because of factors outside their control now find themselves in a cash squeeze. As they see it, providing such companies a bridge loan is not a reward for risky behaviour but the only way to prevent a short economic downturn from turning into a long and deep recession. But stock and bond investors are clearly expecting the Fed to do more than that. They know that more than half of the corporate lending during the recent credit bubble was not investment-grade. They understand that if those companies default or are unable to roll over their debt, there will be a cascade of layoffs, bankruptcies and panicselling. And they are now confident that, to avoid that outcome, the Fed will have no choice but to do for “junk” credit what it has already done for investment-grade loans - buy enough of it to stabilise markets and give investors and lenders the confidence to extend new loans. The dilemma the Fed now faces is that the only way it has to rescue the economy is to lend more money to businesses, households, governments and financial institutions that have already borrowed too much. That debt has made the economy vulnerable to any economic shock that came along, requiring at least four extraordinary government rescues since 1987. And with each rescue, the economy becomes more indebted, more vulnerable, more addicted to cheap and easy money and more reliant on government rescues. Crises like these are both the worst of times and the best of times to try to break this economic doom loop and bring to heel a shadow banking system that is responsible for creating all that credit. It is the worst of times because refusing to pile more debt on debt will bring the economy crashing down on innocent people of modest means who will sacrifice jobs, income, savings and opportunity. It is the best of times because these are the times when the folly and unsustainability of our credit addiction is exposed and there is the political will to fix it.
WHAT WOULD “FIXING IT” MEAN? In the short term, fixing it would mean making any Fed rescue of “junk” credit contingent on having investors and financiers accepting significant losses while allowing the government to reap the benefit if things turn out better than expected. Creating the mechanism for such a workout will be a challenge, but surely the overpaid lawyers and investment bankers who created the shadow banking system are clever enough to figure it out. Fixing it would impose a regulatory regime on the shadow banking system similar to the one that limits the risk-taking of traditional banks. That would mean having government bank examiners scrutinise securitised loan packages to ensure that the loans met the same standards as those of regulated banks. It would mean requiring sponsors of loan packages to absorb the first 10 per cent of losses on the securities they create. And it would mean imposing a tax on every financial transaction to create a stabilisation fund that can be used to reimburse the Fed and the Treasury for the cost of financial-sector rescues - the equivalent of the deposit insurance premiums paid by regulated banks. Fixing it would mandate that the Fed “unprint” all the money it creates during rescues once the crisis has passed, even if that makes boom times less boomy, with tighter credit and less job growth. And fixing it means moving corporations away from a private-equity model that requires them to load up with debt, expand through acquisition and distribute all profits to investors, to a stewardship model that focuses on creating sustainable businesses through organic growth, modest leverage and reinvestment of profits. Chair Jerome Powell and his Fed colleagues have been bold and creative in rescuing the financial system and the economy from the ravages of the coronavirus. What they have yet to demonstrate is that they can summon the same boldness and creativity to rein in a runaway shadow banking system and wean the economy off its addiction to cheap and easy credit. The bet on Wall Street is that they never will.
Saturday, 2 May, 2020
BUSINESS 09
‘GovT mAkinG All-ouT efforTs To minimise virus imPAcT on economy’
CORPORATE CORNER
ISLAMABAD
KARACHI: To honour the brave services of frontline police personnel safeguarding Karachi by putting their own well-being at risk during the Covid-19 outbreak, Hashoo Group has launched an initiative to benefit them by providing Sehr and Iftar meals at their checkpoints during Ramzan. PRESS RELEASE
KARACHI: Metro Pakistan, as part of its Metro Humanity Programme, gave an opportunity to its employees to donate and participate in the national relief efforts for deserving families directly affected by the COVID19 lockdown. PRESS RELEASE
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STAFF REPORT
NDUSTRIES & Production Minister Hammad Azhar said on Friday that the government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran khan, was making all-out efforts for the country’s economic revival and in this regard, a comprehensive strategy is being chalked in consultation the stakeholders for the restoration of activities at Special Economic Zones (SEZs), especially Allama Iqbal Industrial City. He expressed these views while talking to Faisalabad Industrial Estate Development and Management Company (FIEDMC) Chairman Mian Kashif Ashfaq, said a press release issued on Friday. Azhar noted that despite the huge challenge of debt, the prime minister preferred to provide relief to people who are suffering from lockdown restrictions
HAMMAD AZHAR SAYS CENTRE AND PROVINCES ARE ON SAME PAGE IN DETERMINING AS TO WHAT INDUSTRIES SHOULD BE OPENED DURING LOCKDOWN imposed due to corona outbreak. “The PTI government had introduced the biggest stimulus package in the history of the country to help the nation in this difficult time,” he asserted. “As one programme is insufficient to help all segments of the society, the government is now introducing multiple programmes to assist all sectors.” The minister said the government was fully focused and committed to facilitating the people avert the ongoing crisis. “The provision of medical facilities and food to the people is the topmost priority of the government and for this purpose, it will pursue the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank to re-
lease their aid amounting to $600 million on different counts on a fast track basis,” he added. Azhar said all the provinces and federation are on the same page in determining as to what essential industries be opened amid lockdown, adding the sectors that are providing raw materials and inputs to essential industries will also be kept open. In addition, he said, the government will also ensure transportation of labourers forces to these industries. Speaking on the occasion, FIEDMC Chairman Mian Kashif Ashfaq expressed satisfaction over the performance of the present government and lauded the efforts of Prime Minis-
KP govt forms power transmission company to address distribution issues PESHAWAR
‘Transit trade’: PakAfghan borders opened for five days a week PESHAWAR STAFF REPORT
Pakistan has decided to open for five days a week Torkham and Chaman border crossings in order to facilitate bilateral and transit trade with Afghanistan, said a notification issued by the interior ministry. The decision to open the border was taken in the recently held National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) conference regarding the management of Afghan transit and bilateral trade. "Torkham and Chaman border crossings will be opened five days a week (Monday to Friday) for export, both for the Afghan transit trade and bilateral trade," the notification read. "A maximum of 100 trucks [each] will be allowed from Torkham and Chaman borders per day. NATO & ISAF cargo and fuel tankers may also be allowed while ensuring coronavirus SOPs/protocols. According to the notification, the pedestrian movement of stranded Pakistanis from Afghanistan would be allowed once a week (Saturday). A maximum of 500 and 300 individuals will be allowed from Torkham and Chaman borders, respectively. The exports of food items (other than those on the negative list) will also be allowed to Afghanistan. On March 16, Pakistan had closed its western borders with Afghanistan to contain the spread of novel coronavirus. The decision had badly affected Pakistan's bilateral and transit trade with Afghanistan. The Senate's standing committee was recently informed that a total of 1,900 Afghanistan-bound containers were stranded on the Karachi port. On April 10, Pakistan had opened the Afghan border for three days a week on humanitarian grounds for the transport of vegetables, fresh fruits and other essential items.
ter Imran Khan for supporting business community at this time of ordeal. He said he is optimistic that as soon as international markets reopen after subduing coronavirus pandemic, Pakistan, especially its SEZs, including Allama Iqbal Industrial City, would stimulate the export base of Pakistan’s industries besides bringing billions of rupees foreign investment in the country. He said currently FIEDMC is also facing hurdles in accomplishing its necessary tasks, completion of which is important in order to create economic activities and to help the country boost its exports. “In fact, he informed, a whopping $2billion worth of export orders are yet to be materialised due to the viral outbreak. “This SEZs are not only important because the Chinese are ready to invest in our country; but also because they will transfer their technology to us, increase our productivity and set up technical institutes,” he concluded.
STAFF REPORT
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has approved the establishment of its first-ever 'Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Transmission & Grid Company (KPTGC)' to address the issues being faced in the provincial power distribution system. After the establishment of its own transmission and distribution network, the province would be able to distribute energy in an efficient manner. This landmark decision was made during provincial cabinet's meeting held recently under the chairmanship of KP Chief Minister Mehmood Khan. Adviser to CM on Energy Himayatullah Khan was also present on the occasion. In his media statement, Adviser Hi-
mayatullah lauded the services of KP Power Secretary Zubair Khan and his team members, including Engr Naeem Khan and Engr Amin Khalil, for their concerted efforts towards the establish-
ment of the province's first-ever transmission and grid company. “Now, with its own transmission company, the province will able to distribute electricity either to the national
grid or to the industrial sector.” He stated that KP possessed abundant of energy resources, utilisation of which could help the province produce cheap hydropower energy up to 30,000MW. “At present, KP is supplying 162MW hydropower energy to the national grid from its own resources, earning billions of rupees annually. In the coming two years, 214MW electricity would be further added to the national grid, besides completion of five hydropower projects,” he added. Himayat reiterated that the landmark decision of the KP government regarding the establishment of KPTGC would not only strengthen the province’s economic position but would also promote industrialization.
COVID-19: SBP enhances financing limit for hospitals KARACHI MEIRYUM ALI
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has increased the financing limit for a hospital from Rs200 million to Rs500 million, under Refinance Facility for Combating COVID -19 (RFCC) scheme, according to a statement issued on Friday. This step was taken in light of the rising cases of COVID-19 in the country, and with the need to strengthen the health sector in the fight against COVID-19, according to the central bank. As of Friday, the total number of confirmed cases in Pakistan had crossed 16,000. Previously, on March 17, the SBP announced the RFCC, which is an emergency funding facility
to support hospitals and medical centres to develop their capacities for treatment of infected patients of COVID-19. Under this scheme, the SBP will provide finance to banks at 0pc, which can then charge a maximum rate of 3pc for five years to hospitals and medical centres who need a loan. The scheme is available until end-September 2020. All hospitals and medical centres registered with federal or provincial health agencies and which are engaged in the control and eradication of COVID-19 are eligible for this scheme. Initially, the total size of the scheme was Rs5 billion, with a maximum financing limit per hospital or medical centre of Rs200 million. This has now been increased to Rs500 million.
According to the central bank, the financing of Rs2.2 billion for 11 hospitals and medical centres has been approved. The financing requests of Rs3.6 billion for 23 hospitals and medical centres are currently being processed by banks. “With today’s enhancement of financing limit, it is expected that large scale facilities will be created for treating COVID-19 patients by using subsidized funding being extended under this Facility,” the central bank said. This is not the only step the central bank has taken to help the health sector. On March 24, the SBP allowed advance payments for medical equipment and medicines, with no limit. This was done to make it easier to import vital medical supplies needed to combat COVID-19 in Pakistan.
Fears of cement manufacturers grow amid rising costs, taxes LAHORE HASSAN NAQVI
The country’s cement manufacturers have warned that they are at a stage if the losses (3QFY20 losses) keep mounting, they fear large scale closures that would potentially lead to significant rise in prices. According to figures of the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), cement has the lowest annualised change (compounded annualised growth rate) of 2.2pc between 2008 to 2020, its per kg price (adjusted of retail taxes and duties) increased from Rs5.57 per kg to Rs7.20 per kg, which is the lowest as compared to other consumer good and commodities. Talking to Pakistan Today, All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA) Chairman Azam Faruque said that clearly there is a lot of noise about the hike in cement price. Whereas, according to the government’s own figures, it is one of the commodities with the lowest increase in the last 12 years.
Agreeing with Faruque, Waleed Tariq Saigol, a director at Maple Leaf Cement Factory Limited said that the charge of profiteering that is often made on cement companies is factually incorrect. Saigol added that the average headline inflation in Pakistan over the last decade has been approximately 8pc, whereas cement price inflation has been roughly 2pc. “This is lower than any other commodity, let alone those related to construction,” he said. The cement manufacturer added that this is a fact almost every cement company has suffered a loss in the previous quarter and some even cannot cover their manufacturing costs. He said: “We are at a stage that if these losses keep mounting, we could see large scale closures and that would potentially lead to a significant rise in prices.” “We cannot have rising costs and taxes in excess of Rs170 per bag and expect this would not affect prices,” Saigol opined. Meanwhile, Shankar Talreja, a senior analyst at Topline Securities Limited said that
the cement sector during 3QFY20, turned in cumulative losses compared to cumulative profits in 3QFY19 and 2QFY20. He added that our analysis is based on 11 listed cement manufacturers out of 15, representing 95pc of the total sector market capitalisation. Talreja opined that the deterioration in profitability during the quarter was mainly due to declining cement prices amidst competition over market share as industry production capacity has increased by over 50pc to 70 million tons over the past 2-3 years. He added that the gross margins during the quarter further fell to 3.3pc, down by 21ppts YoY and 5.8ppts QoQ. The analyst added that this fall could be attributed to decline in retention prices in the range of 3035pc for North based manufacturers during the outgoing quarter to an average of Rs250 per bag (Min: Rs237 per bag). Talreja shared that during 9MFY20, gross margins clocked in at 6.6%, down 19ppts YoY as retention prices declined by 25pc YoY. He maintained that lower retention
prices could be attributed to fierce competition in industry after a recent expansion cycle which has limited their ability to pass on rising costs emanating from currency devaluation, grid rates and increase in duties (FED). Talreja added that as a result of lower prices, net sales for the sector declined by 16pc YoY during 3QFY20 in spite of an increase in total volumetric sales by 8.2pc YoY (North +12pc YoY, South -1.3pc YoY). COMMODITY PRICES COMPARISON: As per figures from PBS, during the period under review, the commodity prices of consumer goods including mutton increased from Rs251.80 per kg in 2008 to Rs919 in 2020, showing an annualised change of 11.4pc. The per kg price of beef increased from Rs136.70 in 2008 to Rs445.64 in 2020, the price of tea increased from 324.14/kg in 2008 to Rs1,206.58/kg in 2020. During 2008 to 2020, the per kg price of sugar increased from Rs26.5 to Rs69.49, the per kg price of mash pulses increased from Rs74.70 to
Rs251.82, the price of wheat increased from Rs23.90 to Rs43.86. Meanwhile, during the period under review, the per kg price of rice increased from Rs51.60 to Rs82.66, the price of onions increased from Rs28.30/kg to Rs50.25/kg, the price of chicken increased from Rs105.60/kg to Rs138.79/kg and the price of fertilizers increased from Rs15.70/kg to Rs32.88/kg. According to data, the per kg prices of beef, tea, sugar, Mash pulse, wheat, rice, onions, cooking oil, chicken and fertiliser witnessed an annualised change (compounded annualised growth rate) of 10.3pc, 11.6pc, 8.4pc, 10.7pc, 5.2pc, 4pc, 4.9pc, 5.4pc, 2.3pc and 6.4pc respectively. The data revealed that between 2008 to 2020 the per ton price of steel bars increased from Rs62,000 to Rs100,000 showing an annualised change of 4.1pc. The PBS data stated that the per unit price of Toyota Corolla, Suzuki Mehran and Textiles (Lawn) increased with an annualised change of 8pc, 9.7pc and 10.7pc, respectively.
Saturday, 2 May, 2020
10 FOREIGN NEWS REMDESIVIR
The COVID-19 DrUg helpIng pATIenTS reCOVer fASTer NEW YORK
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AGENCIES
EMDESIVIR has been shown to speed up recovery times for patients with COVID-19 in a major US-led trial, becoming the first drug with proven benefit against the disease. Here is what you need to know. WHAT IS REMDESIVIR? Remdesivir is an experimental, broad spectrum antiviral made by US pharmaceutical Gilead Sciences that was first developed to treat Ebola, a viral hemorrhagic fever. It showed early promise in a primate study in 2016 and was later rolled out for a major trial in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where it was compared against three other medicines. That study concluded in 2019 when it was discontinued because it did not boost survival rates as greatly as two monoclonal antibody drugs, which are lab-engineered immune system proteins. In February, the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) announced it was dusting off remdesivir to investigate against SARS-CoV-2, the pathogen that causes COVID-19, because it had shown promise in animal testing against fellow coronaviruses SARS and MERS. HOW EFFECTIVE IS IT? The NIAID announced the results of its trial involving more than 1,000 people on Wednesday, finding that hospitalized COVID-19 patients with respiratory distress got better quicker than those on a placebo.
Specifically, patients on the drug had a 31 percent faster time to recovery. "Although the results were clearly positive from a statistically significant standpoint, they were modest," Anthony Fauci, the scientist who leads the NIAID told NBC News on Thursday. In other words, while it works, it's not a miracle cure. It is however considered a "proof of concept" that could pave the way for better treatments -- just as the early medicines developed to treat HIV in the 1980s weren't nearly as effective as those used today. The results suggested remdesivir might lower mortality rates -- from 11.7 percent to
8.0 percent, but this data is considered less reliable because it was above the cut-off of statistical significance. WHY HAVE THERE BEEN MIXED RESULTS? The findings from the US-led trial were announced on the same day as the results of a smaller study were published in The Lancet, which found no statistical benefit from remdesivir. This study involved just over 200 people in Wuhan, China, and was also a randomized controlled trial -- considered the gold standard for evaluating treatments. Importantly, however, it had to be stopped early because it could not recruit
enough patients, and was roughly five times smaller than the NIAID study. "The numbers in the trial are too small to draw strong conclusions," said Stephen Evans, a medical statistics expert at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. WHEN MIGHT IT BE AVAILABLE? Remdesivir has already been given to patients around the world, both in clinical trials and outside, with Gilead responding to "compassionate use requests" for emergency access. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is soon expected to issue an "emergency use authorization" which would expand its use further, prior to its formal approval. "I was speaking with the commissioner of the FDA yesterday evening, last night, and he's moving along very quickly," Fauci said Thursday. "They have not made a final decision yet, they have not announced it, but I would project that we're going to be seeing that reasonably soon." Since the medicine is complex to manufacture and is administered via injection, rather than a pill, there have been questions about whether supply could initially be limited. In an open letter published late Wednesday, Daniel O'Day, Gilead's chairman, wrote that the company currently had 1.5 million doses either finished or nearly finished. "We had estimated that this would be 140,000 treatment courses based on a 10-day treatment duration," he said, but another trial has shown that five-day courses are as effec-
tive as ten. This means "we can significantly increase the number of courses available, all of which Gilead has committed for donation," said O'Day. The company is also looking into potentially developing an inhaled formulation, but hasn't given a timeline. HOW DOES IT WORK? Remdesivir belongs to a class of drugs that directly attack viruses. It is what's called a "nucleotide analog" that mimics adenosine, one of the four building blocks of RNA and DNA. "The virus is not very careful about what it incorporates," said virologist Benjamin Neuman, of Texas A&M University. "Viruses usually try to go fast and they trade speed for caution." Remdesivir sneakily incorporates itself into the virus's genome instead of adenosine, which in turn short circuits its replication process. Speaking during an earnings call Thursday, Gilead's chief medical officer Merdad Parsey said that while patients who had had symptoms for less time seemed to respond better to the medicine, there also appeared to be some benefit for those who were more critical. This is because the virus triggers an abnormal immune reaction called cytokine storm responsible for lung injury. "By limiting the viral replication, you're going to limit the inflammation, you're going to reduce the number of people who develop lung injury, and you're going to get them off the ventilator faster," said Parsey.
Alleged sexual assault 'never happened', says Biden WASHINGTON AGENCIES
Armed US protesters enter Michigan capitol to demand lockdown end MICHIGAN: Demonstrators, including some carrying guns, entered the capitol building in the US state of Michigan on Thursday and demanded the Democratic governor lift strict coronavirus lockdown orders, as some lawmakers reportedly donned bulletproof vests. Dozens of demonstrators crowded the lobby of the building in Lansing, where they demanded to be allowed inside the House Chamber. State police, wearing masks, blocked them from entering. None of the protesters appeared to be wearing masks. "Directly above me, men with rifles yelling at us," tweeted Senator Dayna Polehanki along with a photo showing four men, at least one of whom appeared to be carrying a weapon. "Some of my colleagues who own bullet proof vests are wearing them. I have never appreciated our Sergeants-at-Arms more than today," she continued. More protesters could be seen outside carrying signs, including one depicting Governor Gretchen Whitmer as Adolf Hitler. The demonstration, dubbed the American Patriot Rally, was organized by a group calling itself Michigan United for Liberty. "We do not agree with or consent to our unalienable rights being restricted or rescinded for any reason, including the COVID-19 pandemic," the group said on its private Facebook page, where it has more than 8,800 members. AGENCIES
US presidential candidate Joe Biden on Friday emphatically denied sexually assaulting a former staffer, saying the incident she claims occurred 27 years ago "never happened." "They aren't true. This never happened," Biden said in a statement regarding the accusations made by Tara Reade, a former staffer in his US Senate office. Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, broke a month of silence on the accusations with his statement. The 77-year-old said Reade's thensupervisor and former senior staffers in his office "have said, unequivocally, that she never came to them and complained or raised issues." Reade said on a podcast in March that then-senator Biden sexually assaulted her in a Capitol Hill corridor in
1993, when she was 29. He pinned her against a wall when she brought him a gym bag, put his hands "down my skirt" and violated her, said Reade, now 56. She has since recounted her story to other media outlets, and filed an incident report with the Washington police in early April in which she did not name Biden. Other women have accused the former vice president of touching them inappropriately in the past, and Reade's initial claims were similar -- and less severe than her most recent allegations. Biden went on a morning news show to publicly address the claims. "It is not true. I'm saying unequivocally it never happened, and it didn't," Biden told MSNBC. "I don't know why after 27 years all of this gets raised," Biden added. "But I'm not going to question her motive. I'm not going to attack her."
But he stressed that "I have a right to say, look at the facts. Check it out." Reade has not produced a copy of the complaint that she allegedly filed in 1993. Biden, calling for transparency, said he has asked officials to search the National Archives, where he says any such document would now reside. "There's nothing for me to hide," he said. Biden, however, resisted the idea of calling for a search among his Senate papers, which were donated to the University of Delaware, which is home state. Those documents "do not contain personnel files," he said. Biden, who has pledged to pick a woman to be his vice president, stressed that he has worked his entire political career to improve conditions for women, including authoring the Violence Against Women Act. He was also asked by MSNBC about comments he made during the 2018 controversial Supreme Court confirmation process for Brett Kavanaugh, who had been accused of sexual assault. Biden said at the time that when a woman comes forward with such accusations, "you've got to start off with the presumption that at least the essence of what she's talking about is real." Asked what made things different now, Biden stressed: "Women are to be believed, given the benefit of the doubt, if they come forward and say something happened to them." "Then you have to look at the circumstances and the facts," he added. "The truth matters," he said. "These claims are not true." President Donald Trump, who faces Biden in the November election, faced more than a dozen accusations of sexual harassment and assault before he became president.
Animal lovers take to India's streets to feed virus strays NEW DELHI AGENCIES
Tails are already wagging as Priyanka Gusain stops her car, sacks of cattle fodder and dog pellets on her back seat and water in the boot for her evening rounds in Delhi. Gusain and her mother Vilochna are serving in an army of Indian animal lovers that has emerged to feed millions of strays left hungry and thirsty by the coronavirus lockdown in the world's second-most populous nation. Used to scavenging scraps from hotels, restaurants and roadside stalls, the animals were left without sustenance as people withdrew to their homes in late March. "No-one is taking care of them. That thought made me do all of this," Gusain, who designs and sells her own line of footwear, told AFP.
An estimated 30 million stray dogs and five million stray cattle roam India's usually bustling streets -- weaving in and out of traffic and sheltering under highway overpasses during the scorching summer afternoons. But as the virus lockdown took hold, many urban areas turned into virtual ghost towns, leaving the animals to fend for themselves. In the southern city of Chennai, Vinod Kumar -- of the animal welfare charity Blue Cross of India -- said the situation was desperate. "In many cases, the dogs... in places where there are not many residences, they actually starve," he told AFP. Stray cattle, left to roam the streets by their owners or abandoned when they get old, are also struggling to survive. Even working animals have become casualties. With tourism and mining having ground to a halt,
CMYK
horses, donkeys and ponies were being "thrown out left, right and centre", said Gauri Maulekhi of People for Animals India.
police on alert in hong Kong ahead of planned democracy rallies HONG KONG AGENCIES
Riot police hit Hong Kong's streets on Friday ahead of planned rallies by pro-democracy protesters who were looking to defy restrictions on gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic to voice anger against authoritarian Chinese rule. The semi-autonomous financial hub was upended by seven months of violent protests last year, hammering its reputation for stability and leaving the city deeply divided. Widespread arrests, the coronavirus pandemic and social distancing measures ushered in four months of comparative calm. But small protests have bubbled up in the past week and activists are hoping to use May Day to muster numbers once more. Prodemocracy unions and social media posts have called for people to gather and shout slogans in their neighbourhoods on Friday afternoon, despite a ban on more than four people gathering in public places that is aimed at halting the virus. Police ramped up their presence across the city on Friday morning, searching primarily young passengers at subway stations and in neighbourhoods where anti-government sentiment runs high. The South China Morning Post reported that 3,000 riot police had been placed on stand-by with rubber bullets and tear gas at the ready. Some encrypted chat groups used by protesters fretted that protesting while anti-virus laws remain in place might lead to large numbers of arrests, raising questions over whether significant crowds would risk gathering. The annual Labour Day often sees protests around the world but this year's are expected to be more tame given the ongoing global health crisis. Applications by unions to hold traditional marches in Hong Kong were rejected by authorities. But protesters are getting creative. During brief rallies in malls earlier this week, activists encouraged each other to keep 1.5 metres apart and stick to small groups of four.
Saturday, 2 May, 2020
SportS 11
Premier League re-states commitment to finish season LONDON
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AGENCIES
REMIER League clubs on Friday reconfirmed their commitment to finish the 2019/20 season subject to coronavirus restrictions being lifted in Britain despite fears expressed by players. The English top flight faces an eye-watering estimated loss of around £1 billion ($1.25 billion) if no more football is played due to the global pandemic. Playing the 92 remaining games behind closed doors would mitigate that loss, avoiding the need to repay hundreds of millions to broadcasters. But the Premier League faces huge logistical difficulties in its attempts to return to action, with Britain one of the countries worst-hit by COVID-19. The league and clubs discussed possible steps towards resuming the season at a meeting on Friday. "The league and clubs are considering the first tentative moves forward and will only return to training and playing with government guidance, under expert medical advice and after consultation with players and managers," the Premier League said in a statement. "The clubs reconfirmed their commitment to finishing the 2019/20 season, maintaining integrity of the competition and welcomed the government’s support." The British government is due to review a nationwide lockdown on May 7 and
Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised on Thursday to provide a "roadmap" towards easing restrictions. LEGAL CHALLENGES: Liverpool are on the brink of their first league title for 30 years with a 25-point lead at the top of the table. However the Premier League is keen to avoid potential legal challenges over the awarding of much more tightly contested European places, relegation and promotion if the season cannot be completed. Paris Saint-Germain were declared Ligue 1 champions on Thursday after
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced sport could not resume before September. The decision to end the season based on average points per game has angered some clubs, most notably Lyon, who have threatened legal action after missing out on a European place. Key to any restarting of matches in the Premier League is government support. Oliver Dowden, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, struck a positive tone after a meeting with leaders
of a number of sports on Friday. "We just kicked off first of many detailed meetings to plan for a safe return of elite sport behind closed doors when, and only when, it is safe to do so on the basis of expert medical advice," Dowden tweeted. However, players are questioning whether they are being rushed back into action to save the clubs money. "Obviously, the majority of players are scared but above all because they have children, babies and family, they might live with their parents," Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero told Spanish show El Chiringuito TV. "If we return I am sure everyone will be tense because the minute one person starts to feel ill, it will be 'what's going on there?'." Players would potentially face weeks away from their families, quarantined in hotels. "I am hoping that it doesn't come to that scenario," said Brighton striker Glenn Murray. "That is far-fetched, to spend eight weeks away from your family is quite a big ask." A large supply of privately sourced tests would be needed for players, coaches and backroom staff. Testing has been a thorny political issue during the pandemic in Britain, with many frontline workers unable to access tests until recently. "If football was to resume then testing will be key and an extra layer of training will be required," former Chelsea doctor Eva Carneiro told the BBC. "It only takes one case for all of this to blow up."
'I would definitely be interested in it': Bale on MLS AGENCIES
Baseball's 2020 Little League World series called off AGENCIES The Little League World Series, a global youth baseball championship for pre-teen children, will not be contested in 2020, organizers said, citing issues caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Little League International, which offers 6,500 community-based programs in 84 nations, announced Thursday the unprecedented decision to cancel all regional tournaments and the 16-team finals that were scheduled for August in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. "This is a heartbreaking decision," said Little League president Stephen D. Keener. "After exhausting all possible options, we came to the conclusion that because of the significant public health uncertainty that will still exist several months from now... it will not be possible to proceed with our tournaments as we've hosted them for nearly 75 years.
Back garden athletics: top vaulters set for 'ultimate clash' AGENCIES Three of the world's top male pole vaulters will meet in competition on Sunday in what has been dubbed the "Ultimate Garden Clash", with world sports decimated by the coronavirus pandemic. World record-holder Mondo Duplantis of Sweden, two-time world champion Sam Kendricks of the United States and 2012 Olympic champion Renaud Lavillenie of France will be connected via a live video link as they compete from their own back gardens. The event, which will be streamed by World Athletics, is scheduled to start at 1500 GMT and will span three locations: Lavillenie will vault from his home in Clermont-Ferrand, Kendricks will compete from his back garden in Oxford, Mississippi, and Duplantis will take part from his base in Lafayette, Louisiana. The three vaulters will attempt to vault 5.00m as many times as possible in 30 minutes, a format the trio drew up in the face of a lack of officials.
Gareth Bale has said he would be interested in playing in Major League Soccer in America if he leaves Real Madrid. Bale has not been a regular in Zinedine Zidane's team this season and the 30-year-old almost departed last summer, before a move to Chinese club Jiangsu Suning fell through. Any MLS club keen to sign Bale would likely have to overcome the huge financial implications of a deal. Bale's Madrid contract ends in 2022 and earns him close to 30 million euros ($33 million) a year before tax. "I really like the league," said Bale, speaking to the Hat-Trick podcast presented by the ICC, in an episode released on Thursday. "I think it's grown so much over the years. When we come over and play them in pre-season, the games are difficult, the standard is getting a lot better. The clubs are improving, the facilities are improving, the stadiums are improving. "I think it's a league that's on the up and still rising. I think a lot more players want to come over to America now and play. I would definitely be interested in it." Bale was also asked about the banner he celebrated with after Wales qualified for Euro 2020 in November, which caused a stir in the Spanish press. The banner taken from the crowd read, 'Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order', as an indication of Bale's priorities. "We were just joking around," said Bale. "A few of them were saying 'if we do qualify, let's try to find it and
england's roy says hundred postponement a 'huge shame' AGENCIES England batsman Jason Roy believes the coronavirus-enforced postponement of the Hundred is a missed opportunity for cricket to capitalise on the buzz from last year's World Cup triumph. With a new tournament, a new format and new city-based franchises, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) was aiming to attract a fresh audience to the game. England, with Roy in the side, defeated New Zealand last year in an unforgettable Lord's final that captivated the host country. But COVID-19 has forced a year's delay, with the ECB keen to avoid empty grounds and absent overseas stars diluting the inaugural edition. Roy, a top-tier £125,000 ($157,000) pick by Oval Invincibles, understands the decision. "It's a huge shame that we won't be able get out in front of a home crowd again," he said. "It is hugely disappointing but there are bigger things at stake. "Obviously there was a huge incentive for the ECB, it was a huge competition that they put a lot of money into but it's only right that it be delayed until next year. "You want the best players coming over and at the moment they can't. Unfortunately that's just the way it is at the moment."
taylor wins Kiwi cricket's top gong, eyes World cup exit in india AGENCIES
bring it out. I was like, 'do what you want but I won't be going to get it. They found it and brought it down. "We were all celebrating as a team and I'm not not going to not jump around with my teammates. It was a bit of banter, a bit of fun." Bale is keeping fit at home as the coronavirus pandemic means players are waiting to see if La Liga can resume, with the plan to restart games behind closed doors in June. "The club are sending us two weeks of programmes every two weeks," Bale said. "We're sticking to that, you can change it a bit if you want to do a bit more or a bit less depending on how your body is feeling. We have a guideline and we're doing the best we can to tick over for the time being."
Veteran batsman Ross Taylor won New Zealand Cricket's top award for the third time Friday and vowed to bat on until the 2023 World Cup in India. The 36-year-old was awarded the Sir Richard Hadlee Medal in a virtual ceremony held online because of COVID-19 restrictions. Taylor was a key part of the Black Caps' run to a second consecutive World Cup final last July, where they lost to England on the back of an obscure boundary countback rule. In the past 12 months, he also became New Zealand's most prolific Test run-scorer and entered the record books as the first cricketer to play 100 internationals in all three formats. "It's been an amazing year, it's been full of ups and downs," he said. After back-to-back defeats in World Cup deciders, Taylor is hoping it's third time lucky as he targets the 2023 tournament to be held in India. "The biggest thing, I think, is the hunger and the mental motivation to keep getting better, if that's still there then age is just a number," he told reporters.
Formula One plans for 'isolated environment' to launch season in Austria AGENCIES Formula One managing director Ross Brawn said the Austrian Grand Prix's remote location makes it a logical choice as the opening race of a season heavily interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. Organisers are aiming to start the championship, which was put on hold in March hours before the scheduled season-opener in Australia, with consecutive races at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg on July 5 and 12. "One of the logistical challenges is getting everyone tested and cleared to enter the racing environment," Brawn told the F1 Nation podcast. "Once we do that, it's very attractive to keep everyone in that environment, within that biosphere that we want to create, for another race. "It's also pretty challenging to find the right sort of races early on where we can control the environment well enough to ensure the safety of everyone. "Austria fits that bill very well. It has
a local airport right next to the circuit, where people can charter planes into. It's not too close to a metropolis." "It has a great infrastructure around it," he added. "For instance, there will be no motorhomes, but there will be full catering facility laid on that the circuit has. "We can contain everyone within that environment and therefore once we are there it is appealing to have another
CMYK
race the following week." Earlier this week, Formula One boss Chase Carey targeted the season starting in Austria after the French Grand Prix, scheduled for June 28 was cancelled, becoming the 10th race of the season to be scrapped or postponed. 'KICKSTART THE SEASON': The Austrian Grand Prix will only be given the green light on the condition it is
raced behind closed doors, the country's health minister told organisers on Wednesday. "Unfortunately it will be without fans, which is a great shame, but we still feel we can take the race out to all the fans and watchers on TV and other means," said Brawn. "It's important for us to try and get the season going, many reasons for wanting to start the season. One is to excite the fans, who have all been frustrated with the delays. "We have a very exciting season in front of us, but it is a very important livelihood for thousands of people - and that is another reason for trying to kickstart the season." Organisers also announced Friday the Hungarian Grand Prix on August 2 will be staged without fans in response to the health crisis. The race at the Hungaroring is following the example set by the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, scheduled for July 19.
Saturday, 2 May, 2020
NEWS
AfghAnIstAn’s ghAnI AgrEEs tO fOrmAtIOn Of ‘nAtIOnAl gOvt’ ASHRAF GHANI TO REMAIN PRESIDENT WHILE POLITICAL RIVAL DR ABDULLAH TO BECOME PRIME MINISTER
LEADERSHIP HIGH COUNCIL, HEADED BY ABDULLAH, WILL BE IN CHARGE OF PEACE TALKS WITH TALIBAN
ISLAMABAD
I
MIAN ABRAR
N a dramatic development, talks between Afghan President Dr Ashraf Ghani and his chief political rival Dr Abdullah Abdullah have agreed to form an “inclusive (national) government” with Dr Ghani as president and Abdullah as the prime minister of Afghanistan. Documents obtained by Pakistan Today showed that both the groups have been negotiating a proposal tabled by Dr Abdullah’s camp and a breakthrough would be likely in a day or two. Dr Abdullah Abdullah himself took to Twitter to announce the progress in talks. “Glad to assure the people of AFG that efforts by respected national personalities to resolve the political crisis have borne fruit. We have made progress in negotiations & reached tentative agreement on a range of principles. Work on details is underway to finalize the agreement,” says a tweet posted by Abdullah on his official account. In a subsequent post, Abdullah said, “We hope to finalize the political agreement at the earliest so that we can pay undivided attention to tackling COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring a just, dignified & lasting peace, & confronting the security & economic challenges in a spirit of national unity & solidarity.” To add more weight to the negotiations, Russia, Iran and other regional countries and Afghanistan allies also supported the formation of an ‘inclusive government’ in Afghanistan with the hope of reaching peace and stability in the country. Separately, Russia also called on key players – the US, China and Pakistan –
to coordinate their efforts to resolve the Afghan crisis. THE PROPOSAL: According to the text of the political agreement being negotiated between Ghani and Abdullah, both parties are giving final touches to a draft agreement proposed by Dr. Abdullah Abdullah. For creating a political consensus, the state high council, consisting of political leaders and national figures will be created. This council will advise the president and the government leadership on major national issues, Afghanistan’s relations with other countries in the world, strengthening national unity, realizing social justice, and structural reforms in the government. Members of the government leadership council will be integrated into special government protocol and will be provided with necessary security arrangements. Creation and Formalization: Peaceoriented executive prime minister’s of-
fice (Dr Abdullah Abdullah) will be created based on the political agreement; it will be formalised after the signature of the two parties to the agreement. This rule will also apply to the election [time] deputies of the peace-oriented executive prime minister. From the four key security sector institutions (National Security Adviser, Ministries of Defense and Interior and the National Directorate of Security) two will be introduced by the peace-oriented executive prime minister. TALIBAN NEGOTIATIONS: The Leadership High Council will be created in consultation with all political sides, political leaders and national figures. Dr. Abdullah Abdullah as the peace-oriented executive prime minister will head the Leadership High Council as its chairman and will lead all peace related affairs. Abdullah will form the National Reconciliation High Council in consultation with political figures, civil society and
speakers of the upper and lower houses of the National Assembly. The president can organize consultative meetings of Leadership High Council. Members of the Supreme Court High Council will be appointed in consultation between the two sides and in consideration of the provisions of law and the principle of balance. In the composition of the Office of National Security Adviser, balance will be kept from the two teams. SECOND LOCAL ADMINISTRATIONS: Provincial governors, based on the percentage of votes, will be appointed by that team who has won a majority of the votes in that province [during the presidential election]. Provincial police chiefs, provincial intelligence chiefs and senior commanders of army will be appointed in consultation between the two sides taking into consideration the ethnic balance. FUNDAMENTAL REFORMS: Provincial council and district council elections will be held as soon as possible to complete the pillars of Loya Jirga. Municipal elections will be held soon to uphold the legal [constitutional] provisions and improve city [urban] affairs. THE EXECUTIVE: Major General Abdul Rashid Dostum, former vice-president is introduced by the leader of the Stability and Convergence [election] team as the Deputy Commander in Chief [of armed forces] and based on presidential order will be promoted to the Marshal rank. Fifty per cent of the ministers, independent directors, deputy ministers and ambassadors including the security sector and key ministries will be introduced by the peace-oriented executive prime minister. Attorney General and his deputies will also be included in the 50/50 balance.
Balcony protests, e-rallies as epidemic curtails May Day demonstrations PARIS AGENCIES
Workers of the world scaled back their traditional May Day demos Friday with coronavirus lockdowns forcing many to rally online instead, while a determined few hit the streets in face masks. There were arrests in the Philippines and Turkey as dozens broke mandatory home confinement to hold public pickets, but most gatherings on this unusual Labour Day went without incident. The traditional festival of the workers´ movement usually attracts millions of people to loud and boisterous marches, and occasional violent confrontations with police. But with strict social distancing rules in most coun-
tries to halt the spread of the virus, many union leaders opted to delay public gatherings or move events online. May Day carries extra significance this year after the COVID-19 outbreak sent the global economy into a historic tailspin, put unprecedented numbers of people out of work, and cast some of the world´s lower paid workers — nurses, garbage collectors, shop tellers and delivery drivers — in the role of modern-day heroes. “It is thanks to the labour we celebrate on this day that the nation perseveres” said President Emmanuel Macron of France, where workers will celebrate the popular holiday by banging pots and singing on their balconies and taking part in online demonstrations. “It is thanks to the work, the dedication, of our caregivers, civil protection personnel, the armed forces… that we save so many lives every day,” Macron said in
a message to the nation, also thanking farmers, civil servants, and other workers who have made it possible for “life to continue in spite of everything.”
Oil prices steady as OPEC+ begins record cuts NEW YORK AGENCIES
Oil prices were largely steady in volatile trade on Friday as OPEC and its allies embark on record output cuts to tackle a supply glut due to the coronavirus crisis but gains were limited as investors awaited signs of a prolonged recovery in demand. The global oil benchmark, Brent crude, has fallen about 60pc in 2020 and hit a near-21-year low last month as the pandemic squeezed demand and OPEC and other producers pumped at will before reaching the new supply deal that kicked in on Friday. Brent futures for July eased 50 cents, or 1.9pc, to $25.98 by 11:56 a.m. ET (1556 GMT). The June contract expired on Thursday at $25.27. US West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) was 7 cents, or 0.4pc lower, at $18.77 after climbing above $20 earlier in the session. Both benchmarks rallied sharply on Thursday. Brent rose 12pc and US crude gained 25pc. For the week, Brent was on track for a gain of more than 20pc while WTI headed for an increase of about 11pc. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, Russia and other producers, known as OPEC+, have agreed to cut output by 9.7 million barrels per day from May 1. Several countries and regions, including China’s central province of Hubei, where the novel coronavirus behind the pandemic was first detected, are relaxing lockdowns put in place to contain the virus. “Global petroleum stock builds likely peaked in April as oil demand contracted by nearly 25 million bpd year-over-year,” according to a BofA Global Research report. “Now, countries are emerging from lockdown, boosting demand just when OPEC+ cuts are kicking in and producers elsewhere are cutting output.
sindh seeks Centre’s help ahead of ‘massive’ locusts attack Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has asked Prime Minister Imran Khan for help, saying that a ‘massive’ locust attack could be expected after May 15 on the agricultural fields in the province. In a letter to the premier, the chief minister said that he feared crops could be damaged if the fields weren’t sprayed in the coming days. Sindh government had requested the Centre for assistance in this regard six months ago, unfortunately despite assurances, no co-operation had been received, he said. The Food and Agriculture Organisation has warned that the intensity of the locusts’ attack will be more severe than it was in the same month last year, the letter said, adding that the federal government should show seriousness over the matter. “Locusts have reached the fields and we had asked the federal government to help us tackle them. But the Centre is not ready to help us with the coronavirus crisis and neither with the locusts,” said PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari pointing out a lack of response from the federation. NEWS DESK
Trump threatens new tariffs on China in retaliation for coronavirus WASHINGTON AGENCIES
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday his hard-fought trade deal with China was now of secondary importance to the coronavirus pandemic and he threatened new tariffs on Beijing, as his administration crafted retaliatory measures over the outbreak. Trump’s sharpened rhetoric against China reflected his growing frustration with Beijing over the pandemic, which has cost tens of thousands of lives in the United States alone, sparked an economic contraction and threatened his chances of re-election in November. Two US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a range of options against China were under discussion, but cautioned that efforts were in the early stages. Recommendations have not yet reached the level of Trump’s top national security team or the president, one official told Reuters. “There is a discussion as to how hard to hit China and how to calibrate it properly,” one of the sources said as Washington walks a tightrope in its ties with Beijing while it imports personal protection equipment
(PPE) from there and is wary of harming a sensitive trade deal. Trump made clear, however, that his concerns about China’s role in the origin and spread of the coronavirus were taking priority for now over his efforts to build on an initial trade agreement with Beijing that long dominated his dealings with the world’s second-largest economy. “We signed a trade deal where they’re supposed to buy, and they’ve been buying a lot, actually. But that now becomes secondary to what took place with the virus,” Trump told reporters. “The virus situation is just not acceptable.” The Washington Post, citing two people with knowledge of internal discussions, reported on Thursday that some officials had discussed the idea of cancelling some of the massive US debt held by China as a way to strike at Beijing for perceived shortfalls in its candidness on the COVID-19 pandemic. Trump’s top economic adviser denied the report. “The full faith and credit of US debt obligations is sacrosanct. Period. Full stop,” White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow told Reuters. Asked whether he would consider hav-
ing the United States stop payment of its debt obligations as a way to punish Beijing, Trump said: “Well, I can do it differently. I can do the same thing, but even for more money, just by putting on tariffs. So, I don’t have to do that.” WAR OF WORDS: Seeking to quell a damaging trade war, Trump signed a first phase of a multibillion-dollar trade deal with China in January that cut some U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods in exchange for Chinese pledges to purchase more American farm, energy and manufactured goods and address some US complaints about intellectual property practices. Tariffs of up to 25pc remain on some $370 billion worth of Chinese goods imports annually. Trump has touted his tough stance on China trade as a key differentiator from Democratic challengers in the presidential race. Keeping tariffs in place on Chinese goods allows him to say he is maintaining leverage over China for a Phase 2 trade deal. Speaking to reporters, Trump declined to say whether he held Chinese President Xi Jinping responsible for what he feels is misinformation from China when the virus
emerged from Wuhan, China, and quickly spread around the world. A senior Trump administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Wednesday that an informal “truce” in the war of words that Trump and Xi essentially agreed to in a phone call in late March appeared to be over. Washington and Beijing have traded increasingly bitter recriminations over the origin of the virus and the response to it. Trump and his top aides, while stepping up their anti-China rhetoric, have stopped short of directly criticizing Xi, whom the U.S. president has repeatedly called his “friend.” Some of Trump’s domestic critics say that although China performed poorly at the start of the outbreak, he now appears to be trying to use Beijing to help deflect from the shortcomings of his own response. While saying China should ultimately be held to account, Daniel Russel, who served as the State Department’s top Asia adviser until early in Trump’s term, said in a tweet: “You would be hard pressed to find a political leader in Asia or Europe who does not believe this anti-China push by the Trump administration is an entirely a political move.”
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Among the other ideas under consideration for retaliation against China are sanctions, new non-tariff trade restrictions and a possible effort to lift China’s sovereign immunity, two sources familiar with the matter said. Lifting sovereign immunity could allow the US government and American citizens to file lawsuits seeking damages from Beijing in US courts. The options are being discussed, informally for now, across government agencies including the State Department, White House National Security Council, Treasury Department and Pentagon, two of the sources said. The strongest pressure for action is coming from the National Security Council, including deputy national security adviser Matthew Pottinger, while Treasury officials are advising caution, the sources said. Conversations are at a very preliminary stage and significant action is not considered imminent, the sources said. When asked, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has repeatedly said Washington’s priority at the moment is to fight the virus but that the time to hold China accountable would come.