Epaper – May 4 ISB 2021

Tuesday, 4 May, 2021 I 21 Ramzan-ul-Mubarak, 1442 I Rs 12.00 I Vol XI No 305 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition

Govt Announces 49 Amendments in election lAw, seeks opp’s support

ISLAMABAD staff report

A

dviser to Prime minister on Parliamentary affairs babar awan on monday said that the federal government plans to bring 49 amendments to the election act 2017 in a bid to reform the electoral process in the country. flanked by information minister fawad Chaudhry in a presser, babar awan said that there was nothing in the amendments that were in favour or against any political party. shedding light on the changes in the election act 2017, he said they would amend section 103 to introduce the use of electronic voting machines (evms), overseas Pakistanis would get voting rights after changes in section 94 besides also introducing compilation of electoral rolls on the basis of the national database & registration authority (nadra) record, and delimitations as per the registered voters in a constituency.

He said that two reforms for democracy

within the political parties would be introduced. “a new section 213 will be introduced, making it compulsory for a political party to hold an annual convention,” he added.

He said that under the reforms, the appointment of polling staff could be challenged 15 days within the electoral process.

“We are also bringing amendments to hold senate elections through an open ballot,” babar said. speaking before him, minister for information and broadcasting fawad once again reiterated the government’s offer to the position parties to sit for electoral reforms saying that those opposing evms have never witnessed their working. the information minister said that they wanted to bring evms so that the results are not delayed for 12 or more hours. “We want the results to be received 20 minutes after the election process,” he said. fawad said that even the prime minister himself has asked the opposition to sit for electoral reforms after the latter objected as to why they were not invited for the talks di-

coronAvirus in

pAkistAn

CONFIRMED CASES:

834,146

LAST UPDATED AT 8:33 AM ON MAY 3, 2021

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

NEW CASES:

79

4,213

RECOVERED:

DEATHS:

728,044 18,149 SINDH:

PUNJAB:

285,626

306,929

KP:

BALOCHISTAN:

120,064 AJK/GB: 17,371 / 5,327

22,620 ISLAMABAD:

76,209

rectly by Pm imran.

Come and sit for electoral reforms, he invited, adding that they have invited them for reforms and now it would emerge as to who is against it. “lack of electoral reforms would halt the process of political and democratic progress in the country,” he said. replying to media persons’ questions, fawad said the government wanted to proceed for electoral reforms with consensus and the opposition was needed to play its role in this regard. the minister said if both Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan muslim leaguenawaz (Pml-n) were not in favour of voting right to the overseas Pakistanis and their contesting the elections they should come forward and oppose it openly.

He said that the government was enjoying the majority in the national assembly and the senate and hence did not require the support of the opposition parties for general electoral reforms but for the constitutional reforms their support was necessary for the two constitutional amendments. referring to the Pml-n’s opposition on the use of electronic voting machines in future elections, the minister insisted that instead of rejecting it they should seek input from their own technical experts.

He also referred to the attempts made by the government on several occasions and the non-cooperation of the opposition while PPP had named naveed Qamar as its focal person with regard to the parliamentary committee on electoral reforms whereas the Pmln had not responded to the letter written by the national assembly (na) speaker.

He said that the prime minister, the speaker of the na and the federal ministers were appealing to the opposition for electoral reforms. replying to a question, the minister said that one of the reforms was that the demarcation would be carried out on the basis of population and the voters in each constituency would be equally distributed to put an end to voters’ disparity in constituencies. the minister also ruled out the possibility of hacking of evms, as these would not be connected to the internet as such and be in stand-alone position. He said that therefore, the chances of hacking were zero.

fiqah-e-hanfia lahore sehr: 3:44 aM iftar: 6:46 PM

LAHORE disgruntled Pakistan tehreek-einsaf (Pti) leader Jahangir tareen on monday said Prime minister imran Khan had assured his posse of justice in cases against him during a meeting last week.

He was speaking to reporters outside a banking court in lahore where he and his son ali tareen appeared in connection with cases of corporate fraud and money laundering registered against them by the federal investigation agency (fia) in march. following the proceedings, the court extended until may 19 the interim bails it had earlier granted to the two. “as far as the meeting of our group with the prime minister [is concerned], it went very well. they talked openly and expressed their reservations [against the inquiry] to him. and the prime minister assured that he would himself look into [the cases].” “i’ve never run away from this investigations,” declared tareen as he observed that the probe in the sugar scam had been proceeding for a year and he had provided hundreds

g

karachi sehr: 4:33 aM iftar: 7:04 PM

fiqah-e-jafaria lahore sehr: 3:34 aM iftar: 6:56 PM

islaMabad sehr: 3:35 aM iftar: 7:03 PM

karachi sehr: 4:23 aM iftar: 7:15 PM

After governor, Balochistan CM also faces rebellion from treasury benches g

Pti Parliamentarians led by sardar rind to meet asad umar today ISLAMABAD Mian abrar

another storm is brewing in balochistan as Chief minister Jam Kamal Khan is facing another rebellion from his own party’s lawmakers while the lawmakers of his major coalition partner, Pakistan tehreek-e-insaf (Pti), are also up in arms against him and asking for his replacement. it may be mentioned here that Prime minister imran Khan has already asked balochistan Governor amanullah yasinzai to resign. However, yasinzai has not resigned despite a formal letter sent by Prime minister imran to him asking for his resignation. the sources said that yasinzai believes that he still has support in power corridors, and he may hold onto the power and convince the premier soon to change his mind. the sources said that deputy speaker Qasim Khan suri was behind the rebellion against yasinzai and he wanted to get one of his close aides, agha Zahoor, to be appointed as new Governor balochistan. sources in the Pti and the ruling balochistan awami Party

tareen says imran assured his group of justice in fia cases staff report

islaMabad sehr: 3:43 aM iftar: 6:54 PM

Court extends interim bails for tareen, son until may 19

(baP) have confirmed Pakistan today that rebellion against Cm Kamal is stronger this time around and chief minister may not hold his ground. “taking advantage of the situation, baP leader saleh mohammad bhotani and former chief minister Quddus bizenjo are lobbying to muster maxim support of the likeminded lawmakers to help oust Jam Kamal,” the sources said. the sources said that rebellion efforts have reached its peak and even members of baP are supporting the rebellion. in a bid to quell the rebellion, Cm Kamal has removed saleh bhotani from his cabinet, but this removal has further intensified the rebellion.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

MORE INSIDE

No compromise on laws related to Holy Prophet (PBUH), says Imran STORY ON PAGE 03

Pakistan to begin domestic production of Cansino vaccine: minister STORY ON BACK PAGE

of thousands of documents to the court and relevant authorities. He also said that officials of his company, JdW-Group, had appeared “75 to 100 times in court” and “hopefully a solution will be found to this but remember we never said to finish cases.”

He said senator ali Zafar — who is tasked by imran with overseeing the sugar scam probe — had started doing his investigation and praised him as a “wise and experienced lawyer” who knew corporate affairs. the cases against tareen and his family were registered

under sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating of public shareholders), and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), read with sections 3 and 4 of the anti-money laundering act, 2010. today, tareen reiterated that the cases were not of criminal nature and the fia had no role in it since it was based on corporate issues and there was no element of use of public funds, secret accounts, or money laundering.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

Fawad renews commitment to ensure press freedom STORY ON PAGE 03

bilawal says his party does not want a repeat of 2018 ‘rigging’ STORY ON PAGE 02

02

Tuesday, 4 May, 2021

ISLAMABAD

NEWS

bilawal says His party does not want a repeat of 2018 ‘rigging’ kARACHI

p

PPI

AKISTAN People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said that his party has been working on election reforms and he did not want the rigging that took place in 2018 and earlier to happen again.

“We need to make reforms in this regard, for which we are ready, but the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) can play a very important role in this regard,” he added.

Addressing a press conference at Bilawal House, the PPP chairman said that the Benazir Mazdoor Card Scheme would be first for the 600,000 workers who are currently working in industrial enterprises, but our effort would be that this card should

be given to every worker in the Sindh province.

The PPP chief said that no one takes the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) regime’s position seriously and sitting with the swindlers to stop the rigging seems strange.

The most important and fundamental point to prevent election rigging was the role of the establishment in the elections and if this role persists then no matter how much legislation is enacted, the elections will remain controversial.

“Everyone saw that the Establishment had no active role in the NA-249 elections, so we want them to not only legislate but also create a consensus that the Establishment has no role in politics and elections,” he said.

Responding to another question, the PPP

Covid-19 kills 79, infeCts 4,213 ISLAMABAD

chairman said that if the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had evidence of any rigging, it should approach the ECP and not to appeal to the army. “If the PML-N appeals to the army to intervene after losing a seat, it would be detrimental to the electoral process,” he added.

He pointed out that during the 2018 elections, the troops deployed inside and outside every polling station and the largest army deployment in any elections in history, but those elections proved to be controversial. “We believe that this makes not only elections but also institutions unnecessarily controversial and consider PML-N statement irresponsible,” he added.

Replying to a question about Bahria Town, Bilawal said that the recent incident regarding Bahria Town took place on the day

when by-elections were being held in NA249. “Work has been stopped there and I am awaiting the report of the chief minister of Sindh in this regard,” he added.

He said that he had earlier demanded that the money kept with the judiciary regarding Bahria Town be handed over to the Sindh government so that issues like water and drainage in Malir and other areas of the province could be resolved.

Replying to yet another question, Bilawal said that the PPP had proved to the opposition parties that the no-confidence motion could work. It is the responsibility of the opposition parties to oppose the government instead of opposing PPP. In response to another question, he said that if Imran Khan was talking about dissolving the assemblies, and the PML-N

was talking about resignations, it meant that the two parties were on the same page. The vote will not be respected if the parliament is not respected.

Despite holding a majority in Punjab, Buzdar is not being challenged because, PML-N thinks Buzdar can do as much damage to Punjab and its people, which is in the advantage of PML-N. “We have shown the way that the Federal government can also be taken after Punjab through the noconfidence motion through the results of the Senate election from Islamabad,” he added.

On the occasion, he described the Benazir Mazdoor Card as a revolutionary step by the Sindh government and said that 3 million workers of Sindh would benefit from this scheme in the near future.

He further said that whether the workers are associated with the construction sector or work in houses, following electronic registration they will be given Benazir Mazdoor Card, enabling them to avail the same facilities available to limited to industrial workers.

Bilawal said that this card will ensure the provision of health and medical facilities to the workers, this card will be usable even during maternity and in case of accidental death relief money will be provided besides other facilities.

Next few weeks critical in Covid-19 battle, Asad says

APP

The total caseload of total active Covid-19 cases reached 87,953 with 4,213 new infections on Monday just as 5,842 people completely recovered from the contagion disease. During the last 24 hours, 79 people died of coronavirus, 73 of whom were under treatment in hospital and six in their respective quarantine centres or homes, according to the latest update released by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC). Most of the deaths have occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) followed by Punjab.

Out of the total 79 deaths, 24 were under treatment on ventilators. The maximum number of ventilators were occupied in four major areas, including Lahore 70 per cent, Multan 74 per cent, Gujranwala 57 per cent and Mardan 80 per cent.

The maximum oxygen beds (alternate oxygen providing facility other than ventilator administered as per the medical requirement of Covid-19 patients) were also occupied in four cities: Lahore 59 per cent, Mardan 70 per cent, Peshawar 65 per cent, and Swat 63 per cent.

Around 670 ventilators were occupied elsewhere in the country while no Covid-affected person was on a ventilator in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Balochistan. Some 45,954 tests were conducted across the country on Sunday: 16,469 in Sindh, 16,307 in Punjab, 7,794 in KP, 3,815 in Islamabad, 558 in Balochistan, 385 in GB, and 626 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). Around 728,044 people have recovered from the disease so far receiving an over 90 percent recovery rate.

Since the outbreak, a total of 834,146 cases were detected that also included the perished, recovered and under-treatment patients: AJK 17,371, Balochistan 22,620, GB 5,327, Islamabad 76,209, KP 120,064, Punjab 306,929 and Sindh 285,626.

18,149 deaths were recorded nationwide: 4,667 died in Sindh, 8,572 in Punjab, 3,392 in KP, 691 in Islamabad, 237 in Balochistan, 107 in GB and 483 in AJK. A total of 11,928,095 tests have been conducted to date, while 631 hospitals are equipped with Covid-19 facilities.

alvi urges compliance with Covid-19 guidelines at mosques ISLAMABAD APP

President Dr Arif Alvi on Monday urged the people to follow the guidelines of the National Command and Control Centre (NCOC) on Covid-19 in markets and outdoor gatherings and said the same precautions were also required to be observed at mosques, congregation centres and processions.

“Bazaars are the most important [to follow SOPs], but directions are also for Masajid, Imambargahs, Taraveehs, Majalis, and processions,” the president said in a tweet. President Alvi appealed to the people to follow the directions of NCOC regarding standard operating procedures (SOPs) and maintaining safety in outdoor settings. He said religious scholars could play an important role in guiding the people to observe SOPs at religious gatherings.

ISLAMABAD STAff RePoRT

As Pakistan reported a decline in deaths from Covid-19 late last week, Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar on Monday said that the next few weeks are critical for the country in its battle against the pandemic. The portal keeping track of the outbreak registered a decline in single-day fatalities as 79 persons died due to the Covid-19 on Monday, down from 113 a day earlier. This is the lowest single-day toll in recent days.

The country had on April 28 recorded the highest

number of deaths — 201 — since the outbreak.

In a tweet sent late on Sunday night, Asad, who also heads National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), said that more than a year after the coronavirus started to spread, it continues to “devastate globally”.

“Daily global cases now exceed 9 lakhs [0.9 million], the highest since the start of the pandemic,” he said. “Daily deaths exceeding 15 thousand near the peak of Jan 2021.”

The minister while urging the people to follow coronavirus-related guidelines to avoid the spread of the disease, said the need for caution remains high.

Punjab CM’s aide defends herself after Sialkot AC controversy NewS DeSk Special Assistant to the Chief Minister Punjab Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan offered her side of the story in the controversy involving Sialkot Assistant Commissioner (AC) Sonia Sadaf on Monday, wherein she said that the AC’s attitude had been disappointing.

Speaking about the incident, she said, “If the implementation is not being done on the coronavirus SOPs fixed by the government, then [it should be understood] that we [public office holders] are accountable to the people.”

She also accused some media persons of having distorted the picture yesterday (Sunday) when the incident took place.

The chief minister’s aide said there were a few media persons at the Ramadan bazaar yesterday who “became a party and twisted the narrative” by giving an angle to the episode. “[They] said I had gotten angry because I was not provided protocol,” she said. Taking a dig at Sonia Sadaf, Dr Awan said any person who does not want to “come out of his/her air-conditioned room” should not get involved seek employment in public service professions.

“These people should look towards easier professions and those who want to tread on the difficult path, should have it in them to bear the burdens that come with it,” she said.

Dr Awan said the women she was fighting for in the Ramadan bazaar neither belonged to her constituency nor were they her relatives. “These were common people for whom we bought sugar from stalls and gave it to them so that the government’s goodwill is maintained,” she said.

The Punjab chief minister’s aide said politicians and those who “have to knock on the people’s doors to seek their votes” have to assess the situation and take measures accordingly in the interest of the masses.

Summarising yesterday’s incident, she said: “Anyone who stands in the way of the Punjab government’s initiative and Usman Buzdar’s roadmap and Prime Minister Imran Khan’s mission, then I want to make it clear that I am the awaam first and then a representative of the awaam,” she said. Taking notice of the insulting attitude adopted by his Special Assistant on Information Firdous Ashiq Awan towards Sialkot AC on Sunday, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar earlier on Monday summoned Firdous to give an explanation for her conduct.

Firdous had admonished Sialkot AC Sonia Sadaf publicly during her visit to Ramazan Bazaar, resulting in anger in Punjab bureaucracy as Chief Secretary (CS) Jawad Rafique Malik conveyed to CM Buzdar his and other civil servants’ concern over the incident. While reacting to the incident, CS Malik had said the administrative officers were doing their duties on the frontline during coronavirus pandemic and harsh weather.

He said using harsh language against any officer was condemnable. He said the officers were in the field day and night to give relief to the masses which is commendable. “No one should insult the officer,” he said, adding that they had already conveyed their concern to the chief minister regarding the incident.

A video of Firdous Ashiq Awan surfaced on Sunday while she was inspecting a Ramazan Bazaar in her native town.

Pakistan on Monday registered 4,213 new infections of Covid-19 after conducting 45,954 tests, receiving back a positivity rate of 9.17 per cent.

Punjab remains the worst-hit province in terms of deaths and cases followed by Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). 8,572 individuals have lost their lives to the disease in Punjab, 4,667 in Sindh, 3,392 in KP, 691 in Islamabad, 483 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), 237 in Balochistan, and 107 in GB. Furthermore, 306,929 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Punjab, 285,626 in Sindh, 120,064 in KP, 76,209 in Islamabad, 22,620 in Balochistan, 17,371 in AJK and 5,327 in GB.

15 die as bus overturns near Hassan abdal HASSAN ABDAL TLTP

At least 15 passengers died when their bus overturned while saving a car from crashing into it near Hassan Abdal’s Burhan Interchange on Monday. The bus made a departure from Lahore to reach Mardan but on the way as it crossed Hassan Abdal, the bus met a calamity and turned turtle. According to the details on the unfortunate incident, the rescue officials have so far recovered the bodies of 15 people on board. The injured are being shifted to a nearby hospital in Attock district, the rescue officials confirmed.

The deceased include a woman and a child. Officials from Rescue 1122 told the media that a passenger bus overturned near Burhan Interchange at the motorway in Hassan Abdal area of the district. Most of the injured suffered serious injuries and are in critical condition. The patrolling police of the motorway said the accident took place when the driver lost control over the bus because of overspeeding. The ill-fated bus was heading towards the Mardan from Lahore. Earlier in December last, at least five people died and ten others sustained injuries when the passenger jeep they were travelling in fell into a gorge in Abbottabad. According to the deputy superintendent of the police (DSP), 14 women and a driver were travelling in the ill-fated jeep near Harnokarla. Getting the information, the rescue teams reached the spot and initiated relief work. The bodies and the injured were shifted to Benazir Shaheed Hospital. It is pertinent to mention here that such accidents have become a routine in the province due to its physical landscape. Earlier on November 16, eight people died and eleven others got injured when a flying coach plunged into a deep ravine in the Kaka Sahib area of Nowshera. According to details, the incident took place due to over speeding and brake failure. Rescue sources relayed the ill-fated van skidded off the Kaka Saheb road and fell into a ditch.

NAB seeks permission to close inquiries against Chaudhry brothers LAHORe INP

An accountability court in Lahore on Monday reserved its verdict in the petition filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) seeking to close three graft inquiries against Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Parvez Elahi and his cousin and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry

Shujaat Hussain.

Accountability Judge Sajjad Ahmad Sheikh heard the request filed by NAB. According to NAB Prosecutor Hafiz Asadullah Awan, Shujaat and Elahi are facing inquiries in assets beyond disclosed sources of income and illegal recruitments cases.

Awan, in the petition, stated that since no evidence of wrongdoing had been found against the

PML-Q leaders in these cases, therefore, it was better to close inquiries against them in these cases.

The first inquiry against the families of Hussain and Elahi was related to the allegations of acquiring illegal assets. The second was against Elahi accusing him of making illegal appointments in local government departments in the 1980s. A third on charges of loan default against the duo had already been closed.

Tuesday, 4 May, 2021

ISLAMABAD

NEWS

No comPRomISe oN lawS Related to Holy PRoPHet (PBUH), SayS ImRaN

I

NewS DeSk

N response to a resolution passed by the European Parliament, Prime Minister Imran Khan has insisted that the country would not compromise on the laws pertaining to Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him), it emerged on Monday.

The European Parliament a few days ago had called for a review of Pakistan’s GSP Plus status, to which effect the premier had chaired a meeting of senior ministers of the cabinet to discuss the matter.

Reportedly, the GSP Plus trade agreement has nothing to with blasphemy laws. Revocation of this status would result in a loss of approximately $3 billion, the ministers were told.

The participants, during the meeting, decided to address the reservations of the European Union (EU). It was also unanimously decided that the protection of minorities in the country would be ensured.

Pakistan on Friday had said it was disappointed with the adoption of a resolution at the European Parliament on blasphemy laws in the country.

“The discourse in the European Parliament reflects a lack of understanding

in the context of blasphemy laws and associated religious sensitivities in Pakistan and in the wider Muslim world,” Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri had said.

“The unwarranted commentary about Pakistan’s judicial system and domestic laws is regrettable,” he had added.

The spokesperson had said Pakistan, being a parliamentary democracy with a

Pakistan, Saudi envoys discuss Imran’s forthcoming visit to Riyadh

vibrant civil society and free media and independent judiciary, remained fully committed to the promotion and protection of human rights for all its citizens without discrimination.

“We are proud of our minorities, who enjoy equal rights and complete protection of fundamental freedoms as enshrined in the Constitution. Judicial and administrative mechanisms and remedies are in place to

Govt hands over possession of 1,508 housing units

ISLAMABAD

ISLAMABAD

Staff RepoRt

Pakistan’s new ambassador to Saudi Arabia Bilal Akbar met with Riyadh’s envoy in Islamabad Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki in the Saudi capital to discuss Prime Minister Imran Khan’s upcoming visit to the Kingdom. Prime Minister Imran is visiting Saudi Arabia next week on the invitation of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. In March, the Crown Prince had made a telephonic call to inquire about the prime minister’s health as the latter had tested positive for Covid-19 and was spending time in quarantine. Wishing Khan a quick recovery, Mohammed Bin Salman had invited him to visit Saudi Arabia after recovery which the prime minister accepted.

During their meeting, both ambassadors reaffirmed their resolve to further strengthen the “time tested brotherhood and friendship between the two countries, with a renewed emphasis on economic cooperation.” According to Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry, the visit will prove a milestone in bilateral relations, and the two countries are expected to sign several accords and memorandums of understanding (MoU) in diversified areas, especially economic and trade relations. Last week, Ambassador Al-Malki told Arab News that “this visit will further strengthen relations between both countries in all fields,” adding that “there will be many memoranda of understanding” signed during the visit. The two countries had inked agreements for $20 billion investment projects, during the crown prince’s visit to Pakistan in February 2019. Al-Malki said that while work on the projects had “already begun,” a planned preferential trade agreement would also lead to broader economic cooperation.

guard against any human rights violations,” he had added.

The spokesperson mentioned that Pakistan has played an active role in promoting freedom of religion or belief, tolerance and inter-faith harmony.

At a time of rising Islamophobia and populism, the international community must exhibit a common resolve to fight xenophobia, intolerance and incitement to violence based on religion or belief, and work together to strengthen peaceful coexistence, he had stressed.

The spokesperson had further said Pakistan and the EU have multiple mechanisms in place to discuss entire spectrum of bilateral relations, including a dedicated dialogue on democracy, rule of law, governance and human rights.

“We would continue to remain positively engaged with the EU on all issues of mutual interest,” he had maintained.

Separately, Prime Minister Imran met the Islamabad-based ambassadors of countries belonging to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Monday.

Recalling the two letters addressed by him to the leaders of the Islamic world last year, the prime minister briefed the envoys on Pakistan’s efforts at the international level

app

The government has handed over the possession of 1,508 apartments and housing units to the applicants under the Naya Pakistan Housing Programme (NPHP).

Talking to APP, a housing ministry official said around 2,003,940 people applied for the registration during Phase-I and II, out of which 1,799,533 were found eligible after scrutiny of their documents.

He said the ministry was taking various steps to facilitate the low-income segment of the society by restarting stalled schemes and constructing new apartments worth Rs109 billion.

He said the ministry had revived some stalled projects including Kurri Road, G-10/2, I-16/3, I-12/1, and Wafaqi Colony Lahore.

These long-stalled projects had been put on the track and completed by the Pakistan Housing Authority (PHA), however, the work on I/16-3 and I/12-1 projects was in progress, he added.

Regarding the initiatives taken in Balochistan, he said the Kuchlak Road project Quetta, consisting of 1,350 housing units, was inaugurated in 2019 on the land provided by the

Balochistan government.

The official said the membership drive was executed and over 7,700 applications were received and automated balloting was also held successfully.

He said the PC-I had been approved by the Development Working Party (DWP) and endorsed by the PHA-F’s board of directors.

The bidding and tendering process had been completed, he said adding a letter of commencement to the contractors had been issued and work had been started.

About the initiatives taken in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), PHA Residencia Sorazai Project, Peshawar, he said the land measuring 8,500 kanals was provided by the KP government and in the first phase, the PHA-F would construct 10,000 housing units.

The official said all information regarding projects and schemes was available on the website of the ministry to keep the stakeholders and allotees updated.

Simultaneously, he said, the PHA and FGEHA had their social accounts on Facebook and Twitter, having complete information about the projects/initiatives. Moreover, the campaigns were also being publicised through newspapers, seminars, and media talks, he maintained.

Fawad renews commitment to ensure press freedom ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhary on Monday said the government regarded the freedom of the press as a “fundamental, democratic and constitutional right” and was committed to safeguarding it.

The statement came on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day marked on May 3 to celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom, to evaluate press freedom around the world, to defend the media from attacks on their independence, and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession.

In his statement, Chaudhry stressed that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government considered press freedom as a fundamental, democratic and constitutional right.

“There is no concept of media censorship in the country,” he asserted.

“Media in Pakistan enjoys unprecedented freedom. The government neither believes nor practices any press

advice. Rather, it encourages selfregulation by the media.”

The minister further said that the government was taking all possible measures to create a congenial environment for journalists to perform their professional obligations.

“The steps undertaken to ensure welfare and security of the journalists and media workers include the 8th Wage Board Award and the establishment of Information Commission,” he said.

In 2020, Pakistan ranked ninth on the Committee to Protect Journalists’ (CPJ) annual Global Impunity Index, which assesses countries where journalists are murdered regularly and their killers go free. According to the CPJ, Bangladesh, Russia, and India are ahead of Pakistan.

Chaudhry said the information ministry fully supported the idea of the Journalist Protection Act which would go a long way in ensuring the safety and security of the journalist community.

“We are also keen to equip the media with modern technologies and improve the human resource,” the minister maintained.

“The working journalists under certain criteria will be accommodated in the Prime Minister’s Housing Scheme,” he said.

“The government is also contemplating to award health cards to the journalists to enable them to avail healthcare facilities for themselves and their families.”

Chaudhry assured that the government would continue to facilitate the growth of free and responsible press and ensure the safety and security of the working journalists.

Meanwhile, in his tweets, he paid tributes to those journalists who laid down their lives in the line of duty.

“Journalists in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Palestine, and other areas go through daily hardships to write the truth,” he pointed out.

It is part of this government’s agenda to introduce new media technologies and new projects would also be brought this year especially for the young journalists.

03

to create awareness about Islamophobia and the need to collectively address the phenomenon.

He stressed that Pakistan’s initiatives aimed at building mutual were understanding and promoting inter-faith harmony.

Noting that Islamophobic acts fan interreligious hatred and disharmony among civilisations, the prime minister called for addressing the underlying reasons for the rise in such incidents worldwide. Falsely equating Islam with radicalism and terrorism, he added, was leading to the marginalisation and stigmatisation of Muslims.

PM Imran emphasised that the vilification of Islamic precepts and religious personalities, wrongly justified under the garb of the right to freedom of expression or opinion, hurts the sentiments of 1.5 billion Muslims around the world.

The prime minister urged the OIC to work together for making the international community understand the deep-rooted love and reverence of all Muslims for the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and the Holy Quran.

He also underlined the need for instituting legal safeguards aimed at protecting the sensitivities of all religious groups. He underscored the imperative of OIC’s collective efforts to project the true image of Islam, and its message of peace and tolerance.

He reaffirmed that Pakistan remained committed to dialogue and cooperation with all members of the international community for promoting universal values of tolerance, mutual respect and peaceful co-existence among all nations and peoples.

ItalIaN mISSIoNaRy dIeS fRom covId afteR SIx decadeS of SeRvIce IN laHoRe NewS DeSk Respected Italian-born Dominican priest Aldino Amato has died due to complications from Covid19 at a hospital in Lahore, the UCA News (Union of Catholic Asian News) portal reported on Monday. The 90-year-old priest was laid to rest in a grave he built for himself in the compound of Our Lady of Mercy parish house in Punjab’s Okara 6 Chak village. An education and development pioneer, Amato served Pakistan for nearly six decades. Amato, the last foreign missionary of the Faisalabad Diocese, passed away on May 1 in Lahore, where he was put on a ventilator for 10 days after testing positive for Covid-19. During his funeral, hundreds of faithful showered petals on his coffin but only Dominican friars were allowed to shoulder him, according to UCA News. More than 20 priests concelebrated the funeral Mass with Bishop Indrias Rehmat of Faisalabad at the girls’ college Amato built in the Okara village. Condolences were also conveyed by members of the Catholic community as well as Archbishop Christophe Zakhia El-Kassis, the apostolic nuncio to Pakistan. After arriving in Pakistan as a missionary in 1962, Amato built six churches, three schools and hostels, two training centres for the visually impaired, two housing colonies, and a women’s college. He was revered for having spent funds in remote areas and turning them into settlements and helping the poor irrespective of their faith. He also installed tube wells and provided skills training to children in his hotel. Bishop Rehmat said Amato “shared to the full our sorrows and joys, and his death here in Pakistan was a testament to the commitment with which he gave his whole life to our people”,

04

Tuesday, 4 May, 2021

ISLAMABAD

NEWS

President calls for digitalisation of government organisations ISLAMABAD

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TLTP

resident dr Arif Alvi has called for promoting knowledgebased economy and digitalisation of government organisations to enhance the efficiency of work and service delivery. the president said this on Monday while talking to a delegation of Huawei, which was headed by Huawei Middle east region Vice President Li Xiangyu. the president said that Pakistan is blessed with immense talent and resources and the government is making serious efforts to channelise this potential in the right direction.

Li Xiangyu in his presentation informed that Huawei has contributed to Pakistan’s economy by providing 10,000 jobs and paying $120 million in taxes, besides spending $6 million to support disaster-relief efforts of the government.

He said Huawei has contributed to Pakistan’s information and communication technology talent by providing 10,000 certifications in 2020. He said Huawei would train over 1000 government employees to achieve the digital Pakistan initiative.

He apprised the meeting that government officials would be registered and en-

ALVI EMPHASISES NEED FOR ESTABLISHING PRIMARY HEALTHCARE TELEMEDICINE CLINICS TO PROVIDE FREE ADVICE TO PEOPLE, IMPROVE QUALITY OF CARE rolled for training programmes, which would be conducted through Huawei experts.

President Alvi appreciated the initiative of Huawei to provide training and iCt skills to the people of Pakistan. He asked the ministry of information technology and telecommunication to develop an action plan and set time lines for launching training programmes for the government employees to train them in fields like artificial intelligence, cloud technology, big data, blockchain, neural networks and communication technologies.

He urged the ministry to come up with more innovative ideas and enhance collaboration with Huawei for early realisation of digital Pakistan initiative. the meeting was also attended by Ministry of science and technology secretary dr Arshad Mahmood, Ministry of Federal education and Professional training secretary Farah Hamid, Ministry of information technology and telecommunication Additional secretary Ali sher Mehsud, and other senior officials, while Prime Minister task Force on science and technology

Chairman dr Atta-ur-rehman attended the meeting via video link.

NEED FOR ESTABLISHING TELEMEDICINE CLINICS: separately, in a meeting on telehealth at Aiwan-e-sadr, President dr Arif Alvi emphasised the need for establishing primary healthcare

telemedicine clinics to provide free advice to the people and improve the quality of care in the country.

He stated that there is a need to invest in telemedicine through enhanced infrastructure, technology and human resources to provide equitable health facilities to the pop-

ulation living in remote areas of Pakistan. the president underscored the need to strengthen the capacity of the health sector at the national level with the help of medical professionals in the fields of public health and artificial intelligence to analyse various datasets and predict outbreaks of epidemics.

He stated that the government of Pakistan is committed to transform the health care delivery sector of the entire country and initiate measures to provide free-of-cost medical advice to the people under the telehealth programme.

He emphasised the need for amalgamating all platforms working for telehealth in the country so as to provide medical relief to people in a more efficient and effective manner. the ministry of national health services regulations and coordination gave a presentation about the importance of telehealth in Pakistan. the ministry informed that it provided free online consultation across Pakistan under sehat express Portal, which provided medical advice to people during the Covid-19 pandemic. the meeting on telehealth was attended by special Assistant to Prime Minister on national Health services, regulations and Coordination dr Faisal sultan, Health director General dr rana Muhammad safdar and other senior officials.

Private educational institutions advised to grant 20pc concession in monthly fee ISLAMABAD inP

the government of Pakistan has advised all the private educational institutions to grant 20 per cent concession in monthly fee to their students due to their closure during the coronavirus pandemic in the country. A letter issued by the ministry of federal education and professional training on Monday stated that the concession in fee is to be granted from April this year till the reopening of the institutions. However, as per the letter, the concession policy will not be applicable on the institutions, who are charging monthly tuition fee less than 8000 rupees. the fee challan, if already issued or paid for the month of April-May contrary to the fee concession policy, will be adjusted in next month’s fee. the ministry also advised parents and guardians to pay monthly fee in a timely manner. earlier on April 27, Minister for education shafqat Mahmood had announced the postponement of all exams until June 15 in light of a surge in new coronavirus cases. Addressing a press conference here after a national Command and Operation Centre (nCOC) meeting, Mahmood had said that the Cambridge assessments have been cancelled and these will now take place in the October-november cycle. “exams of [grades] 9, 10, 11, and 12, that were scheduled to begin at the end of May, have been further delayed. no assessments will be held until mid-June,” the minister had said. “We will continue analysing [the situation] and in mid-May or in the third week of May, we will analyse the disease and a decision will be made whether to further postpone exams or allow them to take place,” he had added.

LAHORE: Metro buses pass through a track outside Badshahi Mosque in the provincial capital. OnLine

NTDC takes initiative to promote local manufacturers, contractors LAHORE PR

in line with the vision of government of Pakistan for ease of doing business, the national transmission and despatch Company (ntdC) has taken initiative to promote and encourage local industry, manufacturers and contractors pertaining to power sector. in this regard, virtual meeting of all stakeholders was conducted under the supervision of Chairman Board of directors ntdC naveed ismail at WAPdA House on Monday.

Addressing to the large number of participants, naveed ismail said that as per the vision of government of Pakistan, ntdC aims to encourage the local industry, manufactures, contractors, consultants and suppliers in the field of transformer, cable, conductor, tower and other accessories. this will result in promotion of indigenization and new players in the market, bringing economy in prices, saving in foreign exchange, creation of employment opportunities and GdP growth of the country.

Later the Managing director ntdC doctor

Khawaja riffat Hassan chaired the second session of the meeting of consultants and contractors, wherein, suggestions of every participant were noted and taken seriously for development of mutual mechanism. the managing director ntdC asked all stakeholders to submit their collective suggestions and proposals to

ntdC for further deliberations.

He further said that to promote and accommodate the local industry, ntdC team will review the process after fulfilling the legal formalities. He intimated that the follow up meeting on the subject will be held subsequently.

Tuesday, 4 may, 2021

IslamabaD

news

UN terms press corNerstoNe of democratic societies iSLamaBad

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AGENCIES

He United Nations secretary-general on Monday urged governments to “do everything in their power” to support free, independent and diverse media, which the UN’s top human rights official highlighted as “a cornerstone of democratic societies”.

In a message on World Press Freedom Day, marked annually on 3 May, Secretary-General António Guterres underscored the importance of reliable, verified and accessible information.

“During the pandemic, and in other crises including the climate emergency, journalists and media workers help us navigate a fast-changing and often overwhelming landscape of information, while addressing dangerous inaccuracies and falsehoods”, he said.

“Free and independent journalism is our greatest ally in combating misinformation and disinformation.”

Guterres also noted the personal risks journalists and media workers face, including restrictions, censorship, abuse, harassment, detention and even death, “simply for doing their jobs”, and that the situation continues to worsen.

The economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic

International Firefighters Day every year, 4th May is observed as International Firefighters day to pay tribute and show solidarity to fire rescuers, who serve for protection and safety of the communities. The date chosen for International firefighters’ day was linked to the feast day of ST Florian, who was the first known commander of one firefighting squad in Roman empire. He along with his colleagues lost their lives in one of the tragic wild fire incident in Australia.

These silent defenders, true sons of soil and unsung heroes are known as Fire Rescuers. Fire rescuers are respected all over the world due to the nature of unique and risky job they perform. Firefighting profession is highly technical, structured and supplied with various artifacts, which helps to decide actions in unpredictable and complex situation. It involves special skills to fight with flames, rescue the trapped victims and save properties. Formal trainings related firefighting helps to minimize risk by practicing safety procedures and get command over them.

History reveals that developed countries had also faced major fire incidents. One of the major fire incidents in the history of United States occurred at James Town in 1608, left large losses of lives and properties.

Great fire of London Sept 1666 ruined many buildings included 13,200 house, 87 churches and left many direct and indirect losses. Similarly, Boston city experienced ravaging for administration to give a serious thought to firefighting and fire prevention consequently new courts and rules regarding firefighting including laws pertaining to the uses of open spaces and fire resistant building material were developed. Firefighting departments were also established.

Likewise Major terrorist attack in New York City and Washington DC witnessed the firefighters as the primary first responders responded the incident and more than 300 firefighters lost their lives while responding to attack on the world Trade Center. West fertilizer co-explosion on 3 May, 2013 highlighted the tough and volatile work of firefighters.

In Pakistan, in the tenure of Ch Pervaiz elahi as CM Punjab Rescue 1122 Service was started in 2004 as an ambulance service under the leadership of Dr Rizwan Naseer DG Rescue Punjab. The Service earned respect and public trust within short span of time. Resultantly, the challenge of establishing fire service was also given

and with support of then Scottish Parliamentarian and Ch Muhammad Sarwar and Hanzala Malik Rescue Officers had received international fire and rescue training, which was replicated to all fire staff at emergency Services Academy and started Fire Rescue Service in 2007.

So far, Rescue Service has rescued over 9.2 million victims of different emergencies without discrimination with average response time of seven minutes and saved losses worth over PKR 490 Billion by improving response time and professional firefighting. As per data of emergency Service of last year, Fire Rescue Service is managing an average 43 fire incidents daily in Punjab and short circuits, negligence and carelessness have become leading causes of fire emergencies. Implementation of Building Code of Pakistan – Fire Safety Provisions - 2016 has become need of the hour.

It is also pertinent to mention that immediate safety measure like Fire exits and stairs separated by fire doors, fire alarm system, external fire hydrants for firefighting, sprinkle system in multi storey buildings may be installed to prevent fires. Moreover, the fire emergencies caused by negligence can be prevented with little vigilance and care while using gas heaters, kitchen stoves, candles and domestic accessories. Always Use standardized electrical and Gas appliances, Shut off all appliances before sleeping and going out from the building. Furthermore, a degree program related to firefighting and fire safety needs to be started to increase the number of professionals in this field and promote safety in the country.

On this special day, I would like to pay rich tribute to 13 Shaheed fire Rescuers of Ghakkar Plaza disaster, who sacrificed their lives during fire and rescue operation and changed the firefighting history in the country.

These unsung heroes were from Pakistan Ordinance Factory Wah, Rescue 1122, City Fire Brigade and Civil Aviation Authority. They proved that firefighters do not only sprinkle water on the flames from outside rather they are passionate and even can sacrifice their lives for protecting others.

Their countless efforts to transform this profession shall always be remembered. May Allah rest their souls in Heaven, who sacrificed their lives to save others and salute to the real heroes of the nations from all over the world for their countless efforts for developing safer communities in their respective countries.

After governor, Balochistan CM also faces rebellion from treasury benches Continued from page 01 The source said that around 10 lawmakers of the BAP have expressed displeasure over the removal of Bhotani who is now lobbying to get more supporters on his side. The sources said that the tensions between Rind and CM Kamal have further intensified and that the rebellious BAP lawmakers and the opposition are in contact with Rind to support a rebellion against CM Kamal.

“During the Prime Minister’s recent visit to Quetta, six members of Balochistan Assembly led by Balochistan Minister and PTI’s Parliamentary leader Sardar Yar Muhammad Rind met Imran Khan. Deputy Speaker of Balochistan Assembly Quddus Bizenjo also was a part of the delegation. They tried to convince the premier to remove Balochistan CM and assured the premier that they would accept any lawmaker of BAP except for Jam Kamal,” the sources said. The sources said that the PTI parliamentary group also urged prime minister to remove Balochistan governor and appoint a party leader as new governor so as issues of the PTI lawmakers could be resolved. Hence, the sources said, the prime minister has asked Governor Yasinzai to resign.

PTI delegation assured premier that they would like to work with any new chief minister in Balochistan but they cannot work with CM Kamal. The sources said that after meeting the PTI parliamentary party, the prime minister had a one-on-one meeting

accountability and respect for human rights.

“Around the world, people have increasingly taken to the streets to demand their economic and social rights, as well as an end to discrimination and systemic racism, impunity, and corruption”, she said.

However, journalists fulfilling their fundamental role of reporting on these social protests have become targets, with many becoming victims of unnecessary and disproportionate use of force, arbitrary arrests, and criminal prosecution, Ms. Bachelet added.

In addition to dissuading other journalists from critically reporting on relevant issues, such attacks weaken public debate and hamper society’s ability to respond effectively to challenges, including COVID19, she said.

Marked annually on 3 May, World Press Freedom Day celebrates the fundamental principles of press freedom. It is also an occasion to evaluate press freedom globally, to defend the media from attacks on their independence, and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession.

Tareen says Imran assured his group of justice in FIA cases

UNSUNG HEROES DAY

miSS deeBa Shahnaz akhter

has hit many media outlets hard, threatening their very survival, he added.

“As budgets tighten, so too does access to reliable information. Rumours, falsehoods and extreme or divisive opinions surge in to fill the gap”, the Secretary-General said, urging all governments to “do everything in their power to support a free, independent and diverse media”.

Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, also highlighted the importance of free, uncensored and independent press as “a cornerstone of democratic societies”, conveying life-saving information, improving public participation, and strengthening

05

with the incumbent CM. PM Imran later deputed Asad Umar to look into the matter and resolve the discord in Balochistan. The sources said that the PTI delegation led by Rind has arrived in the federal capital and would meet Asad on Tuesday at 3pm on the situation in Balochistan.

The sources said the rebellion in Balochistan against the chief minister is also damaging the province’s budget preparations which is currently underway. A PTI lawmaker told this scribe that soon after the 2018 elections, the party had support of 35 lawmakers but it decided to sacrifice its due share for BAP which decided in favour of CM Kamal.

However, the PTI lawmaker said, CM Kamal has been a total embarrassment and failed to take along his own party as well as its coalition partner. The source said that there were many issues pertaining to the incumbent CM. “Jam Kamal has been an utter disappointment. There are issues pertaining to administration, legislation and development projects. Another issue is that the chief minister has failed to lead from the front, and he also has failed to behave properly with his allies.

He also has failed to resolve the issues of the PTI lawmakers and has no urge to address our concerns,” the source asserted.

Despite repeated calls and messages sent at his phone number, Balochistan Government spokesperson Liaquat Shahwani chose not to respond to the questions.

Continued from page 01 “So we hope from Ali Zafar that he will present a report to the prime minister after taking a good look.”

Tareen said he had appeared in court whenever there was a hearing and wanted the court to work and “act in a transparent manner”. Tareen had returned to Pakistan in November after ending his seven-month-long self-imposed exile after falling out with Prime Minister Imran following an inquiry into the last year’s sugar

scandal that accused several sugar producers — including him — of “underreported sales and fraud”.

At the time, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Accountability Mirza Shahzad Akbar had declared sugar-producing units under JDWGroup were found guilty of “double billing” and “over-invoicing” as well as “corporate fraud”.

Tareen had rejected the findings of the Sugar Inquiry Commission. “I am shocked at the kind of false allegations levelled against me. I have

always run a clean business. All Pakistan knows I always pay full price to my growers,” he had said in a tweet. “I DO NOT maintain 2 sets of Books. I pay all my taxes diligently. I will answer every allegation and be vindicated IA. I have already submitted a detailed reply along with concrete evidence in response to FIA notice.

Unfortunate to see them go on another smear campaign against me & my family without establishing anything illegal.”

Tuesday, 4 May, 2021

06 COMMENT

The snob’s guide to poetry and life

UNESCO’s year of journalism Travails of media community in Pakistan

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AY 3rd is celebrated by uNeSCo every year as a reminder to governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom. It is also a day of reflection among media professionals about issues of press freedom and professional ethics as well as a day of remembrance for those journalists who lost their lives in the pursuit of a story.

The 2020 World Press Freedom index brought down Pakistan’s ranking on press freedom another three notches to reach 145th position out of 180 countries last year.

Attempts at controlling newspapers and TV networks have taken many forms in Pakistan. Press advice is the simplest way to force the media to adhere to arbitrary norms setup by the governments without consultation with the media stakeholders. This leads to self censorship, that keeps reporting about certain areas and institutions out of bounds for the newspapers and TV channels.

Another method by the governments to keep the media under thumb is complete or partial denial of public sector advertisements to papers or channels considered independent. This has forced some of the private media establishments to reduce their staff even at the risk of the deterioration of the paper or the channel’s quality besides making scores of journalists unemployed.

Individual reporters that venture into the forbidden areas are made to pay a heavy price. Cases were registered against three journalists last year for inciting citizens to rebel against the military, putting up antiPakistan posts, and on suspicions of sedition and treason.

A journalist was forcibly kidnapped last year from Islamabad. As the action was caught on CCTV cameras, this led to widespread condemnation by the legal community and the opposition parties. He had to be released finally at the orders of IHC. Harassment is common and can lead to tragic incidents According to the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), nine media workers from Pakistan were among the 65 killed worldwide in 2020 while performing their jobs The way the media is being treated in Pakistan has brought a bad name to the country. Most recently, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has joined critics, expressing concern over “significant restrictions” on media outlets and on the civil society in Pakistan.

Your ticket to the elite club

HASAN AFTAB SAEED

A

re you a rebel who is unhappy with a society shackled with outdated traditions and beliefs? Are you somebody who would not touch with a barge pole anything that is not modern? Are you itching to change things without having any idea what things you have in mind and how you will go about changing them? Are you desperate for the whole world to hear the drumbeat of your war on the unjust world? Are you having difficulty in sounding as sensitive and enlightened as you no doubt are?

Worry no longer, for help is at hand. Here is a tried-and-tested, one-point plan to achieve all this and

more. Just memorize the titles of some free-verse poems, and make sure to drop, from time to time, references to them in the company that matters. There is no quicker (and more assured) entry into the elite club.

That is essentially all there is to it. As for the details, it is imperative never to show any enthusiasm for ghazals or structured poems – these obsolete things deserve nothing but contempt. In addition to being embarrassingly old-fashioned, these traditional forms present many practical difficulties. For example, everybody notices when you forget their lines. For you invariably make a mess of them or miss out much of their narrative. Not so in free verse, which you cannot possibly make any more unintelligible by misquoting it than it already is. Nobody notices and nobody cares. Hardly anybody is listening. Sure, they are all smiling and nodding in agreement when you quote the immortal lines – but what else can they do? Any other reaction would be tantamount to not belonging to the club, which is not an option.

Where traditional poetry, dragged down by metre, rhyme and rhythm, is almost medieval; free verse is the epitome of progressiveness. Could there be a more symbolic way to rebel against the constraints of life than by rejecting the rules of poetry?

Whoever needs the norms of expression when one can say whatever one feels like saying, just as one can dispense with the fetters of tradition to live a life of complete freedom.

While any free verse ought to do the job, the freer the better. And when especially pressed for time, there is nothing like Noon Meem rashid – the last three words in poetic sensibility. Noon Meem has many more things going for him than your average free-verse poet. The Foucault-like perfect bald head is itself an unmistakable symbol of enlightenment. He also deserves credit for his foresight when he used initials for his first and middle names. rashid is our answer to the D.H. Lawrences and the T.S. eliots of the world. There

can hardly be any doubt that ‘Nazar Muhammad rashid’ would not have carried a fraction of the charm and impact that ‘Noon Meem rashid’ brings.

You can make Noon Meem mean anything of your liking without being found out as one who does not know what he is talking about. even if somebody decides to verify your account by referring to the original text (a highly unlikely event), he will have no chance in hell to know what that says. You are safe any which way, so give free rein to your imagination.

It used to be that readers were amazed to discover a thought in their own bosoms when they read traditional poets (‘Mai ne ye jaanaa ke goya ye bhi mere dil mein hai,’ etc.) In free verse, it is the reverse: the poet gets to know what he meant when his readers extract unprecedented wisdom out of his word salad.

A singular benefit of appreciating free verse is that you can instantly graduate from enthusiast to poet whenever circumstances call for such a transition. Free verse gives you the freedom to declare war on the status quo without having the gift of rhyme and rhythm and without knowing the first thing about metre. All you need is pen, paper, and a fertile mind and you are good to go. This is not possible with regular poetry, where being born a rebel is not enough.

Free verse is so democratic and liberating!

Free verse has more to offer. As a tool it is ideally suited to the modern world and its challenges. It lends itself equally to articulation of everyday problems of life as well as giving expression to the more abstract and profound thoughts – you can enquire about the retail price of potatoes, wonder where the hell are your eye-glasses, lament the state of the moth-eaten society – all in one poem – and still leave scope for your readers to discover the various other meanings that never as much as crossed your mind.

The author is a connoisseur of music, literature, and food (but not drinks). He can be reached at www.facebook.com/hasanaftabsaeed

Remembering the plight of Kashmiris As India continues to struggle with the pandemic, is anyone thinking of Kashmir?

Dr Firdous Awan and Sialkot AC Unbecoming behaviour by SACM

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r Firdous Ashiq Awan must have gotten up on the wrong side of the bed on Monday. She was incensed over Asst Commissioner Sonia Sadaf for not standing in front of the small crowd that had gathered to receive her as she descended from the car outside the ramzan Bazar in Sialkot. “Where were you when I reached there?” shouted the incensed SACM and as the Asstt Commissioner reacted coolly to her public display of bad temper, Firdous lost control over herself.

She refused to listen to the quite sensible reply that fruit brought from cold storage to the 9 degree temperature of the open market would naturally tend to become soggy.

Losing whatever sense she possessed, she roared, “Who is the shameless person who has selected and posted you here? I will talk to him.”

Dr Firdaus Ashiq Awan has been hired for the express purpose of launching a vicious attack to browbeat the opposition leaders. The more she stoops low the greater the accolades she receives from the PTI leadership. In the process she hasn’t even spared the judiciary, though later on she has apologised, putting herself at the mercy of the court.

The PTI has treated bureaucracy shabbily. In Punjab the government has transferred bureaucrats again and again, holding them responsible for the shortcoming of chief minister Buzdar. It has accused bureaucracy of not cooperating with the government. Faidaus Awan’s unjustified outburst was reflective of the PTI leadership’s familiar bent of mind.

Chief Secretary Jawwad rafique Malik has stood up to the uncivilised behaviour of the Special Assistant to the Chief Minister. The chief secretary shas rightly asserted that AC Sonia Sadaf and other administration officers were present on the front line despite scorching heat and the coronavirus pandemic. Mr Malik said that use of unethical language with any officer or a staff member was condemnable and added that no one had the right to insult government officers. one hopes his words will carry weight with those who matter.

SAjjAD SHAukAT

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LTHougH the Coronavirus has affected about 150 million people in the world since 2020, the past 11 days have seen the worst kind of virus spread and deaths in India, where they have been recording (apparently underreporting) 340,000 to 400,000 cases, and about 5,500 deaths, every day breaking all previous world records of infection rates.

Help from other countries has already started, with transporters from China and other places carrying oxygen cylinders and other hospital equipment that has become increasingly scarce to India. China has also offered New Delhi related-equipments to fight Covid-19.

Despite foreign aid, this novel virus has become out of control. Indians have started demanding Prime Minister Narendra Modi resign over what is a clear mishandling of the corona crisis.

Last year, under the guise of coronavirus, Indian fanatic leaders had imposed various kinds of restrictions on the Muslim populatin. Modi’s government and the health ministry had claimed that Muslims are spreading this virus. As a result, Hindu extremists have set off a series of assaults against Muslims across the country with this latest wave of Covid.

Sources in the western media recently reported that “Indian authorities had allegedly linked cases of CoVID-19 to Tablighi Jamaat that had held its annual conference in Delhi in early March…Muslims have been beaten up, nearly lynched…attacked in mosques…Hindu extremists are scapegoating the country’s entire Muslim population for deliberately spreading the virus through “corona jihad”, Indian hospitals segregates Muslim and Hindu coronavirus patients…In what many are calling a case of “apartheid” during a global pandemic…made separate wards for Hindu and Muslim patients. It is a decision of the government.”

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami Editor Yousaf Nizami Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad Managing Editor

Joint Editor

Umar Aziz Executive Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

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Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

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While, the Modi regime allowed the devotees to come for mass congregations of Kumbh and the supporters of the massive election rallies in Bengal, including leaders of the Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), came without wearing masks, ignoring the norms of physical distancing, which further multiplied the Covid virus.

However, implementing the similar anti-Muslim policies, Indian Illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIoJK) has become a special target for the Indian rulers since August 5, 2019 when Indian Parliament revoked articles 35A and 370 of the Constitution, which gave a special status to the disputed territory of the IIoJK. And deployment of more than 900,000 military troops in the IIoJK, who have martyred thousands of the Kashmiris through brutal tactics-fake encounters—closure of mosques, shortage of foods, medicines for the patients and coronavirus-affected persons prove worst form of India’s state terrorism.

Now, more than 18 months have passed. But, Indian strict military lockdown in the IIoJK continues.

In this context, New Delhi had also accused Pakistan of spreading coronavirus in the IIoJK, while reports suggest that a new deadly variant of Covid, produced in India, has also entered Pakistan.

Nevertheless, besides various human rights violations, India denied medical treatment to the Kashmiris and their leaders who are in jails and those ones who are under house arrest.

In this respect, during a recent weekly news briefing, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan Mr. Zahid Hafeez Chaudhry, said that “Pakistan expresses its solidarity with the Indian People during their battle against the Coronavirus pandemic and is ready to extend all possible help in this regard.” Mr. Chaudhry also expressed deep concerns over the health and safety of the imprisoned Kashmiri leaders as well as other innocent Kashmiris.

According to him, “The Kashmiri leaders, including Aasiya Andrabi, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Shabir Ahmed Shah, Ashraf Sehrai, Advocate Shahid-ul-Islam, Altaf Ahmed Shah, Nayeem Ahmed Khan, Ayaz Akbar, Peer Saifullah, raja MerajuddinKalwal, Syed Shahid Yousuf, Shakeel Ahmed, Farooq Ahmed Dar, Fehmeeda Sofi, Nahida Nasreen, Zahoor Ahmed and others [Many Kashmiris] are in different jails right of India.”

He elaborated that some of the Kashmiri leaders and people in Indian jails have already contracted Coronavirus and they were not provided any medical treatment by the Indian government. He called on the Indian government to immediately release the incarcerated Kashmiri leadership and all innocent Kashmiris from unjust prison.

Answering a question regarding Indian response to Pakistan’s offer for provision of Covid-19 relief equipments, Mr. Chaudhry informed that Pakistan offered this help through diplomatic channel and so far no response has been received from Indian side, how-

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

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Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

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ever “Pakistan is fully ready to provide said item to India at earliest.”

The spokesperson further stated that India had shattered the situation of the IIoJK through its unilateral and illegal actions of August 5, which led to the complete denial of human and citizenry rights of the people of IIoJK. earlier, after Prime Minister Imran Khan’s tweet praying for the speedy recovery of the Indian people affected by the virus and calling for cooperation in the fight against the pandemic, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi took to Twitter to announce that India had been offered assistance.

Notably, article 55 & 56 of the geneva Convention—IV states that the occupying power must ensure sufficient hygiene and public health standards as well as the provision of food and medical care to the population under occupation.

In the recent past, a statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) of Pakistan also said that Pakistan voices its deep concerns over the health conditions of the jailed Kashmiri leaders in wake of Covid-19 pandemic.

In a report, the Human rights Forum for Jammu and Kashmir said: “After the government revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s autonomous constitutional status, the Indian authorities imposed various restrictions…thousands of people remain detained without charge, critics are threatened with arrest and access to the internet is limited…the government announced the CoVID-19 lockdown.”

The united Nations High Commissioner for Human rights, Michelle Bachelet has stated: “even as the pandemic [CoVID-19] is forcing the world to address discrimination and inequality, the Indian government is persisting with its repression of Kashmiri Muslims…The government should reverse its abusive policies and provide remedies for those whose rights were violated.”

Human rights Watch pointed out: “Indian authorities should take immediate steps to protect rights by releasing political detainees…holding to account officials responsible for rights violations.”

But, under the cover of this novel virus, the Modi regime has accelerated persecution of the Kashmiris and their leaders in order to suppress the war of liberation which keeps on going, as Kashmiri people are fighting for their right of self-determination which was recognized by the uN-related resolutions.

Nonetheless, Indian denial of medical treatment to the imprisoned Kashmiris and their leaders, especially those affected by corona pandemic is a clear violation of article 55 & 56 of the geneva Convention—IV and the International Committee of the red Cross (ICrC).

Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations He can be reached at: sajjad_logic@yahoo.com

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Tuesday, 4 May, 2021

COMMENT 07 Editor’s mail Send your letters to: Letters to Editor, Pakistan Today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan.

E-mail: letters@pakistantoday.com.pk Letters should be addressed to Pakistan Today exclusively

European Parliament resolution

Israel’s greatest stigma Israel, the country that was supposed to live up to its founders’ vision, has betrayed the tenets of that vision

Dr Alon Ben-Meir

I

srael’s founders had a vision—a vision that defied millennium-old persecution, discrimination, oppression, and death. a vision of a country, free and democratic, anchored on moral values, signified by its social equality and justice. a compassionate and caring country that offers a home—a refuge—for every Jew to live in peace and security, and together prosper with other fellow citizens regardless of their creed, color, or race. These were the ideals behind Israel’s creation and its very reason for being. although I have personally borne witness to Israel’s socio-economic disparities and discrimination, it is still shocking to find out that 23 percent of its population are subjected to poverty and despair. This puts successive Israeli governments to shame for their moral failure to address the country’s debilitating poverty, and subjects another new generation of young Israelis to a grim future.

Israel, the country that was supposed live up to its founders’ vision, has betrayed the tenets of that vision, which threatens its very existence. Indeed, the nearly two million Israelis who live under the poverty line are the enemy from within as they erode Israel’s socio-economic and moral foundation, which are far more ominous than any of Israel’s external enemies.

What is most troubling is that successive Israeli governments have completely neglected the plight of those living in poverty, as if it were a natural phenomenon about which not much can be done.

Whereas Israel is spending hundreds of millions on the building of settlements and as much for

their defense, it has left many poor communities to rot in place. Hundreds of thousands of poverty-stricken Israelis are living hand-tomouth and frequently go to sleep hungry.

Moreover, longstanding biases in Israeli society continue to financially affect citizens today.

When Jews were expelled from Middle eastern countries in the 1950s and 1960s, the Israeli government first placed the refugees into miserable transit camps, then resettled them into the country’s poorest neighborhoods, where many of them still live today.

The sad reality is that the Mizrahim (Jews of Middle eastern and North african descent) were discriminated against from the day of Israel’s inception, whose ashkenazi (european Jewish) leaders viewed them as intellectually inferior, “backward,” and “too arab,” and treated them as such, largely because the ashkenazim agenda was to maintain their upperclass status while controlling the levers of power, which remain prevalent to this day.

This discrimination has also been widespread in the military, which was supposed to be the country’s melting pot but failed dreadfully. ethnic background played a significant role in determining where a new recruit will be assigned. ashkenazi Jews were largely assigned to pilot courses or elite units with the prospect of becoming top military leaders. Conversely, the Mizrahim were assigned to serve in supply depots, as office boys, cooks, and sentries. This has a direct impact on the earnings of the individual once they leave the army, as the “person’s role in the army is often a key criterion when they apply to university or want to land prestigious job.” according to a January 2021 report, issued by the Israel National Council for the Child, approximately 57 percent of ultra-Orthodox and 46 percent of arabIsraeli children were living under the poverty line. The poverty rate has only grown worse with the advent of the coronavirus pandemic. as of January 2021, the poverty rate is an appalling 29.3 percent, with 850,000—more than three-quarters of a million— families living below the poverty line. That num-

This discrimination has also been widespread in the military, which was supposed to be the country’s melting pot but failed dreadfully. Ethnic background played a significant role in determining where a new recruit will be assigned.

ber tragically includes close to 900,000 children living in poverty.

The greatest heartbreaking outcome is that for yet another generation of Israelis, growing up in these debilitating conditions has a direct effect on their cognitive development. a 2015 study published in Nature Neuroscience found that “family income is significantly correlated with children’s brain size…increases in income were associated with the greatest increases in brain surface area among the poorest children.”

Israeli leadership often boast about Israel’s military prowess, advanced technology, resourcefulness, and ability to face any enemy and prevail.

Those political leaders who are currently clamoring to form the next coalition government seem to be pathetically ignorant of the fact that Israel’s ultimate national security depends on the health and the cohesiveness of its society.

Today’s Israeli population is neither socially healthy nor cohesive; it is politically polarized and lacks a unity of purpose, as demonstrated by the repeated failure of its political leaders to form a government after having four elections in two years. Not a single political party has advanced a rescue plan to address this shameful state of affairs where Israel’s social wellbeing and national security are intertwined. any new Israeli government that does not immediately begin to tackle this rampant poverty will forfeit its right to govern. sadly, I do not have faith in any of the current political leaders to rise and tackle the desperate need of the hour. It is time for the Israeli public to shed its complacency and wake up to the insidious danger from within, pour into the streets, and engage in civil disobedience. They must never stop unless their demands from the government are met.

The government must create a comprehensive program that shows how it is planning to deal with poverty and be held accountable. This includes the appropriation of necessary funding for the rehabilitation of long-depressed towns and villages, improving educational access for the poor, from kindergarten to university, and providing wellpaying job opportunities. altogether, such a program will alleviate the plight of the poor and gradually bring about the eradication of poverty.

Only then will Israel remove the stigma of poverty that has dishonored the country for more than seven decades, and live up to its founders’ noble vision.

It is hard to fathom how in a country that boasts about its technological advancements, scientific breakthroughs, economic prosperity, and military prowess, 23 percent of its population lives under the poverty line.

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

sIr, There is a serious threat by european Parliament to review trade relations with Pakistan, which will impact our GsP Plus status and drastically reduce our export revenues. as a nation and a responsible state we need to understand that without a self-sustainable economic base, neither state sovereignty, nor national security can be assured.

Quaid-e-azam understood the diversity of citizens residing in various federating units, which is why, he was clear, that while Pakistan with a majority Muslim population would adopt the Islamic concept of justice and equality before law, every citizen would have the freedom to practice his faith, with no role for the state. He stressed upon adopting a constitution, which will confine the boundaries within which every state institution will work for welfare of citizens and the Writ of law reign supreme. Unfortunately after his death, religion has been exploited by vested interests to achieve their short term objectives, with devastating negative impact on state sovereignty and national interest. state institutions involved in this practice have been launching unguided missiles to maneuver politics and remove regimes. Finality of Holy Prophet Muhammed PBUH is a settled matter by Divine sanction through Holy Quran. Yet even this has been repeatedly exploited with devastating consequences to the state. Federal Ministers and others, signed an understanding with TlP on sensitive diplomatic matters with international repercussions. We have seen emergence of MQM, Jhangvi Group, Taliban etc and the latest was TlP which overnight has emerged as a power broker and like the previous unguided missiles is likely to become a Frankenstein, which will turn on its mentors and harm this country from within, inflicting more damage than our worst enemies.

Will sanity prevail?

Ali MAlik TAriq lAhorE

Relief operation PUNJGUr is a small town in Balochistan which was recently sabotaged by floor destruction. However, the flood was as strong as dangerous wind as it completely destroyed the rural areas. as a response to this disasters got victims, Balochistan south FC helped the people and did a relief operation in Panjgur. During the torrential rain, there was a little snowfall too. Due to strong rain a large number of areas were even flooded worrying the residents alot. The extreme and continuous rain has also killed two and injured many of them. I request the authorities of Balochistan to help flood victims and provide them the basic facilities they deserve.

BArkATullAh TurBAT

Brilliant decision aCCOrDING to the news report the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on saturday decided to ban processions on Youm e ali due to the worsening coronavirus situation in the country. It is clear that the third wave of covid-19 pandemic hit country so badly. The issued sOPs are not being followed strictly to prevent the spread of covid-19.

However, celebration of such Holy festivals in crowd put the country in tougher situation. It is in everyone’s awareness that we can celebrate the Holy festivals in future if today we follow the instructions of the government and other experts people. We will not lose anything if we celebrate this time the Holy festival with simplicity. I appreciate the praiseworthy decision of the concerned authorities and we know our small ignorance and irresponsibility put our lives in danger. so I request everyone to support the government in every step to control the spread of covid-19 and I urge the government to take action against those people who ignore the sOPs. MuhAMMAd BAkhTiyAr kEch

Obsession with fairness THe love for white skin is said to have stemmed from British influence, although we have been spared but their skin color still influences us. Our cosmetic industries shows dark skinned people are depressed, unsuccessful,unhappy,undesirable and shows how dark skinned girls worth nothing and gives incentives and opportunities to fair skinned in many aspects of their lives.our media is one of the prime accused as they advertise that marital fortune is connected or linked with how fair you are,which has impacted and made the people premarily girls obsessed with fairness creams and have turned people insecure and anxious about their skin tone . The fascination and attraction towards towards fairness creams isn’t new but in the last two decades the fairness creams and products have hit the market and most of the population are not aware the damages and hazards these creams cause. since the beauty is associated with the lighter skin tone and many fairness creams come with the taglines as white is purity,white and beautiful,the fairer the better and fair and superior those taglines effected and has led women taking extreme measures and put on unknown chemicals to their skin as they promise and ensure fairness.with the view to get more fair many dangerous methods have been implemented among many one the most practiced thes days is formulla creams which are sold at porlour across the country although it results fairness but once stopped using it,they reversely effects the skin amd turns the skin more darker than before.these fairness creams coms with steroids which fasten the skin lightening process but makes the skin more pigmanted amd rise acne scarring and results in massive hair growth. Many women resorts to injecting glutathione with vitamin C but again it’s a temporary way and road to fairness and it carries certain risks. Pakistan and india in not the only countries to use and buy these beauty creams but these fairness products are being sold in southern asia , Middle east and in parts of africa. Bulling and taunting of dark skinned people premarily girls and the persistent bias against darker faces is way too common in our societies and many have complained to have been deprived of jobs owing to have dark skin tone. all the beauty products and fairness creams premarily as most of them are not even effective and wastes money.they should be banned and our societies should give up on the idea that particular shade is better or superior to ather shade.. rABiA rAfiullAh lAhorE

Tuesday, 4 May, 2021

08 WORLD VIEW

Modi fiddles while india burns SO IS THIS END OF MODI? WILL THE DESPAIR COURSING THROUGH INDIA, ALREADY CURDLING INTO RAGE, BRING DOWN THE PRIME MINISTER?

Foreign Policy

o

kapil komireDDi

N Jan. 28, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared victory against COVID-19. Addressing a virtual summit of the World Economic Forum, he sought applause for saving “humanity from a big disaster by containing the coronavirus effectively.” three months on, India is the epicenter of the pandemic. the country’s health care system is on the precipice of total collapse. In New Delhi, patients are suffocating to death, relatives are scrambling for beds, the most advanced hospitals have been reduced to begging the government for emergency supplies of oxygen, and crematoriums—blazing nonstop—have run out of room and wood.

Social media is inundated with agonizing pleas for help.

Some have buried their dead in their gardens. Others have cremated them on makeshift pyres erected on pavements. In the neglected countryside, a local reporter in southern India rang to tell me, “People are dropping like flies.” Hardly anybody knows anyone who hasn’t been ravaged by this contagion. the official death toll, which surpassed 208,000 on thursday, is a scandalous undercount. By some estimates, the true figure could be 20 times that number. A thriving black market for oxygen and essential medicine has emerged, and a nation acclaimed in 2015 by the International Monetary Fund as an economic powerhouse poised to overtake China is now lobbying for emergency foreign aid.

What is unfolding in India is more than a crisis triggered by a pathogen. It is a carnage precipitated by the conduct of its self-enamoured leader. After Modi’s Davos speech, his administration went out of its way to lull Indians into the suicidal belief that the worst was behind them. In February, Modi’s Hindu-first Bharatiya Janata Party passed a florid resolution praising his “leadership for introducing India to the world as a proud and victorious nation in the fight against COVID19.” “It can be said with pride,” the resolution proclaimed, that India “defeated COVID-19 under the able, sensitive, com-

mitted, and visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.” then, in early March, Modi’s health minister announced that India was “in the endgame” of the pandemic. that same month, thousands of unmasked cricket fans poured into a stadium in Gujarat named after Modi to watch matches between India and England. Many thousands more were bused to crowded political rallies for elections in four states in eastern and southern India. the Hindu festival of Kumbh Mela— the world’s largest religious gathering that ordinarily convenes every 12 years—was allowed to be brought forward by a year in deference to Hindu priests, who decreed that 2021 was an auspicious year for it. On April 12 alone, more than 3 million pilgrims took a communal dip in the Ganges River in the holy city of Haridwar.

Five days later, just as India’s reported daily new infections surged past 230,000, Modi bragged to a swarm of supporters in West Bengal that he had “never seen such crowds at a rally.” the pandemic, as far as Modi was concerned, was over. the hectic electioneering doubled as a victory lap.

Just as he had feted former U.S. President Donald trump a month before the first wave of the virus washed over India, Modi was eagerly preparing to host British Prime Minister Boris Johnson for a summit. Johnson’s abrupt decision to cancel his tour in response to the rising infections in India jolted Modi. Denying reality was no longer feasible. But by the time he acknowledged what was happening, it was too late.

Modi had claimed in January that he had equipped India with “COVID-specific infrastructure.” Where was it as Indians began perishing in record numbers? the man who had seduced voters in 2014 with promises of smart cities and abundant jobs had once again hoodwinked the country with a rhetorical Potemkin village: Behind the facade, there was only desolation and death.

India might have been spared this humanitarian crisis had Modi not neglected his duties and vilified those who offered him constructive counsel. He had the time, means, and access to expertise to proof the country against this inferno. As early as last November, a parliamentary committee had issued warnings of a second wave and urged the government to stockpile oxygen.

But rather than bolstering India’s capacities, Modi used the virus to burnish his cult and pillage the country.

Last March, days after plunging India

THE INDIAN SUPREME COURT IS ONE OF THE MOST INTERVENTIONIST IN THE WORLD, HABITUATED TO UPBRAIDING GOVERNMENTS FOR FAILING THE PEOPLE. YET IT HAS NOT UTTERED A WORD AGAINST THIS REGIME’S APPALLING MISHANDLING OF THE PANDEMIC

into chaos by announcing a nationwide lockdown with a four-hour notice, he sought tax-free donations for a fund called PM CARES to help the poorest of the poor, buy personal protective equipment, and build oxygen plants across India. the equivalent of more than a billion dollars flowed into it during the first week. What did Modi do with all that money? Nobody knows—and nobody is allowed to know. Because despite offering tax subsidies to contributors and using government organs to promote the fund, PM CARES cannot be reviewed by the state auditor because it is structured as a private trust.

Modi has belatedly shared plans to use some of the money to build more oxygen facilities. But by the time they are operational—next month at the earliest—tens of thousands more Indians will likely have lost their lives. It is no longer tenable to measure Modi against the performance of previous prime ministers: He has broken into the malign ranks of India’s British colonial overlords who went hunting while Indians starved in mass famines.

India’s dire condition today is a consequence also of Modi’s methodical demolition of the institutional safeguards bequeathed by the country’s founders.

Concentrating authority in his own hands and erecting a cult of personality unmatched in the democratic world, Modi has dismantled virtually every institution that might have impelled him to react swiftly to this calamity. the Indian Supreme Court is one of the most interventionist in the world, habituated to upbraiding governments for failing the people. Yet it has not uttered a word against this regime’s appalling mishandling of the pandemic. India’s most popular news media, co-opted early on by Modi, have provided cover to him by demonizing his critics as traitors. the state broadcaster, Doordarshan, has devoted itself to portraying Modi as India’s savior.

India’s diplomats, meanwhile, are exhibiting their fealty by dashing off furious letters to editors of foreign newspapers for failing to recognize Modi’s “universally acclaimed approach” to COVID-19. twitter and Facebook have been ordered to take down posts critical of the government. Even in this apocalyptic hour, safeguarding the cult of Modi remains the most pressing priority of his government.

And so deep is his contempt for common decency that, even as foreign governments

airlift aid to India, his own party persists with mass political congregations. Indians, of course, have no means of confronting Modi—he has not held a single press conference in the past seven years.

Modi, who botched India’s inoculation drive by failing to order a sufficient number of doses in advance, has devolved the responsibility of vaccinating Indians to financially strapped state governments, which must now negotiate prices and purchase shots on the open market. there’s a scarcity of lifesaving jabs in a country that is the world’s largest vaccine-maker, and most Indian states are not in a position to execute the task. COVID-related mortalities in the past two weeks have exceeded the combined fatalities from all the wars India has fought since its independence. If India survives at all, it will be due entirely to the civic commitment of its front-line workers and ordinary citizens, who have stepped in to do the duties of a government that has abandoned its people. these are the people whose interests and well-being have been overlooked by successive governments pursuing a delusional quest for international status and global recognition as a great power. Over the past two decades, a spate of books heralding India as the world’s next liberal superpower appeared even as the country degenerated into what the Princeton University political scientist Atul Kohli calls a “two-track democracy,” where “common people are only needed at the time of elections, and then it is best that they all go home, forget politics, and let the ‘rational’ elite quietly run a pro-business show.” this pandemic has incinerated the vanities that have animated India’s ruling elites since the 1990s—the vanities that can somehow abide a state of affairs in which the richest 1 percent of Indians hoard nearly half the national wealth while the government commits a trifling 0.34 percent of GDP to health care.

So is this end of Modi? Will the despair coursing through India, already curdling into rage, bring down the prime minister?

Modi has a long record of surviving backlashes against him. Months after being appointed the chief minister of Gujarat in 2001, he presided over some of the worst sectarian violence in India’s history: At least a thousand Muslims were slaughtered on his watch by Hindu mobs. the blowback was fierce: He was treated as a pariah in much of the country, likened to Adolf Hitler by Anglophone secularists, and

banned from entering the United States.

Yet not only did Modi absorb the outrage directed at him; he even succeeded in recruiting India’s industrialists to deodorize his reputation and recast him as a modernizing technocrat.

His decision in 2016 to abolish highdenomination currency notes detonated the economy and destroyed the prospects of countless Indians. But it did nothing to diminish his hypnotic hold on the minds of a sizable number of voters. Months after the debacle of demonetization, his party swept to power in India’s largest state. the horror now unfurling before our eyes is unlike anything that has come before.

Modi cannot evade the blame for it, nor can he bring himself to accept responsibility for it. Nothing, certainly, can induce him to quit his job. the next general election is three years away, and for all the blood they shed to settle ancient historical scores, Indians are a forgetful people when it comes to the misdeeds of politicians. Modi will count on their forgetfulness. If the past is a guide, the possibility of losing power eventually will not demoralize or weaken him; it will energize him and make him more dangerous. He is the first Hindu nationalist to govern with untrammeled authority, the most formidable Hindu ruler of India in many centuries, and the father of what his ideological acolytes call “New India.” If he departs the scene, that idea, hollow as it is, will shatter to pieces. It was the prospect of being removed from office that prompted another prime minister, Indira Gandhi, to declare a state of internal emergency, suspend the constitution, and rule as a dictator almost half a century ago. Modi, who has never tasted electoral defeat in his life, may attempt to emulate her example if he believes his defeat is on the horizon. the national breakdown that is now exposing his incompetence and recklessness may also supply him with the most impeccable justification for the suspension of democracy. Such a regime, far from being unthinkable, would amount to a formalization of what in many respects is already an undeclared emergency. this plague is the worst tragedy to strike India since Partition. Modi may yet convert it into an opportunity.

Kapil Komireddi is the author of Malevolent Republic: A Short History of the New India.

Lessons learned on the plains of Afghanistan Afghan folly. His answer was simple: “If we leave, it will get worse.” As much as I respect him, I never believed that was a rational basis for a strategy. those close to President trump say he tried to end our presence in Afghanistan throughout his term in office, but was persuaded to reduce the allied force and continue the fruitless taliban negotiations, even as they pursued further violence and kidnapped Mark Frerichs, who is from my home state.

President Biden has declared that he will be the last American President to anguish over that decision and will end our presence by September. Quite simply, he will not pass this war to a fifth American president. And I believe he is right.

It is disheartening to me that after voting against the invasion of Iraq and joining a near unanimous bipartisan vote to invade Afghanistan, we are now told that an alQaeda variant is still present and we may even need the taliban to help suppress them. We are told that the United States will continue to support the 300,000 members of the Afghan security force but it is difficult to reconcile that promise with any working relationship with their enemy, the emerging political force of the taliban.

power within the country, and some semblance of stability. I am equally skeptical and think that Afghan history tells us that any foreign power, or its Afghan surrogate, will not survive the fierce force of repelling the “outsider.” the fate of women, allies of the U.S., and anyone judged faithless by the taliban is legitimately frightening. We owe it to those who risked their lives for America and NAtO to help them find a safe haven and offer them refugee protection. the future of the women of Afghanistan is also a grave concern. We should make their cause our highest priority in any future relationship between our countries.

In the end, we should honor the brave work done by so many American and NAtO soldiers and civilians, as well as their Afghan counterparts — after all, more than 43,000 Afghan civilians have also been killed in the conflict since 2001. Our soldiers heroically met the goals of their original mission and the ensuing work of so many others helped plant the fragile seeds of a better life for many.

But we should also be humbled by the realization that in this changing world with dazzling discovery and innovation, Afghanistan has taught us there are historical elements in many nations that will not easily bend to reason or force. We, like many other great powers in history, paid dearly to be reminded of that truth on the plains of Afghanistan. President Biden has wisely decided we have paid enough — and I agree.

SOME THINGS WILL NOT BEND TO REASON OR FORCE: Some hope for a division of territory and

Senator Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, is the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

NOW, AFTER THE LONGEST WAR IN OUR HISTORY, AMERICA AND ITS NATO ALLIES ARE LEAVING AFTER WE LOST SIGHT OF OUR ORIGINAL MISSION

USA TodAy Sen Dick Durbin

I

t is a humbling country. In modern times, three of the world’s greatest empires boldly invaded Afghanistan and ultimately left in defeat. the British Empire reached beyond its imperial grasp and in 1842 faced the bloody evacuation of Kabul.

As more than 16,000 soldiers and settlers trekked out of country in retreat, the Afghans killed them one by one until there was only a lone messenger to tell the grim story as a warning to the Queen in Buckingham Palace.

HISTORY OF BEING IN AFGHANISTAN: Ignoring the British lesson, the Soviet Union suffered the same fate when it tried to install a puppet leader in

Afghanistan. In the 1990’s, tribal fighters mastered Stinger missiles and brought the Russians to their knees. they beat a retreat to Moscow.

Now, after the longest war in our history, America and its NAtO allies are leaving after we lost sight of our original mission. With more than two thousand brave American lives lost and two trillion U.S. dollars spent, we are leaving a fragile, corrupt government and a taliban insurgency.

When Congress gave President George W. Bush authorization to invade Afghanistan in 2002, the wounds of 9/11 were still fresh and the mission was clear: find and destroy Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda. And yet, as the saying goes, whatever your reason, it is far easier to get into a war than it is to get out of one.

We endured corrupt leaders; warlords loyal to the highest bidder; betrayal by Afghan allies; proxy fights by regional powers; Pakistan harboring our enemies; and only the thinnest evidence of nationhood. though we opened up their society to equal treatment of women and ended some of the brutality of extremists, we understood we were witnessing only temporary gains. And the taliban control continued to spread despite our presence and work to develop an Afghan security force to stop them.

Several years ago, I asked Gen. James Mattis, then our Secretary of Defense, why we continued this

Tuesday, 4 May, 2021

BUSINESS 09

ISLAMABAD CORPORATE CORNER

FIrST-ever ShIPmenT FrOm PAkISTAn Under TIr reAcheS TAShkenT IsLAMABAD

A

Bank of Punjab (BOP) and Akhuwat Islamic Microfinance sign an agreement for promoting low-cost housing under the Government Markup Subsidy Scheme (G-MSS).

Leading banks interested in acquiring silkbank’s consumer accounts portfolio kARACHI PRess ReLeAse

The quality portfolio built by the experienced team of Silkbank Ltd. is reflected by the interest shown by leading consumer banking players, namely HBL and Bank Alfalah, in acquiring its consumer accounts portfolio.

The Silkbank Board of Directors has requested the SBP to grant permission to both HBL and Bank Alfalah to conduct due diligence of the Silkbank Consumer Accounts portfolio prior to its possible acquisition by either of these banking entities. The potential sale of its portfolio will allow Silkbank to strengthen its Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR), rebuild profitability and enhance value for all stakeholders.

Samsung SmartThings ecosystem gives Galaxy users better control over their devices LAHORE PRess ReLeAse

Samsung Electronics on Monday announced that Beginning next week, Galaxy users will benefit from two new SmartThings Find. The company’s recently launched SmartThings find ecosystem updates, which includes the ability to detect unknown Galaxy SmartTags in your vicinity and the use of Bixby to conveniently find your belongings, enable you to have more control of your connected items from the SmartThings app. One of the standout features of the SmartThings ecosystem, enables Galaxy users to locate registered Galaxy smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and earbuds quickly and easily using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and ultra-wideband (UWB) technologies. For more information about the SmartThings app and SmartThings Find service, visit: www.samsung.com/smartthings.

Oil drops towards $66 as India demand concerns weigh LONDON Agencies

Oil dropped towards $66 a barrel on Monday as concern about demand in India and higher OPEC+ supply offset optimism over rising demand in other major consumers such as China and the United States. India on Monday reported more than 300,000 new coronavirus cases for a 12th straight day. The new wave of the virus has already led to a drop in fuel sales in the world’s third-largest consumer in April.

Brent crude fell 31 cents, or 0.5%, to $66.45 a barrel by 0815 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate was down 19 cents, or 0.3%, at $63.39. “There is no doubt that India plays a major role when we talk about oil demand, and the fact that the country is suffering from its worst coronavirus period is making investors nervous about oil prices,” said Avatrade analyst Naeem Aslam. Article continues after this advertisement Scientists predict a peak in India’s infections in the coming days and analysts expect oil demand to take a further hit. “Given that it still appears as though COVID-19 in India has not peaked, we expect to see further downside to fuel demand over May,” ING analysts said in a report.

Brent has still rallied almost 30% this year, recovering from last year’s historic lows thanks to record supply cuts by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, together known as OPEC+. The OPEC+ group is unwinding more of those cuts. The producers decided last week to stick to a plan to boost supply from May 1 and OPEC’s production climbed in April, led by a boost from Iran, a Reuters survey found.

APP

DVISER to Prime Minister for Commerce and Investment, Abdul Razak Dawood on Monday informed that first-ever shipment from Pakistan under Transports Internationaux Routiers (TIR) reached Tashkent, Uzbekistan in 48 hours from Torkham, Pakistan.

“A milestone has been achieved in Pakistan’s transit trade history as Pakistan Customs processed the first-ever TIR consignment,” Dawood said,

adding that that connectivity with trading partners is vital for viable trade relations. The adviser said that Pakistan’s long-term vision for trade and economic relations with Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Central Asian Republics (CARs) was to make Pakistan a hub for trade, transit and transshipment.

He said that the structure and efficiency connectivity networks enable access to markets and should be considered a facet of the trade competitiveness. Article continues after this advertisement He said this will ensure that Pakistan leverages its geo-economic loca-

tion in the region to enhance its international trade. He said that the current engagement with Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, are steps towards implementation of this vision. The consignment consisted of herbal medicines crossed into Afghanistan after completion of all custom formalities at Torkham. This successful TIR operation will usher a new era of direct landroute trade with the CARs. Use of the TIR system will streamline border procedure cutting time and money for trade and transport operators.

The Customs Convention on the International Transport of Goods under Cover of

TIR Carnets, called the TIR Convention, came into force in March 1978 and it replaced the original Transport Internationaux Routier (TIR) of 1959. Pakistan became a member of TIR Convention in 2017 and now the convention has 68 contracting parties including China, Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey and all CARs. The objective of the TIR Convention is to facilitate international transit through simplified Customs transit procedures and an international guarantee system. Customs procedure takes place at origin and destination rather than at each border crossing using a single guarantee.

Govt may renegotiate IMF deal sideration

the tax FINANCE MINISTER SAYS FPCCI WILL BE CONSULTED FOR BUDGET PREPARATION over simplifica-

NEws DEsk Federal Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin hinted at renegotiating deal with International Monetary Fund (IMF) and said the organisation was being unfair with Pakistan, according to a report by a local media outlet.

The report claims that Tarin has said that IMF’s demand to raise electricity tariff is unreasonable and argued the hiking the tariff will only increase corruption in the country, adding that he is trying to convince IMF that the tariff hike is causing inflation.

“We have assured IMF of reducing circular debt but demand of increasing tariff is not understandable,” he added.

The minister also warned that if GDP growth is not increased to at least 5 per cent, country will be facing serious crisis in next four years.

Article continues after this adver-

tisement Earlier on Sunday, the finance minister assured consultation with all stakeholders in the budget preparation process to achieve goals of sustainable development and inclusive growth.

In an online meeting with Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), Tarin appreciated budget proposal presented by the representative of traders and industrialists.

He was of the opinion that much needs to be done and the measures have to be radical and sustainable incremental changes in consultation with the business community.

The finance minister referring to the presentation by FPCCI on ‘Reduced Taxes for Accelerated Growth and Enhanced Tax Revenue’, appreciated the tax policy and principle concept and assured to continue consultation and con-

tion and reduction proposals.

On the various tax rates proposed

by FPCCI, he said these could be further discussed for its outcome.

FPCCI President Mian Nasser Hyatt Muggo apprised the finance minister on issues being faced by the businesses, industries and trader communities of Pakistan. He pointed out a number of reasons including the required paradigm shift in the present taxation structure towards the need of recovering the ailing economy.

Maggo stressed on due representation of FPCCI on all boards and councils constituted for considering the ease of doing business and improving competitiveness of economic produce to bid more exports and reduce imports.

He said the growth of economy and economic stimulus during Covid19 to be preferred over fiscal consoli-

Global Islamic finance forecast to grow as main markets recover: S&P DUBAI Agencies

The $2.2 trillion global Islamic finance industry is expected to grow 10%-12% over 2021-2022 due to increased Islamic bond issuance and a modest economic recovery in the main Islamic finance markets, S&P Global Ratings said.

The industry continued to grow last year despite the COVID-19 pandemic, although at a lower pace than in 2019, with global Islamic assets expanding by 10.6% in 2020 against growth of 17.3% the previous year.

Islamic finance, which bans interest payments and pure monetary speculation, has been on the rise for many years across markets in Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia, but it remains a fragmented industry with uneven implementation of its

rules. “Over the next 12 months, we could see progress on a unified global legal and regulatory framework for Islamic finance we believe that such a framework could help resolve the lack of standardisation and harmonisation that the Islamic finance industry has faced for decades,” S&P said on Monday.

Article continues after this advertisement The industry is expected to receive some support in the coming two years in Saudi Arabia, where mortgages and corporate lending are expected to rise as the country pushes ahead with plans to diversify the economy.

Investments in Qatar for the 2022 soccer World Cup and the Expo event in Dubai later this year are also expected to support growth.

The ratings agency forecast global issuance of Islamic bonds, or

sukuk, to reach $140-155 billion this year, up from roughly $140 billion in 2020, thanks to abundant liquidity and sustained financing needs among corporates and governments.

S&P also highlighted that the full impact of the coronavirus crisis has yet to materialise and more requests for sukuk restructurings and maturity extensions, as well as higher default rates, are expected this year.

“We see pressure on real estate developers, given the drop in real estate prices in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) and building risks in the commercial real estate sector,” S&P said.

“Similarly, companies related to aviation, tourism, travel, and hospitality – sectors that have been severely hit by COVID-19 – will take several quarters to recover to prepandemic levels.”

US bill to clear way for duty-free export zones along Pak-Afghan border LAHORE APP

The Pak-US Business Council has said that a bipartisan bill, moved in the US Senate on Friday, for establishment of duty-free export zones along the Pak-Afghan border, would provide economic benefits to both countries and boost US efforts to promote peace in the region. Lauding the move, founder chairman of Pak-US Business Council and President SAARC Chambers of Commerce and Industry Iftikhar Ali Malik, told the media here on Sunday that the bill would help establish reconstruction opportunity zones ( ROZs) in Pakistan and Afghanistan’s border regions. He said the bill would generate economic opportunities for the people of these war-torn areas and lay the groundwork for a more stable region. He said the ROZs would export textiles and apparel goods to the United States without paying duties.

Pandemic boosts e-commerce in 2020 GENEVA Agencies

The Covid-19 pandemic provided a boost for e-commerce last year, but the digital windfall was not enjoyed equally across the board, a UN study found Monday.

“Although it will take some time to get the full picture of the impact of Covid-19 on e-commerce… a number of developments point to the strong rise in e-commerce in 2020,” said the report by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The study crunched data from seven countries — Australia, Britain, Canada, China, Singapore, South

Korea and the United States — representing some two-thirds of online trade.

Online sales rose 59 percent in Aus-

dation, which is achievable in low tax rates, broadening of tax base and bringing in compulsory registration of potential tax payers, otherwise to be filers in the system.

“In the present taxation system tax collection and adjudications are performed by same tax officials in negation of statuary requirement by which tax adjudication functions have to be separated and independent with no cross bordering of the same officials in collection, audit, recovery and adjudication,” the FPCCI president noted.

Shaukat Tarin assured FPCCI that he would advise Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to swiftly start a consultative process with FPCCI on reduced taxes for accelerated growth and enhanced tax revenue.

He also offered to FPCCI president to nominate one member each to twelve EAC groups which were making recommendations on economic, financial, business, and sectoral issues.

tralia, 46.7 percent in Britain, 32.4 precent in the United States and 14.6 percent in China. Article continues after

this advertisement Turnover rose by 22.4 percent last year to $2.5 trillion, having increased by some 15 percent in 2018-19, UNCTAD said.

By contrast, overall retail sales declined by one percent. “These statistics show the growing importance of online activities,” the report’s author, Torbjorn Fredriksson, told AFP. They also underscore the need for countries, especially developing states, to use such data as they rebuild from the pandemic, said Shamika Sirimanne, head of UNCTAD’s technology and logistics section, in a statement. A standout performer was Jumia, Africa’s online retail giant, whose transactions jumped by more than 50 percent in volume in the first six months of 2020 compared with the first half of 2019, Fredriksson said.

Tuesday, 4 May, 2021

10 FOREIGN NEWS

ISLAMABAD

IndIa's CovId-19 tally nears 20 mIllIon as Cases ContInue to surge NEW DELHI

I

AGENCIES

nDIA on Monday reported more than 300,000 new coronavirus cases for a 12th straight day, taking its overall caseload to just shy of 20 million, while deaths from Covid-19 rose by 3,417.

With 368,147 new cases over the past 24 hours, India's total infections stand at 19.93 million, while total fatalities are 218,959, according to health ministry data.

Medical experts say real numbers across the country of 1.35 billion may be five to 10 times higher than the official tally.

Hospitals have filled to capacity, medical oxygen supplies have run short and morgues and crematoriums have been swamped as the country deals with the surge in cases.

At least 11 states and union territories have imposed some form of restrictions to try and stem infections, but Prime Minister narendra Modi's government is reluctant to impose a national lockdown, concerned

about the economic impact.

“In my opinion, only a national stay-athome order and declaring a medical emergency will help to address the current healthcare needs,” Bhramar Mukherjee, an epidemiologist with the University of Michigan said on Twitter.

“The number of active cases is accumulating, not just the daily new cases. Even the reported numbers state there are around 3.5m active cases.”

The spike in infections is India's biggest crisis since Modi took office in 2014. Modi has been criticised for not taking steps earlier to curb the spread and for letting millions of largely unmasked people attend religious festivals and crowded political rallies in five states during March and April.

A forum of scientific advisers set up by the government warned Indian officials in early March of a new and more contagious variant of the coronavirus taking hold in the country, five scientists who are part of the forum told Reuters.

Despite the warning, four of the scientists said the federal government did not seek to impose major restrictions to stop the spread of the virus.

It remains to be seen how his handling

of the crisis might affect Modi or his party politically.

The next general election is due in 2024.

Modi's party was defeated in India's West Bengal state in results declared on Sunday,

although it won in the neighbouring state of Assam.

Leaders of 13 opposition parties on Sunday signed a letter urging Modi to immediately launch free national vaccination and to prioritise oxygen supply to hospitals and health centres.

Several states have postponed widening a vaccination drive for adults that was to start on Saturday due to a lack of vaccines.

The national health ministry says states have 10 million vaccines stockpiled and 2 million more coming in the next three days.

Despite being the world's biggest producer of vaccines, India does not have enough for itself — undermining a plan to ramp up and widen inoculation from Saturday. Only about nine per cent of its 1.4 billion people have had a dose.

India has struggled to increase capacity beyond 80 million doses a month due to lack of raw materials and a fire at the Serum Institute, which makes the AstraZeneca vaccine.

International aid has been pouring into India.

Britain will send another 1,000 ventilators to India, the government said on Sunday.

Prime ministers Boris Johnson and Modi are scheduled to talk on Tuesday.

The Indian Covid-19 variant has now reached at least 17 countries including Britain, Switzerland and Iran, leading several governments to close their borders to people travelling from India.

Biden to start reunifying migrant families separated by Trump-era border policy WASHINGTON AGENCIES

The United States this week will reunite four migrant families separated at the US-Mexico border during the Trump administration, US officials said, a small step toward fulfilling a campaign promise by President Joe Biden.

The families will be allowed to enter the United States through an emergency process known as “humanitarian parole”, Michelle Brane, who heads a Biden-created task force that aims to reunite separated families, told a call with reporters on Sunday.

“In these cases that we're talking about this week, the children are in the United States and the parents are coming to join them,” Brane said.

The US Department of Homeland Se-

Palestinian woman killed, two Israelis wounded in West Bank violence TEL AVIV AGENCIES

A Palestinian woman was killed and two Israelis were seriously wounded in two separate shooting incidents in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, Israeli and Palestinian officials said. An Israeli soldier shot a Palestinian woman who tried to carry out a stabbing attack, the military said.

Palestinian officials said the woman, aged 60, died of her wounds. Later in the day Palestinian gunmen opened fire at a busy intersection, seriously wounding two Israelis. Israeli soldiers were searching for the gunmen, who fired from a car near a Jewish settlement before driving off, the military said. Tensions have been high in the West Bank and Jerusalem during the Muslim holy month of Ramazan, peaking with several days of clashes near Jerusalem's Old City between Israeli police and Palestinians over access to a popular night-time meeting spot. The Israeli army said it would be sending additional troops to the West Bank following a “situational assessment.” Earlier on Friday, at least 44 people were crushed to death overnight at an overcrowded ultra-Orthodox religious festival in Israel with attendees describing scenes of chaos in which others died in front of their eyes. More than 100 people were injured in the chaos where tens of thousands thronged to the Galilee tomb of second century sage Rabbi Shim Bar Yochai for annual Lag B’Omer commemorations that include all night prayer, mystical songs and dance. Witnesses said people were asphyxiated or trampled in a tightly packed passageway around three metres wide, some going unnoticed until the PA system sounded an appeal to disperse. Crowds packed the Mount Meron slope in defiance of warnings to maintain social distancing against the coronavirus. Medics said there had been a stampede in the men’s section of the gender-segregated festival. Casualties included children.

curity (DHS) is considering whether they could be granted longer-term immigration status, she said.

Lee Gelernt, lead attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, which sued former President Donald Trump's administration over the separations policy, said his organisation did not know how many children remain separated from parents but that the number was likely more than 1,000.

The Biden administration has been grappling in recent months with a sharp rise in migrant crossings at the border, including unaccompanied minors and families with young children, mostly from Central America.

The Trump administration, known for its hardline stance on immigration, adopted a blanket “zero-tolerance” policy of prosecuting all unauthorised border crossers in

spring 2018, resulting in the mass separation of parents from their children.

Trump reversed the policy that summer amid an international outcry, but advocates and government watchdogs found separations began before the policy and continued after it. In some cases, parents were deported and children remained in the United States with other relatives or sponsors.

Biden has called family separations under Trump a “human tragedy.”

DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who also participated in the call with reporters, declined to provide details about the families, citing privacy concerns, but noted that one is Honduran and another Mexican.

Both have been separated since 2017, he said, adding that the reunifications this week would be “the first of many.”

'We are all the same': Barcelona church opens doors to Ramazan dinners BARCELONA AGENCIES

With Covid-19 restrictions preventing Barcelona's Islamic population from celebrating Ramazan at the usual indoor venues, a Catholic church has offered up its open-air cloisters for Muslims to eat and pray together. Every evening between 50 and 60 Muslims, many of them homeless, stream into the centuries-old stone passages of the Santa Anna church, where volunteers offer a hearty meal of home-cooked food.

“We are all the same [...] If you are Catholic or of another religion and I am Muslim, that's fine,” said HafidOubrahim, a 27-year-old Moroccan of Berber descent who attends the dinners.

“We are all like brothers and we must help each other too.” During the month of Ramazan, observant Muslims do not eat between sunrise and sundown, breaking their fast only after nightfall with a meal known as Iftar.

FaouziaChati, president of the Catalan Association of Moroccan Women, used to organise Iftar gatherings in the city, but limits on indoor dining forced her to seek an alternative space with good ventilation and room for distancing.

She found a receptive ear in Father Peio Sanchez, Santa Anna's rector, who sees the meeting of different faiths as emblematic of civic coexistence.

“People are very happy that Muslims can do Iftar in a Catholic church, because religions serve to unite us, not to separate us,” said Chati.

Sanchez looked on as a man recited the Azaan beneath the orange trees of the church's central courtyard, illuminated by the flames of gas heaters. “Even with different cultures, different languages, different religions, we are more capable of sitting down and talking than some politicians,” said the rector.

Tuesday, 4 May, 2021

SPORTS 11

ISLAMABAD

Jayawickrama TakeS 11 wickeTS aS SL SeaL TeST SerieS win over BanGLadeSh PALLekeLe

S

AGENCIES

RI LANKA spinner Praveen Jayawickrama enjoyed a dream debut as he claimed 11 wickets to seal a 209-run victory over Bangladesh in the second Test at Pallekele on Monday.

Chasing a daunting 437 to win, Bangladesh were dismissed for 227 in the first session of the final day after resuming at 177-5 as Sri Lanka wrapped up the match, and the series 1-0, after 90 minutes of play.

The 22-year-old left-armer Jayawickrama was named player of the match after claiming 11/178 on his first Test appearance as he added five second-innings wickets to his six in the first.

Jayawickrama said it was a dream come true just to get a place in the Test team.

“It was a childhood dream to play for Sri Lanka one day,” Jayawickrama said. “To get 11 wickets in the game is simply unbelievable.” He thanked senior players for their encouragement. “They just told me not bother when the batsmen go after the bowling, just to be patient and do the basics right,” he said.

“I am glad that it all worked today.”

Mendis was replaced after a 15-over Skipper Dimuth Karunaratne, who was named player of the two-match series for spell during which he took two wickets and scoring 428 runs in three innings, said the bowling change worked immediately as part-time spinner Dhananjaya de Jayawickrama and off-spinner Silva struck with his second Ramesh Mendis worked well delivery. as a team. “Ramesh also SRI LANKA 493 FOR Taijul Islam, on two, gave him (Jayawick7 DEC (THIRIMANNE 140, attempted a late cut, but rama) a lot of help from only managed to edge the other end, in terms KARUNARATNE 118, TASKIN 4it to wicketkeeper of building pressure,” 127) AND 194 FOR 9 DEC Niroshan Dickwella.

Karunaratne said.

“That bowling part- (KARUNARATNE 66, ISLAM 5-72) BEAT Mendis returned to have Taskin Ahmed nership was good, BANGLADESH 251 (TAMIM 92, caught by Dimuth and they had an unJAYAWICKRAMA 6-92) AND 227 Karunaratne off a top derstanding because edge as the fielder they also play for the 5-86, MENDIS (JAYAWICKRAMA moved to his left from same club.”

4-103) BY 209 RUNS cover point. JayawickOff-spinner Ramesh rama then mopped up the Mendis dismissed four batstail. Mehidy Hasan fell first to men as all 10 Bangladesh sectake the young bowler’s match haul ond-innings wickets were taken by into double figures, before Jayawickrama slow bowlers.

Jayawickrama struck in the third over on sealed the Test and the series three balls later Monday, taking his ninth wicket of the when he trapped Abu Jayed leg before.

Bangladesh skipper Mominul Haque match when he trapped Liton Das lbw with a ball that went straight on and setting a Sri said despite the series defeat, he was pleased Lankan record for a Test debutant, surpass- with the team’s batting in the first Test.

“There are certainly a lot of positives,” ing Akila Dananjaya’s 8-44 against the same the Bangladesh skipper said. “Losing the seopposition in Dhaka in 2018.

ries doesn’t mean I lost everything. There will of course be criticism but we did well as a batting group in the first Test.”

He said winning the toss was also crucial as the wicket did not offer much for the bowlers on the first two days when Sri Lanka batted. “From the third day onwards, there was lot of help for bowlers,” he added.

New Zealand replace England as top-ranked ODI team DUbAI AGENCIES

New Zealand have overtaken 50-over world champions England to become the No. 1 side in the men's ODI rankings, advancing by two slots during the annual update.

England, who have dropped to fourth in the format, have, however, retained their top position in T20Is, but New Zealand have also gained there - from fifth to third.

These updates eliminate results from 2017-18 and give a 50 per cent weightage to matches played until May 2020, which includes the 2019 World Cup. As a result of New Zealand's 3-0 victory against

Bangladesh in their only ODI series played in the 202021 season, they now have an aggregate of 121 points. Australia have moved up by two places to be second with 118 points, while India have dropped down by one place to third, on 115, ahead of England only on decimal points.

England's slump to fourth came after they lost both the Australia and India series 2-1 as well as an ODI to Ireland in the last 12 months. West Indies have also moved up to ninth position, overtaking Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, England consolidated their lead in T20Is, still ahead of India by five points on the back of impressive performances in the last year. During that period, they drew a three-match series against Pakistan 1-1, defeated

Australia 2-1 and South Africa 3-0 before losing an away series 3-2 against India. For New Zealand, series wins over West Indies, Pakistan, Australia and Bangladesh meant they moved up the order in the T20I list. However, Australia slipped from third to the fifth place. Both Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have gained a place each to be at eighth and ninth in the table, respectively. West Indies have moved down by two places to tenth.

There has been no change of places in either format for Afghanistan, Pakistan and South Africa. Afghanistan are tenth in ODIs and seventh in T20Is, Pakistan occupy the sixth spot in ODIs and fourth in T20Is while South Africa are placed fifth in ODIs and sixth in T20Is.

IPL worries grow as match postponed after two players contract Covid-19 DUbAI AGENCIES

The Indian Premier League (IPL) was forced into its first coronavirus postponement this season on Monday after two players tested positive despite the tournament’s bio-secure “bubble”.

The Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) match against Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) was called off just hours before its start in Ahmedabad after Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier became infected.

The positive cases come as India’s massive coronavirus surge raises questions about the IPL and concerns over the country’s hosting of the T20 World Cup in October and November.

Chakravarthy and Warrier “have isolated themselves from the rest of the squad” after testing positive, an IPL statement said. “All other team members have tested negative for Covid-19,” it added.

The league set up bio-secure bubbles around the eight teams before the tournament as a devastating wave of cases swept across India. The country is recording

about 360,000 cases and 3,500 deaths a day and has been hit by chronic shortages of hospital beds and oxygen.

The IPL said its doctors were in “continuous touch” with Chakravarthy, a 29year-old spinner, and 30-year-old fast bowler Warrier, and were monitoring their health.

‘TOTALLY SAFE’: Media reports said the pair may have been infected when they left their team hotel for injury check-ups.

“The medical team is also determining the close and casual contacts of the two positive cases during the 48 hours prior to

CMYK

collection of the sample that returned the positive test results,” said the statement.

All IPL games so far have been held behind closed doors, but after three Australian players left the tournament last week, organisers sought to reassure the remaining foreign stars that they are “totally safe”. Adam Zampa, Andrew Tye, and Kane Richardson left their IPL teams before the Australian government imposed a ban on arrivals from India.

The Australian Cricket Board has said it is in daily contact with the Australian players still at the IPL. A number of players, including Bangalore’s Australian all-rounder Daniel Sams and Delhi Capitals spinner Axar Patel, tested positive for the virus before the league started on April 9.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has stepped up coronavirus security as the surge has worsened.

Players are tested every two days and cannot order food from outside their hotels. While some have questioned going ahead with the tournament during the health crisis, Indian cricket authorities, who stand to lose hundreds of millions of dollars if it is halted, have insisted it is helping to raise spirits. Kolkata’s Australian fast bowler Pat Cummins, one of the most expensive imports, said last week “there has been quite a bit of discussion” over whether the IPL should continue as he announced a $50,000 donation to buy oxygen equipment. “I am advised that the Indian government is of the view that playing the IPL while the population is in lockdown provides a few hours of joy and respite each day,” he added.

BCCI acting chief executive Hemang Amin said players were “bringing hope to millions of people who have tuned in”. His statement to players said they were “totally safe” in their secure bubbles and that this year they were “playing for something much more important […] humanity”.

Jayawickrama is the 16th Test cricketer to take 10 wickets or more on debut but only the second this century after Australia’s Jason Krejza, who took 12 wickets against India at Nagpur in 2008. The first Test was drawn after an avalanche of runs, the two sides scoring 1,289 for the loss of just 17 wickets over the five days.

Premier League: Gareth Bale’s hat-trick lifts Tottenham to fifth spot LONDON AGENCIES

Tottenham took advantage of Liverpool’s inactivity to move up to fifth in the table thanks to Bale’s first ever Premier League hattrick. The Welshman was a peripheral figure under Jose Mourinho in his season-long loan from Real Madrid, but has now struck four times in three games since Ryan Mason replaced the sacked Portuguese coach. Bale flicked home from close range to break the deadlock nine minutes before half-time. A blistering counter-attack from a Sheffield United corner then saw Son Heung-min tee up Bale for an emphatic finish into the top corner.

Bale’s low drive into the bottom corner completed his hat-trick before Son added a fourth. Tottenham are now just five points behind fourth-placed Chelsea with four games to go. Earlier, Arsenal beat Newcastle 2-0 to end a four-game winless run thanks to Mohamed Elneny’s first Premier League goal and a superb strike from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Fourth-bottom Newcastle remain nine points clear of the relegation zone with four games left. Victory moves Arsenal up to ninth, but their season now hinges on overturning a 2-1 first leg defeat against Villarreal in the Europa League semi-finals on Thursday.

SL all-rounder Thisara Perera retires from international cricket COLOmbO AGENCIES

Former Sri Lanka skipper Thisara Perera announced his retirement from international cricket on Monday, ahead of a white-ball tournament against Bangladesh. The 32-yearold all-rounder – who captained his country in the limited-over formats – told Sri Lanka Cricket, the governing body of the sport in the country, that he was stepping down to clear the way for youngsters. The body said in a statement that Perera “feels the time is right for him to step aside and pave the way for younger and more talented players” to take his place. The announcement came two weeks ahead of Sri Lanka’s tour of Bangladesh, where they are due to play three one-day internationals. Sri Lanka are also due to travel to England next month to play three ODIs and three T20 matches. There was no immediate comment from Perera, who has played 166 ODIs and scored 2,338 runs. He has also taken 175 ODI wickets, conceding 5,740 runs. In the shortest form of the game, he has played 84 matches and scored 1,204 runs and taken 51 wickets for 1,717 runs. He played his last Test match in 2012.

Tuesday, 4 May, 2021

PRAyeR TiMings

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PAkistAn to BEgin domEstiC ProduCtion of CAnsino vACCinE: ministEr ISLAMABAD

m

APP

INISTER of State on National Health Services Dr Faisal Sultan on Monday announced to begin domestic production of the single-dose Chinese CanSino jabs following which he said Pakistan will become self-reliant in meeting its Covid-19 vaccine needs.

In a press briefing, Dr Faisal said following an agreement with the Chinese stateowned pharmaceutical giant on the transfer of technology, the National Institute of Health (NIH) will be able to produce three million doses a month which will significantly reduce Islamabad’s dependence on other countries.

He said that China was Pakistan’s strategic partner and had gone out of its way in

keeping up a supply chain and transferring technology to it. He said that the government had planned to vaccinate 70 million population by the end of this year. He said that the population group currently eligible for vaccination was 100 million out of the total of 220 million as the shots had only been approved for those above 18.

He added during the first half of the present year, from January to June, the government had received, as it had expected, 19.82 million doses. He added 91 percent of these doses were purchased, which clearly shows the government not solely reliant on gifts and donations.

Dr Faisal said: “In totality, we have signed deals for over 30 million doses already so the fact that we have already secured 30 million doses and will continue to procure more the rest of the year should be very reassuring.”

He said that Pakistan was now vaccinating nearly 150,000 people on a daily basis while the target was to reach 300,000 vaccinations. He said that the government has started vaccination for people 40 and above and the registration drive was opened last week. Dr Faisal said: “Our procurement is a result of proactive efforts. The government initiated the conversation with vaccine manufacturers and the Gavi alliance in July last year which is well before any vaccine had been fully developed and approved.”

He said that the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) had approved $150 million for vaccine procurement on November 20 last year while the Cabinet confirmed the same in December.

He said that it was important to note that vaccines across the globe were not approved for use until mid or late December. “Pfizer was approved on December 11, AstraZeneca

on December 30, while Sinopharm was okayed after late-stage phase III trials in December,” he recalled.

He said that manufacturers such as AstraZeneca and Moderna have been unable to meet demand while some of the world’s largest vaccine-producing countries have imposed embargos on exporting vaccines until their local demands are met.

He said that the government is proud of its accomplishments especially considering the serious global supply issue when even some of the richest economies, including Australia and Canada, had to slow down or halt their vaccine roll-out.

The minister said that it is erroneous to compare Pakistan with countries like the US and India who are self-sufficient in vaccine production. “We are certainly moving in that direction now but so far Pakistan did not have the capacity for vaccine production.”

26 killed in boat accident in Bangladesh

Pakistan tightens borders as Covid-19 cases soar ISLAMABAD Agencies

Pakistan has closed land crossings with Iran and Afghanistan for travellers and slashed international flights as the government warned of a “critical” few weeks ahead in the battle against Covid-19.

The border restrictions were announced Sunday as the country prepared to mark the holiday of Eidul Fitr, which usually sees the mass movement of people between cities and villages as well as the return of migrant workers and over-

seas Pakistanis for celebrations.

Officials have anxiously watched the coronavirus crisis unfolding in India.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said Saturday that from Wednesday, 80 percent of flights would be suspended for two weeks, mainly from the Middle East, until mid-May when the Eid holidays are over.

Foot crossings with Iran and Afghanistan would also be sealed, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) said, adding that trade would be exempt.

Flights and land crossings with India — reeling from a devastating outbreak with hundreds of thousands of new cases a day — were closed before the pandemic because of political tensions.

Pakistan is struggling to contain a third peak of infections, with more than 800,000 cases and 18,000 deaths declared. Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar, who has been leading the government response to the outbreak, said the next two weeks are “critical”, as health authorities rushed to increase intensive care capacity.

Stocks extend losses for fifth day; KSE-100 sheds 186.15 points KARACHI TLTP

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed another bearish session, fifth in a row, on Monday and the benchmark KSE-100 Index lost 186.15 points (-0.42 percent) to close at 44,076 points.

The KSE-100 Index traded in a range of 696 points, showing an intraday high of 44,326 and a low of 43,630 points. The selling pressure was primarily because of roll-over trades from April future contracts.

Among other indices, the KSE All Share Index shed 82.34 points (-0.27 percent) to close at 29,935.64 points, while All Share Islamic Index shed 81.53 points (-0.38 percent) to close at 21,495.23 points. A total of 360 companies traded shares in the stock exchange, out of them shares of 111 closed up, shares of 238 closed down while shares of 11 companies remained unchanged.

The overall market volumes decreased by 55.31 million to 238.44 million shares, while market capitalisation

decreased by Rs21.17 billion. The number of total trades decreased by 10,808 to 86,831, and value traded decreased by Rs2.45 billion to Rs11.32 billion.

Among scrips, UNITY led the table with 36.2 million shares, followed by TELE (25.2 million) and GGL (23 million). Stocks that contributed significantly to the volumes include UNITY, TELE, GGL, TRG and WTL, which formed 46 percent of total volumes. Foreign institutional investors were net buyers of Rs8.4 million worth of shares during the trading session, according to data compiled by the National Clearing Company of Pakistan.

Sector wise, the index was let down by technology & communication with 89 points, textile composite with 58 points, cement with 33 points, power generation & distribution with 29 points and refinery with 12 points.

The most points taken off the index was by TRG which stripped the index of 130 points followed by HUBC with 28 points, NML with 23 points, ANL with 16 points and LUCK with 15 points.

The sectors propping up the index were food & per-

He made it clear that Pakistan’s vaccine roll-out began soon after India’s as the first vaccine dose was administered in India on January 16 while the first shot dose was administered in Pakistan on February 2.

He said that some have drawn comparisons to countries in the region with smaller economies like Bhutan which has vaccinated over 60 percent of its population. He added Bhutan has a population of almost 750,000 which means they have vaccinated around 500,000 people. ”Pakistan has a population of 220 million and we have vaccinated over 2.5 million people. So, Pakistan has vaccinated five times as many people as Bhutan actually and, in fact, three times the whole population of Bhutan,” Dr Faisal said.

Hel assured that the government will continue to take additional precautions of limiting public space and enforcing guidelines to slow down the spread of disease.

DHAKA

Last year, the nation saw a spike in cases following Ramadan and Eid. Mosques have remained open throughout the holy month of Ramadan, with few adhering to social distancing guidelines during huge nightly gatherings of worshippers.

Private gatherings, shops, and restaurants have faced tight restrictions, with the army mobilised to help enforce rules.

The government has also announced a ban on travel between provinces for more than a week over Eid and imposed closures on hotels and tourist spots.

sonal care products with 25 points, commercial banks with 25 points, fertilizer with 18 points, tobacco with 12 points and paper & board with one point. The most points added to the index was by SYS which contributed 41 points followed by HBL with 17 points, UNITY with 16 points, KTML with 13 points and FFC with 13 points.

Analysts at Arif Habib Limited said that roll-over trades from the April Futures Contract that remained outstanding at the end of Roll-over week on Friday caused mayhem on Monday as well, especially the positions in TRG and NETSOL. Resultantly, the KSE-100 Index slashed 632 points during the session. Recovery ensued, considering that the positions have rolled-over; however, since the positions were still outstanding, the recovery efforts proved futile, ending the session -186 points.

NETSOL hit lower circuit since the beginning of the session, whereas TRG traded near lower circuit the entire session. Besides technology stocks, selling pressure was observed in cement and steel sectors which kept the index down. Aba Ali Habib Securities in its closing note said that volumes remained lower as severe lockdown measures including the closure of commercial activities in the upcoming week spiked investors’ anxieties. In addition, National Consumer Inflation for April 2021 was registered at 11.1 percent YoY while trade deficit widened by 20.1 percent to $23.56 billion during 10MFY21, which further dented investors’ sentiments.

Agencies

At least 26 people died and several were missing after an overcrowded speedboat collided with a sand-laden bulk carrier and sank on Bangladesh’s giant Padma River on Monday, police said. “Rescuers found 26 dead bodies and some still could be missing,” said Miraj Hossain, a senior police official of the central Madaripur district, where the accident occurred. Five people were rescued and sent to hospital, he said. Hundreds of people die each year in ferry accidents in Bangladesh, a lowlying country that has extensive inland waterways and lax safety standards.

Pakistan, China discuss Afghan peace process, CPEC progress

ISLAMABAD: Chinese Ambassador Nong Rong on Monday called on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa at the General Headquarters (GHQ) and discussed with him the matters of mutual interest, recent developments in Afghan peace process, progress on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), regional security and current situation of Covid-19. The COAS thanked the Chinese dignitary for China’s contribution towards fight against Covid19 in Pakistan and said that Pakistan Army greatly values its friendly relations with China. The visiting dignitary appreciated Pakistan’s sincere efforts for peace and stability in the region, especially Afghan peace process. MiAn ABRAR

Prospects fading, Turkey hopes lockdown rescues tourism season ISTANBUL Agencies

Turkey’s tourism sector faces another lost season after a rapid coronavirus rise wiped out many early foreign bookings and prompted Russia, its top source of visitors, to halt flights and warn against travel this summer.

In a last-ditch move to cut infections and save the season, President Tayyip Erdogan last week imposed a lockdown through midMay in part, he said, so that European countries did not leave Turkey behind as they re-open beaches, restaurants and travel.

The foreign cash that tourists spend is critical to offset Turkey’s heavy foreign debt, but revenues plunged 65 percent last year when the pandemic first hit.

The tourism minister told Reuters that 30 million foreigners could arrive this year, twice as many as last, if the lockdown suc-

ceeds in lowering daily Covid-19 cases to below 5,000 from near 30,000 in recent days. But travel agents, associations and hotels said they fear this year will be little better than last after the virus wave briefly ranked Turkey second globally in new cases just as the season kicked off, before it dropped back to fourth.

Some Turkish and Russian agents see a difficult few months until August, when they say the Mediterranean and Aegean hot spots and historic sites in Istanbul and elsewhere could fill up again. Much will depend on last-minute bookings, they said.

“The lockdown decision will probably not be able to save the season” because it was taken too late, said Cem Polatoglu, general manager at Istanbul-based Andiamo Tour. Even if the lockdown cuts daily coronavirus cases to below 5,000 by the end of May, as the government hopes, he said it takes time for countries to remove travel

warnings “which means probably losing July too”. Coronavirus cases topped 60,000 last month, leaving Turkey’s top five tourist sources — Russia, Germany, Britain, Bulgaria and Iran — with travel warnings in place. Ankara said Moscow’s decision to halt most flights until June 1 blocked 500,000 tourists, compared to a total of 2.1 million Russians who came last year and some 6 million before the pandemic.

The flight ban could be extended.

Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova said last week Russian operators should not sell tours even after June 1 until authorities decide. Yana Starostina, manager at Travelland agency in Moscow, said clients still want to go to Turkey but added she expects it won’t be possible until August. Turkey’s foreign and health ministers are set to visit Moscow on May 12 to discuss travel.

HIGH STAKES: Mediterranean tourist hubs are trying to lock in bookings despite a

shifting map of travel warnings, local restrictions and vaccine rollouts.

Last week neighbouring Greece lifted quarantine restrictions on more virus-free visitors, while Turkey will ditch virus test requirements for travelers from Britain, China, Ukraine and some others by mid-May. Tourism accounts for some 12 percent of Turkey’s economy and was the hardest hit sector last year, even though virus-related curbs had been lifted by June.

Turkey’s current account deficit ballooned to $37 billion last year when tourists brought in only $12 billion, down from a record $35 billion in 2019.

Though arrivals were down 54 percent year-on-year in the first quarter, Tourism and Culture Minister Mehmet Ersoy said a sharp drop in coronavirus infections since April 21 was a hopeful sign that “drastic” lockdown measures were working.

“As of June 1, we will open the tourist

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

season and if we can reduce the number of daily cases below 5,000, we maintain our target of 30 million tourists this year,” he told Reuters. That sounds optimistic to others. Polatoglu of Andiamo Tour expects only 6 million arrivals this year and said roughly half of Turkey’s 12,000 tour agents are already closed, many unable to repay government loans meant to ease pandemic fallout.

Bora Kok, sales manager at Bora Bora Boutique Hotel in Antalya on the Mediterranean, where tourism season usually starts in April, said the lockdown was overdue but welcome.

“If Russian tourists do not come, there will be serious bankruptcies and potential layoffs,” he said.

Erdogan’s government hopes the lockdown, a drive that has so far vaccinated 16 percent of the population, and a safe hotel certification program will propel last-minute bookings.