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Wednesday, 6 May, 2020 I 12 Ramzan-ul-Mubarak, 1441 I Rs 15.00 I Vol X No 308 I 56 Pages I Islamabad Edition
Pakistan to lose rs628bn by June, says govt rePort g
PSX facing loss of Rs250bn whereas Petroleum Division may lose Rs87bn due to COVID-19 outbreak ISLAMABAD
D
AHMAD AHMADANI
UE to an adverse impact of coronavirus on the economy, Pakistan will record a loss of over Rs628 billion by the end of the current fi-
nancial year, said a report prepared by the sub-committee of the National Coordination Committee (NCC) for COVID-19. The report ‘COVID-19: Preliminary Macroeconomic and Socioeconomic Assessment’ said almost all the departments of the country
more inside
Cabinet approves rice export, reconstitution of minorities commission STORY ON PAGE 02 in today’s issue
attention Some readers have complained that they are not getting the magazine with their newspaper copy. Please call or WhatsApp us at the following number to register a complaint. Contact: 0307-7338168 irfan.farooq@pakistantoday.com.pk
were going in a loss due to lack of human activity in the wake of the pandemic that has killed over 200,000 people worldwide. Giving a breakdown of the losses, the report said the Aviation Division will face an estimated financial loss of Rs13.6bn; the Pak-
istan Stock Exchange Rs250bn; Petroleum Division Rs 87bn; Ministry of Energy (Power Division) Rs136bn; Pakistan Railways over Rs7 bn; National Food Security Rs 55bn; Overseas Pakistanis over Rs 76bn; Ministry of Information Technology Rs1-5bn under the head of withholding tax; and Maritime Affairs will report a loss of Rs30 million. It further said that the Federal Board of Revenue will face a total estimated revenue shortfall of Rs600bn in the last three months of the current financial year. The report also suggested the way forward to deal with losses, saying some measures have already been taken.
AGENCIES
The administration in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir has decided to treat the entire region as well as three districts in Jammu as red zones, or hotspots, to effectively combat coronavirus infections, it emerged on Tuesday. Earlier, the Indian health ministry had classified only four districts — Srinagar, Bandipora, Anantnag, and Shopian as red zones.
But regional Divisional Commissioner Pandurang Pole told Anadolu Agency that given the spike in the number of cases, there were red zones in every district and infections were not showing any downward trend. “At this point in time, we cannot afford to lower our guard. All the 10 districts of the region will be treated as red zones until further orders,” the official said. According to an order issued by Chief Secretary BVR
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karachi sehr: 4:30 aM iftar: 7:05 PM
islaMabad sehr: 3:40 aM iftar: 6:59 PM fiqah-e-jafaria islaMabad sehr: 3:30 aM iftar: 7:09 PM
lahore sehr: 3:32 aM iftar: 6:58 PM
karachi sehr: 4:20 aM iftar: 7:15 PM
Coronavirus in
Pakistan
CONTINUED ON PAGE 05
India declares entire held Kashmir, 3 Jammu districts as Covid-19 hotspots SRINAGAR
fiqah-e-hanfia lahore sehr: 3:42 aM iftar: 6:48 PM
Subrahmanyam, districts can be classified into red or orange zones based on their coronavirus situation. The administration in its order declared the districts of Jammu, Samba and Kathua as red zones, Udhampur, Reasi, Ramban, and Rajouri as orange zones while Doda, Kishtwar, and Poonch were declared as green zones. All the ten districts of the Kashmir region, however, were declared red zones.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 05
CONFIRMED CASES:
22,223
RECOVERED:
DEATHS:
SINDH:
PUNJAB:
KP:
BALOCHISTAN:
AJK/GB:
ISLAMABAD:
5,801
8,189 3,499 71/372
514
8,133
1,495 464
02
Wednesday, 6 May, 2020
NEWS
CAbInet APProveS rICe exPort, reConStItutIon of MInorItIeS CoMMISSIon
been added. The programme was being implemented in a most transparent manner and on merit, Dr Sania Nishtar said. PPP HOODWINKING ‘PML-N, MASSES’: Faraz also responded to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb’s media talk from a day earlier in which she had spoken out against the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) summoning of Shehbaz Sharif. She portrayed it to be a case “as if a very virtuous, innocent and honest man has been humiliated”, said Faraz of Aurangzeb’s briefing. He said that if Shehbaz had been summoned by NAB, then it was because NAB is an institution in pursuit of the implementation of law in the land. “If you consider appearing before the law an act which tarnishes your reputation then that means you have no regard for the law,” he added. Faraz said that both the PML-N and the Pakistan People’s Party PPP were trying to hoodwink the masses with catchy slogans and critical statements at a time when the country is passing through a crisis situation. “The government believes in serving the masses but responding to criticism was its right,” he added. The minister urged the opposition to support the government’s efforts to deal with the virus and provide relief to the vulnerable segments of society. About PPP’s Sindh minister Saeed Ghani’s news conference, he said the party, which used to rule the country, was now confined to just one province because of its incompetent leadership.
SHIBLI FARAZ ACCUSES PML-N AND PPP OF PLAYING POLITICS OVER CORONAVIRUS SITUATION ISLAMABAD
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STAFF REPORT
HE federal cabinet on Tuesday approved the reconstitution of the National Commission for Minorities and allowed the export of rice and locally manufactured hand sanitisers, as Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz criticised the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) for playing politics over the coronavirus situation. Briefing the media about the decisions taken in the federal cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan, Faraz said that Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar gave a comprehensive briefing on the coronavirus situation in the country. “Umar informed the members that Pakistan’s situation was far better than that of many developed countries,” he added. On the occasion, the prime minister and all the cabinet members, including ministers, ministers of state, advisers and special assistants, decided to donate their one month salary to the Prime
Minister’s COVID-19 Relief Fund 2020. According to Faraz, the federal cabinet also accorded approval to the export of rice and locally manufactured hand sanitisers to earn foreign exchange. It was also decided to include 61 food and non-food items in PSQCA’s quality control list, he added. He said the cabinet also deliberated on the issue of ban on import of goods from India, except life-saving drugs. The prime minister directed to ensure that there is no violation of the ban. Faraz said the cabinet also approved the reconstitution of the National Commission for Minorities on the recommendation of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony. The information minister said the cabinet was informed that the Committee on Election Reforms had sent its report to the Ministry of Law and Justice. The PM said that reforming the electoral system was part of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s agenda and it would remain the topmost priority of its government, he added. The prime minister also stressed the
SC summons AGP over ’30pc decrease in medicine prices’ ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday issued notice to the Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP), Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) and other respondents in a petition filed by private pharmaceutical companies against the reduction in prices of medicines. A three-member SC bench headed by Justice Mushir Alam and comprising Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel heard the case. During the course of proceedings, the counsel for a private pharmaceutical company said DRAP issued a circular to reduce the prices of medicines without hearing them. The prices of medicines were reduced by 30% in 2019. He said the Sindh High Court had directed the pharmaceutical companies to approach the relevant forum. According to the Drug Act, the decision of the federal government could not be challenged, he added. He said that the Supreme Court was the last forum to file an appeal. He said that the 2015 drug policy had been declared controversial by the Supreme Court. He said DRAP formulated a new policy in 2018 and reduced the prices of medicines. Justice Mushir Alam said the Supreme Court could not order DRAP to fix drug prices. The government should address the concerns of pharmaceutical companies, he added. Later, hearing of the case was adjourned till after Eidul Fitr. APP
need to reform the criminal justice system and directed the minister for law and justice to finalise the reformation process within six months. He said that modern technology should be introduced in police stations to change the “Thana” culture. The meeting was updated on the conversion of police stations to model police stations with the introduction of modern technology, Faraz added. On the PM’s directives, the cabinet was informed that 76 illegal appointments were made on senior posts in seven divisions during the previous government. The ministries concerned were directed to present reports on those appointments in the next cabinet
meeting, Faraz said. Briefing about the implementation of decisions taken during 81 cabinet meetings, Faraz said that a total 1,630 decisions were made out of which 1,376 ( 86%) had been implemented whereas 114 decisions ( 7%) were in the implementation stage. The minister said that SAPM on Social Welfare Dr Sania Nishtar briefed the cabinet about the ongoing process of financial help of vulnerable segments of the society through the Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme. It was informed that in addition to 400,000 families as per the data of previous governments, almost 810,000 new ones had
Ahmadis excluded from National Commission for Minorities ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
The federal government on Tuesday withdrew its decision of including Ahmadis in the National Commission for Minorities. According to sources, following recommendations from Ministry of Religious Affairs, the government withdrew its earlier decision to give representation to the Ahmadi community in the minorities commission. They said that the decision was reconsidered after the move sparked fierce criticism from the religious right on mainstream and social media platforms. Meanwhile, the federal cabinet has approved the re-
constitution of the commission. A Hindu community member from Sindh, Chela Ram Kewlani has been named as chairman of the commission. Maulana Syed Muhammad Abdul Khabir Azad and Mufti Gulzar Ahmed Naeemi will represent the Muslim community in the commission. Three members each have been selected from Hindu and Christian community, while two members have been named from Sikh community and one member each will represent Kelash and Parsi communities in the commission. No Ahmadi has been included in the commission. The chairman of the Council of Islamic Ideology will be the commission’s ex-officio member while the religious affairs secretary will also act as the commission’s secretary.
One injured in Kurrum imambargah blast PESHAWAR STAFF REPORT
At least one man was injured in an explosion at an imambargah in Lower Kurram’s Shoorki area on Tuesday, according to reports. Per details, the building of the mosque collapsed from the impact of the explosion, injuring the caretaker of the premises.
A local police officer told reporters that the blast occurred at 4am in the morning. He said that police suspect that explosive material had been planted at the mosque. On Sunday, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bomb Disposal Unit defused an improvised explosive device in Dabar area of Mamond tehsil. In January this year, nine people were injured in a hand grenade attack near the Karkhano police checkpost in Peshawar.
193 nationals repatriated from India
The COVID-19 Pandemic
LAHORE: At least 193 nationals, who were stranded in India following the outbreak of the coronavirus, were repatriated via the Wagah border crossing on Tuesday. The stranded nationals, including women and children, were screened and transferred to quarantine centres as they crossed over into Lahore. Reportedly, these citizens had gone to India on family visits, medical treatment and attending religious ceremonies. Several nationals had reached the border crossing on Monday evening but were sent back by India’s Border Security Force (BSF) and spent the night in Amritsar. Later, they arrived at the border in several groups. STAFF REPORT
The world is facing a global pandemic called the novel coronavirus or COVID19. What started off as a disease spread by, reportedly, bats in Wuhan, China, has now become, unarguably, one of the greatest threats to the world. The disease was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, capital of China’s Hubei province, and resulted in the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. As of April 29, 2020, there have been more than 3.11 million reported cases across the world, with more than 217,000 deaths, and around 932,000 recoveries. In Pakistan, more than 14,885 confirmed cases have been reported, 3,425 patients have recovered, and 327 have died. Almost every country is struggling to fight against the coronavirus; health officials in Pakistan are also doing their best to control its spread. Pakistan’s top health official has stated that the intensity of the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic is not as severe in Pakistan as it is in many other countries. But the numbers speak otherwise. The official data has shown thatconfirmed cases are increasing day by day. In this global outbreak, people should act smart and responsible instead of putting everything on government. Many countries have opted for a lockdown and precautions have been recommended. The most common precautions include social distancing, avoiding handshakes, refraining from
By FAHAD HASSAn CHoHAn
going in public places, and using an alcohol-based hand sanitiser or soap. But, unfortunately, not every person is acting upon the advice of government and doctors. We have to ask ourselves:are we really taking this pandemic seriously? Because even now I see people who don’t care about the deadliness of the coronavirus, or perhaps they just don’t know much about it. Either way, citizens should be more responsible in this situation because not everything is government’s fault. The terrifying fact is that there is still no official vaccine for the coronavirus, and antibiotics don’t work on this virus.And that is because it is a virus, not a bacterium. The present treatment for viruses also does not seem to work on the coronavirus because it is a new virus and there’s less information about it as of now. Despite that, there have been recoveries from this disease, which might be a silver lining. But that does not justify peoplegoing out and gathering in any area as the disease is still pretty deadly. This pandemic has affected the daily wager in Pakistan so badly that we cannot even imagine. And that is why Prime Minister Imran Khan announced the Ehsaas Emergency Cash Program, which is providing relief on the basis of merit, transparency and impartiality. The prime minister directedMNAs and MPAs, throughout the country, to play a vibrant role in providing relief to people in their individual constituencies, especially dur-
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IHC extends Abbasi’s protective bail till May 27 ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday extended the protective bail of former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and ex-secretary petroleum Arshad Mirza for three more weeks till May 27, in a reference pertaining to illegal appointment of managing director Pakistan State Oil (PSO). A division bench comprising Chief Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Mohsin Akhter Kiyani conducted hearing on the bail petition of the above-mentioned accused in a reference initiated by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). The petitioners pleaded that the court had earlier granted them protective bail till May 12, but they could not approach the trial court in Karachi due to lockdown across the country. They pleaded that the NAB could arrest them after expiry of the bail time, adding that they were unable to reach Karachi due to closure of roads in wake of cornonavirus spread across the country. The petitioners prayed the court to extend their protective bail till their appearance before accountability court in Karachi. On the query of the bench, Abbasi’s lawyer contended that his client did not appear before the trial court, however, his counsel attended the proceeding. APP
ing the holy month of Ramazan. Reportedly, the Ehsaas programme is playing its role in helping the needy. As government is doing what is necessary, I think it would not be appropriate if doctors are not appreciated in this time of crisis. This pandemic, and all previous ones,are a clear example of how doctors are the true heroes of a nation. They have played a vital role in the fight against COVID-19, and this, in my opinion, is the perfect time to appreciate them for their service. Apart from what we see and read in media, there have been a lot of theories regarding the coronavirus that seem terrifyingeven if they are not true. One that is the most popular among conspiracy theorists is that this is not a pandemic that just happened by chance. According to them, this virus was actually spread on purpose and the objective behind it was depopulation. We have all heard stories ofsecret societies andtheselected elite thatis said to control the world. Is this pandemic actually part of a plan? A step towards a“new world order”? Well, there is still no hard evidence supporting these theories,so one can only guess. It’s safe to say that the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on the economy of underdeveloped countries;many of these countries, such as Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, are not economically strong so they will have to face far greater damages. The International Monetary Fund expects the global GDP to fall by three percent in 2020. Pakistan will, inevitably, be impacted by both the global and domestic developments arising from
the spread of the coronavirus.Pakistan’s economy was reported to be recovering slowly but now the spread of the coronavirus is most likely to become a major obstacle in the way. Another major problem in countries like Pakistan is the lack of medical facilities. It’s no secret that Pakistan’s healthcare facilities are quite weak, and we do not have enough to support our entire population. Our doctors and nurses are doing everything that is in their power to provide the best possible treatment. One can only pray that the coronavirus does not cause more damage than it already has. Countries like Pakistan cannot afford the coronavirus spreading exponentially. Lack of awareness remains a huge issue. It is evident that people are not taking this pandemic seriously and don’t understand how their actions can affect the ones around them. Infected people may still be going out to family gatherings, public parks or other places. With limited resources there is only so much that government can do; people, therefore, have to protect themselves and the ones around them by staying indoors and disinfecting their houses. Where the coronavirus might sound frightening, it is how people behave that would help to control the virus. It is upto us to practise the methods recommended by the World Health Organization: social distancing and using alcohol-based sanitisers and soaps. Proper sanitary methods are required, use of masks and gloves is essential, and awareness about the virus and its deadliness, in my opinion,are of the utmost importance. Government alone cannot fight the coronavirus.
Wednesday, 6 May, 2020
NEWS
bAloCHIStAn extendS loCkdown tIll MAy 19 AMId SurGe In CoronA CASeS QUETTA
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STAFF REPORT
HE Balochistan government has decided to extend ongoing lockdown in the province for further 15 days with effect from Tuesday. According to Provincial Home and Tribal Affairs Department, the lockdown will remain intact till 19th of this month in order to control further spread of coronavirus pandemic. Balochistan government Spokesperson Liaquat Shahwani said that the coronavirus is spreading at an alarming rate and in order to stem it, effective measures such as social distancing and isolation should be practiced. He said that the provincial government is extending the lockdown until May 19. “COVID-19 (is) rapidly spreading in #Balochistan. The only medicine & solution so far has proven to be isolation, social distancing and lockdown. Hence
Balochistan government has decided to extend lockdown for further 15 days till 19th May,” he tweeted. The Balochistan government had earlier warned that it would extend the lockdown due to the rise in cases. Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal had said that the number of locally-transmitted cases in the province was increasing slowly but that lockdown restrictions could only be eased if people cooperate with the government. It was through random testing that the Balochistan Health Department learned that the locally transmitted cases had increased, he had said. “Our testing capacity is improving so we’re conducting more tests,” Kamal had added, stating that a lot needed to be done to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Meanwhile, the Balochistan Health Department also decided to only test those citizens who are showing COVID-19
symptoms due to a lack of testing capacity. According to a statement released by the provincial health department, the Fatima Jinnah Laboratory has been closed for the public — the lab was the only facility where residents could get themselves tested for the respiratory illness. “Those suspected of having contracted the virus will only be tested after they have completed a mandatory 14-day quarantine period at home,” the statement said. It added that the decision has been taken due to a lack of testing capacity at the laboratory; the results of more than 2,000 tests have already been delayed. The statement, however, contradicted claims made by Balochistan government spokesperson Liaquat Shahwani who — while speaking at a press conference in Quetta earlier in the day — had said that the province will no longer “face a dearth of testing kits and equipment”.
“We had asked the federal government to provide us with 50,000 PCR kits. But, we did not receive the entire shipment,” Shahwani said. However, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has now given us testing kits, he said, adding that the federal government had also given 14,000 testing kits. “Our labs and machinery are increasing,” he said. Shahwani maintained that a reshuffle within the health department staff had caused the delay in test results for the past two days, adding that the staff has been working tirelessly. He added that the government was in the process of setting up another laboratory at Bolan Medical College which will ramp up the province’s testing capacity. “Our testing capacity will then increase by 400-450 tests per day,” he said. BILAWAL LAUDS BALOCHISTAN GOVT’S DECISION: Lauding Balochistan government’s decision, Pakistan People’s
Clerics claim mosques following SOPs, data points otherwise LAHoRE STAFF REPORT
The Pakistan Ulema Council and Wafaqul Masajid Madaris-e-Pakistan on Tuesday claimed that 70 per cent mosques were following the standard operating procedures (SOPs) signed between the clerics and the government, however it is contrary to multiple reports that state that a majority of mosque administrations across the country are ignoring the protocols. According to a report in a local daily, the number of people at the Islamabad mosques surged “dramatically” after the lifting of the ban. It said none of the prayer-goers were following social distancing measures. Another report quoting
an NGO claimed that over 80 per cent mosques were found violating the SOPs during taraweeh prayers, contrary to what they had promised the government. The data released by the NGO showed that in 96pc of the observed mosques, people were found praying on pavements and roads and nearly 89pc of the worshippers did not wear face masks. Besides, in 72pc and 69pc of the observed mosques, the worshippers did not maintain the 6ft distance and were found doing ablution in the mosques. In the few mosques where some distance was maintained, this did not amount to 6ft. Photos clearly established massive violation of the important mitigation measure. In more than two-thirds of the observed mosques, children were
railways may restore passenger train operations from May 10 ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Railways is mulling restoration of passenger traffic operations from May 10 under certain standard operating procedures (SOPs) introduced to ensure efficient and safe travel for commuters as well as train and railways staff in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. “Pakistan Railways is considering the restoration of passenger traffic operations tentatively with effect from 10th of instant subject to approval of the competent authority. To ensure the efficient, safe train operation, the proposed SOPs need to be implemented in their true letter and spirit,” a letter issued by the PR Headquarters to all divisional superintendents on Tuesday read. For this purpose, the ministry said, availability of required stock and other relevant resources of operational requirements and passenger amenities needed to be ensured. “It is further directed that a full-dress rehearsal in this context shall also be undertaken on May 7, 2020, to identify the effectiveness of the operational arrangements and identify the weaknesses, if any, so as to enable all concerned to ensure complete rectification of the weaknesses and deficiencies prior to commence all the passenger traffic operation as per schedule,” the letter added. In another letter, the PR also asked the senior general manager to review the SOPs and give feedback within three days for their finalisation; otherwise “the SOPs sent by this Ministry will be considered as final”. APP
also found alongside their elders. The observation was made in Islamabad, Lahore, Faisalabad, Kamalia, Jhang, Layyah, Multan, Toba Tek Singh, Muzaffargarh, Dera Ghazi Khan, Taunsa, Shorkot, Kot Addu and Alipur. Meanwhile, the Rawalpindi district police have served 460 notices on the administrations of the mosques for violating the 20-point guidelines. However, in a statement issued on Tuesday, the clerics claimed that majority of Ulema were cooperating with the local authorities in implementing the SOPs. The statement said that though the ratio of mosques following the SOPs in the urban areas was 70pc, in rural areas over 60 per cent mosques were violating the agreement signed with the government.
The federal government had allowed people to offer prayers in mosques, a move denounced by the medical community. Doctor across the country have warned of the country’s already fragile healthcare system collapsing in the government allows relaxations in the COVID-19 lockdown. Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Secretary General Dr Qaiser Sajjad regretted had said: “I have to say, with all due respect, that our government has made a very wrong decision and our ulema have demonstrated extreme insensitivity [akin to] playing with human lives. This fight is between the coronavirus and doctors, so please listen to us […] You (government and scholars) have held a meeting without including any technical person.”.
COVID-19: Bilawal accuses Centre of creating hurdles for Sindh KARACHI INP
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal BhuttoZardari on Tuesday accused the federal government of creating hurdles for Sindh government in the fight against the coronavirus outbreak. Addressing the office-bearers of People’s Doctors Forum at Bilawal House Karachi through video-link, Bilawal said that the non-arrival of the federal government’s economic bailout package reduced the effectiveness of the lockdown and further spread the COVID-19 outbreak. PDF President Dr Karim Khawaja, Punjab President Dr Khayyam Hafeez, Dr Javed Iqbal and Dr Arsalan Dewan, Sindh President Dr Razzaq Sheikh Dr Yar Ali Jamali, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) President Dr Nisar Ahmad Khan and Dr Dawood Iqbal, Dr Ashiq Hussain Shah and Afzal Abro and others participated
in the session. Bilawal said that the federal governments all over the world have given such relief packages but Pakistan’s has given nothing except continuing the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) funding started by PPP. He said he has been talking about giving relief package not only to Sindh but to all the provinces alike but instead of helping, federal government is placing obstacles in the provincial government’s way. He also said that the federal representative, Sindh governor, is not even signing the relief package ordinance given to the people by the Sindh government as an attempt to create hinderance. The package includes job and salary protection for the people of the province, rebates on utility bills, relief in school fees and rebates on house rent. Sindh government wants to give relief to the people of the province in all provincial taxes through this ordinance, he added.
GB CM says may ease lockdown on certain conditions GILGIT APP
Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman on Tuesday said that conditional relaxation would be granted in lockdown. He was presiding over a high-level meeting regarding coronavirus pandemic which was attended by divisional commissioners and other officials through video link. He said that enforcing appropriate physical distancing, wearing masks, gloves and other precautionary measures would be mandatory conditions for relaxing
lockdown in GB. He said that district Astore was red zone at the moment due to an increasing number of coronavirus cases and for that special measures were being taken on an emergency basis. The CM said that the GB government had demanded Rs2 billion from the federal government in its fight against the pandemic COVID-19. The chief minister said that our coronavirus testing capacity would be increased in the upcoming days and also urged the people to forge unity in the fight against COVID-19. He instructed the commissioners to pay field visits to monitor the coronavirus situation and apprise people about precautionary measures.
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Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal BhuttoZardari said that Balochistan government’s decision to extend lockdown for another 15 days was in accordance with the ground situation because “so far the only effective defence against corona has proven to be isolation, social distancing and lockdown”. In a statement, the PPP chief stressed that the federal government should help Balochistan government in increasing and establishing its testing capacity, isolation and quarantine centres through logistic support so that the country’s poorest and largest province could cope with the alarming conditions, it is facing alongside other provinces. Bilawal demanded that cash transfers should be made immediately similar to the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), to coronavirus affectees, especially the daily wagers, unemployed and the most deserving people.
nA session on Monday amid strict precautionary measures ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly session will be held on Monday to discuss the coronavirus pandemic after lawmakers agreed on the standard operating procedures in a meeting, said Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi. Talking to media after the meeting of parliamentary leaders chaired by Minister for National Food Security Fakhar Imam on Tuesday, Qureshi said that it has been decided to convene the huddle at 3 pm amid strict precautionary measures. The committee after elaborate discussion and taking into account the suggestions of the members and parliamentary leaders recommended for restricting to three hours the parliamentary debate in a session, on the measures taken by the government for curtailing the spread of COVID19. The committee recommended that no non-legislative agenda be taken in the session. As far as the attendance of the members was concerned, the committee recommended that it would be prerogrative of the parliamentary leadership of the political parties to manage the attendance of their members. It was also recommended that parliamentarians and staff of the secretariat will be tested for coronavirus ahead of the session. While keeping in view the entry of an extensive number of visitors to the Parliament House during sessions, it was recommended that entry of visitors in the Parliament House and Parliament Lodges will be restricted, however, ministers may be advised to bring only one staff member with them. The committee further recommended that Parliamentary Reporters Association (PRA) being the representative body of the parliamentary reporters may be asked to decide the number of journalists to cover the proceedings of the sittings of the assembly session. The committee also decided to recommend for plying special flights from Karachi and Quetta to Islamabad during the session. The committee would submit its recommendations to the National Assembly speaker enabling him to make appropriate directions to the government for holding the session of the assembly. STAFF REPORT
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Most Mosques violating Covid-19 preCautions during taraweeh ISLAMABAD
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STAFF REPORT
REPORT on 250 sensitive mosques and imambargahs in the Rawalpindi division has found that a majority of the worship places are not implementing the 20-point guidelines regarding safety measures against the spread of Covid-19. The government had allowed congregational prayers in mosques during Ramzan under the guidelines which had to be followed in the mosques as a part of precautionary measures against the coronavirus. But an
PolIce Serve notIceS to 460 MoSqueS for vIolatIng 20-PoInt guIdelIneS audit team found many rules, including security measures, being violated during Taraweeh at many places. On the other hand, the Rawalpindi district police served 460 notices on the administrations of the mosques for violating the 20-point guidelines. A police spokesman said that rules of social distancing and use of sanitisers and
wearing face masks were being observed but sometimes complaints regarding violating the guidelines were received from rural areas. Mostly, the complaints were regarding presence of people aged over 50 years and children in the mosques. In Rawalpindi division, 250 mosques/imambargahs had been declared sensitive and categorised as A, B and C due
to their vulnerability to the spread of the coronavirus. Of these, 61 are located in Rawalpindi district, 18 in Attock, 42 in Jhelum and 129 in Chakwal. It was observed that carpets or mates were found laid in six mosques while clean floor for prayers was not ensured. The most serious violation of rules was observed in 52 mosques where people over 50 years of age and children were present during Taraweeh prayers. Of the 52 mosques, 26 were located in Rawalpindi where the SOP regarding presence of people over 50 years of age and children were ignored.
PRAyER TImINgS fajr SunrISe
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Taraweeh were offered in 17 mosques, including 14 in Rawalpindi district, which did not have a veranda/lawn or adequate space between the main entrance gate/door and the prayer hall. In 14 mosques/imambargahs, including four located in Rawalpindi district, the lighting arrangements were found unsatisfactory. In 79 mosques/imambargahs, including 54 in Rawalpindi district, private security guards were neither deployed nor performing duties in a satisfactory manner. In addition, in 34 mosques, 20 located in the Rawalpindi district, police guards were either not present or found not alert at the time of checking. Body search was not carried out in 52 mosques/imambargahs, including 28 in the Rawalpindi district. Checking through metal detectors was not carried out in 43 mosques/imambargahs and 28 of these were located in the Rawalpindi district.
KP CM hints at reopening of select few businesses PESHAWAR STAFF REPORT
RAWALPINDI: Food items are being prepared at a roadside stall for Iftar on Tuesday. PPI
PIMS doctor accuses management of endangering lives of staffers ISLAMABAD: A female doctor, who tested positive for coronavirus in Islamabad on Tuesday, has accused PIMS Hospital management of endangering the lives of healthcare professionals. In a video message, the doctor said that a medic had tested positive for the virus three days ago, but the management didn’t seal Maternal and Child Healthcare Centre at the hospital. She said she had symptoms and fever for the past three days but she still came to discharge her duties. “I have been locked up in this room since 6am in the morning,” the doctor said. She said the management was requested to seal the department but they didn’t take any measures. The hospital’s management, however, rejected the accusation. Dr Waseem Khawaja, the PIMS spokesperson, said they had set up a separate ward for the staff. Anyone, including nurses or doctors, who contracts the virus is placed in isolation, he added. STAFF REPORT
Two labourers die in Rawalpindi landslide RAWALPINDI: Two labourers died when a big landmass fell over them here on Tuesday, rescue sources said. According to the details, the incident took place in the basement of a private housing society near Sangjani Toll Plaza in Rawalpindi. A big land mass fell over the labourers engaged in digging the land, resultantly two labourers were trapped under the landmass and died before they could be rescued. The bodies were later pulled out and shifted to a hospital where they were handed over to heirs after post-mortem. INP
PTI govt failed to protect people from Covid-19 in KP: PPP leaders PESHAWAR STAFF REPORT
Senior leaders of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) have said that due to low testing capacity in the province, the number of Covid-19 patients is increasing. Addressing a press conference at the media office Islamabad on Tuesday, Engineer Hamayun Khan, Senator Rubina Khalid and Faisal Karim Kundi with Nazir Dhoki said that other than Peshawar no place in KP the tests are conducted and the numbers of patient are increasing with an alarming number of deaths. They were of the view that at a time when the entire world is appreciating Sindh government's response in dealing with the pandemic, the federal government is targeting Sindh government. The ministers found involved in corruption are being promoted and awarded a better ministry. No hospital in KP is providing free
treatment whereas in Sindh free treatment is being provided to every patient. The PPP leaders said that national assembly and senate are closed and how the budget will be passed. They said that similarly KP assembly is closed as well. Numerous doctors have tested positive of Covid-19 in KP because required PPEs have not been provided to the doctors. They alleged that Prime Minister Imran Khan has deputed his federal ministers to run a campaign against Sindh government. Several members of KP provincial assembly who belong to PTI are disappointed with the performance of PTI government and thinking of quitting the PTI. They accused federal government of failing to lead the fight against Covid-19. The PPP leaders said that situation is getting out of control of PTI provincial government in KP. All gynaecology hospitals have been closed including Lady Reading hospital Peshawar.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister (CM) Mahmood Khan has said that the provincial government is considering the option of opening a few essential businesses under a specific schedule subject to the implementation of Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs) and guidelines keeping in view the problems faced by the traders, business community and the general public in the current situation. "The government is working on devising a workable strategy to this effect and very soon, traders will get good news in this regard very soon," he added. Talking to a delegation of small traders of Peshawar city who had called on him at the Chief Minister's Secretariat here on Tuesday, the KP CM discussed matters related to the opening of some business units essential with regard to the month of Ramzan and the upcoming eid. The delegation comprised Malik Abdullah Khan Saraf, Zafar Khattak, Abdul Razaq Chitrali, Sheikh Razaq, Bashir Zada and others while Provincial Minister for Labour Shaukat Yousafzai and Principal Secretary to CM Shahab Ali Shah were also present on the occasion. Talking to the delegation, the chief minister said that the government fully realised the difficulties faced by the business community and general public, however, difficult decisions including the lockdown are meant to ensure the safety of all segments of society. He assured that the provincial government would do whatever it could to
mitigate the sufferings of the businesses community while ensuring the safety of the general public against coronavirus. “As per the Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan's vision, we are taking all the necessary measures to protect people from the corona pandemic as well as from hunger and starvation,” Mahmood Khan remarked. The delegation highly appreciated the provincial government’s step to resolve the issue faced by shopkeepers with regard to the payment of rents for shops which remained closed due to lockdown. The chief minister termed social distancing as of vital importance in containing the outbreak of coronavirus and urged representatives of shopkeepers and traders to play their role in the implementation of social distancing and other preventive measures in their respective circle of influence, adding that without the strict implementation of social distancing and other preventive measures, even slight ease in the lockdown will cause a huge loss if an outbreak happens "That would be a situation which we cannot afford," he said. “Containing the outbreak is the responsibility of not only the administration and police. It is the joint responsibility of all,” Mahmood Khan remarked, urging all segments of society to team with the administration in this regard. Members of the delegation thanked the chief minister for listening to their problems and assured their full support to the government in implementing the SoPs and guidelines.
KP lifts ban on private clinical practice PESHAWAR STAFF REPORT
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government on Tuesday lifted the ban on private clinical practice, linking it with the implementation on standard operating procedures (SOPs) and guidelines chalked out to contain the spread of coronavirus. According to a notification issued by KP Healthcare Commission, all reg-
istered healthcare establishments and clinics are allowed to provide medical services to public. However, the notification said, this permission is given over the condition of ensuring strict implementation of precautionary protocols of Covid-19. In March, the provincial healthcare department had slapped a ban on private practice in the wake of pandemic and declaration of emergency by the government.
Rising BJP-RSS fascism must be stopped in its tracks, says Masood MIRPUR APP
Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Sardar Masood Khan Tuesday said the rising fascism in a new garb projected by the current Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) government must be stopped in its tracks. The current fascist regime could come to an end if a truly democratic force rose in India, he said in a series of tweets, according to AJK Presidential Secretariat. Responding to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s accusation at the NonAligned Movement moot that “some
countries are spreading ‘other deadly viruses’ such as terrorism, fake news and doctored videos”, Sardar Masood said the allegations were "what you (Modi) and the RSS specializes in. Mo one would dare poach on your territory.” President Masood Khan in another tweet while responding to India’s strong protest with Pakistan over moves to hold elections in Gilgit Baltistan (GB), said, “India should vacate Occupied Jammu and Kashmir without caveats and qualifications. The people and the land are not part of the Indian Federation. End the occupation forthwith.” He said as an occupier it (India) had occupied an internationally recognized
disputed territory and had illegally called it an “integral part” of the Indian Union. The AJK president, in another tweet, categorically rejected British Labour Party Leader Sir Keir Starmer’s argument that Kashmir was a bilateral issue. Referring to a Kashmir conference held
last year in the House of Commons, hosted by Conservative MP Paul Bristow, he said the conference was attended by 50 MPs and Peers, majority Conservatives, followed by Labour, Lib-Dems and S&P. “Kashmir is a cross-party issue (in the UK),” he said. Masood Khan also extended his felicitations to Associated Press’s (AP) photographers Dar Yasin, Mukhtar Khan and Channi Anand who have been awarded the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for extraordinary photojournalism of the crisis and military lockdown in IOJK. “Bravo! … they put their lives at risk to cover brutal lockdown in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir”, said Masood Khan.
Wednesday, 6 May, 2020
GOVt lIkely tO PrOCure COttOn At rs4,000 Per 40kG iSLamaBad
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SHAHZAD PARACHA
hE federal government has decided to procure cotton from farmers at a price of Rs4,000 per 40kg in order to save the crop, sources revealed on Tuesday. The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet will discuss the intervention price for cotton crop 2020-21 today (Wednesday), before giving a final approval in this regard. This would be first time in history that the government would procure cotton crop. Sources said that the government was likely to give a 20 million cotton procurement target to the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP). Meanwhile, the Ministry of National Food, Security and Research would brief the ECC regarding wheat procurement by the public sector in 2019-20. As against the target of 8.2 million tonnes for FY20, the Cen-
tre and provinces have so far procured 3.4 million tonnes of wheat, besides issuing 5.7 million tonnes of bardana. KP and Balochistan have not procured any wheat so far, while Sindh has procured 0.706 million tonnes, Punjab 2.009 million tonnes and PASSCO 0.704 million tonnes. The ECC would also discuss the Ministry of Defence’s agenda with regard to the allocation of funds for the construction of a ‘special education school’ as well as provision of funds for
Pakistan to lose Rs628bn by June, says govt report Continued from page 01 As per the report, industrial units to be provided financial support in the form of incentive packages subject to an undertaking that no worker will be laid off during the stipulated period. It also recommended the suspension of EOBI; provincial social security; restoration of 10 per cent tax credit on machinery; revival of zero-rated regime for one year; extension in tax deadline by two months; extension in export finance scheme requirement to 360 days (already done up to 270 days). It said the government may allow the EFS to indirect exporters; grace period on LTFF loans; defer loan payments of PIA and resumption of flight operations. It further said the government sector entities [NBP, EOBI etc] must extend support to capital markets by investing in equities through mutual funds, urging that the CGT be reduced to 5pc. It said continuity of insurance service be ensured by including it
as an essential service by provincial and federal government in case of lockdown. It floated the utilization of electronic mediums for premium payments, claims handling and disbursements, policy documents delivery and other operational aspects of policies, increase in grace period for payment of renewal premiums to facilitate customers. It said the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) to all front-line health care workers and the provision of hospital equipment and diagnostic lab equipment was essential. It urged tax exemptions for IT companies so they could manage their cash flow and cost of service till June 2020, in addition to tax exemption on utilities and the internet till September 2020. It urged payment of past years tax refunds and disposal of tax disputes, except where there are gross contraventions established. The Ministry of Finance/FBR/SBP may explore the possibility of provision of incen-
‘major uplift of a telecom monitoring project’. Moreover, the committee would take up the issue of a technical supplementary grant (TSG) of Rs1.04 million as an assistance package for the family of late Raees Anwar Abbasi, ex-senior private secretary. It may also approve a TSG worth Rs12 million for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division as well as additional funds of Rs306 million for payment of dues on account of PM’s assistance
package. On the request of the interior ministry, the ECC is likely to allow additional budget estimates for MCI for the 2nd half of the financial year 2019-20. Incentive package for the national Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy, impact of coronavirus on Pakistan’s economy, and facilitation to port users/traders would also be deliberated on the occasion. In addition, the committee would take up issues regarding the vacation of land for construction of Eastbay Expressway of Gwadar Port currently in possession of Pakistan Coast Guard; criteria for disbursement of Rs100 billion and Rs200 billion syndicated term finance facility and Islamic Sukuk Facility, respectively, in the light of power sector audit report; conversion of Power holding Company’s debt into public debt; and issuance of new sovereign guarantee by the finance ministry in respect of fresh syndicated term finance facility for Rs41 billion through Power holding Limited.
tives to overseas employment promoters in the shape of the provision of tax relief, provision of interestfree funds to the tune of Rs 1 to 2 million to each promoter. Likewise, refineries may be asked to accept crude oil/condensate produced by E& P companies for smooth production of oil and gas, while import of oil and LNG may be reduced, oil marketing companies and refineries losses may be compensated to avoid the collapse of OMCs and refineries, close coordination with key suppliers (well owners) and government bodies to ensure streamline supply of natural gas and in case of stoppage of RLNG supplies, a company may have to declare force majeure. It said close coordination with the power sector and other stakeholders, reduced imports of other petroleum products, maximum utilization of LNG in power and fertilizer sectors and reduction in the production of natural gas where possible. It recommended options for distance learning to safeguard 350,000 students registered with the federal board and protecting the academic year. Similarly, it said in order to facilitate parents, monthly fee vouchers be issued electronically.
COVID-19: Pakistan’s exports plunge 54pc in April ISLAMABAD: Owing to the closure of global markets amid COVID-19 outbreak, Pakistan’s exports fell by a massive 54pc in April 2020, as compared to the same month of last year. According to the data released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the country’s exports stood at $957 million in April 2020, as compared to exports worth $2.089 billion in April 2019 and $1.8 billion in March 2020. On a cumulative basis, the country’s exports during the first 10 months (July-April) of the current fiscal year witnessed a decline of 3.92pc, from $19.1 billion to $18.4 billion. On the other hand, the country’s imports stood at $3.08 in April 2020 as compared to $4.7 billion last year, showing a decline of 34pc. On a cumulative basis, the country’s imports witnessed a 16.5pc fall during the first 10 months of the ongoing year, from $45.3 billion in 10MFY19 to $37.9 billion. GHULAM ABBAS
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister’s focal person on Corona Philanthropy drive, Khurshid Alam called on President Dr Arif Alvi at the Aiwan-e-Sadr.
NEWS
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India declares entire held Kashmir Continued from page 01 India has extended its lockdown until May 17 but lifted some restrictions. According to NDTV, guidelines issued by the country’s health ministry have permitted intra-district movement in orange zones while delivery services for essential items have also been allowed to resume. Offices are also allowed to resume work but with a limitation of 30 per cent of the original workforce. The restrictions in green zones have been eased further with all shops except those prohibited by the union territory allowed to reopen. Indian media reports suggest the region has 726 virus cases and eight deaths so far. Meanwhile, long-running curbs on the internet have prevented those living in the Indian occupied region from accessing information about the coronavirus. The scenic valley has been tense since New Delhi stripped it of autonomy and statehood in August last year. Authorities detained thousands and introduced one of the world’s longest-running internet shutdowns, only restoring limited 2G mobile internet service in January. Dr Suhail Naik, president of the main doctors’ association in India-occupied Kashmir, said education drives seen elsewhere in India about the
symptoms of the virus are impossible to run in the region. “We want to educate people through videos, which is not possible at 2G speed. We are handicapped in the absence of high-speed internet,” he said. In a letter to officials, human rights group the Internet Freedom Foundation said internet speeds in Kashmir were “woefully insufficient” to spread the message around combating the coronavirus threat. In March, Pakistan had called on India to lift the communication blockade imposed in occupied Kashmir and ensure supplies of essential commodities in the valley to contain the spread of Covid-19 and mitigate the suffering of Kashmiris. The Indian government had on August 5, 2019, repealed Article 370 of its constitution, stripping occupied Kashmir of its special status. It also divided up occupied Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories; one Jammu and Kashmir, and the other the Buddhist-dominated high altitude region of Ladakh. The bifurcation of the territory came into effect on October 31 last year. A strict lockdown and communications blackout has been in place in occupied Kashmir since August last year, with reports suggesting limited mobile data services and internet were temporarily restored in the region in January.
Wednesday, 6 May, 2020
06 COMMENT
The silver lining
From NCC to the Supreme Court Life under lockdown
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S Prime Minister Imran Khan led his crusade against the lockdown that had been enforced by the PPP government in Sindh, the National Coordination Committee (NCC) overruled him by enforcing the lockdown in provinces ruled by the PTI also. An inflexible PM however continued to call the necessary measure the brainchild of a panic-stricken elite. There are many who think that if the lockdown not been enforced, the number of those affected and dead would have been much higher. The establishment of the NCC and National Command and operation Centre ensured a smooth and efficient decision making, but failed to ease the tensions between the PTI’s federal government and the PPP’s Sind administration. Mr Khan meanwhile has continued to politicize the coronavirus issue. He told Sindh government to choose its own course if it liked, and when the provincial Chief Minster insisted on having a national policy, he was accused of making the demand to hide his failures. An attempt is being made to induct the controversial Corona relief Tiger Force (CrTF) into Sindh against the wishes of the provincial government. To evolve a national consensus on important issues like the covid-19 pandemic, the opposition demanded convening Parliament. PTI supporters maintained that it was not possible to hold the session under the peculiar circumstances which required social distancing. Instead the federal government preferred to rule through executive orders. Now the Supreme Court has expressed dismay over the shutting down of business activities by the provincial governments, thus unilaterally encroaching upon the revenue generation domain of the federation, and opening business or trade on receiving applications. but its strictest observations were reserved for those with hubris and arrogance. The apex court stressed the need for coordination between the Centre and the provinces. It also expressed the hope that the respective governments would sit together to frame a uniform national policy. The SC was not satisfied with the outcome of the NCC meetings which did not go beyond prescribing SoPs instead of adopting a proper policy. The Court stressed that executive orders were meaningless until the government goes for legislation through consensus. The government would do well to take the observations as straws in the wind.
Being in lockdown is not all bad Ramla naqvI
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oVID-19 started as an influenza infection in the wet market of Wuhan, China and turned into be a pandemic which is gradually changing over into one of the biggest humanitarian crises. It has changed the world in so many ways. Life has halted. Schools are empty. offices are closed. The Internet is breaking. Markets are shut. Malls are deserted. business is kicking the bucket. Weddings are postponed. Honeymoons are cancelled. Hospitals are full. People are dying. Clothing brands are making hospital suits. The social media are full of memes. News channels are asking viewers to share their videos because they are running out of the news. old opportunities are ending but the new ones are in the making. Furthermore, the human being steps back while nature is free after centuries. We all are aware that our best contribution can only be to sit home and do nothing. It is undeniably a house-arrest situation for everyone: a challenge for working-class people, especially for the daily wagers, already bad news for those who are living in abusive relationships, and the families of health care workers are at stake by now. but this is the only way to end the tempest. besides, this ballgame is also resulting in a change in lifestyle from “taking your own responsibility” to “it’s the administration’s obligation”. Well played Corona! you have subverted the realities so quickly. The world has become a drama, wher, we the actors have become spectators and the spectators are going to act (since it is our governments’ job to facilitate the masses). Also, you made boris Johnson locate the money-tree Theresa May talked about. It’s a panicking situation for all but it has a brighter side: Lockdown has become a phase in our lives when we can remain at home, invest energy with family, follow an old hobby or make a new one, and learn new things. We do not have to go out and follow the day-by-day schedule we generally bunk about. It is the well- needed break of our lifetimes that we always longed for but never imagined being able to procure. oh! Quarantine, what have you done to us? you carried us to an imaginary world, we are not prepared for. you request us to remain at home, while we are edgy to go out. you need us not to socialize: that we never cherished, yet we are desperate for it. you are allowing us to pull back and we want
Telemedicine Essential during a pandemic
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AKISTAN has an underfunded, ill-equipped and highly politicized public health system. It is a result of years of insufficient budgetary allocation and attention paid to the health sector. The coronavirus pandemic has further exposed the reality of the public health sector; lack of capacity in terms of infrastructure and medical professionals. Countries with some of the most advanced, well-funded and resourceful state health systems, such as the UK, Italy and the USA, have faltered under the overwhelming volume of patients infected with the novel coronavirus. Pakistan has so far not seen such an uncontrollable flow of patients into hospitals with limited beds and while one can hope and pray that it does not happen, complacency in this regard would be criminal. With the focus of all major government hospitals solely on treating covid-19 patients, a significant number of patients with other conditions are being neglected as a majority of public and private out-patient departments (oPDs) are closed. This was to be expected since time is usually not on the side of coronavirus-infected patients and especially those most at risk, having other underlying conditions, are getting priority care. other diseases and chronic conditions have of course not gone on a hiatus and hence require medical attention too. one way to attend to noncoronavirus patients is through telemedicine, that is, online consultations with medical professionals. At the moment this service is only being provided by private hospitals and clinics, some of whom were already in the telemedicine business and had the infrastructure ready. but they are having trouble meeting increased demand with some saying the influx of calls for consultations has gone up ten-fold. This is where the state has to step in and play its role in guaranteeing medical attention to patients who want to avoid a hospital visit for minor medical issues or are unable to find an open oPD willing to see them. SAPM on Health Dr Zafar Mirza has claimed that 900 of the 17,000 health care providers who have enrolled for the Prime Minister’s ‘Corona relief Tiger Force’ will offer their services to telemedicine. If this is the case then what exactly is the delay in deploying these available resources? The Tiger Force is also voluntary, which will result in a limited number of healthcare providers opting for practicing medicine online. The PTI government has national television and radio, multiple teams dedicated to online promotion of the party and apparently thousands of healthcare workers at its disposal. It can surely put all these resources to better use by providing healthcare through telemedicine to the general public.
‘My pen isn’t a slave’ Ihsaan afzal Khan
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obbery does not only include taking possession of things forcibly but in my opinion it also involves suppression of opinion. If you hold an opinion that can have a positive impact on an individual or a community or even the whole of mankind, and if some bigoted and demagogue authoritarian won’t let you do, then this is robbery too. David boucher in his book illustrates JS Mill’s On Liberty indicating the downsides of suppressing opinions. He said “To silence an opinion or idea is to rob”. It is not robbing an individual only who holds that opinion but may be the whole of mankind. If the opinion or idea is right, the loss it pertains is obvious and if it is wrong, one would lose the chance to make a clearer perception of the difference between right and wrong. Freedom of media holds the aforementioned statement in much bigger spectrum. Media freedom derives from the right to opinion and free flow of information. Dissemination of free flow of opinions, ideas, information, is of crucial importance as this procedure includes everybody and lets them become more acquainted with everything. The menace of media suppression has been looming over Pakistan since long. The Quaid-e-Azam, said “I expect the press to be completely fearless”, but from its creation of Pakistan Television renounced it, as its start marked with the government control. Military regimes in Pakistan have incredibly harmed the freedom of press in Pakistan. black laws were designed like the Press and Publications ordinance 1963. The media freedom has been sabotaged by different attempts in the name of national interests. Many media talk shows and channels were shut down and jammed respectively who showed resistance against suppression. This practice still keeps overlooking the way that media freedom plays a crucial role in the development of democracy, which results in real development. Journalists have been killed and the exemptions enjoyed by the murderers of journalists in Pakistan is also one of the highest in the world.
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show that Imran Khan is not piloting the fighter jet of the nation as he is listening to himself only and all suggestions to him fall on deaf ears. The Dunning-Kruger effect on him has affected the whole nation drastically. The suppression of journalists and their murders expose rulers as enemies of a free press. Jamal Khashoggi’s body has never been found but his In true democratic states, press freedom is rec- legacy should not stop there. If any of the rulers ognized as the backbone of democracy. on the other thinks that suppression or death would silence a hand, in Pakistan, press freedom rank is declining critic, they grossly miscalculate then. outpouring continuously. reporters sans Frontières (reporters of outrageous posts on social media, gatherings outWithout borders), a leading international non-profit side press clubs around the world and a rash of arand non-governmental organization, has published ticles and public notice by political leaders marks Press Freedom Index 2020, which ranks 180 coun- the importance of press freedom among people. tries and regions according to the standard and level one would get goosebumps on hearing that these of freedom available to journalists. Unfortunately, suppressions and killings are not only because Pakistan has been ranked 145th, one of the lowest pressmen criticize openly, but also in light of the rankings. It has declined from 142 in last year and fact that the governments trace their activities and 139 in 2018. This time movements through the Prime Minister Imran use of digital surveilKhan’s statements do lance. it involves very not remain mere statesignificant risks with reNow, the point to ponder is “What ments but even hold a gard to respect for priworse position as he vacy and individual will freedom of information, acted opposite to them. freedoms. These centralThe report analysis illusizations, God forbid, if pluralism and reliability look like in trates that reporters are retained far into the futhreatened and media the post-pandemic era?” as ture, would have lasting channels are jammed, consequences. Pakistan governments are now officially which give a platform to politically lacks proper the opposition or which investigations and prosusing digital and mass surveillance criticize the establishecutions of those rement openly and fearto curb the Coronavirus? Would they sponsible for physical, lessly. Voices of legal and digital attacks stop using this menace afterwards? on journalists. Along progressive bodies are forcibly halted by not with the media, we as giving them space in any the community must platform. Press in Pakalso take the initiative, istan has remained hostage to bigoted propaganda or it would be too late. To this end, the media must of the state machinery. have the necessary awareness of the threats faced Dissenting journalists find Pakistan one of the and the willingness to address them. Finally, joint most dangerous countries for themselves. Compat- advocacy is required on this important issue to stop ible to the expectations, The PTI regime has proved press suppression and to stop the prevalence of fake even worse than previous dictators’ regimes. For- news. Now, the point to ponder is “What will freeeign journalists Steven butler was refused entry to dom of information, pluralism and reliability look the country when he came to attend the Asma Ja- like in the post-pandemic era?” as governments are hangir Conference and found he had been placed now officially using digital and mass surveillance on “stop list” on his arrival at Lahore Airport. Mir to curb the Coronavirus? Would they stop using this Shakeel ur rehman, owner of private media group, menace afterwards? The answer to this question is was arrested on a 34-year-old case, just because of yet to be determined. his dissenting TV shows. The immunity given to murderers of journalists is also noteworthy, as four Ihsaan Afzal Khan is a business executive with men were released in the Daniel Pearl case, but exposure in health, education, power distribution and were rearrested on foreign pressure. These incidents manufacturing.
Press freedom is essential for democracy
Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami
Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad
to push ahead, as we are an addict for the hustle-bus- Let the wind blow and the herb grow! Let the rhino sleep carelessly! Let the birds sing their songs! Let tle, not for tranquillity. The other side of the coin is lit. The sky is be- the swans make love, till grandma leaves her castle. It is bitter of anybody to idealize this catastrophe coming blue again and the air quality is increasing. A significant drop in No2, an industrial pollutant, and to not consider around 250,000 dead individuals around the world has been noticed as chimineas are and around 3.7 million affected individuals around the not puking fumes now. Co2 emission is estimated re- world, or to not stress over his nation’s shaking econduced by 35-50 percent due to lesser traffic on roads. omy. Still, as hope, we should experience this time difThis can further lead to a noticeable drop in Co2 in ferently. We can be more liberated while being caged. the coming weeks. These figures are solely based on We see rain day by day, smell the fresh-cut grass in my mowed lawn, feel the the nature of lockdown in spring sneaking into the a certain area. No doubt, summer, and hear the depending on how the children playing cricket pandemic ends, these figThis summer, we should randomly on the road consistently, ures may also follow top of all, we see famNewton’s third law of admire the uncountable blessings of on ilies spending time tomotion. Moreover, the water is becoming clear God. We should express the deepest gether. This moment can be the bout to clear our due to less human activgratitude toward Him for keeping us bucket-list, to hold a ity. Swans are (famously) brush and paint our heart returning to the Venice and our beloved ones protected out, to observe things and water channel. I hope, we write about them, to think may see improvement in from infection, for providing us about old times, regretthe declining coral reefs ting past choices and takof oceans. The coronbread and shelter, to choose us to ing the responsibility of avirus is doing what help others, for giving us the power their consequences, to Greta Thunberg has been blacken all the diaries we aiming at for two years to make opinions, for giving us a ever bought, to read all now (or maybe trying to the books we never aim at). It can be aschance to build a better society, to opened, to not dress up sumed that quarantine is allow us an opportunity to advocate and go to the workplace more suited to nature as a daily routine, to not than human beings. Napeace at another level worry about upgrading ture is enjoying its very the wardrobe with a new freedom while man is summer lawn collection, caged inside. Not only because this season, we human beings, this virus barely will get the chance to show off. This summer, has eventually brought Mother earth to an interval. The human being is a freaky creature. It cuts a we should randomly admire the uncountable blessings whole jungle, makes a new town and creates a central of God. We should express the deepest gratitude topark to proclaim its love for nature. It puts the ani- ward Him for keeping us and our beloved ones promals on display behind the bars and calls them his tected from infection, for providing us bread and property. Political holding and the diplomatic ex- shelter, to choose us to help others, for giving us the change of animals are still subject to question. Just as power to make opinions, for giving us a chance to China is known to retain all the pandas in the world build a better society, to allow us an opportunity to adand the Queen’s ownership of all the mute swans is vocate peace at another level. This year, the summer not new knowledge to us. The Novel coronavirus has is going to be a whole new experience, because we shown us a rare scene: while the Chinese are under will find the silver lining of the cloud. self-observation, the pandas pandiculate, swans roam Ramla Naqvi is a freelance writer, teacher, and Italian waterways, turtles make their way back to beaches, trees grow their branches as they like. It blogger from Lahore. She can be reached on feels like civilization winces when beauty comes in. rmla.nqvi@gmail.com
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Wednesday, 6 May, 2020
COMMENT 07 Editor’s mail Send your letters to: Letters to editor, Pakistan Today, 4-Shaarey Fatima jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan. E-mail: letters@pakistantoday.com.pk Letters should be addressed to Pakistan Today exclusively
Future of B.A/ ADP students at stake
Pragmatic approach against the coronavirus Can the country afford a long lockdown?
malIK muhammad ashRaf
E
Ver since the beginning of the onslaught of the coronavirus and its worldwide impact, a debate has been raging about whether it was important to lay utmost emphasis on saving human lives through complete lockdowns or preventing the collapse of the economy because of its unbearable impact on the social and economic situation of the masses. Some have advocated a strict lockdown like the one employed by China in Wuhan and other areas of the country affected by the virus which has enabled her to successfully contain the contagion. That argument is exclusively premised on the success demonstrated by the adoption of complete lockdown. However that argument completely neglects the fact that a policy and strategy adopted in one particular country in regards to a common challenge cannot be applied lock, stock and barrel in other countries with completely different social, cultural and economic realities. However there is a consensus on the need for containment through a combination of lockdowns and strategies to keep the economies going to be able to absorb the shockwaves unleashed by the coronavirus. That is the reason different countries, while recognizing the need for such an approach, have applied it with different variations relevant to their own peculiar situations. That is what is called pragmatism. In Pakistan also, the government has adopted a pragmatic approach in dealing with the situation. Prime Minister Imran Khan, right from the beginning, has been of the firm opinion that the country, because of its fragile economy and the prevailing social realities, could not afford a complete shutdown. He has persistently maintained this position in spite of criticism from different quarters, including his political opponents. The government, while announcing a partial lockdown, made sure that some crucial sectors of the economy were kept going. It also announced a stimulus and relief package of rs
1200 billion for some sectors of the economy concerns their lives, but also the survival of the and providing relief to the poor segments of the country as a vibrant entity. The media is continsociety like the daily wagers, as well as for those uously pointing it out and the pictures published who have lost their jobs due to the closure of in the newspapers depicting violation of social certain businesses and industries. The reduction distancing in the markets and public places are in the petroleum prices also is a welcome step really very disturbing, to say the least. We are lucky that the impact of the coronas it would surely help in containing inflation and making the lives of the people less miserable avirus in Pakistan has not been as cataclysmic than they are at the moment. The Prime Minister as in other countries so far. but the fact is that is also rightly contemplating to further ease the our health system, notwithstanding the fact that situation by opening more industries and busi- the government is continuously striving to expand the facilities to fight the virus, is yet not nesses. He is proven right by the fact that even capable of dealing with an exponential increase most of the affluent and developed nations in the affected people. our economy is also not which are worst affected by the virus, have also in a position to bear the costs involved if the now decided to open up their economies real- problem lingers on for an indefinite period. even it is controlled izing the fact that within the next six they could not keep months or so, life them shut for long will never be the periods of time. If A number of countries have same. It might take they cannot afford years for economies to practice even positively responded to the like Pakistan’s, and partial lockdowns initiative taken by the Prime those of other develindefinitely, then oping countries, to how can countries Minister in lobbying the rich regain their momenlike Pakistan do it? Federal Minister countries for writing off the loans of tum. Prime Minister Imran Khan rightly for Planning, Dedeveloping countries. He must has been urging the velopment and Speaffluent nations and cial Initiatives Asad continue to pursue this goal with the international Umar addressing a lending institutions news conference on greater intensity and perhaps it to write off the loans Sunday revealed would be advisable to involve the of the developing that according to countries to enable different researches UN Secretary General in this effort. them to not only and surveys carried themselves out by PIDe and In view of the fact that the Secretary save from the adverse imGallup, 18 million pact of the coronpeople may lose General has already complained avirus but also to jobs and between about inadequate support to the make required con20-70 million could tribution to the overbe pushed below poor and developing countries by all global effort in the poverty line due to continued lockthe developed nations, he might be this regard. I do not think that merely acdowns. He also requite receptive to this idea cording a moratovealed a drop of rs rium on the 119 billion on the payments of loans revenue collection by the developing in just one month. but the dilemma is that the government also countries by G 20, World bank, IMF and ADb cannot completely ease the lockdown as it is going to help much in that regard. A number of countries have positively rewould surely put lot of strain on our health system. There is therefore a need to strike a bal- sponded to the initiative taken by the Prime Minance between keeping the economy going and ister in lobbying the rich countries for writing pursuing containment of the contagion. Proba- off the loans of developing countries. He must bly the strategy of smart lockdown devised by continue to pursue this goal with greater intenthe government is a pragmatic and much sity and perhaps it would be advisable to involve the UN Secretary General in this effort. In view needed response. However the success of this strategy de- of the fact that the Secretary General has already pends on strict observance of social distancing complained about inadequate support to the poor by the people. No policy or strategy of the gov- and developing countries by the developed naernment can succeed without people cooperating tions, he might be quite receptive to this idea. voluntarily in their own and the country’s inter- His joining forces with the move could help in est. but it is regrettable to point out that so far achieving a positive outcome. the public has not shown the kind of social reMalik Muhammad Ashraf is an academic. sponsibility and awareness to fight an unprecedented challenge of the century which not only he can be contacted at: ashpak10@gmail.com.
oNLINe education system and the contemporanous Pakistani social setup, compatible or incompatible ? every societal setup has its own pros and cons .What’s applicable in one civilisation may not necessarily be applicable in others as the environmental and social settings vary considerably .The social order of the monetarily sound and developed Western nation-states has been synchronized with online education system but has our social setup been preconditioned with it? Can we see the preconditions and prerequisites of such a scheme in Pakistan at present ? obviously for an overwhelmingly small yet immensly privelleged class, linked with high budgeted academic institutions (even international ones) it is suitable . but what about the rest- the majority ? The management of Punjab University, Lahore , one of the lagest and oldest varsities of Pakistan is yet to make a declaration about the future of the pupils .Hearsays and rumours have been circulating that online examination would be conducted for all the ADP/b.A candidates which seemingly would result in a mess as the students as well as the administrative officials aren’t that equipped with such technological skills as to enable them to make the process happen smoothly and flawlessly . This has resulted in bewilderment and perplexity among the baccalurate students .It would be much better to postpone the examination till the end of the pandemic and then conduct it on the traditional pattern . The second apt option is to promote the students to the next stage on the basis of ther past(intermediate) result percentage . otherwise we may see a tremendously large amount of students failing miserably just because of the newly introduced system as they may not be able to appropriately deal with it . The pupils have never had experienced such a channel before . We are lagging far behind in terms of resources , skills and experience when it comes to online examination. MuhAMMAd AhMAd QASMI (M.A.Q) Chiniot
Pandemic and society WITHIN the span of few months CoVID19 has left impacts on different segments of Human Society. Those impacts are negating as well as optimistic too. Lockdown across the globe has circumscribed people to their hearths and they are compelled to amend their way of life. Underprivileged section of our society which includes laborers and especially those who owe an insecure job are exaggerated most by this strategy of lock down. business, mega investments and projects standstill because of this ensuing cataclysm. We can say that our social system has almost come to naught, there are many sectors which we have start from where it were. And then there are few facts and figures which are quite motivating and will give us hope to be robust against this purling wave of awfulness. Apart from domestic violence and cybercrime the Proportion of other criminal activities have diminished globally. In accordance with an American news agency report surprising decline has been witnessed in the ratio of different traditional crimes in all states of the country. For the first time in 63 years no FIr of murder has been register in the state of Florida during past 50 days. A report issued by Head of National police chiefs U.K suggest that alike other countries of the world U.K has also observed decline in street crimes. Though incidents of domestic violence have increased than humdrum. In countries like South Africa, Italy, France, china, bangladesh, India and Pakistan the statistics of criminal activities are quite encouraging. even the toughest task gets easier when one gets the chance of fulfilling it in a favorable atmosphere, the stress of workload has almost vanished after the trend of working from home. KAMRAN KhAMISO KhOwAjA Sujawal
Fate of students WITH Corona Virus cases increasing dad by day and no hope of decreasing there is no idea when would this lockdown be lifted. Due to this reason the fate of students at intermediate and matric level is at risk. They are worried about their future. False news is spreading that on the basis of their academic performance they will be given grades. No one is sure that a student who performed poorly previously would not do well in future and vice versa. If the exams get cancelled they will lack behind their studies and the year would be wasted. There is no surety how much further the exams will be delayed. Students are only hoping and praying for this Corona curse to be lifted so that they could go back to their normal routine. TehReeM TARIQ Islamabad
Online classes THe normal class setup is perfect if you are the the average student and started straight out of high school. However, if you are a non-traditional student you are slightly hindered by the class choices presented to you. According to the Higher education Commission of Pakistan, a nontraditional student is largely categorized as someone over the age of 24. These students typically have families that impact their ability to successfully complete a higher education and/or work full time. As a nontraditional student, I feel that if universities were to expand on the selection of online classes, enrollment would go up for those nontraditional students. UT currently offers only a select few online courses, especially compared to other schools. on the other hand many college students and their dad and mom are of the opinion that online training are pressure approaches by non-public universities to extract prices. If these institutions are so involved approximately training they ought to waive the expenses altogether after which ask the federal and provincial authorities for compensation.I can say with full authority that private universities are continuously deleting students’ remarks on charge submission posts that they add on their reliable pages. The universities maintain taking online classes no matter receiving intensive negative remarks about online lessons. The federal and provincial governments need to formulate a wellthought policy at the issue. To do so, they have to answer the subsequent queries: what about college students who have lower back to their houses in small towns and villages. How are they going to take online lessons? People in many large cities don’t have stable Internet. How can college students in rural areas access online schooling? Since absolutely everyone is at home, Internet connections are giving greater trouble. TAhIR AyAz Islamabad
Wednesday, 6 May, 2020
08 WORLD VIEW
15 funerals a day: The pace of deaTh sTuns Brooklyn MusliMs AL-RAYAAN MUSLIM FUNERAL SERVICES HAS TURNED TO FAMILY MEMBERS AND FELLOW MOURNERS TO OFFER PRAYERS AND MOVE BODIES
New YoRk Times
a
TOdd HEislER
LL day long, wood coffins are carried in and out of Al-Rayaan Muslim Funeral Services in Brooklyn. What is meant to be a peaceful, reflective moment for grieving families has given way to a chaotic rhythm. Workers climb into a refrigerated truck and carefully carry the dead into the funeral home for a prayer, then back out to be transported to their final resting place. They do this an average of 15 times a day in recent weeks. Before coronavirus hit, the home was holding only 20 to 30 funerals a month.
Outside the home on this stretch of Coney Island Avenue, families gather in small clusters waiting for their turn for a viewing. Many of the dead are immigrants from Pakistan and Bangladesh, and some don’t have family in the United States. Mourners nearby are asked to join in the recitation of the Janazah — a Muslim funeral prayer. Since the coronavirus took hold of New York in March, burial rituals in the city have become more complicated. Funeral homes everywhere are backed up and overwhelmed. Many, like Al-Rayaan, have had to rely on refrigerated trucks to store the dead since social distancing restrictions, along with a significant spike in the number of deaths in the city, slowed down the pace of burials. It’s particularly disruptive for Muslims, who rarely practice embalming and whose religion dictates that the dead must be buried quickly. “The earth is waiting. Allah is asking for that person to be buried as soon as possible. You never want that grave to wait for you,” said Zafar Iqbal, who owns Al-Rayaan with his brother in law, Imtiaz Ahmed.
Mr. Ahmed, an immigrant from Pakistan who used to drive a taxi, was initially reluctant to enter the funeral business. But his brother-in-law persuaded him, and three years ago they started Al-Rayaan. They chose the narrow storefront on Coney Island Avenue partly because of its proximity to the mosque next door. “I’m the guy who didn’t want to do this. Now I’m the guy who manages everything here,” Mr. Ahmed said. Despite the grueling pace, Mr. Ahmed knows he is serving his community in a time of need. When the pandemic took hold in March, many of his workers, afraid of catching the virus, stopped coming to work. Family and friends have since stepped in to help handle the arduous task of keeping up with the pace of death. “It’s not easy for any funeral home to take 15 funerals a day,” Mr. Ahmed said. Mr. Ahmed’s family has been working at Al-Rayaan to help keep up with the number of funerals, which has risen to about 15 each day, compared to 20 to 30 a month before the coronavirus arrived. In the last two months they have buried
The world order is broken
New Republic KATE ARONOFF
Ecuador is home to the highest per-capita death toll from Covid-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean. Its largest city and commercial hub, Guayaquil, has seen a fivefold increase in mortality rates, with reports of corpses abandoned in the streets. The country entered into a recession after the price of oil—Ecuador’s largest single revenue source—crashed in 2014; amid a global demand drop and price wars, it’s now crashing again. Ecuador could soon come second only to Venezuela in terms of the dire economic outlooks in South America. President Lenín Moreno, meanwhile, has committed to paying off a $4.2 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund. Toward that end, he slashed investments in the public health system by 36 percent in 2019, part of a wave of cuts that sparked nationwide protests last October. This year, 3,680 people were laid off from the country’s health ministry. Buckling under a $17 billion debt load, much of it held by Wall Street, the government struck a deal with bondholders that may only postpone until August what many fear is coming: default. Ecuador is one of many places, then, where public health and debt crises are inflaming one another. The scale of global devastation predicted to flow from the coronavirus crisis is almost unfathomable. As the death toll worldwide stretched past 165,000, the IMF last week projected an economic downturn 30 percent worse than the 2009 financial crisis and a $9 trillion hit to global gross domestic product. As with the climate crisis—the total scale of which will dwarf the ripples of Covid-19—the impact of this upheaval will be felt disproportionately through the so-called global south: emerging and developing economies frequently located in the tropics or the southern hemisphere. More capital has fled from poorer nations in the last three months than in any year on record, and the value of some Southern currencies has slid as much as 30 percent against an increasingly strong U.S. dollar. With demand and supply both seizing up generally, countries that were already struggling to make sovereign debt payments could soon face catastrophe. As commodity prices tank, economies whose finances rely heavily on resource extraction, who were already facing headwinds before the shutdowns and price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia, are being hit especially hard.
“Ecuador never recovered to anything like the commodity boom moment of growth. The long fallout from the [2014] oil price crash is still very much setting constraints on the government,” said Providence College political scientist Thea Riofrancos, whose research has tracked the country’s resource politics. “The oil crash recession is completely gutting their revenues.” They’re not alone. Nigeria—where oil accounts for over 60 percent of government income—is scrambling to make $7 billion in debt payments this year. Iraq had planned on covering 95 percent of its budget with oil revenues, assuming a $56 price per barrel; as of Tuesday evening, Brent Crude, the international price benchmark, was below $20 a barrel. The IMF recently likened the economic fallout from the coronavirus to the Great Depression. But “there’s no Great Depression–like policy response, at least not to developing countries,” Richard Kozul-Wright, chief economist for the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development told me. “There’s a huge disconnect between the rhetoric of this being a once-in-a-lifetime global crisis and the kinds of things the leadership of the advanced economies seems to be willing to contemplate.” Some initial steps have been taken to stop the bleeding. The G20 nations last week committed to a temporary moratorium on $20 billion worth of private and bilateral debt. With the group’s backing, the IMF and World Bank then announced that 77 of the world’s poorest countries would be eligible for a debt suspension from May 1 through the end of the year, with no clear next steps yet for the larger group of indebted nations. The IMF pledged around $215 million in grants to cover an initial list of 25 countries’ debt payments for the next six months and potentially up to two years; it has also encouraged countries to spend as much as is needed to deal with the crisis. And the IMF and World Bank have begun dispatching aid, with the former announcing it will issue $132 million worth of “pandemic bonds” over the weekend. These policies, however, are operating on the assumption that things will bounce back to normal after this pandemic passes—a mythical “v-shaped” recovery, about which there are plenty of reasons to be skeptical. And given our warming climate, we can expect more destructive shocks to the system coming in the not-too-distant future; if normal was bad for low-income countries before, it won’t get better as seas rise. The current IMF and World Bank coronavirus response amounts to kicking the can of unsustainable debt burdens down a road filled with evermore-expensive crises. The international financial system was due for a reckoning before the coronavirus hit. Its job now is to ensure there’s one capable of being salvaged on the other end of this spring’s shutdowns. As poor countries know all too well, not all debts are created equal. In the name of keeping the financial system afloat, the Federal Reserve has extended a gigantic helping hand to overleveraged corporations that have lived large on cheap debt furnished by low interest rates and quantitative easing enacted
after the last crash. Indebted economies in the global south, meanwhile, have so far received only temporary relief that could lead to more suffering down the line. Because of the superabundance of dollar-dominated debt issued around the world (it’s the world’s reserve currency), the Fed holds powerful sway over the functioning of the global economy. In dollarized economies like Ecuador, it has virtually total control over monetary policy. Elsewhere, however, the Fed chooses when to extend socalled “swap lines” to other central banks, exchanging lines of credit in respective currencies with the goal of making dollars less scarce; while the list of central banks who enjoy a credit line with the Fed has been expanded of late, low- and middle-income countries—with the exceptions of Mexico and Brazil—still haven’t made the cut. Critics say much bolder action is needed to prevent outright economic catastrophe in the so-called developing world, especially from multilateral institutions. This crisis in particular highlights the need to develop an international financial system that’s fit for the twenty-first century. The kind of World Bank and IMF structural adjustment packages imposed since the 1970s have pushed lean public budgets, encouraging states to privatize key public services like health care in the name of servicing their debts. Punishing austerity packages sent down from on high, from institutions largely controlled by the world’s wealthiest nations, also stand at cross-purposes with tackling public health crises. A World Bank–negotiated public-private partnership in Lesotho (GDP $2.7 billion) in 2011 to modernize the tiny country’s health care system committed its Ministry of Health to a $32.6 million-ayear, 18-year contract with Netcare, the largest private hospital operator in the U.K. and South Africa. It cost $100 million just to build. Just 4 percent of costs for the facility were furnished by Netcare, with the rest falling on the Lesotho government and the Government Development Bank of South Africa. “The cost of the new hospital is depriving the entire health system,” one local administrator complained. Of 121 low- and middle-income countries whose finances were analyzed by the Jubilee Debt Campaign, 64 spent public money servicing debts rather than on their health care systems. These austerian impulses aren’t any better suited to deal with the climate crisis than they are to deal with a pandemic. For countries looking to grow debt-servicing revenue by any means necessary, selling off all manner of drilling rights to multinational fossil fuel companies offers a quick buck at a high cost to the planet. And shrinking budgets for things like infrastructure and emergency services can also hamper recovery when climate-exacerbated disasters strike. Without another source of funds on offer, gas-rich Mozambique—home to massive ExxonMobil, BP, and Shell drilling operations—was forced to take out an IMF loan of $118 million in the aftermath of Cyclone Idai last year. Debt relief and adequate funding for climate adaptation, mitigation, and recovery have
Mr Ahmed’s family has been working at Al-Rayaan to help keep up with the number of funerals, which has risen to about 15 each day, compared to 20 to 30 a month before the coronavirus arrived.
200 people, including many who died from Covid-19. There was Ferzana Ahsan, a pharmacist from Pakistan; Aurangzabe Iqbal, a green taxi driver and father of four whose body was shipped to his native Pakistan a day before his 40th birthday; and Ferdous Hasan, whose family in Bangladesh arranged for him to be buried in New Jersey. Last Tuesday, as the last minivan of the day drove away from Al-Rayaan, Mr. Ahmed
stood alone on the sidewalk. The afternoon sun warmed the air as he enjoyed a rare moment of quiet. After moving 14 bodies that day, including seven that were shipped back to Pakistan and the others destined for cemeteries in New Jersey and Long Island, he was hoping to call it an early day for once. “Death is certain. It doesn’t matter if there’s an epidemic or not,” he said. Then a visitor arrived and his phone rang. He went back inside.
been key demands of climate campaigners from the global south in U.N. climate talks— and among the points wealthy global north nations, including the United States, have reliably pushed back most strongly against. The World Bank, meanwhile, has pushed for loans to be a substantial piece of climate finance, potentially adding new principals, interest, and fees onto the balance sheets of already indebted countries. “It’s their knee-jerk response to all of these problems,” Lidy Nacpil, director of the Asian Peoples’ Movement on Debt and Development, told me. “You can’t solve a problem by creating another problem, and that’s what’s being created by lending for climate action.” It’s also, she said, “a subversion of the principle of climate finance,” which in theory should be “a form of compensation for the fact that all these rich countries are primarily the ones responsible for climate change.” As ActionAid’s Brandon Wu recently pointed out, current World Bank head David Malpass couldn’t help but slip into the language of market-friendly structural adjustment in March even while appearing to extend a helping hand on the coronavirus. “Countries will need to implement structural reforms to help shorten the time to recovery and create confidence that the recovery can be strong,” he told a G20 finance ministers’ conference call. “For those countries that have excessive regulations, subsidies, licensing regimes, trade protection, or litigiousness as obstacles, we will work with them to foster markets, choice, and fast growth prospects during the recovery.” ActionAid and APMDD are two of more than 200 organizations from around the world to have signed onto a letter from the U.K.based Jubilee Debt Campaign calling to cancel debt principals, interest, and charges through the rest of 2020. For many, massive write-downs and restructurings remain the ultimate goal. The letter also calls for all IMF and World Bank aid offered during that time to come in the form of grants—not loans that will only heap more debt onto countries’ plates. Several current and former heads of state in Latin America are urging a two-year moratorium on government debt owed to private creditors there with no interest. There are more tools at the IMF’s disposal, too. UNCTAD and economist Jayati Ghosh are among several experts and campaigners who have called for the IMF to issue trillions of special drawing rights, or SDRs—essentially an IMF reserve currency that was deployed in 2009 as a lifeline to low- and middle-income economies struggling through the last downturn. Centrist leaders Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron have also backed an SDR extension. It hasn’t happened, thanks partly to the Trump administration’s objections. Larger structural changes are needed, though, especially as we progress through a climate crisis. The Bretton Woods institutions, including the IMF and World Bank, were initially designed as a means to start moving away from a gold standard whose built-in scarcity ethic was credited with fueling first deflation and then fascism in Europe. John Maynard Keynes, notably, proposed an International Currency Union to be run on a new currency called the bancor, meant to facilitate easy trading and price stability without handing inordinate power to a single country’s central bank. Instead, the U.S. steamrollered
over the idea, and its dollar became the world’s reserve currency. Today some 60 percent of all central bank reserves are held in U.S. dollars, and the Federal Reserve can turn the spigot of dollars on and off. Reformers who want to remake Bretton Woods institutions have repeatedly called for rethinking the centrality of dollars in the financial system, crafted as it was around America’s desire to secure geopolitical supremacy over the Soviet Union. “De-dollarization” has been a key demand of reformers looking to democratize the global economy. Adding more SDRs into the mix to help handle Covid-19, David Adler and Andres Arauz argued last month in The Nation, “could make the international monetary system much more resilient. Emergency funds would depend less on an unjust unilateral mechanism such as Federal Reserve swaps.… And it would give the IMF a role of fostering pro-poor global economic growth rather than imposing austerity.” Trump’s announcement last week that the U.S. would stop funding the World Health Organization sent shock waves through the U.S. press, but it’s not exactly unique. The president has also pulled funding from the Green Climate Fund, the body set up by the U.N. to collect and allocate payments for climate mitigation and adaptation. Even when it was a member, the U.S. under Obama committed just $3 billion to the GCF; adaptation alone should cost $180 billion per year between 2020 and 2030, according to the Global Commission on Adaptation. In the case of both the WHO and the GCF, the biggest losers from such cuts aren’t the U.S. or China—whose geopolitical feud was cited for Trump’s WHO withdrawal and frequently features in conservative talking points against international climate cooperation—but rather smaller and lower-income countries. But prior administrations’ businessas-usual approach to international relations— when sovereign debt was already mounting, with multilateral institutions as undemocratic and out of touch with climate reality as ever— haven’t been much of a salve to global inequality either. Power imbalances in the global financial architecture run deep and won’t be righted without a fight. “The big question for progressives is how you connect relief and recovery to reconstruction and a reform of the system,” UNCTAD’s Kozul-Wright said. “There’s a lot of talk about how we can’t return to the world preCovid-19, which I think to some extent is true. But it really underestimates the determination of the powers that be to go in that direction. They’re not going to lie down and roll over.” The APMDD’s Nacpil likened Covid19 and its fallout to a “dress rehearsal” for the climate crisis. “We should remember that things can be far worse,” Nacpil said. Perversely, governments might instead use the coronavirus as an excuse to set climate action aside at the moment when it should be ramping up. The Bretton Woods institutions were created in the rubble of a depression and World War to suit a world that doesn’t look much like our own. The coronavirus and the disasters to come could be just as much cause to redesign the governance of the global economy before it’s too late. Kate Aronoff is a staff writer at The New Republic.
Wednesday, 6 May, 2020
businEss 09
GovT'S FlawED poliCiES DENTiNG iNvESTorS' CoNFiDENCE: oiCCi
CORPORATE CORNER
CHAMBER SAYS LACK OF ECONOMIC DOCUMENTATION, BAD TAX MEASURES KEEPING INVESTORS AT BAY LAHORE: Getz Pharma, under its ‘Care for Heroes’ initiative to combat coronavirus in healthcare facilities, is disinfecting over 8,000 clinics, 650 hospital wards and conducting free screening tests of more than 25,000 doctors across Pakistan.
JazzCash strengthens pakistan’s payments ecosystem with Mastercard partnership KARACHI: JazzCash has announced a partnership with payment technology leader Mastercard to advance financial inclusion by strengthening Pakistan’s payments ecosystem. The partnership enables merchants throughout Pakistan to accept digital payments from customers, digitize their supply chain, and move to cashless operations. JazzCash Head Elias Yazbeck said, “Our partnership with Mastercard will provide merchants and customers in Pakistan with more options to safely and efficiently make digital payments at a time when this is crucially important during the COVID-19 pandemic. Longer term, I’m confident that our partnership will improve Pakistan's much-needed financial inclusion targets and contribute to the development of a digitally integrated economy.”
Changes in tariff structure for FY21 budget on the cards: minister ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood on Tuesday said the Ministry of Commerce was aggressively working on changes in the tariff structure for the upcoming budget for fiscal year 2021. The tariff structure changes were aimed at facilitating local production, thereby moving towards local manufacturing under the ‘Make in Pakistan Policy’, the Adviser said on Twitter. Dawood said the government wanted to increase customs duties instead of direct income tax besides documenting non-tax businesses to bring them in the tax net. He said the government might not change export tariffs and tax slabs in the upcoming budget. Dawood said the coronavirus had changed the world. “We are reviewing the recent situation. Now the business process will be completely different.” Such difficult period, he said, always brought out new opportunities, new products, and new ways of thinking. It was a golden opportunity for Pakistan to pursue the ‘Make in Pakistan Policy’, the Adviser added. He said many businesses were on the verge of closure and many labourers were under the threat of losing their jobs. “Under these circumstances the need of the hour is a policy whereby ‘We don’t import, but make products in Pakistan’. APP
NTDC rehabilitates damaged towers in Balochistan BUSINESS DESK The National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) spokesman has said that rehabilitation work on eight collapsed towers has been completed while power supply to three transmission lines -- 220 kV Uch-Shikarpur, 220 kV Uch-Sibbi and 220 kV Guddu-Sibbi, has been restored. The towers were damaged due to heavy rains and windstorm during the third week of April in the Chattar Pungi area of Balochistan. The spokesman said that NTDC managed the rehabilitation work and restored power supply in minimum possible time despite law and order situation in the area and imposition of virus lockdown. "Suspension of public transport, mobilization of labour, machinery and severe weather conditions remained a hurdle in the completion of the said work," he maintained. NTDC Managing Director Engr Dr Khawaja Riffat Hassan and DMD Wajahat Saeed Rana have thanked law enforcement agency/Frontier Corps for providing security to labourers during the rehabilitation work.
SAYS INVESTORS UNCERTAIN ABOUT GOVT'S ABILITY TO IMPLEMENT TOUGH DECISIONS ISLAMABAD GHULAM ABBAS
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HILE giving tax proposals for the next year's budget, the Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI) claimed that some new tax-related measures introduced by the government, coupled with the FBR's failure to document the economy, had badly shaken the confidence of the country's investors. According to a copy of the tax proposals prepared by OICCI, "A number of new measures, including an increase in minimum tax rate to 1.5pc, abolishment of tax credit on investment in BMR (balancing, modernization and replacement), halting the gradual decrease in corporate tax rate to 25pc by tax year 2023 and freezing the same to 29pc etc., has dented the confidence of the large investors in Pakistan." Moreover, the chamber stated the government/FBR's failure to smoothly implement its economic documentation initiative like 'CNIC on retailers for purchases in excess of Rs50,000', and 'curbing the sale of non-duty paid locally produced and smuggled products', like cigarettes, petroleum etc., had also created uncertainty regarding the government's ability to implement tough
decisions. "The existing tax legislation, and more so its enforcement, based on years of experience, is very cumbersome and a serious deterrent in boosting the tax to GDP ratio to a reasonable level," the chamber highlighted. "Major reforms are needed to meet the high standard set by the government in its Ease of Doing Business initiative." The OICCI suggested the government to consolidate all federal taxes, including income tax, and levies like Workers Welfare Fund and Workers Profit Participation Fund, in one lump sum so as to make the system more efficient and business friendly. It further recommended the government to automate its departments and reduce interaction with the businesses -- no more than one audit in a year. The OICCI stated that the government should restrict tax collection to the actual tax liability while reviewing the Minimum Tax Regime (MTR) and abolishing Alternative Corporate Tax (ACT). "The general rate of MTR under section 113 of ITO 2001 should be reduced to 0.5pc. MTR should be reduced to 0.2pc for oil marketing companies/refineries/LNG terminals, large chemical companies, authorised dealers of local cars and large traders dealing in sectors with high turnover and low margins."
The chamber also proposed revamping of the Withholding Tax Regime (WHT) by reducing it to a maximum of five rates only, while the differentiation should be on basis of active and inactive taxpayers only. According to OICCI, there was a need to rationalise sales tax rates, wherein the rates (federal and provincial), both on goods and services, should be harmonized throughout the country and be aligned to 13pc charged in Sindh. Regarding the outstanding tax refunds, the chamber suggested that all pending tax refunds be cleared within next six months in a prearranged manner. "Verification process for refunds should start automatically as soon as an application for refund is filed by the taxpayer and tax refunds should be cleared within 45 days. A timely settlement of the determined refunds should be made, and if there is a liquidity issue then issuing marketable government bonds/securities be considered." The OICCI proposed the government to reduce the number of payments and filing frequencies "as a large number of payments and filing of various returns is a cause of great hardship for taxpayers and a major reason for tax evasion/non-registration". To incentivise the new investors, the OICCI proposed that the tax credit timelines on new investment may be extended up to FY2023 to facilitate investment in long-term projects. “Besides, the rate of initial depre-
Traders seek further clarification on anti-hoarding ordinance LCCI PRESIDENT SAYS GOVT MUST ‘DEFINE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STOCK AND HOARDING’TO STOP MISUSE OF RECENTLY PROMULGATED ORDINANCE LAHORE STAFF REPORT
Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) President Irfan Iqbal Sheikh has called upon the government to define the difference between stock and hoarding to stop the misuse of recently promulgated Anti-Hoarding Ordinance. He was addressing a press conference at the LCCI on Tuesday. LCCI Senior Vice President Ali Hussam Asghar, Vice President Mian Zahid Jawaid Ahmad, REAP Chairman Shah Jahan Malik, Poultry Association of Pakistan Chairman Chaudhry Muhammad Furqan, Seed Association of Pakistan Chairman Chaudhry Bilal Ahmad and Asia Pacific Seed Association President Tahir Saleem also spoke on the occasion. They said the recently issued ordinance had created unrest among the business community as there was no clear definition of "difference between stock and hoarding". They said that business community was expecting that the government would consult with the trade bodies for necessary rectification in this regard. The traders informed that seed companies
were not being allowed to purchase basic and verified seed of wheat, while the food department was forcefully purchasing seed from growers of Punjab and Sindh. How will the next crop of wheat be sown when seed would not be available, they questioned. They said that seed was not prohibited in the Anti-Hoarding Ordinance, but the food department authorities and district administrations were not allowing private companies to lift the seed, and this could result in a massive crisis. The business community has always taken a strict stance against hoarding practices as they result in unnecessary shortages, especially of essential commodities, and sudden price hikes, they added. The traders demanded that the Anti-Hoarding Ordinance should not be used to hinder legal businesses, and the business community would ensure that there was no artificial shortage of rice, edibles and other commodities in the market. They said the rice and other commodities dealers would have to maintain stock at factories and warehouses for their smooth business operations and they should not be targeted because of those stocks.
MARKET DAILY
KSE-100 lands flat after range-bound session KARACHI: Investors of the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed a volatile session on Tuesday, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index failing to capitalise on early gains but managing to close slightly positive. “The stock market posted decent gains in early trade owing to the performance of crude oil in the international market. As a result, E&P and OMCs remained in the limelight but profit booking near yesterday’s levels caused OGDC and PPL to settle low,” said an analyst at Arif Habib Ltd. “Cement and fertilizer sectors weakened further, while banks also contributed negatively to the index.” The KSE-100 Index gathered 469.12 points to record its intraday high at 34,385.76 during initial trading hours. However, failing to sustain the positive momentum, the index settled with a marginal gain of 76.11 points at 33,992.75. Among other indices, the KMI-30 Index accumulated 527.03 points to end at 55,561.65, while the KSE All Share Index gained 107.81 points, closing at 24,028.11. The advancers to decliners’ ratio stood at 168 to 112. The overall market volumes increased from 216.5 million in the previous session to 261 million (+21pc), whereas average traded value declined from $58.4 million to $57.6 million (-1pc). Hascol Petroleum Limited (HASCOL +4.55pc), Unity Foods Limited (UNITY +6.14pc) and Fauji Cement Company Limited (FCCL -0.18pc) led the volume chart, exchanging 33.83 million, 25.45 million and 17.86 million shares, respectively. Sectors that kept the KSE-100 Index afloat included oil & gas exploration (+83.45 points), oil & gas marketing (+48.49 points) and food & personal care (13.24 points). STAFF REPORT
Experts says APTMA’s budgetary proposals ‘only to facilitate the rich’ LAHORE HASSAN NAQVI
Experts in textile industry and government circles have raised fingers over the budget proposals of the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA), terming these nonstarter and non-productive and calling for a complete study to examine the factors that have made the sector non-productive and uncompetitive. According to a government official, APTMA’s approach to seek tax relief and other concessions would be counter-productive as the government’s policymakers might not give any more relief to the billionaire millers. The association recently shared the
budgetary proposals with the federal government, which it says are for the long term growth of the textile industry. In its budget proposals sent to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Adviser on Commerce Abdul Razzak Dawood, APTMA demanded implementation on zero rating under current circumstances. “If the government still wishes to collect sales tax on domestic sales from a market that is already in dire straits it should collect the sales tax at the Point of Sale,” APTMA proposed. Syed Muhammad Ijaz, a chartered accountant, said juggling with tax rates and figures would not solve the industrial problems, especially related to the textile sector. “A detailed technical and forensic study is required why our textile sector is becom-
ing uncompetitive,” Ijaz recommended. He maintained that tax might be one of the factors but not a complete picture, so a holistic diagnosis is required to determine and gauge the inefficiency of the textile sector in growing efficiently. “On the one hand, the government has failed to provide a proper or conducive environment for the development of industry, while on the other, APTMA is creating the culture of relying on subsidies and tax relief as the millers are no more able to compete globally.” APTMA in another proposal stated that considering export target of $28 billion by FY2025, it is essential to increase the cotton production and increase its availability from nine million sales to 20 million bales within five years.
ciation allowance under section 23 should be increased from the current 25pc to 50pc for plant and machinery. WHT on import of raw materials and plant and machinery by industrial undertakings be substantially reduced from 5.5pc to 2pc.” Regarding the coordination between federal and provincial legislations, the chamber suggested that the synchronization of sales tax rates and policies needed to be harmonized across all jurisdictions and sectors and closely aligned with the regional benchmark of 12pc sales tax rate. It also suggested the government to ensure one authority collected all types of federal and provincial taxes for onward transmission to respective revenue authorities within the country without burdening the business entities. Single sales tax returns should be filed with FBR instead of separate sales tax returns for each province. Regarding documentation and broadening of tax network, the chamber proposed that all income earners should get themselves registered and obtain proper NTN while FBR should immediately implement the recommendations of the Tax Reforms Commission. “The tax authorities should make better/effective utilization of NADRA database and other documented sources to ensure that all income earners are NTN holders (NTN is replaced with CNIC so why are we mentioning this here) and filers, with submission of annual income tax/wealth returns and wealth reconciliation statements.”
The textile millers suggested that duty free import should be allowed for the entire year and 10pc sales tax on ginned cotton should be withdrawn. “Allowing import of duty-free cotton will make the already rich APTMA members ultra-wealthy, but it will ruin the agriculture sector for goods,” agriculture expert Asif Sharif opined. Talking to Pakistan Today, Sharif said instead of allowing duty free import of cotton by the textile industry, the only solution was to impose taxes on the imports and industry should be given rebate on domestic production. “If production is not accurate, how could processing rectify the quality and short supply?” he questioned. The agriculturalist suggested APTMA to
better work on managing production and offering good rates to cotton farmers to produce desired quality and quantity. APTMA should also focus on the production of organic cotton and made-ups to lead the world, Sharif suggested, adding, “We can help the government and industry to set up a production system.” Meanwhile, a senior government official, who wished not to be named, said giving tax incentives to rich textile tycoons is not the right policy. “First, we need to correct the cotton growing policy.” He noted that big textile players were rich, but their workers sere poor. They take tax concessions for their own benefits not for people and country,” the official noted. When contacted, a textile miller said they had put up demands after extensive deliberations and now the ball was in the government’s court.
Wednesday, 6 May, 2020
10 FOREIGN NEWS
WHO sAys HAs nO prOOf frOm Us On 'spEcUlAtIvE' WUHAn lAB clAIms GENEVA
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AGENCIES
HE World Health Organization said Monday that Washington had provided no evidence to support “speculative” claims by the US president that the new coronavirus originated in a Chinese lab. “We have not received any data or specific evidence from the United States government relating to the purported origin of the virus — so from our perspective, this remains speculative,” WHO emergencies director Michael Ryan told a virtual briefing. Scientists believe the killer virus jumped from animals to humans, emerging in China late last year, possibly from a market in
Wuhan selling exotic animals for meat. But US President Donald Trump, increasingly critical of China’s management of the first outbreak, claims to have proof it started in a Wuhan laboratory. And US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday said “enormous evidence” backed up that claim, which China has vehemently denied. “Like any evidence-based organisation, we would be very willing to receive any information that purports to the origin of the virus,” Ryan said, stressing that this was “a very important piece of public health information for future control. “If that data and evidence is available, then it will be for the United States government to decide whether and when it can be shared, but it is difficult for the WHO to op-
Britain outpaces Italy with Europe’s highest official coronavirus death toll LONDON: Britain has overtaken Italy to report the highest official death toll from coronavirus in Europe with more than 32,000 deaths, figures released on Tuesday showed. The high death toll could increase political pressure on Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who waited longer than other European leaders to order a lockdown to curb the spread of the virus in March. Weekly figures from Britain’s national statistics office added more than 7,000 deaths in England and Wales, raising the total for the United Kingdom to 32,313. The figure is one of several methods for calculating deaths and difficult to compare with other countries, but it offers the clearest sign yet that Britain could emerge as the worst-hit country in Europe, despite being hit later than other countries. Opposition parties have raised questions about Johnson’s initial decision to delay a lockdown at a time when hospitals in Italy were already being overrun. They also say his government was too slow to introduce mass testing and provide enough protective equipment to hospitals. The true figure for deaths from coronavirus may be even higher. The Office of National Statistics said 33,593 more people had died than average up to April 24 in England and Wales, compared to 27,365 cases in which coronavirus was mentioned on the death certificates. AGENCIES
Australia 'losing $2.5 bn a week' in virus shutdown CANBERRA: Australia’s economy is losing Aus$4 billion (US$2.5 billion) every week its virus shutdown continues, with GDP forecast to plunge 10 percent in the June quarter, according to figures announced Tuesday. The country has enjoyed success in curbing the spread of COVID-19, with new daily cases slowing to single digits or zero across most regions. But Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said measures to curb coronavirus were dealing a heavy blow to the economy, with GDP forecast to fall 10 percent in the June quarter. “For every extra week that the current restrictions remain in place, the Treasury estimates that close to $4 billion will be reduced in economic activity, from a combination of… reduced workforce participation, reduced productivity, and reduced consumption,” he said. The estimate came as the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reported a 7.5 percent drop in jobs — which it said was equivalent to about 700,000 workers out of an active workforce of some 13 million — in the five weeks to April 18. A third of workers in the worst-affected hotel and hospitality industries lost their jobs, along with 27 percent of people in the arts and recreation sectors. The Treasury has previously estimated the unemployment rate will double to 10 percent by the middle of the year because of the coronavirus shutdowns, leaving about 1.4 million people out of work. The ABS also reported that 31 percent of households nationwide had seen their finances worsen. Frydenberg said the figures showed Australia “must get people back into jobs, and we must get people back at work” but the country had only met 11 of the 15 health conditions for lifting restrictions — though work was ongoing to fast-track the remaining four. Among those conditions is a greater take-up of the government’s contact tracing app, COVIDSafe, which to date has been downloaded by almost five million smartphone users. Australia has recorded more than 6,800 cases of COVID-19 and 96 deaths. Despite progress in some parts of the country, large clusters of cases have emerged at an abattoir in Melbourne and a Sydney care home. Some Australian states and territories have begun gradually easing some restrictions, and Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he hoped to lay out a “roadmap” on Friday for a return to business. AGENCIES
erate in an information vacuum in that regard,” he added. SCIENCE AT THE CENTRE: The UN health agency — which has also faced scathing criticism from Trump over accusations it initially downplayed the seriousness of the outbreak to shield China — has repeatedly said the virus clearly appears to have originated naturally from an animal source. WHO expert Maria Van Kerkhove stressed during Monday’s briefing that there were some 15,000 full genome sequences of the novel coronavirus available, and “from all of the evidence that we have seen… this virus is of natural origin”. While coronaviruses generally originate in bats, both Van Kerkhove and Ryan stressed the importance of discovering how
the virus that causes Covid-19 crossed over to humans, and what animal served as an “intermediary host” along the way. “We need to understand more about that natural origin, and particularly about intermediate hosts,” Ryan said. It was important to know “so that we can put in place the right public health and animal-human interface policies that will prevent this happening again”, he stressed. The WHO said last week it wanted to be invited to take part in Chinese investigations into the animal origins of the pandemic,
Venezuela arrests two Americans for failed ‘invasion’ CARACAS AGENCIES
Two Americans were detained in Venezuela on Monday on suspicion of plotting to topple President Nicolas Maduro’s government, which has accused US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido of bankrolling the scheme. The arrests came a day after the government said it foiled an “invasion” from the sea, killing eight assailants and capturing two others. Maduro appeared on state television to show the passports of Luke Denman, 34, and Airan Berry, 41, and told the Venezuelan military high command that the pair were members of the US security forces. Attorney General Tarek William Saab earlier told reporters that “hired mercenaries” had signed a $212 million dollar contract with Guaido using funds “stolen” from state oil company PDVSA. The United States — one of more than 50 countries backing Guaido as Venezuela’s acting president as he challenges Maduro for power — has slapped sanctions on PDVSA and allowed Guaido to use funds from frozen accounts belonging to the firm’s Houston-based subsidiary Citgo. Saab said Guaido had signed a contract with former US special forces soldier Jordan Goudreau, linked in several press reports last week to an allegedly bungled attempt to topple Maduro. The Canadian-born Goudreau, an Iraq and Afghanistan veteran, is accused of training a mercenary force to invade Venezuela that disbanded after
Colombian authorities seized a weapons shipment meant for the group. Saab also shared on social media a video of Goudreau, who now runs a private security firm called Silvercorp USA, in which the former soldier claims an operation against Maduro’s regime is ongoing. Guaido’s press team released a statement on Monday denying the accusations and insisting it had no agreements with private security firms. On Sunday, Venezuela claimed a group traveling on speedboats and embarking from Colombia tried to land before dawn in the northern coastal state of La Guaira but were intercepted by the military and special police units. Diosdado Cabello, deputy leader of the ruling Socialist Party, claimed the operation was “orchestrated” by the United States and its Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), with
Colombian support. Colombia denied any involvement, while Maduro claimed on Monday that the mission’s aim was to assassinate him. Venezuela frequently accuses Colombia of fomenting plots to overthrow the Maduro government and of allowing mercenaries to train in its territory. Saab said authorities had detained 114 people and issued warrants for the arrest of 92 others accused of involvement in plots against Maduro and his regime since an alleged assassination attempt using explosives-laden drones in 2018. He added that Venezuela had seized arms during the apparent invasion that were stolen from parliament during a failed military uprising led by Guaido last year. The public prosecutor has launched a number of investigations against Guaido but has never ordered his arrest.
which in a matter of months has killed nearly 250,000 people worldwide. “We have offered, as we do with every case in every country, assistance with carrying out those investigations,” Ryan said Monday. “We can learn from Chinese scientists,” he said. But he warned that if questions about the virus origin were “projected as an aggressive investigation of wrongdoing than I believe that’s much more difficult to deal with. That is a political issue. “Science needs to be at the centre,” he said.
Delhi imposes 70pc 'corona' tax on alcohol after crowding at shops NEW DELHI: Officials in India’s capital imposed a special tax of 70 per cent on retail liquor purchases from Tuesday, to deter large gatherings at stores as authorities ease a sixweek lockdown imposed to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Taxes on alcohol are a key contributor to the revenue of many of India’s 36 states and federal territories, most of which are running short of funds because of the lengthy disruption in economic activity caused by the virus. Police baton-charged hundreds of people who had flocked to liquor shops when they opened on Monday for the first time in a relaxation of the world’s biggest lockdown, which is set to run until May 17. The Delhi state government announced the “special corona fee” in a public notice late on Monday. “It was unfortunate that chaos was seen at some shops in Delhi,” said Arvind Kejriwal, the state’s chief minister. “If we come to know about violations of social distancing and other norms from any area, then we will have to seal the area and revoke the relaxations there,” he added. Other states, such as southern Andhra Pradesh, where people also violated social distancing measures to queue up in their hundreds for alcohol, also hiked prices. The increases come as India reported 3,900 new infections on Tuesday for its highest singleday rise, taking the tally to 46,432. The death toll stood at 1,568, the health ministry said. Health experts said the daily increase shows India remains at risk despite a severe lockdown that has confined its population of 1.3 billion to their homes since late March, with all public transport halted and economic activity nearly frozen. “The curve has not shown a downward trend. That is cause for concern,” said Dr Randeep Guleria, director of New Delhi’s premier All-India Institute of Medical Sciences. AGENCIES
New York Times leads the way at 2020 Pulitzers NEW YORK CITY AGENCIES
The New York Times picked up the most awards as the 2020 Pulitzer Prize winners were announced virtually on Monday owing to the coronavirus outbreak. Prize board administrator Dana Canedy declared the winners from her living room via a live stream on YouTube rather than at a ceremony at New York’s Columbia University. The Times collected three awards, including for Brian M. Rosenthal’s investigative report into New York City’s taxi industry that revealed predatory loans that took advantage of vulnerable drivers. It also won the international reporting prize for a series of stories on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime. The paper’s Nikole Hannah-Jones won the best commentary for a personal essay that viewed America’s origins through the lens of enslaved Africans. The Pulitzers are generally regarded as the highest honor that US-based journalists and organizations can receive. Reuters won the breaking news pho-
tography award for pictures of the Hong Kong protests. The Courier-Journal in Lexington,
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Kentucky won the breaking news reporting prize for its coverage of hundreds of last-minute pardons from Kentucky Gov-
ernor Matt Bevin. The explanatory reporting prize was awarded to the staff of The Washington Post for a series that showed the effects of extreme temperatures on the planet. The Baltimore Sun took home the local reporting accolade for reporting on a financial relationship between the city’s mayor and a public hospital system that her office oversaw. Two organizations won the national reporting award: ProPublica for an investigation into a series of accidents in the US Navy and The Seattle Times for coverage that exposed design flaws in Boeing’s 737 Max. Ben Taub of The New Yorker won the feature writing award for a story on a Guantanamo Bay guard’s growing friendship with a captor who was tortured. The Associated Press was awarded the feature photography prize for images showing life in the occupied Kashmir as India revoked its semi-autonomous status through a rushed presidential decree. A special citation was awarded to Ida B. Wells, an early pioneer of investigative journalism and a civil rights icon.
Wednesday, 6 May, 2020
GErman hEaLTh minisTEr baCKs fooTbaLL rEsTarT PLan, sLams KaLou berLin
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Agencies
ERMANy’S health minister has backed the Bundesliga’s plan to resume in 10 days time with final approval on the league’s return due on Wednesday. “The (football league’s) basic concept makes sense and could serve as a model for other professional sports. But we have to see how it goes,” Jens Spahn told radio station Deutschlandfunk on Tuesday. The German Football League (DFL)
hopes on Wednesday to get the go-ahead to restart the season from May 15 when Chancellor Angela Merkel’s meets the 16 state leaders via a conference call. However, the restart plans were thrown into question on Monday when testing of players, coaches and backroom staff produced 10 positive cases, three of which came from top-flight side Cologne. It also emerged that not all players are following the league’s strict hygiene guidelines. Hertha Berlin suspended Ivory Coast striker Salomon Kalou on Monday after the ex-Chelsea forward posted a video of him
shaking hands with team-mates at training, violating hygiene guidelines. Hertha immediately suspended Kalou, 34, who is out of contract at the end of the season, and Spahn welcomed the sanctions. “It was important that the club show there were consequences after this video,” added Spahn. “And I hope that everyone has now understood that this is about something serious.” Germany has been less affected by the pandemic than other European countries, with 163,860 cases and 6,831 deaths, figures partly attributed to mass testing. A DFL task force has drawn up a hy-
giene concept, involving regular testing for all 36 clubs in the top two leagues, which has been backed by a host of key politicians. Both Spahn and Horst Seehofer, Germany’s minister for sport and the interior, have given their approval as have the premier ministers of football hotbeds Bavaria and North Rhine-Westfalia. Should German football resume, Spahn said the Bundesliga could become an “export hit” as the first of Europe’s top five leagues to restart. “I think it makes sense for professional sports to come step-by-step into a new, everyday life, but we have to see what
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happens,” Spahn added. “The clubs must be able to guarantee that their players, regardless of how young or old they are, follow the rules.”
‘Shocked’ US women stars to appeal equal pay defeat LoS AnGeLeS Agencies
Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan said the US women’s national team will appeal against defeat in their equal pay lawsuit on Monday, describing the judge’s ruling in the case as “shocking”. In a widely unexpected decision on Friday, Judge Gary Klausner rejected the US women’s claim of pay discrimination, finding in favour of the United States Soccer Federation. Although the judge said claims of gender discrimination in areas such as travel, housing and medical support could proceed to trial, the equal pay part of the lawsuit — the central plank of the
women’s case — had been dismissed. Speaking on ABC television’s Good Morning America program on Monday, Rapinoe and Morgan voiced dismay at the outcome but pledged to fight on. “We were just shocked,” Morgan said. “This decision was out of left field for us. I think for both sides it was very unexpected. We will definitely be appealing and moving forward. “If anyone knows anything about the heart of this team, we are fighters and we will continue to fight together for this.” In dismissing the equal pay claim, Judge Klausner said the case was unwarranted because there was evidence the women had previously turned down an offer in the Collective Bargaining
Ex-Chelsea forward Kalou suspended for handshake video London: Former Chelsea attacker Salomon Kalou has been suspended by German club Hertha Berlin after posting a video showing him flaunting coronavirus social distancing rules by shaking hands with teammates. The Facebook video of Kalou, 34, greeting Hertha players and club employees with handshakes was condemned by the German league, which has put in place stringent hygiene measures as it bids to secure the political green light to restart its interrupted season. “The pictures of Salomon Kalou from the Hertha dressing room are absolutely unacceptable,” the German Football League (DFL) said in a statement. Hertha said they had suspended the 34-yearold Ivory Coast international “with immediate effect”. Kalou, who won the Premier League with the Blues in 2010, apologised for his actions and said he should have known better because of his involvement in health projects in his homeland. “I am sorry if my behaviour has given the impression that I do not take Corona seriously. I would like to apologise for this,” he said. “The opposite is true, because I am particularly concerned about the people in Africa, because the medical care there is by far not as good as in Germany. “I did not really think about it.” The Bundesliga, which is aiming to restart its season from May 16, said on Monday mass testing of players and backroom staff had produced 10 positive results. Agencies
Agreement negotiations to be paid along the lines of the US men’s team. However Rapinoe challenged that part of the judge’s decision. “The men’s contract was never offered to us and certainly not the same amount of money,” Rapinoe said. “I think so many women can understand what this feeling is of going into a negotiation, knowing equal pay is not on the table, knowing anywhere close to your male counterparts is not even on the table.” Rapinoe also said the fact that the women had earned more than the US men during the period where pay discrimination was alleged was also misleading. In the period in question, the women’s team played 111 games and earned $24.5 million. The men played 87 games and made $18.5 million. The men’s figure however would likely have been substantially higher had they qualified for the 2018 World Cup. “If we were under the men’s contract, we would be making three times more,” Rapinoe said. “So you can look at the total compensation. In that time that we’ve made just a little bit more, we’ve won two World Cups and we’ve won just about every single game that we’ve played in. “So the rate of pay is just so different. It’s just so frustrating.” The US women, who clinched back-to-back World Cup wins with victory at last year’s finals in France, had been seeking back pay of $66 million under the US Equal Pay Act.
UK sports leaders outline ‘catastrophic’ coronavirus impact London Agencies
Rugby Football Union (RFU) chief executive Bill Sweeney warned of the “catastrophic” impact coronavirus could have on the sport if the professional game cannot return in the next year. Sweeney revealed England’s RFU, which has already lost £15 million ($19 million) due to the crisis, will lose a total of £107 million if the autumn internationals are cancelled. The prospect of also having to postpone or play next year’s Six Nations Championship behind closed doors is even more stark. “Eighty-five percent of our revenues come from hosting men’s internationals at Twickenham,” Sweeney told a meeting of the UK’s Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) committee on Tuesday.
“If this was to be prolonged and go into the summer of next year and the Six Nations games were impacted then it would be a catastrophic impact on rugby union in England. “If we get into a situation where we are talking about Six Nations matches next February/March being impacted then there is a limit to what we can do independently. We would have to be coming to government for some kind of support.” English Football League (EFL) chairman Rick Parry and England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chief executive Tom Harrison also spelled out the gravity of the financial crisis facing their sports to politicians. The ECB’s controversial new Hundred competition has been delayed until 2021 and even if Test matches can go ahead later in the summer, they are likely to be behind closed doors.
Kookaburra waxes lyrical over anti-virus cricket ball innovation MeLbourne Agencies
Australian cricket ball manufacturer Kookaburra is developing a wax applicator that allows players to shine the ball without using saliva or sweat, minimising the risk of COVID-19 transmission. Players regularly shine one side of the leather-clad ball and scuff up the other to make the ball swing sideways in mid-flight and deceive the batter. But rubbing spit or sweat into the ball’s surface is expressly forbidden under Australian Institute of Sport guidelines released last week that set out the conditions for the game to resume. Kookaburra said its wax applicator, while still in “very early stage product development”, could provide a solution. “At Kookaburra we are committed to continuous improvement and innovation in the game we love,” general manager David Orchard told AFP. “As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic we are always look-
ing for solutions to allow our game to be played safely by all cricketing communities around the world,” he said. Cricket is suspended around the globe because of the pandemic and the wax applicator would need approval from governing bodies to be used when play resumes. Kookaburra’s innovation involves using a sponge to apply small amounts of wax to the ball. Current laws forbid the use of artificial substances to alter the ball but there is a long history of tampering that goes well beyond bowlers spitting on the ball and rubbing it on their clothing. Test players have been accused of using lozenges, petroleum jelly and resin to shine the ball, and also scuffing it with bottle tops, trouser zippers and grit. The most notorious recent case was in 2018, when some Australian players attempted to alter the ball with sandpaper during a Test against South Africa in Cape Town, resulting in lengthy bans for those involved.
CMYK
Palace chief Parish fears Premier League damage over virus Paris: Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish fears Premier League clubs will suffer the same “doomsday scenario” as struggling airlines unless the top-flight returns soon. Premier League chiefs hope matches can restart in June after the competition was suspended in March because of the coronavirus. There are many uncertainties about the potential return, but Parish is sure clubs in the top tier will be significantly affected if the sport is not back this year. “It’s an important debate and I genuinely don’t feel that people are thinking clearly about the ramifications if we don’t play,” he told Sky Sports on Tuesday. “If we don’t play, we are essentially throwing ourselves at the mercy of our customers. “We will be in a position where fundamentally we are (like) airlines (are now) from August. “So, you know, that’s a doomsday scenario but I don’t have any visibility on any income past August and I don’t understand why anybody would pay us if we’re saying we can’t put the product on for them.” When it was suggested that the worse case would be a player losing their life or ending up in intensive care, Parish said: “Of course that comes first. I’ve said that. “Totally, it comes first and it may well be because of that we can’t play the whole (of) next season. “Our job is to look at that now and try and create a safe environment now. And if we can start next season under those circumstances, why wouldn’t we finish this? “So nobody’s not putting that first. I think that, you know, that absolutely comes first, ahead of absolutely everything else. When you ask me are my players happy to play, I will make sure that they understand that.” Agencies
Tour de Khunjerab cycling race cancelled due to coronavirus isLaMaBad: The third edition of International Tour de Khunjerab cycle race has been cancelled due to the global coronavirus, Pakistan Cycling Federation (PCF) said on Tuesday. “The event was scheduled to be held from June 18 to 21 in collaboration with the government of Gilgit-Baltistan,” Syed Azhar Ali Shah, the President of PCF told APP. According to Shah several foreign teams as well as top national athletes were set to participate in the race. “Next year’s Tour de Khunjerab will only be held if the conditions improve,” he said. He said that as the International Cycling Union (UCI) had cancelled all its events due to the prevailing situation, triggered by coronavirus, the involvement of international teams had become doubtful in Tour de Khunjerab. “This led to the Gilgit-Baltistan government and the PCF to take a joint decision to cancel the event,” he said. APP
Wednesday, 6 May, 2020
NEWS
Govt finalises proposals to ease lockdown as virus spreads NCOC PROPOSES ENHANCING SHOP TIMINGS, OPENING INTER-PROVINCIAL TRANSPORT AND RETAIL OUTLETS
UNDP SAYS POOR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM, RAMPANT POVERTY MAJOR OBSTACLES IN PAKISTAN’S FIGHT AGAINST VIRUS
REPORT SAYS FOR EVERY 10,000 PEOPLE, PAKISTAN HAS ONLY 9.8 PHYSICIANS, FIVE NURSES AND ONLY SIX HOSPITAL BEDS ISLAMABAD
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STAFF REPORT
AKISTAN on Tuesday recorded the highest single-day jump to date in coronavirus cases, as the federal government moved to ease the lockdown restrictions in the coming days. According to figures released by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), there were 22,223 confirmed cases in the country by Tuesday night of which 8,189 were reported in Sindh, 8,133 in Punjab, 3,499 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 1,495 in Balochistan, 464 in Islamabad, 372 in Gilgit-Baltistan, and 71 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. According to the data, 5,801 patients have recovered from the disease while 514 have died till date. Meanwhile, the NCOC announced that it has prepared multiple recommendations to ease the lockdown in the country that was imposed to curb spread of the coronavirus. The NCOC, which met in the federal capital with Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Asad Umar in
the chair, finalised some recommendations meant to strike a balance between the coronavirus containing measures and economic activities in the country. According to the measures which would be proposed to the National Coordination Committee (NCC) after taking feedback from the different stakeholders, inter-provincial transportation should be opened with proper implementation of the standard operating procedures (SOPs). The recommendations also included opening of phase two of the construction sector, reopening of retail outlets, and operationalisation of the selective out-patient departments (OPDs) in the federal capital. The meeting also proposed to enhance shops timings from 9am to5 pm and then 8pm to 10pm. There will be no change in the SOPs for religious festivities in the second half of Ramzan, the meeting decided. The new policy would remain in effect till May 31 if approved by the NCC at its next meeting. ‘PAKISTAN LEAST PREPARED TO TACKLE CONTAGION’: The NCOC’s recommendations come amid
a United Nations Development Program (UNDP) report that has included Pakistan among the countries least prepared to tackle the contagion owning to poor healthcare system and rampant poverty. According to UNDP, Pakistan is one of those countries that are vulnerable to Covid-19 due to lack of preparedness keeping in view the level of human development, healthcare system capacity and internet access. For every 10,000 people, Pakistan has only 9.8 physicians, five nurses and only six hospital beds. The country spends 2.8 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on health. The level of preparedness shows how vulnerable Pakistan is to the virus. According to this report, the South Asian region has 7.8 physicians per 10,000 people. The region has 17 nurses and eight hospital beds for every 10,000 people, the report added. “India has 7.8 physicians for every 10,000 people whereas, it has 21 nurses and 7 hospital beds for every 10,000 persons. India spends 3.7 per cent of its total GDP on health.”
In contrast, more developed countries have on average 55 hospital beds, over 30 physicians, and 81 nurses per 10,000 people. The least developed nations on average have seven hospital beds, 2.5 physicians, and six nurses. The report highlights the issues being faced by the people during lockdowns as well. “Although everyone is potentially affected in one way or another by this pandemic, some individuals and groups are more vulnerable, and suffer far more harm and have a much longer road to recovery,” it notes. The report says that poverty adds to the high risks of long-lasting consequences. Despite recent progress in poverty reduction, about 1 in 4 people still live in multidimensional poverty or are vulnerable to it. The digital divide according to this report has become more significant than ever. Almost 6.5 billion people around the globe — 85.5 per cent of the global population still don’t have access to reliable broadband internet, which limits people’s ability to work and continue their education.
Pakistan’s cash programme instrumental in mitigating COVID-19 impact: World Bank ISLAMABAD APP
The World Bank (WB) on Tuesday said that Pakistan’s emergency cash programme would be instrumental in mitigating the impact of the economy due to coronavirus. “Cash transfers will be instrumental in mitigating the impact of the upcoming recession by ensuring that consumption by the poorest and vulnerable contributes to the local economies,” the WB said in an article published on its website. It suggested that if the fiscal space allows to the government, the emergency cash transfers should be considered as an optimal option to rejuvenate local economies. Last month, Prime Minister Imran Khan had announced the country’s biggest ever Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme worth of Rs144 billion to disburse Rs12,000 each to around 12 million beneficiaries who were mostly affected by the worst economic impact of COVID-19. At a time when cash transfer programmes are the most widely used instruments to counter the socioeconomic fallout from the pandemic, the case of
Pakistan provides a good insight to others, the article added. “No doubt this response is one of the best investments that a government could make in a crisis. The cash transfers provide purchasing power for people to meet their needs. Nearly 24 per cent of Pakistan’s 210 million people are below the poverty line. The country requires a rapid response to protect its poor from becoming even worse off.
The national lockdown imposed on March 13 is a necessary pre-emptive step to contain the health emergency. But it compounds socioeconomic risks for the vulnerable who have lost their jobs or cannot access health and social programmes,” the article read. “In addition, the pandemic puts women, who are already disadvantaged in the labor force, at greater risk as they carry the invisible burden of caring for
the sick, elderly, and children. One of Pakistan’s initial measures, with support from the WB, was to expand its national safety net institution, the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), to direct additional support to its 4.5 million women beneficiaries,” it added. It stated that the government also scaled up its flagship cash transfer program, Ehsaas Kafalat, to include 7.5 million additional vulnerable families affected by the crisis — thus increasing by 85 per cent its annual budget dedicated to cash transfers. “Pakistan’s quick action was possible because the country has invested in programs like BISP and Ehsaas Kafalat which form one of South Asia’s largest social safety net systems,” the article read. “They provide quick registration options and reliable payments through state-of-the-art biometric technology. Their online linkage to the national ID database helps prevent duplicate payments while ensuring transparency,” it added. The article stated that while these investments have achieved results, there is room for further improvement.
pMa says extended lockdown only solution to mitigate coronavirus crisis LAHORE STAFF REPORT
Pakistan Medical Association President Dr Ashraf Nizami said Tuesday that the coronavirus crisis could only be controlled by extending the imposed lockdown restrictions. While addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Dr Nizami said that 509 medical professionals have been infected with the coronavirus, which is a cause for concern. He said that patients visiting hospitals are increasing in numbers day by day as the treatment of patients suffering from other diseases has stopped as well. He urged the government to make 1000-bed hospitals specifically for infectious diseases all across the country. Dr Nizami asked the governor of the State Bank of Pakistan to take note of the long queues outside the banks. Describing other measures to reduce loads on the healthcare system, the PMA president said that the government should make traffic challans online. “The trader fraternity should conduct business online through mobile phones,” said Dr Nizami. Earlier today, Dr Sarwat from Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences said in a video statement that she has tested positive for the virus. Dr Sarwat said that her colleague tested positive three days ago, following which she also suffered from the symptoms. In her message, she said that after the test results they had urged the hospital to seal the ward. Later in the day, Dr Zafar Mirza, the premier's aide on health, assured everyone that she had been admitted to a "dedicated private room" and said the government "cares for you and we mean it". He said instructions to "improve the state of affairs" had been given to the hospital management.
sc chides kp govt over continuous delay in peshawar Brt project ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday chided the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government over the continuous delay in the completion of Peshawar’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, observing that it is an example of ‘one step forward and two backwards’. Justice Umer Ata Bandial presided the hearing. The petitioner, Adnan Afridi, claimed that parts of the project continue to be demolished after construction is completed. Inquiring from the KP government’s counsel about the completion date of the project, Justice Bandial said that the provincial government cannot dodge objections about the project’s transparency. The counsel submitted that the completion date of the project was July 31, however, the construction work came to a halt due to the unprecedented outbreak of the novel coronavirus. “ A new completion date has not been given by the contractors as of yet,” the counsel said. The judge stressed that the BRT project is being made from the taxpayer’s money and the provincial government is responsible for utilising the funds in a transparent manner. “Questions will be asked if the money is wasted,” Justice Bandial said. “People’s money should be used carefully.” While extending the stay order against the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) earlier judgement, the apex court sought a reply from the KP government on objections raised by the petitioner and adjourned the hearing indefinitely.
Virus deaths top 250,000 as billions pledged for vaccine push MOSCOW AGENCIES
The global death toll from the coronavirus pandemic topped a quarter of a million on Tuesday, with the US government predicting a further surge in fatalities as an international vaccine drive garnered $8 billion in pledges. The dire forecast from the United States came as much of the Western world emerged from weeks of lockdown, with hopes that the disease may have peaked in Europe after nearly two months of confinement. Financial markets saw a light at the end of a tunnel as businesses in Europe and the United States tentatively reopened, and stocks and oil prices rallied Tuesday. But the global progress did little to cool a war of words between the US and China — fuelled by American claims the virus originated in a Chinese laboratory, a theory the World Health Organization (WHO) labelled “speculative.” Since the disease first surfaced in China late last year the number of confirmed cases
has reached almost 3.6 million while fatalities have topped 251,000. Europe remains the hardest-hit continent with around 145,000 deaths while the US has recorded close to 68,700, the biggest single-country toll. RUSSIA IS EUROPE’S NEW HOTSPOT: The bleak figures were compounded Monday by an internal government estimate in Washington that forecast the COVID-19 infection rate in the US could surge eight-fold to 200,000 a day by June 1, and the daily death toll could rise to 3,000. And Russia has emerged as a new coronavirus hotspot. It is now the European country reporting the highest number of new infections, with a total of over 155,000 cases. “The threat is apparently on the rise,” Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin has warned, urging residents to respect confinement rules in the capital. The lockdown has however had one worrying impact — reported cases of domestic violence in Russia have more than doubled. Elsewhere in Europe, Germany’s biggest
state Bavaria said it would allow restaurants to open from mid-May, with pressure growing on Chancellor Angela Merkel to ease stay-at-home measures that have plunged the
economy into a deep recession. GLOBAL SOLIDARITY: As the race is on to find a way to stamp out the virus, a special telethon backed by the WHO but
Published by Arif Nizami at Plot # 7, Al-Baber Centre, F/8 Markaz, Islamabad. Ph: 051-2204545. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk
snubbed by Washington pulled in $8.1 billion to support international efforts to develop a vaccine. “This was a powerful and inspiring demonstration of global solidarity,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Seeming to defend its non-participation, the State Department insisted the United States is “leading” the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and said it has spent more than $1 billion together with US drug companies to work on a vaccine. But the White House has stepped up an offensive against China, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo saying there is “enormous evidence” the virus emerged in a lab in the Chinese city of Wuhan. That claim was rejected Monday by the WHO as well as top US epidemiologist and government adviser Anthony Fauci. “Everything about the stepwise evolution over time strongly indicates that (this virus) evolved in nature and then jumped species,” he said. US President Donald Trump has acknowledged that deaths will go beyond his earlier prediction of 60,000, saying: “We’re going to lose anywhere from 75, 80 to 100,000 people.”