Issuu

Tuesday, 24 November, 2020 I 7 Rabi al-Akhir, 1442 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XI No 145 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition

Educational institutions to closE again as covid-19 casEs risE g

Institutions to remain closed from November 26 to December 24; winter break from December 25 to January 10

Entrance, recruitment examinations, including MDCAT, to take place as per schedule

IPEMC meeting in January to chalk out future course of action

Virus hospitalisations in Pakistan double in two weeks ISLAMABAD

ISLAMABAD

STAFF REPORT

S the fresh coronavirus cases continue to surge across the country, the government on Monday decided to close down again all educational institutions from November 26 (Thursday). Announcing the decision after a meeting of the Inter-Provincial Education Ministers Conference (IPEMC), Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood said that the institutes will open on December 24 while the winter break will occur from December 25 till January 10, 2021. “Studies will continue from home,” Shafqat told a press conference following the meeting. “No in-person classes will be conducted during this time,” he said. However, he added, teachers would be required to continue attending schools in line with their administration’s policies. In areas where online facilities did not exist, children will be assigned homework, the minister said. Covid-19 infections in Pakistan have been on a rise for a month now. The country recorded its highest positivity ratio at 7.46 per cent on Monday. Commenting on the trend, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) said that 19 per cent of the cases were from the educational sector. “On average 35 people lost lives during last week, 19 per cent of cases are

from the education sector. Positivity ratio in educational institutions increase from 1.8 per cent to 3.3 per cent during last one week, which is actually 82 per cent increase,” an NCOC statement read. Mahmood said that if the situation visibly improved, all educational institutions would reopen from January 11, adding this would be determined during a meeting of the IPEMC in the first week of January. He said that all exams were being postponed in light of this decision. Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan clarified that this would not apply to entrance examinations such as already-delayed MDCAT, saying that the government felt these could be safely

managed with the use of face masks. Mahmood said that vocational education would not be halted, as such activities were occurring in factories and practical settings. He said that a third of all university hostel students could continue to live in school accommodations so long as they did not have access to the internet at their homes. The education minister said that current plans called on reducing summer vacations, and commencing the next school year from August — not the currently scheduled April — to enable students to complete their course work. He said that the educational ministers were also proposing delaying board exams till May or June.

As the country sees inflation in the number of fresh coronavirus infections, hospitalisations due to virus-related complications doubled in the last two weeks, adding stress for the already troubled healthcare sector. According to the government portal for tracking the spread of coronavirus in the country, Pakistan on Monday recorded 2,756 new cases after conducting 36,929 tests — a positivity ratio of 7.46 per cent. A meeting of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) was informed on Monday of the rising number of infections in several cities — including Rawalpindi, Multan, Lahore and Faisalabad in Punjab; Karachi and Hyderabad in Sindh; Peshawar, Abbottabad and Swat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP); Mirpur in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK); Gilgit and Islamabad. According to a statement, there had also been an increase in the number of infections reported at educational institutions across the country, with 19 per cent of total coronavirus cases being recorded among students. The positivity ratio in educational institutions rose from 1.8 per cent to 3.3 per cent during the last week — an increase of 82 per cent. For the past several weeks, authorities have been sounding the alarm over a second wave of the coronavirus outbreak. Earlier this month, the nationwide positivity rate surpassed 5 per cent after a gap of over three months. The maximum positivity rate had reached 23 per cent in June as it had increased from 6 per cent in May, while the positivity rate was brought down to 1.7 per cent in September. The death rate, meanwhile, shot up to a four-month high on Sunday with 59 virus-related deaths in a single day. Despite the grim situation, the country has yet to fully utilise its claimed testing capacity of 74,407 and is currently testing significantly below numbers proposed by global health experts, reports suggest. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the country’s testing policies likely only record the most symptomatic patients while ignoring the spread among asymptomatic carriers, which studies have suggested comprise the majority of infections in the country. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan has reminded people to use face masks in public places “to slow down the rate of the virus and ultimately control the pandemic” and follow social distancing measures.

Saudi Arabia denies reports of Netanyahu meeting MBS in the kingdom AGENCIES Saudi Arabia on Monday denied Israeli media reports of landmark talks between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a visit by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. “I have seen press reports about a purported meeting between HRH the Crown Prince and Israeli officials during the recent visit by @SecPompeo,” Saudi Foreign

Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said in a tweet. “No such meeting occurred. The only officials present were American and Saudi.” Israeli public broadcaster Kan and other outlets had reported that the meeting took place on Sunday, weeks after the Jewish state reached historic deals to normalise ties with two Saudi allies, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Those deals, known as the Abraham Accords, were brokered by the administration of US President

Donald Trump, who leaves office in less than two months. Hebrew-language media cited an unnamed Israeli official as saying that Netanyahu and Yossi Cohen, head of Israel’s Mossad spy agency, flew to the Saudi city of Neom on Sunday, where they met with the crown prince. The prince was there for talks with Pompeo, who was in Israel last week before travelling onto Saudi during a regional tour.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

more inside

Provinces directed to keep check on food prices

PM for all possible steps to prevent spread of Covid-19

STORY ON PAGE 09

STORY ON PAGE 03

SBP keeps policy rate unchanged at 7pc STORY ON PAGE 09

IMF chief urges G20 leaders to jointly rebuild global economy

STORY ON BACK PAGE

coronavirus in

Pakistan

CONFIRMED CASES:

376,929

LAST UPDATED AT 7:26 AM ON NOVEMBER 23, 2020

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

RECOVERED:

NEW CASES:

2,756 DEATHS:

329,828 7,696 SINDH:

PUNJAB:

163,329

114,508

KP:

BALOCHISTAN:

AJK/GB:

ISLAMABAD:

44,599

16,810

6,123/4,542 27,018

Tuesday, 24 November, 2020

NEWS

Pti wins Another seAt in GB; set to surPAss three-fourth mAjority GILGIT

TLTP

AKISTAN Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Syed Sohail Abbas Shah has won the Gilgit-III constituency of the GilgitBaltistan Legislative Assembly (GBLA) in an election which had been delayed for one week due to the death of the PTI’s former candidate, Jafar Shah. According to the unofficial results received from all the 77 polling stations of

the constituency, Abbas bagged 6,873 votes while the runner-up, an independent candidate Dr Muhammad Iqbal, received 4,678 votes. Pakistan Muslim LeagueQuaid (PML-Q) candidate Captain (r) Muhammad Shafiq got 4,654 votes. The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidates respectively received 3,670 and 2,680 votes. The new induction raised the number of PTI members in the legislative assembly to 17, counting the six independent

sadiq, three others get extension in bails in 'violent protest' case LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore on Monday extended the interim bail of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ayaz Sadiq and three other party leaders in a 2018 case on charges of resorting to violent protests when deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif returned from London to serve his sentence. The other suspects include former Punjab minister Khwaja Salman Rafique, former MPA Malik Waheed and PML-N activist Rana Ehsan. Presiding Judge Ijaz Ahmad Buttar extended the bails till November 30 and directed the investigation officer in the case to submit a complete record of the case during the next hearing. The North Cantonment police had registered the first information report under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act and some provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). Sharif along with his daughter and PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz had landed at the Allama Iqbal Airport, Lahore on July 13, 2018, from where they were arrested and shifted to jail to serve sentences in multiple National Accountability Bureau (NAB) references. STAFF REPORT

candidates. Furthermore, the ruling party also has the support of the Majlis-eWahdat-ul-Muslimeen (MWM), which has secured one seat during the polls. The ruling party now has support of 18 legislators out of 24 elected members. The PTI’s position will further consolidate after election on reserved seats and it will likely cross three-fourth majority in the house. Seven independent candidates had secured success in the GB polls and six of them have so far joined the PTI, giving it

the numbers in the legislative assembly to achieve the two-thirds majority in the house of 24 members. Prime Minister Imran Khan on November 15 staked claim on the GB government after the PTI emerged as the biggest party in last Sunday’s election for the region’s legislative assembly. According to the unofficial results of 23 constituencies of the GB, the PTI bagged 10 seats, leading other major political parties, including the PPP with three seats, and PML-N with two seats.

GB election results cause clash between PPP and police ISLAMABAD GHULAM ABBAS

The unofficial results of the A-2, Gilgit-2 constituency in the Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) election resulted in a clash between the workers of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) clashed and the police on Monday. At least four vehicles, including one belonging to an interim minister, and a building of the forest department were torched by unidentified persons as the protest turned violent. Gilgit Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Mirza Hussain said that the violence started after a clash between protesters and security forces escalated, but there were no injuries, and no one was arrested. The police have sealed off roads in the region. PPP’s GB chapter President Advocate Amjad, however, told a different story. He said that several party workers were injured because of the police’s tear gas shelling. He added that demonstrations will be held in 12 districts from 12-4 pm on Tuesday. Meanwhile, PPP GB Information Secretary Saadia

Danish said that the party workers had arranged a peaceful protest against alleged rigging in GBLA-II, but the police used force to stop them. She said that the police resorted to baton-charge and aerial firing, which led to the violence. She held the local administration responsible for the law and order situation, and revealed that the party has decided to expand the protest to other districts if the issue remains unresolved. It is worth mentioning here that the report of returning officer of GBLA-II recommended a forensic examination of postal ballot papers as their legitimacy was doubtful. Later, on Monday, the chief election commissioner of GB called the candidates of the constituency and told them that he did not receive any report from the RO, but the votes were nevertheless counted. The candidates objected to the CEC’s statement, saying that it is highly unlikely that he did not receive the RO’s report. A winner from the constituency is yet to be announced. Both PPP and Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) have levelled rigging allegations in the GB election.

Another doctor dies of covid-19 in KP ABBOTTABAD: Medical Officer of Ayub Medical Complex Abbottabad, Dr Raja Asif, lost his life battling coronavirus on Monday. According to hospital sources, MO Dr Raja Asif was being treated at Ayub Medical Complex and was on a ventilator, but he did not survive. His father had also died of Covid-19 last week, according to hospital sources. It is worth mentioning here that so far 22 doctors and 40 health workers have succumbed to Covid-19 in the province. TLTP

LAhore dominAtes AQi As most PoLLuted city in worLd Lahore has once again risen to the top of the Air Quality Index (AQI) with a score of 306, which is over 33 per cent higher than New Delhi, according to IQAir. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, a score of 50 or lower constitutes as safe, making Lahore six times higher than the threshold for safe-to-breath air. Similarly, Karachi came in seventh place on the charts, with an AQI of 168. Meanwhile, India’s Delhi and Mumbai came in second and fourth with scores of 182 and 174 respectively. Punjab disaster management authorities have, so far, sealed 613 brick kilns, 2,148 industries and impounded 8,579 vehicles in an attempt to reduce the smog in the city, which would be qualified as ‘hazardous’ by international standards. Earlier in the year, the lockdown had shut down most factories and intra-city travel, causing the AQI to return to healthy levels. However, the past few weeks have seen a sharp rise in the AQI quotient. Pakistan is also facing the second wave of the novel coronavirus, and Prime Minister Imran Khan, echoing the opinions of experts, has expressed his fears that the smog would worsen the transmission of the airborne respiratory disease. NEWS DESK

the father-son duo, detained in Kot Lakhpat prison in various graft cases, will be released a day before the arrival of the body. According to PML-N leader Ataullah Tarar, the body was likely to be brought back to

Lahore within a couple of days and buried next to the grave of her husband, Mian Sharif, at the Jati Umra residence of the Sharifs. Tarar, who on Sunday announced to approach concerned authorities to get Sharifs’ released on parole, the following day approached Lahore Deputy Commissioner Mudassir Riaz in this regard.

We appreciate the efforts of the Pakistani government to build a ‘Naya Pakistan’ and are ready to work with Pakistan in exchanges of experience of governance, and join hands for common development. The second opportunity is the BRI cooperation. As an important pioneering project of the BRI, the CPEC has progressed rapidly in recent three years, bringing transformation to Pakistani economy and society. According to the latest statistics, against the adverse impact of Covid19 pandemic, the Chinese investment in Pakistan rose to $332.1bn in the first four months of this fiscal year (July-October), accounting for 45pc of the total FDI. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China will promote the high-quality development of BRI, advance the CPEC projects with high standards, ensure a smooth implementation and operation of ongoing projects, and divert more resources to industry, agriculture, science and technology and social welfare, so that more common people can enjoy the benefit of our bilateral cooperation. The third opportunity is exports to China. With a population of 1.4bn and middle-income people of over 400m, China is the largest market in the world. China is also the biggest trade partner and second largest export destination for Pakistan. As the CPFTA Phase II came into effect this year, the zero-tariff items between the two countries have been widened to 75pc. China not only applies zero tariff to products such as yarn, leather and nuts from Pakistan, but

also actively promotes the export of Pakistani agriculture products of cherry, potato and onion. In the next five years, China will expand its domestic mega-market with robust consumption, promote the dual circulations at home and abroad. This will help Pakistan expand its exports to China, promote its economic recovery, and help to solve the problem of trade imbalance. The fourth opportunity is for collaboration in poverty reduction. Under the leadership of President Xi, China has astonished the world with the miracle of poverty reduction by enabling over 10m people annually to rise out of poverty over the past seven years. This year, China will achieve its target as scheduled to enable all of its rural poor below current standard to rise out of poverty. Prime Minister Imran Khan also attaches great importance to poverty reduction and has on several occasions spoken highly of China’s achievements in this aspect. At the recent SCO summit, President Xi declared that China supported setting up an SCO joint working group on poverty reduction. Bilaterally and multilaterally, we will share our experiences in poverty reduction with Pakistan, and contribute to its poverty reduction drive through cooperation. Peace, development and win-win cooperation are beliefs both China and Pakistan uphold. Let’s follow the trend of the times to make full use of the golden opportunities of China’s development, and jointly work for a closer China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future in the New Era.

Release of Shahbaz, Hamza on parole sought for Shamim Bibi’s funeral LAHORE STAFF REPORT

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Monday approached the provincial authorities

to get party president Shehbaz Sharif and his son and Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Hamza Shahbaz released on parole to attend the funeral of Sharif’s mother. Begum Shamim Akhtar, the nonagenarian

mother of deposed prime minister and PMLN supreme leader Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shehbaz, passed away in London on Sunday morning. Following which, the Punjab government had announced to release

Golden development opportunities for Pakistan NONG RONG In his keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the third CIIE, President Xi Jinping pledged to turn the Chinese market into a market for the world, a market shared by all, and a market accessible to all, so as to bring more positive energy to the global community. President Xi’s speech fully demonstrated China’s confidence of cooperation with the international community, which arises from three aspects. First, it comes from China’s major strategic victory in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic. The Communist Party of China adheres to the people-centred policy and the life-first principle. From 30-hour-old babies to the elderly in the 100s, every life is fully protected. At present, China’s daily new cases have dramatically dropped to single digits. Meanwhile, China’s economy has shown a stable improving trend. Positive economic growth has been achieved in the first three quarters. Foreign trade increased by 0.7pc and the actual use of foreign capital increased by 5.2pc, providing a big boost for the recovery of the global economy. Secondly, China’s confidence comes from the great achievements made during the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020). It is estimated that in 2020, China’s GDP

will exceed RMB 100 trillion. As many as 55.75 million rural people have been lifted out of poverty, more than 60m new jobs have been created in urban areas, and the world’s largest social security system has been established in China with the basic medical insurance covering more than 1.3 billion people and basic endowment insurance covering nearly 1bn people. Thirdly, China’s confidence comes from the development targets for the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) proposed by the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. This year, China will achieve the goal of finishing building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and eradicating poverty. From next year on, China will begin a new journey towards fully building a modern socialist country. Answering to the changing circumstances and new requirements, we have set out to foster a new development paradigm with domestic circulation as the mainstay and domestic and international circulations reinforcing each other. What we envision is not a development loop behind closed doors, but more open domestic and international circulations. We will do so not only to meet China’s own development needs but also for the greater benefit of people in all countries. Facing the impact of Covid-19 to the global economy,

some countries have chosen to pursue protectionism and set up trade barriers, while China has chosen to strengthen cooperation and communication and expand opening up. As President Xi pointed out, we must uphold the principle of mutually beneficial cooperation; we need to build trust rather than second-guess each other; we need to join hands rather than throw punches at each other; and we need to consult rather than slander each other. Bearing in mind the common interests that bind us all, countries need to work together to make economic globalisation more open, inclusive and balanced for the benefits of all. Going forward, China will steadfastly expand allround opening up and explore more efficient ways to connect domestic and foreign markets and share factors of production and resources. It will bring more opportunities for ChinaPakistan cooperation. The first opportunity arises in synergising the development strategies of the two countries. China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic partners, offering each other development opportunities. From now to 2035, China will work towards basically realising the long-term goal of socialist modernisation. China’s overall national strength will continue to rise, enhancing its capacity of participating in international economic cooperation and competition.

Tuesday, 24 November, 2020

NEWS

Pm for ALL PossiBLe stePs to Prevent sPreAd of covid-19 ISLAMABAD

STAFF REPORT

RIME Minister Imran Khan has directed for taking all possible measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 pandemic and protect the lives of common people. Chairing a high-level meeting in the federal capital on Monday to review the overall situation of the pandemic in the country, the prime minister said that the entire world is commending Pakistan’s strategy and timely decisions to prevent spread of the contagion during the first wave of the coronavirus. He stressed the need for maintaining balance and precaution in the second wave of the virus. The premier was briefed about loss of precious human lives due to spread of the coronavirus and capacity of the hospitals. The meeting was also apprised about decisions taken by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC). Besides Federal Ministers Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar, Shafqat Mehmood,

Hammad Azhar, Senator Shbili Faraz, Ejaz Shah and Asad Umar, the meeting was attended by special assistants Sania Nishtar and Dr Faisal Sultan, Adviser to PM Abdul Razzak Dawood and Minister of State Ali Muhammad Khan. The premier also convened a meeting of the National Coordination Committee for Covid-19 pandemic on Tuesday for consultation and decision making over various matters. The NCC meeting will review the coronavirus situation across the country and take important decisions on smart lockdowns and other measures to curb the infection. The meeting will be attended by officials from NCOC officials and the ministries of health and education. They will discuss the growing trend of Covid-19 infections across the country. PM Imran will be briefed on the measures taken to contain the spread of coronavirus and will give the final approval on the closure of educational institutions, which was announced by Education Minister

indoor dininG services BAnned in KArAchi restAurAnts KARACHI TLTP The Karachi administration on Monday announced new Covid-19 restrictions for restaurants to be imposed from Tuesday to control the spread of coronavirus. Karachi Administrator Iftikhar Shalwani has imposed a ban on indoor dining services in all restaurants from Tuesday due to the second Covid-19 wave. According to the new order, only open-air restaurants have been allowed to continue dine-in services. He said that new restrictions will help control the spread of the virus. Shalwani has directed all deputy commissioners of the city to ensure the implementation of new orders. It may be noted that several Karachi areas have already been put under micro and smart lockdowns owing to the Covid-19 second wave. Lockdown has been imposed in areas including Delhi Mercantile

Shafqat Mahmood on Monday. It is pertinent to mention here that the coronavirus pandemic has claimed 211

Society-1, Civic Centre, Essa Nagri, Civic Centre, Gulshan-eIqbal Blocks 1, 2, 10-A, 13-C, 19, 13-D, 4-G, 13, 14, 15, and 10, Blocks 10, 12, 3, 8 and 7-G in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Gulzar-e-Hijri, Blocks 2 and Block 6 in PECHS, Jacob Lines and Baloch Para. In district Central, several houses along with streets in different parts were placed under micro-smart lockdown. The lockdown also imposed at houses located in Blocks 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 19 in Federal B. Area, Blocks B, C, D, G, L and N of North Nazimabad, Firdous Colony in Nazimabad, and some sectors of North Karachi. In district South, 5th Street, Khayaban-e-Momin, 6th Street, Khayaban-e-Badban, 12th Street, Bath Island and 35th Street off Khayaban-e-Ittehad in DHA were placed under micro-smart lockdown until the active cases came down to zero. It is pertinent to mention here that Karachi has remained most affected by coronavirus after nearly 1,000 cases were reported from the city in the past 24 hours.

lives across the country in the past seven days with an average of 30 deaths per day. With an average of 2,556.7 cases per day, a

Faraz says PTI came to power with public’s support ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz on Monday said that in the 2018 general election, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had come to power with the support and votes of the people. Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN), a reputable independent nongovernmental organization monitoring elections and other democratic processes, had acknowledged significant improvement in the quality of critical electoral processes in the 2018 general election, he said in a tweet. The minister shared FAFEN’s comparative list of irregularities observed in the 2013 and 2018 general elections, showing decline in the latter one. As per FAFEN, some 133 petitions were filed to challenge election in the National Assembly constituencies in 2013, while their number was only 102 in 2018. The most important point is that both the Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) had challenged the election in 24 NA constituencies in 2018 while the PTI alone filed 23 petitions in the Election Commission of Pakistan

(ECP) against “unfair” polls. According to the FAFEN data, the percentage of campaign materials’ presence inside the polling stations in 2013 was 3.2 per cent, which fell to 1.8 per cent in 2018. Similarly, the percentage of voters permitted to cast votes with identification documents other than national identity cards in 2013 was 9.3 per cent against 1.1 per cent in 2018. The FAFEN data shows that in 2013 the ratio of polling staff, polling agents, security personnel or other persons accompanying voters behind secrecy screens was 17 per cent which fell to 6.8 per cent in 2018. Likewise, the percentage of polling staff disallowing voters with disabilities from seeking assistance of their choice to cast vote fell to 3.5 per cent in 2018 from 14.9 per cent in 2013. Similarly, the incidents of capturing polling stations remained 1.2 per cent in 2013 while none was reported in 2018. The incidents of unauthorised persons pressurising the polling staff were 3.8 per cent in 2013, which fell to 0.5 per cent in 2018. The FAFEN report shared by Faraz said that the ratio of voters already queued at the polling stations not allowed to vote at the close of voting remained 23.5 per cent in 2013 against 7.5 per cent in 2018.

Pakistan summons indian diplomat over continued Loc violations NEWS DESK The Foreign Office (FO) on Monday summoned the Indian diplomat to protest consistent and continuous violations of the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding. According to FO, the “indiscriminate and unprovoked firing by the Indian forces” in Khuiratta sector of the Line of Control (LoC) on Sunday resulted in the death of 11 civilians. The victims included 55-year-old Muhammad Haneef, five-year-old Shangur, five-year-old Summan, 20-year-old Aruj, 35-year-old Zabina, 65-year-old Sarwar Jan, 35-year-old Sajida Kausar, 10-year-old Eraj, 50-year-old Khursheed Begum, seven-year-old Hurrain Irfan and nine-year-old Mubeen. “These egregious violations of international law reflect consistent Indian attempts to escalate the situation along the LoC and are a threat to regional peace and security,” the statement issued by the FO read. The FO said that India has committed over 2,820 ceasefire violations this year resulting in 26 deaths and serious injuries to 245 civilians. Condemning the occupation of Indian forces along the LoC and Working Boundary (WB), the FO added that these repeated violations by the Indian forces cannot divert attention away from the severe human rights atrocities in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK).

The ratio of incidents of polling station result form (Form No 45) not provided to the candidates and their agents present at the polling stations in 2018 fell from 2.5 per cent from 7.5 per cent in 2013. Likewise, the incidents of violence at polling stations fell from 7.6 per cent in 2013 to 1.1 per cent only in 2018. The incidents of polling staff trying to influence voters’ electoral choice in 2013 remained 2.0 per cent and 0.5 per cent in 2018. Faraz said that it was time for the foreign media outlets, including the BBC, to realise that the PTI was voted to power by the people in the 2018 election, notwithstanding the baseless propaganda being churned out – unless they sought to become a tool of the propagandists. He said that the military supported the democratic government and its policies as required by the Constitution. About the alleged military dominance as well as its role in the elections, he said that the issue really was of the frustration being felt by Pakistan’s detractors because the PTI government and the military were on the same page. PDM RALLIES THREAT TO LIVES, LIVELIHOODS OF PEOPLE: Separately, Faraz said on Twitter that public meetings of Pakistan Democratic

Movement (PDM) – an alliance of opposition parties – are aimed at seeking an NRO (national reconciliation ordinance). The federal information minister said that PDM rallies are a threat not to the government but to the lives and livelihoods of the people, however, the PDM’s political interests do not care about it. The minister said that after the defeat in the Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) elections and the failed rally in Peshawar, the PDM leaders should realise their political and moral status. Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, in a statement, said on Monday that opposition leaders have nothing to do with the issues to the nationals and the leadership of PDM is busy hatching conspiracies. Buzdar said that the government is consistently launching different projects for public welfare but on the other hand, the opposition parties are taking negative steps to stop the development in the country. He said that the masses know well about the political parties which destroyed the national economy while being in the power. The chief minister slammed opposition parties for running politics of chaos to accomplish their personal agendas.

SHC sends Arzoo to shelter home KARACHI STAFF REPORT

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday sent Arzoo Raja, a minor Christian girl who was allegedly kidnapped and forcibly converted to Islam before being married to an older Muslim man, to a shelter home and ordered authorities to keep her there until she reaches the age of 18. The high court also asked the girl to reconsider her decision to not live with her parents, rights activist and counsel for Arzoo’s parents tweeted. Arzoo, 13, was purportedly abducted from her residence in Karachi on October 13 and two days later her neighbour, Syed Ali Azhar, 44, while claiming to be her husband, produced a marriage certificate saying she was of legal age, 18, and had converted to Islam of her own free will. A first information report (FIR) was lodged at Ferere police station subsequently on behalf of her father and nominated Azhar as the prime suspect. Following the filing of the complaint, the police arrested Azhar’s brothers — Syed Shariq Ali and Syed Mohsin Ali — and a friend, Danish, for allegedly abducting the girl. During earlier hearings, Arzoo stated she had embraced Islam out of her free choice and had solemnised a free-will marriage with Azhar “without any fear or pressure”. She insisted again on going with Azhar. During the hearing, the prosecutor in the case informed the court that the case in question was not of abduction but of underage marriage. “The cleric who solemnised the marriage [of Arzoo and Azhar], has been on bail and other accused have also got bails from courts,” he informed the court. “Also, two accused [in the case] are absconding,” he said. At this, the judge wondered if “efforts have been to capture the suspects”. “According to an [earlier] Supreme Court ruling, the case should be decided in accordance with the

Constitution,” the counsel said, arguing the incident apparently violated both Islamic and underage marriage laws of the country. “Police should present its report in the lower court [where the matter is being investigated] after transparent investigation of the matter,” the judge said. During the proceeding on Monday, the court also added Section 375(5) of the Protection of Women (Criminal Laws Amendment) Act, 2006, according to which sexual intercourse with a girl under 16 years of age, with or without consent, amounts to rape. While adjourning the hearing, the high court said: “Arzoo should be sent to Darul Aman [shelter home] and appropriate arrangements should be made for her education and other required facilities”. The bench also ordered the provincial home department to arrange counselling for the girl and dismissed the petition. THE CASE: The case led to protests which started in Karachi but have since spread across Pakistan to other cities including Quetta, Lahore, and Hyderabad after a judicial magistrate dismissed last month an application filed by Arzoo’s family, requesting to send her to a shelter home from the custody of her purported husband. However, the judge upheld the marriage after Azhar claimed the girl had converted of her own free will. According to Arzoo’s family, her purported husband lived in a house opposite theirs along with his family. “[The man who] abducted her has prepared fake papers to show that she is 18-yearold,” her mother, Rita Masih, said. The investigating officer in the case, Inspector Shariq Ahmed Siddiqui, had stated that the victim had appeared before the high court and was sent under the protection of the station house officer of the Preedy police station in compliance with the court’s October 27 order. He said he had called in the verification of Arzoo’s B-form, which as per the NADRA record, was authentic.

total of 17,897 infections were recorded while 6,051 patients recovered in Pakistan in the past week.

50pc staff to work remotely, Punjab govt says In light of the second wave of the coronavirus, an official notification from the Punjab government has ordered that 50 per cent of the staff of public and private offices should work from home in order to prevent further spread of the respiratory disease. The notification was issued by the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department on Monday and said that the order would remain in effect until January 31, 2021. Earlier today, a similar decision was taken regarding the closure of schools until January 11, 2021. After a meeting with all the provincial education ministers, Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood had announced during a news conference that students will take classes remotely until December 24, 2020. “All ministers have mutually decided that to keep all educational institutions, including schools, colleges, universities, and tuition centres closed. However, online classes will continue from November 26 to December 24 after which winter break will start. Schools will reopen on January 11, 2021,” Mahmood said. NEWS DESK

Punjab seeks deployment of rangers for security of emirati dignitaries ISLAMABAD: The Punjab government has been making efforts to secure the upcoming hunting expedition of dignitaries from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in southern districts of the province. The provincial cabinet’s sub-committee on law and order held on October 20 in principle approved the deployment of troops for the expedition’s protection. Well-informed sources told Pakistan Today that the provincial government has requested the federal government to ensure the availability of troops of three companies with a Wing Headquarter of the Pakistan Rangers (Punjab) during the hunting expedition of Emirati dignitaries until March 31, 2021. They said that Prime Minister Imran Khan has already approved the summary of this request and the federal cabinet is also expected to approve this request shortly. The hunting delegation will include UAE President and Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nehan, Dubai’s deputy ruler and Minister of Finance and Industries Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al-Makhtoum. The team will visit Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar and Rahim Yar Khan for hunting. AHMAD AHMADANI

Army destroys 'rAw-sponsored' terrorist network, kills two commanders in Bajaur: isPr RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan Army has killed two commanders of a RAW-sponsored terrorist network during an operation in Bajaur in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement issued late Monday night. "A major terrorist network has been neutralised as security forces conducted IBO [intelligence-based operation] on a hideout near village Tangi, Bajaur District," the military’s media wing said, adding that two terrorist commanders — identified as Zubair and Aziz Ur Rehman alias Fida — were killed during close encounter. According to the Pakistan Army, the two and their network were involved in terrorist activities in Bajaur and Karachi. STAFF REPORT

Tuesday, 24 November, 2020

04 NEWS

Private SchoolS in kP reJect govt’S deciSion to cloSe educational inStituteS PESHAWAR

AZIZ BUNERI

RIvATE schools in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) have rejected the federal government’s decision to close educational institutions across the country from November 26 to January 10 because of the sharp increase in coronavirus cases. Anas Takreem, the general secretary of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Private School Network Association, told Pakistan Today that the federal government’s decision is not aimed at preventing coronavirus, but “they made a political issue out of it”.

He pointed out that over 2.6 million children are deprived of education in the province, and the government’s decision will contribute to increasing this number. He claimed that educational institutions were implementing standard operating procedures (SOPs) against coronavirus, but the government is still instating upon closing schools to contain the second wave of the pandemic. Talking about the previous closure of schools for six months, he said that it badly affected the education of children and hurt the business of school owners, who could not pay the rents of school buildings, salaries of staff, taxes, and other expensive,

which brought them on the verge of permanent closure. According to Takreem, before the last lockdown, there were 8,600 schools registered with the authority in the province, and now the membership has reduced by 4,000 as these schools have not renewed their membership. He said that the provincial government collects 15 taxes from private schools in various categories, and during the last lockdown, no compensation was given to them, but rather they were fined over alleged violations of coronavirus SOPs. He added that the government levied property taxes from private schools at commercial rates per square foot along with social se-

curity, EOBI, endowment funds, professional taxes and registration fee ranging between Rs4,000 to Rs25,000 annually. The general secretary highlighted that currently, 2.4 million children are enrolled in various private schools and 124,000 teachers are employed to teach them. In view of this, he added, the government should reconsider its decision to close schools, otherwise all educational institutes across the country will be forced to protest. Moreover, the National Education Council of Pakistan has also rejected the federal government’s decision and has threatened a protest if the decision is not rolled back.

Stray dogS kill another child in Sindh KHAIRPUR: Another minor boy died after being savagely attacked by stray dogs in Khairpur district, police said on Monday. According to the police, 10-year-old Ghulam Murtaza was assaulted by a pack of dogs in the Kot Diji area and was rushed to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to his injuries during treatment. The police said that a first information report (FIR) of the dog attack that led to the boy’s death will be lodged against the Naseer Faqeer Union Council’s (UC) secretary. On November 10, a 12-yearold boy had died after being injured by stray dogs in Hala city of Sindh’s Matiari district. A pack of savage dogs attacked the boy, leaving him critically injured, according to his family. Local residents rushed him to the Hala Hospital where he succumbed to his wounds. TLTP

india wants to sabotage cPec and regional peace, says PM’s aide ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister on National Security Dr Moeed Yusuf has said that Pakistan is taking all possible steps to apprise the world of India’s ulterior motives for halting the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects. Talking to a private television channel, Dr Moeed said that India wants to sabotage CPEC and regional peace. He said that Pakistan will take all necessary measures to approach the international powers, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the United Nations Secretary General (UNSC) for apprising them regarding sinister designs of India. He said that there are credible reports about Indian agenda for creating instability in Balochistan and other parts of Pakistan. About Afghanistan, the special assistant said that peace in Afghanistan is imperative for security, stability and economic prosperity of the region. He said that Pakistan's efforts for Afghan peace, security, connectivity, and prosperity of the region would continue unabatedly. Dr Moeed said that the government has adopted a proactive approach to realise the international community and human rights organisations of their responsibilities regarding the human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK). He said that highlighting the plight of Kashmiri people at the world forums is the top priority of the incumbent government. STAFF REPORT

Steps afoot for dr aafia’s repatriation: Babar ISLAMABAD: Adviser to Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan said on Monday that the federal government is taking serious steps for the return of Dr Aafia Siddiqui. Dr Fauzia Siddiqui, the sister of Dr Aafia, met Dr Awan where they discussed the progress of the government’s efforts for the return of the Pakistani scientist, Dr Aafia, from the United States. Dr Awan told Fauzia that the government is willing to bring back all Pakistanis who are imprisoned in different countries. He said that 5,000 Pakistani prisoners have been brought back to Pakistan by the personal efforts of Prime Minister Imran Khan. The adviser said that the federal government is taking serious steps for the return of Dr Aafia and a review session was organised by the foreign ministry at the upper house over the efforts for her return on a humanitarian basis. He also said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has prioritised the resolution of all issues to the Pakistanis residing in foreign countries. He expressed hopes that the new US president will ensure Dr Aafia’s release. During the meeting, Dr Fauzia expressed satisfaction over the efforts of PM Imran and Dr Awan for her sister’s return to Pakistan. TLTP

lhc restrains FBr from auditing JdW sugar mills LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday issued a stay order against the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) notices to JDW Sugar Mills of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Jahangir Tareen. The sugar mills approached the high court, challenging its selection for audit by the Inland Revenue department of the FBR. The court heard the petition of the sugar mills against the notices of FBR and issued a notice to the taxation authority. The counsel of the mills said that his client was not a defaulter and regularly paying income tax, but the board has sent it three notices one after another for recovery of the income tax and selected the mills for income tax audit. The mills’ counsel submitted in a petition that the FBR launched an audit of the five-year old accounts of the company. He argued that the Inland Revenue department could not hold audit of accounts beyond five years under the law. The mills had sought the court’s restraining order against the FBR proceedings and declared the notices dated October 16, 22 and 29 as void. TLTP

NARAN:Early onset of snow and sludge freezes city life to a standstill. ONLINE

SC asks CDA to make regularisation of constructions transparent ISLAMABAD TLTP

Hearing the Bani Gala encroachment case, the Supreme Court (SC) on Monday directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to make the regularisation of constructions more transparent. A three-judge apex court bench, headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial, directed the authority to furnish a report on the quality of water in Korang Nullah after the court was informed that housing societies are disposing of untreated

sewage into it. Justice Bandial remarked that the housing societies should be stopped from polluting the drain. He said that all societies need to have sewerage treatment plants. He said that a no-objection certificate should be given on the condition that societies will install their own treatment plants. No treatment plant at the drain is operational, the SC judge noted, adding a structure has been erected but it has not been operating. The hearing was put off for an indef-

inite period. In the previous hearings of the case, the apex court criticised the CDA for its snail’s pace regularisation of unauthorised construction in Bani Gala and suggested charging residents to meet the cost of installing sewage treatment plants in the area. Justice Ijazul Ahsan, one of the members of the bench, remarked that the court had been informed that at least four plants are required for Rawal Dam, which is the main water reservoir for Rawalpindi.

Ministry issues permit to shift elephant Kaavan to Cambodia ISLAMABAD TLTP

The federal government on Monday issued a permit to transfer the country's only Asian elephant, Kaavan, to Cambodia. The permit was issued by the Ministry of Climate Change. The Cambodian government, earlier in October, issued a relocation permit for the transfer of the elephant from the Islamabad

zoo to a local sanctuary. The permit is valid till April 2021. Sources said that the elephant will be flown to Cambodia on November 29. The plight of Kaavan, an overweight, 35-year-old bull elephant has drawn international condemnation and highlighted the woeful state of Islamabad's zoo, where conditions are so bad a judge in May ordered all the animals to be moved.

Kaavan has been at the Islamabad Zoo for 35 years and the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has decided to transfer Kaavan to Cambodia, where he will be housed in Cambodia's famous elephant sanctuary. Earlier, a team of international vets using tranquilliser darts, flatbreads and the soothing lyrics of Frank Sinatra conducted a medical examination on Kaavan, ahead of his planned move to

The CDA’s director general environment told the SC that there are currently no sewage treatment plants functioning along the dam. He also explained the government measures to prevent contamination of the lake, and informed the court of an inter-departmental committee that comprises officials of six departments regularly tests the water. Local government laws ban littering in the catchment, he said, while the Fisheries Department is responsible for stopping illegal boating in Rawal Lake. The official added that poultry farms along the Korang River also contaminate the water. Justice Bandial suggested that the local community might be asked to contribute, and the Punjab government or MCI could impose taxes on residents in this regard.

Cambodia. Outrage over Kaavan, gifted by Sri Lanka in 1985, went global a few years ago after California vet Samar Khan saw him chained in his enclosure during a visit to Islamabad. She launched an online petition that eventually caught the attention of American pop icon Cher. Kaavan's mate Saheli, who arrived also from Sri Lanka in 1990, died of gangrene in 2012. It is hoped Kavaan might eventually be able to re-partner once he is moved to Cambodia. Tireless efforts by a team of local animal advocates resulted in May's court ruling, under which Kaavan was supposed to be moved within 30 days, though the deadline was extended.

Tuesday, 24 November, 2020

IMPLeMeNtAtIoN of $200M CovId reSPoNSe ProjeCt deLAyed IN PAkIStAN: WB ISLAMABAD

GHULAM ABBAS

World Bank report has revealed that the implementation of the 'Pandemic Response Effectiveness in Pakistan' has been significantly delayed due to the pending PC-I issue. The project was aimed at preparing and responding to the Covid-19 pandemic in the country, besides strengthening national system for public health preparedness.

As per the details, following the instructions issued by the Economic Affairs Division (EAD), federal and provincial PC-1s were prepared for the health component of the project. However, due to a significant delay in their approval process, implementation has been on a pause, according to the implementation status and results report released by the bank on November 21. The World Bank had approved $200 million for the project in April. The hefty package was to help establish quarantine

Saudi Arabia denies reports of Netanyahu meeting MBS in the kingdom ContInueD froM pAge 01 A Gulfstream IV private jet took off just after 1740 GMT from Ben-Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, according to data from website FlightRadar24.com. The flight travelled south along the eastern edge of the Sinai Peninsula before turning toward Neom and landing just after 1830 GMT, according to the data. The flight took off from Neom around 2150 GMT and followed the same route back to Tel Aviv. Kan's diplomatic correspondent said that Pompeo was also at the reported talks between Saudi and Israeli officials. Netanyahu's office was not immediately available to comment on the reports, and the US State Department declined to weigh in on the issue. The reports had set off a flurry of commentary on what would have been a major step forward in the Arab world's engagement with Israel. King Salman long has supported the Palestinians in their effort to secure an independent state. However, analysts and insiders suggest his 35-year-old son, Crown Prince Mohammed, is likely more open to the idea of normalising relations without major progress in the moribund peace process. The kingdom approved the use of Saudi airspace for Israeli flights to the UAE, a decision announced the day after Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, met with Prince Mohammed in Riyadh. Bahrain normalising ties also suggests at least a Saudi acquiescence to the idea, as the island kingdom relies on Riyadh. Israel has long had clandestine ties to Gulf Arab states that have strengthened in recent years as they have confronted a shared threat in Iran.

facilities in collaboration with public and private hospitals and also supply equipment to hospitals, including ventilators and Personal Protection Equipment for doctors and paramedics. Meanwhile, another World Bank report disclosed the grant assistance of $19.85 million for a project, whose objective was to support short- and mediumterm response and recovery needs under the Covid-19 pandemic in the education sector, has also not become effective yet, as the same was pending EAD’s signature.

The grant’s PC-1 was approved by the planning commission last month, while its effectiveness was expected shortly, leaving just 12 months for implementation before the grant closing date of November next year. The project was to strengthen federal and provincial capacity in the education sector to respond to and recover from the Covid-19 crisis in the short-term and lay the foundations for resilience to face future crises, with focus on disadvantaged areas and vulnerable populations.

SECP decides to formulate digital assets law ISLAMABAD SHAHZAD PARACHA

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has decided to formulate laws related to the establishment of digital assets in the country. This was revealed by SECP Information System & Technology Director Abdul Rahim and Primary Market Approvals & Securities Market Division Additional Director Najia Ubaid during a media briefing on digital assets on Monday. Abdul Rahim said that the SECP would devise a policy regarding digital assets that are established under the widely used term

'blockchain open ledger'. "Blockchain saves transaction time from days to near instantaneous, removes cost overheads and cost intermediaries and reduces the risk of tampering, fraud and cyber crime," he added. He informed that bitcoin too was one of the products of the blockchain platform, but it was a cryptocurrency that was currently banned in the country. It may be noted that the recently published SECP position papers defined virtual asset as a "digital representation of value that can be digitally traded, or transferred, and can be used for payment or investment purposes". Meanwhile, Najia Ubaid, said

SECP envisages offering an "initial coin offering (ICO)" as a cryptocurrency rather than as a stock, adding that other such product was Security Tokens (STO). "However, ICOs are not regulated and therefore carry much more risk; ICO investment was an idea rather than a business that was already generating revenue." She shared that the SECP has suggested [the government] that regulated STOs be launched in the country. There are four layers of STOs under the blockchain protocols, starting from issuing an STO, followed by contractual bindings and ending at STO exchanges, which is its secondary trading forum.

IT minister launches Rolling Spectrum Strategy 2020-23 ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Syed Aminul Haque on Monday launched the Rolling Spectrum Strategy 2020-2023.

Addressing the launching ceremony, Haque lauded the efforts of the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and Frequency Allocation Board (FAB) for finalising the rolling spectrum strategy in consultation with all stakeholders.

He said the incumbent government, in line with its vision of Digital Pakistan, gave highest priority to the telecommunications sector's issues, particularly spectrum, adding that the the strategy would help telecom companies formulate their business plan efficiently.

NEWS

Lahore markets, shops may close by 6pm as Covid cases rise LAHore STAFF REPORT

Markets and shops in Lahore are likely to be closed by 6:00pm, as the Punjab government has made a decision in this regard. The provincial government, however, has not made any official statement over this till the filing of this report. The shops were reportedly being given a closing deadline as standard operating procedures (SOPs) were not being followed, sources said. Meanwhile, Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Mian Tariq Misbah yrhed the government note to take this decision, as the markets would become overcrowded if business hours were reduced. He said traders were ready to follow the SOPs to the fullest extent. The Punjab government has finalised a string of measures, including allowing half the government employees to work from home, to stem the second wave of the coronavirus. Several cities in the province were witnessing a spike in daily Covid-19 cases, according to an official survey. The cities where the positivity ratio of infections was high included Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan and Rawalpindi. Earlier in the day, Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood said that all schools across the country will remain closed from November 26 till January 10, 2021 in the wake of rising coronavirus cases in the country.

Pakistan, China agree to expedite work on ML-1 project ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China have agreed to accelerate efforts for early execution of Karachi-Peshawar Main Line-1 (ML1) project. The understanding came at a meeting between Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed and Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong in the federal capital on Monday. The meeting discussed in detail matters of mutual interests, Pak-China relations and rail projects. Sheikh Rasheed said that the ML-1 project will bring about a revolution in the railway department, besides creating new business and employment opportunities in the country. The minister thanked the Chinese ambassador for his country's continued support for the ML-1 project, saying that the mega project would further strengthen the Pak-China relations. Earlier, the railway minister welcomed the new Chinese envoy to the Ministry of Railways by presenting a bouquet of flowers to him. TLTP

Covid-19: From fear to hope and health SponSoreD Content FARHEEN ZAIDI

Realizing the fact that Covid has resurged with positivity rate going back to as high as 7pc among daily tests conducted in Pakistan and with thousand of people falling prey to this pandemic, it gives one a comic relief that for once in their life they are not alone and have thousands like themselves joining the Covid-19 affectees list each day. While the countries are busy in sustaining human and financial damages coming from this pandemic, each of 56,623,643 confirmed Covid-19 patients have struggled with their own emotional and physical damages from this pandemic, across the world. Being a Covid survivor myself, I am compelled to write this and share my own story of fear, hope and eventually health from this globally feared pandemic, and to voice the story of other 371,508 Covid patients across Pakistan in general and 161,028 patients across Sindh in particular. The fear of pain can be worse than the pain itself. I know it might sound odd to someone as it would have sounded to me until some three weeks ago. The idea of fear being more painful than the pain itself was equally bizarre to me right until I got my test reports for Covid-19 and I learnt that being positive is not always the best thing. At least not in the case of any disease related diagnostic. The first thing that hits a Covid patient is the fear attached to the disease, followed by a series of questions. How am I going to break this news to my family? Am I going to die? How painful is it going be? Will they allow my family to see me once I am gone? What if I survive? How are people around me going to react while I am positive? Would I be acceptable to society post my quarantine period? The list can go on and on as a positive Covid report can make one think all the negative things in the word and I was not the only one going through this. Almost all the positive patients in my circle share the same story. While one is processing all these questions and try-

ing to find answers through research and if the news breaks out in the circle, suddenly everyone around the patient becomes a doctor and the Whatsapp is flooded with all the herbal remedies for the Covid-19. To the extent that one starts believing that global warming and lack of forestation in Pakistan must have been courtesy all the trees and plants being consumed for the treatment of this Covid-19. Realizing the fact that I too might had picked the disease from my local area clinic and going back there would only mean exposing further more people to the disease, while also considering the fact that self-medication has cause more human lives than Covid-19 ever could, clubbed with the aforementioned havoc of un-

necessary information a Covid patient is flooded with, I (like any other covid affectee) needed a qualified doctor to guide me through this journey of fear. Luckily enough, I had access to a famous general physician through the on-call facility so I got connected to him immediately, only to learn the following two important lessons for life. 1) distant based consultation is a science in itself. And 2) it is not necessary that a good doctor would be good at distant based consultation as well. I was again standing at point zero. This leads to the interesting bit where to my pleasant surprise I got a call from a lady on the very next day of my test report, claiming herself to be a doctor and calling on behalf of Sehat Kahani & Ministry of Health Sindh.

Admittingly, I was concerned as the claiming doctor had all my details from personal identity to the test reports. I was very much anticipating the calling doctor to tell me how well I can be taken care of against some amount of money and how she would need my banking or card details to process the call. As I had left the hint earlier by mentioning this surprise being pleasant, the doctor did not only informed me for this being a pro-bono service but was also trained on distant based consultation and had a command over breaking the stereotypes and myths pertaining to Covid. The medication prescribed to me was the same which the famous general physician had already prescribed to me but the way I was counselled over the dos and donts of Covid as well as the protocols to be followed while maintaining home quarantine. Considering the anxiety and depression this whole episode of being Covid positive was causing, I was also offered Sehat Kahani mobile application for real time access to mental health experts without having to leave my quarantine place. The best part of the call was that it was not restricted to patient counselling only and with my due consent, my family was taken in loop through a follow up call to get the awareness on preventive cares associated with Covid patients around. Being Covid negative now with only slight traces of weaknesses left, when I look back at how effectively I was followed up on alternate day basis (until the test report came negative) not only for my wellbeing but also to keep a check if any of the family members might not have developed the symptoms, and all this coming from a government arranged partnership; it gives me a realization that among many other myths pertaining to this deadly virus, the biggest myth has been that government is not doing anything to prevent or combat this virus! Thank you government of Sindh. Thank you Sehat Kahani! About the Author: Having a bachelors’ degree in nursery nursing from Joseph Chamberlin College Birmingham England, Farheen Zaidi is a part time teacher and full time home maker with interests in education and public health.

Tuesday, 24 November, 2020

06 COMMENT

How to have a meaningful dialogue

PDM’s last two rallies Peace needs to be maintained as before

YPOCriSY continues to be the hallmark of the PTi when it comes to condemning opposition’s rallies. PM imran khan, who is expected to act more responsibly, addressed two big public rallies early this month in total defiance of the coronavirus SOPs. Politics came first, considerations of public health second. His advice to the opposition to desist from holding public gatherings when the country was reeling under the impact of the second wave of Covid-19 therefore carries little moral weight. When the information Minister maintains that the ‘mentality of selfish political coterie was exposed as it was playing with lives of innocent people and workers for minor political advantage’, his diatribe, which is aimed at the opposition, turns into a damning censure of imran khan himself. Of the six planned rallies, the PML-n has already held four. Despite being advised not to drag army into politics, the opposition perhaps thought that it would be too much to ignore the elephant in the room. The inadequacies of the PTi leadership have forced those who helped it to come to power to volunteer to perform functions that come strictly under the purview of the elected government. This explains why sections of business class prefer to approach the COaS rather than the PM for help. Unlike in countries with a democratic system, foreign ambassadors and dignitaries call in droves on the army chief. The opposition holds army to be responsible for not only foisting on the country, a thoroughly incompetent ruling party but also of continuing to provide it support. The army is therefore regularly being discussed in the PDM’s public meetings as never in the past. PM imran khan has warned of imposing a total lockdown if the opposition’s rallies continue. The Punjab government on the other hand has refused to give permission for the remaining rallies, the next one in Multan scheduled for november 30 and the last one in Lahore on December 13. The PDM leadership is however bent upon holding the last two rallies. a resort to force by the government needs to be avoided to keep the protests peaceful. One expects the PDM to act prudently. it needs to ensure that unlike at its previous gatherings, SOPs are fully adhered to in Multan and Lahore.

At least how to start one

HASAN AFTAB SAEED

aking two or more characters to use the same word while each one has very different things in his mind is a frequently used device employed by sitcom writers. Done expertly, this is known to make for quite hilarious situations. When this sort of thing happens in real life however – and it happens frequently – the results are usually not nearly as funny. in fact, they can be extremely frustrating, especially when it is a serious topic that is at issue. it is therefore imperative that at the start of any consequential discussion, there is consensus on the meaning of key terms so that either side has the same thing in mind when using those words. a case in point: Many discussions on religion go absolutely nowhere because the participants fail to make it a point to agree on what they mean by the word ‘Sunnat’ (alternatively written ‘Sunnah’) within the context of the debate. What happens is something like this: Somebody says that nowhere in the Quran do we find the details of certain matters of bodily hygiene (say) and therefore we rely for them on Hadees. in response somebody argues that that is the subject

Closing schools again A costly but necessary decision

SulmAN Ali

fTer extensive election campaigns by Pakistan Muslims League-nawaz (PMLn), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaf (PTi), the results of the elections in gilgit Baltistan were announced on Monday. according to unofficial results, PTi won 10 seats, followed by independent candidates with seven seats and then PPP with three. experts are divided on whether or not the results are surprising. On the one hand, gB has always voted for the party in rule in federal, meanwhile PPP has won more seats than expected and PML-n’s performance is being seen as exceptionally disappointing. analysts maintain that it was the first test for the PML-n ‘anti-establishment’ stance and seemingly the people of gB rejected it. Meanwhile, observers believe that PPP’s ‘not so hard’ position against the military seems to have partially worked. Commenting on the situation, analyst imran khan said that PML-n doesn’t understand that people will not accept its rigid stance against the military. “Bilawal understood it and he also ran a long election campaign in the region,” he says. a vital development in the lead up to the elections was that Prime Minister imran khan has vowed to give gB provincial status, which all parties agreed to beforehand. “We have made a decision to grant provisional provincial status to gilgit-Baltistan, which has long been the demand here,” khan said during a speech in the region. experts say that if implemented, the provincial assembly of gB will be more powerful and assertive in broad-ranging administrative and governance issues. The announcement is also extremely critical with regards to the kashmir issue. The region has been a bone of contention between Pakistan and india since 1947. On one hand Pakistan claims that kashmir, in-

Arif Nizami Editor Umar Aziz

Asher John

Executive Editor

Deputy Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

While it is unfortunate that a major religious term has come to have acquired such different meanings; there is so much weight of tradition that each one carries on account of being extensively published and read that one cannot hope to do anything about it.

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

Winners and losers

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Joint Editor

a superset of beliefs and practices that have reached us through consensus of Muslims and continuity of the intervening generations as well as through single chains of narration (akhbaar-e-ahaad – the technical name for Hadees). if there is a Hadees pertaining to a topic, then that also constitutes Sunnat regarding that subject. This definition deals with the way religious beliefs and practices have been transmitted from the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him) all the way down to the present. a set of religious actions transmitted through consensus of Muslims and continuity of the intervening generations. Unlike def. 2, there is no exception to the requirement of consensus and practical continuity. also, unlike def. 2, the Sunnat consists purely of practical matters (actions); it does not include beliefs. it follows that this definition only deals with the way religious practices have been transmitted. a little thought will make it clear that this is a subset of def. 2. While it is unfortunate that a major religious term has come to have acquired such different meanings; there is so much weight of tradition that each one carries on account of being extensively published and read that one cannot hope to do anything about it. That is, it is not possible to reduce the use of the term to mean one distinct thing. The best that can be done, then, is for both sides in an argument to agree at the outset what they mean by the term. That should ease at least some part of the difficulty. Meaningful dialogue is hard at the best of times. it makes no sense to make it any harder than it needs to be.

GB elections

T was all but inevitable that the government would have to shut down schools across the country yet again amid the rising positivity rate of the second wave of the Coronavirus. There was much understandable reluctance to take this decision, given how difficult it was to reopen education institutions after the initial closure when the pandemic first hit, peaking in June and quickly settling down. Students across the world have suffered a lot due to the virus this year. The timing of the shutdown was such that annual igCSe examinations could not be held, resulting in students being graded according to their schoolwork, a method that did not produce an accurate result and was contested globally. Home learning became another major issue, particularly for Pakistan’s public school students and those attending University; coming from modest backgrounds and far flung areas, they either could not afford the hardware necessary to run the online meeting software, or simply did not have reliable internet connectivity to access entire lectures on a regular basis. Higher education students were more adversely effected, being left out of the fold, they were unable to complete their credit hours, causing an unexpected delay in them joining the workforce, which is the purpose of securing a University degree on time. Shutting down schools is therefore a costly but necessary decision. While Covid-19 is less lethal for the younger population, it is the unavoidable close proximity that students interact with each other on campuses that makes them prime carriers of the virus to infect their elder relatives at home who have a lesser chance of survival. The only bit of good news is that at least three vaccines that have been under development for close to a year are almost ready for market and mass inoculation. The first batches of these will of course be administered to residents of the countries where they have been produced, which includes the US and Uk at the moment. Pakistan has joined the queue and set aside $100 million to procure the vaccines but the timeline is not very reliable since many other countries have done the same. The government should in the meanwhile focus implementation of SOPs and taking all necessary measures, no matter how unpopular, to control the spread.

Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

of Sunnat. To which, pat comes the response: ‘Do you want to tell me that these matters are optional (Sunnat) and not obligatory (Farz)?’ Clearly, the two parties have two very different things in mind although they are both using the same word. Such confusion has caused the untimely demise of many a debate. Without going into etymology, Sunnat literally means ‘habit’ or ‘way’; it occurs in the Quran [48:23] to express a shade of the concept. But this meaning does not concern us because we are interested in the terminological, not the literal, use of the word. But before moving on, let us get out of the way a common misconception: many people erroneously believe Sunnat to be anything that the Prophet (peace be upon him) ever did. Well, apart from the fact that being a Messenger of god, he had many responsibilities that his followers do not share (and activities related to which therefore they are naturally not supposed to emulate), this definition fails to appreciate the fact that the Prophet (peace be upon him) did many things that had nothing to do with religion. if one goes by this definition, eating pumpkin, riding a camel, and wearing a thobe would all be Sunnat; which is absurd because these things – far from being religious practices – are functions of age, geography, technology, climate, and personal preference. it can be hoped that people who hold this view can be persuaded to see that it is no good. as a technical term, Sunnat has at least three distinct definitions depending on the person using it: One of the many categories of actions listed and named by our jurists: Farz, Wajib, Sunnat, Nafl, Mustahab, Mubaah, Makrooh, Haram, etc. While discussion on this classification is outside the scope of this article, suffice it to say here that Sunnat (according to this definition) is an action that comes somewhere between obligatory and optional.

Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

cluding indian-occupied kashmir (iOk), azad Jammu & kashmir (aJk) and gB are integral parts of the country, while new Delhi claims the same. Hence, the implications of giving gB the status of province, will not only impact local politics but also the regional political and security scenario. as expected, right after Prime Minister imran khan’s announcement, india issued a strong rebuttal as the foreign ministry spokesperson stated: “i reiterate that the Union Territories of Jammu and kashmir and Ladakh, including the area of so-called ‘gilgit-Baltistan’, are an integral part of india by virtue of the legal, complete and irrevocable accession of Jammu and kashmir to the Union of india in 1947.” and not so surprisingly, islamabad issued the statement on similar lines as the foreign ministry said: “administrative, political and economic reforms are a long-standing demand of the people of gilgitBaltistan.” The spokesperson further stated that the envisaged provincial reforms are the reflection of the people of gB. it is pertinent to mention here that gB was separated from aJk territory in 1970. Since then, aJk has had its own prime minister, president and legislation. Meanwhile, gB region has been controlled by the federal government directly from islamabad under ‘federal Ministry of kashmir affairs and northern areas’. furthermore, there are two opposite schools of thought inside Pakistan and gB. One thinks that merging gB with Pakistan as a province will weaken islamabad’s kashmir position. Others believe that it will give more political power to gB. The opponents of the merger include former envoy to india abdul Basit, who said: “My advice to islamabad –think hard on gB. a step taken in reaction to what india did to iOk will engender avoidable controversies. Don’t stir up a hornet’s nest and weaken Pakistan’s principled position on dispute. at

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

least honor the new political map you issued on august 4.” Moreover, the prime minister of aJk raja farooq Haider opposed the idea saying: “The step will serve the interests of enemies of kashmir; hence it will be counterproductive.” The pro-independence leadership of iOk including Yasin Malik has also rejected the idea. Meanwhile, the supporters think it will be a counter move to india’s august 5 step, which ended the autonomy of iOk after revocation of article 370 of the indian constitution. The voices in support have increased in the recent past. a student leader, Shabbir Hussain, says that no one in gB is ready to accept india. “after granting the status of a fully-fledged province, gB’s provincial government will gain all of its powers, similar to the country’s other four provinces and people can send their representatives to Pakistan parliament.” even gB assembly passed a resolution in support of making the region a fifth province of Pakistan. “from day one we had merged with Pakistan and now the government should declare this region a fifth province of the country,” Muhammad ali khan, the provincial minister of gB said. However, the general consensus among the analysts appears to be that Pakistan should go forward with the decision of making gB a fifth province, because it is the demand of people of gB, which has been reaffirmed by the result of the election. experts also say that india would not be able to do much about the move except raising the issue in the Un. Many further stress that gB is a vital part of the $87 billion China Pakistan economic Corridor (CPeC) project, which underlines China’s interests in the region, which would be another bulwark against any indian reaction.

Meanwhile, the supporters think it will be a counter move to India’s August 5 step, which ended the autonomy of IOK after relegation of Article 370 of Indian constitution. The voices in support have increased in the recent past

Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

Sulman Ali is a staff member. https://twitter.com/sulman_85

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Tuesday, 24 November, 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

What about teaching staff salaries ? feDeraL and Provincial education Ministers in their deliberations on Monday have announced closure of all educational institutions from november 26 till January 10 in view of speedy acceleration in Corona Virus cases in the second wave as the people by and large still do not observer SOPs and even do not bother to wear face masks. They somehow have not dilated upon an important aspect of teaching staff salaries payment by the respective managements of educational institutions during closure of all educational institutions. During last lockdown and closure of educational institutions, managements had charged tuition fee from the students and not paid salaries to the teaching staff on the pretext of educational institutions closure due to lockdown. even the media people did not asked questions in respect from the federal and provincial teachers at their press conferences in islamabad and Lahore. The federal and provincial governments are urgent requested to deliberate on this important aspect and make it compulsory on the educational institutions, both government and private ones, to ensure they pay salaries to their teaching staff as usual as they charge tuition fee from their students OTHerWiSe THe TeaCHerS WiLL Be SUffering finanCiaL anD OTHer PrOBLeMS, please. Thanks. M Z RIFAT LAHORE

Justice for Arzoo

Question of Pak-Afghan stability PM’s Kabul visit helps to solidify ties

SAjjAD SHAukAT

akiSTan shares common geographical, historical, religious and cultural bonds with afghanistan. There is a corelationship of stability in both the countries. after the end of the Cold War, america left both Pakistan and afghanistan to face the fallout of the first afghan War. as a consequence, civil war and instability in afghanistan had implications on Pakistan which faced numerous problems such as afghan refugees, drug traders, supply of weapons, drone attacks, terrorists’ attacks, sectarianism, kalashnikov culture etc. Taking cognizance of these negative factors, islamabad is making strenuous efforts for peace and stability in afghanistan. in this regard, during his recent visit to kabul, Pakistan’s Prime Minister imran khan had in-depth discussions with afghan leadership, especially President ashraf ghani. Premier imran khan focused on deepening of bilateral ties and intra-afghan peace process. He assured the afghan government of Pakistan’s unflinching cooperation to end violence in afghanistan, leading to a ceasefire. He elaborated that Pakistan was most concerned about the situation due to the fallout in its own tribal areas by adding that peace and connectivity was the best way to ensure prosperity of both the countries including the entire region. Both PM khan and President ghani agreed to accelerate their joint efforts to reduce recent spate of terrorist incidents in afghanistan through close coordination. Pakistan’s contribution to conflict prevention in the region and support for afghan peace process has been appreciated by the US Charge d’ affaires to Pakistan, Ms angela aggeler during her call on Chief of army Staff general Qamar Javed Bajwa. Since the US Special representative for afghan reconciliation ambassador Zalmay khalilzad started his efforts to convince the Taliban to have direct talks with the US, he admitted that Pakistan has been playing a major role, as islamabad succeeded in bringing the Taliban to the negotiating Table. He also acknowledged Pakistan’s key role which resulted into the US and the Taliban agreement in Doha-the capital of Qatar on february 29, this year.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had, particularly, thanked Pakistan for efforts in helping reach the historical agreement. in the agreement, it is committed that within the first 135 days, the US will reduce its forces in afghanistan to 8,600 from the current 13,000, working with its other naTO allies to proportionally reduce the number of coalition forces over that period, while america would withdraw all forces from afghanistan in 14 months. But, on a tweet, the US President Donald Trump surprisingly announced on October 7 that all US troops in afghanistan could be home by Christmas. american analysts warned that President Trump’s plan would weaken kabul’s position in the intra-afghan talks and would further strengthen the Taliban. naTO Secretary general Jens Stoltenberg reiterated on november 17 by stating: “The price for leaving too soon could be very high… afghanistan risks becoming once again a platform for international terrorists…We went into afghanistan together…when the time is right, we should leave together in a coordinated way.” However, dialogue had started between afghan government and the Taliban on September 12, this year in Doha, but faltered over disagreements about the agenda-the basic framework of discussions. Meanwhile, Zalmay khalilzad had remarked that the Taliban would not accept a permanent truce until a political deal was reached with the afghan government. notably, several sources told afP on november 20 that the afghan government and the Taliban have resolved key sticking points which had stalled peace negotiations. and they are close to an announcement and initiation of formal talks. While, outgoing President Trump was in favour of complete withdrawal of troops from afghanistan, but, now the Pentagon has announced it would keep some troops in that country. There is re-thinking in Washington on the issue of total withdrawal as per commitments, made at Doha, which could lead to widening of the trust deficit. americans have elected Joe Biden as the new President. Definitely, it is before time to say what will be the President-elect Biden’s strategy. But, considering rapidly increase in the cost of the US prolonged war in afghanistan and in consultation with other naTO countries, US could withdrawal troops from that country. Despite it, naTO could adjust the presence of small contingency of forces there. it is notable that afghanistan’s former Chief executive and Chairperson of afghanistan’s High Council for national reconciliation Dr. abdullah abdullah visited Pakistan on September 28, 2020. in the joint conference, with foreign Minister Qureshi, abdullah abdullah said that afghanistan

would never “allow its soil to be used by extremist forces, posing a threat to any other nation” and favoured the start of intra-afghan talks. nevertheless, this statement was abdullah’s double game. for example, ignoring the fact that india is destabilising afghanistan and Pakistan, during his trip to new Delhi, he stated on October 10 that in the meeting with PM Modi, he discussed kabul’s talks with Taliban and emphasised india’s role in the process. Similarly, on indian secret direction, in the recent past, President ghani accused Pakistan for terror attacks in afghanistan. in fact, new Delhi and afghan rulers are creating obstacles in the afghan reconciliation plan by manipulating america’s dual policy against Pakistan, China, russia and iran. in this context, the then naTO commander, gen. McChrystal had pointed out: “indian political and economic influence is increasing in afghanistan…is likely to exacerbate regional tensions.” Besides, the USTaliban peace deal is likely to render indian proxy support against Pakistan ineffective. it will suit indian designs, if afghanistan does not move towards peace and keeps simmering. reliable sources as mentioned in Pakistan’s media on august 18, 2020 disclosed that afghanistan-based Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has merged with its splinter groups Jamat-ul-ahrar and Hizb-ul-ahrar in afghanistan. Their sole objective is to restart terrorist activity in Pakistan, while simultaneously sabotaging efforts to restore peace and stability in afghanistan. according to the Un report of July 26, 2020, “The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and its splinter group Jamaat-ul-ahrar continue to target Pakistan from their bases in afghanistan”. addressing a recent press conference with foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Director general of inter-Services Public relations Major-gen. Babar iftikhar unveiled a dossier containing “irrefutable evidence” of india’s sponsorship of terrorism in Pakistan. noting the drastic circumstances, Prime Minister khan and foreign minister Quereshi have repeatedly stated that regional spoilers could use instability in the worn-torn country for their own vested interests—only afghan-led reconciliation process, which recognises afghanistan’s political realities and diversity, could produce a lasting peace. nonetheless, Pakistan cannot afford instability in afghanistan, because Pak-afghan stability is interrelated.

Pakistan’s contribution to conflict prevention in the region and support for Afghan peace process has been appreciated by the US Charge d’ Affaires to Pakistan, Ms Angela Aggeler during her call on Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations

Sir, arzoo raja was declared by medical experts to be no more than 14 years old. Her parents held naDra records that recorded her age at 13. Her husband, and alleged kidnapper was 40 years old. There is no denying the fact that, in Sindh marriage before the age of 18 is a crime Despite all of this, if it’s found that arzoo married of her own free will, then, the marriage cannot be declared invalid under any law in Pakistan. This is because under the predominant interpretation of Muslim personal law in the country once a girl reaches puberty she is deemed to be competent to marry. arzoo’s parents alleged that she was kiddnaped , forced to convert to the Muslim faith from Christianity, and married to her kiddnaper . This is not the only isolated story . reports by multiple multiple groups indicate thousands of minor girls from religious minorities are subjected to the same treatment every year. So, the government needs not only laws rather she should take actions and save the children like arzoo. IMTAIZ JAvId AwARAn

Shibli takes a stand MiniSTer for information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli faraz on Monday said in the 2018 general election, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaf (PTi) had come to power with the support and votes of the people. free and fair election network (fafen), a reputable independent nongovernmental organization monitoring elections and other democratic processes, had acknowledged significant improvement in the quality of critical electoral processes in the 2018 general election, he said in a tweet. The minister shared fafen’s comparative list of irregularities observed in the 2013 and 2018 general elections, showing decline in the latter one. as per fafen, some 133 petitions were filed to challenge election in the national assembly constituencies in 2013, while their number was only 102 in 2018. The most important point is that both the Pakistan Muslim League-nawaz (PML-n) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had challenged the election in 24 na constituencies in 2018 while the PTi alone filed 23 petitions in the election Commission of Pakistan against “unfair” polls. according to the fafen data, the percentage of campaign materials’ presence inside the polling stations in 2013 was 3.2 percent, which fell to 1.8 per cent in 2018. Similarly, the percentage of voters permitted to cast votes with identification documents other than national identity cards in 2013 was 9.3 per cent against 1.1 per cent in 2018. The fafen data shows that in 2013 the ratio of polling staff, polling agents ,security personnel or other persons accompanying voters behind secrecy screens was 17 per cent which fell to 6.8 per cent in 2018. Likewise, the percentage of polling staff disallowing voters with disabilities from seeking assistance of their choice to cast vote fell to 3.5 per cent in 2018 from 14.9 per cent in 2013. Similarly, the incidents of capturing polling stations remained 1.2 per cent in 2013 while none was reported in 2018. The incidents of unauthorized persons pressurizing the polling staff were 3.8 per cent in 2013, which fell to 0.5 per cent in 2018. The fafen report shared by Shibli faraz said the ratio of voters already queued at the polling stations not allowed to vote at the close of voting remained 23.5 per cent in 2013 against 7.5 per cent in 2018. The ratio of incidents of polling station result form ( form no 45) not provided to the candidates and their agents present at the polling stations in 2018 fell from 2.5 per cent from 7.5 per cent in 2013. Likewise, the incidents of violence at polling stations fell from 7.6 per cent in 2013 to 1.1 per cent only in 2018. The incidents of polling staff trying to influence voters electoral choice in 2013 remained 2.0 per cent and 0.5 per cent in 2018. Shibil faraz said it was time for the foreign media outlets, including the BBC, to realize that the PTi was voted to power by the people in the 2018 election, notwithstanding the baseless propaganda being churned out - unless they sought to become a tool of the propagandists. He said the military supported the democratic government and its policies as required by the Constitution. about the alleged military dominance as well as its role in the elections, he said the issue really was of the frustration being felt by Pakistan’s detractors because the PTi government and the Pakistan Military were on the same page. RAZA AHMAd LAHORE

Another challenge aS soon as winter arrives, many citizens have faced problems with low pressure of gas in the country. But the government has added the fuel on the fire for increasing prices of gas. People who were already struggling to meet other problems but now they are dealing with gas prices. With recent increments of gas prices people are in hot water. So, the challenges are increasing unexpectedly for people who are unable to face them. The government should draw a plan immediately for solving the problems so that people should get some relief. SAMEER ASLAM AwARAn KuLLI

Tuesday, 24 November, 2020

08 WORLD VIEW

AUStrAliA iS reckoninG with itS wAr crimeS AlleGAtionS NOW THE UK MUST STEP UP

Guardian

FRANK LEdwIdGE

AST week’s publication of Australia’s Brereton report was a fascinating insight into the culture and practice of what appears to be a seriously defective and deviant organisation, the Australian SAS. in Australia, this

has been a shattering wake-up call for the armed forces. Here in the uK, the strangely timely announcement of vast defence budget increases rendered it a one-day story. A defence spokesman said today that the report “does not affect or implicate British personnel”. This is entirely untrue: the Australian report very much affects and implicates British personnel, albeit not directly. Judge Brereton (also a major general in the Australian army) confirmed suspicions that crimes were committed by a unit which was often based alongside uK and uS special forces in Afghanistan, engaged in ploughing through the joint prioritised effects list – a kill-capture list that was all too often based on poor intelligence. it is not, therefore, surprising that recent uK investigations have discovered that British special forces operators seem to have used disturbingly similar “tactics, techniques and procedures” (known in the

business as TTPs) as the Australians. it may be worse even than that – one Australian soldier is quoted as saying: “Whatever we do, though, i can tell you the Brits and the uS are far, far worse.” The techniques used included planting weapons on murdered civilians, to justify questionable killings to credulous or complacent commanders. Killing “squirters”, the name given to people understandably running away from them, is alleged to be another common practice. The alleged reaction of at least one British officer when faced with excuses following “the latest massacre” was to say that “you couldn’t make it up”. You will often hear two lines of defence concerning these crimes. The first is a variation of “you can never understand what we have to go through”. This is entirely specious: the overwhelming majority of British combat soldiers man-

age to fight professionally without giving in to the temptation to shoot prisoners, slit the throats of unarmed boys or casually kill farm workers, all of which are alleged in the Brereton report. in any event, Brereton is very specific and clear: none of these crimes were committed in the heat of battle. Murders took place after raids or shootouts. The victims were all unarmed. The other line put forward by a few historians or sages, usually with limited or no experience of conflict, argues that dark deeds must be done to win in war. That rather misses the reality that we lost this war, and lost it decisively. One reason for this was that the central narrative of the overall nato mission (“we’re here to protect you”) was rather undermined by armed men smashing their way into people’s houses and slaughtering the innocent. The Afghan independent Human Rights Commission, the leading human rights organisation in a country that has lost so much as a result of special forces crimes, has asked for the British to step up. The

time has now come for a ferociously honest assessment to be made of our own special forces. The methods of the Australian report are a superb example of how to conduct a military inquiry. They were greatly assisted by senior Australian SAS officers, such as their current commander, Gen Findlay, who ordered his men to cooperate with the inquiry. We must hope that our own senior officers can display similar firmness when the time comes. The government seems to believe that the best way to deal with murderous cultures is to forget all about them. This is what is behind the squalid overseas operations bill now going through parliament, which will effectively provide an amnesty for war crimes. However, the constant drip-feed of allegations and revelations will continue. There will be a reckoning. it would benefit all concerned, especially the British special forces, if that took place sooner rather than later. Frank Ledwidge is a barrister and former military officer who has served in the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Second-hand clothing Growing up in princely is now a booming, Bhopal in early 1900s multi-billion dollar industry sCroll

Conversation HYEJUNE PARK ANd COSETTE MARIE JOYNER ARMSTRONG

MASSiVe force is reshaping the fashion industry: second-hand clothing. According to a new report, the u.S. second-hand clothing market is projected to more than triple in value in the next 10 years – from uS$28 billion in 2019 to uS$80 billion in 2029 – in a u.S. market currently worth $379 billion. in 2019, secondhand clothing expanded 21 times faster than conventional apparel retail did. even more transformative is second-hand clothing’s potential to dramatically alter the prominence of fast fashion – a business model characterized by cheap and disposable clothing that emerged in the early 2000s, epitomized by brands like H&M and Zara. Fast fashion grew exponentially over the next two decades, significantly altering the fashion landscape by producing more clothing, distributing it faster and encouraging consumers to buy in excess with low prices. While fast fashion is expected to continue to grow 20% in the next 10 years, second-hand fashion is poised to grow 185%.As researchers who study clothing consumption and sustainability, we think the second-hand clothing trend has the potential to reshape the fashion industry and mitigate the industry’s detrimental environmental impact on the planet. The second-hand clothing market is composed of two major categories, thrift stores and resale platforms. But it’s the latter that has largely fueled the recent boom. Second-hand clothing has long been perceived as worn out and tainted, mainly sought by bargain or treasure hunters. However, this perception has changed, and now many consumers consider second-hand clothing to be of identical or even superior quality to unworn clothing. A trend of “fashion flipping” – or buying second-hand clothes and reselling them – has also emerged, particularly among young consumers. Thanks to growing consumer demand and new digital platforms like Tradesy and Poshmark that facilitate peer-to-peer exchange of everyday clothing, the digital resale market is quickly becoming the next big thing in the fashion industry. The market for second-hand luxury goods is also substantial. Retailers like The RealReal or the Vestiaire Collective provide a digital marketplace for authenticated luxury consignment, where people buy and sell designer labels such as Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Hermès. The market value of this sector reached $2 billion in 2019. The second-hand clothing trend also appears to be driven by affordability, especially now, during the COViD-19 economic crisis. Consumers have not only reduced their consumption of nonessential items

LAST YEAR, SECOND-HAND CLOTHING EXPANDED 21 TIMES FASTER THAN CONVENTIONAL APPAREL RETAIL DID. IT CAN HELP MAKE FASHION SUSTAINABLE like clothing, but are buying more quality garments over cheap, disposable attire. For clothing resellers, the ongoing economic contraction combined with the increased interest in sustainability has proven to be a winning combination. The fashion industry has long been associated with social and environmental problems, ranging from poor treatment of garment workers to pollution and waste generated by clothing production. Less than 1% of materials used to make clothing are currently recycled to make new clothing, a $500 billion annual loss for the fashion industry. The textile industry produces more carbon emissions than the airline and maritime industries combined. And approximately 20% of water pollution across the globe is the result of wastewater from the production and finishing of textiles. Consumers have become more aware of the ecological impact of apparel production and are more frequently demanding apparel businesses expand their commitment to sustainability. Buying secondhand clothing could provide consumers a way to push back against the fast-fashion system. Buying second-hand clothing increases the number of owners an item will have, extending its life – something that has been dramatically shortened in the age of fast fashion. (Worldwide, in the past 15 years, the average number of times a garment is worn before it’s trashed has decreased by 36%.) High-quality clothing traded in the second-hand marketplace also retains its value over time, unlike cheaper fast-fashion products. Thus, buying a high-quality second-hand garment instead of a new one is theoretically an environmental win. But some critics argue the second-hand marketplace actually encourages excess consumption by expanding access to cheap clothing. Our latest research supports this possibility. We interviewed young American women who regularly use digital platforms like Poshmark. They saw secondhand clothing as a way to access both cheap goods and ones they ordinarily could not afford. They did not see it as an alternative model of consumption or a way to decrease dependence on new clothing production. Whatever the consumer motive, increasing the reuse of clothing is a big step toward a new normal in the fashion industry, though its potential to address sustainability woes remains to be seen. Hyejune Park, Assistant Professor of Fashion Merchandising, Oklahoma State University and Cosette Marie Joyner Armstrong, Associate Professor of Fashion Merchandising, Oklahoma State University.

SAEEdA BANO

nique to the royalty of those days, the princely state of Bhopal was ruled by women for almost four successive generations. Veiled and regal, when nawab Sultan Jahan Begum sat on her imperial throne, members of her cabinet – from ministers to wealthy dignitaries – came and presented their courteous salaams one by one, to Sarkar Aliya. Despite being powerful in their own way, these men stood in her presence till such time as she majestically nodded for them to be seated. The unexpected result of having a woman as monarch was that by default the status of the fairer sex within this society improved. The suffocation women felt in the north indian state of Awadh, where deep-rooted conservative values were being followed blindly, was completely missing in Bhopal. As the sovereign of Bhopal, nawab Sultan Jahan Begum was eager to prove she could match any man in intelligence and capability. She was worried about the wellbeing of her female subjects and wanted to eradicate ignorance from their lives by making provisions for them to receive a proper education. She was also keen to liberate women from a life of social confinement. One day nawab Sultan Jahan Begum called my father and said, “Mir Majid Husain send your wife to present her salaam to me. Where have you hidden her… behind purdah?” Back then, my mother used to wear typical Awadhi clothes. A cumbersome 12-yard farshi pyjama, a choli or shortsleeved bodice and a two-and-a-half yard long dupatta. Gathering her trailing heavy clothes about her, Amma presented herself to the Begum of Bhopal. “Sit down Bibi.” Sarkar Aliya generally addressed women as Bibi or Lady. She would then proceed to enquire about their wellbeing in such an amiable manner that for the short span of time she spoke with them, the ladies forgot that in reality, a gaping chasm of rank lay between them. This was another indication of nawab Sultan Jahan Begum’s astuteness, her diplomatic strategy as a ruler, to treat people in a way that made them feel at ease, despite being in the intimidating presence of royalty. This is what happened with Amma. She instantly felt comfortable in the palace. During her initial visits, Sarkar did not make a single remark about the restrictive clothes she saw Amma wearing. She did however say, “Asharfunisa come and see me every Friday.” now no matter how, Amma would hurriedly finish off her chores every Friday and rush off to Ahmedabad Palace. Sarkar would ask her what life was like in a small village like Rudauli, the customs they followed there and how men and women stayed together in that social milieu. During one such visit, Sarkar said to Amma, “Bibi you seem to be a prisoner to this voluminous dress you are wearing. Why don’t you wear what we do in Bhopal? You will definitely feel more comfortable.” Then she turned to one of her secretaries and ordered her to get a Bhopalijoda from her own wardrobe for Amma.“Take Asharfunisa Bea inside and get her dressed,” she commanded. in Bhopal the word Bea is used for Begum. Amma wore the clothes that had been gifted to her so magnanimously, went to the Begum and offered her gratitude in the form of a courteous salaam. Then she asked permission to leave. We heard that when Amma got back she was quite miffed at this great adversity that had befallen her. But from that day on whenever she went to Ahmedabad Palace, she made it a point to wear the same Bhopali clothes. ultimately one day Sarkar Aliya said to my mother, “Bibi get some more sets stitched for yourself. every time you come here you wear the one i gave you. Try and get in the habit of wearing Bhopali clothes.” Amma had to get some churidar-pyjamas stitched for herself. Over time, she got used to wearing Bhopali clothes and realised that indeed they were far less restrictive than the 12-yard farshigharara she had been trailing

about behind her till then. Gradually she switched to wearing Bhopalijodas. But she never took to draping the lengthy five-yard Bhopali dupatta. That to her, was as cumbersome as Awadh’sfarshi pyjama. My childhood was similar to that of any child from a middle class family. The only difference was that i was born and raised in a city like Bhopal, where women had been in the seat of power for several generations, where the gender equation was evidently tilted in favour of the fairer-sex. The socio-cultural environment in Bhopal was not as restrictive and oppressive as it was in other towns and cities of north india. Situated north of the Vindhya mountains, in the state of Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal is a picturesque city that appears almost hewn out of the undulating rocks and vast plateaus that surround it. Also known as the “City of Lakes” for its various natural as well as artificial lagoons, Bhopal has thick green jungles inhabited by countless wild animals such as tigers, cheetahs, deer, antelopes, hyenas and jackals. Accentuated by its inspiring natural beauty and heartwarming scenery, there was a heady sense of freedom palpable throughout the city. Aside from this there were also several impressive man-made structures in Bhopal that shed light on how people lived in that day and age. One such building was the sprawling SadarManzil Palace, which was so large, at least 20-25 families could live inside quite comfortably, without even being aware of each other’s presence. The palaces of Sarkar Aliya’s sons were built atop two of the prominent hills of Bhopal. Heir apparent nawabnasrullah Khan’s beautiful mansion idgahKothi or qiranus-Sadain Mahal was situated on idgah Hill while younger brother nawabObaidullah Khan’s airy manor, Shamla Kothi was on Shamla Hill. The view of the upper Lake and its surrounding areas was absolutely breathtaking from here. The other noteworthy buildings famous for their unique architecture were the ShikarGaah or hunting castle of Ahmedabad Mahal and the palatial noor-us-Sabah palace, which is now a heritage hotel of the same name. Located within Ali Manzil was a ladies club, next to which was a massive children’s park where metal swingsets hung invitingly between trees, luring children to come and play. There were rows of slides within the park, an open field marked with a running track and a separate area to keep girl guides busy. Another playground had been cordoned off especially for older girls to play hide and seek. This was so vast and spread out that it was almost impossible to find anyone!

Tuesday, 24 November, 2020

CORPORATE CORNER Construction of Pakistan’s biggest SKMCH underway in Karachi LAHORE: Construction work for the new Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Karachi, delayed earlier in the year by the Covid-19 pandemic, re-started in September 2020. Work is underway at full pace and the project is expected to be commissioned in less than three years, at a total cost of Rs13 billion. In a press-briefing organised in this regard, Dr Muhammed Aasim Yusuf, Chief Medical Officer and the Acting CEO of SKMCH&RC, shared the latest updates on the status of this project. Dr Yusuf explained the urgent need for more specialised cancer centres in Pakistan, as “there are over a 170,000 new cancer cases in Pakistan each year, and while SKMCH&RC in Lahore and Peshawar continue to provide financially supported treatment to over 75pc of cancer patients admitted for treatment each year, the huge number of new cancer patients means that we are able to serve only a proportion of those suffering from cancer in Pakistan”.

Visa expands Fast Track Programme to enable fintechs rebuild global economy KARACHI: In order to provide increased support to digital ecosystem, Visa has announced two new components of its fintech Fast Track programme, “A rich Partner Toolkit” to help fintechs accelerate their growth and better serve their customers and a certification programme called “Visa Ready for Fintech Enablers”, which makes it easier for fintechs to quickly connect with certified partners. “It’s thrilling to see fintech partners utilize our programs and network to digitize financial services and improve the lives of the consumers and businesses they touch,” said Otto Williams, VP and Head of Strategic Partnerships, Fintech and Ventures for CEMEA, Visa. “Through the Fast Track programme we’re providing fintechs with a simple set of tools to bring their products to life.”

KARACHI: Li Bijian, Consul General of China, receiving traditional Ajrak from Mustafa Karani, former PTI Councillor of UC-18 Alfalah, North Nazimabad, during a meeting at the Chinese Consulate. Yousuf Karani was also present on the occasion.

SBP KeePS PoliCY raTe unCHanged aT 7PC KARACHI

MEIRYUM ALI & ARIBA SHAHID

The State Bank of Pakistan kept the main policy rate unchanged at 7 per cent, a statement by the central bank said on Monday. In making this decision, the SBP’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) cited the ‘broadly unchanged outlook for growth and inflation’, stating that the existing stance of monetary policy was appropriate to support the nascent recovery, while keeping inflation expectations well-anchored. The last MPC meeting was held on September 21, where the interest rate was again maintained at 7pc. That meeting represented the first time since June 2020 that the policy rate was not cut. In the space between March 17 and June 25, the SBP cut the policy rate by a whopping 625 basis points, from the relatively high 13.25pc to 7pc. More specifically, the central bank cut the policy rate by 75 basis points from 13.25pc to 12.5pc on March 17, by a further 150 basis points to 11pc on March 24, by 200 basis points to 9pc on April 16, by 100 basis points to 8pc on May 15, and by 100 basis points to 7pc on June 25. The MPC noted that since the last meeting in September, domestic recovery had gradually improved, in

line with expectations for growth of slightly above 2pc in fiscal year 2021. The SBP also said that Covid-19 continued to present a downside risk, though there had been encouraging news with respect to vaccines. According to the SBP, inflation had risen primarily due to increases in food prices. After falling sharply since January, headline inflation remained close to 9 percent during the last two months. However, the MPC remained optimistic, noting that core inflation has been relatively moderate and stable, in line with subdued underlying demand in the economy. In addition, recent SPI releases suggest a weakening in the momentum of food prices, as the government has taken various measures to address supply-side issues. That is why the MPC said these supply-side pressures were likely to be temporary, and average inflation is expected to fall within the previously announced range of 7 to 9 pc in fiscal year 2021. “Taking into account higher than expected recent out-turns due to supply side factors and absence of demand side pressures on inflation, risks to the inflation outlook are balanced,” the SBP maintained. The MPC was also optimistic about the country’s external sector, noting that the current account in the first quarter of fiscal year 2021 had recorded the first

Naeem Bokhari appointed as PTV board chairman BUSINESS DESK Renowned anchorperson and lawyer Shahzada Naeem Bokhari has been appointed as an independent director and chairperson of the Pakistan Television Corporation's (PTV) Board, according to a notification issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Monday. "Pursuant to the provisions of Section 166 of the Companies Act, 2017, the Federal Government is pleased to appoint Shahzada Naeem Bokhari as Independent Director of Pakistan Television Corporation Board," the notification read. "The government has also approved Bokhari's nomination as Chairman, PTVC Board in line with the Pakistan Television Corporation's Memorandum & Article of Association (Article 95/95A)." It continued, "The chairman shall, unless he resigns earlier, hold office for a period of 3 years. The Board of Directors, PTVC is directed to ratify his nomination as Chairman."

In September 2020, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had declared the appointment of PTV chairman Arshad Khan and independent directors on the state broadcaster's board as illegal in a verdict issued by Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani. According to a Profit report published last week, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had suggested the federal cabinet to keep the composition of the PTVC Board to eight members, with three independent members. The ministry also forwarded a panel of nine candidates against the positions of three independent directors. In addition, the ministry proposed the name of Naeem Bokhari for the PTVC board chairman’s slot. Other candidates for independent members included Muhammad Ayaz Kalyar, Aamir Malik, Syed Waseem Raza, Syed Sajjad Hasan Jafri and Arshad Hasan, Asghar Nadeem Syed, Faisal Qureshi and Ayesha Tammy Haq. Age relaxation for Shahzada Naeem Bokhari, who is over 65 years of age, was also sought by the info ministry.

BUSINESS 09 quarterly surplus in more than five years. “After remaining in positive territory for all four months of this fiscal year, the cumulative current account through October reached a surplus of $1.2 billion against a deficit of $1.4 billion in the same period last year. This turnaround was supported by an improvement in the trade balance and record remittances,” the MPC said. Additionally, exports recovered to their preCovid monthly level of around $2 billion in September and October, with the strongest recovery in textiles, rice, cement, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals. Meanwhile, remittances recorded strong growth of 26.5pc year-on-year during July to October, while subdued domestic demand and low global oil prices kept imports in check. These conditions, along with a 3.5pc appreciation in the rupees since the last MPC, led to SBP’s foreign exchange reserves increasing to $12.9 billion, their highest level since February 2018. The SBP predicts the current account deficit for fiscal year 2021 to be below 2pc of GDP. The SBP also noted that the real sector had improved since July. The sales of fast moving consumer goods (FMCGs) rebounded in the first quarter of fiscal year 2021. The country’s large scale manufacturing also increased by 4.8pc year-on-year in the first quarter of fiscal year 2021, after contracting by 5.5pc in the same quarter last year. Similarly, nine out of fifteen major manufacturing sectors showed gains, including textiles, food and beverages, petroleum products, paper and board, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, cement, fertilizer, and rubber products. In agriculture, the impact of the expected decline in cotton production will likely to be offset by growth in other major crops and higher wheat production.

Mobile phone imports increase 43.6pc in 4MFY21 ISLAMABAD APP

The import of mobile phones witnessed an increase of 43.6 per cent during the first four months (July-Oct) of the current financial year (FY21) as compared to the corresponding period of last year. According to details, Pakistan imported mobile phones worth $556.783 million in July-Oct FY21 as compared to the imports of $387.741 million in July-Oct FY20, according to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Monday. However, mobile phone imports decreased 46.15pc to $63.890 million on a year-on-year (YoY) basis in October 2020, as compared to imports of $118.653 million in Oct 2019. Similarly, on a month-on-month (MoM) basis, the import of mobile phones fell 65.75pc in Oct 2020, as compared to the imports of $186.530 million in Sept 2020.

MARKET DAILY

Shares sink below 40,000 mark on weak investor sentiment KARACHI STAFF REPORT

KARACHI: Dawlance recently celebrated ‘Universal Children’s Day’ at Dar-ul-Sukun. As part of “Dawlance for Humanity” initiative, Dawlance carried out valuable training sessions, where renowned expert Dr Tahir Barlas educated the kids and teachers regarding Covid safety and protocols.

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) took a beating on the first trading session of the week, with the indices heading south right from the word go as investors adopted a cautious approach ahead of the monetary policy announcement. Global equity markets, on other hand, showed a positive trend, whereas crude oil prices also moved north from the previous close; WTI crude price appreciating 1.58pc to $43.09, while Brent crude oil price rising 1.71pc to $45.84. "The market plunged almost 900 points intraday mainly on the back of rising corona cases and imposition of partial lockdowns in different cities, coinciding

with the rollover week," a report issued by Arif Habib Ltd read. "Oil & gas marketing companies, banks and cement sector stocks remained major contributors to this decline." The benchmark KSE-100 Index remained in the red throughout the session, touching its intraday low at 39,314.28 after losing 872.90 points. It settled lower by 554.66 points at 39,632.52. Among other indices, the KMI-30 Index plunged 960.27 points to end at 63,049.50, while the KSE All Share Index dropped 341.81 points, closing at 27,932.05. The overall market volumes increased from 189.6 million shares in the previous session to 195.5 million (+3pc). Average traded value, however, declined by 1.4pc, from $47.05 million to $46.4 million. Hascol Petroleum Ltd (HASCOL -2.53pc), Unity Foods Ltd (UNITY -4.87pc) and TRG Pak-

istan Ltd (TRG -4.54pc) led the volume board, changing 15.42 million, 15.31 million and 13.32 million shares, respectively. Sectors that drove the benchmark index south included banking (-120.98 points), cement (-65.19 points) and oil & gas marketing (-63.64 points). Among the companies, Habib Bank Ltd (HBL 29.50 points), Pakistan State Oil Company Ltd (PSO -25.64 points) and TRG Pakistan Ltd (TRG 25.60 points) dented the index the most. Shedding 3.39pc from its cumulative market capitalization, the oil & gas marketing sector ended as session’s top loser, with Shell Pakistan Ltd (SHEL 3.94pc), Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Ltd (SNGP 5.52pc) and Hi-Tech Lubricants Ltd (HTL -4.33pc) closing in the negative.

Provinces directed to keep check on food prices ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh has directed the provincial governments as well as other concerned authorities to take immediate proactive measures to keep the prices of basic commodities in check. He gave these directions while chairing a meeting of the National Price Monitoring Committee (NPMC) on Monday. The NPMC reviewed the weekly price trend of essential commodities, namely wheat flour, sugar, tomatoes, onions, vegetable ghee, potatoes and chicken. The finance secretary, while presenting the price trend of essential commodities, informed the meeting that according to the lat-

est data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, there was a decline in the prices of wheat flour, sugar and onions, whereas a slight increase was witnessed in the prices of tomatoes, potatoes and chicken. The committee was also informed about the price variation among the provinces and the profit margin between wholesale and the retail. The chair held a detailed discussion with the provincial chief secretaries regarding the position of wheat and sugar stocks in their respective provinces. It was informed that sufficient quantities were available across the country. During the meeting, the finance adviser urged the representatives of the provincial governments to strictly monitor the difference between retail and wholesale prices in various commodities to ensure availability

of essential items for consumers at affordable prices. The Sindh chief secretary on the occasion informed the meeting that flour and sugar prices have declined in the province. He further informed that the Sindh government has established fair price shops to pro-

CMYK

vide relief to the general public. However, he added, the prices chicken were on the rise, for which they were taking corrective measures accordingly. Meanwhile, the Punjab additional chief secretary said that the prices of tomatoes were fluctuating due to seasonal factors, but

they would stabilize in the coming weeks. He briefed the meeting that the prices in 360 Sahulat Bazars were low as compared to the open market, adding that the flour price has stabilised as the Punjab government was releasing wheat as per the policy. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief secretary briefed the meeting that they were releasing 5,000 tonnes of wheat on a daily basis, owing to which the prices of flour bags have come down Rs20-Rs30 in the market. It was informed that local production of tomatoes in KP has started reaching the market; it is expected that in coming weeks the supply of tomatoes would increase significantly which would bring a significant decline in the price. The Punjab and the Sindh governments also briefed about the new crushing season of sugarcane and underlined that the price of sugar would be reduced further due to availability of the local produce in the coming months.

Tuesday, 24 November, 2020

10 foreigN NeWS

EthIoPIa SayS tIgray caPItal ENcIrclEd aftEr SUrrENdEr UltIMatUM ADDIS ABABA/NAIROBI

AGENCIES

THIOPIAN federal forces were encircling the Tigray region’s capital from around 50 km (31 miles) on Monday, the government said, after giving the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) a 72-hour surrender ultimatum. “The beginning of the end is within reach,” said government spokesman Redwan Hussein of the nearly three-week offensive that has destabilised both Ethiopia and the wider Horn of Africa. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has told the TPLF, which had been ruling the mountainous northern zone of 5 million people, to lay down arms by Wednesday or face a final assault on Mekelle. TPLF leader Debretsion Gebremichael told Reuters that threat was a cover for government forces to regroup after what he described as defeats on three fronts.

Putin remains steadfast, holds off on congratulating Biden over US election win

Reuters could not verify the latest statements. Claims by all sides are hard to verify because phone and internet communication has been down. Hundreds, possibly thousands, have been killed in fighting and air strikes that erupted on Nov. 4, sending about 40,000 refugees into neighbouring Sudan. The conflict has spread beyond Tigray, with the TPLF firing rockets into both neighbouring Amhara region and across the border to Eritrea. Redwan told Reuters by text that federal forces were ringing Mekelle at a distance of about 50 km (30 miles). Tigrayan forces fired rockets on Monday at Bahir Dar, the capital of neighbouring Amhara region whose authorities are supporting the federal offensive, he also said. “So far, I didn’t hear of any casualties,” said a hotel receptionist in the lakeside city where residents reported a pre-dawn rocket attack. “I guess now we are accustomed to it and there wasn’t much panic.”

ANCIENT AXUM: TPLF troops had also destroyed the airport at the ancient town of Axum, a popular tourist draw and UNESCO World Heritage site which lies northwest of Mekelle, Redwan said. Axum’s history and ruins, including fourth century obelisks when the Axumite Empire was at its height, gives Ethiopia its claim to be one of the world’s oldest centres of Christianity. Legend says it was once home to the Queen of Sheba and Ethiopians believe a church there houses the Ark of the Covenant. The TPLF says Abiy has “invaded” their region to dominate them and is inflicting “merciless” damage on Tigrayans. “We are people of principle and are ready to die in defence of our right to administer our region,” TPLF leader Debretsion added in a text message to Reuters. Debretsion was a signals and intelligence officer for the TPLF during their war against the Communist Derg dictatorship in the 1980s and later earned a degree in elec-

AGENCIES

Russian President Vladimir Putin says Russia is willing to work with whomever is officially declared the next president of the United States, but that he won't offer congratulations until the winner is formally decided or a candidate concedes. Putin's remarks broadcast on Sunday on state television reiterate earlier Kremlin comments on why Putin had not congratulated Joe Biden after major news organisations called him president-elect, as did many other world leaders. "We are just waiting for the end of the internal political confrontation," Putin said, referring to Republican challenges to the vote count. "We will work with any person who will be given the trust of the American people. But who will be given this trust? It must either be indicated by political custom when one of the parties recognises the victory of the other, or the final results of the elections are summed up in a legitimate, legal way," he said. Earlier this month, China finally congratulated Biden nearly a week after he was declared winner of the American election. “We respect the choice of the American people.

‘No place for bullying’, UK PM Johnson tells ministers, officials

China will respond to the reported visit of a U.S. Navy admiral to Taiwan and firmly opposes any military relations between Taipei and Washington, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Monday as a senior U.S. official praised their ties with Taipei. A two-star Navy admiral overseeing U.S. military intelligence in the Asia-Pacific region has made an unannounced visit to Taiwan, two sources told Reuters on Sunday. Neither Taiwan nor the United States has officially confirmed the trip. The Trump administration has ramped up support for Taiwan, including with new arms sales, alarming China, which views the democratic island as one of its provinces with no right to state-to-state ties. Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said China “resolutely opposes” any form of exchanges between U.S. and Taiwanese officials or the two having military relations. China urges the United States to fully recognise the extreme sensitivity of the Taiwan issue, Zhao told a news briefing.

“The Chinese side will, according to how the situation develops, make a legitimate and necessary response,” he said, without elaborating. China reacted with fury when U.S. Health Secretary Alex Azar came to Taipei in August, followed by U.S. Undersecretary of State Keith Krach in September, sending warplanes near to the island each time. Speaking during a visit to Manila, White House national security adviser Robert O’Brien underscored the U.S. commitment to Taiwan, saying that as democracies they have a lot in common. “I can’t imagine anything that will cause a greater backlash against China from the entire world if they attempted to use military force to coerce Taiwan,” he said. “The U.S. is with her friends in Taipei. We will continue to be there.” In Beijing, Zhao also expressed displeasure with the signing of a memorandum of understanding on economic exchanges following a meeting between Taiwanese and U.S. officials in Washington. China has already lodged “stern representations” with the United States, which should stop having these kinds of interactions with Taiwan, he added.

'We've got your back': Trump advisor vows US support in South China Sea

LONDON

Israeli and Sudanese officials had no immediate comment.

China says it will respond to US admiral visit to Taiwan BEIJING/MANILA

AGENCIES

tronic engineering from Addis Ababa University. He rose to the rank of deputy prime minister in the Ethiopian government when it was dominated by the TPLF. The TPLF accuses accuse Abiy, a former military comrade and partner in government, of marginalising their ethnic group since becoming prime minister two years ago. He has removed Tigrayan officials from influential roles in government and the military and detained some on rights abuse and corruption charges. Abiy, whose parents are from the larger Oromo and Amhara groups, denies any ethnic undertones, saying he is legitimately pursuing criminals and preserving national unity. The African Union (AU) has appointed three envoys to try and start mediation talks over Tigray. Redwan said Abiy would meet them and all options were on the table except negotiating with the TPLF “gang”. The United Nations’ humanitarian coordinator for Ethiopia, Catherine Sozi, urged safety guarantees for aid workers, Mekelle’s more than half a million inhabitants, and their health, school and water systems. Israel sends delegation to Sudan to firm up ties, Israeli radio says Israel sent a first delegation to Sudan on Monday after the countries announced a U.S.-brokered agreement on Oct. 23 to take steps towards establishing ties, Israel’s Army Radio reported.

AGENCIES

MANILA

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told officials on Monday there was “no place for bullying” in his government, trying to ease concerns after he stood by his interior minister against charges of bad behaviour. However, in a letter written to ministers and permanent secretaries - the most senior figures in government departments - there was also an implicit warning that when the government faced “unprecedented challenges”, politicians and officials should keep “internal conversations private”. Last week, Johnson had hoped to “reset” his government after two of his most senior advisers said they were leaving, aiming to improve relations with his own Conservative lawmakers, with government officials and with the media.

AGENCIES

U.S. national security adviser Robert O’Brien on Monday assured the Philippines and Vietnam, countries both locked in maritime rows with China, that Washington has their backs and would fight to keep the Indo-Pacific region free and open. U.S. National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien and Philippines' Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro Locsin Jr. elbow bump after the turnover ceremony of defense articles, at the Department of Foreign Affairs in Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines, November 23, 2020. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez “Our message is we’re going to be here, we’ve got

your back, and we’re not leaving,” said O’Brien, on a visit to the Philippines after concluding a trip to Vietnam on Sunday. “I think when we send that message – that peacethrough-strength message – is the way to deter China. It is a way to ensure the peace,” O’Brien said. Vietnam and the Philippines have been the most vocal regional opponents to what they see as Chinese overreach in the South China Sea and its disregard for boundaries outlined in international maritime law. China claims 90% of the potentially energy-rich South China Sea, but Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam each claim parts of it. The United States has long opposed China’s expansive claims, sending warships regularly through the

TEL AVIV AGENCIES

Speaking last week, Israeli Intelligence Minister Eli Cohen said the initial delegation to Sudan would be small and tasked with security matters. A larger delegation would follow to address possible economic cooperation with Khartoum, he told Ynet TV. Sudan followed the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in becoming the third Arab government to engage Israel with the encouragement of Washington, which sees such contacts as helping to isolate Iran and sidestep stalled Palestinian statehood talks. But the military and civilian echelons of the transitional Sudanese government have been divided over how fast and how far to go towards normalising relations with Israel. On Monday, an Israeli official said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had visited Saudi Arabia, in a possibly related breakthrough.

strategic waterway to demonstrate freedom of navigation there. China maintains it is a force for peace in the region and sees the U.S. presence as provocative and interference by an outsider. O’Brien, who led the turnover in Manila of $18 million worth of precision-guided munitions, said the United States stood with the Philippines in protecting its offshore resource entitlements. “Those resources belong to the children and grandchildren of the people here,” he said. “They don’t belong to some other country that just because they may be bigger than the Philippines,” he said, adding: “That’s just wrong.” His visit came more than a week after the Philippines suspended its scrapping of a Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States for a second time, as the treaty allies work on a long-term mutual defence arrangement. Last year, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo assured the Philippines it would come to its defense if attacked in the South China Sea.

Biden’s longtime confidante Blinken tipped for top foreign policy job WASHINGTON AGENCIES

Joe Biden will pick Antony Blinken as US secretary of state, a person close to the president-elect’s transition said on Sunday, elevating one of his most seasoned and trusted aides as he prepares to undo President Donald Trump’s foreign policy. Blinken is a longtime Biden confidant who served as No. 2 at the State Department and as deputy national security adviser in President Barack Obama’s administration, in which Biden served as vice president. A second Biden ally said that Blinken was Biden’s first choice. An announcement is likely on Tuesday. Blinken’s appointment makes another longtime Biden aide with a foreign policy background, Jake Sullivan, the top

candidate to be US national security adviser, the first source said. Bloomberg News first reported the expected roles. Biden’s transition team declined to comment. Neither Blinken nor Sullivan responded to requests for comment. While neither are household names, Blinken and Sullivan have helped Biden formulate a strategy that will include immediate outreach to US allies who have often been antagonized by Trump’s “America First” approach, and to demonstrate a willingness to work together on major global problems like the coronavirus epidemic and its economic fallout. Biden has vowed to rejoin a nuclear deal with Iran if the country returns to compliance, return to the Paris climate accord, abandon plans to leave the World Health Organisation and end a US rule that bans fund-

ing of aid groups that discuss abortion. Each move would reverse Trump’s policies and some could take place quickly after Biden takes office on January 20. Biden is also likely to name Linda Thomas-Greenfield as US ambassador to the United Nations, media outlets reported on Sunday. Thomas-Greenfield is Black, an expert on Africa policy and held a top diplomatic post in the administration of former President Barack Obama. ‘DIPLOMAT’S DIPLOMAT’: Blinken, 58, has long touted the view that the United States needs to take an active leadership role in the world, engaging with allies, or see that role filled by countries like China with contrary interests. “As much of a burden as it sometimes seems to play […] the alternative in terms of

our interests and the lives of Americans are much worse,” he said in an interview with Reuters in October. People familiar with his management style describe Blinken as a “diplomat’s diplomat,” deliberative and relatively soft-spoken, but well-versed in the nuts and bolts of foreign policy. After Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 election to Trump, Blinken became one of the founders of WestExec Advisors, a Washington consultancy advising corporations on geopolitical risks. Having practiced law briefly, he entered politics in the late 1980s helping Democrat Michael Dukakis’ presidential campaign raise money. He joined Democratic President Bill Clinton’s White House as a speechwriter and became one of his national security aides.

Under Obama, Blinken worked to limit most US combat deployments to small numbers of troops. But he told Reuters last year that Trump had “gutted American credibility” with his pullback of US troops in Syria in 2019 that left Kurdish US allies in the lurch in their fight against Islamic State. On the campaign trail, Blinken was one of Biden’s closest advisers, even on issues that went beyond foreign policy. That trust is the product of the years Blinken worked alongside Biden as an adviser to his unsuccessful 2008 presidential campaign, as national security adviser early in his vice presidency and as the Democratic staff director of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when Biden was chair. Sullivan, formerly a close policy aide to Hillary Clinton, became one of the key policy advisers to Biden. He served as the former vice president’s national security adviser during the Obama administration. A 43-year-old graduate of Yale, who was also a Rhodes scholar at Oxford and has a reputation as a behind-the-scenes operator, Sullivan took part in secret backchannel talks with Iran that led to a 2015 international nuclear deal that Trump subsequently overturned.

Tuesday, 24 November, 2020

SPORTS 11

Rossi Reflects on ‘emotional’ factoRy yamaha motoGP exit V AGENCIES

ALENTINO Rossi says his final outing with the factory Yamaha MotoGP squad at the Portuguese Grand Prix was “an emotional moment”. Nine-time grand prix world champion Rossi has spent 15 years of his career with the works Yamaha squad, first joining it in 2004 and returning in 2013 following a disastrous two-season stint with Ducati in 2011 and 2012. Winning four of his titles with the factory Yamaha team and 56 grands prix in the premier class, Rossi’s final outing before switching to Petronas SRT in 2021 yielded a 12th place finish. His final campaign, blighted by missing two races due to a positive COVID-19 test, yielded a single podium at Jerez, as he ended the season 15th in the standings. When asked what he will miss most about his team, Rossi said: “People. I think the technical situation doesn’t change a lot, but 15 years of my career and of my life, I have a lot of friends in the team, a lot of good

relationships, especially the human side. “I think anyway the rest doesn’t change a lot.

“Today was an emotional moment when I came back to the pits, especially because the

Imran Khan’s Kabul visit might help revive Afghanistan vs Pakistan bilateral cricket

UMAR FAROOQ Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan’s visit to Afghanistan last week could well pave the way for a revival of cricketing ties between the two neighbouring countries. The relations were severed in 2017 following a bomb blast in Kabul, for which the Afghan authorities had blamed Pakistan. Imran’s visit to Afghanistan, his first since forming the government in August 2018, was primarily to meet Ashraf Ghani, the Afghan president, with an eye on strengthening relations between the two countries. While in Kabul, former Pakistan captain Imran also met the Afghanistan Cricket Board’s chairman Farhan Yousafzai and a number of national team members - Asghar Afghan and Mohammad Nabi among them - with the ACB expressing its desire to play bilateral cricket. As such, cricketing relations between the two countries go back a long way, with many

prominent Afghanistan players having learnt the basics of the game while being refugees in Pakistan during the war years. “We have played a major role in their [Afghan] cricket development and are still open to extending our support whenever required,” Wasim Khan, the PCB chief executive officer, told ESPNcricinfo. “They are Full Members at the ICC and one of the key players in South Asia, and we are very much looking forward to taking our relationship forward.” That, however, might not happen immediately, with the international cricket calendar being as packed as it is. “We are always open to talk to revive our ties and work out a slot for any series in our FTP. But this year, or the next, it’s tough to make it,” Wasim said. “But Afghanistan playing Pakistan has a big [commercial] potential and a big viewership.” ESPNcricinfo understands that while the Pakistan foreign office or

LONDON AGENCIES

Talking points from the Premier League weekend: PEP HAS SURPRISING PROBLEM TO SOLVE: For all the debates over Manchester City’s defensive frailties in recent seasons, one thing that was taken for granted was their ability to score goals under Pep Guardiola. City set the record for most goals in a Premier League season with 106 in 2017/18 and they followed that up with 95 goals the following campaign and 102 last season. Suddenly though, the goals have dried up, with City managing just 10 in eight games to leave them in 13th place with a negative goal difference. Guardiola has rightly pointed to the injuries that have limited strikers Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus this season. Yet it is surprising that with the resources available, he has not added a third senior out-and-out striker to his squad and that might be something he considers in January. JOTA A CONTENDER FOR SIGNING OF THE

the prime minister’s office hasn’t discussed the matter with the PCB yet, Imran has noted the ACB’s request to play Pakistan. When it comes to playing Afghanistan (or India), the decision is left to the Pakistan government - and not the PCB - because of the often-strained political relationships with the countries concerned. Members of the PCB and the ACB were last seen together in 2017 at the PCB’s Gaddafi Stadium headquarters when they signed an agreement to play bilateral cricket starting with friendly T20s in Kabul and Lahore in July and August that year. But then the deadly bombing incident happened on May 31 that year. The ACB released a statement soon after, saying “no agreement of friendly matches is possible between both parties. In light of the findings of security services and calls by the Afghan nation, the ACB hereby cancel all kinds of cricket matches agreement with the Pakistan Cricket Board.” The PCB took exception to the comments, describing the allegations as “baseless” and “irresponsible”. Things then turned ugly when Afghanistan and Pakistan faced off at the 2019 ODI World Cup at Headingley, with reports of clashes between the two sets of fans in the stands and even outside the stadium. Now, with Imran taking the lead and the ACB willing to put cricket first, things might go back to the way they were. This article was originally published on ESPNcricinfo.

story is finished not just with the team but with some very important people of my box,

Russell admits uncertainty over Williams drive was ‘unsettling’ AGENCIES George Russell has admitted that the speculation earlier this year over whether he might lose his seat at Williams did make it difficult to focus on the job at hand. After it was announced that Sergio Perez would be leaving Racing Point at the end of the season, the Mexican was linked with Williams and is even understood to have held a meeting with the team. That speculation was only fuelled when Williams Acting Team Principal Simon Roberts refused to comment on the reports at the Portuguese Grand Prix in late October. In the end, Roberts shut down any further talk of Perez joining by confirming Russell and Nicholas Latifi would continue for 2021 at the following race at Imola, but Russell now admits the speculation did weigh on his mind, as he explained on the latest F1 Nation podcast. “It was unsettling. When you see all of this speculation, I knew it was all speculation, but there’s no smoke without fire sort of thing,” he said. “It has been a crazy, crazy month to say the least. Mentally, it has been a roller coaster, but that’s what Formula 1 is about. There are only 20 drivers in the world. It’s not meant to be easy. It’s not meant to be an easy ride – I’m still at the start of my career. “I guess you have to have these ups and downs. First you go through everything around the Portuguese Grand Prix: whether it was true, whether it was not, it did play a fac-

tor on my mind.” But despite that uncertainty, Russell says the race meeting at Portimao was his strongest weekend in F1 so far. He continued: “I went out there, focused on my job, and the Portuguese Grand Prix was probably the best weekend I’ve ever had in Formula 1, which made me really proud of the job I did and how I handled everything that was going on. “And then equally I went to Imola filled with confidence and Imola was going to surpass Portugal as my best weekend. Not just because of the position; in all honesty, racing’s about where you finish, it’s about the stopwatch, but we all know there’s so much more to it than just that.” Of course, it was at Imola where

Premier League talking points SEASON: There were more than a few eyebrows raised when Juergen Klopp spent 41 million pounds ($54 million) to bring Portuguese forward Diogo Jota from Wolverhampton Wanderers to Anfield in September. Klopp already had the strongest front three in the league in Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino and back-up attackers Divock Origi and Xherdan Shaqiri had found it hard to get much of a look in. Yet Jota has now scored in all four of his appearances at Anfield in the league so far and has eight goals in 12 games in all competitions. His headed goal in the 3-0 win against Leicester City on Sunday was magnificent and his all-round play has given Klopp a real headache about how to line up when Salah returns from his Covid-19 isolation. GOAL-SHY SHEFFIELD UNITED NEED TO FIND THEIR FORM: One of the success stories of last season, Sheffield United’s struggles in front of goal this

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like Alex Briggs, Brent [Stevens], a lot of people. “So, [it] was good to come back in the box because was an emotional moment.” Rossi will only take three members of his current team - crew chief David Munoz, data engineer Matteo Flamigni and rider coach Idalio Gavira - with him to SRT next year. Looking ahead to next season, Rossi admits he has a lot to work on as a rider particularly qualifying - while also pressing Yamaha to improve on its troubled 2020 challenger. “I have to work a lot on myself, we have to improve some areas like the qualifying, which now is so important,” Rossi added. “And also we will push as always on Yamaha to try to make a good job during the winter to try to improve some areas, because in the last years we were strong at the beginning of the season but after we struggled compared to our competitors in the second half because they were able to fix all the new things. “And in the end with Yamaha, the end of the season is not easy. “So, next year will be a hard challenge, we need to arrive ready from the first race.”

term have them rooted to the bottom of the table. The Blades have managed a meagre four Premier League goals so far this season, following Sunday’s 10 defeat to West Ham United. Together with Lys Mousset, Oliver McBurnie was the club’s top scorer last season with a modest six goals and his regular strike partner David McGoldrick chipped in with another four. Six of Sheffield United’s defeats have been by a margin of a single goal, which indicates that a change in fortunes for any of the club’s strikers could see a quick improvement in their position in the table. RICHARLISON’S RETURN REIGNITES EVERTON: Since Brazilian forward Richarlison joined Everton in 2018, the Merseyside club have not won any of the eight Premier League matches in which the 23-yearold has not played, drawing four and losing four, including their last three games of the current season.

Russell crashed behind the Safety Car, which was an unfortunate end to what he says had been a “fantastic” race up to that point. Support from the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso kept him afloat, however. “Imola was just a fantastic weekend, how we dealt with it. And yeah, just heart-breaking, but following it, the amount of support I got from so many world champions, team managers, everybody, it meant so much to me in all honestly. “I’m doing my utmost to show what I can do on track, what I can deliver.” Russell is now gearing up for the Bahrain Grand Prix hoping for a first career points score this weekend, as F1 heads into the final triple header of the season.

He sparked Everton to life on his return from a suspension in Sunday’s 3-2 victory at Fulham, adding pace and power to the front line, and provided the assist for Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s early opener before nearly scoring in a superb first half. Richarlison’s movement on the left flank also allowed Lucas Digne to get more involved in the game. The French defender was a threat throughout and created two goals to take his tally of assists this season to four more than any of his team mates. VAR STEALS THE SHOW AGAIN AS OLIVER RESCINDS PENALTY: Technology took centre stage as Brighton hung on for a 2-1 win at Aston Villa after referee Michael Oliver overturned his own decision to award a penalty to the home side in the dying minutes, with VAR replays vindicating his U-turn. Having viewed the incident on a monitor after consulting with the VAR officials, Oliver showed grit in conceding his initial verdict was wrong as Solly March got a piece of the ball before making contact with Trezeguet. It allowed the Seagulls to celebrate their first league victory since September.

Tuesday, 24 November, 2020

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TrUmp aims To box in bidEn abroad, bUT iT may noT worK WASHINGTON

AGENCIES

N its way out the door, the Trump administration is enacting new rules, regulations and orders that it hopes will box in Presidentelect Joe Biden’s administration on numerous foreign policy matters and cement President Donald Trump’s “America First” legacy in international affairs. Yet, the push may not work, as many of these decisions can be withdrawn or significantly amended by the incoming president when he takes office on January 20. In recent weeks, the White House, State Department and other agencies have been working overtime to produce new policy pronouncements on Iran, Israel, China and elsewhere that aim to lock in Trump’s vision for the world. Some have attracted significant attention while others have flown largely under the radar. And, while Biden could reverse many of them with a stroke of the pen, some will demand the time and attention of his administration when it comes into power with a host of other priorities that perhaps need more urgent attention. The most recent of these moves took place this past week as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made what may be his last visit to Israel as secretary of state and delivered two announcements in support of Israel’s claims to territory claimed by the

Palestinians. Biden’s team has remained silent about these announcements, but Biden has made clear he supports few, if any, of them and will reverse many as he intends to return to a more traditional policy toward Israel and the Palestinians. The Trump administration’s determined efforts to thwart potential Biden policy reversals actually began months earlier, half a world away from the Jewish state, with China, even before the former vice president was formally declared the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee. As opinion polls started to show Biden as a clear favorite to beat Trump in November, the administration began to move even as the president maintained a public face of defiance and absolute confidence in his reelection. Some officials point to a July 13 declaration from Pompeo that the United States would now reject virtually all of China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea, a 180-degree shift from previous administrations’ positions that all such claims should be handled by arbitration. While many of Trump’s foreign policy decisions from early on have been designed to blow up the previous administration’s foreign policy achievements — withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal, the Paris Climate Accord and the Trans-Pacific Partnership on trade — the South China Sea decision was the first to be linked by administration officials to the possibility that Biden might be the

next president. One administration official said at the time that decisions made after that would all be taken with an eye toward Biden becoming president. Thus, the fear that Trump might be a one-term president began to take hold in July and has been followed by an acceleration of pronouncements aimed mainly at thwarting any reversal by Biden. A look at some of those moves: ISRAEL: On Thursday, before making an unprecedented trip to an Israeli settlement in the West Bank, Pompeo announced that the US would henceforth consider “anti-Semitic” the groups that advocate for Palestinian rights by supporting the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement against Israel. He also announced a change in import labeling rules that will require products made in settlements to be identified as “Made in Israel.” The product labeling will take some time to take effect and, as yet, no groups have been hit with the anti-Semitic designation. But, even if they are implemented, Biden could reverse them on Day One. Those moves followed numerous other Israel-friendly steps the administration has taken since it came to office. They include recognising Jerusalem as the capital, moving the US Embassy there from Tel Aviv, and cutting off aid to the Palestinian Authority and the UN refugee agency that works with Palestinians. While Biden is unlikely to move the embassy back to Tel Aviv, the other measures can be reversed quickly.

IRAN: Pompeo and other officials have spoken of a new push for sanctions against Iran, but the fact is that the administration has been ramping up such penalties since Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal two years ago. New sanctions could potentially target supporters of Iranian-backed militia in Iraq and Afghanistan along with the Shia Houthi movement in Yemen, which has been involved in a disastrous war with the country’s internationally recognised government. Biden has spoken of wanting to rejoin the nuclear accord, and Iranian officials have said they would be willing to come back into compliance with the accord if he does. Biden could eliminate many of the Trump administration’s reimposed sanctions by executive order, but it remains unclear how high a priority it will be for him. BROADER MIDDLE EAST: While the withdrawal of significant numbers of US forces from Afghanistan and Iraq — bringing troop levels down to 2,500 in each country — is a clear indication of Trump’s intentions, Biden’s approach remains less certain. The withdrawals could be delayed or slow-rolled by the Pentagon, and it remains unclear how the State Department will handle staffing at its embassies in Baghdad and Kabul, both of which are dependent on US military support. Pompeo has threatened to close the US embassy in Baghdad unless rocket attacks by Iranian-backed militias against the area in which it’s located are halted. However, de-

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spite the troop withdrawal determination last week, there has been no announcement about the embassy’s status. CHINA: Although the administration’s most strident actions against China began more than a year ago, they have gained momentum since March, when Trump determined that he would at once blame China for the spread of the novel coronavirus and accuse Biden of being soft on Beijing. Since then, the administration has steadily ramped up sanctions against China over Taiwan, Tibet, trade, Hong Kong and the South China Sea. It has also moved against the Chinese telecom giant Huawei and sought restrictions on Chinese social media applications like TikTok and WeChat. Last week, the State Department’s policy planning office released a 70page China policy strategy document. While it contains little in the way of immediate policy recommendations, it advocates for increased support and cooperation with Taiwan. Indeed, as the document was released, US officials were meeting with Taiwanese counterparts in Washington to discuss economic cooperation. RUSSIA: Sunday marked the formal withdrawal of the US from the “Open Skies Treaty” with Russia, which allowed each country overflight rights to inspect military facilities. The withdrawal, six months after the US notified the Russians of its intent, leaves only one arms-control pact still in force between the former Cold War foes — the New START treaty, which limits the number of nuclear warheads each may have. That treaty will expire in February. The Trump administration had said it wasn’t interested in extending the New START treaty unless China also joined, something Beijing has rejected. In recent weeks, however, the administration has eased its stance and said it’s willing to consider an extension. As the transition to the Biden administration approaches, those negotiations remain a work in progress.

IMF chief urges G20 leaders to jointly rebuild global economy WASHINGTON AGENCIES

SRINAGAR: Autumn colours in the summer capital of occupied Kashmir. INP

Results show AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine 90pc eﬀective LONDON AGENCIES

British drugs group AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford have said that their jointly developed vaccine against Covid-19 has shown “an average efficacy of 70 percent” in trials. “This vaccine’s efficacy and safety confirm that it will be highly effective against Covid-19 and will have an immediate impact on this public health emergency,” AstraZeneca chief executive Pascal Soriot said in a statement on Monday. The 70-percent average is lower compared with the efficacy of coronavirus vaccines trialled by rivals Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna which have come in above 90 percent. Monday’s statement said: “Positive high-level results from an interim analysis of clinical trials of AZD1222 in the UK and Brazil showed the vaccine was highly effective in preventing Covid-19… and no hospitalisations or severe cases of the disease were reported in participants.” It added: “One dosing regimen (n=2,741) showed vaccine efficacy of 90 percent when AZD1222 was given as a half dose, followed by a full dose at least one month apart.” The pair said that regimen n=8,895 showed 62-percent efficacy when given as two full doses at least one month apart. “The combined analysis from both dosing regimens (n=11,636) re-

sulted in an average efficacy of 70 percent.” AstraZeneca said it would “immediately prepare regulatory submission of the data to authorities around the world that have a framework in place for conditional or early approval”. It added that it would seek an emergency-use listing from the World Health Organization to accelerate vaccine availability in low-income countries. Oxford professor Andrew Pollard said the latest findings show “an effective vaccine that will save many lives”. “Excitingly, we’ve found that one of our dosing regimens may be around 90 percent effective and if this dosing regime is used, more people could be vaccinated with planned vaccine supply. “Today’s announcement is only possible thanks to the many volunteers in our trial, and the hard-working and talented team of researchers based around the world,” added Pollard, who is chief investigator of the Oxford Vaccine Trial. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Twitter: “Incredibly exciting news the Oxford vaccine has proved so effective in trials… There are still further safety checks ahead, but these are fantastic results.” Matt Hancock, health secretary, said, “We hope to be able to start vaccinating next month. The bulk of the vaccine rollout programme will be in January, February, March. And we hope that sometime after Easter things will be able to start to get back to normal.”

Turkey’s trial of suspects resumes in Khashoggi murder case ISTANBUL: A Turkish court will resume the trial in absentia of 20 Saudi officials on Tuesday for the gruesome killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Khashoggi, a 59-year-old Washington Post newspaper columnist and prominent critic of Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), was last seen entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018, where he had gone to obtain documents for his impending wedding to his Turkish fiancee, Hatice Cengiz. The journalist was killed at the consulate and his body was reportedly dismembered and removed from the building. His remains have never been found, however, the killing sparked international outrage and tarnished the image of MBS. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said the order to murder Khashoggi came from “the highest levels” of the Saudi government but has not directly blamed MBS. Saudi Arabia said Khashoggi was killed in a “rogue operation” by agents and the crown prince has denied ordering it. Last year, a United Nations investigation found that high-level Saudi officials had carefully planned and endorsed the murder. AGENCIES

International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva has urged the Group of 20 (G20) leaders to maintain policy support and reinforce the economic bridge to recovery as the global economy is “not out of the woods.” “I commended the G20 countries as a whole for taking unprecedented actions to mitigate the impact of Covid-19, including fiscal and monetary measures, that have helped to prevent massive bankruptcies and an even deeper crisis,” Georgieva said in a statement following a virtual meeting of G20 Leaders’ Summit hosted by Saudi Arabia. “I also emphasized that the world is not out of the woods yet in terms of this crisis. Cooperation is going to be even more important going forward,” Georgieva said, urging G20 leaders to maintain macroeconomic policy support to businesses and workers “until we exit the health crisis.” “There must be no premature withdrawal. It is also time now to prepare for a synchronized green and digital infrastructure investment push to invigorate growth,

to limit scarring, and address climate goals,” she said. With vaccines on the horizon, Georgieva noted that “we must ensure they reach everyone, everywhere,” which could add almost 9 trillion U.S. dollars to global income by 2025, according to the IMF’s estimate. The IMF chief also said the most consequential uncertainty facing us today is “how we can use the momentum of disruption caused by this crisis to build a better economy for all.” Georgieva called on G20 leaders to revitalize the international trading system, foster an international system of taxation where everyone pays their fair share, and accelerate the transition to the new climate economy. “The IMF will continue to count on the G20’s support to have all the necessary resources to best serve our member countries, and especially those who need our assistance the most,” she said. In its World Economic Outlook report released last month, the IMF revised up the 2020 forecast for the global economy to a contraction of 4.4 percent. Despite the upward revision, the IMF said the ascent out of this crisis is likely to be “long, uneven and highly uncertain.”

EU contributes €183m to debt relief for 29 poorest countries BRUSSELS: The European Union (EU) will contribute €183 million to the IMF’s Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust for debt relief in 29 low-income countries, allowing them to increase their social, health and economic spending in response to the Covid-19 crisis. This contribution, announced just after the G20 Summit endorsed a Common Framework on Debt Treatments beyond Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI), is fully in line with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s proposal for a Global Recovery Initiative that links investments and debt relief to the Sustainable Development Goals. Josep Borrell, High Representative and Vice President for Foreign and Security Policy, said: ”The EU is combining injections of funds for the rapid easing of budget constraints to help the immediate response – through contributions like this one – with a sustained longer-term plan to assist partners in weathering a severe social-economic storm, which is far from over. The EU has been leading global efforts to do more on debt relief and debt restructuring efforts. It is our hope that our contribution will pave the way for others to join those global efforts.” Paolo Gentiloni, Commissioner for Economy, added: “Today, Europe makes an important contribution to multilateralism and debt relief. The EU as a member of the G20 strongly supports the Debt Service Suspension Initiative and the new Common Framework on Debt Treatment. AGENCIES

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