Friday, 27 November, 2020 I 10 Rabi al-Akhir, 1442 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XI No 148 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition
Govt to set up special courts throuGh new anti-rape ordinance
ISLAMABAD Mian abrar
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HE federal government on Thursday got two ordinances passed from the Cabinet Committee on Disposal of Legislative Cases (CCLC) to ensure swift and harsher punishment of convicted rapists and sex offenders by setting up special courts for sexual offences against women and children. Ministry of Law and Justice officially revealed the salient features of the two ordinances, which expand the definition of rape and introduce the concept of chemical castration mainly as a ‘form of rehabilitation’. An official handout issued by the ministry said the CCLC greenlit the ordinances, which the federal cabinet had approved in principle on Wednesday.
Terming the passage of the ordinances as ‘important moment’ in Pakistan’s legislative history for the protection of rights of women, girls and children across the country, the ministry said that the two ‘state-of-the-art pieces of legislation’ – the Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Ordinance, 2020, and the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 — were in line with the constitutional guarantees of Pakistan as well as international treaties the country has signed. The laws will now be placed before the cabinet for final approval before being sent to the president to be promulgated. In the 90 days following that, the ordinances must be submitted to the parliament for ratification. The Draft Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Ordinance, 2020 would provide the establishment of special courts; creation of Anti-Rape Crisis Cells to be headed by
coronavirus in
pakistan
CONFIRMED CASES:
386,198
LAST UPDATED AT 8:02 AM ON NOVEMBER 26, 2020
DAY'S DEATH TOLL:
40
RECOVERED:
NEW CASES:
3,306 DEATHS:
334,392 7,843 SINDH:
PUNJAB:
167,381
116,506
KP:
BALOCHISTAN:
AJK/GB:
ISLAMABAD:
45,828
16,942
6,403/4,583 28,555
concerned commissioners/deputy commissioners, who will ensure prompt registration of the first information report, medical examination, forensic analysis, etc. The ordinance also seeks to abolish the ‘inhumane and degrading ‘two-finger virginity test’ for rape victims during medico-legal examinations, and eliminating any attachment of probative value to it. The ordinance would also bring an end to the cross-examination of a rape victim by the accused, thereby only allowing the judge and the accused’s lawyers to cross-examine the victim. The trials would be in-camera in future and protection for the victim and witnesses would be ensured. The ordinance would allow the use of modern devices during investigation and trial while the provision of legal assistance to the victims through the Legal Aid and Justice Authority would be ensured. This ordinance also outlines the creation of independent support advisers to the victims and appointment of special prosecutors for the special courts would also be made. An investigation by joint investigation teams headed by district police officers; and creation of a special committee on a pro-bono basis to ensure overall implementation of the law would be made. Rules would be issued by the prime minister upon the recommendation of the special committee for the purposes of issuing medico-legal examination and investigation and prosecution guidelines based on the latest modern techniques and devices. Maintenance of data of sex offenders’ would be registered through NADRA; while a public reporting mechanism would be in place.
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FO snubs reports of absence of Kashmir dispute from OIC meeting agenda ISLAMABAD staff report
The Foreign Office (FO) on Thursday rejected as “part of false Indian propaganda” the reports suggesting the omission of the Kashmir dispute from the agenda of the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) scheduled to be held on November 27 and 28. Citing the agenda for the annual meet up, multiple reports suggested the meeting of the Riyadh-dominated bloc of 57 Muslim countries has removed the dispute from its agenda. When checked, the agenda shared on the organisation’s Twitter account indeed missed out the lingering issue. However, it was not immediately clear if it was due to a clerical error or the meeting would, in fact, skip a debate on the dispute, which has been the cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy since Indian annexation of the territory in August last, and risk inviting Islamabad’s anger. During his weekly press briefing, FO spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said that the Kashmir dispute was a “permanent item” on
Six Pakistani cricketers test positive for Covid in New Zealand WELLINGTON agencies
Six members of the Pakistan cricket squad have tested positive for the coronavirus while in managed isolation in Christchurch, New Zealand Cricket said on Thursday. Plans for Pakistan’s upcoming T20 and Test series against New Zealand have been thrown into chaos, with six team members moved into quarantine and the team’s exemption to train while in isolation temporarily revoked. The green shirts are due to play three T20 internationals and two tests from December 18, while a Pakistan ‘A’ tour will also be held concurrently. The health ministry said all 53 members of the travelling party, including players and staff, were tested on arrival on November 24 and the positive results are from those tests. NZC said in a statement all of the players in the squad had tested negative four times before leaving Lahore. Two of the six results were ‘historical’ infections while four were new. NZC added that they had been made aware members of the Pakistan squad may have
the OIC and recalled that the body has been “unambiguously pronouncing itself on the issue for decades, through a succession of summit as well as CFM resolutions”. Friday’s meeting of the CFM, which will be held in Niger’s capital Niamey, would be the first after India repealed held Kashmir’s special status, the spokesperson told reporters. “It is expected that the session would reiterate its strong support to the Kashmir cause. Let me confirm that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute continue(s) to be amongst the longest standing items on the OIC agenda.” He further said that the OIC had spoken on the Kashmir issue multiple times and has “called for a settlement […] with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions”. The OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir has met thrice in the past 15 months, Chaudhri said, adding that a meeting of the group with foreign ministers was held in June this year. “The final communique of that meeting called upon India to rescind its illegal actions and stop egregious human rights violations in the illegally occupied territory,” said the spokesperson.
more inside
Bilawal tests positive for coronavirus, goes into self-isolation STORY ON PAGE 02
Supreme Court issues contempt notice to Sindh CM in KCR case STORY ON PAGE 02
breached strict biosecurity protocols on their first day of their 14-day mandatory isolation. As part of measures to prevent Covid-19 from being brought into the country, the team were not allowed to socialise, eat or train together outside their small bubbles while in isolation. The touring West Indies side also fell foul of the regulations earlier this month and had their training exemption revoked. “We will be having discussions with the tourists to assist them in understanding the requirements,” NZC said. “While this is disappointing
for the Pakistan squad, the testing outcomes and the actions taken show the government system is working. “NZC considers public health and safety to be paramount in the hosting of international teams, and is supportive of the Ministry of Health and government position.” Meanwhile, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) CEO Wasim Khan was told by the New Zealand government that one more breach of New Zealand’s Covid-19 protocols by the Pakistan squad would result in the entire travelling party being deported, ESPNcricinfo reported.
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Israel braces for US strike on Iran before Trump leaves office: reports
STORY ON BACK PAGE
India has highest bribery rate in Asia, Transparency International says STORY ON BACK PAGE
02
Friday, 27 November, 2020
NEWS
BILaWaL tEStS POSItIVE FOr cOrONaVIruS, gOES INtO SELF-ISOLatION KARACHI
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STAFF REPORT
AKISTAN People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Thursday confirmed his recent coronavirus test came back positive and said he was self-isolating. In a tweet, Bilawal said that he was currently experiencing mild symptoms. “I’ll continue working from home and will be addressing PPP foundation day via video
link. Wear a mask everyone, see you on the other side.” His political secretary, Jameel Soomro, had tested positive for the contagious disease earlier this week, prompting him to enter self-isolation as a precaution while he awaited his test results. According to Soomro, he had tested positive after returning from the party’s month-long election campaign in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). The diagnosis means Bilawal would be unable to attend the engagement of his sister
Imran intentionally jeopardising Shehbaz, Hamza’s lives: Marriyum Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Secretary Information Marriyum Aurangzeb on Thursday claimed that Prime Minister Imran Khan is after the lives of Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza Shehbaz after failing to prove the corruption cases against them. Talking to media outside Lahore’s National Accountability Bureau (NAB) court, Marriyum said that Hamza Shehbaz previously mentioned at the last hearing that the armoured car which brought him to court had no brakes. On his way back from the same hearing, his car met a head-on collision in which he too sustained injuries, she added. She further claimed that, for the past 18 months, Hamza had been behind bars for no reason as the incumbent government has not been able to prove the accusations of corruption. The former information minister said that Shehbaz Sharif has multiple medical conditions and it is imperative that his medical condition is regularly and thoroughly monitored, yet his tests were delayed. Marriyum alleged that Adviser to Prime Minister on Accountability and Interior Shehzad Akbar goes through a checklist of ‘political victimisation’ every day to ensure Shehbaz is not provided with a heater in winter, a chair to pray, medical attention, food from his house or release on parole at a time when his mother has just died. She further lambasted the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and claimed that the government’s mouthpieces are shamelessly using Shehbaz’s mother’s death as a ploy to politically victimise him. She claimed that their actions “only expose who they are and where they come from”. She added that the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) movement would not be blackmailed or weakened by such tactics. NEWS DESK
Shahbaz's family members declared PO over prolonged absence LAHORE: An accountability court in Lahore on Thursday declared as absconders the wife of National Assembly Opposition Leader Shahbaz Sharif, his son Suleman Shahbaz, daughter Rabia Imran and her husband Imran Ali for their perpetual absence from the trial proceedings in the money laundering and assets beyond means case. Duty judge Jawadul Hassan noted all the absconding suspects were given a month’s time to show up in court but they did not. The court also extended the judicial remand of Sharif and his son Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Hamza Shehbaz till December 3. Jail authorities produced the father-son duo before the court in a bullet-proof vehicle as it resumed hearing. Sharif’s counsel complained to the judge that he was not provided with verified documents by prosecution witnesses, to which the NAB prosecutor replied that the record the defense objected to belongs to his clients. The court adjourned the hearing till December 3 when it will record statements of more witnesses. It directed Kot Lakhpat Jail’s superintendent to furnish a medical report of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) leader at the next hearing. Earlier this month, the court had indicted Sharif and Hamza in the case. Both the father and son denied the charges and pleaded for innocence. Sharif told the court that his political opponents had instituted false cases against him and his family members. STAFF REPORT
Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari, which is scheduled to take place in Bilawal House, Karachi on November 27 (Friday). Responding to the news, Senate deputy chairperson Saleem Mandviwalla wishes Bilawal a “speedy recovery”. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Health Minister Taimur Khan Jhagra also sent “best wishes”. The development comes a day after the country crossed the grim milestone of 3,000 fresh infections in a single day. Intensive
care units across the country are nearing capacity as a second, deadlier wave of the disease builds momentum and officials struggle to counter public indifference to the pandemic. Several doctors told AFP on Wednesday that hospitals are having to turn away suspected Covid-19 patients, with the potential for a major health care crisis increasing daily. Addressing a press conference a day earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan said the
Supreme Court issues contempt notice to Sindh CM in KCR case ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday issued a contempt notice to Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah over the provincial government’s failure to approve the design of development work for the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) service. A three-judge bench comprising the Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Muneeb Akhtar had taken up a suo motu case relating to the colossal losses incurred by the Pakistan Railways. Earlier this month, the top court, after losing patience with the authorities over the delay in the completion of the project, initiated contempt of court proceedings against Railways Secretary Habibur Rehman Gillani and Sindh Chief Secretary Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah.
At the hearing, Chief Justice Gulzar had cautioned that things would not stop here, rather the court would call everybody, even Prime Minister Imran Khan and Murad, if needed. During the hearing on Thursday, the top judge remarked work on the KCR project was supposed to be wrapped up within two months. “Just the overhead bridge and some other work remains [to be completed],” he observed. “Why has the FWO [Frontier Works Organisation] not begun its work?” The FWO chief, who was asked to appear in court during the previous hearing, replied that the Sindh government had not yet awarded the contract for the underpass. He said that the FWO had sent the design to the provincial government which had not yet approved it. Issuing a contempt notice to Murad for failing to comply with the court’s orders, the apex court directed him to submit a response at the next hearing in two weeks.
Shehbaz, Hamza to be released 5-day parole for Shamim Bibi’s funeral NEWS DESK Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz have been granted five days of parole by Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and will be released on parole on November 27 to attend the funeral of mother Shamim Akhtar. The two will be released at 2 pm on Friday, according to the Punjab Home Department. PML-N on Monday had 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 the deposed prime minister and PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shehbaz, passed away in London on Sunday morning. Following which, the Punjab government had announced to release the fatherson duo, detained in Kot Lakhpat prison in various graft cases, will be released a day before the arrival of the body. The body is 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. PML-N leadership has confirmed that Nawaz, who is in London since November last year on the pretext of medical treatment, will not join the funeral, citing medical reasons.
Gillani's son gets bail after night-long detention MULTAN STAFF REPORT
A special magistrate in Multan released on bail Syed Ali Musa Gillani, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader and son of former prime minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani, a day after he was arrested for protesting against the arrest of some activists of the anti-government alliance of opposition parties. Gillani was part of a small rally held outside the Chehliyak police station in Multan to protest the arrest of some activists of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), the umbrella alliance of 11 opposition parties, when the police arrested him along with other party workers for holding the protest without permission and flouting coronavirus restrictions. According to PPP south Punjab senior vice president Khwaja Rizwan Alam, the police had arrested five PDM workers against which Gilani and others were holding a protest. “We are protesting outside the police station against the arrest of our workers. Such tactics would not help the government to stop the PDM from holding the public gathering on November 30.” The Lohari Gate police on Tuesday night lodged a first information report (No.785/20) under sections 506/379, 353/186 and 148/148 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) on
the complaint of District Sports Officer Adnan Naeem, nominating PPP leaders Javed Siddiqi, Abdul Qadir Gillani, Qasim Gillani, PML-N former minister Abdul Waheed Attain, former MNA Shaikh Tariq Rasheed and 30 unidentified persons for allegedly breaking the lock of the Qila Kohna Qasim Bagh Stadium and entering there for reviewing the arrangements of the November 30 meeting. Earlier on November 24, the district administration had rejected two applications for holding PPP rallies led by former prime minister Gillani in connection with the PDM meeting. The party had sought permission to hold rallies from Chowk Nawan Shaher to Chowk Ghanta Ghar. The office of the deputy commissioner, in its refusal, stated that the rallies could not be allowed because of a ban on large gatherings imposed by the government to prevent the spread of coronavirus. “Government of the Punjab, Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department vide Order No. SO(G)/P&SHD/4-1/2020 dated 19th November 2020 has imposed a complete ban on all types of large-scale gatherings and only outdoor gathering is allowed with [an] upper limit of 300 persons,” the notification said. “This order has come into force with immediate effect and shall remain in force till Jan 31, 2021, unless otherwise amended. Moreover, educational institutions have been closed by the government due to Covid-19.”
authorities were “worried” about increasing pressure on hospitals and urged the people to cooperate with the government and to follow the guidelines. He reminded the public that by “coming together and taking precautions”, the government had been able to overcome the first wave in July, and urged the people to do the same now. He stressed that he does not want “people to die due to hunger while protecting them from coronavirus” and added the exports have started to show signs of recovery and it would be harmful to shut down factories again. The premier also spoke against the opposition rallies, which he said were exacerbating the situation. “Nothing will come of these rallies and gatherings, no one will get an NRO. They (opposition) are endangering people’s lives,” he said.
‘I was forced to take fungus-infected medicines in prison’, says PML-N VP Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Thursday revealed details of the treatment she was allegedly subjected to in prison, such as being “forced to take fungus-infected medicines”. She said this during an informal conversation with journalists in Jati Umra. Maryam also claimed that she was given “rat-contaminated food”. These assertions come in addition to the ones she made earlier this month, wherein she asserted that a camera had been installed in her jail cell. Speaking of her grandmother, Begum Shamim Akhtar, who had passed away aged 89 over the weekend, the PML-N leader said that she had spoken to her over video call two or three days before her death. “The last time I talked to my grandmother, she was asking if I had been released from jail; my grandmother thought I was still in prison,” Maryam added. The PML-VP on Sunday left Pakistan Democratic Movement’s (PDM) Peshawar rally abruptly after the news of the demise of her grandmother. “I came to meet you but I just found out my grandmother passed away in London,” she said in a short address and asked the people to pray for the departed soul and the health of her father. NEWS DESK
WEF president acknowledges Ikram Sehgal’s contributions to the forum World Economic Forum (WEF) President Borge Brende has appreciated the exceptional contributions of Dawood Group headed by Hussain Dawood and Pathfinder Group headed by Ikram Sehgal to the WEF. Pathfinder Group Chairman Ikram Sehgal was given the distinction of speaking at the WEF. He congratulated the finance advisor and the governor of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) for their distinguished role during the Covid19 period to support the business community which trickled down to the masses. He inquired from him, that based on the finance adviser’s rich experience with many countries, a comparison with Pakistan and also how to tackle the corruption, embezzlement, and waste at the provincial governments, which is a major issue besides tax revenue collection. In the “Country Strategy Dialogue on Pakistan”, Prime Minister Imran Khan presented Pakistan’s case to the global community on a comprehensive basis that also included the future vision and challenges. In his answers to the global CEOs from Telenor, Majid Al Futtaim, Ghuangzhou, Royal Vopak, Investcorp Holdings, he emphasised that collaboration and technological support from all global leading organizations is pivotal for his government’s planning and country’s growth in all sectors which are presently extremely underdeveloped. NEWS DESK
Friday, 27 November, 2020
NEWS
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FM dIScuSSES INdIaN tHrEat tO KaSHMIr WItH OIc Sg
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NEWS DESK
OREIGN Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi expressed to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Secretary-General Yousef Bin Ahmad Bin Abdul Rahman Al-Othaimeen that India is attempting “to change the population ratio in occupied Jammu and Kashmir”. FM Qureshi landed in Niger on Thursday, ahead of
UN chief to study dossier on India’s terror-sponsorship: spokesman ISLAMABAD: United Nations SecretaryGeneral Antonio Guterres will study the dossier that Pakistan gave him containing socalled irrefutable evidence of Indian sponsorship of terrorism in Pakistan. This was stated by deputy spokesman of the UN secretary-general, Farhan Aziz Haq, while briefing the media persons in New York. He said, “We have received the document, and we will study that.”Earlier, the dossier, prepared by the Pakistan government after a full investigation of India’s illegal and aggressive activities, was handed over the UN SecretaryGeneral Antonio Guterres by Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Munir Akram the other day. During the meeting that took place at the UN Headquarters in New York, Akram briefed the UN secretary-general about the Indian involvement in terrorist activities in Pakistan. He also apprised the UN chief that India is involved in orchestrating terrorist attacks in Pakistan and demanded him to take note of this.“India is continuously involved in ceasefire violations along the LoC and Pakistan reserves the right to defend itself against any kind of Indian aggression,” Akram stressed during a press briefing, adding that New Delhi is also consistently trying to sabotage the developments of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). TLTP
Calls to motorway police now toll-free: PTA LAHORE: Emergency calls made to National Highways & Motorway Police (NHMP) helpline, 130, are now free of charge, the police and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) announced. The announcement was made following a meeting between motorway police chief Dr Kaleem Imam and the authority’s Chairman Major General (r) Aamir Azeem Bajwa at PTA Headquarters in Islamabad. According to a press release, the initiative was taken so that people in distress could call the highway police freely. Moreover, during the meeting, issues related to telecom coverage on different motorways and highways including M3 and Hazara Expressway also came under discussion. The PTA chief assured Dr Kaleem that the authority will extend all possible support to NHMP in facilitating commuters. STAFF REPORT
Prime suspect in Mehr triple murder case arrested from Kashmore SUKKUR: The Sindh police on Thursday claimed to have arrested the prime suspect allegedly involved in the murder of three family members of Advocate Umme Rubab Chandio. According to details, Sukkur police conducted a raid near Kashmore and arrested the prime accused Zulfikar Chandio, who had allegedly killed father, grandfather, and paternal uncle of Umme Rubab Chandio back in 2018. Chandio was arrested when he was travelling to Kashmore from Balochistan, said police. A model trial court on Saturday last heard the case and adjourned further hearing of the Mehar triple murder case until December 19. Accused Sindh MPAs Sardar Khan and Burhan Khan Chandio appeared before the court in the case. Umme Rubab Chandio, who is pursuing the murder case of three members of her family, was also present in the court. “Sardar Chandio has been an accused in the case but he brings with him hundreds of people, as he is coming to attend a Jirga,” said Umme Rubab while talking to the media after the hearing. “Police have still failed to arrest absconding accused of the murder case,” she further said. Earlier, Pakistan Peoples Party’s MPA Sardar Chandio, fearing arrest in the triple murder case had approached the Sindh High Court (SHC) for interim bail. In his plea, Sardar Chandio pleaded the court to grant him interim bail in the case as he was cooperating in the investigation. TLTP
the Council of Foreign Ministers’ (CFM) meeting on November 27. During his talks with Othaimeen, he said that the Hindutva ideology is a threat to the peace and stability of the region, and encourage the members of the OIC to counter the rising wave of Islamophobia. “The OIC should send a message to discourage Islamophobia,” the foreign minister urged. The foreign minister will lead Pakistan’s delegation to the 47th Session of the CFM being held in Niamey, Niger,
on 27-28 November. During the visit, the Foreign Minister will highlight aggravating human rights and humanitarian situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir in the wake of India’s illegal and unilateral actions of 5th August 2019 and subsequent measures to change the demographic structure of the occupied territory”, said the Foreign Office earlier this week while announcing the visit. Representatives of 57 OIC member states and five observer states are expected to attend the meeting.
PM for simplifying procedure to get electricity connection ISLAMABAD TLTP
Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed for simplification of procedure for obtaining a no-objection certificate (NOC) and other approvals for provision of new electricity connections. The prime minister said this while presiding over the weekly meeting of the National Coordination Committee on Housing, Construction and Development in the federal capital on Thursday. The premier said that presently there is no shortage of electricity in the country and hence, there is no justification for the delay in the provision of new connections. He said that the government is aiming at providing shelter to people, therefore facilities and simple procedures should be ensured. PM Imran clarified that since the current procedure is creating difficulties for the construction sector, the long process of approvals for utility connections must be simplified. He directed that no additional burden should be put on those, who intend to get a loan on easy instalments for the construction of their homes under Naya Pakistan Housing Scheme. The PM also advised the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) chairman, who was also in the session,
to formulate a set of facilities for overseas Pakistani who look forward to investing in the home country. He said, “Overseas Pakistanis are our priceless asset.” He also directed the FBR head to remove impediments in their investments. Briefing the meeting about the residential project of Pakistan Quarters, being undertaken, in Karachi, Secretary Housing and Works said that 600 apartments will be constructed under this project. On this occasion, the premier also ordered the provision of facilities to overseas Pakistanis who intend to invest in Pakistan. The meeting was informed that an online mechanism is being formulated for NOC required to get new gas connections. The session was also attended by ex-governor State Bank Ishrat Hussain, who serves as the advisor to the PM on institutional reforms, while Special Assistants Shahbaz Gill and Syed Zulfiqar Abbas Bukhari were present as well. The chief secretaries of all provinces joined the session via video-link. Separately, Bukhari called on PM Imran on Thursday. The construction project of 1500 houses under the Workers Welfare Fund was discussed in detail during the meeting. This project will provide affordable and lowprice residential houses with all basic facilities and will be inaugurated in January next year.
Indian diplomat summoned after LoC ceasefire violation leaves one dead ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
The Foreign Office (FO) on Thursday summoned a senior Indian diplomat and lodged a formal protest over recent ceasefire violations that killed a civilian along the Line of Control (LoC). “Due to indiscriminate and unprovoked firing by the Indian occupation forces in Bagsar Sector of the LoC, 33year-old Ansar s/o Muhammad Ashraf, resident of Garhi village, was killed,” an FO statement said. “The Indian occupation forces along the LoC and the Working Boundary (WB) have continuously been targeting civilian populated areas with artillery fire, heavy-calibre mortars and automatic weapons,” the statement read. In 2020, India has so far committed 2,840 ceasefire violations, killing at least 27 and wounding 245 people. Condemning the deplorable targeting of innocent civilians by the Indian occupation forces, it was
underscored that such senseless acts are in clear violation of the 2003 ceasefire understanding, and are also against all established humanitarian norms and professional military conduct. “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 maintained. The statement also stated that by raising tensions along the LoC and the WB, India cannot divert attention from the grave human rights situation in the Indianoccupied Kashmir. The Indian side was called upon to respect the 2003 ceasefire understanding; investigate the current and other such incidents of deliberate ceasefire violations and maintain peace along the LoC and the WB. The Indian side was also urged to allow the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to play its mandated role as per the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.
NAB seeks time to submit record in graft inquiries against Chaudhry brothers LAHORE STAFF REPORT
Accepting the request of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday gave the anti-graft agency more time to furnish the record of inquiries against Punjab Assembly speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and his cousin former prime minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain. A division bench headed by Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan resumed hearing of a petition filed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leaders challenging the inquiries into allegations of misuse of powers, willful default, and asset beyond means against them. In response to the court’s summons, NAB Lahore director general Shahzad Saleem appeared before the court. When asked to apprise the court on progress made
in inquiries pending for the last two decades, he sought more time for preparation in order to be able to answer their queries and furnish the record thereof. Criticising Saleem over his lack of knowledge, the court adjourned the hearing for a week and ordered him to come prepared at the next hearing. In response, the two moved the LHC in May challenging three 20-year-old inquiries against them by the bureau. “In [the] year 2000, then chairman of the respondent bureau proceeded to authorise investigation against the petitioners on the allegations of misuse of authority, assets beyond means and wilful default under National Accountability Ordinance 1999,” the Q-League leaders said in their three identical petitions filed through their lawyer Amjad Pervez. The petitioners had said that the three investigations were recommended for closure by the investigating officers and the regional board of NAB in 2017 and 2018 when their arch rivals were in power.
Pakistan urges world powers to end use of unilateral sanctions ISLAMABAD TLTP
Pakistan has urged the world’s powerful states to end the use of unilateral sanctions as these measures not only intensify food and health insecurities but also destabilise the lives and livelihoods of millions of people in the targeted countries. Speaking at an informal meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Munir Akram said that
unilateral coercive measures are contrary to the purposes and the UN Charter, said a press statement issued on Thursday. He said that unilateral sanctions seriously impact the ability of sanctioned States to utilise their full potential to realise globally agreed targets. Akram said that the UN General Assembly and the Security Council have recognised that people should not be deprived of their means of subsistence, especially food and medicines even where the Council’s enforcement action may be required.
PTI bags speaker, deputy speaker slots at GB Assembly GILGIT: The new assembly of Gilgit Baltistan (GB) on Thursday elected Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Amjad Zaidi as the speaker and Nazeer Ahmad as the deputy speaker. Amjad secured 18 votes for the position while Nazeer secured 22 votes for the deputy speaker slot in a secret ballot by members of the new Gilgit Baltistan Legislative Assembly (GBLA). Meanwhile, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) offered their own nominees. United Opposition nominee Gulam Muhammad secured only eight votes, of which six votes were rejected due to inaccurate stamping and nominee Rehmat Khaliq, who was contesting for the position of deputy speaker, received only nine votes. Soon after the election both Speaker Amjad Zaidi and Deputy Speaker Nazeer Ahmad took the oath of their new positions. Elections for the offices of the chief minister, speaker and deputy speaker are merely a formality since the PTI has acquired a two-third majority in 33-member legislative assembly. APP
Pakistan Navy rescues stranded fishermen A group of fishermen, whose boats were stranded in Balochistan’s coastal city of Ormara, were save thanks to the efforts of a rescue team of the Pakistan Navy on Thursday. Due to heavy rains in the area, multiple fishing boats had tipped over and sank near Ormara fisheries, according to a statement by the Navy. 35 marines in speedboats had been dispatched by Navy upon request from the local district administration. The rescue team reached the scene of the incident and recovered the boats. No loss of lives or injuries were reported. NEWS DESK
Friday, 27 November, 2020
04 NEWS
LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar inaugurates the long-overdue underpass at Firdous Market. ZUBAIR MEHFOOZ
192 PiMs staffers, iNcludiNg 124 doctors, coNtract covid-19 iN fortNigHt ISLAMABAD: As many as 192 health professionals at Islamabad’s Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) tested positive for coronavirus during the past two weeks. According to the details, 124 doctors and 38 nurses at the hospital have been diagnosed with the Covid-19 since the second wave of the coronavirus hit the country. Moreover, 30 paramedic and non-medical staff members also contracted the Covid-19 during the past two weeks. All the infected hospital employees were currently in quarantine, the sources added. Earlier on Wednesday last, PIMS announced limiting its medical services for patients due to the spread of coronavirus pandemic during its second wave in the country. The hospital’s spokesperson said in a statement that the central outpatient department (OPD) service has been closed except the OPDs of gynaecology and children section. Dr Waseem Khawaja further said that the emergency section of the hospital would be fully functional amid the current situation. The decision for the closure of OPD service had been made in view of the rising number of coronavirus cases and surgeries will only be conducted in an emergency case. TLTP
Karakoram Highway restored for one-way traffic ISLAMABAD: The Karakoram Highway (KKH) has been restored for one-way traffic, thus restoring the vehicular traffic between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and (KP) Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). According to details, the road was blocked at Kamela, in Kohistan due to a landslide. Efforts of workers of Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) are underway to restore all types of traffic. A damage survey is in progress in the affected parts. The FWO removed the boulders from KKH, following which, the passengers stranded on both sides of the artery at various places left to their destinations. TLTP
Masood urges Niger to raise KasHMir issue at au foruM NIAMEY
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TLTP
zAD Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Sardar Masood Khan has called upon Niger to raise Kashmir issue at the forum of African Union (AU) to build pressure on India for resolution of Kashmir conflict in accordance with the United Nations (UN) resolutions. Talking to the media after arriving at Niamey, Niger, to attend the 47th meeting of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, President Sardar Masood Khan said that the brotherly Islamic country of Niger has always supported the demands of Kashmiris on the OIC platform. The country, he added, has played a leading role on the platform of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and its Contact Group on Kashmir and always reaffirmed its unequivocal support for the legitimate and just demands of Kashmiris for their right to self-determination. "Being the host of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, we rightly expect the Niger leadership to take a firm stand on all issues of the Muslim Ummah, including Kashmir," he said.
The people of Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir want a peaceful political and diplomatic solution to the longstanding issue of Jammu and Kashmir in line with the UN Security Council resolutions," he asserted. Saying that Pakistan had always raised Kashmir issue in various multilateral forums of the world including OIC seeking a peaceful political and diplomatic solution to this conflict, the AJK president said that India is unfortunately pursuing a military so-
lution and is implementing a vicious plan in Kashmir and wants to eliminate the Kashmiris in the next one to two years. “The situation in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir has changed radically since August 5 last year as 900,000 occupation army have laid siege to the entire occupied state, innocent people are being killed, youths are arrested and tortured in jails and those who speak for freedom, liberty right to self-determination are being blinded with the fire of
lethal pellet guns. The president said that non-Kashmiri Hindu population is being transferred from the different parts of India to Kashmir to change the demography of the region, He pointed out that these demographic changes are contrary to international laws and amount to war crimes. In addition to grabbing the land of Kashmiris, the plan is also aimed at to turn Kashmir's Muslim majority into a minority. The president said that more than 2.3 million Indians have been resettled in occupied Kashmir in the last few months and if India is not stopped, it will turn the Muslim majority population of occupied Kashmir into a minority within the next one to two years. Answering various questions posed by media persons, Khan said that India is not only oppressing Kashmiris who are struggling for freedom and right to self-determination but is also involved in acts of terrorism in Pakistan. Pakistan, he said, has recently provided irrefutable proof of India’s sponsorship of terrorism in AJK, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and other regions of Pakistan to the United Nations secretary general and the permanent members of the UNSC.
Sindh CDA decides to turn 220 islands into tourist spots KARACHI TLTP
The Coastal Development Authority (CDA) of Sindh on Thursday decided to develop 220 islands on Sindh coast into tourist attraction spots. A meeting of the governing body CDA Sindh, chaired by Chief Minister’s Adviser on Environment Murtaza Wahab, decided to transform 220 islands on Sindh coastline into tourism spots. It was observed in the meeting that CDA Sindh is a high-powered committee for the development of the coastal areas of the province. The Coastal Development Authority will devise projects and the
provincial cabinet will approve allocation of fiscal resources for these projects. The CDA Sindh was constituted in 1994 for the development, improvement and beautification of the coastal areas of Sindh. These 220 islands, with around 394 acres of land, are stretched along 120 kilometres long coastal belt of Thatta district. The coastal belt of Pakistan stretches 1,050 kilometres and falls in Sindh and Balochistan provinces. Balochistan coast occupies 70 per cent or 700 kilometres while Sindh’s coast line is spread over 350kms. Despite its shorter area, Sindh’s coast is rich in terms of fisheries resources, because of 17 creeks in the Indus Delta.
Friday, 27 November, 2020
DAwooD ASkS ExPortErS to SEND ProPoSAlS for PAk-AfGhAN PtA ISLAMABAD
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STAFF REPORT
DVISOR to the Prime Minister on Trade and Investment, Abdul Razak Dawood has urged exporters to send their proposals on the proposed Pakistan-Afghanistan Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA). “Chaired the first consultative session with the stakeholders on proposed Pakistan-Afghanistan PTA at the MOC. Valuable inputs were provided by various stakeholders,” said Dawood on Thursday
in a series of tweets. “This will now be followed by sector-specific meetings so that Pakistan’s Request List for the PTA can be finalised for discussions with Afghanistan which are expected to take place at around the middle of next month. I request all exporters to send their proposals to MOC at the earliest. Bilateral trade with Afghanistan has to be placed on a sustainable growth path,” he added. It may be recalled that Dawood was part of the prime minister’s entourage for an inter-ministerial delegation that went to Afghanistan for talks on the Pak-
Afghan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA) and possibilities of a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) between the two countries. Earlier it was informed that following the prime minister’s visit to Kabul, the Ministry of Commerce would start engaging all stakeholders on items to be placed on the proposed PakAfghan PTA, starting next week. The commerce adviser had earlier said that PTA between two countries would be finalised by the end of January 2021, while he had also expressed hopes that Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA) would also be
signed around the same time. The 7th Meeting of the Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Cooperation Authority (APTTCA) was held in Kabul after a break of more than four years. During the official talks, extensive and fruitful deliberations were held on the whole spectrum of bilateral trade and investment relations including formalising the informal cross-border trade. Many understandings reached on several issues relating to trade & transportation,” the adviser said in a message posted on the social media website Twitter after his Kabul tour.
SCCI urges govt to consult KP traders regarding coronavirus SOPs peSHAWAr AZIZ BUNERI
‘No ban on export of Pakistan workforce to UAE’ Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfiqar Bukhari on Thursday clarified that the United Arab Emirates’ move to suspend the issuance of work visas to Pakistanis was not true, saying that there was “no ban on the export of Pakistani workforce”. In a two-part tweet, Bukhari said that “contrary to media reports”, UAE Minister for Human Resources and Emiratisation Nasser bin Thani Al Hamli had “categorically stated that there is no ban on export of Pakistani workforce”. Furthermore, the UAE was giving priority to those workers, who were registered on the Virtual Labour Market Database and had been laid off due to the economic slump caused by Covid-19, Bukhari tweeted. The tweets come days after reports emerged that the UAE had temporarily stopped issuing visas to citizens of a dozen countries, including those of Pakistan. The Foreign Office had confirmed the development last week, saying that UAE’s decision was “believed to be related to the second wave of Covid-19”. NEWS DESK
Six Pakistani cricketers test positive for virus in New Zealand contInUeD froM pAge 01 In a WhatsApp voice message to the travelling players, the PCB CEO addressed his players candidly, telling them being sent back home would be “hugely embarrassing”. “Boys, I spoke to the New Zealand government and they told us there were three or four breaches of protocols,” Wasim Khan said in the voice note. “They have a zerotolerance policy and they’ve given us a final warning. We understand that this is a difficult time for you, and you went through similar conditions in England. It’s not easy. But this is a matter of the nation’s respect and credibility. Observe these 14 days and then you’ll have the freedom to go to restaurants and roam about freely. They have told me in clear terms that if we commit one more breach, they’ll send us home.”
The Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has urged the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government to devise a strategy regarding the enforcement coronavirus standard operating procedures (SOPs) in consultation with the traders’ community, district administration and departments concerned. The demand was made by a delegation of the SCCI led by SCCI President Sherbaz Bilour during a meeting with KP Chief Secretary Dr Kazim Niaz here on Thursday. SCCI Senior Vice President Engr Manzoor Elahi and SCCI Secretary General Sajjad Aziz and others were present in the meeting. The meeting was told that
traders’ community has confronted enormous difficulties due to the present business environment amid the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic which is why businesses could not afford to undergo any sort of lockdown. The participants proposed that the district administration should devise a strategy to create awareness among the masses regarding coronavirus SOPs so that businesspersons were not subject to unnecessary actions and harassment on the pretext of violating the law. Bilour said the SCCI and traders fully support the enforcement of SOPs and urged the government to avoid sealing shops and markets without prior notice, adding that miseries of the pandemic affected business community should not be
multiplied. Further, Manzoor Elahi asked the government to exploit rich natural and mineral resources available in newly merged tribal districts, adding that it would help stabilise the provincial economy and create job opportunities for the tribal youth. The KP chief secretary asked the chamber to prepare detailed proposals for operations in close coordination with district administration, home secretary and other departments concerned. However, he stressed that the government and its relevant departments have a prime duty to implement SOPs with letter and spirit to contain coronavirus cases which have rapidly surged up in the province as the second wave kicks off.
Pakistan, Denmark sign exclusive ‘Green Partnership’ agreement Pakistan and Denmark have agreed to explore new avenues of cooperation in green technologies by establishing a ‘Green Partnership’. This understanding was reached during the second session of bilateral political consultations between Pakistan and Denmark was held virtually on Wednesday. Pakistan’s side was led by Special Secretary for Europe Dr Aman Rashid, while Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs Ministry of Denmark Christina Markus
Lassen led the Danish side. The two sides took stock of the whole range of bilateral relations, including political-economic, trade, investment, renewable energy, green technology and education. Dr Amin Rashid briefed the Danish official on measures being taken by Pakistan to contain the second wave of Covid-19 and safeguard lives and livelihoods. The two sides also discussed the situation in Afghanistan in the context of recent developments. MONITORING REPORT
Pakistan joins Digital Cooperation Organisation as founding member ISLAMABAD TLTP
Pakistan has joined the Digital Cooperation Organisation (DCO) as a founding member. The organisation has been established under an initiative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has also inviting other countries to join as founding members, including Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait and the UAE. The organisation was launched at a virtual event on Thursday, hosted by Saudi Arabia Minister of Communication and Information Technology H.E. Abdullah Al-
Swaha. Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi participated with a video statement. The foreign minister noted that the creation of DCO would cater to the growing need for international cooperation and collaboration in the digital domain at a time when the digital economy is estimated to be worth over $11 trillion and set to expand further in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. The organisation will offer a platform to promote the global digital agenda in the scientific, health, educational, commercial, social, agricultural, investment and security spheres.
NEWS
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Police break up farmers’ march on Delhi over market reforms MUMBAI AGENCIES
Indian police on Thursday used water cannons and tear gas shells to disperse thousands of farmers marching towards New Delhi in a protest against legislation they fear would end price support for their produce, officials said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has defended the bills enacted in September as a way to rid the vast agriculture sector of antiquated procurement procedures and to allow farmers to sell to institutional buyers and big international retailers. But farm groups in the northern state of Punjab said the government was trying to end a decades-old policy of providing them with an assured minimum price for producing staples, such as wheat and rice, and turning India into a food surplus nation. Dozens of farmers’ leaders were detained and authorities from the states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, which are governed by Modi’s ruling group, set up blockades on highways to stop farmers travelling on tractor-trolleys from reaching New Delhi, officials representing police and farmers’ associations said in televised comments. Some farmers carried sticks and even swords, television footage showed. Farmers are an influential voting bloc across the Indian heartland.
Govt to set up special courts through new anti-rape ordinance contInUeD froM pAge 01 Meanwhile, under the Draft Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020, a substitution of the existing Section 375 of the Pakistan Penal Code has been proposed with a new provision so as to provide a new definition of “rape”, which would extend to females of all ages and male victims under the age of 18 years. In addition to rape, the offence of gang-rape has also been ‘considered to be addressed; while in respect of first or repeated offenders, the concept of chemical castration has also been introduced ‘mainly as a form of rehabilitation, and subject to consent’.
China accuses India of market violations as 47 more Chinese apps banned BeIJIng AGENCIES
Beijing has said that India is violating basic market principles and rules of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) after the country barred 47 Chinese apps over alleged security concerns. The move adds further pressure to already tense relations between the world’s most populous countries. Earlier this year, New Delhi banned 177 Chinese mobile apps, including the highly popular video-sharing service TikTok and online multiplayer battle game Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG). At this point, there are no Chinese apps left among the top 500 apps used in India, according to TechCrunch. “We firmly oppose the Indian side’s repeated use of ‘national security’ as an excuse to prohibit some mobile apps with Chinese background,” the Chinese embassy in India spokesperson Ji Rong said, stressing that “China and India are opportunities of development for each other rather than threats.” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian expressed “grave concerns” over the drastic steps taken by its neighbor, calling for the immediate correction of the “discriminatory approach and avoid causing further damage to bilateral cooperation.” Diplomatic and economic ties between the two nations worsened after a number of Indian soldiers were killed in a military clash with Chinese troops in the Himalayas in June. Since then, “boycott China” sentiment has spread across Indian social media with people posting videos showing the destruction of Chinese-made products. Earlier this year, New Delhi also altered its foreign investment policy, under which Chinese investors need state approval before they can invest in Indian firms. The move has reduced Chinese investment in Indian startups.
US grants ByteDance new seven-day extension of TikTok sale order WASHIngton AGENCIES
The Trump administration on Wednesday granted ByteDance a new seven-day extension of an order directing the Chinese company to sell its TikTok short video-sharing app, according to a court filing. The administration previously had
granted ByteDance a 15-day extension of the order issued in August, which was set to expire Friday. President Donald Trump on Aug. 14 had directed ByteDance to divest the app within 90 days. The new deadline is Dec. 4, TikTok said in the filing. Under pressure from the U.S. government, ByteDance has been in talks for months to finalize a deal with Walmart Inc and
Oracle Corp to shift TikTok’s US assets into a new entity. TikTok declined to comment beyond the filing. ByteDance has made a new proposal aimed at addressing the U.S. government’s concerns, said a person briefed on the matter who declined to detail that proposal. A US Treasury representative said the extension was granted to review a recently received “revised submission”.
CMYK
ByteDance made the proposal after disclosing on Nov. 10 that it had submitted four prior proposals including one in November that sought to address U.S. concerns by “creating a new entity, wholly owned by Oracle, Walmart and existing U.S. investors in ByteDance, that would be responsible for handling TikTok’s U.S. user data and content moderation.” Separate restrictions on TikTok from the
U.S. Commerce Department have been blocked by federal courts, including transaction curbs that TikTok said could effectively ban the app’s use in the United States. A Commerce Department ban on Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc’s Google offering TikTok for download for new U.S. users that had been set to take effect on Sept. 27 has also been blocked.
Friday, 27 November, 2020
06 COMMENT
Electoral reforms
A fight to the finish? The level of hostility is fearsome
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iTH the opposition preparing for rallies in multan and Lahore, Prime minister imran Khan accompanied by the Punjab Chief minister and others called upon PmL(Q) chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain in a bid to pacify the annoyed allies who had skipped mr Khan's luncheon earlier this month. A meeting was also held separately between the Pm and Ch Shujaat Hussain and Punjab Assembly Speaker Ch Pervez elahi, indicating that some sort of understanding had been reached between the allies, at least for the time being. At a press briefing in Lahore, mr Khan dilated on what he considered the successes of his government. The twin deficits created by the previous governments were overcome; the textile industry was running at full throttle and was now facing a shortage of labour; the country’s exports were increasing at a faster pace, leaving india and Bangladesh far behind. minus paying loans and interest installments, Pakistan’s income had surpassed its expenditures, he claimed, forgetting that the loans accumulated during the last two years exceeded all previous records of any two years. mr Khan also mentioned the distribution of unprecedented cash assistance among 15 million poor people to save them from hunger. What irks the people most are rising prices of food items, back breaking utility charges and unemployment. There was bad news for them but this was to be conveyed not by mr Khan but the information minister and the SAPm on Petroleum, who told media that there was soon going to be another increase in utility rates which was to be passed on to the hapless consumers, even when it was caused by the inefficiencies of the distribution companies. The Pm knows the opposition will raise these issues in public meetings. So the opposition is not to be allowed to hold the meetings in multan and Lahore. Over the last more than two years mr Khan had enough time to initiate talks with the opposition to evolve a modus vivendi without endangering the system. He wasted the opportunity, sadistically enjoying the suffering of the opposition leaders in NAB custody. even now he continues with his rhetoric about ‘no NrO’. The situation badly needs to be defused but there is no facilitator or mediator seen to be neutral. meanwhile, one can only remind the opposition to act responsibly by ensuring that SOPs are followed during its rallies.
Easier said than done At Penpoint M A NIAZI
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rime minister imran Khan has shown why electoral reform, the reason for his famous 2014 islamabad sit-in, is so difficult to achieve. The party or parties demanding reform are those that have been defeated in an election. Victorious parties do not normally demand reform, because they have won an election in the unreformed system, and have thus joined the ranks of those whom the unreformed system favours. in his address to the nation, imran touched on a number of points dealing with electoral reform, but did not present any major revision of the political system, showing that he was satisfied enough with the present parliamentary system not to want to change it. However, his suggestion that there be a reform in the method of Senate elections, to preclude the sale of votes by mPAs, may not be very practicable, considering that it would require the passage of a constitutional amendment, because elections to the Senate, like to every single elective office under the Constitution, is by secret ballot. mPAs are the sole voters for senators, but also form part of the electoral College for the President. The removal of the secret ballot for one should not lead to the removal for the other. The practice of selling votes seems to be restricted to KP, where the money thus received is virtually a perk of membership of the provincial assembly. Since the PTi is dominant in that House, it seems that the problem of vote-selling is a PTi problem. Another problem that would be faced by any abolition of secrecy would be the end of the single transferable vote system, which makes it possible for parties to have representation in the Senate in accordance with their strengths in the provincial assemblies. The single-transferable-vote system requires tight voting discipline, which mPAs find difficult because it seems an intellectual stretch. Hopefully, the system by which islamabad Senators are elected by the National Assembly, by a show of hands, with separate elections each time, guaranteeing majoritarian wins rather than proportional representation, is not introduced, because it might have the advantage of being understood even by the most thick-headed mPA, it would mean that the majority party would elect all the Senators. This might be possible in Punjab, where singleparty majorities have occurred (but even here there have been exceptions, like the present House), but what about Balochistan? That province has had a history of coalitions, and oppositions have frequently been so split that tough negotiations have often occurred between parties on which was to be able to get a Senator elected with the other’s support. At the time of the last Senate elections, in 2018, imran had faced the same problem, and had sug-
Poor diplomacy, inevitable results OIC gives no place to Kashmir at FMs’ moot
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He Organisation of islamic Cooperation (OiC) has not only kept the Kashmir issue off the agenda of its Foreign ministers’ meeting in Niamey, Niger, but has blocked a meeting of the Contact Group on Kashmir on its sidelines. This shows that Pakistani diplomacy has been singularly unsuccessful. Foreign minister Shah mahmood Qureshi will lead the Pakistani delegation to the Summit, even though it is clear that indian diplomacy has succeeded in doing something it has been unable to do for decades, which was to ensure OiC silence over the issue. it is not as if the OiC’s previous intervention was particularly successful, but even that tokenism is now to vanish. Perhaps the most worrisome aspect has been Pakistan’s supine acceptance of this. it accepted Saudi blandishments to stay away from the Kuala Lumpur meeting on being assured that Kashmir would be raised at the OiC Foreign ministers’ meeting. The indian action last year, of abolishing Kashmir’s special status and attempt to change the muslim majority there into a minority, accompanied by a brutal lockdown, should have evoked a special summit, but it did not. instead, Saudi Arabia announced a $15 billion investment in india. Saudi goodwill has not been worth much, especially not after its withdrawal of a huge deposit from the State Bank of Pakistan. Another manifestation of indian diplomatic success is the way it has stayed off the UAe’s list of countries whose citizens will not be issued visas because of ‘security concerns’. As the list contains muslim countries, it is clear the UAe wants to avoid militants coming in. it means that no more Pakistanis can be employed there. india, already dominant in the job market there, will absorb all those jobs easily. The PTi government faces a grievous loss on that count too, because its diplomacy has been ham-handed, and its claims of victory against militancy have not been believed abroad. remaining a Saudi camp follower means that Pakistan is being taken for granted. As is becoming obvious, if you behave like a doormat long enough, you will eventually be treated like one.
The Arabs and India Familiairity is not knowledge AskArI rAZA MAlIk
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He Arabs were quite familiar with india from the pre-islamic days. Their coastal trade route covered Gujarat, Kerala and Bengal. much before the first military expedition under young general muhammad Bin Qasim in 672 Ce, the muslim traders had built their worship places in several places in india. Barwada mosque in Chayna, Gujarat, was built in 623 Ce, Charaman Juma mosque, in methala, Kerala, in 629 Ce and Palaiya Juma Palli in Tamil Nadu in 628-630 Ce. The Babari mosque was built by general Baqi on the orders of Zahiruddin Babar, the king of Delhi in 1528-29. This mosque was not in distant past, but was seized by the Hindu extremist rSS, demolished and in its place a temple is being constructed under the jungle law of might is right that pervades the entire india today. After the 17-years-old general muhammad Bin Qasim captured Sindh and multan by defeating raja Dahir, of te Brahmin dynasty, india became a favourite hunting ground for muslim invaders. The reason was simple. The momentum of islamic revolution could not be contained within the Arabian Peninsula. The vast and fertile spaces of india provided a compelling temptation. The indian armies could not match the indomitable spirit of Jehad and martyrdom driving the muslim armies. (Pakistan Army fortunately truly retains that spirit). Here a common misperception needs to be corrected. islam was not spread by sword. At the time of
Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami
Arif Nizami Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad
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gested either direct elections or a list system similar with the use of electronic devices wherever it has been to that which prevails for women’s seats. Both sug- tried, and it should be remembered that the 2018 elecgestions had horrible defects, but neither involved vi- tion had an unhappy experience with the electronic means used to transmit results to the election Comolating the secret ballot. imran may not realize that the secret ballot was not mission of Pakistan, and which led to the delay in rewon that long ago, and dates back to 1872 in the UK. sults which still gives rise to charges of rigging. Apart from that distrust, what really matters is the it was strongly opposed, with supporters of an open ballot saying that electors should be ready to show how attitude of the eCP, which is ready to introduce electhey were voting. readers of Charles Dickens may re- tronic balloting, not to facilitate overseas Pakistanis, member the eatanswill by-election in The Pickwick Pa- but because of the advantages it offers, especially in cutting costs. However, such pers, when a few electors a system would require a voted in front of a large huge investment, quite apart crowd of those who did not from the credibility issues have the vote, but were interthat will arise. it would reested. The secret ballot was A rigged election contains quire many billions of ruinevitable after the end of pees, though estimates ‘pocket boroughs’, in which verifiable facts: voter would be very rough. Howthe franchise was limited, and impersonation, booth ever, the money means that thus subject to the sort of mathe eCP might be tempted, nipulation that Pakistan witcapturing, ballot-box while making a selection, to nessed in the Basic stuffing, voter suppression. be guided by choice, while Democracies of the Ayub era. sacrificing security. imran The first breach of the A manipulated election, on should also remember that, secret ballot principle came as Pm, he is responsible for with the elimination of the the other hand, leaves no finding the funds. secret ballot for the Prime evidence, and even a As imran noted, polls minister by the 1985 eighth should be so credible that Amendment. instead, he perfectly fairly conducted even losers would be forced was selected after showing a election can be seen as to accept the results. As Presmajority. That might make ident Donald Trump is showsense, because a Pm must manipulated. In that case, ing in the USA, losers do not know who his supporters like accepting results. They are. After all, he should not trust in the result goes out only accept results where the have to consider for the the window. And no amount credibility of the poll is so Cabinet or invite to parliahigh, that they will lose pomentary party meetings of electronic voting, open litical support by not acceptsomeone who voted against ballots or empowering ing what those supporters him. However, the presiding have experienced. At the moofficers are all elected by seoverseas Pakistanis will ment, Trump sees not only cret ballot, because they his legacy as President and must be protected from derestore that trust his influence on who will be ciding a matter involving a the next republican nomimember (even for such a nee, but his own chance of minor matter as granting running again in 2024, as dehim or her the floor) in the certainty that he voted against him or her. even that pending on his refusing to accept the election. it has been speculated, most notably by PmL(N) was restored by the 18th Amendment, and imran was supremo Nawaz Sharif, that the establishment deterelected. imran did not come out in support of those sug- mines the election results. The only way of eliminatgestions, though he disclosed that the Pm’s Law Ad- ing that idea would be by holding three or four viser Babar Awan and Parliamentary Affairs minister elections of manifest transparency. One problem Azam Swati were cooking something up. He said that seems to be that the exact means of manipulation opposition support was needed to amend the Consti- have not been identified, and have entered the realm tution. His continued persecution of the opposition of conspiracy theories. A rigged election contains verifiable facts: voter shows that he does not want the legislation passed, so much as he wants to be able to blame the opposi- impersonation, booth capturing, ballot-box stuffing and voter suppression. A manipulated election, on the tion for any misdeeds by the PTi’s KP mPAs. Another idea he mentioned was that of getting other hand, leaves no evidence, and even a perfectly overseas Pakistanis to vote, electronically. That raised fairly conducted election can be seen as manipulated. two issues which his PTi is associated with: overseas in that case, trust in the result goes out the window. Pakistanis, and the digital media. The first thing that And no amount of electronic voting, open ballots or would need to be done is to register overseas Pakista- empowering overseas Pakistanis will restore that trust. nis, so that they would vote in a given constituency, indeed at one of the polling stations in it. There are issues The writer is a member of staff.
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Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9
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Akbar’s death, the mughal empire spread from Afghanistan to the Bay of Bengal. Forty years of Akbar’s rule (1556-1605) and 22 years of Jehangir (1605-1627): over 60 years were enough to convert the whole of india to islam. The kings were just kings, primarily interested in trouble-free rule. They were muslims in name only. even if the kings had encouraged and supported innocuous preaching missions to the interior of india, the muslims would not be a minority in india today. There is plentiful historical evidence islam was spread in india by the Sufis and the Saints. modiminded extremists who call forceful conversion of muslims and Christians ‘coming back home’ is one of the forms of naked persecution of the minorities. Their forefathers had converted of their own sweet will. in the 1950s, as beautifully portrayed by Jawed Naqvi (an illustrious indian journalist), it was common to see indian women disembarking flights from the middle east with a train of children and baggage followed by a much older Arab husband in the tail. The discovery of vast reserves of crude oil in Saudi Arabia and the middle east changed the entire spectrum. The impact of the Petrodollar was being amply felt around the globe, including in india and the surrounding countries. Dollars poured in plenty in the middle east. The hardy Arabs suddenly became opulent, needed servants, people to work for them, from household workers, sanitary workers, drivers, office managers, pilots to dancing girls. it became another Gold rush, this time for the black gold. The population shift reversed. People from all over the world were attracted by employment opportunities in Saudi Araia and the middle east. The maximum to benefit were india, Pakistan and Banladesh, poorer countries, that provided the cheapest labour.
Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545
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Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk
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everyone was welcomed regardless of religion, caste, colour or creed, with inherent muslim generosity. The latest arrival of russian business girls has added another cultural dimension to the population shift. The indians benefitted the most. Those from the South, with software expertise, occupied management slots and encouraged others to join the white collar jobs. They became the favourites of their bosses. except for makkah and madina they were everywhere. The indians number 2.6 million in the UAe, 30 percent of its population and over 7 million all over the muslim middle east. it is said that india earns over $65 billion from the UAe and overall approximately $120 billion from all the middle eastern countries. modi of india was recently awarded Bahrain’s highest award and UAe’s highest civil award. Saudi Arabia has announced a huge investment of $ 100 billion in modi’s india. The simple Arabs were perhaps carried away by the memories of old trading relations with india. They made no distinction and allowed the indians in bulk to enjoy good jobs, perks and privileges. They have no idea of the Hindu instinctive viciousness and their subcontinental proverbial reputation of ‘Bagal main chhuri munh main ram ram. in other words, a cloakand -dagger community. Then the truth shocked the Arab world like a bolt from the blue. Without any provocation and completely out of context, a typical modi boy, a 29 years old political brat of BJP tweeted, ‘95 percent Arab women have never had an orgasm in the last few hundred years! every mother has produced kids as act of sex and not love.’ The writer retired as a major general from the Pakistan Army
Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk
Friday, 27 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
Build dams
The 18th amendment revisited The debate rages on shAhbAZ MuNAwAr kAZMI
T
He constitution in a government is like the bones in a body. As bones give support, strength, and the power of movement to the body, so does a constitution helps to run the government. Without a constitution there would be no law. Jungle law will become the order of the day. All developed and educated countries have their constitutions. Pakistan has had three constitutions promulgated, the first in 1956 by Ch mohammad Ali, the second in 1962 by President Ayub and the third in 1973 by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. Suspension of constitution would amount to high treason, like the Pervez musharraf case. Amendment is a change, that might be in the form of adding, removing or modifying a piece of legislation. There are 25 amendments in the 1973 Constitution. There is a proper procedure for passing amendment . According to article 239, First it should be passed by the National Assembly with a two-thirds majority. Then it should passed by the Senate with a two-thirds majority and in the end there should be signature of the President of Pakistan. The 18th amendment of Constitution of Pakistan was passed by the PPP under President Asif Zardari. On 8 April 2010 it was passed by the National Assembly with 292 votes out of 342, then by the Senate with 90 votes out of 100 on 15 April 2010. And finally the President signed this amendment on 19 April 2010, then it got implemented. Senate Chairman raza rabbani, with 26 members representing 15 political parties, representative was the head of Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional reforms. it had 77 meetings and worked for 400 hours .As a result 69 out of the 280 articles of the 1973 Constitution were amended, 20 substituted, seven inserted, and four deleted. Almost 100 articles got changed. rabbani said, “it is the most comprehensive reconstructing the federal and provincial administration since 1947.” The main aim of this amendment was that it removed the power of President to dissolve the parliament unilaterally, turning Pakistan from a semi-presidential to a parliamentary repulic. This amendment actually cut the wings of the President .Now the President would be a ceremonial head of state while Pm had all powers. The history of this, giving power to the President was started by the General Zia. During his tenure, there was Article 58(2b) which gave the President the power to dissolve the National Assembly. This was the 8th Amendment of 1985. Then according to the 13th Amendment, it was abolished in Nawaz Sharif ‘s second tenure. it was again reconstituted in te 17th Amendment by General musharraf. Then in the last PPP government under Asif Zardari, the 18th Amendment transferred power from the President to Parliament. Why he himself as a president gave all power to parliament? There might be three reasons: 1) He wanted to make a strong Democratic country. 2 He wanted to make his political party strong. 3) Some critics said it was a planning by the PPP. it realized that it would rule in Sind more often than in the centre, so wanted provinces to have more power, which meant more provincial autonomy. The PPP did con-
tinue to rule Sindh in 2013, when it went into the This is only possible because of this amendment. The National Finance Commission (NFC) is opposition at te Centre. The ban on more than two tenures for Pm the big problem of this amendment. First in and Cm according to the 18th amendment was 1936, it was called the Niemeyer Award. Then lifted This helped Nawaz Sharif, and he became after independence it was called the raisman Pm in 2013 for the third time. This also helped programme by Liaquat Ali Khan because raisSyed Qaim Ali Shah who became Cm for the man was finance secretary at that time. Now it is called the NFC. The President appoints the third time. The 18th Amendment gives provincial au- NFC for a five-year tenure. it is meant to distribtonomy. They were given all power and author- ute financial resources between the federal govities. Political analyst Dr.rashid Ahmed said ernment and the provinces. According to Article that provincial autonomy was meant to help 160, 57.5 percent financial resources go to the provinces to stand on their own feet. moreover, provincial government and 42.5 percent to the the name of provinces got changed during this federal government. The PTi wanted to bring changes in this amendment. Like NWFP into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. moreover, Sind was changed into amendment. The reason is, suppose imran Khan Sindh and Baluchistan into Balochistan. Also the is a father (federal government) with four sons (four provinces). The father has 100 rupees. He name of General Zia ul Haq was removed. The method of appointment of judges was keep 42.5 rupees and distribute 57.5 rupees changed by this amendment. There would be no among his four sons .The father distributes the political interference. The judicial commission money on different bases such as population 82 and parliamentary commission would decide percent, poverty and backwardness 10.3 percent, judges of supreme Court and 5 high courts. it revenue collection fice percent, and population also established islamabad high court and density 2.7 percent. The father also has to spend money from his rs branches of high courts 42.5 on defense, loans, in mingora and Turbat. losses in any governThe chief justice of ment institution like Pakistan should be apPiA or railways, or pointed by President of The critics of the 18th during natural disasPakistan. The judicial Amendment say it gives more ters. The father is short commission should of money and all four consist of the Chief juspower to provinces but local sons are prosperous tice of Pakistan, the two government is neglected. There now. senior most judges of That’s why PTi the Supreme Court, the is lack of cooperation and wanted to change this former chief justice, the amendment. Planning federal law minister and coordination. This has led to minister Asad Omer the attorney general. deterioration of health and said “it was a step in The Council of the right direction but Common interests) was education. The centre has a the power is conferred reconstituted, wit the shortage of resources. It also to provinces only and chairperson to be the local government is Prime minister. There affects the defense budget and the powerless”. was to be a meeting everything has got every 90 days. it threatens national security. its bright and dark side in the 18th amendThe supporters of the 18th at the same time. The ment, the federal govcritics of the 18th ernment transferred 17 Amendment say it ensured Amendment say it ministries to provincial provincial autonomy. The gives more power to governments. provinces but local According to article approach of command over government is neg19A, the right of information for the public resources and units resulted in lected. There is lack of cooperation and coorwas made a fundamenthe separation of Pakistan in dination. This has led tal right, but not inforto deterioration of mation that is against 1971. It strengthens the health and education. the laws of Pakistan. federating units. It placates the The centre has a shortFurthermore the chief age of resources. it election commission dissenting elements and also affects the dewill appointed through fense budget and it consensus between opseparatist movements threatens national seposition and treasury. curity. The supporters According to article 10 of the 18th Amend10A, every criminal has ment say it ensured the right to prove whether he is criminal or not. Article 59 states provincial autonomy. The approach of commembers of Senate changes to 104 from 100. mand over resources and units resulted in the Articles 140 and 140A say each province shall separation of Pakistan in 1971. it strengthens the establish a local government system. The federating units. it placates the dissenting elestrength of the Cabinet should be 11 percent of ments and separatist movements. And in the last, Parliament, which means 49 ministers out of 446 it consolidates democracy. But this is everymembers of Parliament. The Pm only can select where, everyone got different opinion on same te service chiefs and the governors. more than subject . But we can pray to the Almighty to give this, Article 25A gave right of education to all us progress, peace and prosperity. from ages five to 16. it was a beneficial step Shahbaz Munawar kazmi is a freelance from the government. We have seen in Punjab, that most students are getting free education. columnist
PLATO was of the view that “state is as people are” and as such people and the leaders in Pakistan must bear the burden of the mess, we are in. For 73 years now we have failed collectively to discharge our duties in all sectors. Notwithstanding the tall claims to create isles of prosperity, we have not moved much from where we were seventy years back. We even failed to take the very basic steps to ensure the necessities of life for people. except for two dams built in the sixties, we did not build dams to meet our water and electricity requirements, control floods, and irrigate agricultural land. The Diamir Bhasha dam was initiated in 2007 but was shelved in the following years. The work on this project even today seems to be moving at a snail’s pace. resultantly, despite calling Pakistan an agriculture-based economy, we must import wheat, sugar, and pulses. We face floods and power shortages that cripple our economy. The incumbent government made dams an important item on their agenda before elections. However, they seem bogged down with other issues and not paying the attention this matter deserves. They must use all their energy and resources to complete the work on ongoing projects and start building new dams. if they do not, i am afraid we would find ourselves in crises we will not be able to get out of. resultantly, despite calling Pakistan an agriculture-based economy, we must import wheat, sugar, and pulses. We face floods and power shortages that cripple our economy. The incumbent government made dams an important item on their agenda before elections. However, they seem bogged down with other issues and not paying the attention this matter deserves. They must use all their energy and resources to complete the work on ongoing projects and start building new dams. if they do not, i am afraid we would find ourselves in crises we will not be able to get out of. RAJA ShAFAATuLLAh ISLAMAbAd
Smoking is dangerous WOULD you walk into a convenience store and buy an item with a label warming you that its use could kill you? To me most of the people would probably answer no, millions make such a purchase everyday a pack of cigarettes. Furthermore, they do this despite clear, well-published evidence that smoking is linked to cancer, heart attacks, strokes, bronchitis, emphysema and a host of other serious illnesses. Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States; one in five US deaths is caused by smoking. Worldwide, more than 6 millions people die each year from the effects of smoking. Thus, it is requested of the public to avoid smoking. JALAL IbRAhIM TuRbAT AbSoR
Our school system eDUCATiON is called the peace in a person. Without education, a nation is equal to a book without words. i would like to compare our schooling system to developed countries' as we can find a great difference between. We think, education is a source of income while other countries have thought of it as a source of development. i have no idea why Pakistani parents are hurrying to send their children at age of 5 to school where the competition level is high and for surviving, a child at least must have a strong mind. in foreign countries, if a child is not age of 7 is not allowed to be enrolled in any institutions. Because they think real education starts from home, and then home's education will make them able to complete with others easily. So, it is a request to the Pakistani parents that do not send your children at any school unless they are 7 years old. AdnAn MAqSood TuRbAT
Bilawal’s Covid-19 test PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said on Thursday that he is self-isolating after testing positive for Covid-19 but that he will address the upcoming opposition rally via video link. Bilawal's diagnosis comes just a day before the engagement of his sister, Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari, to a Dubai-based businessman and four days before the Pakistan Democratic movement's (PDm) next rally in multan scheduled for November 30, which is also PPP's Foundation Day. Taking to Twitter, Bilawal said that he was currently experiencing mild symptoms. "i'll continue working from home and will be addressing PPP foundation day via video link. Wear a mask everyone, see you on the other side." Well wishes poured in shortly after the PPP chairman made the announcement, while members of the government crticised him for "putting the public at risk" by insisting on holding large public gatherings despite having tested positive for the virus himself. Taking to Twitter, PTi's Senator Faisal Javed Khan questioned the "cruelty" behind calling people out on the streets while addressing them via video link. "You are putting their lives in danger. Take care of others as well as yourself. These rallies have no pros, only cons." The government and opposition have been at odds over the holding of public rallies at a time when Pakistan is in the throes of a second coronavirus wave. Former prime minister Yusuf raza Gilani's son was arrested yesterday for organising the November 30 rally in multan, where the district administration refused permission citing the high incidence of coronavirus infections. meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif sent Bilawal his best wishes and prayed for his recovery, according to a statement by the PmL-N. The party added that Shehbaz was informed of Bilawal's diagnosis during his appearance in court. "Shehbaz offered prayers for all those who have contracted the virus, including Bilawal," the statement added. information minister Shibli Faraz prayed for the PPP chairman and all those suffering from the disease. "Following precautionary measures is important for staying safe. Corona does not differentiate between leaders and the public," he said, urging the opposition to think about the people's health and safety. EThIShAM AhMAd LAhoRE
Friday, 27 November, 2020
08 WORLD VIEW
LIke a rockeT In THe GarDen: THe unenDInG war In aFGHanIsTan PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES CONTINUE TO PRETEND THAT THE DESPAIR AND FUTILITY WE’VE CAUSED ISN’T OUR FAULT
ProGressive
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KAThy Kelly
AtE last week, i learned from young Afghan Peace Volunteer friends in Kabul that an insurgent group firing rockets into the city center hit the home of one volunteer’s relatives. Everyone inside was killed. on november 24, word arrived of two bomb blasts in the marketplace city of Bamiyan, in central Afghanistan, killing at least fourteen people and wounding forty-five. Since the united nations started collecting this data in 2005, more than 26,000 children have died. these explosions have come on the heels of other recent attacks targeting civilians. on november 2, at least nineteen people were killed and at least twenty-two wounded by gunmen opening fire at Kabul university. on october 24, at least two dozen students died, and more than 100 were
wounded in an attack on a tutoring center.“the situation in our country is very bad and scary,” one young Afghan friend wrote to me. “We are all worried.” i imagine that’s an understatement. A new report released by Save the Children, regarding violations against children in war zones, says Afghanistan accounts for the most killing and maiming violations, with 874 children killed and 2,275 children maimed in 2019. Since the united nations started collecting this data in 2005, more than 26,000 children have died. under President Donald trump, the united States signed a “peace” deal with the taliban in february 2020. it pertains to troop withdrawal and a taliban pledge to cut ties with Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. the agreement hasn’t contributed toward a more peaceful life for Afghans, and already a u.n. report indicates the taliban has continued its ties with insurgent groups. now, Afghans face constant battles between insurgent groups, u.S. forces, Afghan government forces, nAto forces, various powerful Afghan warlords and paramilitaries organized by various mafias which control the drug industry and other profitable enterprises. under President Biden, the united States would likely abide by trump’s recent troop withdrawals, maintaining a troop presence of about 2,000.
But Biden has indicated a preference for intensified Special operations, surveillance and drone attacks. these strategies could cause the taliban to nullify their agreement, prolonging the war through yet another presidency. MujibMashal, a correspondent for the new york times, was born in Kabul. When he was interviewed recently by one of his colleagues, he recalled being a little boy in the early 1990s, living through a civil war in Kabul, when rockets constantly bombarded his neighborhood. taliban groups were fighting various mujahideen. Mujib’s father cultivated a vegetable garden outside their home. one day, a rocket hit the garden, cutting an apple tree in half and burrowing deep into the ground.But it didn’t explode. Mujib remembers how his father watered the area where the rocket hit, for years, hoping the bomb would eventually rust and never explode. now he worries that Afghanistan is headed toward an explosion of violence. “And the fear is that in that space of war, things only get more extreme,” he told the times. “the violence only gets more extreme. the brutality gets more extreme. that if this slips into another generational conflict, what we’ve seen over the past forty years in terms of the brutality will probably
pale in comparison to what will come.” i recently watched a video of a talk given in June of this year by Dr.ZaherWahab, an Afghan professor in Portland, oregon, who laments the intensifying havoc and violence war is causing in Afghanistan. He and his wife lived there for six years, until about a year ago, when they concluded that the city was unliveable. Despite its failures, the united States continues to bomb Afghan civilian areas. in 2019, the u.S. dropped 7,423 bombs and other munitions on Afghanistan. Dr.Wahab believes there is no military solution to Afghanistan’s woes and calls for the united States to demilitarize as soon as possible. But he also offers ways forward. Wahab urges forming a multinational trust fund to justly assist with reconstruction in Afghanistan, including efforts to clear mines and clean up unexploded ordnance. Billions of dollars would be needed, commensurate to the sums spent on funding the war. He believes the united nations should form a peacekeeping presence in Afghanistan relying on non-nAto countries. the publication of the “Afghanistan papers” late last year highlighted the failure of the united States to accomplish any of its stated missions in Afghanistan. John Sopko, the Special inspector general for Afghan Reconstruction, expressed his astonishment over the “hubris and mendacity” he had witnessed on the part of u.S. military and civilian personnel in Afghanistan. Despite its failures, the united States continues to bomb Afghan civilian areas. in 2019, the u.S. dropped 7,423 bombs and other munitions on Afghanistan. for Afghan civilians, ongoing war
The former Guardian editor’s insights into journalism
GuardiaN John nAughTon
“M
uMMy, what is that man for?” was the question famously asked by a young girl at a rally addressed (at great length) by gladstone. An analogous question occurred to me as i opened this book by the former editor-in-chief of the guardian: what is this book for? Also: what is it, exactly? the title suggests that it’s a user’s guide to news. But, in fact, it’s nothing like that. instead, it’s a compendium of jottings and miniessays organised alphabetically from A (for Accuracy) to Z (Zoomers). the motivation for writing it was Alan Rusbridger’s concern at the decline in trust in news organisations during the pandemic. four years on from being full-time in the newsroom, he writes, he wanted to bring “an insider’s perspective to the business of journalism, but also to look at it from the outside. [Rusbridger is now head of an oxford college.] How can we explain ‘journalism’ to people who are by and large sceptical – which is broadly what most of us would want our fellow citizens to be?” given that Rusbridger is, in my opinion, one of the two great newspaper editors of the past half-century (the other is the late Harry Evans), anything he writes about the press is going to be worth reading. His aim, he says, is to explore some
of the things about journalism that might help readers to decide whether it deserves their trust.the question, then, is: has he succeeded? And the answer? “up to a point, Lord Copper”, to use that timeless quote from Scoop, Evelyn Waugh’s savage demolition job on our trade. Journalism is not – indeed, in a free society cannot be – a “profession”. And, in Britain at least, it is best described as a very rough trade that rides on the back of a fiercely competitive industry. given that, any assessment of its trustworthiness has to come up with a mixed answer. Which is what Rusbridger’s “subjective and a bit random” (his words) approach provides. the truth about such a chaotic and messy business has to reflect the complex and confusing reality. So maybe his alphabetical approach makes pragmatic sense: it enables him to riff on stuff he feels to be important and gloss over things that are more ephemeral. And the structure really means that this is not a book to be read end-to-end, but, rather, one to be dipped into as time and curiosity permits. Many of the mini-essays are useful distillations of his experience in, and knowledge of, the industry. He is very good on the climate crisis, investigative journalism (not surprisingly, given the sterling work the guardian did on his
watch), the dangers of being driven by metrics, how to deal with the inevitability of mistakes, national security and who (or what) is a “journalist” nowadays. He is frank about the “omertà” code within the British media which ensures that dog generally does not eat dog, but more forgiving than he should be about the way virtually every other media outlet in Britain studiously avoided mentioning the guardian’s investigation of phone hacking until it became impossible to ignore. Rusbridger is also perceptive on hyperlinks and the mysterious reluctance of some prestigious news organisations to use them – even today. uniquely among established journalists, he takes seriously the work of noam Chomsky and Edward Herman on “manufacturing consent” – in other words, the political economy of mainstream media. He has a surprisingly tolerant miniessay on newspaper proprietors, the ruthless, corrupt and sometimes unhinged billionaires who have owned and exploited British newspapers over the decades: a rogues’ gallery from which the Canadian Roy thomson was the exception who proved the rule. it was nice to see his take on “craft” and, in particular, on nick tomalin, a gifted journalist who was tragically killed by a missile during
the yom Kippur war, and who is famous for his succinct list of the requirements for success in the trade – “ratlike cunning, a plausible manner, and a little literary ability”. Rusbridger goes on to list the other requirements that tomalin cited but which never made the dictionaries of quotations. they included a knack with trains and petty officials, a good digestion and a steady head, well-placed relatives, good luck, an implacable hatred of spokesmen, administrators, lawyers, PR men and “the strength of character to lead a disrupted life without going absolutely haywire”. given that an A-Z survey is declaredly subjective, there are still some omissions that strike at least this reviewer. the main one is Rusbridger’s surprising tolerance of the astonishing irresponsibility of Britain’s most dominant newspapers: the way they continue to employ moral fools as columnists (Boris Johnson, after all, owed his prominence until recently to his “work” for the telegraph); their incessant drip-feed of sexism, xenophobia and racism over many decades; their almost total lack of gender and ethnic diversity; their pathological hostility to the nHS and local authorities; and the megaphones they provide for their rightwing proprietors. if Britain is becoming ungovernable it is they, rather than social media, who should bear most of the blame. Just to take an example at random, the Sun’s slandering of Liverpool fans at Hillsborough happened when Mark Zuckerberg was four. the facebook founder has made a good start on undermining democracy around the world. But compared with Rupert Murdoch, he’s just an amateur. John Naughton is director of the Press Fellowship Programme at Wolfson College, Cambridge. News and How to Use It: What to Believe in a Fake News World by Alan Rusbridger is published by Canongate (£18.99).
means continued bereavement, displacement, and despair. Bereft of income or protection, many Afghan householders join militias, pledging their support and possibly their willingness to fight or even die. Hence the rise of the Afghan Local Police, numerous militias fighting for various warlords, the Afghan governments’ fighting forces, including “ghost soldiers” who appear in name only, CiA-trained paramilitaries, and military contractors working for nAto contingents. Afghanistan is a cauldron waiting to explode.u.S. Army Major Danny Sjursen, retired, notes that in the 2020 election, neither presidential candidate questioned status quo norms about u.S. foreign policy being based on threat, force, and killing. Sjursen assures that pressure to change must, necessarily, flow from the grass roots. the united States has landed in Afghanistan like a rocket in a garden. it refuses to rust, it poisons the Earth, and even u.S. voters can’t budge it. normal life can’t continue with us there. Meanwhile, an inevitably arriving taliban-led government—one already in control of most of the country—is growing more fanatic and deadly. Many u.S. voters, and too many Afghans, weren’t yet born when the current war was begun by the united States in 2001. Much of the u.S. public regards the Afghan people with deadly indifference. year after year, President after President, Americans continue to pretend the despair and futility we’ve caused in Afghanistan isn’t our fault. We don’t hold ourselves accountable. But the forever wars, illegal and immoral, bankrupt our economy and our society as well. the military contractors become a sort of mafia. they are like a bomb in our garden, liable to explode. And, unlike our Afghan counterparts, it’s not a bomb we can complain about. After all, we put it there. Kathy Kelly (Kathy@vcnv.org) co-coordinates Voices for Creative Nonviolence.
HuffPost India is history, thanks to new FDI norms NewlauNdry
H
Ayush TiwAri
uffington Post shut its operations in india on november 24. the move was sudden, since all story links on the website led to a grim goodbye page last evening. “As of november 24 HuffPost india will no longer be publishing content,” said black and green text over a white background. “for more great global content, please visit HuffPost.com. We thank you for your support and readership.” A spokesperson at Verizon Media, which owns HuffPost, confirmed to newslaundry that the india edition has been closed “with immediate effect”. “We would like to thank the HuffPost india team for their hard work and contribution to the organisation,” the spokesperson said. founded as Huffington Post in 2005, the website gained readership in the dying years of the george W Bush administration in the united States. it arrived in india — its 13th global edition — in late 2014, hand-in-glove with the times group, which owns the times of india. the partnership collapsed in 2017 and HuffPost india was relaunched soon after. A dozen staffers at the website’s editorial department in india now find themselves without jobs. newslaundry learned that they have been given their salaries, offered “satisfactor’’ severance packages, and promised assistance to move to greener pastures. it is unclear if the end was a shocker. While one HuffPost india staffer claimed to not know that the website would practically disappear by evening, others claimed they did. HuffPost’s acquisition by Buzzfeed last week, however, was seen as a bad omen in the newsroom and had left employees surprised. newslaundry has learnt that the website’s closure in india was driven by the new foreign direct investment norms ushered in by the narendra Modi government. this month, the government capped fDi in digital media in india at 26 percent, with those exceeding the mark instructed to “bring down” foreign investment by october 2021. no limit existed on such investments before the policy was announced.the move has been panned by experts in the media industry as “restrictive”, with the potential of nipping the growth of indian digital media in the bud.HuffPost india was the first casualty. its shutdown was a strategic decision taken in light of the Buzzfeed-HuffPost merger. the regulatory environment in india and Brazil, it was felt, did not encourage foreign ownership of news websites. A source at HuffPost told the Wire that “it would be impossible for Buzzfeed, who bought HuffPost, to operate in india given the new fDi regulations.” American journalist Max tani tweeted a Slack message by Buzzfeed chief executive officer Jonah Peretti on why the india and Brazil chapters had to go. “We weren’t legally allowed to take on the Brazil and india editions. the india team was surviving with a grace period,” Peretti wrote. “Verizon Media wouldn't have been able to own them for much longer either. foreign companies aren’t allowed to control news organisations and Buzzfeed india can only operate because we are a culture and entertainment property”. Compared to the tV news industry, the narendra Modi government has fewer friends in india’s digital news media. the move to limit foreign investment comes alongside the government’s concerted attempts to regulate digital news. HuffPost india, after all, had published a damning investigative series by journalist nitin Sethi on electoral bonds — an opaque system of debt instruments that fund political parties — introduced by the narendra Modi government in 2018. on tuesday, the prospect of a content wipeout on HuffPost india caused mild panic on indian twitter. AmanSethi, the website’s editor-in-chief, tweeted reassurances that the content was “being migrated and should be back soon”. Sethi added that HuffPost india was the “greatest newsroom i have worked for”.Sethi was not available for comment for this story.
Friday, 27 November, 2020
BUSINESS 09
corporate corner Bank of Punjab, PIA ink MOU for promotion of BOP products at airport
PUnjAB tO ASSISt BAlOChIStAn In SettInG UP COMMeRCIAl COURtS LAHORE
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LAHORE: The Bank of Punjab (BOP) and Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) signed a landmark MOU, on Nov 10 for promotion of BOP products and services at PIA infrastructures. As per agreement, PIA will be making available collaterals such as boarding cards as well as space in PIA Offices to BOP for advertising its products and services. PRESS RElEASE
Bank Alfalah introduces PM’s Roshan Digital Account to Dubai expats LAHORE: Bank Alfalah Chairman His Highness Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan at an exclusive event hosted for non-resident Pakistanis in Dubai introduced the Roshan Digital Account, an initiative of the government of Pakistan and State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). “This Roshan Digital Account has been designed from the ground up to cater to the needs of high-networth individuals through a sophisticated digital platform. This product is rooted in the present and future progress of Pakistan’s economy as one of the emerging markets of the world – an economy where astute investors should want to invest, for the present and the future,” he said on the occasion. SBP Governor Dr Reza Baqir and Bank Alfalah President & CEO Atif Bajwa were also present on the occasion. PRESS RElEASE
edotco strengthens commitment in Pakistan with new leadership
KARACHI: edotco Group Sdn. Bhd. (edotco), the leading regional integrated telecommunications infrastructure services company, on Thursday appointed Abdul Aziz as the new Country Managing Director of edotco Pakistan whereas Arif Hussain will be leaving the organisation to pursue other opportunities. edotco Group CEO Adlan Tajudin while speaking on the occasion said, “With his valuable expertise, great track record and extensive experience of over 25 years in the telecommunications sector, Abdul Aziz will lead our team in contributing towards achieving the government’s Digital Pakistan ambitions. On behalf of the Group, I am pleased to welcome him onboard.” PRESS RElEASE
SHAHAB OMER
HE Punjab Board of Investment and Trade (PBIT) has decided to assist the Balochistan Board of Investment and Trade (BBoIT) in establishing commercial courts in the southwestern province besides increasing investments. In this regard, the BBoIT Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Farmanullah Zirkun and BBoIT Policy Engagement Officer (PEO) Hamza Storiani visited PBIT here on Thursday to hold detailed discussions with PBIT Acting Chief Operating Officer (COO) Jalal Hassan on inter-provincial cooperation, departmental affiliation. Hassan informed the visiting delegation that upon BBOIT’s initial request for information on commercial courts, PBIT was making concerted efforts to
bring all concerned stakeholders in Punjab together. “In this context, PBIT’s team had already conducted preliminary meetings in Research Wing Lahore High Court (LHC) and Programme Implementation Unit (PIU), Planning & Development, Department, Punjab with very encouraging results,” he added. It was concluded that a proposal shall be moved by PBIT requesting notification of a Joint Working Group (JWG) with representation from PIU, PBIT and LHC to assist Balochistan’s team via senior stakeholders in replicating Commercial Courts in their province. However, the main TORs of the Joint Working Group shall include information sharing/ advice along with the training and development of personnel from Balochistan with the support of stakeholders in Punjab. Both sides also discussed a proposal to organise a diplomatic evening in Islamabad to showcase investment opportunities in Pakistan and to sign an MOU
KP govt to create eight new tourist zones PESHAWAR AZIZ BUNERI
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Culture and Tourism Authority has approved the creation of eight new tourists’ zones to promote tourism in the province. The sites were approved by KP Chief Minister (CM) Mahmood Khan while a preliminary survey of these places has also been completed. According to sources, the development of the new zones is being done under the KP Integrated Tourism Development (KITE) project in collaboration with the World Bank (WB) whereas the eight locations identified for Integrated EcoFriendly Tourism Zones include Kalash Valley in Lower Chitral, Shahi and Bin Shahi in Lower Dir, Jarogudra in Swat, Marggoz Dak Sar in Buner, Elm in Buner and Mahabanrr in Buner and Sereen and Munawar valley in Mansehra. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism
Authority (KP-CTA) Managing Director (MD) Kamran Afridi told Profit that the provincial government made the decision to reduce the load on heavily visited tourist destinations besides boosting tourism in general. “The zone will also provide employment opportunities to thousands of people locally,” he added. He further said that international level consultancy firms will complete the master planning report of zones by June 2021, after which the provincial government will advertise the projects. Afridi said that the site of the new tourist zones would be equipped with a communication system, investment plan, hotel, rest houses, golf course, chairlift and parks. According to sources, the zones will be presented to the provincial government after the master plans are finalised before being presented in the International Tourism Expo to attract foreign tourists and investment.
Bitcoin plummets to 10-day low, dragging smaller cryptocurrencies down LONDON AGENCIES
Bitcoin plunged on Thursday to its lowest in 10 days, leading a sell-off that extended to other smaller digital coins. Bitcoin, the world’s biggest cryptocurrency, slumped as much as 13% to $16,317, a sharp correction from its three-year high of $19,521 hit a day earlier. It was last down 8%. The cryptocurrency has rallied around 150% this year to just shy of its all-time high of $19,666. Fuelling its rise has been demand for riskier assets, interest in assets perceived as resistant to inflation, and expectations that cryptocurrencies will win mainstream acceptance.
on institutional collaboration. Speaking to Profit, Zirkun said, “Balochistan offers significant economic opportunities due to its ample and untapped natural resources and access to local and global trade markets. In this regard, BBoIT has been mandated to provide assistance to various public and private sector entities in investment facilitation, procedures and liaison between management and stakeholders.” He said that his team’s mission was to remove initial barriers and facilitate business activities and provide all services from any project planning to risk management. “We are trying to ensure compliance with laws and regulations for a smooth implementation of the sustainable development model so as to bring about lasting improvement in the investment climate in the province,” he concluded.
Britain offers support to mitigate socio-economic impact of Covid-19 ISLAMABAD APP
British High Commissioner Christian Turner on Thursday offered to provide Pakistan with all possible help from the British government to mitigate the socio-economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The ambassador extended this offer during a call on meeting with Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh. During the meeting, the adviser exchanged views with the high commissioner on matters of common interest, according to a press statement issued by the Finance Ministry. The adviser briefed him about the measures taken by the government to lessen the adverse economic impact and protect vulnerable segments of the society during the coronavirus pandemic. Shaikh also shared the economic outlook for Pakistan with the British high commissioner and highlighted that Pakistan had registered an upward trend in foreign remittances, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), tax collection as well as a current account surplus during the first quarter of the current fiscal year (FY20).
Greenstar partners with Roche, Shaukat Khanum to strengthen selfcare ecosystem under breast cancer campaign
Bitcoin’s 12-year history has been peppered with vertiginous gains and equally sharp drops. It is highly volatile, and its markets are far less transparent than traditional assets. Traders cited the unwinding of highly leveraged positions built up as bitcoin moved closer to its record, as well as tweets by the CEO of major cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase expressing concern at rumours of a regulatory crackdown. “There’s definitely been a sense of euphoria in markets over the last couple of days … this mostly feels like a reaction to that – over-leveraged markets took one small hit and suffered immensely,” said Joseph Edwards of Enigma Securities, a cryptocurrency brokerage.
Cement exports increase 11.79pc in 4MFY21 KARACHI: Habib Oil Mills donated Rs20 Lakh to Indus Hospital for public welfare and Covid-19 treatment. The cheque was handed over by Habib Oil Mills MD Moidul Hassan to Indus Hospital ECO Dr Abdul Bari Khan ECO. PRESS RElEASE
ISLAMABAD: The export of cement witnessed an increase of 11.79 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 exported cement worth $150.544 million in July-Oct FY21 as compared to the exports of $94.409 million in July-Oct FY20, according to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Thursday. Meanwhile, cement exports also increased 20.31pc to $63.890 million on a year-on-year (YoY) basis in October 2020, as compared to exports of $27.636 million in Oct 2019. Similarly, on a month-on-month (MoM) basis, the export of cement rose 19.65pc in Oct 2020, as compared to the exports of $27.788 million in Sept 2020. APP
UK delivery prices jump ahead of Brexit cliff edge as firms rush to stockpile LONDON AGENCIES
British businesses are rushing to stockpile goods just five weeks before postBrexit customs checks come into force on Jan. 1, driving up the cost of crossborder deliveries and cutting capacity, industry sources said. Logistics companies told Reuters they have seen a surge in demand to bring goods into the country before any potential disruption in January, and customs agents report being overwhelmed by pleas for help from traders
navigating new rules for the first time. “We have told our customers that the best thing you can do now is stock up, stockpile, and they’re bringing in as much as they can,” Jon Swallow, director of Jordon Freight, told Reuters of the changing dynamic in the last two weeks. “The consequence of that is there’s simply not enough capacity and the prices are going through the roof.” Swallow said the increased demand had pushed prices up by around 20% in recent weeks and would likely rise further in December. Fellow freight special-
ist Tony Shally said his Espace Europe had seen the cost of journeys between Poland and England, and France and England, rise by more than 10%. The frantic activity reflects the need to get ready for Britain’s departure from the world’s biggest trading bloc which will spark a need for customs and safety declarations, and some checks, when goods move into the European Union after Dec. 31. Companies had stockpiled goods before previous Brexit deadlines but many are in a weaker financial position now after the pandemic
CMYK
hammered their cash flow. Among the recent rush to bring in goods, companies are also having to prepare to deal with customs declarations for the first time, putting huge pressure on the small customs sector. Sam Harris, operations manager at Freight UK, said it had become a full time job just to answer the phone to new customers. “Most know nothing about customs,” he said. “Everyone is panicking.” “We had a farmer on the phone and he had no idea whatsoever about what needed to be done.”
LAHORE: Greenstar Social Marketing Pakistan Guarantee Limited, one of the largest private sector players for reproductive & family health services in Pakistan, under its broad-based initiative of promoting an ecosystem of self-care, is empowering women in Pakistan against breast cancer awareness for the prevention and treatment of the disease. In pursuit of this mission, GSM (Sabz Sitara) has signed MOUs with different organizations. Greenstar joins hands with Roche Pharma for a self-care awareness initiative where women will be taught self-examination using Virtual-Reality (VR) headsets and work in the communities around Sabz Sitara clinics to promote awareness for the prevention and treatment of breastcancer. GSM has also collaborated with the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (SKMCH&RC) by signing an MoU, under the terms of which SKMCH&RC will provide training to female medical staff at Greenstar on breast selfexamination, so that they can then educate the wider public, utilising their extensive network, about the importance of early detection of breast cancer, and develop IEC materials (Communications materials) for general public. PRESS RElEASE
Friday, 27 November, 2020
10 FOREIGN NEWS
BrITISh porTS SCrAMBLINg AS BrExIT DEADLINE LooMS 5 wEEkS AwAy LONDON
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AGENCIES
ITH just over five weeks left until the end of the Brexit transition period, fear is continuing to rise that the UK ports, terminals, and the services that support the operations are not ready. Increasingly there are predictions of the consequences ranging from delays and backlogs to disruptions and chaos for the vital flow of goods into and out of the UK, while the government continues to issue assurances. According to the current timetable, on January 1, 2021, the first of the border controls are due to go into effect between the EU and the UK. Operators around the UK report that critical tests on the systems required to manage the flow of goods have yet to be done leading to the fears that they will not be ready at the deadline. BBC News is reporting that the tests for some of the systems are still two weeks away while they are reporting that the government says it is working closely with all par-
CIA operative killed in Somalia days after Trump mulled troop withdrawal WASHINGTON: A CIA officer and former Navy SEAL has reportedly been killed in combat in Somalia, days after critics warned that Trump’s alleged withdrawal plan undermines the US national security and endangers Americans. The veteran officer belonged to the CIA’s paramilitary division and was killed in “recent days” during fighting in the East African nation, the New York Times reported on Wednesday, citing anonymous US officials. His identity, mission and the exact circumstances of his death remain unclear, however, while the CIA has yet to comment on the purported casualty. Reports of the retired SEAL’s death come amid high-level discussion of a possible US troop withdrawal from Somalia, according to many media outlets. Current estimates place around 700 American soldiers in Somalia, where they work alongside local security forces in their fight against Al-Shabab, an Islamist militant group affiliated with Al-Qaeda. It is unknown how many intelligence officers might be stationed in the country. While a withdrawal from Somalia would be in line with troop draw-downs Trump has ordered elsewhere, such as in Iraq and Afghanistan, the proposal has been met with resistance from both critics of the president as well as his own personnel. Within hours of an October report in Bloomberg noting that Trump had requested a withdrawal plan, a spokesman for AFRICOM – which oversees the US military presence in Africa – warned that Al-Shabab poses a “future threat to America,” arguing that Somali forces still required “international assistance.” AGENCIES
Turkey jails 337 for life over 2016 failed coup attempt ANKARA: A Turkish court has jailed 337 former pilots and other suspects for life over plot to overthrow President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a failed coup attempt four years ago, a court document showed on Thursday. Nearly 500 defendants were accused of carrying out the attempt to overthrow the government on July 15, 2016, from an airbase near the capital Ankara. More than 250 people were killed in the attempt as rogue soldiers commandeered warplanes, helicopters and tanks in a bid to take control of key state institutions. The trial was the highest-profile of dozens of court cases targeting thousands of people accused of involvement in the coup attempt, which Ankara blamed on the supporters of the United Statesbased Muslim preacher and businessman, Fethullah Gulen. Anadolu and other agencies said at least 25 F16 pilots were given aggravated life sentences – the most severe punishment in Turkish courts – meaning there is no possibility of parole. Former air force commander Akin Ozturk and others at the Akinci airbase near Ankara were accused of directing the coup and bombing government buildings, including Parliament, and attempting to kill Erdogan. AGENCIES
ties to prepare for the end of the transition period. The BBC is quoting a government spokesperson as saying, "The delivery of IT systems necessary for the end of the transition period is on track." Despite the assurances, many remain unconvinced that the ports and companies operating in the ports are prepared. Predictions of the potential to interrupt the UK economy and industry are increasing. For example, they cite the automotive industry that functions on just-in-time delivery of parts necessary in production. The UK’s busiest ports have already been scrambling to manage a rapid rise in cargo. With businesses seeking to restock and rebound from the earlier impacts of the pandemic, many ports are already experiencing heavy volumes. Adding to the challenges is a rush to get supplies across the borders before the deadline and new lockdowns due to efforts to control the latest wave of the virus. The Port of Felixstowe, the UK’s biggest and busiest container port, has been especially challenged in recent weeks, leading many to call the situation unacceptable and forecasts that the port could become paralysed. Com-
pounding the problems are reports that the government stockpiled 11,000 containers of PPE supplies at the port. The port’s operator, Hutchison Ports, reports that it is working with the government's principal forwarder to remove the PPE containers as quickly as possible. While they say that significant progress has been made in reducing the volumes, they nonetheless report it could be up to four more weeks before this impediment is cleared. Hutchison also says that it is working with each shipping line to empty storage capacity. They warned that shipping lines that exceeded their empty storage capacity would face suspensions on the receipt of empties until the volume was lowered. “The Port of Felixstowe, like other major container ports worldwide, is still experiencing a spike in container volumes and dealing with the consequences of the ongoing Covid pandemic. With the ports already struggling to manage the current volumes, fears are only growing over what might happen in January when the new systems are due to go into effect.
Sudan's last elected PM dies of Covid-19 in UAE ABU DHABI AGENCIES
Leading Sudanese politician and former prime minister Sadiq Al Mahdi died from a coronavirus infection three weeks after being admitted to hospital in the UAE, family sources said on Thursday. Al Mahdi, 84, was Sudan’s last democratically elected prime minister and was overthrown in 1989 in the military coup that brought former president Omar Al Bashir to power. British ambassador to Khartoum, Irfan Siddiq, offered his condolences. "Shocked and saddened to hear of the passing of Imam Alsadiq Almahdi," he wrote on Twitter. "A true patriot and leader of the nation. My deepest condolences to all the Sudanese people on this loss," he added Siddiq ended his tweet with the Arabic transliteration for a phrase used among Muslims after someone's death: "May God have mercy on him. We belong to God and to him we shall return." Al Mahdi led the moderate Umma Party, one of the largest opposition parties under Al Bashir, and remained an influential figure in Sudanese politics. Al Mahdi’s family said he had tested positive for Covid-
19 last month and was transferred to the UAE for treatment a few days later after a brief spell in hospital in Sudan. The Umma Party said Al Mahdi would be buried on Friday morning in Omdurman, the twin city of the capital Khartoum on the opposite bank of the Nile river. Al Mahdi had returned to Sudan in December 2018 after a year-long self-exile, just as protests over worsening economic conditions and Al Bashir’s rule gathered momentum. His daughter, Mariam Sadiq Al Mahdi, deputy leader of the Umma Party, was among those detained during the demonstrations. While a successor to lead the party has not yet been announced, she has been the most visible party figure in political negotiations and the media in recent years. Opposition parties were weakened greatly under Al Bashir’s three-decade regime, and are jostling for power with the military during Sudan’s transition, making the Umma Party’s continued unity crucial to maintaining the balance of power. After the military forced Al Bashir from power, Al Mahdi pushed for a transfer to civilian rule, warning of the risks of a counter-coup and calling for the powerful Rapid Support Forces paramilitary to be integrated.
Cyclone Nivar makes landfall in India with rains, flood CHENNAI AGENCIES
A powerful cyclonic storm lashed India’s southeastern coast early on Thursday, uprooting trees and packing strong winds and rains as tens of thousands of people took refuge in shelters. The centre of Nivar made landfall at 3:05am local time (21:35 GMT on Wednesday) near Puducherry with winds of up to 130 kilometres (81 miles) per hour. Tamil Nadu minister RB Udhayakumar said late on Wednesday that about 175,000 people were moved to shelters across the state as local authorities declared a public holiday on Wednesday and Thursday, shutting everything except emergency services. Thousands of state and national emergency personnel were deployed in the southern regions of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry as authorities suspended power supply across several cities to prevent damage to the electricity grid. Heavy rains triggered by the storm caused flooding in some streets of the city of Chennai, Tamil Nadu’s largest city which is home to many large automobile manufacturers, according to a media report. Flight operations at Chennai airport were suspended until Thursday morning and metro train services halted. People were seen walking in knee-deep water in some streets in south Chennai, which has many low-lying areas susceptible to flooding. Local administration workers have been working to remove fallen trees and power lines, city corporation officials said on Twitter. Authorities in Chennai said they were also closely observing the level of reservoirs and lakes to avoid a repeat of 2015 flooding which killed several hundred people. Lake Chembarambakkam outside Chennai discharged extra water because of the heavy rains. Local media reported at least five deaths in and around Chennai, due to causes including trees falling, drowning and electrocution. Initially classified as a “very severe cyclonic storm” as it swirled in the Bay of Bengal, Nivar weakened after a landfall into a “severe cyclonic storm”, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. It is forecast to move north and further weaken over the next few hours, the weather bureau added.
ADB to provide $165m to Sri Lanka to support Covid-hit SMEs COLOMBO AGENCIES
US shale bankruptcies accelerate despite pandemic protection WASHINGTON AGENCIES
The US oil industry has had a particularly tough time coping with the Covid-19 pandemic despite numerous federal relief measures to help ease the pain. Although the oil and gas industry received tax breaks, royalty relief, and forgivable loans under the Paycheck Protection Programme to keep employees during the pandemic, yet bankruptcies in the shale patch started to accelerate in the second quarter after oil prices crashed in early March because of the demand collapse and the Saudi-Russian price war.
Thousands of jobs in the industry have been lost over the past six months, and a good portion of those jobs lost may never return. The US shale patch has been struggling this year and is bracing for more hardship with the incoming Administration of Joe Biden, who has vowed to ban new oil and gas drilling on federal lands and waters. According to a Houston Chronicle analysis from July, the Paycheck Protection Programme, with more than US$1 billion in forgivable loans to companies, helped save more than half of oilfield jobs in Texas. According to the analysis of figures from the Small Business Administration, companies in Texas were able to keep
93,117 jobs or more than half of the 182,500 people employed in the sector in Texas. Thousands of jobs have been lost since March in the US upstream and oilfield services sectors as the oil industry is becoming leaner in the aftermath of the pandemic. After a wave of bankruptcies in the third quarter, North American oil producers and oilfield services companies continued to file for protection from creditors at the start of the fourth quarter, law firm Haynes and Boone said in its latest tally to October 31 last week. Among healthier companies with quality assets, consolidation has been the hottest thing in recent weeks.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the government of Sri Lanka have signed a $165 million loan agreement to provide immediate financing support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which have been severely affected by the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic, and long-term financing to underserved SMEs, including businesses led by women and tea smallholders. Secretary Finance SR Attygalle signed the loan agreement for the government of Sri Lanka and ADB Sri Lanka Resident Mission Country Director Chen Chen signed on behalf of ADB. “The government highly appreciates ADB’s long-term commitment to supporting Sri Lanka’s development. SMEs will be essential to recovery from Covid-19. The new loan from ADB will help the government’s efforts of supporting SMEs in and after the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Attygalle. “We are glad to be of assistance to the SME sector at this crucial juncture when the sector has suffered a severe setback due to the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Chen. “We trust that this assistance will help SMEs to revive their businesses and contribute once again significantly to the Sri Lankan economy,” he added. The new financing will build on the ongoing SMEs’ line of credit project, which ADB approved in 2016 to strengthen SMEs’ access to finance.
Abu Dhabi to axe 14-day quarantine for vaccinated passengers ABU DHABI AGENCIES
The UAE residents who have been vaccinated against the coronavirus will no longer be required to quarantine for 14 days on return to Abu Dhabi from abroad. The authorities set out a series of special measures for those who have taken part in the UAE-hosted trials of Chinese drug maker Sinopharm and residents who have subsequently been inoculated.
The new guidelines, released by Abu Dhabi's Crisis, Emergencies and Disasters Committee, will also remove the need for PCR and DPI tests when entering Abu Dhabi's borders from within the UAE for those vaccinated. Officials approved the limited use of the vaccine in September, for people such as frontline health workers or members of the armed forces. A number of senior Cabinet members, including Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, have al-
ready been immunised. Officials said the new regulations would come into effect after the first dose of the vaccine for participants in the Phase 3 trials and 28 days after the second dose for those taking part in the National Vaccination Programme. All vaccinated residents who are travelling abroad will still be required to take a PCR test before their flights. On their return to the capital, participants in the Phase 3 trials must take a PCR test on arrival. Participants in the National Vaccina-
tion Programme are mandated to take the nasal swab on arrival, plus on the fourth and eighth day after they have landed. All residents who have received a vaccination must continue to take a PCR test every two weeks, under the guidelines. The UAE hosted a Phase-3 trial – approved by the World Health Organisation – that involved 31,000 volunteers in the Emirates, Bahrain and Jordan. A clinic was set up at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre to manage the trial, which began in July. An-
other was later established in Sharjah. Hundreds of medical staff also came forward to lend their support to the project. Minister of Health and Prevention Abdulrahman Al Owais approved the emergency use of the vaccine after encouraging results in clinical trials. "The results of studies during the final stages of the third phase showed that the vaccine is effective and resulted in a strong response and the generation of antibodies to the virus," Mr Al Owais said in September.
Friday, 27 November, 2020
'An immense sAdness': ArgentinA mourns deAth of mArAdonA BUENOS AIRES
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AGENCIES
EARTBROKEN fans of Diego Maradona gathered on the streets of Buenos Aires to mourn the Argentine soccer legend's death on Wednesday, praying, laying flowers and singing patriotic and sport chants. President Alberto Fernandez declared three days of national mourning after Maradona, 60, died at home following a heart attack, after battling a series of health problems. At Maradona's childhood home in Villa Fiorito, a largely impoverished city in the suburbs of the capital, people gathered to pray in front of an Argentine flag adorned with a black ribbon. Next to Maradona's former club, Boca Juniors, in the gritty Buenos Aires neighborhood of Boca, they laid bouquets of flowers.
SPORTS 11
PRESIDENT ALBERTO FERNANDEZ DECLARES THREE DAYS OF NATIONAL MOURNING "I came because I felt him. He's from here, from us," said Juan Jose Quinteros, 50, a Boca supporter who came to mourn Maradona outside the club. Others gathered in the San Andres neighborhood where he lived and in the nearby city of La Plata where he had lately been technical director for local team Gimnasia y Esgrima. Crowds of people also sang Argentina's national anthem outside the hospital where officials are expected to perform Maradona's autopsy. Digital signs used for public transportation updates were illuminated around the city with the message "Thank you, Diego." As Wednesday evening came, some fans
stood outside the Casa Rosada presidential palace, ahead of Maradona's wake due to begin on Thursday. Near the Obelisco downtown, a traditional focus of sporting celebrations, fans gathered in Argentina soccer jerseys to sing songs in his honor. "Diego is the greatest there is, the best. I met my wife in 1986 when Diego scored the goal with his hand," said 53-year-old Buenos Aires resident Jose Luis Shokiva. "The truth for me is that Diego is everything. As a Boca fan, as an Argentine, he is the greatest. What has happened is an immense sadness," said Shokiva, wearing a tshirt with Maradona's image. "I am very sad, he was someone who
was part of our childhood and adolescence," said Mariela Barg, a lawyer in Buenos Aires. Thinking of him brought back memories of
celebrating the World Cup win in 1986, she said. "He was intertwined with something so Argentine as soccer, and now he is gone."
Kohli on ICC altering WTC points system: 'Confusing, very diďŹƒcult to understand' AGENCIES India captain Virat Kohli has questioned the ICC for altering the points system of the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC), saying the change is "confusing" and the governing body has a lot to explain. India slipped to the second in the WTC standings after the ICC decided last week to rank teams "in order of percentage of points earned" from the contested matches. Australia (296 points from 3 series) toppled India (360 points from 4 series) in the standings after the revision with a percentage of 82.22 compared to the latter's 75 percent. Speaking during a virtual media briefing from Sydney on Thursday, a day before India start
the white-ball leg of their tour of Australia, Kohli admitted he was trying to wrap his head around the ICC's decision. "It is definitely surprising because we were told points are the matter of contention for the top two teams qualifying in the World Test Championship and now suddenly it has become percentage out of nowhere," Kohli said. "So it's very confusing, very difficult to understand why." Kohli is the first Test captain to react to the decision, which was ratified recently by the ICC's chief executives committee. A self-admitted fan of Test cricket, Kohli had previously suggested that a better way to find more balance in the WTC could be by teams alternating between home and away series.
According to Kohli, it would have been better for the ICC to give some advance notice to teams on the new methodology devised in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic to determine the WTC finalists. "If these things were explained to us from day one then it would have been easier for us to understand the reasons why such a change has happened. But it has happened out of nowhere. I think further questions about this should be asked to the ICC and understand why this has been done and what are the reasons behind it." Until recently, Kohli's team were favorites to make the WTC final. With 360 points, India were atop the points table, comfortably ahead of England (296) and Australia (292) their two closest competitors. However, after the WTC
Aaron Finch keen on Will Pucovski getting his Test XI ticket sooner rather than later AGENCIES Aaron Finch is desperate to get out. More or less his final commitment after two weeks of hotel quarantine in Sydney following the IPL is to preview Australia's ODI series against India via Zoom, the only means by which he has been able to plan for the contest with team-mates and coaches. In a way, the conclusion of quarantine so close to the start of cricketing hostilities between Australia and India is an apt reminder of the unprecedented circumstances for the summer, played out against the backdrop of Covid-19 and all its associated health and biosecurity measures. But if Finch is impatient for a few more freedoms, he is also hopeful that the national selectors will be similarly eager to get the 22-year-old Will Pucovski into their Test team this season. Much of the debate around Pucovski's chances of usurping Joe Burns has fallen into the question of team chemistry and balance. That has ranged from head coach Justin Langer and David Warner's thinly veiled preference for Burns to the trenchant views of Ian and Greg Chappell, insisting that Pucovski be hurled in to face Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami with the new ball. Finch, though, has one of the more valuable perspectives, having been tried and failed as a mature-age Test opener in 2018-19. Finch was handed over his Test debut during the first Test against Pakistan in Dubai in October 2018 while Warner was serving a balltampering ban, but was quickly discarded
after just five matches, where he averaged 27.80 with a highest score of 62. In an ESPNcricinfo interview this week, Finch suggested that he wished he had got that chance at the age of 25 rather than 32, the better to learn from it and return a better player. Speaking in the context of Pucovski, Finch went further, saying it was impossible to know how you would handle the most pressing challenge in the game until you experienced it; so the sooner, the better. "When you have your first chance at 32 and you miss that trick, there's probably not a huge amount of scope to get back into that side," Finch said. "So I would've loved to have that opportunity at 25 because I think the lessons that I learned from that were crucial in my development - not just as a player but as a person [too]. "I think when you're talking about young guys - especially hugely talented guys like Will - there's going to be ups and downs in their careers no doubt. So I think being exposed to the highest level early on, I think that might seem tough at the time if things don't go well straightaway. But the lessons that you learn from that, the way that you approach the game - the way you approach it mentally probably more than anything - I think is some really valuable lessons, and something that can't really be taught. "You can speak to everybody about how to go about it [and] how you're going to feel, but until you walk out and mark centre or bowl your first ball [or] first over in Test cricket, you don't really understand what
your reaction to it is going to be." Timely education applies as much to life as it does to cricket, epitomised by how the Australian team's understanding of the issues around this year's Black Lives Matter movement has been greatly enhanced in recent weeks. Their decision to form a Barefoot Circle in acknowledgement of Aboriginal Australia and racial injustice prior to Friday's opening game against India is a signifier of the way in which Finch and others have progressed from his clumsy construction in England a few months back that "education around it is more important than the protest". "We sat down and discussed it as a group," Finch said. "A lot of people have had some input into it and we think it's the right way to connect with our Indigenous people. There's obviously zero tolerance to racism in our sport, in our society, or there should be anyway. So I think this is a way we can connect with our Indigenous people that have faced a lot of adversity for a long time - for generations - so this is our way of supporting that cause. "I think it's about education - not just for me but for our group. The more that we can educate ourselves and educate each other, I think we can go on a journey of learning a lot more about the injustices over the last 230-odd years in Australia, and I suppose to raise some awareness of issues that might not be as commonly known." Individually, Finch has been able to use his quarantine time to recalibrate his batting also, aided by the presence of two trusted
mentors in the form of Andrew McDonald and Ricky Ponting. Their training sessions have ensured that Finch, after an underwhelming IPL, will enter the ODI series with a tightened game for the 50-over format, the better to build innings of substance after some months of more combustible T20 thinking. "T20 cricket can be really difficult when you're not quite at your very best, when you're trying to be really aggressive at the start of an innings, take risks early in the game," Finch said. "I think that's a time when if it's not going 100%, you can get into a pretty bad run quite quickly. But just a few balance things - head position in my stance and small things like that. I sometimes can forget about it when you're focusing just on T20. "You can tend to get a bit one-paced with your training and almost focus on power-hit-
got disrupted by pandemic, which caused massive imbalance between the nine teams in terms of the series played (each was meant to originally player six), the ICC recently approved modifications to the process to determine the two finalists. Instead of overall points, the ICC approved the recommendation of its Cricket Committee which said that the two finalists will be determined by the highest percentage of points earned from the matches they contested. Consequently, as explained here by ESPNcricinfo, India will need to ensure they win most of the eight Tests in their remaining two series - in Australia, followed by at home, against England - to book their place in the final scheduled for next June.
ting rather than a few minor technical things that can help you out. It hasn't been anything huge, it's just a few steps that I generally go to when things haven't been as smooth as I would've liked." Australia's balance has been altered slightly through the availability of Steven Smith - after concussion kept him out of the England series - and the absence of Mitchell Marsh due to an ankle injury which had ruled him out of the IPL. This will leave allrounder duties primarily with Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell, though Marnus Labuschagne can be expected to chime in with a few overs also. Whoever comprises the fifth bowler, Finch counselled too that his top-line bowlers would be handled carefully for reasons of mental health as much as workloads. "Since the last World Cup, we've probably a bit more clear in how we want to structure up our team, and that's with a couple of allrounders in there to take the load of that fifth bowler generally," he said. "Obviously, that'll change depending on conditions and whether you're in the UK or India or South Africa. That's always a floating plan of what we have. In terms of the rotation of the bowlers, I think it's going to come down to how they're feeling personally, whether it's mentally or physically. "Guys are at totally different points in their preparations and workloads. Some guys are coming off quite a decent [Sheffield] Shield start to the season, some are coming off T20s. "So it'll just be about managing that. We know in the current environment with guys being away from so long - away from families and in hubs and bubbles and things like that [and] quarantine - it's really important to look after people's mental health as much as anything. Whether you give them a week off or a couple of days just to get home and get in their own bed is going to be crucial.
Friday, 27 November, 2020
PrAyEr TImINGS
NEWS
Israel braces for Us strIke on Iran before trUmp leaves offIce: reports TEL AVIV
t
AGENCIES
HE Israel Defence Forces (IDF) are preparing for a possible US attack on Iran before President Donald Trump leaves office, viewing his lame-duck period as a “very sensitive” time, according to several media reports. The Israeli government has instructed the IDF to draw up plans in the event Trump orders a preemptive strike on the Islamic Republic, which could potentially target the country’s nuclear infrastructure, Axios reported citing anonymous senior officials in Tel Aviv. The preparations are linked not only to the possible strike itself, but to the retaliation it might provoke from Iran, which could look to respond using proxy fighters deployed across Syria, Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, the officials told the media outlet. However, the journalist noted that the plans were not the result of any specific intelligence indicating such a
strike had been ordered, with the officials simply anticipating a “very sensitive period” before the inauguration of presumptive president-elect Joe Biden on January 20. The report comes just days after Israel’s Channel 13 similarly stated that both Washington and Tel Aviv plan to step up “covert operations” against Tehran in the final days of Trump’s term, though the broadcaster offered no details on what shape that could take. The New York Times, meanwhile, reported earlier this month that Trump had recently “sought options” for a strike on Iran’s nuclear capabilities – which it said would “almost certainly be focused on Natanz,” the country’s primary uranium enrichment site. But the president was reportedly “dissuaded” from an attack by advisers, who warned it might kick off a bloody regional conflict. It is unclear if they have returned to the idea since. Nonetheless, Iranian officials reacted to the Times report vowing a “crushing response” to any US strike.
Trump’s presidency has been marked by intense hostility toward Tehran both in rhetoric and policy, shredding a landmark nuclear agreement inked under the Barack Obama administration in 2015 and resuming a raft of crippling sanctions lifted under the deal. Declaring a “maximum pressure” campaign, Trump also moved to wreck Iran’s petroleum sector, aiming to slash vital oil exports to “zero” and effectively grind its economy to a halt, even at the peak of its coronavirus outbreak. Though Trump has so far managed to avoid an outright war with Iran, open fighting may have only been narrowly averted after the January assassination of Qassem Soleimani, a beloved Iranian general who led the country’s elite Quds Force. Iran responded to the kill strike with a barrage of rockets on Iraqi bases housing US troops – though besides humiliation no serious injuries were inflicted in the reprisal since Tehran apparently passed an advance warning to Baghdad, giving Americans enough time to seek shelter.
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Australia to dismiss 10 soldiers over Afghan killings CANBERRA AGENCIES
Australia has issued termination notices to at least 10 special forces soldiers after the release of a report that found credible evidence of unlawful killings in Afghanistan, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) said on Thursday. An independent report published last week in redacted form after an inquiry into the conduct of special forces personnel in Afghanistan between 2005 and 2016, found that senior commandos forced junior soldiers to kill defenceless captives in order to "blood" them for combat.It said there was evidence that 39 unarmed Afghan prisoners and civilians were killed by 19 Australian soldiers. None of the 19 soldiers was identified in the report, which was written by a state judge appointed by the inspector-general of defence. The 19 current and former soldiers have been referred for possible prosecution. Australia sent troops to join US-led forces that tried to defeat the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan in the years after the extremists were forced from power in 2001.
oil rally stalls despite surprise fall in Us stocks TOKYO AGENCIES
Oil slipped on Thursday, stalling a rally driven by a surprise fall in U.S. crude inventories that added to bullishness over expectations progress on vaccines may end the coronavirus pandemic and revive fuel demand. Having spent the Asian trading day higher, Brent futures were down 1 cent at $48.60 a barrel by 0746 GMT, after rising around 1.6% in the previous session. West Texas Intermediate crude was off by 4 cents at $45.67 a barrel, after reaching a high of $46.09 earlier and gaining 1.8% on Wednesday. Both benchmarks have risen about 8% this week after AstraZeneca said on Monday its COVID-19 vaccine could be up to 90% effective, adding to the potential armoury to end the worst pandemic in a century. “Despite a number of strong fundamentals rallying the markets, especially vaccine development supporting oil, bearish concerns remains,” said Avtar Sandu, senior commodities manager at Phillip Futures. Lockdowns as the pandemic worsens, the rising number of rigs employed in the United States, along with increased production from Libya, were risk factors for bulls, he said. U.S. oil stockpiles fell 754,000 barrels last week, data showed. Analysts in a Reuters poll had predicted a 127,000-barrel rise. Stockpiles at the Cushing, Oklahoma, delivery point for WTI, fell by 1.7 million barrels. But gasoline demand for the week fell by 128,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 8.13 million bpd, the lowest since June. U.S. President-elect Joe Biden has urged people to forgo big family gatherings, wear protective masks and maintain social distancing for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Amid the immediate fallout, the ABC said 10 soldiers had been formally notified that they would be dismissed. The broadcaster did not identify any of the 10 but said all of them were witnesses or accessories and therefore not among the 19 referred for possible criminal charges. The Department of Defence did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The ABC said the 10 soldiers would have at least 14 days to respond to the termination notices. It did not say if any of them had legal representation. Australia's most senior military official said on Sunday the country's defence force must 'own' a recent report on soldiers committing crimes in Afghanistan and pledged changes to ensure that atrocities do not happen again. "I want the ADF (Australia Defence Force) to acknowledge that this is something we've got to own because if we don't own it, we won't fix it and if we don't fix it, this horror may appear again and I just cannot accept that," Defence Force Chief General Angus Campbell told ABC television. "I see layers of responsibility here," Gen Campbell said. "I'm determined to see deep, comprehensive and enduring change where it is needed."
Israeli forces shoot palestinian dead after alleged attack TEL AVIV AGNCIES
Israeli forces have shot and killed a Palestinian man at a checkpoint after an alleged carramming attack outside of Jerusalem, according to local media and police reports. Israeli border police opened fire on the driver at the al-Zaeem checkpoint, which separates an illegal Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank from a neighbourhood that lies in occupied East Jerusalem. The driver, identified by local media as Nour Shuqir, is from the East Jerusalem town of Silwan. A police statement said he attempted to flee an inspection at the checkpoint, hitting and lightly injuring an Israeli border police officer. “The policeman and security personnel fired at the vehicle,” it said, wounding the driver, who was taken to a Jerusalem hospital shortly before he was pronounced dead. According to local media reports, Shuqir succumbed to his wounds after being shot in the abdomen. The Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem said in a statement he arrived at the hospital’s trauma unit “with no pulse and a severe stomach wound”. Police did not immediately release a video of the incident.
India has highest bribery rate in Asia, Transparency International says NEW DELHI AGENCIES
India has the highest bribery rate in Asia and the most number of people who use personal connections to access public services, according to a new report by Transparency International. The Global Corruption Barometer (GCB), Asia, found that nearly 50 per cent of those who paid bribes were asked to, while 32 per cent of those who used personal connections said they would not receive the service otherwise. The report is based upon the survey which was conducted between June 17 and July 17 this year in India with a sample size of 2,000. “With the highest bribery rate [39 per cent] in the region, India also has the highest rate of people using personal connections to access public services [46 per cent],” the report said. Bribery in public services continues to plague India. Slow and complicated bureaucratic process, unnecessary red tape and unclear regulatory frameworks force citizens to seek out alternate solutions to access basic services through networks of familiarity and petty corruption, the report said. “Both national and state governments need to streamline administrative processes for public services, implement preventative measures to combat bribery and nepotism, and invest in user-friendly online platforms to deliver essential public services quickly and effec-
tively,” the report said. Although reporting cases of corruption was critical to curbing the spread, a majority of citizens in India, 63 per cent, think that if they reported corruption, they would suffer retaliation, it said. In several countries, including India, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Indonesia, sexual extortion rates are also high and more must be done to prevent sextortion and address specific-gendered forms of corruption, the report said. Sextortion is extorting money or sexual favours from someone by threatening to reveal evidence of their sexual activity through means like morphed images. In India, 89 per cent think government corruption is a big problem, 18 per cent offered bribes in exchange for votes and 11 per cent experienced sextortion or know someone who has. “About 63 per cent of surveyed people think the government is doing well in tackling corruption while 73 per cent said their anti-corruption agency is doing well in the fight against corruption,” it said. Based on fieldwork conducted in 17 countries, the GCB surveyed nearly 20,000 citizens in total.
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