Tuesday, 1 September, 2020 I 12 Muharram, 1442 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XI No 62 I 12 Pages I Karachi Edition
PM orders to finalise Karachi transforMation Plan in a weeK ISLAMABAD
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STAFF REPORT
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RIME Minister Imran Khan has directed to finalise this week the proposed “Karachi Transformation Plan” after taking all stakeholders on board so that it can be approved and subsequently implemented, his office said on Monday. The direction came during a highlevel meeting which met to discuss the plan designed by the Ministry of Planning and Development to address challenges faced by Karachi. The premier, his office said, was briefed on the proposed plan that “has been formulated in line with Karachi’s problems and development requirements”. The plan aims to find a permanent solution to issues such as solid waste management, water shortage, cleaning of nullahs, sewerage and transport. “The country’s development is linked to Karachi’s progress,” Prime Minister’s Office quoted Imran as saying. “[The government] is aware of the challenges that Karachi’s residents have been facing for years. We cannot look away from the difficulties being faced
Imran says Centre will play its role to solve Karachi’s problems
by residents. The Centre will play its role to solve Karachi’s problems and its progress.” The meeting comes a week after Karachi was flooded by devastating rain that claimed more than 30 lives. The city received the heaviest rainfall in a single day in 53 years. Roads were inundated with water and, in many areas, houses were flooded as well. Power supply and mobile signals were disrupted for days due to damage to infrastructure. The rain, once again, exposed the poor infrastructure and drainage system of the financial hub of the country. Following the devastation of the metropolis, the premier had last week promised that his government would “not abandon” the city’s people “in their time of crisis”. “My government is fully cognisant of the suffering of our people in the wake of the heavy rains, especially the people of Karachi,” he said via tweets. Separately, he also announced that
the Centre would work with the Sindh government to resolve Karachi’s decades-old issues, like the desilting of nullahs and improving the city’s drainage system. Meanwhile, taking notice of the immense showers in parts of Sindh, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Monday directed concerned deputy commissioners to provide maximum help to the people. The CM telephoned deputy commissioners (DC) of Tharparkar, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot, Badin and Sujawal after heavy downpour. He directed the officials to remain on their toes and provide relief to the rain-hit people. He also directed to evacuate stranded masses in the rain-hit areas to safer places and ensure provision of food, water and tents for them. The DCs were advised to give hourly report about relief work to him. Several cities of Sindh including Mirpurkhas, Sukkur, Tharparkar, Umerkot, Badin, Sujawal, Larkana, Thatta, Jacobabad and others have also witnessed rain after which the water
has flooded different localities. RELIEF OPERATION CONTINUES: Pakistan Armed Forces continued their relief operation in rain-hit areas of Karachi and Sindh on Monday. Pakistan Army continued all out support in flood-hit areas of Karachi as its engineers cleared Gizri Underpass. In last two days KPT, Civic Centre, Mohsin Bhopali and Golimar underpass were cleared for traffic, said an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) press release. However, de-watering at multiple locations is continued to ensure civic facilities, it added. It stated that Army Mobile Recovery vehicles deployed at various choke points were shifting faulty vehicles to aside to keep flow of traffic. Around 32 emergency medical and
56 relief camps are working in coordination with civil administration and helping people in distress in various parts of Karachi whereas cooked meals are being provided to stranded people in flood hit areas, it further said. As many as 3 Army field medical facilities were established at Qayyumabad, Sarjani and Sadi town providing immediate emergency medical care to flood victims, the press release said. Simultaneously, Pakistan Navy teams, besides rescue operation, provided cooked food, necessary ration items and established medical care centers for assistance of distressed populous, said a Pakistan Navy press release.
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Active coronavirus cases inch up in country g
ISLAMABAD TLTP
The number of total active Covid-19 cases in the country inched up to 8,873 from 8,801 during the last 24
Balochistan reports zero Covid-19 deaths for 11th consecutive day
hours, according to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) data on Monday. According to the NCOC, 213 more people tested positive for Covid-19 during the last 24 hours, taking the total number of coronavirus patients in the countr y to 295,849. So far 280,682 people have recovered across Pakistan making it a significant count. Meanwhile, six more people lost their lives during the aforementioned period.
coronavirus in
PaKistan
CONFIRMED CASES:
293,711
LAST UPDATED AT 9:23 AM ON AUGUST 31, 2020 DAY'S DEATH TOLL: NEW CASES:
6
RECOVERED:
135
DEATHS:
295,849 6,294 SINDH:
129,348
PUNJAB:
96,769
KP:
BALOCHISTAN:
AJK/GB:
ISLAMABAD:
36,044
12,869
2,298/2,896 15,625
No deaths from Covid-19 have been reported in the province for the past 11 days. The death toll of Balochistan stands at 141. A total of 18,017 tests were conducted on August 30. 5,625 in Sindh; 5,920 in Punjab; 3,134 in KP; 2,740 in Islamabad Capital Territor y (ICT); 172 in Balochistan; 256 in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB); and 170 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). The NCOC said that there is no patient on ventilator in AJK, GB and
Balochistan. A total of 98 patients are on ventilators across Pakistan out of 1920 ventilators allocated for Covid-19 patients. Earlier, Pakistan reported the lowest daily number of Covid-19 cases in 4 months on August 30, when 186 new infections were reported in a day. The country reported its first case of the deadly virus on Februar y 26 and went into a three-week lockdown in late March. In the subsequent months, the caseload kept climbing, peaking at 6,825 new cases in a single day on June 13. While it recorded 153 deaths, its highest to date, on June 19.
India, China accuse each other of provocation in new border standoff AGENCIES India and China accused each other on Monday of military provocation on their contested Himalayan border where a deadly showdown erupted in June — even as commanders from the two sides held talks aimed at easing tensions. China’s military said Indian troops had crossed the border on Monday near Pangong Tso, a lake at 4,200 metres, and engaged in “open provocation and caused the border situation to become tense”. “The Chinese military is taking necessary countermeasures,” the People’s Liberation Army’s regional command said in a statement, accusing India of “seriously violating China’s territorial sovereignty”. Earlier on Monday, India’s defence ministry said Chinese troops had “carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo” in the eastern Ladakh region over the weekend. Military commanders from the two sides held talks on Monday in a new bid to ease tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours, who fought a border war in 1962 and have
However, in the last month, Pakistan’s daily infections and fatalities have dropped significantly. On August 30, it recorded only 213 new cases in a day, and six deaths across the country, while it sampled 18,017 tests. The August 30 figure is the lowest tally since April 10, when 186 new infections were reported in a day. Recently, Dr Faisal Sultan, said that while the decline is a promising sign, he remains cautious. “At the end of the day, I keep reminding people that this is like smouldering embers and the embers are there. You provide them with fuel and with a little bit of oxygen, they will flare up,” he said.
more inside
Youm-e-Ashura observed with due solemnity across Pakistan STORY ON PAGE 03
3 soldiers martyred in S Waziristan operation: ISPR STORY ON PAGE 03 staged regular high altitude clashes since. China did not confirm Saturday’s incident, but the foreign ministry said its troops have “always strictly respected” the unofficial border known as the Line of Actual Control. On June 15, troops from the two sides fought hand-to-hand combat in Ladakh in which 20 Indian troops were killed. China acknowledged casualties but did not give figures. The two sides blame each other for recent clashes and the two armies have since poured tens of thousands of troops into the region. Military
and diplomatic talks are at an apparent stalemate. MASSIVE TROOP BUILDUP: Pangong Tso is one of several hotspots where troops have massed since June. “Indian troops pre-empted this PLA activity on the southern bank of Pangong Tso lake, undertook measures to strengthen our positions and thwart Chinese intentions to unilaterally change facts on ground,” said India’s defence ministry. Senior officers met at a border post near the scene of the standoff on Monday, it added.
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PM rejects OGRA summary for hike in fuel prices STORY ON PAGE 09
Residents of Clifton, DHA take to road after power outage enters fifth day STORY ON BACK PAGE
02
Tuesday, 1 September, 2020
NEWS
SINDH brINGS tHe CurtAIN DOWN ON lOCAl GOverNMeNt bODIeS KARACHI
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STAFF REPORT
HE Sindh Local Government Department notified on Monday an end to the four-year term of local government bodies in the province. “Consequent upon expiry of four (04) years term of Local Councils on 30th August 2020, pursuant to section 20 (1) of Sindh Local Government Act 2013, all offices of elected Mayors, Deputy Mayors, Chairmen, vice Chairmen, members, representative and such office bearers of Metropolitan Corporation, Municipal
PRELIMINARY DELIMITATION OF LOCAL COUNCILS IN SINDH WILL BE DISPLAYED ON SEPT 23 failure would constitute offence.” On August 27, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah had said that the administrator of Karachi would be appointed in accordance with the law after the local government institutions complete their tenure. Subsequently, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced fresh delimitation of the union councils, union committees and the wards under its super-
Corporations, District Councils, Municipal Committees, Town Committees, Union Committees, and Union Councils, in Sindh shall cease to exist w.e.f 31st August 2020,” read the notification . It directed all outgoing local government representatives to settle “individual liability, return asset(s), including Government vehicle(s), and state belonging, if any, to officer in-charge of respective Council, at once, as
Fawad thinks 'everyone will forget' about Karachi catastrophe once normalcy returns ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has called for better planning in Karachi before next year's spell of rain, after the current monsoon spell left the majority of the metropolis submerged in water and without power for nearly four days. "The problem is that if the rain stops today and the situation returns to normal, we will forget everything and return to our normal life. There will be rains again next year, routine life will come to a standstill and there will be a noise. But we should learn from the situation and plan for the next year so that it does not happen," Chaudhry said in a tweet. The fifth spell of monsoon rain hit Karachi on Thursday, plunging the city into darkness for four days and most of the residential areas in the city flooded. The heavy monsoon showers left most areas of DHA flooded and without power with angry residents announcing they would protest against the housing authority on Thursday, September 3 at 12:30 pm outside its Phase 1 office. The MET Office has forecast more rain for Karachi today, despite the city not receiving any rain last night. The MET Office said the city could receive moderate to heavy showers by Monday evening or night in certain areas. It added that the monsoon winds would cause rain in eastern and central Sindh after which they are expected to move towards southern Punjab and the north. These winds are expected to cause heavy rains in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). INP
Court extends Shahid Abbasi's bail in PSO MD appointment case KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday extended bail of former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in a case regarding appointment of Managing Director (MD) of Pakistan State Oil (PSO). Abbasi appeared before the court during the hearing. The court expressed anger over absence of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officials and lawyer and remarked that former prime minister arrived from Islamabad for the hearing but anti-graft watchdog’s officials did not come. The high court, while extending bail of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader adjourned the hearing till September 3. It is pertinent to mention here that Abbasi has been accused of hiring people illegally while he was serving as the petroleum minister during PML-N’s tenure. NAB claimed that he illegally appointed PSO MD and deputy MD. INP
Shehbaz to visit Karachi tomorrow ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
National Assembly (NA) Opposition Leader Shahbaz Sharif is expected to visit Karachi on Wednesday after the record-breaking torrential rains battered most parts of the city, exposing the shabby infrastructure and poor administration. According to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal, Sharif will call on Edhi Foundation chief Faisal Edhi and the rain victims during his visit. Furthermore, the PML-N president will also inaugurate the party office in Nazimabad and meet the local party leaders there.
vision. Local government bodies elections will be held in Sindh after new delimitation, the ECP said in its announcement. According to the schedule, the process of local bodies delimitation will be completed from 09 to 22 September. Preliminary delimitation of local councils in Sindh will be displayed on September 23. The local government election will be announced after limits of the councils are finalised, according to the ECP. It is pertinent to mention here that the Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday issued notices to parties over a petition against new delimitation of local councils for local government polls in Sindh. A petition filed in the high court prayed that final data of the national census yet to be released and argued that before final results of the population census delimitation process for election could not be completed. The bench summoned replies of the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), ECP and other parties by September 24.
Opp wants NRO in exchange for its support of FATF legislation: Faraz ISLAMABAD APP
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz on Monday said that opposition, while putting aside the national interest, wanted to get amnesty through a national reconciliation ordinance (NRO) in exchange for its support of legislation related to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Addressing a press conference, he said that while opposing FATF legislation, the opposition did everything to push Pakistan into the black list of FATF. Pakistan could not afford to get in the black list of FATF, he said adding, “We have to pass these FATF bills to protect Pakistan from financial difficulties and people from the impact of inflation.” Opposition wanted NRO by changing the law and by interpreting the law in its own favour, he said. Faraz said that it was still hoped that opposition would support the FATF legislation. “I urge members of parliament to keep in view the interest of the country,” he said. The opposition parties were raising hue and cry as they wanted that nobody should ask them about their theft, he stressed. The minister said that Prime Minister Imran Khan was constantly in touch with the authorities on the situation in Karachi and would visit the city in the current week. Our sympathies were with the people of Karachi, he added. He said that the prime minister talked to chief minister Sindh and assured of his cooperation. He said a three-point programme given by the premier would be implemented in coordination with the Sindh government to resolve issues in Karachi. He said that the federal government never did politics on the issues of Karachi but unfortunately Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) was doing so on the present situation. PPP leadership was holding press conferences and
today its leader Qamar Zaman Kaira held a press conference on the situation in Karachi, he continued. Whenever there was an issue of national importance, the top leadership of PPP disappeared from the country, he remarked. Faraz said that Imran Khan would not go along with those people in the country who were rejected in the elections on August 18, 2018 and looted the country. Imran was consistently working for the welfare of people especially for poor and middle class, he added. All his initiatives were for poor in the Naya Pakistan, he observed. Faraz said that the government in Sindh took trillions of rupees but the province miserably lacked infrastructure, roads, health and education facilities and the law and order situation was also bad. He said that if the federal government would give more money to the Sindh government it would go into their personal bank accounts. Opposition had only one agenda and it was trying that the government should not succeed in resolving problems of the people, he added. “We exposed the reality of the opposition before the people,” he further said. Faraz said that opposition's All Parties Conference (APC) would not be held as the opposition leaders were not sincere with each other. PM Imran is taking Pakistan out of difficulties with determination, however, the opposition is not interested in the welfare of people, he asserted. The minister said that no doubt there were problems of inflation but eventually the government would overcome the challenges. “Indicators of the economy were positive and economic activity was being revived and the good days would come,” he said. He assured that prices of sugar and wheat would come down with the import of these commodities. He said that the government had almost overcome the issue of coronavirus but still care was needed to stop spread of the disease.
Avenfield, Al-Azizia hearing: Nawaz moves applications in IHC ISLAMABAD INP
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) will take up on Tuesday appeals of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Captain Safdar against their conviction in the Avenfield reference. The court will also take up the PML-N supreme leader’s appeal against his conviction in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills reference. Nawaz's lawyer Khawaja Haris moved two miscellaneous applications in the IHC, stating that his client can't appear before the court tomorrow and requested exemption from personal appearance on his behalf on medical grounds. The applications submitted to the IHC registrar will be taken up along the appeals tomorrow. A two-judge bench comprising Justice Aamir Farooq and Justice
Mohsin Akhtar Kayani will hear the case. The appeals of Nawaz and Maryam against the Avenfield verdict will come up for hearing after a passage of more than a year. The accused have been out on bail since September 19, 2018 when the IHC suspended the 10-year, seven-year, and one-year imprisonment handed down to Nawaz, Maryam, and Safdar, respectively by an accountability court on July 6, 2018. The Supreme Court (SC) later upheld the suspension of their conviction while rejecting the National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) appeal against the high court's decision. The court will also take up Nawaz's appeal against his conviction in the AlAzizia Steel Mills reference on September 1. NAB's appeals, including one seeking an increase in the PML-N supreme leader's sentence in the Al-Azizia case from seven years to 14 years and the other against his acquittal in the Flagship reference, will also be heard.
Pemra suspends 24 News HD's licence for airing ‘hate inciting content’ ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
The Pakistan Electronic Media Authority Regulatory Authority (Pemra) has suspended a private news channel’s licence with “immediate effect” for “airing hate inciting content” during a special transmission. The electronic media regulatory body, in a press release dated August 30, said that it had issued an advisory to all television channels on August 20, directing them “not to air material that would harm inter-faith harmony or which was based on sectarianism and inciting hate”. However, it said 24NewsHD — a part of Central
Media Network Private Limited — aired “hate material during its special 10th of Muharram transmission without exercising any editorial control” thus violating PEMRA policies. The authority added that it received complaints (regarding the transmission) after which it took “prompt action” and suspended the channel’s license under section 30(3) of the PEMRA Ordinance, 2002. The body also issued a show-cause notice to the channel, according to the release, directing it to reply within 14 days. “The channel has been given the opportunity to present its stance according to the law,” it said, adding, however, its license will remain suspended until completion of the inquiry.
Water level on rise in Indus at Guddu, Sukkur barrages SUKKUR INP
The water level in Indus River surged on Monday at three barrages in Sindh after continuous rainfall in the country. According to the water data released by Sindh irrigation department the water level at Guddu Barrage and Sukkur Barrage surged by 13,000 and 2000 cusecs respectively in past 24 hours. The inflow of water in Indus at Guddu Barrage has been recorded 2,34,291 cusecs, while the outflow from the barrage remained 2,29,291 cusecs. The inflow of water in Indus at Sukkur Barrage has been recorded 2,07,725 cusecs, while the outflow from the barrage remained 2,05,025 cusecs. The inflow of water in Indus at Kotri Barrage has been recorded 86,565 cusecs, while the discharge from the barrage remained 85,900 cusecs, according to the irrigation department. Nine canals of three barrages in Sindh have been closed due to heavy rainfall. Sukkur Barrage has seven off-taking canals, out of which three - Dadu Canal, Rice Canal and North Western Canal (Kirthar) - are situated on right bank, and four - Khairpur Feeder West, Rohri Canal, Khairpur Feeder East and Nara Canal - are at the left bank of the Indus. Five off-taking canals of Sukkur Barrage and two off-taking canals of Guddu and Kotri barrages have been closed due to likely breaches in canals due to rising level of water.
People want Nawaz to assume power in Pakistan, says Maryam LAHORE INP
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Monday claimed that the people of Pakistan want Nawaz Sharif in power once again. Maryam took to twitter to share the pictures of the reception she received in her travel from Lahore to Islamabad on the motorway. She said that she met the people who had come from Karachi and other areas of the country when she resided in Bhera area of Punjab during the journey. Maryam said that when she stopped at Bhera for the Lunch, the people surrounded her and asked about her father. Whether to use the religion card or to use the traitor card, the work of the PML-N will speak, she added. The people are demanding salvation from the mess of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government. She claimed that the public’s love for Nawaz has increased and the masses want the return of Nawaz so that he can assume the power and bring back Pakistan on the track. The PML-N VP said that the opponents of Nawaz can do propaganda or hurl accusations on him, but no one can erase his work.
SHC hears MNA Shazia Marri's alleged fake degree case KARACHI INP
The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday heard a petition against Pakistan People's Party (PPP) MNA Shazia Marri over allegedly holding fake degree. As per details, the PPP lawmaker of the lower house of the parliament has been accused of holding fake degree. The Sindh High Court (SHC) has served notices to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the University of Karachi in this context. The further proceedings in the case have been adjourned till September 22. Shazia was born on 8 October 1972 in Karachi to Deputy Speaker of the Sindh Assembly Atta Muhammad Marri. The PPP stalwart remained member provincial assembly (MPA) of Sindh and information minister. Currently she is MNA of the PPP. Last year, the ECP had disqualified a member of Balochistan Assembly, associated with the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), for possessing a fake degree. A three-member bench of the commission, headed by the then chief election commissioner Justice (r) Sardar Muhammad Raza, gave this verdict. BAP leader Muhammad Khan had won election from Balochistan Assembly constituency PB-4 Loralai, but his degree was challenged.
Tuesday, 1 September, 2020
NEWS
yOuM-e-ASHurA ObServeD WItH Due SOleMNIty ACrOSS PAKIStAN ISLAMABAD
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INP
OUM-E-ASHURA, the 10th of Muharram-ul-Haram, was observed across the country on Sunday with due solemnity to pay homage to the supreme sacrifice rendered by Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS), his blessed family and his devoted companions in Karbala. Tazia and Shabih-e-Zuljanah processions were taken out in all cities and towns. Hundreds of religious gatherings (Majalis) and processions were also held across the country. Thousands of mourners participated in hundreds of Youm-e-Ashura processions countrywide. A number of devotees carrying Tazias and Alams recited soul-stirring elegies dedicated to Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS), his blessed family and devoted companions. Ulema and Zakireen highlighted the teachings of Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS) and various aspects of the Karbala tragedy. Elaborate security arrangements had been made to avoid any untoward incident
during the mourning processions. Law enforcement agencies, including police, Rangers, Frontier Corps (FC) and others provided security to mourners. Mobile phone services were completely suspended as a security measure. The routes of the procession were protected with barbed wire, panels, and barriers besides ensuring compliance of standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued by the government to curb the spread of coronavirus. Medical camps, Sabeels and stalls were also arranged to provide assistance to the participants. Hospitals were directed to remain alert for any emergency situation while a comprehensive plan was formulated to provide first aid on the spot to the mourners. In Rawalpindi, the main procession of Youm-e-Ashura emerged from Imambargah Col Maqbool Hussain, which culminated at Imambargah Qadeemi after passing through its designated routes. Zakireen highlighted the philosophy of the Battle of Karbala, paying great respects to the grandson of Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). The mourners held
Majlis of Sham-e-Ghariban at Imambargah Qadeemi. Sabeels of water, milk and tea were set up along the route of the processions. Walk-through gates and CCTV cameras had also been installed to check the entry and exit of people at various points. In Karachi, the central procession peacefully culminated at Hussanian Iranian Imarbargah in Kharadar after passing through its traditional routes. The procession was taken out from Nishtar Park and passed through MA Jinnah Road, Boulton Market and Khardar before being culminated at Kharadar’s Hussainian Iranian Imambargah. A large number of mourners, including men, women, children and elderly offered prayers during the procession. The participants and religious scholars paid homage to Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS), his blessed family and devoted companions. After offering prayers, the participants restarted their procession towards Hussanian Iranian Imarbargah and kept reciting Marsias to commemorate the sacrifices of Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS), his blessed family and
devoted companions. The special security measures were adopted as all the routes leading to culmination point from Nishtar Park were sealed and movement other than procession participants remained banned. More than 18,000 policemen and a large number of Rangers personnel were deployed for security of the mourners. According to Karachi Police spokesman, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah took an aerial view of the procession by helicopter and he was accompanied by Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mushtaq Ahmed Mahar. Cellular service also remained partially suspended. Medical camps with doctors, nurses, as well as the paramedical staff, had been established in a state of readiness throughout the procession route. In Lahore, main Shabih-e-Zuljanah procession was taken out from Nisar Haveli inside Mochi Gate of Walled City of Lahore and it culminated at Karbala Gamay Shah after marching through the traditional route, where Majlis of Sham-e-Ghariban was held.
PAKIStAN CONDeMNS DeSeCrAtION OF HOly QurAN IN SWeDeN, NOrWAy
FO censures use of pellets, tear gas on Muharram procession in IOK
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has strongly condemned the recent incidents of desecration of the Holy Quran in Sweden’s Malmo and Oslo in Norway. The spokesperson of the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement that the rise of such Islamophobic occurrences goes against the spirit of any religion, whereas, the freedom of speech cannot justify religious hatred. It added, “Ensuring respect for religious beliefs of others is a collective responsibility and is absolutely critical for global peace & prosperity.” STAFF REPORT
Pakistan on Sunday censured the use of force by state authorities on Muslims taking part in a Muharram-ul-Haram procession in Indian occupied Kashmir. The condemnation comes a day after Indian security forces fired shotgun pellets and tear gas to disperse hundreds of Muslims participating in a traditional religious procession in Indian held Kashmir, injuring scores, witnesses told Reuters. In a statement, Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said that due to the illegal and indiscriminate use of pellets, dozens of Muslims were wounded and some had sustained eye injuries causing permanent blindness. “Indian occupation forces in occupied Kashmir have been using pellet guns and lethal cartridges since 2010 resulting in a large number of deaths and grievous injuries to thousands of Kashmiris, including women and children,” he said. “The Kashmiri youth has been systemically targeted in this deadly campaign,” he added. Separately, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Presi-
IMb warns Pakistan against increase in polio cases ISLAMABAD: The Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) has warned Pakistan to adopt allout measures to eradicate polio from the country in the next six months; otherwise, the country may face over 1,000 cases. In its latest assessment of the global polio eradication programme, the IMB said that it is hopeful that Pakistan still has a chance to root out the crippling disease. “There is a new impetus for change and for rapid progress to be made,” it highlighted. Citing modelling data, the report notes that Pakistan is at the risk of wild poliovirus cases reaching 500 by the end of 2020 and vaccine-derived poliovirus cases reaching 1,000. “Unless renewed, well-planned and sustained polio vaccination is resumed for the remainder of 2020, the consequences of the inevitable large outbreaks of both kinds of poliovirus will be dire for Pakistan, Afghanistan and probably other countries as well,” it added. The situation is “extremely worrying” as the outbreak of the poliovirus spreads to previously polio-free areas in the country. TLTP
Pakistan keen to strengthen ties with Azerbaijan in diverse fields: Alvi ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi on Monday said that Pakistan was keen to strengthen ties with Azerbaijan in the fields of tourism, trade, defence and energy. Talking to Bilal Hayee, the newly appointed ambassador for Azerbaijan, the president said that Pakistan gave utmost importance to its relations with Azerbaijan. President Alvi said that Pakistan and Azerbaijan enjoyed deep economic, political, military and cultural ties and urged upon the envoy to play role in enhancing bilateral trade volume. He expressed gratitude to the government of Azerbaijan on supporting Pakistan during coronavirus pandemic, particularly repatriation of 522 stranded Pakistanis. The president also stressed regular holding of high-level bilateral meetings between the two countries to explore potential in diverse areas to their mutual benefit. APP
ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
dent Sardar Masood Khan also strongly condemned the random use of force by Indian army, including pellet guns, against the participants of peaceful processions of Youm-e-Ashura in IOK. He described it as a direct attack on the religious freedom of the Kashmiri people. Police in the main city of Srinagar said that the mourners on the outskirts of the city violated coronavirus prohibitions that restrict all religious processions and gatherings across the disputed region to stem the spread of the disease. Police said that they were still confirming the number of injured. Medics at one hospital said they treated at least 30 people, some of them with pellet and tear gas injuries. Many others were admitted to another hospital. Condemning the incident, Amnesty India held the brutal use of pellets shotguns responsible for “blinding, killing and traumatizing thousands of people in Kashmir”. Videos circulating on social media showed police in armored vehicles warning the mourners to disperse before taking action. Some in the procession were seen raising slogans seeking an end to Indian rule in Kashmir, where an insurgency has claimed thousands of lives over the last three decades.
Govt formulating strict safety guidelines to reopen schools: minister ISLAMABAD APP
Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood on Monday said that the government was aware of the academic loss of the students, but health of children was their top priority, and authorities have been devising strict guidelines for reopening of schools and universities as soon as possible. Talking to a private news channel, the minister said that federal authorities would review the situation of coronavirus pandemic and a session scheduled on September 7 would be attended by education ministers of all provinces to take a final decision regarding the resumption of academic sessions. “It is of the utmost importance that we safely integrate all our students back into the learning environment", he added. He further said that specific tasks would be created for teachers in schools and responsibilities for ensuring health and hygiene would be defined before reopening of schools. The minister said that the government was clear
that no decision would be taken without proper consultations and students' safety would be the top priority while making any decision in this regard. Strict action will be taken against those schools for violating the government’s order for a 20 per cent discount in tuition fees, he mentioned. The educators lost their jobs will be restored after the reopening of schools, he said, adding that the decision for promoting students had been taken in view of halting exams due to coronavirus. Replying to a question, he said, "I already suggested division of classes into two sections as a precautionary measure against Covid-19 in order to continue academic sessions and the classes should be continued into separate batches of students.” “However, we will also see the situation of Covid-19 cases after the conclusion of the Muharram-ul-Haram,” he added. He also detailed different plans for educational institutions, saying that a suggestion was also under consideration for allowing the centers for resuming classes of Level 8 to Level 12 students in the first phase.
Ehsaas Emergency Cash payments date extended till Sep 15 ISLAMABAD INP
Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar on Sunday announced extension in the deadline for receiving the payments under Ehsaas Emergency Cash Payments till September 15 for convenience of the applicants. However, the relatives of the deceased and the beneficiaries facing bio-metric verification issues will be able to receive their due payments up to 15 days after this closing date (September 15), Dr. Nishtar shared through a tweet. Earlier, the closing date for the payments was August 31 which has now been extended up to mid of September. Ehsaas has devised a mechanism for those applicants who are facing difficulty in bio-metric verification under which they will get payment message from the designated
bank through 8171 with date and address of the bank branch. Those persons whose parents or spouses are eligible but died can file an appeal through sending application with mentioning name and CNIC of the deceased and name of proposed deserving member of family and his or her CNIC number to the address: Dr Sania Nishtar, special assistant to prime minister on social protection and poverty alleviation, F Block, Pak Secretariat, Islamabad. The people who registered through 8171 or Prime Minister Labour Portal can find their eligibility by entering their CNICs number at the web portal: https://ehsaas.nadra.gov.pk/ehsaasTracking/. Once their eligibility is confirmed through the portal, Ehsaas Emergency Cash applicants can collect cash hand out of Rs12,000 from their nearest Ehsaas payment site. For the ease of recipients, the complete list and addresses of Ehsaas payments sites is available on Ehsaas website.
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As many 116 possessions were taken out on Youm-e-Ashura in Multan district. Similarly, about 36 tazia processions were ended up at Karbala Shah Shamas. Later on, Majalis of Sham-e-Ghariban were held in Imambargahs of Shah Gardez, Imambargah Lal Shah, Mumtazabad, Haveli Mureed Shah, Imambargah Hyderia (Gulghast) and Hussainabad Daulat Gate. In Peshawar, the main Alam, Tazia and Shabih-e-Zuljanah procession culminated at Imambargah Agha Syed Mustafa Shah Qissa Khawani Bazaar. The procession was taken out in the afternoon from Imambargah Bawa Fazal Hussain at Yakkatoot area of the city. Similar processions were also taken out in Mardan, Kohat, Bannu, Hangu, Lakki Marwat, Kurram, and Dera Ismael Khan. In Bahawalpur, the main procession was taken out from Jamia Masjid Chah Fateh Khan Bazar which concluded at Markazi Karbala Model Town B after passing through Machli Bazar, Multani Gate and Old Sabzi Mandi. Some 2,150 police personnel and 1,870 volunteers were deployed on security. In Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK), Tazia, Alam and Shabih-e-Zuljanah processions were brought out from central Imambargahs in all major cities and towns across the state, including in the capital city of Muzaffarabad, besides Mirpur, Kotli, Bagh, Bhimber, Sudhanoti, Haveli, Rawalakot, Hattiyan and Neelam valley districts which culminated at their stipulated religious sites after passing through their traditional routes.
PM Imran thanks nation for peacefully observing Ashura ISLAMABAD INP
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday vowed to take "very tough" action against elements igniting flames of sectarianism in the country on the occasion of Youm-eAshura. Taking to Twitter, he said, "I want to thank our nation for the peaceful observing of Ashura in the country. However, unfortunately, information has come to me of elements who tried to ignite flames of sectarianism on this occasion and I will be taking very tough action against them." Amid strict security, Youm-e-Ashura was marked with solemnity across Pakistan on Sunday to pay homage to Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS) and other martyrs of Karbala. In his message on Youm-e-Ashura on Twitter, PM Imran had said there are three important messages for people from the sacrifice of Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS), his family, and followers: "1. immortality is earned by those who give the supreme sacrifice of their lives to stand against tyranny & injustice. It is not earned simply by being rich, powerful or educated. Throughout history many great Muslims have been inspired by Karbala & sacrificed their lives to stand against oppression, colonial rule, injustice. 3. Today, the struggle continues against oppression of occupation & injustice in IIOJK."
three soldiers martyred in S Waziristan operation: ISPr RAWALPINDI STAFF REPORT
Three soldiers were martyred after militants opened fire at Pakistan Army troops during a search operation in South Waziristan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Sunday. “Terrorists fire raid at security forces blocking position during a search operation in South Waziristan.” the statement said. The soldiers were identified as Subedar Nadeem, Sepoy Saleem and Lance Naik Musawar. Four other soldiers have also sustained injuries during the incident, the military’s media wing added.
200 nationals stranded in India to return home LAHORE STAFF REPORT
Some 200 nationals stranded in India due to the suspension of train service between the neighbours will now return home through the Wagah border crossing on September 3, it emerged on Sunday. Train service was suspended on August 15 after the coronavirus outbreak, leaving hundreds of Pakistan nationals stranded on the other side of the border in Gujrat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, New Delhi and Rajasthan. Pakistan will repatriate 200 of its nationals from India following the efforts of its commission in New Delhi. In June this year, the crossing point was opened for three days to repatriate Indians stuck in Pakistan due to the Covid-19 crisis. The government on March 19 closed the Wagah Border in its bid to prevent the spread of the virus in the country.
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Tuesday, 1 september, 2020
news
two cops injured in grenade attack
FlOOd wArning issued FOr nOrthern PArts OF COuntry LAHORE
t
STAFF REPORT
HE Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Monday issued a significant flood warning for the northern parts of the country, predicting heavy to very heavy rainfall in catchment areas of river Kabul River along with hill torrents of Dera Ghazi Khan division. "According to the latest hydro-meteorological situation, monsoon has become active over Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Kashmir producing widespread thunderstorm/rains," an alert issued by the PMD's Flood Forecasting Division said. The advisory was shared on Twitter by Azhar Mashwani, the focal person on digital media to the Punjab chief minister. The alert warned that the existing weather system is likely to persist over those areas during the next 48 hours "with [a] high probability of heavy to very heavy rainfall in the catchment areas of River Kabul and its tributaries along with hill torrents of DG Khan division which may cause medium to high flood situation".
It advised the concerned authorities to remain alert during the period and take precautionary measures. The warning comes as floods have been reported across Punjab in recent days, damaging houses and crops in many areas. Around 872 people were evacuated last week owing to a threat of flood, with several points along the Chenab and Jhelum swelling. At least 60 rescue teams and 326 rescuers saved villagers and their belongings, and still many areas were under the threat of flood. At least a hundred villages situated close to the banks of rivers Jhelum and Chenab were facing threats due to possible flood. Those who had relatives away from the river found temporary shelter, while others were awaiting help from the authorities, who had failed to establish relief camps or provide food and medicines to the displaced people and their cattle. Meanwhile, in a weather forecast for the Karachi division on Monday, the PMD said monsoon currents continued to enter Sindh. Under their influence, "widespread rain/thundershowers with a few heavy to very heavy falls are likely in Mir-
remand of sharif group of Companies’ CFO extended
Two police officials sustained minor injuries in a grenade attack by unidentified assailants near Mominabad police station in Karachi on Monday. A senior police officer told the media that unidentified men hurled a grenade at the gate of Mominabad police station; however, the timely response by on-duty officials foiled the attack. The attackers, however, managed to flee the scene. No death was reported in the incident; however, two policemen sustained minor injuries while jumping off the range of grenade fragments, said Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Fida Hussain. The police department has commenced a probe into the incident and identification of the attackers with the help of CCTV footage.
KARACHI: At least 28 people died and 18 others injured during the recent monsoon rains in Sindh. According to the statistics released by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), 49 men, six women and 17 children have been killed in rain-related incidents in Sindh since July 6. The downpours caused partial damages to two houses in Malir and Nowshero Feroze respectively, whereas one house was completely destroyed in Nowshero Feroze. A total of 254 houses collapsed in different areas of the province, while the rainwater caused partial damage to 368 residential units, read the report. Crops standing over 25,174 acres of land were badly damaged due to the recent torrential rains in the province, said PDMA. Earlier on August 28, terming huge losses caused by torrential rains as ‘national disaster’, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah had urged the centre to help the provincial government in coping with the rain emergency. Addressing a press conference in Karachi, Murad Ali Shah had confirmed that as many as 80 people had died during the recent monsoon rains in Sindh. He had maintained that rain-related incidents claimed 47 lives in Karachi, 10 in Hyderabad, 6 in Larkana and 5 in Mirpur Khas. He had maintained that Karachi had received record-breaking rains in the current month. The chief minister had said that 604 millimetres of rain was recorded in Karachi during August. STAFF REPORT
purkhas, Tharparkar, Umerkot, Sanghar, Larkana, Dadu and Badin districts", it said. It also predicted scattered rain/thunder-
storms in Shaheed Benazirabad, Thatta, Hyderabad, Sukkur and Jacboabad districts until Tuesday morning.
Pakistan committed to safeguarding Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty: FM
TLTP
2 more karachi-bound trains cancelled due to rains
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July-August rAins killed 72 in sindh: PdMA
LAHORE An accountability court on Monday extended the remand of chief financial officer (CFO) of the Sharif Group of Companies, Mohammad Usman, for another 14 days in the money laundering case. Accountability Court Judge Akmal Khan directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to produce Usman on the next hearing on September 14. The bureau produced Muhammad Usman before the court and requested a 15-day extension in his remand for further interrogation. A NAB prosecutor argued that Usman played a key role in alleged money laundering by the Sharif family. “The accused was supervising the accounts of Sharifs and was involved in money laundering,” the NAB lawyer further argued. Mushtaq Cheeni, an approver in the money laundering case, had also stated about the involvement of Usman in money laundering by Sharifs, the NAB prosecutor further said. “On the instructions of Salman Shehbaz, Muhammad Usman was operating fake TT system and conducting money laundering in collaboration with Qasim Qayyum,” the accountability bureau’s lawyer further said. Last year in December, NAB had issued orders to freeze 23 pieces of property belonging to the former Punjab chief minister and his sons Hamza and Suleman Shehbaz over the allegation that they acquired assets beyond their means and were involved in laundering money.
KARACHI
ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy a deep-rooted and historic relationship, vowing Pakistan would stand alongside Saudi Arabia for safeguarding the latter’s sovereignty. The foreign minister was talking to Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Pakistan Nauwaf bin Saeed Al-Malki who
called on him on Monday and discussed matters pertaining to the bilateral relationship and mutual interest. He said, “Sanctity of the Holy Mosques in the Kingdom is dear to every Muslim and part of their religious beliefs.” The foreign minister condemned the attacks of Houthi rebels in the kingdom. It is pertinent to mention here that besides meeting political leadership within the past few weeks, Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Pakistan Nauwaf bin Saeed AlMalki called on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Jawed Bajwa at the General Headquarters (GHQ) on August 11. According to the military media wing, matters of mutual interest, regional security, defence cooperation and other issues came under discussion in the meeting. The Saudi ambassador also held separate meetings with the Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and Punjab Assembly Speaker Pervaiz Elahi. Buzdar said that Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have religious, historic and deep-rooted ties and Riyadh played an important role in the development of Pakistan. Saudi Arabia has always supported Pakistan in a difficult time and Islamabad gave importance to its ties with Riyadh. The chief minister said that the efforts of the government bear fruit to curb the spread of coronavirus. He said that the government laid the foundation stone of Ravi River Front Urban Development Project which will be a game-changer. The authorities are planning to establish a new city in Lahore, he added.
Five injured in sheikhupura roof collapse SHEIKHUPURA INP
Five members of a family including a woman and a minor girl were injured when roof of a house collapsed due to heavy rain on Monday. According to details, like other parts of country, monsoon rains lashed different areas of district Sheikhupura resultantly a mud-stone house located at Lahore near Ayesha Stop in Sheikhupura suddenly came down. Five members of a family including a woman and a minor girl were critically injured in the incident. The Rescue 1122 teams reached the scene, pulled out the injured from rubble and shifted them to District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital.
youth gunned down near khairpur KHAIRPUR PPI
A youth was gunned down in a clash near Khairpur on Monday. Two groups of Shaikh community developed a dispute near Sethiyo Canal of Khairpur and in the firing, youth Ali Gohar Shaikh was killed. The body was shifted to Civil Hospital for medico-legal formalities and later handed over to the heirs. A mourning atmosphere prevailed in the area soon after the murder. Tense situation was also prevalent due to fear of more bloodshed. The police have arrested the accused, Rashid Shaikh, and started a probe into the incident.
KP officials asked to prepare concept papers of new uplift schemes
LAHORE
PESHAWAR
TLTP
STAFF REPORT
Pakistan Railways on Monday announced the cancellation of two more express trains owing to heavy rains in different parts of Sindh, after three Karachibound trains were cancelled on Sunday last. According to Pakistan Railways spokesperson, two Karachi-bound trains, Karakoram Express and Shah Hussain Express have been cancelled due to heavy rainfall in Sindh. The spokesperson said that the passengers of the trains would be adjusted in other trains. “If passengers are reluctant to travel in other trains, they can claim their full refunds,” he said. He said the trains were cancelled after railway tracks were inundated with rainwater in Karachi railways division due to the spell of heavy rains. The city of lights was devastated after receiving unprecedented rains since Thursday as many areas are still flooded with rainwater. The Pakistan Railways on Sunday also cancelled three Karachi-bound trains, Karakoram Express, Shah Hussain Express and Karachi Express. It must be noted that the met office in its weather advisory has warned against likely urban flooding due to heavy rains from Monday to Wednesday in urban areas, flash foods in hill torrents and likely landslides in mountain regions.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Secretary Dr Kazim Niaz has asked secretaries of concerned departments to prepare concept papers of new development schemes for the year 2020-21, so that they could start work on PC-1 of the project after approval of schemes. The chief secretary issued these directions while presiding over a meeting of administrative secretaries of all departments at the Civil Secretariat on Monday. He directed all administrative secretaries to take approval for new schemes of annual development program before October 31. The chief secretary said that the approval of projects for the newly merged districts should be kept on top priority. He directed all the administrative secretaries to ensure fair and merit-based transfer/postings of government servants in the province. He said the government servants who have spent two or more years while working on the same post should be transferred to other areas. The secretaries of various departments apprised the meeting of the progress made in light of the last committee meeting. The meeting also raised the issue of reviewing the age relaxation option for government jobs. The meeting was informed that in the last five years, in 2000 cases age relaxation has been provided to the can-
didates. The meeting decided to reconsider the age relaxation policy for candidates except scheduled castes and backward areas. A committee headed by Additional Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will formulate its recommendations within a month. The meeting also discussed the pending action in respect of cases received from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). The meeting was told that the concerned departments should provide the information sought by
NAB within ten days, submit reports within two to three weeks and dispose of complaints referred for necessary action within 30 days. The chief secretary directed departments to properly deal with the cases related to NAB, and said that he should be informed about the pending cases on a monthly basis. The meeting was informed that out of about 501,223 complaints received through Pakistan Citizen Portal, the KP government has resolved 88 per cent of complaints, which is the highest ratio in the country. The Housing Department was ranked on top in the province, where 99 per cent of the complaints have been resolved, followed by revenue and food department. In the audit evaluation score, the Information department topped the list, while the Housing and Science and Technology department were ranked second and third. Similarly, in the file tracking system, the health department performance was ranked best, followed by excise and the education department. Chief Secretary Dr Kazim Niaz directed all departments to further improve their performance. The meeting also informed the Administrative Secretaries about the decisions taken in the 42nd meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI). The meeting was informed that the steps taken by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government in tackling the Covid-19 pandemic were appreciated in the CCI.
Tuesday, 1 September, 2020
NEWS
CaBInet CommIttee ProPoSeS ForenSIC auDIt oF major LoSS-makInG SoeS ISLAMABAD
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STAFF REPORT
ABINET Committee on State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) on Monday proposed a forensic audit of major loss making SOEs on the instructions of Prime Minister Imran Khan. The meeting of the committee was chaired by Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance and Rev-
enue Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh. Hafeez Shaikh directed that before taking a final decision on the proposed forensic audit, detailed information regarding the availability of sufficient forensic audit expertise within Auditor General Pakistan (AGP), estimate of cost in case the audit is to be outsourced to leading audit firms, proposed time duration of forensic audit and a proposed list of loss-making entities should be shared with the committee be-
fore the next meeting. The adviser was given a detailed briefing on the triage of SOEs. The triage was undertaken for liquidation, privatisation and retention under government ownership, on the basis of economic rationale and financial performance of SOEs. The committee discussed in detail issues pertaining to retention, privatisation and restructuring of proposed SOEs. Hafeez Shaikh directed that the list
should be reviewed and revisited till the next meeting and a new category may be introduced in the list where ownership may be retained by the government and the entity can be operated by the private sector for better management. A draft law related to SOEs was also discussed in the meeting. Hafeez Shaikh directed that the law may be reviewed further in consultation with the Law Division and other line ministries/divisions.
FBR surpasses July-Aug revenue target by Rs42bn REVENUE BOARD COLLECTS RS593BN IN JULY-AUG FY21, AS AGAINST THE TARGET OF RS551BN ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
With positive growth in revenue collection, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has surpassed its collection target for the first two months (July and August) of the financial year 2020-21 (FY21), as the board collected Rs593 billion during the period under review against the target of Rs551 billion. According to official data shared by FBR, the revenue collection during the first two months of the previous fiscal (FY20) was Rs582 billion, which is Rs11 billion less than this year. “To address the hardships caused to the business community by Covid-19, refunds to the tune of Rs30.6 billion have been disbursed collectively in the first two months of FY21, as compared to Rs11 billion during the same period of last year,” the board stated. “Sales tax refunds are being issued under a centralised and automated system called FASTER, which is clearing refunds to ex-
Steel melters urge govt to solve taxation-related issues LAHORE
porters within 72 hours, as committed by the government.” The FBR claimed that it also engaged with trade and industry to mitigate their genuine grievances. “As part of this initiative, the board launched an unprecedented crackdown on corruption, dismissing and suspending 76 officers and officials since July 2020.” In post-Covid scenario, the FBR stated, economic activities are now being revived through multiple economic stimuli and reliefs granted in the budget FY21. Hectic efforts were put up by Customs field formations in respect of collection of duty and taxes which was otherwise a daunting task owing to post Covid economic constraints, Muharram holidays and heavy rainfall in Karachi, which is the epicentre of the country’s revenue collection. As per the FBR figures, total customs duty during the first two months FY21 stood at Rs92 billion. The FBR explained that sales tax collection at the import stage remained on the lower side as compared to the corresponding period of the previous year due to heavy rainfall in Karachi. Fur-
PM orders to finalise Karachi Transformation Plan in a week COntInuED fROM pAgE 01
The Pakistan Steel Melters Association (PSMA) on Monday voiced its concerns regarding taxation related issues being faced by the industry and urged the government to resolve its problems immediately. PSMA Chairman Rehman Aziz Chan said that the steel melting industry is one of the largest revenue generating sectors of the country adding that issues being faced by the industry negatively affect Pakistan’s economic growth and hence deserve immediate attention. “Steel melters pay Rs12,140 in sales tax, Rs1,100 in income tax and an additional Rs1,000 in the form of other taxes. On the other hand, steel melters operating in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (PATA) do not pay taxes which makes it hard for PSMA furnaces to remain competitive,” he said. “We already pay sales tax on the import of steel scrap and ferrous-alloys. At the time of production we pay sales tax on electricity and on all other consumable items.” he further said adding that a further 10 per cent sales tax with every
Pakistan Navy had augmented relief and rescue activities in Karachi and Badin, Sindh. Pakistan Navy assisted repairing of LBOD overflow/ leakage in coordination with civil administration in district Badin. Different areas were also de-flooded. Relief and rescue efforts were launched at various parts of Karachi and citizens were shifted to safer places, it added. Hundreds of cooked food packets were distributed amongst the traumatized families in rain-hit area of Younis Abad & Kakka Pir, Nazimabad and Surjani Town. Additionally, thousands
ISLAMABAD APP
The Petroleum Division said on Monday that it has directed the gas utility companies to recover the first instalment of the Gas Infrastructure Development Cess (GIDC) from industrial and commercial consumers during the month of September. "The Petroleum Division has started implementing the Supreme Court's August 13 decision with regard to GIDC Act-2015," the division stated on its official Twitter account. "The apex court's directives had been passed to gas companies (SNGPL & SSGC) to recover the collected cess (levy) in 24 instalments." The Petroleum Division said the recovered amount would be utilised for the execution of gas infrastructure development projects, which were being supervised by its top leadership. The PD condemned negative propaganda being carried out in the media against Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Petroleum Nadeem Babar.
India, China accuse each other of provocation in new border standoff COntInuED fORM pAgE 01 According to Indian military sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, Indian troops pushed back Chinese troops who crossed the Line of Control. “PLA soldiers walked into our area near the south bank of Pangong, but our soldiers were prepared and quickly pushed them back without any violence,” said one source. “They tried to come in again several hours later but we stood firm. There has been no such confrontation in this area in the past.” China’s foreign ministry said Chinese troops “have always strictly respected the Line of Actual Control and never crossed the line”. “Border troops from both sides have maintained communication over issues on the ground,” foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a press briefing. Amid calls for boycotts of Chinese goods, India has stepped up economic pressure on China since the June battle and repeatedly warned that relations would suffer unless its troops pull back. India has banned at least 49 Chinese owned-apps — including the TikTok video platform — frozen Chinese firms out of contracts and held up Chinese goods at customs posts. China has complained about the action and warned that Indian consumers will suffer.
Cabinet likely to approve nominations for PPL's BoD election ISLAMABAD AHMAD AHMADANI
SHAHAB OMER
'First instalment of GIDC to be recovered from commercial consumers in Sept'
thermore, the exemption granted in respect of Additional Customs Duty (ACD) on more than 1,600 tariff lines in budget FY21 also subsequently resulted in a decrease in sales taxable value. In line with the vision and directives of the prime minister to curb the menace of smuggling, the FBR vigorously launched a countrywide counter-smuggling drive. The board accordingly directed its field formations to make all-out efforts to intensify anti-smuggling activities. In pursuance of the aforesaid directions, Pakistan Customs initiated massive anti-smuggling operations throughout the country and across all terrains that have led to significant seizures of smuggled goods. During the month of August 2020 alone, customs seized smuggled goods worth Rs3.95 billion as compared to Rs2.1 billion in August 2019, thus showing an increase of 87.3pc. These seized goods included fabrics, cigarettes, foreign currency, POL products, auto parts, foodstuff, narcotics and other miscellaneous goods.
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of bags containing necessary food items were also distributed in Surjani Town, Yaro khan Goth, Yousaf Goth, Khamesso Goth covering diverse localities at Karachi and relief camps at district Badin. Medical Camps established at Badin were reinforced with additional doctors and medics of Pakistan Navy. Mobile medical teams visited various localities and provided treatment and medicines to over 1000 patients. Medical assistance was also extended to residents, forced to remain confined at their homes due widespread flooding in Defence and Clifton areas. Similarly, keeping the tradition of
serving the nation during natural calamities, Pakistan Air Force (PAF) came to the succor of rain affected families of Karachi. On the special instructions of Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan, the PAF bases situated in Karachi are actively participating in relief operations in the rain affected areas, said a press statement issued by the PAF spokesperson on Monday. Besides actively participating in relief efforts in flood-like situation in some parts of the city, PAF is also reaching out to the needy families whose houses have been inundated in the natural calamity.
Facilitation of business community among top govt prioritises: PM ISLAMABAD TLTP
Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that it is his government’s priority to facilitate the business community by eliminating their difficulties through ease of doing business. The PM was talking to a delegation of American Business Council of Pakistan on Monday. “We have given a special package to uplift the country’s construction industry,” the PM stated, adding that the gov-
ernment had also formed a committee to boost small and medium enterprises. The delegation lauded the government’s policies to facilitate the business community in the country and measures for ease of doing business. The members of the group also briefed the PM on investments made by different companies in the American Business Council. They were of the view that investment opportunities were improving in the country owing to business-friendly policies of the incumbent government.
The federal cabinet is expected to approve nominations for election of directors to the board of Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL). According to sources, the Petroleum Division has asked the federal cabinet to approve nominees who will contest elections for a place on PPL’s Board of Directors (BoD). The approval has been sought in the light of the Supreme Court’s (SC) judgment dated August 19, 2016. The cabinet is likely to grant approval in this regard. Sources further said that the Petroleum Division had earlier submitted a summary before Prime Minister Imran Khan for the nomination of directors on PPL’s board. The Prime Minister’s Office approved the summary and asked for it to be presented before the cabinet According to reports, PPL’s BoD was reconstituted on June 3, 2019 for its remaining statutory period in pursuance of the government’s policy of appointment and empowerment of non-political and autonomous boards. The tenure of PPL’s previous BoD expired on Sunday, August 30, 2020. An extraordinary general meeting for the election of directors is scheduled to be held on September 16, 2020. According to sources the proposed PPL BoD will comprise ten directors who have been nominated for election in accordance with prescribed guidelines, rules, regulations and corporate governance criteria. As far as the composition of the proposed BoD is concerned, sources revealed that Shahab Rizvi (Sindh domicile) has been proposed as a director and a possible chairperson. Moreover, Khurshid Bhaimia (Sindh domicile), Imtiaz A.H. Laliwala (Sindh domicile), Aftab Ahmad (Punjab domicile), Abid Sattar (Punjab domicile), Mian Imtiazuddin (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa domicile), Balochistan secretary energy, Petroleum Division representative (Balochistan domicile) and Finance Division representative (Balochistan domicile) have also been proposed as possible directors of PPL.
BankIslami’s half-yearly profit rises 53.7pc to Rs941m KARACHI MEIRYUM ALI
The Board of Directors of BankIslami on Monday released its financial report for the half-year ended June 30, 2020, According to the financials, the bank’s consolidated profit after tax increased to Rs941 million in the half-year ending June 2020, as compared to the Rs612 million in the corresponding period last year, showing a growth of 53.7pc year-on-year. The bank’s earnings per share (EPS) clocked in at Rs0.854, which is an increase from the Rs0.603 during the same period
last year. The bank’s net interest income for the first six months of 2020 increased by 39.7pc over the first half of 2020, to Rs6.79 billion. According to the director’s report, this increase was due to higher yields on earning assets, and an increase in the fund flow of the bank. However, the report did note that the banking spread is expected to shrink going forward, due to the decrease in the benchmark rate by 625 basis points this year. The bank’s non-interest income increased by 78.4pc to Rs933 million. According to the bank, this was due to an increase in foreign exchange income, a rise
CMYK
in the fee earned through investment banking, and capital gains on the sale of nongovernment sukuk bonds. The operating expenses of the bank rose by 18pc, though the bank attributed this to an increase in the branch network (which increased from 330 in June 2019, to 340 in June 2020) and employee costs. According to the director’s report, the bank’s total assets rose by 13pc, and deposits increased by 12pc when compared to June 2019. The growth in deposits was due to a 15pc increase in CASA deposits, compared to June 2019. “Keeping in view the downward trend
in profit rates and spreads amid the challenging economic environment, the bank, going forward will continue its approach to re-profile its deposit base with a greater focus towards low cost CASA deposits,” the director’s report said. The bank’s infection ratio increased to 11pc, compared to 10pc in June 2019, while the bank’s coverage ratio dropped to 80pc at the end of June 2020 as opposed to 85pc at June 2019. According to the bank, it had booked subjective provisioning of Rs662 million against potential losses in the asset portfolio during this period.
Tuesday, 1 September, 2020
06 COMMENT
A chronic case of sour grapes
Yet another challenge for PTI government Floods begin to wreak havoc in Punjab and Sindh
The psychology behind Faraz-bashing
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HILE reports about deaths and property losses from rain related incidents continue to pour in, a much bigger danger looms ahead. Water levels in Punjab’s rivers are fast rising. In Sindh, which is facing the seventh spell of the current monsoon season, hill torrents and broken dykes in canals are causing floods in rural areas that have already rendered thousands homeless. chenab and Jhelum have started flooding villages on both sides of Sargodha district, damaging houses as well as standing crops. The Met has predicted widespread rains and thundershowers in most areas of the country including Punjab during the next four days. The heavy downpour may generate hill torrents leading to flash floods destroying villages below. Weather conditions are likely to affect the upper catchments of rivers Indus, kabul, Jhelum, chenab, Ravi and, up to some extent, Sutlej. While parts of karachi remain submerged and without electricity for more than 72 hours after record breaking rains, Sindh government has declared 20 districts including six in karachi ‘calamity-hit’ as heavy rains have brought life to a standstill. Thousands of marooned villagers across kachho belt are reportedly without food and water for many days. In both Punjab and Sindh the situation could further deteriorate if weather conditions worsen. There were complaints in karachi of the Met not issuing a timely warning about Tuesday’s heavy rains. The country, we are belatedly reminded in a report prepared by the NDMa, is relying on old technology for weather forecast. It has neither an effective telemetry system nor modern weather forecast radars for timely prediction of flooding. consequently the availability of data on the discharge of water in the eastern rivers depends on timely information from India. The disaster management system is mired by time consuming practices including prior approval from the competent authorities before action. One wonders what the ministry of climate has been doing all this time besides planting trees The new challenge will test the ability of the PTI government. PM Imran khan’s administration will not be judged by its promises but its performance. It cannot transfer blame for any mishandling of the floods situation to the preceding PML-N and PPP governments.
HASAN AFTAB SAEED
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ack in 1994 in the monthly Adabiaat, ahmad Nadeem Qasmi wrote a beautiful piece on ahmad Faraz. Using anecdotes and a sample of Faraz’s couplets, he clinically debunked the Faraz-is-ateenagers’-poet ‘theory’. I do not propose to add anything to that, because the article was as definitive as it was readable. One thing that I have never understood, however, is this: Pray, what is wrong with being a teenagers’ poet anyway? In any country, teenagers constitute arguably the most important demographic of all. In Pakistan, they account for an even greater chunk of the population than is the case elsewhere, so one could do worse than becoming their darling. Besides, teenagers do not stay teenagers forever. They age, but they are apt to keep cherishing through the rest of their years the things they liked in their formative years. I am no teenager, but nobody has ever had a greater influence on me than Ghalib, Russell, Iqbal, Miller and Faraz – all of whom I first loved in my teens. and no thinker has ever been a source of more joy than these gentlemen, barring Shafiqur Rehman,
Polio on the rise
whom I fell in love with even earlier. For my part, I would love to be the teenagers’ favourite. So would the self-proclaimed poets who never tire of labelling Faraz as a teenagers’ poet, but who would give their right arms to become one themselves. What is said as a taunt is really a thinly disguised case of sour grapes. Faraz’s cardinal sin was that he was not only good at his craft, but he was able to enjoy recognition and fame – in fact, he remained a rock star practically all his life. also, in what is a rare accomplishment in Pakistan, he was able to earn considerably from the sale of his books. Furthermore, in what goes against our best literary traditions, he managed his finances, made sure his children were well-educated, and lived a comfortable life. Many ‘poets’ never forgave him for this betrayal. Our poets can tolerate (with some difficulty) a celebrity poet so long as they know he is not very good. They can also tolerate a rival who has merit but who goes unrecognized. What they cannot handle is one who is appreciated in his own lifetime and who deserves it as well. There is an old tradition of this in the subcontinent. Even Ghalib’s unparalleled literary merit was recognized rather late in his life. We just don’t know what to do when time-tested traditions break down. Many of these critics are poets of the free verse. Now it might sound impressive, but this description is a euphemism for those who desperately want to be known as poets but who do not possess the talent or the skill to adhere to metre or rhyme. In Urdu, free verse is translated as aazaad shaeri but it would be more accurate to call it maadar-pidar aazaad shaeri. Most of their ‘creations’ are nothing more than prose (of rather low quality) broken down haphazardly into lines. They fail to realize that pressing the enter key at random places in a paragraph does not transform it into a poem. The good old Dunning-kruger effect is at play here, but there is more to it than that. Firmly of the opinion that their own undeniable merit has gone unrecognized, these ‘poets’ think that merit always goes unrecognized, and vice versa. While it is true that merit sometimes does go unrecognized; still, there are far more cases of recognized demerit than there are of unrecognized merit. another group that cannot stand the thought of
Faraz consists of the so-called realists – talentless hacks that believe that throwing in words like ‘laptop’ and ‘jeans’ is somehow enough to make a poem the last thing in literary excellence. Some of these poems are so ‘close to real life’ that one fears that at any moment the poet will inquire about the retail price of potatoes. No wonder these landmark creations are not appreciated by anybody save a coterie of like-minded individuals. and no wonder there is so much bitterness against somebody who is so widely appreciated – not because of cheap gimmicky, but on account of genuine skill demonstrated over a career spanning half a century. By way of dismissing Faraz as an insignificant poet, it is repeatedly asserted by some wannabe poets that he was fond of protocol, drink, and money. Well, by this token Ghalib would be a below-average poet as well. Surely there must be different criteria to judge the worth of a poet and that of a primary school teaching candidate. Genuine poetic talent is rare; in contrast, there is no dearth of teetotallers who believe they are exemplary in their disgust for money and fame but who keep producing heaps of nonsense in the guise of poetry. Faraz was a freak of nature: a Pathan who wrote many volumes in Urdu and yet not his worst critic can point to an instance where he violated Urdu. a man who could articulate thoughts in ways the ahlee-zubaan can only dream of. The unabated propaganda against him shows that he continues to haunt his detractors from his grave. If anything, his stature as a literary giant is growing with time. Faraz was a great poet, and time is kind to great people. as for the pygmies who keep venting their anger by disparaging him, they are non-entities now and they will remain so. I can think of no better way to end than by quoting Faraz himself:
Hasan Aftab Saeed is a connoisseur of music, literature, and food (but not drinks). He can be reached at www.facebook.com/hasanaftabsaeed
Pakistan’s crippling employment crisis
Pakistan unlikely to eradicate the virus any time soon
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Relics of the past leave no space for young talent to work for the country
OW that Nigeria, the last country in africa afflicted with the crippling poliovirus has successfully eradicated it, the continent has finally been declared polio-free. Despite the danger posed to health workers from violent militancy and difficulties faced in reaching remote places to carry out immunization campaigns in Nigeria, the country has persevered to contribute to the target of 95% immunity across the continent. This now leaves Pakistan and afghanistan as the only countries in the world where the virus remains endemic. a recently released report by the IMB (Independent Monitoring Board) severely criticizes Pakistan’s polio programme stating that, “there is every possibility that Pakistan will be the last place on Earth to harbour this terrible disease.” With eight cases in 2017 and twelve in 2018, it seemed the country was finally settling into a position to eliminate the virus. However, 2019 saw an astronomical rise with 147 wild poliovirus cases nationwide, while vaccine-derived cases that had all but disappeared in the previous two years rose by 22. So far this year at least 65 wild poliovirus cases have been recorded across the country. Vaccine-derived cases have soared to 52, which accounts for a third of all such cases in the world. These are dangerously high numbers for a country that has been running a state-level nationwide polio eradication programme for decades. The report notes that the virus has made its way to the North, with cases being reported in Southern parts of kP and Lahore, from its core reservations found in karachi and Quetta. While this year’s uptick is attributable to the coronavirus pandemic that disrupted planned vaccination campaigns, the bulk of the problems restricting Pakistan from making any meaningful progress, according to the report, are a lack of political unity, dysfunctional teamwork, mistrustful communities and poor technical performance. The report advises “transformational change” in the anti-polio strategy. The new civilian government under Imran khan was supposedly going to bring about that sort of change but unfortunately the situation has significantly worsened in the past two years rather than improving. Pakistan must join hands with neighbouring afghanistan to restrict crossborder spread in Balochistan. Nigeria, having similar problems as Pakistan in terms of vaccination drives, is a good case study for the country to consider. cosmetic measures, such as the Prime Minister’s periodic phone conversations with Mr. Bill Gates to discuss progress, are simply no longer going to cut it.
SumEErA ASgHAr roy
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RIME MINISTER Imran khan, during his election campaigns, used to say that a day would come when foreigners would apply for education and employment in Pakistan. as it has turned out, however, the youth of his own country is in dire straits. What we have seen over the past two years is a growing crime rate, in many parts of the country, redundancy is a primary cause of which. When graduates do not find an appropriate and legitimate way of earning, they find alternatives, which can be felonious. Meanwhile, some PhD holders in engineering and other fields are even selling street food. The dilemma of Pakistan is that entitled persons are not permitted to make their presence in the system, because it may bring to light flaws of the existing system and clumsiness of those who are running it. Unfortunately, if someone manages, somehow or the other, to set his feet in the system, he is not authorized to work with uprightness, integrity, and full fervor; in the end, he capitulates and packs up for an overseas abode. a survey conducted by the Institute of European Business Administration in 125 countries, saw Pakistanis rank as the fourth “most intelligent people” in the world. cambridge exam for both O and a levels has been topped by Pakistanis, and the record is not yet broken. Pakistanis are being declared as best graduates of the year in all research fields from renowned and top world universities and research institutes every year. currently, more than 2,000-3,000 PhD doctors are unemployed. The following are possible reasons: One is an unclear policy from the higher educa-
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tion communication, especially with regards to deploying talent. They had an interim policy for a short time for almost one year, which is also ambiguous with regards to individuals who become PhDs – the HEc does not know what to do next. The second reason is the lack of research institutions. Pakistan only has a couple of research institutions, and even those that already exist, have insufficient funding. Many projects never become operational, because of a lack of funding. as compared to china and India, our neighbors, Pakistan cannot even present its national key laboratories and research institutions. a glimpse of recent advancements in technology shows Pakistan without anything comparable to India’s endeavor to land its rover chandrayaan-2 on the moon. Moreover, Pakistan’s minister of science and technology was ironically tweeting about its failure. Iran has recently launched its military satellite, whereas, we still depend on countries like china. after wearying work of five to seven years in foreign universities of high excellence, receiving degrees in fields of biotechnology, remote sensing, molecular biology, natural sciences, and applied sciences, returning home with the ambition of devotion, what they are destined to meet is nepotism, favoritism and lack of funds. They find retired personnel coming back on the same posts on a contract basis over and over again. One man is holding more than two offices in the civil aviation authority (caa) – the directorgeneral, secretary, and chairman is the same person. after continuous struggle and depression, they resort back to the countries from where they had received degrees. They are not only welcomed but also privileged. Some of the world’s best doctors and surgeons, originally from countries like Pakistan, are serving in non-native countries. If they are apt for serving in the world’s best institutions, then why can’t they do so in their homeland? a female student from karachi has invented a speaking glove to help talk with people having hearing loss. Nevertheless, instead of paying attention to these kinds of incredible students, bizarre individuals like ahmad ali Shah – who can be seen disrespecting his teacher in one of his viral videos – are being presented as celebrities in different TV programs. Undoubtedly, there are flaws in the entire education system from top to bottom, especially unskilled and impractical education; students are wasting their time in cramming while labs are being abandoned. Students, who receive their degrees in native or national institutions are unable to perform in-field, but what about those students who are getting degrees from foreign institutions of par excellence? They are not only skilled but also have the potential to perform in the relevant field. On what basis and pretense are they
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not allowed to perform? The curse of imports has been a quandary. Owing to the unskilled educational system, the production sector has been hit hard. Since its independence, Pakistan has been ill-equipped. Unquestionably, in the beginning, Pakistan had to face circumstances in which all major production units were present in the newly formed Republic of India. However, now 73 years have passed, and still, we are unable to produce basic articles of daily usage. We have not even been self-sufficient in producing elements for Islamic rituals like tasbeeh and jay-e-nimaz. We have been importing aforesaid objects from china. Had the sector of production been pushed to flourish by any of the stalwarts, either belonging to the political or military field, the rate of unemployment would have reduced magically. The misfortune of Pakistan is that it has never been ruled by a man of credibility, a visionary leader like its founder. One who could tackle the menace of overpopulation, faulty educational policies, unemployment, and underrated production sector jointly. Without any ambiguity, all of the factors mentioned above are inter-related. a controlled population, producing patent owners instead of crammers and exploring resources along with enhancing the production sector, may assist in overcoming unemployment. Here it is interesting to note that despite large populations, countries like the US, china, and India have a lower unemployment rate as compared to Pakistan. Recently, miss Tania aidrus’s – a former Google executive – resignation is speaking loud and clear that this corrupt system is not meant for talented persons. She desired to see a Digital Pakistan, but all her desires fell flat. It is being said that she was asked to resign owing to her dual nationality, but on the contrary, almost seven SaPMs were found to be dual nationals, but they are still assisting the premier. The only issue was compatibility with the system. Pakistan has not only lost a talented personality, but it has also further strengthened the view that there is no place for dexterous, revolutionists and gifted ones in the country. The post-cOVID-19 era will bring more challenges along with it; unemployment can be one of them. Unemployment may touch higher peaks if a master plan is not prepared. cutting it short, retired employees must not be entertained over and over again by neglecting young blood as they have more acquaintance with technology and they are far more energetic than degraded ones. Let the youth take control of the harness. Elders being an inspiration for the youth must welcome them with open arms. Instead of imports, Pakistan must utilize local raw material, as well as local talent, to bring forth a buoyant Pakistan. Sumeera Asghar Roy is a doctoral candidate at China Agricultural University, Beijing.
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Tuesday, 1 September, 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
Bags not tools accORDING to Wikipedia,“child labour refers to the exploitation of children through any form of work that deprives children of their childhood, interferes with their ability to attend regular school, and is mentally, physically, socially or morally harmful.” knowing the consequences of child labour, UNIcEF declared 12 June as “World day against child labour” Still, in our country child labour is quite common. children, who are the future of Pakistan, are holding tools instead of bags. according to a survey conducted by the Federal Bureau of Statistics and the National child Labour, approximately 19 million children below 14 years of age are working as child labourers in Pakistan due to poverty. They are deprived of their due rights along with education. If our youth is going to be uneducated and engaged in work, how will the country progress? The government must make sure that every child must be a student rather than a labour. Afroz MJ TurbAT
WHO warning
Political self-preservation PTI abandoned the youth as soon as the election was won
Dr AHmED KiANi
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N evolution, every species takes advantage of the weak to survive, which means that the act of utilization and exploitation amongst classifications is fundamental to a species’ existence in the vast wilderness, a necessity to its psychophysical development in nature, and crucial to its lifecycle progression over time. Homo sapiens, fauna, and flora mutually benefit, both extrinsically and intrinsically, from each other via the food chain, synchronize linear network interactions in developing character traits, and cultivate community-based interdependencies resulting in purpose-led hierarchies or inter-linkages. These rules of governance have been embedded in the haute couture of natural life since the Earth’s inception. In global politics, exploitation has been defined to an extent which is synonymous with a charlatan and a deviant. In Pakistan, however, the barometer has reached new highs with the inclusion of deception, corruption, immorality, and incompetency. Our leaders preside on the golden thrones of political anarchy, lampooning on creatures of party-political antiquity, lambasting status quo artifacts, masquerading civil injustices, targeting intellectual autonomy while horse-trading national sovereignty. This is precisely why, after two years of Imran khan’s ideological sloganeering government, the state has failed miserably and its citizens dejected. It is only fair to say that by in large, khan’s governance is the second-worst tragedy in Pakistan’s political history with the first being the 1971 downfall of Dhaka. PM khan has remained a media darling, starting with his days of 22 yards, followed by his scandalous life partner choices and his philanthropic efforts taking him through the gates of the establishment to finally entering the PMO. Undoubtedly, the journey has been an exciting one with plot twists, changes of tact, slogan and coterie, marriages and emotional breakups, deals and U-turns, team building, and nation sinking. Yet, it remains inspiring for the youth as folklore with a tagline “that every saint has a past; hence every sinner has a future” The most memorable moments of the regime include a shuffled deck of administrators, cabinet infighting & so-called technocrat SaPMs, bureaucratic mud wrestling, illustrious financial embezzlements, platitude powdered press conferences, regional humiliation, soaring
debt, and political hatemongering. apart from these, the legacy of the current set up will ultimately be tainted by two factors (a) how masterfully he exploited the mass media with textbook religious notions and impractical political clichés and (b) how wrongfully he exploited and then demoralized the youth. During electioneering, the government publicly earmarked the youth as an arsenal of dynamite, a force deadlier than the serpent of death, a potential equivalent to the genius of Newtonians, king arthurs of the tribal kingdom and the missing chess piece on the “Purana Pakistan” board… Several PTI media ministers went as far as drawing comparisons to the apocalyptic awakening of the kraken. In reality, these state warriors, champions of valor, wave riders of tsunamis, and titans of change are now jobless, homeless, penniless, and frustrated in the cold winters of sorrow, despair, and disbelief. This displeasure has led to more than 500,000 Pakistanis leaving the country in pursuit of jobs abroad in 2019 alone according to the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment. The ones left behind either do not possess the monetary means or are restricted by cOVID-19 travel limitations i.e. purgatory. What is now apparent is that the hypnotized youth were merely needed to siren the propaganda as the establishment was to bring in the seat numbers. What is even more mesmerizing is that the character traits of the emotionally unstable citizens of this grand nation fail to recognize similar parades of the past rulers. The average John Smith refuses to accept that election promises are like teenage relationships, emotive but unrealistic and short-lived. Hence the hodgepodge of today is as much the fault of the voter as it is of the establishment. From day one, the current set up should have integrated the youth into the political, economic, scientific, and social state machinery. The program architecture should have been designed to include young skilled professionals as key players in driving state motives, initiatives, and policies. The correlation of growth should have been linked to the economic prosperity of the working class (which accounts for over 70% of the population). In reality, the focus has been geared towards notorious friends and family, political courtships, and personal investors, which has caused the government to make one blunder after another. Standard education policy is still missing, with tree plantations being given higher precedence than the intellectual development of the nation, human capital is underutilized, national emergencies are mishandled, and the national exchequer is as empty as are the dreams of the young. How can the rulers still appeal to the youth, especially in matters of relief and tightening of the national belt? Why should a young soldier put his life on the line to safeguard the interests of this government? and why does the Military brass mend the state’s local and foreign relations? Why does the so-called rubber stamp cabinet of 45 – 80+ year-old vested interest not respond to a national calling? Why is the PM surrounded by the unelectable, unjustified, unprofessional, unqualified, and unaccountable? Is the government returning favors for investments onto him over the past 30 years? Has the ruling elite realized that high office in Pakistan comes at a price? a lot remains unclear! With his history degree from Oxford, the PM should realize that youth integration and leader-
ship have done miracles in the past. Examples include alexander who conquered the world, Muhammad bin Qasim who conquered Sindh as a teenager, Zahīr ud-Dīn Babur whose reign started at the tender age of 11, Pharoh Tutankhamen of Egypt took control at the age of 8 and governed with an iron fist. In recent history, Mahathir bin Mohamad, whom the PM initially gave a personal shout out to at every political rally and has now abandoned at summits, amended the Malaysian constitution to retire all civil servants above the age of 43 to bring in the fresh blood of young professionals in order to transform the country. These economic policies were based on highly skilled young professionals, and the outlook of the nation changed from a chinese-Malay warzone to a prosperous global entity. The passion and drive of the youth can indeed lead Pakistan out of oblivion and this historical record is a testament, yet our leaders blatantly deny opportunities to the young and then complain about the brain drain from the country. The young mindset is raw - unspoiled, untampered, and unabated, with a passion for change. The setup must capitalize on this enthusiasm, energy, grit, and bravado. With the opportunity, there should be an environment conducive to accommodate integration and promote growth. In the Military, Officers are selected from all quarters and backgrounds hence the discipline and patriotism, in the totality of their career, remains unperturbed. Bureaucracy, on the other hand, is the polo of sports – elitist, money-driven, and for the very few. That is why even the military cadres in the civil service after some time become a part of the same, prone to non-parliamentarian actions and face callings for the accountability authorities. The National service and conscription service programs not only instill mannerism, etiquette, and patriotism into ordinary citizens but also give a chance for the brightest minds to be selected on merit. The entire program revolved around the youth and prosperous became the country. Therefore, along with amalgamation, a change in the working principles and practices is crucial. at present, the angry exploited mob is at its peak and inches away from triggering a youth-led revolution, which would cross all state boundaries, limits, and controls. The system would be brought crashing down and all political saviors would be cornered by these tigers demanding answers. Finally, a new national order would emerge which would have no place for the current system, its people, or the establishment. Therefore, this government, which came into office after shouting parabolic and jingoistic slogans, must at all costs include the most dominant element of this society in every action through various inclusion programs then make them helpless spectators of disasters. The times of grand ethereal speeches, religious references, and dressing room motivational talks should come to an end, before the public outcry sirens of yet another change. The ruling elite must learn from lessons of the past and fear of revolutions in the region alone, especially Iran and afghanistan, changed the national trajectory. These are clear warnings signs for the khan government to get their act together or kamikaze it to the ground to make room for an alternative, while there is still time. Dr Ahmed Kiani The writer is a Ph.D. in Engineering from the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom. Currently, he serves as Vice President of Core Group in Pakistan.
IT’S an horrifying fact that the sheesha smokers are not well perceived about the damaging effects of “sheesha” to the health.It is proved that smoking of sheesha is worse than cigrattes. In a hour long session of smoking sheesha contain 200 puffs while cigrattes contain only 20. When one smokes it, it not only effect him but also the people around him gets terribly effected without even smoking it.The world health organisation (WHO) had published a report in 2005 mentioning that smoking of sheesha is hazardous for health. Sheesha cafes must have been banned but still there’s no action took regarding this. But now one must understand that a health is above all and sheesha is a silent killer. fizA NASir TurbAT
Essence of Article 149(4) of the constitution HENcE it is a provision enshrined in article 149(4) and be invoked in exercise for the purpose of preventing any grave menace to the peace or tranquility or economic life of pakistan . The basis for invoking article 149 (4), Even then the city(karachi) can’t go under federal control as the maximum the centre can do is to issue clear directions to the province and can also work out a mechanism to see its enforcement. In all such cases, the implementing authority has to be either the provincial government or the city government This article 149(4) is not a permanent solution of karachi either. We have also the example of also PML-N Government of 2013, as far as the law and order situation is concerned, it has improved as a result of empowering Sindh Rangers by giving them more powers, particularly after the karachi operation in 2013. While Rangers had been in the city since 1989, on the request of the Sindh government, and the remarkable improvements, peace and tranquility have been witnessed in real sense. That aid and assistance of central government and with taking confidence of top class stake holder of provincial government and law enforcement agencies of both federal and provincial was applauded all across the nation and globe too. Neither article 149(4) was invoked at that time nor there was any hue and cry of karachi administration will be held under Federal control or central Government. You can also read related case as for as karachi law and order situation was concerned .”Watan party vs federation of pakistan PLD 2011 supreme court 749” we will come to know that how far the situation of karachi was worst beside current situation, nobody have even thought of that the karachi peace will be restored and economic will be far better. So my point is article 149(4) is not a permanent solution , this article is politically used with some conspiracies otherwise nothing else. If we really want the karachi as neat and clean and see workable infrastructure, then we have to empower the Grass Root Level Politics/ the Local Government and Sindh Government should also amends its local government act 2013 and transfer all reasonable powers to local stake holders who have been given the mandate of their localities at local election, the counsellors, chairmans and Mayors and local representatives who could function properly and strongly be held accountable if they deviate from their given legal obligations. GhulAM hAydEr MuGhEri lArkANA
Water crisis UNFORTUNaTELY, self-serving short-sightedness prevailed among the politicians and dictators who ruled the country. No one looked beyond self interest, and all tired to work on building their own hold on power and wealth instead of creating sustainable growth and strong economy for the country. One of the foremost and critical needs of the country was water, which we needed to save and preserve. However, no ruler truly worked on long-term policy to save the country from water crises. Those who built dams went into agreement with India which people say was detrimental to the country as we gave away too much. Others never tried to build consensus and build dams for much needed water for agriculture, electricity, and most importantly flood control. The two dams we have are losing capacity fast due to silting. Even the barrages, especially Guddu and Sukkur barrage are now old and in dire need of repairs. currently, the situation is that on the one hand, we suffer from drought half of the year and devastated by floods the other half. On the other hand, India is building dams on our rivers under the pretext that we let the water go waste in sea and their argument seems working in international court. It is good that the current government is paying some attention to the issue. I hope and pray that is not just a shortterm interest that subsides like the past. also, this is not something that the government alone and do. all parties must come together and work to build consensus to build dams in the country or our survival may be at risk. The sooner we realize the gravity of the situation, the better it is. rAJA ShAfAATullAh iSlAMAbAd
Tuesday, 1 September, 2020
08 WORLD VIEW
The man who builT a spyware empire says iT’s Time To come ouT of The shadows gion—where regulation is very weak, so you can export to countries that you cannot export to from Israel or other places in Europe,” he explains. “I see companies trying to hide activity by changing the name of the company over and over again. Or through mechanisms like building research and development in one site, sales cycle to a different company, deployment through a third company, so you cannot trace who is doing what.” That may be true, but NSO Group itself goes by a string of other names, including Q Cyber Technologies in Israel and OSy Technologies in Luxembourg. It has a North American wing called Westbridge. Its employees are spread out internationally. Israeli media have reported on company’s links to shell companies and byzantine deals. Over the years, it has operated a confusing network of other companies around the world, and this corporate maze has made it nearly impossible to understand its dealings and actions—a crucial task when hacking tools can be abused by authoritarian governments with devastating consequences. So what would accountability look like? When NSO Group first appeared, the Wassenaar Arrangement, a crucial arms export control agreement between 42 countries, had no cyber dimension. Israel had no cyber export law. Now Israel’s Ministry of Defense is governed by the country’s Defense Export Control Law—NSO Group has reportedly never been denied an export license—but on a global scale, the hacking industry remains largely hidden, opaque, and unaccountable despite its growing power and capabilities. “There are loopholes,” Hulio says. “Not all countries are part of the Wassenaar agreement. I truly think it’s very hard to do something international. Obviously international is a great idea, but just like there are countries that act as tax shelters, there are countries that act as export regulation shelters. Those countries need global mechanisms of regulation.” WHO IS IN THE CROSSHAIRS? Dozens of abuses by users of NSO’s technology have been alleged since the Mansoor incident first pointed a spotlight at the company. When such allegations are made, NSO begins an investigation. If ac-
counts conflict, NSO can demand logs that reveal targets. More often than not, Hulio says, the customer will say that the allegations against it are true, the targeting is real—but that their actions were legal under local law and the contract they signed. That leaves it up to NSO and the customer to hash out whether the targeting is indeed legitimate. Much of the criticism directed at NSO Group comes when researchers say Pegasus is used against lawyers, human rights activists, journalists, and politicians. But Hulio says the context can justify such actions— that these people can be legitimate surveillance targets as long as the law is followed. He points to events surrounding the capture in 2014 of the Mexican drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. Although it has never confirmed it publicly, NSO Group has privately touted its role in the operation for years. “Chapo ran away from prison,” Hulio says. “People like Chapo or [ISIS leader Omar Bakr] al-Baghdadi don’t carry smartphones. When Chapo escaped, they thought he probably eventually will call his lawyer, so let’s try to intercept the lawyer. The lawyer is not a bad person—and I’m not saying we were involved. The lawyer by himself is not a suspect of criminal activity, but El Chapo, who is a criminal, is going to call his lawyer, and the only way to catch him is to intercept his lawyer.” It’s the kind of case that’s easy to make. Murderous drug lord, extreme police action, front-page mugshots. But most allegations of misuse don’t resemble the El Chapo case. Gulf nations have repeatedly been accused of using Pegasus to target political opposition, resulting later in trumped-up charges for offending royal families or the like.Hulio says that often NSO is accused of work that other spyware companies are responsible for. “We ask very tough questions when we sell a system, but I’m not sure everyone is doing that,” he says. “I have no problem sitting in front of the minister of defense of a country, or the head of police, or of the secret service, and asking: What is the use? What’s the target? What is the mission? What are the investigations? What is the process you use? How do you analyze the data? Who needs to approve each target? What is the law in your specific country—how does it work? Questions a lot of companies really don’t care about. They have a deal—they want to sell. They will sell it because it’s good money for them.” We’ve gone full circle, arriving back in a thick tangle of secrecy. Money is flowing, abuses keep happening, and the hacking tools are proliferating: no one disputes that.But who is accountable when brutal authoritarians get their hands on cutting-edge spyware to use against opponents? An already shadowy world is getting darker, and answers are becoming harder to come by.
The power of small business must be harnessed. Of the more than 2.3 million businesses operating in Australia, only 53,000 sell their goods to the world. The Morrison government is trumpeting a new bilateral trade agreement with Indonesia, but little has been done to arrest a worrying decline in our understanding of Indonesia, its people and language. However, many small to medium enterprises (SMEs) do not have the confidence to consider such opportunities or the capabilities to be able to expand into overseas markets. Many are hampered by a lack of information about Australia’s network of free trade agreements, the relatively high cost of complying with regulation and inadequate access to trade finance.Australia is a global laggard in this area. SMEs account for only 14% of Australia’s exports, whereas in G7 countries they account for 25% and the European Union average is 35%. Lifting SME exports to 25% of Australia’s exports would increase our GDP by an estimated $36 billion. IMPROVE OUR ASIA CAPABILITIES: Australian business knowledge of Asia is still very limited. Among ASX top 200 companies, only 4% of directors and 5% of senior executives have worked in Asia for more than five years, according to a recent study by AsiaLink Business. The Morrison government is trumpeting a new bilateral trade agreement with Indonesia, but little has been done to arrest a worrying decline in our understanding of Indonesia, its people and language. It’s a national embarrassment that more students in Australia were learning the Indonesian language in Australian the 1990s than they are
today. I found it difficult recently to enrol in a post-graduate Indonesian studies course in, of all places, Western Australia, the state with the closest ties to Asia. The government refused for months to provide emergency funding to the Australian Consortium for “In-Country” Indonesian Studies (ACICIS), which has played a key role in forging closer relations with Indonesia for the past 25 years by arranging student placements. ACICIS finally received a financial lifeline this month, but only after it was forced to retrench 60% of its staff while it waited for a response.Unless there is a genuine effort to boost the nation’s Asia capabilities, and to draw on the talents of Asian diaspora communities, Australia will struggle to maximise its opportunities in the region. LIFT OUR TRADE DIPLOMACY: Australia must become a global leader in defending free trade and working with like-minded nations to restore faith in the enfeebled World Trade Organisation. But the government’s commitment to such cooperation remains under a cloud. Last year, Scott Morrison railed against the threat of “negative globalism” and ordered an audit of Australia’s role in international organisations. Australia’s stake in strong global rules-based architecture is more important than ever, but the Prime Minister would rather cling to slogans than deliver for the national interest. Australian diplomats must be at the forefront of supporting and strengthening the rules-based order and working with allied and aligned nations to speak out against unilateralism and protectionism.
“PEOPLE DON’T UNDERSTAND HOW INTELLIGENCE WORKS. IT’S NOT EASY. IT’S NOT PLEASANT. INTELLIGENCE IS A SHITTY BUSINESS FULL OF ETHICAL DILEMMAS” “EACH [SPYWARE] COMPANY SHOULD BE MUCH MORE ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHO THEY SELL TO, WHO ARE THE CUSTOMERS, WHAT IS THE END USE FOR EACH CUSTOMER” MIt technoLogy RevIew
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PatricK Howell o'neill
OrMALLy, silence and secrecy are inherent in the spy business. For nine full years, Hulio never talked publicly about his billiondollar hacking company—even when his hacking tools were linked to scandal or he was accused of being complicit in human rights abuses around the world. Lately, though, he’s speaking up. “People don’t understand how intelligence works,” Hulio tells me over a video call from Tel Aviv. “It’s not easy. It’s not pleasant. Intelligence is a shitty business full of ethical dilemmas.” The business he leads, NSO Group, is the world’s most notorious spyware company. It’s at the center of a booming international industry in which high-tech firms find software vulnerabilities, develop exploits, and sell malware to governments. The Israeli-headquartered company has been linked to high-profile incidents including the murder of Jamal Khashoggi and spying against politicians in Spain. Ten years after founding the company, he made the rare decision to speak about NSO Group, the intelligence industry, and what transparency could look like for spyware companies. This, he says, is the most important thing the industry can do now: “We’ve been accused, with good reason, of not being transparent enough.” CULTURE OF SILENCE: Formerly a search-and-rescue commander in Israel’s military and then an entrepreneur focused on technology that remotely accessed smartphones, Hulio has said he founded NSO Group in 2010 at the urging of European intelligence agencies. Back then, NSO marketed itself as a state-of-the-art cyberwarfare firm. It entered the global spotlight in 2016 when Ahmed Mansoor, a human rights activist in the United Arab Emirates, received what’s been called the most famous text message of all time. researchers say it was a sophisticated phishing lure sent by a government; it contained a link that, if clicked, would have taken over Mansoor’s phone with spyware. Experts at Citizen Lab, a re-
search group at the University of Toronto, analyzed the link and pointed to Pegasus, NSO’s flagship product. The revelation led to a great deal of scrutiny of the company, but NSO remained silent. (Mansoor is currently serving a decade-long prison sentence for insulting the monarchy—a dictator’s description of his work to further human rights.) That response was partly a function of the company’s ownership at the time. In 2014, NSO had been bought for around $100 million by the American private equity firm Francisco Partners, which had a strict nopress policy that Hulio says led to a harmful culture of silence. “No interviews—we couldn’t talk to journalists except to say no comment, no comment, no comment,” he says. “It created lots of bad things for us, because every time we were accused of abuse, we had no comment.” This, he says, was a mistake to be avoided in the future by companies like NSO—which last year was sold for $1 billion to the European private equity firm Novalpina and the original founders, including Hulio himself. “The industry should be more transparent,” Hulio says. “Each company should be much more accountable for who they sell to, who are the customers, what is the end use for each customer.” In fact, the text sent to Mansoor proved to be a blessing in disguise for investigators. Mansoor, who had already been targeted by surveillance for many years, was suspicious and didn’t click the poisoned link. Instead, he shared it with experts. But these days the hacking industry is increasingly using more advanced techniques that keep their activities as unobtrusive as possible—including so-called “zero-click” techniques that infect targets without their taking any action at all. WhatsApp is suing NSO Group for hacking the app to silently infect phones. Targets in Morocco have reportedly experienced “network injection” hacks that raise no alarm, require no cooperation from the victim, and leave little trace. “The pitch from hacking companies is that criminals and terrorists are going dark because of encryption and states need an ability to chase them down their dark hole,” says John Scott-railton, a senior researcher
at Citizen Lab. “Increasingly, at the high end, companies selling these techniques are the ones going dark. It’s not just WhatsApp. We’ve seen sales of vulnerabilities against iMessage, [telephone software] SS7 as a delivery for zero-click vulnerabilities, and a lot of network injection. Because of this, it’s almost impossible for us to get visibility of the scale of the problem. We can only guess at scale. We only know some players. The market is growing, but we lack a lot of information about abuses.” It was never an easy job to understand the full scope of the hacker-for-hire industry. Now the techniques and indicators investigators have long relied on as clues are becoming rarer, quieter, and more difficult to spot. The stealthy new arsenal makes it extraordinarily difficult to hold hacking companies and intelligence agencies accountable when human rights abuses occur. Perhaps surprisingly, Hulio agrees emphatically that the hacking industry is going dark. When I ask him if the industry is taking enough steps toward transparency and accountability, he shakes his head and points a finger at his competitors:“Actually, I think it’s the other way around. The industry is going away from regulation. I see companies trying to hide activity and hide what they’re doing. It’s damaging the industry.” DODGING TRANSPARENCY: By contrast, Hulio claims, NSO is trying to reverse course under its new ownership. Although it is facing the high-profile WhatsApp lawsuit and dozens of allegations of abuse of Pegasus, Hulio insists the company is evolving. The fact that he’s talking to journalists at all is one obvious change, he says, and so are the new self-governance policies and a public commitment to adhere to the United Nations Human rights Guidelines. How much the talk translates to reality is still an open question: three days after the company announced a new human rights policy in 2019, researchers from Amnesty International say, Pegasus was used to hack Moroccan journalist Omar radi.But Hulio suggests that his rivals are dodging transparency and accountability by moving their businesses or finding havens to operate from. “They’re opening companies in countries where you don’t have regulation mechanisms, in Latin America, Europe, the Asia Pacific re-
A post-pandemic trade revival
Lowy InstItute Madeleine King
Albert Einstein once said that “in the midst of every crisis lies great opportunity”. For an open trading nation like Australia, the pandemic is an unparalleled crisis. The nation is facing its worst downturn since the Great Depression, along with recessions in key trading partners, severe disruptions to global supply chains and a rising tide of protectionism around the world.Australia needs visionary, long-term thinking if it is to emerge from this shock and set itself up for the decades ahead.Here is my four-point plan for a post-pandemic trade revival. DIVERSIFICATION OF OUR EXPORT MARKETS: Twenty years ago, China bought about 5% of Australia’s goods exports. That has risen to an all-time high of 48.8%, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics data released this month.
Against the wishes of the doomsayers and the fearmongers who would prefer economic disengagement, China is cushioning the brutal shock of this pandemic on Australia’s economy. The benefits of this trading relationship over many years should be celebrated, but Australia should also seek to avoid exposure to economic shocks that can result from an over-reliance on any single market. Australia cannot snap its fingers and find a replacement for a huge market like China. But it’s time the nation finally got serious about building better relationships with India and Indonesia, both of which are predicted to be among the world’s top four economies within 30 years. Diversification is hard and will take decades to realise, but nothing will happen unless the Commonwealth government makes it a priority. Australia’s current economic ties did not occur by accident. Following the Second World War, no export market compared to Britain, but Australia’s leaders of the day worked tirelessly to build the resources industry and export to Japan and Korea, and later to China.Now, instead of a national plan to undertake diversification, we have a series of broken promises.Take, for example, Australia’s languishing trade and investment relationship with India. Two years ago, former Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade secretary Peter Varghese delivered a landmark report on India that found no single market
over the next 20 years would offer Australia more growth opportunities.So far, the Government has done remarkably little in its response to the report’s 90 recommendations. Inexplicably, Trade Minister Simon Birmingham has declined to adopt Varghese’s key target to lift Australian investment in India almost tenfold – to reach $100 billion by 2035.And when Scott Morrison held a “virtual summit” with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi in June, little attention was given to the trade and economic relationship. It’s not surprising, therefore, that trade figures this month showed India’s share of Australian exports had dropped below 2%, the lowest level since 2003. DIVERSIFICATION OF OUR EXPORT PRODUCTS: Australia’s reliance on four key exports – resources, agriculture, tourism and education – has served it well for decades, but the growth prospects of these sectors are uncertain. The government should foster new export industries. A recent Harvard Growth Lab Atlas of Economic Complexity ranked Australia 93rd in the world for the “complexity” of goods and services exported, lagging Kazakhstan, Uganda and Senegal. This is mainly because the country’s exports are dominated by a relatively small number of highly valuable commodities. More government investment in research and development will boost advanced manufacturing capabilities, which will move the economy up the ladder of complexity.
Tuesday, 1 September, 2020
buSineSS 09 CORPORATE CORNER Schneider Electric provides smart electrification solution for DG Khan Cement LAHORE: DG Khan Cement Company Limited has chosen Schneider Electric to provide a comprehensive electrification solution for its latest production facility. DG Khan Cement’s Balochistan plant will use a range of smart hardware, software and services that will not only ensure the site is fully powered, but also to work towards optimizing power usage to make the facility more energy efficient and sustainable. Schneider’s EcoStruxure equipment is internet-of-things enabled, allowing the operations team a full view of energy usage across the factory. Artificial Intelligence-powered software will help the company to take a predictive approach to maintenance, resulting in a facility that is much more productive.
OPPO to unveil Reno4 series on Sept 10th LAHORE: OPPO, the leading global smart device brand, announced that the all-new Reno4 Series will be launched in Pakistan on 10th September 2020. Following the successful launch of Reno4 Series in China last month, OPPO will deliver Reno4 Series to other markets, with some adjustments tailored to local consumer needs and new features to deliver a trendsetting experience to global users. The new international Reno4 Series will support 4G to fit the local market context and will come with innovative technology as the result of OPPO’s consistent investment in a user-centric experience. The Reno Series continues OPPO’s mission of delivering innovation by listening to and walking a mile in the customer’s shoes. With Reno4 Series, OPPO is pushing the envelope and the legacy of the Reno Series by combining the best of both worlds: The excitement and utility offered by OPPO’s innovative technology, together with the personality and style reflected by the trendsetting design.
Oil REFinERiES lAmEnT lACK OF inCluSiOn in GOvT’S EuRO-5 PRiCinG FORmulA
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IL refineries on Monday expressed reservations on the pricing formula for Euro-5 standard fuel and said that they were not consulted regarding the determination of its price and value. In a letter written to the Petroleum Division, Pak-Arab Refinery Company Limited (PARCO), Byco, National Refinery Limited (NRL), Pakistan Refinery Limited (PRL) and Attock Refinery demanded a meeting with the govern-
ment and said that consultation should be held on the pricing system of Euro5 standard fuel before its adoption. According to a report published by a local media outlet, oil refineries complained that the government did not give them ample time to switch from the lower grade Euro-2 fuel to Euro-5 standard. “There are serious flaws in the guidelines regarding Euro-5 fuel,” the letter written by the refineries said. The letter urged the government to call a meeting of the Ministry of Petroleum, Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), oil refineries and companies.
Earlier in August, the government said that it was looking to upgrade fuel used in Pakistan to a more environment-friendly Euro-5 standard in a bid to counter air pollution, despite resistance from oil refineries. According to reports, oil refineries will have to upgrade their plants in order to supply the lower emission producing Euro-5 fuel. The government had also directed Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) to import Euro-5 standard fuel. Euro-5 standard petrol will be imported from September 1 while Euro-5 diesel will be
KP govt borrowed $1.4bn in loans since 2013 PESHAWAR AZIZ BUNERI
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has obtained loans worth $1.392 billion for 12 uplift projects in the province since 2013 from various international organisations. According to a report, due to the current Covid19 induced economic slowdown, KP may find it difficult to repay the loans due to which it may need to take new loans or renew terms of the existing loans which would put additional financial burden on the province. The projects for which these loans were taken include the Access to Energy project which is to be completed at a cost of $237.4 million. The loan for the project was taken from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Under the project, the government plans to construct Micro Hydel Power (MHP) plants on canals, rivers and tributaries and carry out a solarisation of schools and Basic Health Units (BHUs). Other projects for which the loans were taken include, 110 MegaWatt (MW) Gabral power generation project, 47MW Kalkot Patrak power generation project in Upper Dir, 22MW power project at
Sheringal Derapur and Bus Rapid Transit in Peshawar. According to documents, the provincial government has obtained $305 million from ADB and $150 million in loan from a donor organisation in France for the BRT project. According to documents from KP’s Planning and Development Department, a loan of $140 million has been obtained for the provincial Road Rehabilitation project, $121.5 million for the dualization of Mardan Swabi Road, $7 million for the Intermediate Cities Improvement Project and $86.405 million for an Irrigation Extension project in Swabi. Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Member Provincial Assembly (MPA) from KP Ahmed Kundi while talking to Profit said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government started taking loans as soon as it took power adding that the loan value has increased with the depreciation of the Pakistani rupee compared to the US dollar. He said that the provincial government will start repaying these loans from 2022 along with a 6 per cent interest rate. In total the repayment will amount to more than Rs50 billion which will put a huge financial burden on the province, he said.
Hafeez Shaikh stresses int'l cooperation in fight against coronavirus ISLAMABAD APP
KARACHI: Pakistan Navy’s relief operation continued in rain-hit areas of Sindh. Pakistan Navy teams, besides rescue operation, provided cooked food, necessary ration items and established medical care centres for assistance of the distressed population.
Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh said on Monday that international community's support was imperative to deal with the situation arising from Covid-19. Speaking at a webinar organised by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the adviser said that debt relief by the developed countries to developing countries would be a timely and positive initiative to control the pandemic outbreak. He appreciated the debt relief provided to Pakistan by Group 20 countries, International Monetary Fund (IMF), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and World Bank (WB). He said that cooperation among all developed countries was needed to cope with the challenges faced by the developing and low-income countries due to coronavirus outbreak, terming the problems arising from the pandemic to be "more serious than the recession of 1930s". He said that the virus had hit the world at a time when it was not prepared for it.
"Like other countries of the world, Pakistan was also affected badly by the virus. However, the government took some prudent and timely measures to protect its citizens and economy from the virus." The adviser informed that the government had launched a corona package to provide relief to people and the business community, adding that cash transfers were made to people, while the government also introduced many initiatives to save people from unemployment. He said that Pakistan was working with the Netherland and African Union through the Credit Vulnerable Liabilities Group to prepare recommendations for the uplift of vulnerable countries. These included delaying debt repayment and maintaining credit rating of affected countries, he added. He said that the WB had prepared a $160 billion assistance programme so a considerable portion of it should be diverted to Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) programme to help developing countries. The adviser said that PM Imran Khan had appreciated the debt suspension initiatives, as well as refunded financing, offered by different financial and donor agencies.
imported from January 1. Out of the 3,500 pumps owned by Pakistan State Oil (PSO) across the country, 56 are already supplying Euro-5 standard fuel which is offered at approximately Rs20 higher than normal fuel. The Euro-5 fuel does not only produce lower emissions but also improves engine performance. However, if the government is able to implement its plan regarding the upgradation of fuel, refineries will still need three years to upgrade its production units.
PTA asks TikTok to block 'vulgar, immoral content' ISLAMABAD APP
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Monday asked TikToK to block the vulgar, indecent and immoral content for viewership in Pakistan. "Keeping in view the growing concerns in the society with respect to content, the PTA chairman held an online meeting with senior management of TikTok," said a press release issued by the company. "While acknowledging the recent efforts of the platform for taking down the indecent content, the PTA chairman asked the platform to put in place stronger content monitoring and moderation mechanism so that the unlawful material was not accessible within Pakistan."
Sindh wants Centre to announce loan, tax waivers for rain-hit farmers BUSINESS DESK The Sindh government on Monday demanded the federal government to announce agriculture loan and tax waivers for rain-hit farmers of the province. "The prime minister should announce waiver of old agricultural loans and taxes for the farmers of districts affected by the recent rains in Sindh," Agriculture Minister Ismail Rahoo said in a statement issued on Monday. He said the provincial government declared 20 districts of the province 'calamity-hit' due to the devastation caused by recent rains, adding that the Sindh government would make all-out efforts for rehabilitation of farmers affected by monsoon rains and waive provincial agriculture tax on rain-affected crops.
FBR initiates probe against 76 ‘corrupt’ officers ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has started investigations against 76 officers on corruption allegations, said FBR Member (Admin) Bakhtiyar Khan in a media briefing on Monday. He said that the tax department has so far fired 10 officials, whereas the remaining have been suspended from jobs while disciplinary proceedings against them were underway. "The department has also established a fact-finding committee against cases involving high-rank officials," he added. Bakhiyar asserted that the FBR was observing a zero-tolerance policy against corruption and that the department would not give any favour to corrupt officers. SHAHZAD PARACHA
MARKET DAILY LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar meets Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaidhry Pervez Elahi at the Chief Minister’s Office.
Stocks close flat in range-bound session BENCHMARK INDEX APPRECIATES 4.72PC IN AUGUST COMPARED TO JULY 2020 KARACHI STAFF REPORT
LAHORE: A meeting was recently held between Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar and Daraz Pakistan Director (Commercial) Faisal Malik where matters pertaining to ecommerce, promotion of IT services and development of infrastructure in Punjab were discussed in depth.
The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) closed the last trading session of the month flat, with the indices moving in a narrow range amid a surge in daily volumes. On a month-on-month basis, however, the benchmark KSE-100 Index appreciated by 4.72pc in August and compared to July 2020. Equity markets around the world displayed a positive trend on Monday,
whereas crude oil prices also moved north; WTI crude price appreciated 1.33pc to $43.54 while Brent crude oil price increased 1.46pc to $46.48. "The stock market made significant gains in early trade, but selling pressure in banking and fertilizer sectors forced the benchmark index to plunge in the negative territory," said a report issued by AHL Ltd. "However, the index managed to close slightly in green mainly on the back of a late rally in PPL and OGDC." The KSE-100 Index moved within a range of 41,311.06 (+254.84 pts) and
CMYK
41,016.56 (-39.66 pts) on Monday. It closed flat (+54.71 pts) at 41,110.93. Among other indices, the KMI-30 Index gained 329.23 pts to close at 65,651.60, while the KSE All Share Index added 153.15 pts, ending at 28,960.99. The overall market volumes increased from 238.5 million shares in the previous session to 451.7 million shares (+89pc). Average traded value also surged by 94pc, from $50.2 million to $97.3 million. The volume chart was dominated by BankIslami Pakistan Limited (BIPL +10.46pc), TRG Pakistan Limited (TRG -7.17pc) and Power Cement Limited Right Shares (POWERR1 -66.67pc). The scrips had exchanged 40.93 million, 40.10 million and 32.03 million shares, respectively. Sectors that
kept the benchmark index in the green included cement (67.05 pts), oil & gas exploration (61.40 pts) and tobacco (35.68 pts). Among the companies, Mari Petroleum Company Ltd (MARI 38.18 pts), Pak Petroleum Ltd (PPL 37.68 pts) and Pakistan Tobacco Company Ltd (PAKT 36.21 pts) remained the top contributors. Adding 1.17pc to its cumulative market capitalization, the oil & gas exploration sector emerged as the session’s top gainer, with Mari Petroleum Company Ltd (MARI 3.50pc), Pak Petroleum Ltd (PPL 1.94pc) and Oil and Gas Development Company (OGDC 0.53pc) accumulating decent gains. On the financial side, Bestway Cement Ltd (BWCL -0.97pc) announced earnings per share of Rs0.08 for FY20 (Rs16.93 in FY19), while J.D.W.Sugar Mills Ltd (JDWS +0.54pc) declared an EPS of Rs4.02 for the second quarter of FY20 (Rs-9.56 in 2QFY19).
Tuesday, 1 September, 2020
10 FOREIGN NEWS Wildfire forces over 3,100 to evacuate in Spain’s Andalusia AGENCIES An out-of-control wildfire is raging in Spain’s southern region of Andalusia, forcing more than 3,100 people to evacuate, authorities said Sunday. The blaze broke out Thursday in the mountains near the town of Almonaster la Real, 120 kilometers (75 miles) northwest of the city of Seville. It has already scorched 100 square kilometers (38.5 square miles). Sixteen helicopters and eight planes are helping more than 500 workers tackle the blaze, including firefighters and army emergency personnel who worked around the clock this weekend. “It is very difficult to say when the wildfire will be under control,” said Juan Sanchez of the Andalusia Forest Fire Department, as weather conditions are playing a key role. The wind dropped overnight, making their task a little easier, but authorities expect the fire will be fueled by strong winds later Sunday. Crews were also struggling to reach all affected areas because of the rugged terrain, officials said. A further 70 people were evacuated Saturday because of a wildfire in Mula, a small town in Spain’s southeastern region of Murcia, while firefighters are also trying to extinguish two wildfires in the western region of Extremadura.
Moscow police open criminal case after anti-Kremlin blogger badly beaten
TruMp preSSeS lAW And order MeSSAge AS proTeST TurnS deAdly SAN FRANCISCO
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man was shot dead in the US city of Portland, police said Sunday, the latest violence to upend anti-racism protests as President Donald Trump presses an election message characterizing his Democratic opponent Joe Biden as weak on violent crime. But hours after the gunfire Saturday during a pro-Trump rally in the Oregon city, Biden accused the president of fanning the flames of violence in a polarized and tense nation. The shooting followed a week of country-wide protests -- including the cancellation of numerous sporting events -- over the police shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin of African American Jacob Blake. The violence in Portland erupted during a rally involving hundreds of vehicles "caravaning throughout downtown Portland," police
said. OregonLive reported "clashes" and "tense moments" between demonstrators and counter-protesters. Photographs from the scene showed the victim wearing a hat with a logo for "Patriot Prayer," described by local media as a far-right group at the center of multiple Portland demonstrations that have ended in violence. The Portland clashes followed unrest in Kenosha, where prosecutors accused 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse of shooting dead two men and wounding another who were protesting against Blake's shooting. Trump is due to travel on Tuesday to the Midwestern city to meet law enforcement officials and view damage from unrest triggered by Blake's shooting last weekend. Wisconsin's governor Tony Evers sent the president a letter asking him to reconsider the visit as it "will only hinder our healing," according to US media reports. 'LAW AND ORDER': Violence con-
Diplomat poised to become PM-designate in crisis-hit Lebanon
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AGENCIES
Moscow police opened a criminal inquiry on Monday after anti-Kremlin opposition activist and political blogger Yegor Zhukov was beaten and left bloodied outside his home at the weekend. The 22-year-old student, who was a leading figure in large anti-government protests last year, was taken to hospital late on Sunday after being assaulted by two people outside his apartment in western Moscow, his allies said on social media. They published pictures of his bloodied face covered in bruises and gashes. He was among more than 1,000 people detained in Moscow in July 2019 in one of the biggest crackdowns on anti-Kremlin demonstrators in recent years. He and other protesters had taken to the streets to call for free elections. A Russian court last year found him guilty of inciting extremism on his YouTube channel and banned him from using the Internet for two years, a move he decried as politically motivated. The Moscow police force said it was seeking to identify and detain Zhukov’s assailants, who his allies said had fled the scene of the attack on scooters. If convicted of assault, Zhukov’s attackers could face up to two years in jail. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he hoped Zhukov’s attackers would be found and punished.
Lebanon’s president is holding consultations with heads of parliamentary blocs to designate a new prime minister for the crisis-stricken country, with a career diplomat poised to win the job Monday. Lebanon’s ambassador to Germany, Mustapha Adib, was expected to be named as prime minister-designate and asked to form a new government after winning the backing of major parties, including the crucial support of senior politicians from his own Sunni Muslim community. The consultations were being held hours before French President Emmanuel Macron was due to arrive for a two dayvisit, during which he is expected to press Lebanese officials to formulate a new political pact to lift the country out of its multiple crises and political stalemate in the wake of the devastating Beirut explosion earlier this month. It’s Macron’s second visit to the former French protectorate in less than a month. He came days after the devastat-
ing Aug. 4 blast in the port of Beirut that killed 190 people, wounded 6,000 and damaged residential and commercial areas in large parts of the capital. The government resigned less than a week after the blast. Macron and other world leaders as well as the International Monetary Fund have refused to give assistance to Lebanon before its leaders enact major reforms. The swift consensus around Adib, a little known diplomat, signaled a sense of urgency by Lebanon’s traditional politicians to try and contain the rapidly worsening economic and financial crisis and show movement ahead of Macron’s visit. Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri emerged from his meeting with Aoun on Monday, telling reporters his 18-member bloc had given its backing to Adib. He called for the formation of a government of experts “that implement reforms aimed at restoring the world’s confidence in our economy so we can start to emerge from this crisis.”
NZ stock exchange trades on despite cyberattacks WELLINGTON APP
Cyberattacks continued against the New Zealand stock exchange on Monday but failed to force a closure of the market after it shut down four times last week, operator NZX said. While the foreign-sourced attacks forced NZX's website offline, the company said the bourse itself was trading as normal. Chief executive Mark Peterson said US cyber-de-
nected to anti-racism protests has become a major issue in the campaign for November's presidential election, with Trump presenting himself as the "law and order" choice and arguing that a Biden presidency would allow left-wing mob rule. Biden condemned the violence and argued that Trump had played a role in spurring the clashes. "He is recklessly encouraging violence," the Democratic nominee said in a statement. "He may believe tweeting about law and order makes him strong but his failure to call on his supporters to stop seeking conflict shows just how weak he is." Biden's campaign said he will give a speech Monday to address what it called a key question facing voters in November "Are you safe in Donald Trump's America?" Trump spent Sunday morning tweeting and retweeting dozens of posts purporting to show violence in Democratic-run cities, and especially Portland. The president has repeatedly
fence experts Akamai Technologies had been brought in to help repel the attacks, alongside network provider Spark and New Zealand's GCSB spy agency. "NZX has been advised by independent cyber specialists that the attacks last week are among the largest, most well-resourced and sophisticated they have ever seen in New Zealand," he said. NZX said it had agreed on protocols with regulators at the Financial Markets Authority to give investors access to market announcements and allow the market to
Adib, who returned from Germany to Lebanon on Saturday, was the only name to emerge as a favorite for the post of prime minister, who according to Lebanon’s sectarian-based power sharing system has to be a Sunni Muslim. The candidate who gets the most support is asked to form the new Cabinet, but Lebanon’s divided political class has often been bogged down over who holds senior posts and key ministries. Adib was named by four former prime ministers, including Hariri, on the eve of Monday’s consultations. Earlier Sunday, the head of the powerful Hezbollah militant group, Hassan Nasrallah, said his supporters will cooperate and facilitate the formation of a government that would be able to improve economic conditions and undertake major reforms. The Iran-backed militant group, which has a dominant role in Lebanon’s politics, has come under intense criticism and public scrutiny as the country faces multiple devastating crises.
remain open, even if the NZX website was down. It did not specify how investors would access such market-moving data. NZX has been tight-lipped about who is behind the attacks. Experts have told local media that possible perpetrators include state-sponsored actors, online activists with an anti-capitalist agenda such as Anonymous, or a criminal enterprise seeking a ransom. The cyberattacks experienced by NZX are called distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, which bombard systems with data requests or traffic. Akamai said in a blog post earlier this month that cybercrime groups calling themselves Fancy Bear and Armada Collective had been warning companies in the finance, travel and e-commerce sectors they would face DDoS attacks unless they paid a ransom.
Five tense years since the 2015 migrant crisis PARIS APP
The arrival five years ago of more than a million migrants in Europe caused widespread chaos and, despite a significant decline in arrivals, tensions and divisions have continued between EU countries over migration. 2015: over a million migrants: Migrants increasingly start arriving in Europe from 2011, the year the conflict in Syria began. But it is in 2015 that the situation takes on dizzying proportions. In April 2015 some 800 migrants from West Africa drown when a trawler sinks, in the worst disaster in the Mediterranean for decades. In late summer the number of arrivals rises and it tops a million over the year, with more than 850,000 going via Greece. Fearing a humanitarian disaster, Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel opens the country's doors, sparking criticism from other countries who fear the decision will create an influx. But soon Berlin reintroduces border controls, followed by other countries. With difficulty, EU leaders agree in September on
quotas for the distribution of asylum seekers from Italy and Greece, despite opposition from several Eastern European countries. But the temporary plan will prove laborious and conflictual in practice. Fences start appearing along the migrant route, such as in Hungary and Slovenia. 2016: Turkey-EU deal: In March 2016 the borders shut down along the Balkans route from Macedonia to Austria, which migrants have been using since the summer as a means to reach northern Europe. On March 18, a hard-won deal between the EU and Turkey lifts some of the pressure: in exchange for financial assistance and political concessions, Ankara agrees for all migrants arriving in Greece to be systematically returned. Over the year the number of migrants arriving in Europe falls drastically to less than 390,000. But tens of thousands find themselves stuck in Greece. 2017: Italy gateway: As the passage through Greece dries up, Libya becomes the key migrant route to the Mediterranean, and Italy becomes the main gateway to Europe. Deals between Rome and Libyan authorities and
militias in mid-2017 are a game-changer: support for the Libyan coastguard leads to a massive drop in arrivals, but also sparks criticism as migrants suffer detention and violence in Libya. 2018: political crisis: Spain now becomes the main entry point to Europe. In Italy in June, when an anti-migrant coalition including the far-right is sworn into government, one of its first actions is to refuse to allow the Aquarius rescue ship carrying 630 migrants to dock. After a turbulent week at sea, the migrants are taken in by Spain, but the case leads to heightened tensions, particularly between Rome and Paris. 2018-2019: Mediterranean disputes: The decision in June 2018 by Italy's far-right interior minister Matteo Salvini to close access to Italian ports raises tensions further. For more than a year migrant rescue ships are blocked in the Mediterranean for weeks until deals are reached between countries to take them in. In June 2019 a Sea-Watch rescue boat defies Salvini's orders and enters Italian waters despite the threat of a hefty fine.
threatened to send federal government forces into the west coast city if Mayor Ted Wheeler does not crack down. Trump attacked Wheeler, a Democrat, for refusing help from the National Guard, which he said "could solve these problems in less than 1 hour." "Wheeler is incompetent, much like Sleepy Joe Biden," Trump tweeted. "This is not what our great Country wants. They want Safety & Security, and do NOT want to Defund our Police!" Wheeler blasted Trump in a press conference Sunday, saying that for nearly four years Americans have had to tolerate what the mayor called Trump's racist attacks on blacks, sexist talk about women, insults toward immigrants and journalists, and now, toward mayors of major US cities. "Do you seriously wonder, Mr. President, why this is the first time in decades that America has seen this level of violence?," Wheeler said. "It's you who have created the hate and the division."
Hezbollah and its allies were also expected to name Adib. An unprecedented economic crisis had already sapped the Lebanese currency of more than 80% of its value, driving unemployment, poverty and inflation through the roof. Coronavirus infections and deaths have also spiked, causing concerns and pushing authorities to reintroduce some restrictions on economic and social activities that have largely been ignored amid the slump. And the recent explosion badly damaged the port of Beirut, a main trade channel for the small country, which depends on imports. Prime Minister Hassan Diab’s government, backed by Hezbollah and its allies, resigned on Aug. 10, six days after nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate exploded in Beirut’s port, where it had been stored for six years. Adib, who has been Lebanon’s ambassador to Germany since 2013, served as an advisor to one of Lebanon’s former Prime Ministers, Najib Mikati. He took part in the committee in charge of writing Lebanon’s new electoral law in 2005 and 2006, and acted as chief of Cabinet in 2011. The 48-year-old is a native of the northern city of Tripoli, holds a PhD in law and political sciences and had taught in universities in Lebanon and France.
Thousands arrested for 'virus-related crimes' in China BEIJING APP
Nearly 5,800 people suspected of killing health workers, selling defective medical equipment and lying about their travel history have been arrested in China for epidemic-related crimes since January, the state prosecutor's office said. One case involved a shopper that beat to death another customer who reminded him to wear a mask in a supermarket. Other cases included a person who deliberately mowed down medical workers with a car, and another was arrested for stabbing a health inspector with a dagger when monitoring temperatures. Some have also been accused of embezzling money collected from fundraisers to help coronavirus patients, selling defective medical equipment and lying about their travel history or health condition. "From January to July, 5,797 people were arrested and 6,755 were prosecuted," the Supreme People's Procuratorate said in a statement Thursday. The statement did not specify how many people were still in detention or whether some had already been sentenced. China has largely brought the spread of the novel coronavirus under control -- since it first emerged in the central city of Wuhan in December 2019 -- with strict lockdowns, aggressive contact tracing and close monitoring of neighbourhoods. The country has also deployed a range of smartphone apps to track the whereabouts of people to quickly identify possible cases. Wearing a mask is mandatory in supermarkets, cinemas or on public transport, and many choose to wear one while outdoors as well, as a safeguard against the virus. China has not reported any locally transmitted infections in recent days.
Tuesday, 1 September, 2020
AzhAr MAhMood wAnts to pAss on his experience regArdless of nAtionAlity
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AGENCIES
ORMER cricketer Azhar Mahmood has no qualms about coaching England, saying he wants to “pass on my experience” regardless of nationality. Mahmood, 45, appeared in 164 international matches for Pakistan and was the bowling coach under Mickey Arthur before a new regime led by former captain Misbahul Haq was installed last year after a disappointing World Cup. Now Mahmood, who knows many of the England coaching staff from his time in county cricket, has been brought in as a bowling consultant by the hosts for the three-match T20 series in Manchester. “Cricket has given me a lot,” Mahmood told AFP in a telephone interview on Saturday. “Now I want to pass on my experience — it doesn't matter whether a player is from England or Pakistan or wherever.” Mahmood, criticised within Pakistan for his England role, said his situation was no different from the one he often found himself in as an in-demand all-rounder. “I'm a professional, I've played in leagues with different teams,” he explained. “I know my role.” England head coach Chris Silverwood has handed over the reins for the series to assistant Graham Thorpe, a former England batsman who played alongside Mahmood at Surrey. Another England connection is with
white-ball captain Eoin Morgan — he was with Mahmood when the former Pakistan international was coaching Karachi in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). “They have seen my ability working with players,” Mahmood said. “Eoin Morgan told me: 'We know your skills'. They are a really great bunch of people, the England coaching staff, and this is a great opportunity for me.” With 50-over world champions England so far maintaining separate red and white-ball squads in a season compressed
by the coronavirus outbreak, they are without frontline bowlers such as Chris Woakes and Jofra Archer for the Pakistan T20s. That means more opportunities for young pacemen including Saqib Mahmood and Tom Curran, although they did not bowl during Friday's weather-curtailed match at Old Trafford, which ended with no result. Mahmood, a BBC television analyst during Pakistan's 1-0 loss to England in a Test series earlier this month, believes it is his experience of working with youthful quicks, as much as any inside knowl-
edge, that may have led England to invite him to join their set-up. 'GROWN UP IN MY HANDS': "Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir and now Shaheen Shah Afridi — they have all grown up in my hands,” Mahmood said of his role in developing three pacemen who are all in Pakistan's T20 squad. “They [England] have seen my ability.” Mahmood said he was especially proud of the part he played in helping Pakistan win the 2017 Champions Trophy and in a nine-wicket victory over England in the first Test at Lord's the following year. “I was glad to help them win the Champions Trophy and that Test at Lord's with a young attack — we achieved a lot in a short period of time,” he recalled. South African coach Arthur, now in charge of Sri Lanka, said he was disappointed by the way his three-year spell in charge ended after New Zealand pipped Pakistan to a last-four spot at last year's World Cup on net run-rate. But Mahmood knew what was coming. “I wasn't sad,” he said. “The PCB [Pakistan Cricket Board] had asked me to extend my contract until the World Cup. “When we didn't get to the semi-finals, I knew from my own experience as a player at the 2003 World Cup that whenever you don't win something, or at least get to the knockout stages, someone was going to go — be it players or coaches. "This is how it is in Pakistan.”
Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood recalled for Australia T20I and ODI series AGENCIES Jos Buttler, Mark Wood and Jofra Archer have been recalled to England's T20I and ODI squads for the forthcoming series against Australia, but there is no return for the Test captain Joe Root, nor for Jason Roy, who is yet to recover from a side strain. The exclusion of Root is perhaps the most contentious decision, given his starring role in England's run to the final of the last World T20 in India in 2016, as well as his stated desire to get back into the set-up, as shown by his starring role with bat and ball for Yorkshire against Derbyshire in the T20 Blast this week. However, explaining the decision, Ed Smith, England's national selector, said that the workload of Root as England's Test captain made his inclusion in the squad illogical - especially if, as is currently the case, he's unlikely to be part of England's first-choice XI. "I don't think any door is closed to Joe Root," said Smith. "He's a brilliant cricketer, an outstanding man. He's also England's Test captain. And at the moment we are setting up in a particular way as an XI in T20 cricket, and Joe's not in that. "He plays so much cricket, he gives so much to England every time he plays, and the decision is that it's not right for him that we have him in the squad if he's not likely to be starting. That could easily change. I think we've all seen that Joe's an exceptionally adaptable and outstanding batsman, and he could easily come back into the reckoning. But at the moment that's where it stands." England's two white-ball squads also include a recall for Sam Curran, who was not considered for selection against Pakistan after being a part of the Test bubble, while
Tom Banton has been retained in both formats after impressing with a hard-hitting half-century in the first T20I against Pakistan. Dawid Malan has been retained in the T20I squad after his matchwinning 54 not out in the second T20I on Saturday, and Sam Billings is also involved in both squads after his starring role in the ODI series win against Ireland last month. Saqib Mahmood, England's quickest bowler in the Pakistan T20Is, makes way for the return of Wood and Archer, for whom the recall offers a first taste of international whiteball cricket since the World Cup final against New Zealand at Lord's last summer. Mahmood will remain with the squad as a reserve, alongside Liam Livingstone in the T20I squad, and Joe Denly in the ODI squad. However, David Willey, who was the unlucky man to miss out of England's World Cup squad last summer, has once again been omitted from both formats, despite claiming eight wickets and scoring 97 runs for once out in the series against Ireland. "It is of course extremely disappointing from David's point of view," said Smith. "He's playing good cricket and still has ambitions to be in all the England white-ball sides. But that's one of the unfortunate consequences of having a lot of strength in depth. "Sometimes players who've done very well even recently, still can't find a place in the squad and that's the situation with David. Everything he achieved against Ireland has been noted, his performances over a number of years of course are well understood by the selectors. But in this instance, we are giving opportunities to other people." The Australia series is the first time that England have been able to select their strongest available white-ball
squads since the South Africa tour in February, with the selectors operating separate Test and one-day squads throughout the summer due to the Covid-19 outbreak. "We still want to field are our strongest XI in these games," said Smith. "It's a wonderful opportunity to finish the summer on a really strong note. And after all the hard work that everyone's put in behind the scenes - administrators, coaches, captains, players - we feel it's a really good opportunity to finish the summer strongly against Australia. There's no more iconic rivalry in cricket, as we all know." England had hoped to be able to turn to Roy once again, after he was rested for the Pakistan series as a precaution. However, the ECB have confirmed he will not be ready for the T20I leg of the Australia series, starting at the Ageas Bowl on September 4. He will stay in the team's biosecure environment, with a view to demonstrating his fitness for the ODIs, which begin at Emirates Old Trafford on September 11. Moeen Ali, who has struggled for form since his return to England availability, has been retained in both squads. However, Ben Stokes remains unavailable for selection after being granted compassionate leave to visit his father in New Zealand, following his cancer diagnosis. ENGlANd T20I SquAd: Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Tom Banton, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Joe denly, Chris Jordan, dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood RESERvES: liam livingstone, Saqib Mahmood ENGlANd OdI SquAd: Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Tom Banton, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood RESERvES: Joe denly, Saqib Mahmood
SPORTS 11
‘suresh raina will realise what he's missing, absence won't impact csK’ Chennai Super Kings owner N Srinivasan has said he believes Suresh Raina's return to India from the UAE on Friday would not impact the team's preparations ahead of the IPL season. However Srinivasan, a former BCCI president and ICC chairman, said Raina would "certainly realise" what he would be missing, including the "money he is going to lose" by skipping the IPL. Srinivasan also said the Super Kings were confident about their prospects for the season because MS Dhoni, the captain, was "unfazed" not just by the Raina issue but also by Covid19's impact on the contingent: at least 13 members of the Super Kings unit including two Indian players - one international and one uncapped - have tested positive since landing in the UAE. This is the first time Srinivasan has commented on the Raina issue, which caught the Super Kings management by surprise. Raina returned to India on Friday from Dubai, less than 10 days after the Super Kings had landed in the UAE for the IPL. On Friday, the Super Kings CEO Kasi Viswanathan said on the team's Twitter feed that Raina had left for "personal reasons" but did not elaborate on what they were. It is understood that a personal tragedy, as well as concerns over the team's biosecure bubble in the UAE, led Raina to his decision. "The season has not begun yet and Raina will certainly realise what he is missing and certainly all the money he is going to lose," Srinivasan said, speaking to the Outlook magazine. On Monday*, Srinivasan told the Times of India that Raina's contribution to the CSK franchise "has been phenomenal through the years". He also said it was "important to understand what Suresh is going through right now and give him space." "The franchise will always stand by him and he has our complete support in these times of distress," Srinivasan is quoted as saying. ESPNcricinfo reached out to Srinivasan, Viswanathan and Raina for clarifications, but they are yet to respond. Raina has been part of the Super Kings set-up since the inception of the IPL in 2008, and is the franchise's highest run-getter and a key figure in the team reaching reaching multiple finals and winning the title twice. In 2018, Super Kings retained three players before assembling the rest of the squad at the layer auction. Dhoni was the first player retained at INR 15 crore, Raina was the second at INR 11 crore and Ravindra Jadeja the third at INR 7 crore. Srinivisan also said he had spoken to Dhoni, who reportedly assured him that things would be under control. "I spoke to MS and he has assured me that even if the numbers go up, there was nothing to worry," Srinivasan said. "He spoke to the players through a Zoom call and asked them to remain safe. You really don't know who is a passive carrier "I have got a solid captain. Dhoni is simply unfazed by anything. That is giving everyone in the team a lot of confidence." AGENCIES
Red Bull defend Albon after Hamilton criticism SPAFRANCORCHAMPS APP
Red Bull team adviser Helmut Marko hit back at Lewis Hamilton's criticism of Alex Albon and defended Red Bull's driver lineup as a "good pairing" after the London-born Thai driver's sixth-placed finish in Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix. Albon, in his first full season as Max Verstappen's team-mate, has struggled to match the Dutchman's pace and has remained around four-tenths of a second per lap behind him - a gap that Sunday's race winner Hamilton believes has undermined Verstappen and Red Bull's challenge for the titles. Marko, who is head of the Red Bull driver programme that has supplied a stream of racers to both Alpha Tauri, formerly Toro Rosso, and the senior team, defended Albon in the aftermath of Verstappen finishing third behind both Mercedes' cars to claim his sixth consecutive podium finish. "I don't understand the criticism of Albon," said Marko. "Other team-mates also
had a lot of trouble with Max... I don't see it that Max is pushing him to the limit, but that he is pushing himself. I think we have a good pairing there." Albon was separated from Verstappen by both Renaults on Sunday while Hamilton was followed home by team-mate Valtteri Bottas in Mercedes' 50th one-two finish since 2010 in the modern turbo hybrid era. Asked about the potency of Red Bull's challenge to the 'black arrows' defence of their championship crowns, Hamilton had suggested that Verstappen lacked a teammate who could match his pace and results. The championship leader, whose win on Sunday took him 47 points clear of secondplaced Verstappen in the drivers' title race, did not mention Albon by name as he made a general strategic point. "People downplay it, but Red Bull have got a very, very strong car," he said. "Unfortunately, both drivers aren't there like me and Valtteri are there... That makes it harder for them. "I experienced it many years ago with McLaren and I was the driver that was al-
ways at the front and didn't have a team-mate backing up. "So, you equally don't get the constructors' points and then can't play with strategy on the cars they are racing against.... So he's kind of there on his own." 'GREAT ON SUNDAYS': Albon, who has finished in the top four only once this year, received solid support from Red Bull team chief Christian Horner who also heaped
CMYK
praise on the man he replaced midway through last season, Pierre Gasly. The Frenchman was chosen as 'driver of the day' on Sunday after finishing eighth for Alpha Tauri. "They have a good car this year, which may be easier to manage than ours, but Alex is great on Sundays," said Horner. "He had another good race, he is always strong on the attack, so we are moving in the
right direction." Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher added, when speaking on Sky Germany, that his Thai background was a factor. "We can't forget about the ownership structure at Red Bull, where it is very welcome that a Thai driver is there," he said. Marko revealed also that Red Bull will introduce a new front wing at next weekend's Italian Grand Prix. Hamilton, whose win moved him within two victories of Michael Schumacher's alltime record of 91 as he seeks this year to equal the German's haul of seven championships, has welcomed a closer fight. But, like Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff and many paddock observers, he has not welcomed 'artificial' manipulation of the regulations to reduce his speed. Instead, he suggested tyres were an issue to address. "At the end of the day it's tyres," he explained. "One-stopping really is boring. We're all 'managing' out there and it's not racing. We're all backing off at the end and we have no idea what they're going to do.
Tuesday, 1 September, 2020
PRAyER TImINGS
NEWS
ReSIdentS of ClIfton, dHA tAke to RoAd AfteR PoWeR outAge enteRS fIftH dAy KARACHI
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STAFF REPORT
HILE parts of Karachi remained submerged and without electricity an agonising five days after torrential rains wreaked havoc on the metropolis, the residents of Defence Housing Authority (DHA) and Clifton gathered outside the Clifton Cantonment Board (CBC) office to protest against the post-rain situation in the two localities. About 100 protesters demanded that the drainage system in the areas be improved and roads to be repaired and made from scratch. They also demanded an audit of funds collected in the name of flood relief and called for the board to ensure clean-up work. Many also took to social media to vent their frustration about the power outages which have lasted more than 90 hours in some parts of the metropolis. Meanwhile, Sindh government
spokesperson Barrister Murtaza Wahab said that the provincial government had placed its machines at Khayaban-eMuhafiz and Khayaban-e-Shujaat neighbourhoods to drain out the rainwater from DHA’s Bukhari Commercial. “We are facing difficulties with the drains at DHA but are trying our best,” he said. In a separate statement, he added that the Sindh government had deployed more machines to help drain the rainwater in DHA. ’95PC CITY RE-ENERGISED’: In a statement, K-Electric said its field teams and operational staff were working round the clock to restore power to areas still plagued by waterlogging and drainage issues. “Despite hurdles and impediments to restoration work because of standing rainwater in several parts of DHA and Clifton, KE has been able to re-energise more than 95 per cent of the city.” The power supplier added that efforts were underway to re-energise five feeders in DHA and Clifton, adding that waterlog-
Most Asian markets extend rally after fresh Wall St record HONG KONG: Asian markets mostly rose Monday, building on last week's rally with traders buoyed by the knowledge that US borrowing costs will remain at ultra-low levels for the foreseeable future. The US central bank's pledge of trillions of dollars in support to keep financial markets going has been key to a surge in equities from their March troughs, with the tech-rich Nasdaq almost doubling in that time as people stay home. And boss Jerome Powell's speech Thursday, marking a shift in the Fed's inflation policy, hammered home that promise, helping fire the S&P 500 and Nasdaq to more record highs. The Dow also advanced to erase all its losses for the year to date. "With a low, neutral Fed funds rate, a de-emphasis of inflation overshoots and a focus on employment, monetary policy will be highly stimulative for a long, long time. Indeed, music to the stock market's ears," said Stephen Innes at AxiCorp. He said during the financial crisis, the bank began cutting interest rates in mid2007 and did not lift them until more than eight years later, and it could take just as long to see them lifted again. "Covid-19 was a much more massive hit to the labour market than the financial crisis. So, we could be looking at the first hike into 2028, provided there are no further hiccups," he added. Tokyo led advancers, surging two percent after losing more than one percent Friday in reaction to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's resignation. While the news fanned fears of uncertainty in the country, analysts said no major confusion is expected with reports saying his right-hand man Yoshihide Suga is set to stand as his successor. Trading houses were the big winners after US investment legend Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway said it has bought slightly more than five percent stakes in each of Japan's big five companies. Marubeni Corp surged more than 10 percent, Sumitomo Corp and Mitsubishi Corp were up around nine percent and Mitsui & Co gained more than six percent. Itochu Corp also rallied. In other markets, Hong Kong and Shanghai both saw big gains, while Sydney, Singapore and Seoul were also well in the green. APP
ging around substations and inside residential premises was proving to be a hurdle, creating a public safety hazard. “These feeders serve Bukhari Commercial Area, Ittehad Commercial area, Khayaban-e-Shahbaz and parts of 26th street,” the statement said. “KE’s field teams continue to face challenges because of waterlogging in parts of DHA Phase-VIII (Khayaban-e-Qasim, Roomi), Saba Avenue off Khayaban-eMuhafiz till Khayaban-e-Ittehad, Bukhari Commercial, Sehar Commercial, Nishat Commercial, Ittehad Commercial, Shahbaz Commercial and Rahat Commercial.” The power utility reiterated that they had also received “several requests” by residents to refrain from powering up feeders in the “interest of saving human lives”. “The power utility is totally cognisant of the difficulties being faced by consumers and apologises for the extended outage and would like to highlight that power restoration efforts are entirely dependent on the drainage
Top aides to US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fly to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Monday to put final touches on a pact establishing open relations between the Gulf power and Israel. Even before discussions start in Abu Dhabi, the delegates will have made aviation history by taking an Israeli commercial airliner directly from Tel Aviv to the UAE capital over Saudi territory. Announced on Aug 13, the “normalisation” deal is the first such accommodation between an Arab country and Israel in more than 20 years and was catalysed largely by shared fears of Iran. Palestinians were dismayed by the UAE’s move, worried that it would weaken a long-standing pan-Arab position that called for Israeli withdrawal from the occupied territory — and acceptance of Palestinian statehood — in return for normal relations with Arab countries. Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and national security adviser Robert O’Brien head the US delegation. The Israeli team is led by O’Brien’s counterpart, Meir Ben-Shabbat. Officials will explore bilateral coopera-
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India sets global record with single-day rise in coronavirus cases
of water,” the statement said, adding that KE expected to restore power at a feeder level within the next six to 12 hours before proceeding to address localised faults. PTI MPs DEMAND AUDIT OF CBC, DHA FUNDS: Meanwhile, the members of parliament of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) demanded that the government audit funds issued to DHA and the Cantonment Board Clifton (CBC). PTI MP Aftab Siddiqui, who was elected from Karachi’s Defence and Clifton constituencies, announced to raise his voice in the parliament against the two boards. “Water never accumulated here for more than three days after rains,” Siddiqui said. This happened because “the drainage system of these areas is not working”, he added, noting that he would also seek help from the civil society to address these issues. PTI MPA Shehzad Qureshi urged Prime Minister Imran Khan and President Dr Arif Alvi to take notice of the grim situation.
India on Sunday reported the biggest singleday jump in coronavirus infections of any nation in the Covid-19 pandemic, as the epicentre shifts to the south Asian giant. India’s 78,761 cases exceeded the 77,299 recorded in the United States on July 16, a Reuters tally of official data showed. The world’s second-most populous nation is, with 3.54 million cases, the third-hardest hit by the pandemic, following the United States and Brazil, but its daily tallies have exceeded those of the other two countries for almost two weeks. The Covid-19 death toll in India jumped by 948 to 63,498, the federal health ministry data showed. Maharashtra, India’s wealthiest and most urbanised state, recorded 331 fatalities, the steepest single-day increase among all states, followed by the southern state of Karnataka with 136 deaths. Despite the surging case numbers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been pushing for a return to normalcy to lessen the economic pain of the pandemic, having earlier imposed strict lockdowns of the country’s 1.3 billion people. The federal home ministry has decided to let underground train networks reopen with some restrictions in New Delhi, India’s capital of about 20 million people. The subway will start running on September 7 for the first time since March, when India imposed the world’s strictest lockdown to contain the spread of the new coronavirus. AGENCIES
India’s former president Pranab Mukherjee dies of Covid-19
Israeli, US officials fly to UAE to cement ‘normalisation’ deal AGENCIES
FAJR SUNRISE 4:55
tion in areas such as commerce and tourism, and Israeli defence envoys are due to visit the UAE separately. Israeli officials hope the two-day trip will produce a date for a Washington signing ceremony, perhaps as early as September, between Netanyahu and Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan. That could give Trump a foreign policy boost ahead of his re-election bid in November. In Jerusalem on Sunday, Kushner said the deal was a “giant step forward.” The Trump administration has tried to coax other Sunni Arab countries concerned about Iran to engage with Israel. The most powerful of those, Saudi Arabia, has signalled it is not ready. But in what could presage a more relaxed posture by Riyadh, the El Al plane on Monday will be allowed to overfly Saudi territory to cut flight time. In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organisation’s executive committee, said Kushner and his team were “scrambling to convince as many Arab and Muslim leaders as possible” to give Trump an election boost. “They will be a prop at the backdrop of a meaningless spectacle for a ridiculous agreement that will not bring peace to the region,” she said.
NEW DELHI: Former Indian president Pranab Mukherjee, who had tested positive for Covid-19 this month, died on Monday after weeks in the hospital. He was 84. New Delhi's Army Hospital (Research And Referral) said earlier in the day that Mukherjee had gone into a septic shock after coming down with a lung infection. His medical condition had declined since Sunday, it added. The former college teacher and journalist lacked a grassroots political base, but held more than a dozen federal portfolios between 1973 and 2012, ranging from commerce and finance to defence and foreign affairs. “He has left an indelible mark on the development trajectory of our nation,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Twitter, posting a picture of him touching Mukherjee's feet in reverence. “A scholar par excellence, a towering statesman, he was admired across the political spectrum and by all sections of society.” Mukherjee entered parliament in 1969, following his father into the Congress party led by Indira Gandhi, just as she steered the country on a sharp turn towards socialism. AGENCIES
Covid-19 may cost tourism $1.2tr, wipe out 120m jobs: UN NEW YORK TLTP
The United Nations (UN) has released figures on the devastating impact of Covid-19 on global tourism, warning that the outbreak may cost the troubled sector $1.2 trillion in losses and put 120 million tourism jobs at risk. In a recently published policy brief, the UN projected that international tourist numbers may decline by between 58 per cent to 78 per cent in 2020, compared to last year. According to its calculations, such an “immense shock” for the industry, which accounts for the bulk of some countries’ revenues, could translate into a drop of between 850 million and 1.1 billion international tourists. “In the first five months of this year, international tourist arrivals decreased by more than half and some $320 billion dollars in exports from tourism were lost,” UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said earlier
this week. The already sustained damages are over three times what was lost during the entire 2009 global economic crisis. As one in 10 people on the earth works in the tourism sector, the unprecedented crisis threatens the well being of millions, the organisation warned. Thus, 100 million to 120 million direct jobs in tourism may be wiped out, while unemployment in countries heavily reliant on tourism may spike by more than 20 percent. Noting that tourism has been one of the key drivers of the global economy for years, the UN said that the steep fall of export revenues from tourism will result in a drop in global gross domestic product (GDP). The most “optimistic” scenario implies that global GDP will shrink by $1.17 trillion, or 1.5 percent. In the case of a prolonged standstill (up to 8 months), the damage will rise to $2.22 trillion, or 2.8 per cent of GDP. The Covid-19 pandemic brought global tourism to a
standstill in March, when most countries shut their borders to contain the spread of the deadly virus that has killed over 820,000 people. Some airlines, struggling to survive during the pandemic even with financial help from governments, earlier hinted that they see no end in sight to the coronavirus disruption. Earlier this week, both American Airlines and Delta announced additional job cuts. While Delta is set to furlough 1,941 pilots this fall, American Airlines said that its workforce will shrink by 19,000 in October, when protections tied to federal stimulus expire. After all voluntary exits and other cuts, American Airlines is set to have 100,000 workers in under two months, down from the 140,000 it employed in March. The carrier reportedly said that the US government assumed that the virus would be contained and demand recovered by the end of September, but it seems that is “not the case.”
Afghan women negotiators to face hardline Taliban in peace talks KABUL AGENCIES
Five Afghan women who endured the Taliban’s oppressive rule and fought for fragile gains since the militants were ousted are now preparing to face the hardline group in peace talks. Their presence at the negotiating table is significant in patriarchal Afghanistan, though they will be outnumbered by the rest of the Afghan government’s team of 16 men and the Taliban’s male-only side. “The Taliban have to understand that they are facing a new Afghanistan with
which they have to learn to live,” said Fawzia Koofi, one of the negotiators and a high-profile women’s rights campaigner. The politician has survived two assassination attempts during her career — the latest was just weeks ago near the capital Kabul and came after the Taliban and Afghan government said they were ready for talks to begin. “Being in such an important role is not something which is very common in Afghanistan, so you really have to find your way among those people who do not believe in a woman’s presence,” Koofi told AFP before the shooting. When the Taliban ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, her husband
was jailed and she was threatened with stoning for wearing nail polish, she said. Religious police whipped women in the street if they wore anything other than an allconcealing burqa, and those accused of adultery were sometimes executed at sports stadiums after Friday prayers. Today, the traditional patriarchal system remains the norm and life for most women in rural areas has improved little since the 2001 US-led invasion toppled the Taliban, who banned girls from going to school and women from working. However, in Kabul and other Afghan cities, progress has been made, with women studying at secondary and tertiary level and
holding elected positions and running businesses, albeit in disproportionately low numbers. Koofi is one of a few women who held unofficial talks with the Taliban in 2019 and knows the battle women negotiators will face. “It’s not just about what you are talking,” she said. “People look at what you wear, whether your scarf is of the right size or not.” ‘WE HAVE ALWAYS FEAR’: Washington signed a deal with the Taliban in February committing to withdraw foreign forces in return for a pledge from the insurgents to hold talks with the Afghan government, aimed at ending the war. Both sides have said they are ready to fly
to Doha for the talks after a controversial prisoner swap has been completed. Islamic law expert and negotiator Fatima Gailani, 66, told AFP that women were apprehensive about negotiations with the Taliban. “Every woman in Afghanistan has a fear … we always have a fear that whenever there are changes in Afghanistan and whenever there is a political change, always women are hurt,” said Gailani, a spokeswoman for the mujahideen against the Soviets in the 1980s and now the president of the Afghan Red Cross. But she said she has the support of the men on her team, who “believe in exactly what I believe in”.
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