Wednesday, 23 September, 2020 I 4 Safar, 1442 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XI No 84 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition
Court hands death sentenCe to two MQM workers in Baldia faCtory fire Case KARACHI
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STAFF REPORT
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N anti-terrorism court in Karachi on Tuesday handed death sentence to two Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) workers for their involvement in the eightyear-old baldia factory fire case. The fire ravaged the textile factory complex in Karachi’s baldia Town in 2012, killing more than 250 workers trapped behind locked doors. The incident was initially deemed as an accident but was later termed as an act of arson. In a short verdict, which was initially scheduled to be announced on September 17 but was delayed, the court declared that baldia Town sector-in-charge Abdul Rehman alias bhola and Zubair alias Charya set the complex ablaze because of the non-payment of extortion money by the owners. bhola was arrested in 2016 from Thailand through the Interpol. He was brought back to the country by the Federal Investigation Agency and later handed over to the police for further legal proceedings. The court, however, acquitted MQM leader Rauf Siddiqui, then provincial minister for commerce and industries, his counsel Abid Zaman said. Three others, including Iqbal Adeel Khanum and Hyderabad-based businessmen dr Abdul Sattar Khan, were also acquitted by the court. The factory’s four gatekeepers — Shahrukh, Fazal Ahmed, Arshad Mehmood and Ali Mohammad — were convicted for facilitation. The court has yet to release its detailed verdict. ‘MQM-P NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR INCIDENT’: MQMPakistan leader Faisal Subzwari, in a tweet, quoted a spokesperson for his party as saying that the acquittal of Rauf Siddiqui, a member of the Rabita Committee, in the case “proves that MQM-Pakistan has nothing to do with this case”. The spokesperson expressed sympathies with the victims and their relatives for having to wait eight years for the verdict and expressed the hope that the country’s higher courts will ensure complete justice for them. “[We] make it clear that patronage of any
Coronavirus in
Pakistan
CONFIRMED CASES:
306,886
LAST UPDATED AT 7:42 AM ON SEPTEMBER 22, 2020
DAY'S DEATH TOLL:
4
RECOVERED:
NEW CASES:
582
DEATHS:
293,159 6,424 SINDH:
134,243 KP:
37,387 AJK/GB:
PUNJAB:
98,487 BALOCHISTAN:
14,499
ISLAMABAD:
2,550/3,513 16,207
MQM-P dISTANCES ITSELF FROM THE INCIdENT, SAYS IT WASN’T RESPONSIbLE
NCOC allows resumption of secondary classes from tomorrow ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
anti-social and law-breaking elements neither was nor will ever be a policy of MQM-Pakistan,” the spokesperson added, according to Subzwari. Addressing a press conference shortly after the verdict was announced, MQM leader Rauf Siddiqui said that he had resigned from his post when the incident occurred. “People do not let go of a cleaner’s job [but] I had resigned from my post,” he said. He added that he was thankful for the decision announced by the court. “To this day, I can still hear the screams of the victim’s families,” he further said. The MQM-P leader said that he was unable to forget the night of the incident, which would come to his mind every time he had to appear
in court. 400 WITNESSES TESTIFIED: The prosecution had rested its case after recording material evidence including forensic, ballistic and chemical analysis reports and testimonies of 400 witnesses against the accused. The prosecution has since given up 369 witnesses for being “unnecessary”. According to prosecutor Sajid Mehboob Shaikh, a total of 264 people perished in the fire that engulfed the multi-storey building of the readymade garments manufacturing unit. The number included bodies of 17 people who were charred beyond recognition. All the accused persons have denied the allegations levelled by the prosecution, which is led by the Rangers instead of police.
IHC tells govt to ensure Nawaz’s return ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday informed the government that it had allowed the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader, a convict, to go abroad without informing the court and now it was their responsibility to ensure Nawaz Sharif’s return. Additional Attorney General Tariq Mehmood Khokhar addressed a bench comprising of IHC Justices Aamer Farooq and Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and said the Foreign Office (FO) implemented without delay the court-issued nonbailable arrest warrants through the Pakistan High Commission in the UK. “A man named Yaqoob refused to receive the warrants,” Khokhar told the court. “The federal government allowed the convicted criminal to go abroad,” Justice Kayani observed, adding that the government had put Nawaz’s name on the Exit Control List (ECL) but had later removed it. “The government should have at least informed this court,” the judge said. “We have to decide on the appeal and we are waiting for the appearance [of the convict].” “We will not pass an order seeking the return of a convicted man. You gave him permission to go abroad hence it’s up to you now to take steps to ensure his return,” he added. “In Pakistan, a convicted man left the country and no one bothered to ask or tell the court,” the IHC lamented. The additional attorney general also re-
sponded in affirmative to Justice Kayani’s question on whether the address was that of London’s Avenfield apartments, saying it was the PML-N supremo’s son, Hasan Nawaz, who “received the warrants sent through the Royal Mail”. Speaking to a local news outlet, Hasan denied receiving any document from the High Commission. “I have never used SS in my name; the signature shows ‘Hassan,’ which is not me. I do not sit in the reception of my building to receive mail for 25 flats in the building. Nawaz had earlier informed the IHC that he couldn’t return to Pakistan and through a review petition against the order that had directed him to surrender before the court by September 10. The petition was filed by Nawaz’s lawyers, Khawaja Harris and Munawar Iqbal. The application included recent medical reports and requests the court to go ahead with the hearings in the presence of the deposed prime minister’s counsels. Nawaz had informed the court that the undertaking that was taken from him had included the condition that the government would first check in on his health. He had also informed the court that the federal government had not made any efforts in this matter. “The federal government does not have any authentic information about my health,” Nawaz had claimed in his petition. He had also added that the doctors have not issued any certificates that would declare him “fit” to return home.
The National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) has allowed the resumption of secondary classes from September 23 after the daily number of coronavirus infections continued to drop. Following the directive, Punjab Education Minister Murad Raas on Monday announced the reopening of classes in schools across the province from Wednesday. Raas, however, stressed on the importance of following the guidelines devised by the government to prevent a feared second wave. “It is imperative for everyone to follow SOPs [standard operating procedures] issued by [the] School Education department Punjab,” the minister tweeted. Earlier in the day, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government also decided to reopen schools from tomorrow. “We have decided to open schools for class 6 to 8 from tomorrow Insha Allah in [the] second phase across KP,” provincial Education Minister Shahram Khan Tarakai said on Twitter. Earlier this month, the federal government, following a dip in fresh infections, had decided to reopen in phases the educational institutions across the country. The institutions were closed down in March following the Covid-19 outbreak in the country. According to the government plan, classes six, seven and eight were allowed to return to schools on September 23 following a review. Whereas primary schools will be reopened on September 30 in the last phase. All higher education institutions including universities, professional colleges, vocational institutes, as well as classes nine till 12 resumed classes on September 15. Meanwhile, the government continues to close down institutions found violating the SOPs. Last week, the NCOC announced to close 13 such institutions — 10 in KP and three in Sindh — due to “non-compliance with health protocols and disease prevalence.”
more inside
Soldier martyred in attack from Afghan side: ISPR STORY ON PAGE 03
Fazl summoned for inquiry regarding assets beyond means STORY ON PAGE 03
Qureshi calls Kashmir, Palestine disputes UN’s ‘most glaring issues’ STORY ON BACK PAGE
Nawaz committed political suicide, says Imran STORY ON PAGE 05
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Wednesday, 23 September, 2020
NEWS
phAse 3 Covid-19 vACCine triAl begins in pAkistAn ISLAMABAD
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STAFF REPORT
ITH some 40,000 people participating in the process, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Tuesday announced the launch of phase 3 clinical trials in Pakistan for a potential vaccine being developed by China’s CanSino Biologics to cure the coronavirus. Trials for phase 1 and 2 for Ad5-nCoV were held in China. Pakistan, under a public-private partnership between the National Institute of Health (NIH) and pharmaceutical company AJM — the local representative of CanSino — is among the countries which will carry out phase 3, a statement issued by the NCOC said. Refuting rumors that a falling infection rate in Pakistan will affect the trial, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan, the country’s drug regulator, last month gave
the go-ahead for the country’s first phase 3 clinical trial for CanSino’s candidate. According to Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar, of the total participants, about 8,000 to 10,000 will be from Pakistan. He said the initial results of the trial are expected in four to six months. Addressing a press conference alongside National Institutes of Health head Major General Aamer Ikram on Tuesday, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan termed the trial an “important step” in which Pakistanis would also take part. Gen Ikram said it was an “honour” for the country that it was participating in the phase 3 trial of a vaccine for the first time. “The entire world is looking towards a vaccine right now. There are seven vaccines for which trials are being conducted — three of them developed in China. This CanSino vaccine is based on recombinant technology in which an adino-vector is
india bans sikh pilgrims from attending baba guru nanak's death anniversary ISLAMABAD: The Indian government has barred Sikh pilgrims from travelling to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartapur to take part in the 481st death anniversary rituals of Baba Guru Nanak. Pakistan in June had informed India that it was ready to reopen Kartarpur Corridor and invited New Delhi for a discussion on protocols for the safe visit of pilgrims during the Covid-19 pandemic. The decision was taken after many Sikh pilgrims had started arriving from across the world to attend the event. The Foreign Office (FO) also wrote two letters to its Indian counterpart regarding the arrival of Sikh pilgrims in Pakistan through the corridor. The first letter was written on June 27 and the second on August 27, but New Delhi did not respond to either. The pilgrims have been taking part in the 481st death anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak at Kartarpur for the past three days. Tuesday was the last day of the event. STAFF REPORT
ihC orders us blogger to stay in country till next hearing ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday ordered a Pakistan-based American blogger to stay in the country until the next hearing in a case accusing her of staying without a valid visa. Earlier this month, the court stayed a Ministry of Interior decision to deport Cynthia Ritchie following the rejection of her application for the visa extension. The blogger subsequently challenged the decision in the high court, claiming the ministry rejected her application “under pressure”. During the hearing on Tuesday, wherein Deputy Attorney General Muhammad Tayyab Shah represented the federal government, the court directed the ministry to provide records of foreigners deported from the country so far. Cynthia’s counsel told the court she was not involved in any illegal activity during her stay in Pakistan. After hearing the arguments, the court ordered that the blogger will stay in Pakistan till the next hearing. IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah also questioned the procedure followed for awarding of business visas and requirements sought in this regard. “How many people the interior ministry has deported so far over the violation of visa?” remarked the judge, adding that there was a need to investigate the allegations of contempt of slain prime minister Benazir Bhutto against Cynthia. The judge wondered if the government was willing to hold a transparent investigation into the allegations, observing the accusation were in fact serious and merit a probe. Later, the chief justice of the high court adjourned the hearing till October 13. STAFF REPORT
made deficient. The virus vector and cell culture has been procured from Canada,” he said. Speaking about how the study is conducted, he said that in the pre-clinical phase, the vaccine is tried on animals. “This was done in China at the start of the year. It was safe and immunogenic. “Then there is a phase 1 trial which was again conducted in China and its results were good. In this phase, the safety and efficacy [of the vaccine] on the human body is looked at. “The phase 2 trial was conducted on 508 people — which is considered a big trial — and when the results were found to be good, [the study] was published in scientific journals,” he said. He added that the technology for the CanSino vaccine was similar to that of the Oxford vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca. A chimpanzee adino-vector was used in the AstraZeneca vaccine while a human adino-vector was used for this vaccine, he disclosed.
He said the phase 3 trial was the biggest and most difficult stage. “[The NIH] has accepted this challenge and we are grateful to the patronage of the NCOC and the Ministry of Health.” He said that the trials have been launched from today and 8,000 to 10,000 volunteers would be inducted through a formal system. A medical examination of the volunteers would be carried out after which the vaccine would be administered to them. Ikram added that the NIH would follow up with them for 12 months but the results of the vaccine would be expected in three months. The vaccine would be available in the market in five to six months once its results were analysed and it was approved, said Ikram. “This is the vaccine that has already been approved and is being administered to army officials and policemen in China. Therefore, its safety is ensured,” he concluded.
Buzdar for indiscriminate action to stabilise flour prices LAHORE STAFF REPORT
Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has directed for taking indiscriminate action against the elements involved in the unjustified increase in the rate of flour. The chief minister issued this directive while having a meeting with Senior Minister Abdul Aleem Khan who called on him at his office and discussed the availability of wheat and flour in the province. The chief minister directed to take every step to stabilise the price of flour and stated the concerned staff should also visit commercial areas to monitor the field situation. The CM termed the all parties conference (APC) of the opposition as a “failed drama”, saying that it has again proved that opposition only wants to protect its personal interests. The opposition’s APC has ended in a fiasco and the opposition parties have totally ignored the national interests, he added. The CM emphasised that looters cannot hoodwink the people through their APC drama as the citizens are fully aware of the corrupt elements. The rejected elements cannot deceive the conscientious people, he added. The opposition parties are, in fact, trying to obstruct the national
development in the country, he further said. Buzdar lamented the negative role played by the opposition and observed that the APC drama has exposed them again. Abdul Aleem Khan stated that the food department is ensuring the suitable supply of flour and different steps are taken to ensure its availability at the notified rate. The food department officials are also monitoring the price of flour, he added. Meanwhile, Buzdar chaired an important meeting about the new local government system in which secretary local government and community development gave a briefing about the new local bodies system. The CM said that a strong local bodies system will solve public problems at the grassroots level and a genuine representation will be available to the people through the Punjab Local Government Act. The government will introduce an exemplary system to strengthen the local bodies and a new era of development will start, the CM stressed. Provincial ministers Abdul Aleem Khan, Raja Basharat, Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Mian Aslam Iqbal, Hashim Jawan Bakht, Murad Raas, chief secretary and administrative secretaries attended the meeting.
Army alive to internal, external challenges: COAS RAWALPINDI STAFF REPORT
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Tuesday said that Pakistan Army is alive to emerging challenges and regional threats, according to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). The army chief said this during his visit to Field Firing Ranges near Jhelum. He witnessed demonstration of state of the art, Chinese origin third-generation Main Battle Tank VT-4, said the ISPR in a statement. “We are completely focused towards internal and external challenges to defence of the country and prepared with a matching response against all threats to sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of Pakistan,” said the army chief. General Bajwa said that
potent war fighting machines will be employed in an offensive role by strike formations after induction. While interacting with the officers and men, the COAS lauded troops for professionalism, operational readiness and highest training standards to meet challenges of modern-day battlefield requirements. According to ISPR, the COAS expressed satisfaction over the demonstrated performance of Tank VT-4, another addition to the inventory of Armoured Corps after the recent induction of indigenously produced AlKhalid-1 Tank. The VT-4 is compatible with any modern tank in the world integrating advanced armour protection, manoeuvrability, firepower capabilities and state of the art technology.
Another womAn gAng-rAped during robbery in punjAb OKARA: In yet another horrendous incident of sexual abuse, a woman was allegedly gangraped during a robbery in Depalpur tehsil of Okara district on Monday. Police registered the first information report (FIR) of the incident against seven suspects on the complaint of the victim’s husband. The woman has been shifted to Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, Depalpur in critical condition, a police official said. He said that the robbers took cash, gold ornaments, and other valuables with them after raping the woman. Taking notice of the horrific incident, the regional police officer (RPO) Sahiwal reached the crime scene along with the district police officer (DPO) Okara. He constituted a special police team to be headed by the DPO to investigate the incident. He said that the victim woman’s medical examination is being conducted at the hospital. Earlier on Friday, a woman labourer was allegedly raped during a robbery in Faisalabad neighbourhood on Friday. The incident occurred in Peoples Colony near Raja Chowk within the jurisdiction of Batala Colony police station where two suspected robbers raped the woman in front of her daughters, according to police. They took Rs200,000 cash, gold ornaments, and other valuables of the woman with them after sexually abusing her. It is pertinent to mention here that earlier this month, a woman, driving with her two kids on Lahore Motorway link-road, was robbed and gangraped mercilessly after her car ran out of gas and stranded on the road. TLTP
Abbasi, son appear before accountability court in lng supplementary reference ISLAMABAD: Former premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and his son Abdullah Khaqan appeared before the accountability court in Islamabad during the hearing of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) supplementary reference on Tuesday. The hearing of LNG supplementary reference was conducted the accountability court’s judge Azam Khan. The lawyer of Abdullah Khaqan submitted power of attorney in the court. The judge questioned the prosector of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) regarding the confirmation of foreign-based companies named in the corruption reference and timeframe for the submission of their compliance reports. To this, the NAB prosecutor replied that all companies named in the reference were foreign-based and it will take three weeks to get compliance reports. Barrister Zafarullah told the court that two companies are based in Britain, however, it is still unconfirmed whether the given addresses were accurate. Judge Azam Khan remarked that legal procedures will be followed and the case will proceed step by step. He said that indicting of the accused persons will be made after the submission of compliance reports of the said companies. He added that copies of the supplementary reference should be distributed to them. Later, the court adjourned the hearing till October 20. Earlier on September 7, the accountability court had issued notices to five new accused named in a supplementary reference filed in the case to appear in court on next hearing on December 22. The PML-N leader was in attendance in court. INP
Outgoing Chinese ambassador conferred Hilal-e-Pakistan Award ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
President Dr Arif Alvi has conferred Hilal-e-Pakistan award on outgoing Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing in recognition of his efforts for further strengthening Pakistan-China relationship in diverse fields.
The special investiture ceremony was held at Aiwan-e-Sadr, where the president presented Ambassador Yao Jing with the country’s second-highest civil award, given to people for their meritorious contribution to the national interests of Pakistan. Ambassador Yao Jing has served in Pakistan thrice in various capacities and
in aggregate stayed in Islamabad for eleven years. The event was attended by the Senate chairman, National Assembly speaker, federal ministers, and high officials of the government. Earlier on September 10, China, replacing Yao Jing, had designated Nong Rong as a new ambassador to Pakistan, who is currently a minister in a provincial
government. Chinese Ambassador for Pakistan Yao Jing has been transferred back to headquarters in Beijing for the next posting. The newly-nominated ambassador, Nong Rong, is a political appointee who has expertise in trade and commerce. Unlike the outgoing ambassador, he didn’t serve in Pakistan before the appointment.
Wednesday, 23 September, 2020
NEWS
active covid-19 caSeS on the riSe in country ISLAMABAD
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STAFF REPORT
HE number of active Covid-19 cases has been increasing in the country after falling to 5,540 on September 10, as the figure now stands at 7,303, according to the data shared by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Tuesday. According to NCOC, 586 fresh cases surfaced during the last 24 hours when 36,155 samples were tested
Soldier martyred in attack from afghan Side: iSPr RAWALPINDI: A soldier was martyred when terrorists from across the Afghan border attacked a post of security forces in Bajaur district, the InterServices Public Relations (ISPR) said on Tuesday. According to ISPR, the terrorists from Afghanistan targeted the security post situated in the border area late Monday night. It said Sepoy Sabir Shah, 24, was martyred in the attack. “Pakistan has been consistently raising the issue for border management on [the] other side to avoid [the] use of Afghanistan soil against Pakistan,” the statement said. STAFF REPORT
indian trooPS kill kaShmiri youngSter in iok SRINAGAR: Indian troops, in their fresh act of state terrorism, martyred a youngster in Indian Occupied Kashmir’s (IOK) Badgam district on Tuesday. The youngster was killed by the Indian troops during a cordon and search operation in Charar-eSharief area of the district. Meanwhile, Indian troops, along with paramilitary forces, launched cordon and search operations in Srinagar, Pulwama and Shopian areas. INP
govt prioritises regional connectivity: moeed ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security Dr Moeed Yusuf has said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as well as regional connectivity is the prime priority of the government. Talking to the Ambassador of Turkmenistan and Dean of Diplomatic Corps in Islamabad on Tuesday, Dr Yusuf said that the CPEC supplements the vision of regional connectivity and economic integration. He said that Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India (TAPI) gas project is in the completion phase. The dean of diplomatic corps said that Pakistan can get fibre optic and electricity from Turkmenistan. He also appreciated Pakistan's role in establishing peace in Afghanistan. Last Friday, President Alvi underscored the need for early operationalisation of TAPI gas pipeline project that would go a long way in further strengthening bilateral relations between Pakistan and Turkmenistan. President Alvi and President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov of Turkmenistan exchanged views on bilateral relations between Pakistan and Turkmenistan, implementation of TAPI gas pipeline project, and TAPI power transmission lines. STAFF REPORT
china lauds President alvi’s remarks about cPec ISLAMABAD: China has lauded President Dr Arif Alvi’s remarks about China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), its role for boosting regional connectivity and benefits to Afghanistan and Central Asian Republics (CARs). Responding to a question during a briefing in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Wang Wenbin lauded President Dr Alvi’s remarks about the CPEC. He said that CPEC is an important pilot programme of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and a flagship in China-Pakistan cooperation. He said that since its launch six years ago, major progress has been achieved with a large number of projects starting construction or being completed and more than $25 billion direct investment flowing into Pakistan. He said that the completed projects have greatly improved transportation infrastructure and electricity supply in Pakistan and created over 70,000 direct employment opportunities. Wang said that China firmly supports the CPEC development and stands ready to work together with Pakistan to act on our leaders’ consensus. STAFF REPORT
for the infection. The number of Covid-19 cases across the country has reached 306,886 with the addition of these new cases. The country reported four more coronavirus-related fatalities during the last 24 hours, lifting the death toll from the disease to 6,424. As many as 290 more people recovered over the last 24 hours. So far, 293,159 patients (95.5 per cent) have recuperated. More than 3.2 million tests have been conducted across the country. Balochistan health officials said on Tuesday that as many as 701 new cases of the novel coronavirus were
detected across Balochistan over the last five days. According to a report compiled by the health department, a fresh wave of Covid-19 cases began in the province from August 25. A total of 105 cases were reported during the previous 24 hours, it said, adding the total number of infections in the province has jumped to 14,499 while 145 people have died of the disease so far. More than 14,000 patients have recovered as the number of active cases in the province stands at 1,204 (8 per cent of the total confirmed cases).
LHC extends Shehbaz’s interim bail till Sept 24 LAHORE INP
The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday extended the interim bail of Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) President and Opposition Leader in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif in assets beyond means and money laundering case till September 24. The petition for Shehbaz’s interim bail was heard in the high court by a two-member bench comprising Justice Sardar Ahmed Naeem and Justice Farooq Haider. During the hearing, PML-N leaders Rana Sanaullah, Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan, Advocate Attaullah Tarrar and Khawaja Imran Nazir were also present in the courtroom. Later, Shehbaz, in an informal chat with the media outside the court, said that PML-N is being pressured but it does not matter whether he will be in or out of jail,
the decisions taken during the All Parties Conference (APC) will be implemented. “It is necessary to unite against Imran Khan’s antipoor policies,” he added. Shehbaz said that the revenge tactics of “NAB-Niazi nexus” are not slowing down. During the case proceedings, the PML-N president pleaded the court to let him speak so that he can present arguments. “Due to my decisions my children suffered losses,” he told the court. The court also allowed Shehbaz to sit on the chair. The former Punjab chief minister’s lawyer Attaullah Tarrar and the NAB prosecutor presented their arguments on the report of Financial Monitoring Unit (FMU) while advocate Amjad Pervaiz said an increase in assets does not mean deceiving, as per the law. He said that NAB initiated an inquiry against Shehbaz on the application of a ‘Muhib-e-Watan Pakistani’ (patriotic) citizen who
has no name and no address. He questioned why ‘Muhib-e-Watan Pakistani’ is always seen in opposition cases. When Amjad Pervaiz started quoting Shahzad Akbar’s press conference, the NAB prosecutor argued the case will not be completed in five days if you start reading each and every page of the Shahzad’s press conference. However, the court granted permission to Shehbaz’s lawyers to carry on the arguments. Earlier, the LHC on Monday extended interim bail of PML-N president in the assets beyond means and money laundering case for just a day till September 22. Shehbaz’s interim bail application was heard in the LHC by a two-member bench comprising Justice Sardar Ahmed Naeem and Justice Farooq Haider which sought lawyers in Tuesday hearing for final arguments. Advocate Amjad Pervaiz, Tarrar and advocate Nasrullah on behalf of Shahbaz Sharif presented arguments during the hearing. Tarrar said in the court that NAB has filed the reference and the case has also been initiated in the trial court then what are the reasons for issuing an arrest warrant.
SECP serves notices to eight officials for data leakage KARACHI SHAHZAD PARACHA
The Securities Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has served show-cause notices to eight officials involved in a data leakage. Sources said that the commission, on the recommendation of the fact-finding committee, issued show-cause notices to eight officials, including Market Surveillance Department Additional Director Arsalan Zafar Hejazi. The remaining officials are from the IT wing and the companies’ registration office. The head of fact-finding committee, Sadia Khan, on Saturday presented a report related to data leakage to the commission in which they declared eight people responsible for committing several mistakes. The committee recommended strict action against them
in accordance with the SECP human resource (HR) manual. Earlier, it was reported that Arsalan Zafar Hijazi, the son of former SECP chairman Zafar Hejazi had stolen the personal information of Lieutenant General (r) Asim Saleem Bajwa family through NADRA records. The department, while confiscating his laptop, also sent him on a forced leave. It was further reported that the former SECP chairman’s son had also deleted the data from his laptop and obtained a letter from SECP’s HR department to apply for a UK visa. Sources said that the officials can submit a written reply within seven days, and hearings will be held for each person in front of the commission, subsequently, the commission will decide the punishments in accordance with the
SECP HR manual where the minor penalties and the major penalties have been clearly defined. The major penalty included dismissal and minor is suspension from service, with a possibility that the case could be referred to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). Sources said that the data leak matter has also been discussed in today’s federal cabinet meeting subsequently, SECP Chairman Amir Khan also met with the Prime Minister Imran Khan and reportedly informed the update on this matter. Sources said that the government can take decisions with regard to one commissioner of SECP as they claimed that there were issues with his appointments. The incumbent government had also removed Shaukat Abbasi from SECP chairman position.
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Liaquat Shahwani, the spokesperson of the Balochistan government recently expressed concern over upsurge in coronavirus cases in the province. “We have tried our best for implementation of standard operating procedures (SOPs) in the province. According to experts, the change in weather conditions is increasing the number of coronavirus cases,” Shahwani said. Meanwhile, the global tally of coronavirus cases has reached 31,530,298. A total of 23,146,355 patients have recovered and 970,238 have died so far. The US, the worst-hit country, has 7,047,643 cases. It is followed by India, which has 5,568,740 cases, Brazil has 4,560,083 and Russia has 1,115,810 confirmed cases. Pakistan at present stands at number 18 with 306,886 cases among the list of countries affected by the coronavirus disease.
15 mPs met coaS before aPc: Shehbaz LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President and Opposition Leader in the National Assembly, Shehbaz Sharif confirmed on Tuesday that key parliamentarians met with the military leadership ahead of the opposition parties’ all parties conference (APC). Interacting with journalists in the premises of the Lahore High Court (LHC) where he arrived to seek extension in his interim bail in a money laundering case, Shehbaz said, “Since word has got out about the meeting, I do not deny it.” “15 parliamentary leaders [representing the opposition and the government] were present in the meeting with the army chief, during which the issue of Gilgit-Baltistan came under discussion,” Shehbaz said. Claiming that the PML-N is being pressured, he said that the decisions made by the all parties conference held on Sunday will be implemented, no matter if he is sent behind the bars. STAFF REPORT
fazl summoned for inquiry regarding assets beyond means ISLAMABAD: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Tuesday was directed to appear before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) investigation team next month in an inquiry launched on charges of corruption and possessing assets beyond means, according to the official notice sent to Rehman's residence in Dera Ismail Khel. The notice was looking into the former lawmaker in issues "regarding corruption and corrupt practices/accumulation of assets beyond means". It called upon the JUI-F chief to appear before Combined Investigation Team (CIT) at NAB's regional office on October 1 at 11 am to "record your statement/plea in the subject inquiry". The summons also said that failure to fulfil with the notice may entail penal consequences as per the Schedule of NAO, 1999. NAB chairman (r) Justice Javed Iqbal had approved the "authorisation of inquiry" against Rehman and others on September 14 according to a letter sent to an additional director of NAB Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). An authorisation letter signed by Iqbal on September 18 was also forwarded to NAB KP for necessary action. The development comes two days after Fazl's JUI-F, along with other major opposition parties, held the All Parties Conference (APC) where they announced the launching the Pakistani Democratic Movement (PDM) and its three-phased anti-government plan to oust the incumbent government. Like many other similar incidents, the opposition is accusing NAB of launching a witch hunt. The government denies the allegations, saying the bureau is independent and its chairman was appointed by the opposition parties themselves. Last month, NAB's KP office had issued a similar notice to a younger brother of Rehman, who is an officer of the provincial government, directing him to appear before a CIT in an inquiry launched on multiple charges, including possessing illegal assets. STAFF REPORT
Qureshi seeks world’s LHC issues non-bailable arrest warrant of TTP role to free kashmiris suspects in Benazir Bhutto murder case from indian clutches RAWALPINDI APP
A division bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday issued non-bailable arrest warrants of the two accused for not appearing before the court in the Benazir Bhutto murder case. The bench, comprising Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan and Justice Sadiq Mehmood Khurram heard the case. While hearing the appeals of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, the court expressed annoyance over the absence of two accused Sher Zaman and Aitzaz shah who were acquitted by an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on August 31, 2017, from the charges of involvement in the murder of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. The court also ordered the regional police officer and city police officer to give detailed report of the other three accused Rafaqat Hussain,Hussnain Gul and Abdul Rasheed while presence of Sher Zaman and Aitzaz Shah must be ensured on next hearing . Sher Zaman and Aitzaz Shah had been acquitted
by the ATC on surety bonds while the three others Rafaqat Hussain, Hussnain Gul and Abdul Rasheed failed to provide surety bonds and were under judicial custody. The petitioner’s counsel former Punjab governor Sardar Latif Khosa asked the court to bring back the former president General (r) Pervez Musharraf in the country who was declared absconder by the ATC in the murder case and award him a death sentence. Earlier, the PPP counsel had filed three appeals in the LHC against the verdict of an anti-terrorist court, which was announced on August 31. In the first appeal, the PPP counsel had asked the court to announce a punishment for General (r) Musharraf in accordance with the criminal code. In second appeal, the court had been requested to change the sentence given to the police officers involved in the case to death penalty as according to law, the punishment for murder was the death sentence. The third appeal asked the court to award death sentence to the five Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) suspects who had been acquitted by the ATC.
ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has urged the international community to come forward to rid the oppressed Kashmiri people from the cruel Indian clutches. The foreign minister said this while chairing the sixth meeting of the Special Committee on Kashmir on Tuesday. The foreign minister said that Prime Minister Imran Khan, in his address to the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), will draw the world attention towards the atrocities unleashed by India in occupied Kashmir. Qureshi said that Pakistan will continue to raise the lingering dispute at all international forums until the Kashmiri people get their right to self-determination as per the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions. He also said that Pakistan is apprising the world of the BJP government's Hindutva policies and India's expansionist designs. He said that blatant human rights violations in occupied Kashmir and Indian ceasefire violations on the line of control are a matter of concern. He added that the belligerent posture of India poses a grave threat to the regional peace and security. STAFF REPORT
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Wednesday, 23 September, 2020
NEWS
et&nc decideS to crackdown on token tax defaulterS LAHORE
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SHAHAB OMER
HE Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control (ET&NC) Department has decided to crackdown against the defaulters of vehicle token taxes, warning of a widescale operation if token tax is not submitted by October 1, Profit learnt on
Tuesday. ET&NC sources informed this scribe that even before the lockdown, a campaign was launched for the submission of token taxes on vehicles with the aim of enabling citizens to pay token taxes on time. However, the taxes have not been paid by many government and private vehicles, therefore, the department’s motor vehicle
Pakistan, china to jointly build a cancer medical laboratory BEIJING
branch has compiled lists of all defaulters. “There are thousands of vehicles on the roads whose token taxes have not been paid for many years,” sources said, adding that awareness notices are also being put up in parking lots of markets and plazas across the city whereas the public is also being informed of action against them if they fail to pay the token tax. It may be mentioned here that the
India hiding facts about 11 Pakistani Hindus’ killing: Ramesh ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
INP
Pakistan and China will jointly build a cancer medical laboratory through cooperative partnership. In this connection, an agreement's signing ceremony of Pakistan-China biotechnology strategic cooperation was held in Beijing, Gwadar Pro reported on Tuesday. Under the flagship project of this cooperation, Pakistani and Chinese companies will jointly build a cancer medical laboratory. The agreement was jointly initiated and signed by Life Rehealth Technology Pakistan and Beijing Anlong Gene Medicine Technology. Under the proposed framework, Pakistani and Chinese companies will jointly carry out exploration and research on cancer medical treatment, and Chinese companies will also share their existing medical technologies with Pakistan. Life Rehealth CEO Dr Ahmed Waqas has been active in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) medical cooperation for a long-term. In an exclusive interview, he said that the incidence of cancer, especially lung cancer, liver cancer and so on, is very high in Pakistan. However, due to the current medical level and sanitary conditions, patients cannot receive good treatments. Therefore, cooperation between Pakistan and China in this sector is very necessary and will bring great benefits to Pakistan. Regarding the reasons why Pakistan chose Chinese company as cooperative partner, Waqas said that cooperation in medical field is of great importance and requires profound friendship and trust between the two sides. “China and Pakistan are 'iron brothers', and the Pakistani people deeply trust China. So, if Pakistan want to develop biotechnology, the best partner must be our good brothers,” he said. “The second reason is that China's rapid development in the medical field in recent years is obvious to all, and the technology in oncology treatment has also been relatively mature,” he added. “Therefore, we believe that through this cooperation, Pakistan can import advanced technology from China to help our patients,” he further said. Anlong Gene General Manager Dr Wei Yujun said, "China's development in life science has attracted worldwide attention in recent years. “As Chinese medical personnel, we have the responsibility to make cutting-edge technology benefit more people. What is more, Pakistan is a friendly neighbor of China. Under the frame of BRI, we should strengthen medical cooperation with our iron brother,” he added.
department would form teams which would set up check posts at various points in the city and the vehicles of the defaulters would be seized and fined after the deadline. ET&NC Director Region C Qamar Hassan Sajjad said that the owners of 900,000 vehicles have not paid token taxes so far and they will be dealt with according to the law.
MNA and Patron-in-Chief of Pakistan Hindu Council Ramesh Kumar has said that Indian police are hiding facts about the Jodhpur incident in India, in which eleven Pakistani Hindus were mysteriously killed last month. He stated this during a meeting with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi here on Tuesday where he apprised the minister of the latest details about the incident. Kumar said that transparent investigation into the
incident is not being carried out despite their forceful demand and Indian Police is declaring the incident as suicide. Speaking on the occasion, the foreign minister said that Pakistan has lodged a strong protest with India over this inhuman incident. He said, “We have demanded the Indian government to include Pakistan in the investigation for a fair inquiry.” The foreign minister said protection of minorities is the top priority of the government and “we are deeply grieved over the killing of a Pakistani Hindu family in India”.
Diplomat shares takeaways of China’s poverty alleviation KARACHI TLTP
Li Bijian, the consul general of China in Karachi, has said that by the end of 2020, China will officially eradicate absolute poverty. According to the Chinese envoy, in the past more than 40 years, more than 850 million people have been alleviated from poverty. Since the 18th National Congress of Communist Party of China in 2012, CPC has been making unremitting efforts and taking poverty alleviation as the bottom-line mission and landmark indicator of building a moderately prosperous society in all aspects. From 2012 to 2019, the poverty-stricken population has been reduced from 98.99 million to 5.51 million, and the poverty incidence has declined from 10.2 per cent to 0.6 per cent, making China to be the largest poverty alleviation population in the world and creating a “China Miracle” in the history of poverty alleviation. The diplomat said that China’s achievements on poverty alleviation have been widely recognised by the international community. He said that some of the following Chinese experience of poverty alleviation may be shared and learned so as to enrich the global theory and practice of poverty governance. LED BY THE GOVERNMENT: Since the late 1970s, China has started to carry out organized rural poverty alleviation exploration in large-scale by integrating it into the overall national development strategy. The government at all levels established steering groups of poverty alleviation work, clarifying the principal responsibilities, and setting up the responsibility system of poverty alleviation led by the head of the Party and the government at different level. China draws
up long-term poverty alleviation plans while sets annual targets, timely releases relevant policy documents according to the characters and tasks at different stages and periods, to take large-scale special anti-poverty actions, formulate and implement the developmental plans for women, children, the disabled as well as the ethnic minorities. GETTING THE WHOLE SOCIETY INVOLVED: The poverty alleviation task is closely related to political, economic, educational, medical, cultural, and ecological factors. China’s poverty alleviation plan has been fully exploiting the socialist system’s advantages to concentrate resources and accomplish large undertakings, established the great pattern of poverty alleviation led by CPC, dominated by the governments, participated by the whole society and implemented in concert. In addition, various social forces have been mobilized to participate through the "Hope Project" and "Glorious Cause" project etc. BASED ON REFORM, OPENING UP AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: Reform and opening up is not only the vital approach to build up the country but an effective way to eradicate poverty also. China's reform and opening up has achieved huge dividends including maintaining rapid economic growth, and steady annual increase of national fiscal revenues, which have set a sound financial foundation for poverty alleviation. On one hand, the government has expanded investment and greatly improved the infrastructure in the poor areas and created the condition for the people to fight against poverty. On the other hand, the government has plenty of financial resources, expanded transfer payment to those poor areas and increased the supply of public goods and services, which guarantee the implementation of poverty reduction actions.
Pakistan to get rid of polio by next year: Safdar ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
National Coordinator Polio Eradication Initiative Dr Rana Muhammad Safdar has expressed optimism that polio will be fully eradicated from Pakistan by next year due to dedicated efforts at the national and provincial levels. He said that 275,000 polio workers have been recruited and trained for the latest polio immunization campaign, reported staterun radio channel. He said 100,000 troops of law enforcing agencies are also assisting in this task. Dr Safdar said 40 million children under five years of age will be administered polio drops during the current drive. The national coordinator on Polio Eradication Initiative said that Covid-19 outbreak affected the frequency of polio immunisation campaigns in the country as resources were diverted for the global pandemic. However, with the receding cases of coronavirus in the country, the anti-polio work has again started.
Giving history of immunisation efforts against the crippling disease, Dr Safdar said that in Pakistan dedicated efforts to curtail this disease started in 1994 when annually 20,000 children were becoming victims of this crippling ailment. He said that Pakistan and Afghanistan are only two countries in the world where the virus still persists. National coordinator on polio eradication said that initial symptoms of polio are unspecific, however, after some days the parents notice that some limbs of their children have stopped working. He said that polio is a fast communicable disease caused by a virus that enters into the human body through mouth. The virus is mostly found in unhygienic food and water and in contaminated areas. It grows very fast in the intestines and then targets and paralyses the nervous system. The virus typically affects motor neurons in the nervous system, leading to disabling of a body part and in certain cases, this disease could also lead to death, he said.
Sanghar man murderS wife for ‘refuSing to collect firewood’ SANGHAR INP
A man, identified as Mevo Bheel, has been arrested on charges of attacking and murdering his wife with an axe in Habibullah Manrio village near Jam Nawaz Ali Town in Sanghar district. The deceased has been identified as 24-yearold Tulsi Bheel. The police said that the man attacked the woman after she refused to collect firewood from the jungle. She died on the spot. The body was shifted to a hospital for postmortem examination. The police seized the murder weapon but a case is yet to be registered.
govt to facilitate establishment of cement plants in Punjab: aslam LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Trade and Industries Mian Aslam Iqbal has said that the government has taken some revolutionary steps to bring ease in business, and establishment of new cement plants in the province will be fully facilitated. Talking to a delegation of Bestway Cement on Tuesday, Aslam said that concerned departments have been given a certain time frame to issue no-objection certificate (NOC) for establishment of new cement plants in the province. He said that he himself is holding meetings with cement industry investors to solve their problems. All concerned departments are instructed to prepare their reports beforehand to save time. By complying with all rules and regulations, NOC will be issued in the minimum possible time, he added. He assured the delegation that no red-tapism will be allowed to block investment, as investment will bring new job opportunities in the province. STAFF REPORT
Sehat cards to be provided in malakand region in oct: Jhagra PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Minister for Health and Finance, Taimur Saleem Khan Jhagra has said that Sehat Sahulat programne will be inaugurated in accordance with the already set timeline and Sehat Cards will be provided in Zone-1, Malakand region, in October. The provincial minister expressed these thoughts in a review meeting held with State Life Insurance, said a statement issued on Tuesday. Jhagra said, “We are in the position to launch this universal health insurance programme in the last week of October.” He also emphasised on mass awareness campaigns to educate people about this universal health insurance programme. The State Life Insurance chairman briefed the meeting regarding the progress on the Sehat Sahulat program. STAFF REPORT
Wednesday, 23 September, 2020
NEWS
Nawaz committed Political suicide, says imraN ISLAMABAD
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MIAN ABRAR
HE federal cabinet on Tuesday discussed the Multi-Party Conference (MPC) held by the opposition last week, wherein, the prime minister said that the government had trapped Nawaz Sharif by airing his speech on national TV knowing fully that the former premier would commit a political blunder, Pakistan Today has learnt. “The speech of Nawaz Sharif would prove to be his political demise. We are not afraid of the opposition’s MPC and the opposition’s movement would fail again,” the source quoted the premier as telling his cabinet colleagues. The premier also directed Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Babar Awan and Minister of State for Interior Shehzad Akbar to present the proposed draft bill for the punishment of child and women molesters and sex offenders while also directing cabinet members to refrain from making statements on sen-
PM WANTS STRINGENT LAW FOR SEX OFFENDERS sitive issues PM Imran said that the government would ensure exemplary punishment to sex offenders and individuals involved in pornography. He said that the government would make such accused horrible examples so as no one dare sexually attack minors or women. A source told Pakistan Today that the prime minister also expressed displeasure over certain cabinet ministers criticising other peers in public. The prime minister passed these remarks after an exchange of harsh words between Planning Minister Asad Umar, Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari and Advisor on Petroleum Nadeem Babar. The source said that Shireen Mazari taunted Asad Umar for not giving appropriate time to cabinet members to go through the agenda. “This remark left Asad Umar redfaced who responded in the same tone,
asking cabinet members to come prepared to the cabinet meeting. Asad Umar also admonished Nadeem Babar for misleading the cabinet on digits related to Petroleum and Gas. However, Nadeem Babar responded to Asad’s criticism and said he never lies and rather Planning Ministry makes false statements in the cabinet,” the source added. However, the premier reportedly intervened and asked all ministers not to use derogatory language against each other and also not to go public with slurs and statements on sensitive issues like sectarian issues. Later, Federal Minister for Information & Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz told media that there was no discussion on the opposition's MPC in the meeting of the federal cabinet. Speaking at a press conference after the federal cabinet meeting with Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for
Health Dr Faisal Sultan, Shibli Faraz said that the government had no problem with the opposition’s MPC. He said that not a single word was uttered at the cabinet meeting about the MPC. He said that the government did not obstruct the MPC while his speeches were also aired live. Talking about rape cases, Faraz said that the accused involved in sexual crimes should be brought to justice. He said that Shehzad Akbar, PM's aide, presented the draft bill on sexual abuse. He said that attention is being paid to power generation and up-gradation of the transmission line. He said due to flawed past policies, line losses increased manifold. The minister said that circular debt is like cancer that was spreading fast. Faraz said that the decisions of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) were also ratified in the meeting. He said that the cabinet meeting confirmed the decision to import special vehicles. On the occasion, Dr Faisal Sultan, PM's aide on health, said that the price of medicine for the treatment of coronavirus has been reduced from Rs10,000 to Rs8,400. He said that there are some 94 medicines which are in short in supply including life-saving medicines, blood pressure, epilepsy, cancer and heart diseases and the cabinet also approved imports in this regard.
Russia eager to invest $1.7bn PM poultry project in Karachi-Lahore gas pipeline operates in full swing ISLAMABAD MIAN ABRAR
Russian Ambassador Danila V. Ganich on Tuesday said that Russia is eager to invest $1.7 billion in the Karachi-Lahore gas pipeline. “While the volume of trade has been promising at $500 million, trade cooperation has not corresponded to its potential. The low level of direct commercial ties and insufficient knowledge about each other’s business practices, capabilities and language barriers continue to hamper progress in this much-needed area,” the Ambassador lamented. He was addressing a seminar titled ‘Conversation with Ambassadors on Pakistan-Russia Relations: Prospects for the Future’ organised by the Centre for Aerospace and Security Studies (CASS). Detailing his views on the regional situation, Ambassador Ganich said there should not be law of the jungle in the international system.
He said Russia, like Pakistan, does not want an arms race in the region and is against an arms race in outer space as well, adding that both Pakistan and Russia have strong reasons for wanting peace and stability in Afghanistan. “In this regard, Russia will facilitate any reasonable solution for peace and reconciliation. Unfortunately, prospects for the intraAfghan dialogue remain bleak for the foreseeable future,” he added. Ambassador Ganich also said that Russia intends to increase the number of scholarships offered to Pakistani students since cooperation in this area is of great interest to both states, but the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted this plan. “We intend to promote greater and more mutually beneficial cultural and scientific ties with Pakistan,” he said. Moderated by CASS Senior Researcher Sitara Noor, the discussion was followed by a candid and open question/answer session between the Russian ambassador and participants.
ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
Following Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision of helping people generate subsistence at grass-root level through the backyard poultry programme, the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Livestock Department distributed a set comprising five chickens and a cockerel to registered families on Tuesday. The birds’ distribution ceremony was held at National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) Islamabad and chaired by Special Assistant to PM Ali Nawaz Awan while the units were distributed. Personnel of ICT livestock department and Al-Quresh meat welfare organisation were also present. Livestock & Dairy Development Board CEO Dr Fatah Ullah Khan, Project Managers (LDDB) Dr Sohaib Saleem, Dr Tabinda Khawaja, Dr Mohsin Kiyani and others also graced the event. Highlighting how these birds could
CMYK
be utilised, Dr Fatah said that people living in suburban areas could feed on eggs laid by their chickens on a daily basis while they could also sell them to increase their monthly income. The Livestock Department provided indigenous breeds of birds, while the chickens would start laying eggs within 45 days. Dr Fatah said that through the backyard poultry programme, poor and middle-class people could not only improve their economic conditions but also meet their daily needs as well. He added that livestock projects got significant responses throughout Pakistan, as even in the first year, 87 per cent of the targets have been achieved. Addressing the ceremony Special Assistant to Prime Minister Ali Nawaz Awan said that “PM’s initiative projects are very successful in spite of great criticism on these projects. He appreciated LDDB and ICT for successful execution of livestock projects under prime minister initiatives.
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Petrol pump owners resent heavy fines, forced closures PESHAWAR AZIZ BUNERI
Petrol pump owners and dealers have resented the imposition of heavy fines, sealing of petrol pumps, and torture of staffs due to violation of district administration orders regarding the ban on the sale of petrol to bikers without a helmet in the provincial metropolis. The issues were raised during a meeting of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) standing committee on petroleum, chaired by the SCCI President Engineer Maqsood Anwar Pervaiz on Tuesday. The meeting was attended by the Committee Chairman Mansoor Sharif, Senior Vice Chairman Muhammad Ibrahim, Vice Chairman Hafeezullah Marwat, Vice Chairman Abdul Jalil Jan Afridi, and other members, including Haji Altaf Khan, Majid, Khalil Naeem Khan, Adnan Anwar, Farooq Wajid, Hamid Shah, Ashfaq, Rizwan, and Tariq. The meeting said that the decision of district authorities to ban the sale of petrol to bikers without a helmet was unacceptable to them because it was tantamount to ‘business-hostility’, creating mistrust with the government and hurting businesses. It is the responsibility of traffic police, excise and other relevant subordinate departments to implement road safety rules, but the duty has shifted from government officials to the business community which was unacceptable to them, the meeting added.
Wednesday, 23 September, 2020
06 COMMENT
Beyond the CPEC
How to remain above controversy? Strictly follow the Constitution
Usama sherazi
o
N Monday there were media reports about a dozen opposition figures having held a meeting with the CoAS where the dG ISI was also present. the politicians had come on a telephone call. this marked a change from 2017 when CoAS Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa briefed the Senate Committee of the Whole House on national security in parliament House. the purpose of the meeting this time was reportedly to develop consensus on a proposal to give Gilgit-Baltistan the status of a province. Avowedly other national issues also came under discussion. It was reportedly emphasized by the CoAS that the Army would stand by the civilian government whenever the need arose. It was also maintained that the Army would not allow creation of anarchy. Further that the Army was not involved, directly or indirectly, in any political process. there is a perception that the ptI government itself has dragged military into politics by claiming, while persecuting the opposition and silencing the media, that the Army and the government were on the same page. In less than a week after the meeting with the CoAS, the opposition parties met in Islamabad to announce the formation of the pakistan democratic Movement. the event was addressed virtually by former president Asif ali Zardari and former prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. A plan to kick-start a protest movement against the ptI government was announced. As it does not want to be dragged into politics, one expects the Army to be neutral in the government-opposition confrontation. one also expects the newly announced pdM to conduct its campaign peacefully. In democracies, non-violent movements gather the largest numbers and have great impact. there is a need for everyone to learn from past mistakes. pakistan has been ruled by four generals for nearly 30 years during which east pakistan got separated and Siachen was lost. the state over a state that former pM Nawaz Sharif talks about did not come into existence without the help extended by politicians in return for crumbs of power. Much of the problems that the country faces today are the outcome of the government departments and state institutions transgressing well-defined spheres. to remain non-controversial there is a need on the part of everyone to strictly abide by the Constitution.
D
eep-rooted political, economic, and strategic engagements mark Sino-pak relations which are higher than the Himalayas. these relations date back to the inception of both countries. pakistan recognized the Chinese revolutionary government and paved the way for Beijing to join the comity of nations when it had unabated opposition globally. two major critical junctures came in Sino-pak relations that made the relations deeper. the first was during the Indo-China war of 1962 when pakistan found the opportunity to further augment the relations by settling its border dispute with China and ceded Aksai Chin, a strategically important area in the Northern Ladakh. Secondly, in 1971, pakistan acted as a facilitator between Washington and Beijing and arranged US president richard Nixon’s visit to China. this visit ended China’s international isolation and opened new avenues for its economic and social integration. Since pakistan and China signed a multidimensional project the China-pakistan economic Corridor, the relations between the two countries seem to be confined to it. When it comes to managing relations with China, CpeC is taken as a cornerstone of pakistan’s foreign policy. However, the relations between both countries are spread over many other important areas which are often ignored by policymakers, academia, and the intelligentsia. the changing global and regional power dynamics have brought both countries into a strategic partnership. the mounting competition between the USA and China is compelling small states of turbulent regions, especially South Asia, the Middle east, and east Asia to range themselves on one side. pakistan being locked with India in a conventional enmity needs a balancer in the region and China could best serve its interest. on the other hand, India wants the same support from Washington against Beijing and has joined Washington’s “pivot to Asia” strategy of Chinese containment. Both China and the USA are using the two South Asian nuclear powers and archrivals as pawns to secure their global agendas. pakistan due to its strategic compulsions joined the Chinese bloc, but it needs to balance its ties with Washington as the growing Indo-US strategic partnership is making the diplomatic and strategic space for it shrink. the US support to India in the nuclear area, BMd development, Navy moderation, and striving to make it a member of NSG (Nuclear Supplier Group) is further widening the conventional asymmetry Islamabad has vis-à-vis India. pakistan must not turn blind eyes to the Chinese limitations, given its economic engagements with India. to get maximum advantages from both blocs, pakistan
Looming energy crisis Cold winter ahead as gas shortages imminent
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ArNINGS from both the Sui Northern Gas pipelines Limited (SNGpL) and Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) about confirmed gas shortages for punjab and Sindh respectively, means that residential consumers and businesses are in for a tough winter. Federal energy Minister omar Ayub had, as early as the start of August, informed a Senate standing committee that the problem of gas loadshedding would continue this winter as countrywide demand for gas had risen to 7.5 billion cubic feet per day while supply would fall short by 3.5 billion cubic feet per day. Sindh was a complete disaster this monsoon season with rains flooding almost all of Karachi and electricity cut off in many areas for days on end. the crisis forced the Army to be called in to help by the Federal government, thereby escalating an already intense war of words between the centre and the ppp-led Sindh government. According to reports some localities of Karachi are already facing unannounced gas loadshedding well ahead of winter, indicating a more widespread problem in the coming weeks. For Lahore, the SNGpL has committed to providing gas for cooking only and announced that supply to industries will remain suspended. While it has ensured sufficient and timely import of LNG to plug the gap, if the ptI government’s recent handling of the recent wheat and sugar supply crises is anything to go by, SNGpL’s promises must be taken with a pinch of salt. Clearly the ptI has little to show for its two years in office in terms of solving the gas crisis. Meanwhile, a separate crisis is brewing, as K-electric (Ke), Karachi’s sole power supply company, remains at loggerheads with the ptI government, the primary issue being the former’s exclusive rights to distribute electricity to Karachi. A chaotic public hearing to discuss issues related to the company held by the National electric power regulatory Authority (NeprA) had to be cut short due to disruption caused by chants and sloganeering by various participants against Ke. Last month, planning and development minister Asad Umar had threatened to ‘take over’ Ke if its ‘performance’ was not improved. It must be mentioned here that Ke’s majority ownership is private and as such is a more efficiently run company than government-owned/run power distribution companies, which is why such typical browbeating by ptI ministers only makes matters worse. the government should strive to resolve issues rather than exacerbating them.
No Country for Women Will a public hanging help? akif rashid
A
trifecta of tragedy colours the country. Within a week, the people have seen the kidnapping-and-rape of a five-year-old girl who was out getting biscuits, the gunning down of a transgender activist, and the rape of a mother travelling with her kids. Is the public outcry truly unexpected? there is a disconnect; a rejection of a reality where this news is common and quite potentially hopeless. In a way, the rage seems to speak well of our humanity and empathy. It’s a visceral, subconscious understanding of the fact that justice does not come easily in this land. the man in charge of finding the culprits in the Motorway incident wondered how a woman could travel without checking her fuel. It seems eerily similar to dua Mangi, where people came to the defence of her abductors simply because the woman had an off-the-shoulder profile picture. the ‘immodesty’ turned victim to villain. the gyre turns, and the people react. Instagram polls on hanging or castration, or tweets demanding stoning the sinners; whatever it is, make it public so the impressionable minds learn the lesson. While we’re at it, let’s take this hurt, stunned society and ask them for a referendum about what justice is. Make the criminals afraid– or, perhaps, make them violent. they’ll burn a body so there is no evidence to trace. Why do we want public hangings? Because it’s primally cathartic. Because when we see a person made powerless, broken by cold strangers, a person who can’t be saved, we want something that feels like retribution. With boiling blood, we want our hurt to be made physical and hurled back at the people who caused it. And really, it feels like we don’t trust the legal system to do it for us. We want to witness justice. It makes sense, it’s a position that is uncomfortably easy to empathize with – but does it help?
Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami
Arif Nizami Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad
Umar Aziz
Asher John
Joint Editor
Executive Editor
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needs to learn from the Indian foreign policy adopted pakistan’s stance on Kashmir, NSG expansion, Afghanistan, and the War on terror. pakistan also reduring the Cold War. the second area where both countries have a con- ciprocated it by supporting the Chinese “one-China vergence of interests is regional peace and stability. policy” towards taiwan and its stance on the South China is an economic giant and rising incessantly. China Sea. Beijing, being a permanent member of the pakistan being its neighbor and strategic partner is United Nations Security Council, used its first veto also expecting to follow a similar trajectory. Given in 1972 to support pakistan’s stance on Bangladesh and opposed its inclusion in the shared vision of prosperthe comity of nations. Later ity and development, both on, it had recognized countries need a safe, peaceBangladesh as pakistan had ful, and tranquil region. that There are no two opinions done. China consistently is why, since day one, both blocked the Indian move in have maintained a similar that the CPEC is paramount UNSC to designate Jaish-estance on the Afghan issue. Mohammad leader Masood peace in Afghanistan is as for Pakistan’s economy as Azhar a global terrorist. important for China and well as the strategic benefits However, last year, followpakistan as it is for the peoing the pulwama incident, it ple of Afghanistan whose attached to it, but had to abdicate from its two generations have grown stance owing to its global up in blood and fire. Beijing aggrandizing it at the commitments and compulwants to keep insurgent tendencies away from its tuexpense of other key areas is sions. Besides, on major global multuous Xinjiang region not a wise strategy. Pakistan issues, whether these are cliwhile pakistan also wants to mate change, armaments, mainstream its border areas should redefine its key pandemics, and nuclear prowhich were previously deliferation, both countries stroyed by cross-border ternational interests owing to have always been on the rorism. Secondly, without a the change in global and same page. China supported peaceful region, the vision pakistan on various issues behind the BrI and its flagregional power centres and like the membership of the ship CpeC could not be Nuclear Supplier Group. achieved. the successful the advancement of military China opposed the unilateral and efficient implementatechnologies. Besides CPEC, approach of the USA and tion of regional connectivity India for the expansion of with the Central Asian landmany areas need to be the group for Non-Npt mass depends upon peaceful states. It declared the rafael South Asia in general, and explored and require the Mariano Grossi formula disAfghanistan in particular. criminatory and forced the thirdly, in the defence attention of the ruling elite, group members to devise a domain, both countries have academia, intelligentsia, and viable and juristic plan for strong and long-term relaNon-Npt states. Chinese tions. pakistan has reduced the general populace. support to pakistan is paraits reliance on the USA and mount to secure and achieve currently, the Chinese share later key strategic interests. in pakistan’s arms import is there are no two opin75 percent. According to a report of SIprI (Stockholm peace and research In- ions that the CpeC is paramount for pakistan’s econstitute), China exports 35 percent of its arms to pak- omy as well as the strategic benefits attached to it, but istan. Both countries are cooperating in the aggrandizing it at the expense of other key areas is not production of advanced military technologies, mar- a wise strategy. pakistan should redefine its key naitime security, military moderation, and their civil nu- tional interests owing to the change in global and reclear programmes. China is helping pakistan in gional power centres and the advancement of military building a nuclear triad by providing missile boats technologies. Besides CpeC, many areas need to be and Yuan-class diesel submarines. According to some explored and require the attention of the ruling elite, sources, pakistan is considering to acquire Chinese academia, intelligentsia, and the general populace. J-10 aircraft to counter Indian’s rafales. Usama Sherazi can be reached at Fourthly, on multilateral forums, both countries share the same vision. China has always supported usamasherazi129@gmail.com
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in the moment, the public will see a handful of these criminals lynched. Yet, this savagery runs deeper in the soil of the country; it’s systemic. And the question still stands, where is justice? there are factions of society who feel it makes more sense to impose a curfew on women and children, rather than make the streets safe. So of course, As the discourse wanes on, death feels more like the public asks for public hangings! It’s asking to see a memory than a demand. You could rid the world of something that proves the powerless have a safea few types of scum, and there’s no loss in that, but it guard. It’s asking to see fear in the very monsters that doesn’t prevent more of the same. Hanging a rapist threaten to strike out and get away with it. It’s asking to see this because even, in might be a form of justice in the pain, it doesn’t ask for a the court of public opinion, justice system that makes but it’s not a justice system. them feel safe. It’ll just take that’s the ugly underThere needs to be a the next best thing, regardbelly to this whole mess, less of how barbarian it isn’t it? Behind the bellowpunishment, and it needs to might seem. ing calls for revenge, under they might be able to the howls of blood money, come from above. Justice convict a few poor brutes; there is a voice. It asks, “Can they might discourage some I go out alone?” It asks, isn’t death, justice is of them. It doesn’t save “Can I walk outside at knowing you’re in a land women from the men in night?” It asks, “Can I get in their offices who use their this car? Can I wear this? which actually values you power to exploit, it doesn’t Can I post this? Can I say save them from abusers in this?” and there’s no one anand your life. Justice is the the home who know no one swering those questions. ability to say “I am a human will believe the crying What happened, what damsel. It doesn’t feel like continues to happen, is an being; I have a right to be having an officer on your act of hate; A hate that was street makes you safe. And if nurtured in a society which here” regardless of gender. you could hang all of them, seems to remain undecided And until the average would you turn to each about what it wants to do other, rope burns on your with its womenfolk. When household stops the palms, and say things are fithe CCpo asked why a nally good? woman would travel at dialogue of victim-blaming, there needs to be a punnight, he’s two people. He ishment, and it needs to is a member of the law, of vilifying the female, it come from above. Justice meant to protect, meant to does feel like there is no isn’t death, justice is knowenforce justice; and he is a ing you’re in a land which man who can immediately country for women actually values you and your come up with a reason why life. Justice is the ability to the woman was at fault in say “I am a human being; I a crime. have a right to be here” reBeyond that, how truly trustworthy does this police force seem in this mo- gardless of gender. And until the average household ment? tooting horns about how many suspects you stops the dialogue of victim-blaming, of vilifying the have isn’t an accomplishment, it’s a statement of the female, it does feel like there is no country for fact that you found, in a small village near the scene women. of the crime, dozens of people who had the potential Akif Rashid is a freelance columnist to do this. perhaps they’ll catch the perpetrator, and
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Wednesday, 23 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
Kech premier league (2020) HoLdING (KpL) Kech premier league in Kalatuk , a small city of turbat in B area , is an evolutionary step by the management of Kech. the opening ceremony was very exciting with a musical program of Balochi production. Wherein, the celebrities as chief guests were the Commandant Makran zone scout colonel Azhar and deputy commissioner Kech retired Maj. Muhammad ilyas Kabzai , whom were awarded shields by the chairman of Baluchistan cricket board Shahdost dashti. I appreciate such a constricting step by Kech authorities, which is positive by all means. And , finally , it is hoped that sport , education and health will be the first to be kept in watch , before the public indulge in an insecure environment. NABEEL HUSSAIN KECH
Violence against women
Chomsky is right on the money He too has spotted the danger India poses
malik mUhammad ashraf
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enowned US linguistician and activist Noam Chomsky in an interview in advance of the first summit of the progressive International (18-20), a new organization founded by Bernie Sanders, the former US presidential candidate, has said that the world is at the most dangerous moment in the human history owing to the climate crisis, the threat of nuclear war and the rise of right-wing authoritarianism. Climate change undoubtedly is probably the biggest threat to the human existence and is widely acknowledged as such. the policies being pursued by US president donald trump have surely enhanced the chances of nuclear war. His knack for dismantling the existing world order and his rightist leanings are essentially authoritarian in their thrust. Similarly Chomsky thinks there are other leaders, including Narendra Modi of India, who are practicing right-wing authoritarianism that poses a grave threat to peace and security. He said, “Narendra Modi is destroying Indian secular democracy, severely repressing the Muslim population. He’s just vastly extended the terrible Indian occupation of Kashmir”. Chomsky is right on money in describing the state of affairs in India and Indian occupied Kashmir and the illegality of Modi’s actions there. the saner political elements in India, the vast majority of Indian intellectuals and believers in the secular creed have repeatedly said the same thing and warned that the actions of the Modi government could ultimately have disastrous consequences for India itself. even former Indian prime Minister Manmohan Sindh, in an article published in The Hindu in March, lamented the communal policies of the Modi regime and the state-sponsored violence against Muslims, concluding that India had lost its secular hue and become a majoritarian state. right-wing authoritarianism is yet another manifestation of a supremacist ideology like Nazism and the rSS philosophy of Hindutva. the world has already seen the disastrous consequences of the supremacist ideology of Hitler and cannot afford the rise of similar creeds yet again. those who understand and can perceive the dangers posed to world peace by the rightist ideologies are rightly warning the world against the likely repercussion and underlining the need for checking these ideologies in their tracks before they could lead to cataclysmic consequences. India right from the beginning has been essentially anti-pakistan and has been making relentless efforts to weaken and isolate her. But
since the advent of Narendra Modi as Indian any miscalculation on either side. He has rightly prime Minister the situation has taken an alarm- been urging the world to intervene and pressuring twist. the world has seen India adopting ize India to rescind her actions in Indian occuanti-Muslim measures as a deliberate policy as pied Kashmir and have the UNSC resolutions manifested through the promulgation of the Na- implemented. He has been the most vociferous advocate tional register of Citizens, whereby 1.9 million Muslims in Assam were deprived of Indian citi- of the cause of self-determination and the diplozenship, and the promulgation of the Citizenship matic offensive launched by his government in Amendment Act, which triggered violent clashes the wake of the 5 August 1990 action by India between protesting Muslims and BJp zealots, in has achieved tremendous success. It scuttled the Indian attempt to sell it which 50 Muslims as her internal matter. It were killed while the also led to the reiteralaw enforcing agencies tion by the UNSC that stood by to witness the Chomsky is absolutely right the Kashmir dispute horrible spectacle unneeded to be resolved folding. in predicting impending in conformity with the Modi extended the principles of the UN tentacles of his hate phiglobal disaster if the world Charter and the relelosophy to the Indianfails to put up a combined vant UNSC resolutions. occupied Kashmir. First It was a strong refutahe ended the special staeffort to tackle the tion of the Indian claim tus of the state through of Kashmir being her the repeal of Article 370 challenges identified by him, integral part and of the Indian Constitushowed the fact that the tion followed by annexmore so the rise of the UNSC still regarded ation of the territory to rightist authoritarianism Kashmir as a disputed the Indian Union territory, though it through Jammu and which is destructive in made no effort to initiKashmir re-organizaate the process of imtion Act 2019, followed nature not only for those plementation of those by the introduction of a against whom it is employed resolutions. new domicile law deregrettable resigned to change the debut also for its proponents. It alitythe is that the UN is mographic realities in not in a position to acthe state. All these acis an irrefutable lesson of tually initiate any actions amply demonstrate history. Therefore while it is tion in regards to Modi‘s anti-Muslim implementation of bias. incumbent upon the global those resolutions, the spill-over efthough their implemenfect of this hate syncommunity to put up a tation is obligatory on drome has been the It, because the USA adoption of a hostile collective defence against and her allies are not posture towards pakthe rise of rightist prepared to annoy their istan by India as repartner which flected by the authoritarianism wherever it isstrategic helping them to adcontinued violation of the ceasefire agreement raises its ugly head, it is also vance the objective of their ‘contain China’ by India and targeting imperative for the states, policy. It is a sordid reof civilian population ality of the internaalong the LoC. the including India, to learn tional politics which Modi regime, encourcertainly has no conaged by the support and lessons from history and science and humanitarindifference of the big adopt the right course. ian hue. powers to the plight of Chomsky is abKashmiris─ which are Freedom movements cannot solutely right in prenow strategic partners dicting impending of India─ continues to be subdued with the barrel of global disaster if the persecute the people of world fails to put up a Indian occupied Kashthe gun which is another combined effort to mir through extrajudilesson of the history tackle the challenges cial killings as well as identified by him, more hurling threats at pakso the rise of the rightistan. It even dared to ist authoritarianism send its planes to hit an imaginary terrorist camp at Balakot. pakistan which is destructive in nature not only for those showed remarkable restraint against this indis- against whom it is employed but also for its procretion by India, and restricted itself only to de- ponents. It is an irrefutable lesson of history. fensive action proving that it was capable of therefore while it is incumbent upon the global thwarting any aggressive designs against her. It community to put up a collective defence against also sent back the captured Indian pilot to the rise of rightist authoritarianism wherever it demonstrate her desire to settle disputes with raises its ugly head, it is also imperative for the states, including India, to learn lessons from hisIndia preferably through peaceful means. prime Minister Imran Khan has been repeat- tory and adopt the right course. Freedom moveedly warning the world about the likely reper- ments cannot be subdued with the barrel of the cussions of the implementation of the rrS gun which is another lesson of the history. philosophy by BJp regime and the likely conMalik Muhammad Ashraf is an academic. frontation between the two nuclear powers which can bring horrible consequences due to He can be contacted at: ashpak10@gmail.com
WoMeN in pakistan are subjected into various violences like honor killing, rape, child marriage, force marriage and so on. Violence against women has been on the rise in pakistan, a country of over 200 million people. pakistan is the most 6th dangerous country in the world for women. According to a report, more than 51241 cases of violence against women were reported between January 2011 and June 2017. there were more than 1800 cases of domestic violences and 5500 kidnappings of women during this period. on the other hand, women are the called most integral part of a society, without women a nation can not develop and will be considered one of the poorest countries. A woman can play her role every where as her home, school, hospital or so on. therefore, it is the responsibility of every body to respect your women and help them get success in their lives. MAHIrA HAKEEM TUrBAT
Mercy of Karachi tHe people of Karachi have been suffering on many fronts , be it clean drinking water , disposal of sewerage , removal of debris & waste material , storm and rain water flooding , hopeless transport system and continuous power load shedding in the scorching humid weather . the above picture is the cosequence of many years of neglect by the governments and politicians towards the basic rights of the citizens , for which they should be ashamed and held responsible. Under this scenario , our prime minister plans and boasts to build an ultra modern city , ravi town , alongside Lahore , as if rehablitation of Karachi facilities is not the priority . I wonder how the rulers have a sound sleep when Karachi is bleeding . All the resources and energies of the federal and provincial governments should focuss on solving Karachi problems on war footing to alleviate the agonies and suffering of the hapless people of Karachi . Karachi collects the highest revenue for the country but remains without the basic and essential amenities. one is not sure how long it will take to normalise the conditions and provide much needed relief to our brothren in Karachi , the largest metropolitan city of the country and economic , industrial and commercial hub . ENgr rIAz BHUTTA KArACHI
Remembering Noor Jehan 21 September the birth Anniversary of Allah wasai who earned indestructible fame as Melody Queen Noor Jahan was born in Kasur in the year 1926. She inherited singing from her mother and it was quite clear right from her childhood that she was going to be virtuoso in Singing. Her mother sent her Calcutta (Kolkata) so that her hidden talent could be unearthed and she could get an entry in the Indo-pak film industry there she met with mukhtar begum who after listening to Allah Wasai,s melodious voice gave her the Name Noor Jahan and she later earned fame with that name. renowned Filmmaker Agha Hasher Kashmiri Gave her his first break in Movie pind di Kudi but the song of Movie Gul Bakoli gave her household fame across the subcontinent since then she never looked back and continued to thrive as the leading playback singer of her era. She returned to pakistan in 1947 along with her husband film director Shaukat Hussain rizvi after giving blockbuster movies like Khandan, Naukar, Gaon Ki Gori, Zeenat, Mirza Saheba, and Jugnu for the film industry of undivided India. Here she also attained unprecedented stardom owing to her mesmerizing voice and natural style of acting. In pakistan, her first movie was Chan Vey. In that film, she acted opposite Santosh Kumar- A Superstar who was the first choice of every director during the decades of the 50s and 60s. Noor Jahan,s Song Chandni raatein for Movie dupatta in 1952 further added to her fame and became her identity. In 1963 she decided to Give up her acting career that spanned over 30 years for some domestic issues and decided to carry on only as a playback singer. during that era with the emergence of playback singers like runa Laila, Mala and Ghazal Singer Farida Khanum, roshan Ara Begum, and reshma there was an aura of competition but it never affected the distinguished status and reputation of melody queen. Madam was first choice of every music director right from the beginning of her career she could sing the songs of low as well as high nodes with equal ease and melody, she sang around 20,000 songs in Urdu, punjabi, Sindhi Saraiki, and Bengali languages and lent her voice to almost all actresses of that era. during the Indo-pak war of 1965, her soulful voice not only enthralled the soldiers on the front but also raised the spirit of patriotism among them and she received tamghae-Imtiaz from pakistan Army for providing moral support to them in the days of the war. once Lata Mangeshkar Said; in an interview that; people dare to compare her with Noor Jahan but she would discourage that comparison because Noor Jahan was her (Guru) Mentor. paying Her tribute during her visit to India in 1981 dilip Kumar Said; Like one Sun and one Moon, there is only one Noor Jahan in this Universe. She received countless awards in recognition of her services to this country. After suffering from heart disease she passed away on 23 december 2000, the whole subcontinent mourned her demise. She has left this world two decades ago but is still alive in our hearts KAMrAN KHAMISo KHowAjA (K.K) HUSSAIN ABAd
Wednesday, 23 September, 2020
08 WORLD VIEW
The financial infrasTrucTure of corrupTion THE PARALLELS BETWEEN “TAX OPTIMIZATION” AND “CORRUPTION” ARE SO STRONG BECAUSE THEY RELY ON THE SAME MECHANISMS TO GET THE JOB DONE
AmericAn interest
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YAKOV FEYGIN
ational security practitioners have become increasingly aware of the threat of “Kleptocratic regimes” and “strategic corruption” to the internal politics of liberal-democratic polities. in the classical version of this narrative, authoritarian regimes exploit global financial and business networks to penetrate the internal politics of democratic societies and secure their domestic rule by exploiting the self-interest of particular business groups. Some have even suggested that foreign “dark money” might enter the democratic process by supporting particular candidates. the common thread that unites these views is that dark money is seen as a foreign policy problem and thus related to either extra-systemic actors or foreign competitors that exploit legitimate systems. Viewing this issue as only the result of “corruption” or as an aspect of power politics alone is flawed. the dangers highlighted above are not the result of aberrations in an otherwise functioning system that can be patched by some legal reforms. Rather they are a feature of how the international financial system has evolved to serve the world’s most powerful, whether they are kleptocrats in the developing world or reputable fortune 500 companies. the global financial infrastructure, as it has evolved in the post-war period, requires vast pools of offshore dollar accounts, so-called Eurodollars. this credit money, “issued at the book maker’s pen” forms the basis for global payments and currency exchange. Within these money pools, often held in tax havens with opaque ownership law, it is impossible to distinguish kleptocratic activity “threats” from “legitimate tax optimization” by multinational corporations and high net worth individuals. Moreover, without these wholesale money market “deposits,” the global monetary system would find itself short of liquidity as even formal bank institutions are deeply intertwined with offshore finance. instead of viewing these activities as national security threats created by the exploitation of a legitimate financing system by illegitimate actors, any attempt to curtail these activities must be done in the context of a radical reform of the global monetary order. this is not simply an academic distinction. if one sees kleptocracy as simply a form of corruption, the solutions presented are traditional anti-corruption measures focused on transparency and the strengthening of civil society. However, if we accept a systemic perspective that incorporates the centrality of offshore cash pools to the “dollar system,” then we must take a broader perspective that calls for wholesale monetary reform and the mobilization of U.S. monetary power, specifically to move toward a “systemic” reform of global capitalism itself. the formal definition of a “Eurodollar” is a dollar deposit in a non-american domiciled banking institution. as such, Eurodollars are pure credit instruments. they have
no formal backing at the United States Federal Reserve. that means that unlike onshore credit money, Eurodollars have no explicit guarantee for their par value. as such, Eurodollars are secured via a set of inter-bank funding agreements benchmarked by the london interbank overnight Rate (liBoR). Eurodollar deposits emerge when non-american domiciled firms book a dollar inflow in non-american domiciled banks. these banks then ultimately lend these deposits to other financial institutions that require immediate dollar funding and expect a dollar-denominated inflow at some future period. Eurodollars are initially funded through an interbank transaction with a U.S. domiciled bank and its foreign branch. From the point of view of the onshore money system, no actual dollars have left the United States. However, credit has now been issued that can ultimately be multiplied many times over to create a system of dollar funding. Moreover, the term Eurodollar is often used not only to describe the specific type of money market instrument described above, but also the larger global market for wholesale dollar funding. this market and its instruments—Money Market Fund Shares, Repurchase agreements (Repos), and assetbacked commercial paper—form the backbone of the global “shadow banking system.” one can think of shadow banking as the expansion of the category of banking beyond registered bank holding companies. there is a robust academic debate as to what counts for deposits within this system, but a general consensus is that the key to the shadow banking system’s operation are large institutional cash pools, often held in offshore banking jurisdictions. these pools of Eurodollar deposits—essentially credit entries—require cash inflows to validate holdings. as such, an army of money managers has arisen to attempt to find returns for these large, global pools of cash. the Eurodollar system is thus “hybrid,” insofar as dollar denomination depends on a state action—the U.S.-issued dollar—but is intermediated by and created through private credit. this is not an accidental arrangement but a set of political choices. a popular legend holds that the offshore dollar market was created when the USSR, fearful of seizure, wanted to hold its dollar deposits outside of american banks. More realistically, the Eurodollar market seems to have arisen through intercorporate “swaps” of currency liabilities designed to get around Bretton Woods-era capital controls. these swaps evolved into markets and eventually became the source of funding for offshore issued “Eurobonds”. in the 1970s, as the Bretton Woods system began to collapse, regulators began to give up on efforts to coordinate to control this system and financial globalization was born. More importantly, a whole industry of consultants, often with the encouragement of major governments, sprang up to offer newly decolonized states—often with common law systems—roadmaps to becoming offshore financial centers. the existence of shadow banking and wholesale Eurodollar financing makes it increasingly difficult to draw specific borders between national, and global financial systems and between legitimate transactions and kleptocratic activities and “strategic corruption.” Disclosures of offshore structures such as the Panama Papers reveal a mix of both obviously political corruption and “normal” corporate tax optimization. an anatomy of several transactions demonstrates just how similar and indistinguishable
The slow death of big oil THE INDUSTRY MUST REINVENT ITSELF TO SURVIVE IN A LOW-CARBON ERA FinAnciAl times EDITORIAL BOARD
oil and gas companies used to measure their success by how good they were at finding new reserves. the unforgiving rule by which they were judged was the “reserve replacement ratio”, a metric of how successful a company was at replacing the oil and gas it extracted with new supplies. today, that view is being turned upside down. Bernard
looney, chief executive of BP, believes the future lies in producing less hydrocarbons, not more. He wants BP to cut its production of oil and gas by 40 per cent over the next decade. the ambition marks the profound shift gripping the energy industry. Big oil has to reinvent itself if it wants to survive in a lowcarbon world. BP said this week it believes the global demand for oil may peak within the next few years and that consumption
Bretton Woods Conference, John Maynard Keynes proposed a global clearinghouse system denominated in an international currency called Bancor. States would not actually use Bancor but would settle accounts in it. States with persistent surpluses of Bancor would be charged a negative interest rate to encourage them to lend to states that needed funding. Capital controls would help contain private international finances. it would be exceptionally hard for a new Bretton Woods to happen. However, we can simulate some of its features unilaterally and eliminate incentives for other countries to serve as nodes in the offshore system. a major reason that a country like the Cayman islands might want to be a tax shelter is to attract foreign exchange to its country and thus have sources of financing for development, as well as to sustain the value of its own currency relative to a global funding currency like the dollar. the United States has a tool to sustain the purchasing power of the Cayman’s currency: the central bank swap line. Swap lines have come into public consciousness during the 2008 financial crisis, when the Fed allowed major central banks to exchange their local currencies for dollars to backstop Eurodollar deposits. During the CoViD-19 crisis, larger swap interventions prevented a general, global economic collapse. the United States should consider giving countries with strong macro-
both activities are. take the “double irish” tax structure favored by pharmaceutical and technology companies. Company a in California develops a piece of software. it sells the patent for this software to a wholly-owned subsidiary in the Cayman islands for one dollar. that subsidiary then revalues the patent to 100 dollars and pays no taxes on that re-evaluation. next, the Cayman company “sells” right to the patent to an irish subsidiary of Company a, which markets and sells the software in Europe. the irish company thus pays low taxes on European sales and renumerates its american parent through licensing fees, paid in dollars, to the Caymans subsidiary. note that at this point, the irish subsidiary has entered the Eurodollar market to transform its Euro receipts into dollar deposits and has then transferred those deposits to a bank in the Cayman islands. this bank can now engage in Eurodollar funding with its dollar deposit. Meanwhile, the Cayman company can lend to the parent firm at a zero-interest rate to bring profits home or can purchase the parent firm’s assets. taxes have been mini-
illegality of the latter is only present because in the United States, we have made tax optimization legal and acceptable de jure. Moreover, both of these schemes have created Eurodollar deposits that can then be lent and borrowed in the global dollar system to fund trade, investments, and capital goods that are completely unrelated to these transactions. the incentives for not tampering with this existing system are thus quite high. the offshore financial system was created in the wake of the collapse of the Bretton Woods System as a means to avoid high-cost political decisions while allowing an increasingly globalized financial system to serve the needs of a global elite. While this elite was largely in line with the interest of the United States, the national security establishment has paid little attention to the misery that the offshore world has caused due to lost tax revenue, illegal privatization of public assets, and financial instability. now, however, that these structures are not only used by multinational corporations but also by state-related actors that might threaten american sovereignty, the national security and foreign policy establishment
mized with no violation of the law. now, let us examine a “kleptocratic transaction” that uses a similar set of channels. a politically exposed person (PEP) in Country a wishes to benefit from a privatization scheme of a state-owned company. to do this, the PEP sets up a company in Cyprus which has a tax treaty with Country a. the individual then swaps shares in the worthless Cyprus company owned by him and the valuable firm in Country a. thus, the Country a firm’s profits are now captured, and it is effectively privatized. the firm in Cyprus then sells its shares, in dollars, to another firm owned by the PEP in the Cayman islands, thereby eliminating any tax liability and creating a dollar deposit in the Cayman islands. again, these chains of firms have entered Eurodollar markets to both convert cash flows from Country a to dollars, and to then deposit these receipts. the PEP can now use his dollar deposit to purchase property in london or to make investments in an american PR campaign. again, a dollar deposit is now created within the Caymans and, with the likely exception of laws in Country a being broken, nothing illegal has happened. the parallels between “tax optimization” and “corruption” are so strong that the
has woken up. the tools it has offered us to combat these problems are a mix of relatively effective measures to boost transparency and some half measures that at best will try to restrict access to the offshore world to legitimate actors. indeed, beneficial ownership legislation, now being championed by many in Washington, will not only help american officials push foreign counterparts to adapt their own transparency legislation but give us better ideas about the american side of many transactions. However, there is an open question about whether this legislation alone will allow the United States to effectively deal with the holes of global sovereignty caused by the offshore world. Efforts to empower civil society in corrupt states are noble but will not address the root causes of what makes Kleptocracy so simple: the easy movement of capital through offshore networks. Most importantly, these policies do not take into account the fact that such transactions are critical to global dollar funding. if the United States is really serious about fighting offshore finance and kleptocracy, it has to put in some deep thought into what the outlines of a global financial system that replaces it would look like. at the original
prudential policies, open trade practices, and, most importantly for this piece, transparent financial systems pre-approved access to Federal Reserve swap lines. this would, of course, mean crowding out opportunities for private finance to intermediate global monetary transactions. However, if the United States is really serious about fighting global corruption, and treating it as a national security threat, the problem has to be cut out at its root. the centrality of private offshore banking and Eurodollar creation to global funding must be eliminated to counter global corruption, not only abroad but at home. the United States, as the issuer of the world’s dominant currency, has a responsibility to sustain this “global public good” in a manner that limits the ability of rentiers and oligarchs to exploit this public good. Without recapturing the role of global intermediation from private actors, we will never solve the problem of Kleptocracy. a national security strategy that addresses these new threats must realize that the enemy is not a set of particular corrupt individuals, but the structure of global capitalism itself.
may never recover from the pandemic. Such a bleak assessment from one of the world’s largest oil companies would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. the world was changing even before Covid-19. Climate change has moved to the forefront of the public’s consciousness. Pressure on the oil industry to adapt has come from all sides even as companies have yet to figure out how to generate revenues from lower-carbon businesses. investors are more vocal, urging the likes of BP and Royal Dutch Shell to recognise the financial impact that global warming could have on their operations. at the same time, banks and governments are more willing to finance action against climate change; the market for debt linked to spending on environmental projects has soared. Goldman Sachs predicts that spending on renewable power will outstrip oil and gas exploration and production for the first time next year. the shift is being
driven by a widening gap in the cost of capital, with rates of up to 20 per cent for oil and gas investments, compared with 3 per cent to 5 per cent for renewables. these trends have only accelerated during the pandemic. the lockdowns imposed by governments to help contain the spread of the virus forced millions to work from home. the resulting shift in behaviour as people realised working remotely was possible holds long-term implications for economies built on fossil fuels. Some governments are, rightly, putting in place tighter regulation and incentives to promote a green economic recovery. the European Commission is pushing for a new 2030 climate target plan. among their peers, BP and its European rivals are at the forefront of the revolution but success will be slow. the scale of the investment required for Big oil to pivot towards renewables is immense; analysts at Rystad Energy estimate that new goals an-
nounced so far, including BP’s aim to build 50 gigawatts of renewable capacity by 2030, will require $200bn of investment. america’s majors, notably ExxonMobil, have so far resisted moves to cut back hydrocarbon investments but may need to change course eventually. national oil companies, which account for more than half of global oil production, have unsurprisingly been reluctant to change tack. the future shape of oil demand remains unclear. Consumption could stay robust at tens of millions of barrels a day for decades to come even in the most dramatic shift to cleaner energy. the world also still relies heavily on oil as a source for other products, notably petrochemicals. Some analysts predict a supply shortage could emerge in the next few years, boosting prices and leading to a surge in new investment. low-cost producers will keep on pumping for as long as they can. But the beginning of the end is here.
Yakov Feygin is Associate Director of the Future of Capitalism Program at the Berggruen Institute.
Wednesday, 23 September, 2020
BUSINESS 09 CORPORATE CORNER Bank Alfalah, EFU launch ‘Alfalah Mehfooz Mustaqbil Plan’ KARACHI: Bank Alfalah, one of the leading banks of Pakistan has partnered with EFU Life Assurance Ltd., a leading life insurance company in the country to launch “Alfalah Mehfooz Mustaqbil Plan”, which is especially designed for the Alfalah consumer banking customers. The signing ceremony took place at Bank Alfalah Consumer Head Office in Lahore, Pakistan, and it was attended by Head of Consumer Finance Syed Muhammad Asif, Head of Business Development Rafia Shafqat and Head of Cards Zubair Asif representing Bank Alfalah. ED & Chief Strategy Officer Mohammed Ali Ahmed, ED Group Benefits Ali Zaidi, and Channel Strategy & Execution Head Nilofer Sohail also attended the event representing EFU. PRESS RELEASE
Wise Walk Youth holds grand opening ceremony KARACHI: Grand opening ceremony of the Wise Walk Youth was held at the Movenpick Hotel, Karachi on Saturday September 19, 2020 attended by approximately 200 guests including many dignitaries from all walks of life. The event was hosted by Chief Comrade International Chapter Shams Tahir Khokhar who mentioned about the significance of the wise walk youth and its aims regarding the youth of Pakistan. Wise walk youth is a branch of The Sanctuary Church in New Zealand. PRESS RELEASE
Brand Spectrum wins award at Pakistan Digital Awards 2020 Brand Spectrum Private Limited has won the best social media campaign (Instagram) recognition from Pakistan Digital Awards for Nestle pure life active campaign. Pakistan Digital Awards is a prestigious platform that recognizes the efforts of the digital community of Pakistan. CEO Brand Spectrum Anwar Kabir said, “We are honoured to receive this award. From understanding the brand’s requirements to developing an entirely digital roadmap, our team has put their best work forward. PRESS RELEASE
Low gas pressure adversely impacts KE’s generation capability KARACHI: According to a statement released by K-Electric (KE), the power utility is facing an ongoing issue with gas pressure from the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC). While the quantity of the required gas remains available, decreased pressure leads to reduced production of electricity. This gas pressure shortfall has created a supply gap of 400 MW, at a time when demand is high. The pressure of the gas supplied to KE’s power generation plants is low due to which various gas-fired plants at Korangi and SITE are not able to operate at their optimum capacity despite remaining fully available. PRESS RELEASE
OLX launches advertising tool for SMEs LAHORE: OLX has introduced an advertising tool named “Self-serve” for the facilitation of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in their marketing campaign. The advertising tool will enable the users to advertise their products specifically targeted to certain customers through added filters. PRESS RELEASE
Bank Alfalah Islamic wins two awards at the 10th Annual GIFA ISLAMABAD: Pakistan, Bank Alfalah Islamic received the ‘Most Innovative Islamic Banking Window 2020’ and ‘Best Islamic Savings Product 2020’ awards at the prestigious Global Islamic Finance Awards (GIFA). The awards ceremony was held on September 14 at Marriot Hotel, Islamabad. President of Pakistan, Dr. Arif Alvi graced the occasion as the chief guest, whereas other attendees included Governor State Bank of Pakistan Mr. Reza Baqir, senior ministers, senior officials of State Bank, ambassadors, diplomats of all Islamic countries, local and international leading players, and other stakeholders of the industry. PRESS RELEASE
IMF UrGES PAKIStAn tO FUrthEr cAP LIMItS On ShOrt-tErM BOrrOWInGS
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ORROWINGS for filling the budgetary gap arising from the expectations that Pakistan’s gross financing needs will be 1.5 per cent higher to its gross domestic product than the previous estimates. Pakistan’s gross financing needs or money required to finance budgets and honour international obligations may be approximately Rs14 trillion or 30.7 per cent of its economic size during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, which is Rs700 billion or 1.5 per cent of the GDP higher than
the previous estimates published by IMF in its April report after approval of $1.4 billion emergency funding. The Ministry of Finance said that IMF and Pakistani government have finalized the arrangements of the country’s financing plan to meet its short-term and medium-term obligations in efforts to revive the $6 billion bailout programme. The increase in the gross financing needs is primarily driven by the unanticipated decrease in tax collections and an increase in public expenditure, widening the budget gap, sources said. Earlier, in the last fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, owing to certain
uncontrollable circumstances such as the Covid-19 pandemic, the tax revenues declined to bare minimum resulting in even more borrowings as the country’s gross financing needs were 31.2 per cent of the GDP, as per the Federal Board of Revenue. IMF bailout programme could be revived with the approval of its second review if both the parties reach an agreement on the unresolved issues such as FBR’s actual tax collections, subsidies, and circular debt. The second review was scheduled for approval in March, however, the government’s failure to plan the budgetary needs effectively
UK report claims Pakistan’s Covid-19 medicine enough for national demand NEWS DESK Pakistan, along with India, is the only one among developing countries to have effectively stored enough of Remdesivir to meet their national demands of the medicine in times of crisis, according to Financial Times. The second wave of Covid-19 has raised serious challenges for countries such as the United Kingdom and Ireland, leading to the resurgence of drastic measures such as lockdowns and strict implementation of the standard operating procedures (SOPs). Under the current scenario, the drug companies are also following challenges to meet the abnormal global demand for healthcare products related to the treatment of the viral disease. Drug companies in India and Pakistan, which are part of the licensing agreement with the Foster City, California-based biopharmaceutical company, for production and distribution of the experimental Covid-19 drug, said that there is no problem in catering to the local demand. In May, Gilead signed a licensing agreement with nine companies in India, Pakistan and Egypt to supply the drug to
127 developing countries. For the duration of the pandemic, as declared by the World Health Organization (WHO), or until an alternative vaccine for Covid-19 is found, the licenses for these companies will be royalty-free bringing down the cost of the drug in India to Rs2200-Rs 2,800 as compared to $380 or Rs28,600 (approx.) in the US. India-based generic pharmaceutical company Hetero said that very few of the 127 countries under the Gilead licensing agreement have set up a mechanism for procurement of Remdesivir. Hetero, which had delivered around 800,000 doses of the drug since it started production in June, has only exported to 25 countries while Cipla, another Indian drug manufacturer to only South Africa. Gilead said more than 40 countries have received the drug so far as part of the royalty-free licensing agreement. Ferozsons Laboratories Limited, one of the largest drug manufacturers in Pakistan, is also sitting on a huge stockpile of the drug after cases suddenly declined in Pakistan. It is now exporting to Caribbean countries, Kenya and the Philippines, the report added.
Machinery imports experience 6.21pc YoY decline in July, August ISLAMABAD APP
Imports related to machinery of various industries reduced by 6.21 per cent during July and August, first two months of current fiscal year (FY) ending on June 30, 2021, as compared the corresponding period of the last fiscal year. The Pakistan Bureau of Statistic (PBS) released statistics on September 22 which say that the machinery group imports have dipped from $1.413 billion in the first two months of FY20 to $1.325 billion in the corresponding period of the current fiscal year. Among the reduction of imports in-
clude a decline in the imports of office machinery including data processing equipment by 8.5 per cent as it reduced to $62.591 million as compared the imports valuing $68.408 million of the same period of last year, it added. Separately, textile machinery imports dropped by 32.47 per cent, worth $55.435 million as compared the imports valuing $82.093 million of the corresponding period of last year. During the period under review, construction and mining machinery imports also came down by 27.18%, valuing $16.870 million in July and August of FY20 as compared to imports worth $23.167 million of the same period of last year.
and increase in energy prices halted its progress. Any future agreement is based on Pakistan severely cutting its gross financing needs from the next fiscal year starting July 1, 2021 so it is reasonable to assume that increased tax burdens and reduced public expenditure can be a part of the governance plan for the next fiscal year. Sources estimate that the gross financing needs for the next fiscal year would dip to 27 per cent which is more than the estimates of 24 per cent made in the April report yet, it still amounts a reduction of up to 4 per cent less than the previous fiscal year.
Global banks seek to contain damage over $2tr of suspicious transfers HONG KONG AGENCIES
Global banks faced a fresh scandal about dirty money on Monday as they sought to limit the fallout from a cache of leaked documents showing they transferred more than $2 trillion in suspect funds over nearly two decades. Britain-based HSBC Holdings Plc, Standard Chartered Plc and Barclays Plc, Germany’s Deutsche Bank AG and Commerzbank AG, and US-headquartered JPMorgan Chase & Co and Bank of New York Mellon Corp were among the lenders named in the report by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and based on leaked documents obtained by BuzzFeed News. The report was based on 2,100 leaked suspicious activity reports (SARs), covering transactions between 1999 and 2017, filed by banks and other financial firms with the US Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCen). Banks are required to file an SAR whenever handling funds that cause grounds for suspicion of criminal activity. While some banks said many of the transactions happened a long time ago, and they had since put robust checks in place, the reports revealed broader problems with the monitoring system at the heart of global policing of money laundering and other criminal activity. The reports drew calls from some industry groups and activists for reforms. Investors worried about the potential fallout for global banks, many of which have faced hefty fines in the past for lapses in controls and spent billions of dollars to bolster compliance. “It confirms what we already knew: that there are huge amounts of SARs being filed with relatively low numbers of cases brought through to prosecution,” said Etelka Bogardi, a Hong Kongbased financial services partner at Norton Rose Fulbright. “It also brings out the point that managing financial crime risk goes beyond making SARs,” Bogardi said. The Institute of International Finance, an industry group, called for reforms. “There is a balance to be struck between managing financial crime risk and ensuring access to the financial system for legitimate customers,” the IIF said. HSBC and StanChart shares touched their lowest level in as much as 25 years, although they fared little worse than their peers amid a wider sell-off in global stocks. JPMorgan and Bank of New York Mellon, which were also in the top five banks mentioned most frequently in the SARs, fell more than four per cent each during midday trading in New York. Shares of Deutsche Bank, which was involved in the largest number of SARs in BuzzFeed’s dossier, were down more than 8pc at one point on Monday morning following the reports. Several analysts, however, played down the scale of problems. “Unless there are more substantive allegations of fact, we expect that this article will not have lasting impacts on the industry or stock prices,” Chris Kotowski, analyst at Oppenheimer, wrote in a note. Bank shares were also pressured on Monday by other news, including worries about the resurgence of the coronavirus in Europe. Deutsche Bank said the issues raised in the media reports were “historic,” while the German Finance Ministry said on Monday that the cases linked to Germany in the reports had already been dealt with. HSBC also said the information in the reports was historic, while Standard Chartered pointed to recent investments to improve its control procedures.
Indian economy to tail Pakistan, other South Asian economies due to Covid-19 NEWS DESK India’s failure to contain the spread of the Covid-19 outbreak is going to have a huge impact on the economy of the country as it is set to fall behind the rest of South Asia economically, according to a report published by Capital Economics Limited, an economic research consultancy based in London. Currently, India has more than 5 million cases of Covid-19 displaying no signs of peaking as they continue to increase, rendering it as the country with
the second-highest number of Covid-19 cases globally, right behind United States of America. Capital Economics Limited’s report also warns that India has been ineffective in dealing with the pandemic. “New cases per capita in these three economies are far lower than in India,” Shilan Shah, senior economist at Capital Economics in Singapore told the Print. “This has enabled a faster rebound in activity.” The report further claimed that other South Asian countries such as
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Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Srilanka have fared far better than India in controlling the spread of the virus and tackling the challenges associated with it. Hence, the economic impact of the pandemic on these countries will be relatively less impactful. However, India is expected to “post a double-digit slump” as the country’s economy comes under huge pressure due to shutdowns. On the other hand, Pakistan has fared well with the smart lockdown strategy. According to Our World in
Data figures, Pakistan has made real progress in getting the virus under control. Islamabad’s approach to containing the virus has also been lauded by the World Health Organization and other organizations globally. “Pakistan’s timely response to Covid-19 is the best in the region but it still needs to enhance testing of people and strictly observe physical distancing measures, wearing masks and washing hands, especially during the upcoming Eidul Azha,” Dr Palitha Mahipala, the WHO country chief said.
Wednesday, 23 September, 2020
10 FOREIGN NEWS
CyPruS reFuSeS to baCk eu SanCtionS on belaruS
explosion hits Hezbollah building in southern lebanon BEIRUT AGENCIES
A huge explosion was heard in southern Lebanon in the village of Ain Qana, according to Lebanese broadcasters and witnesses. The explosion occurred in an arms depot for Hezbollah in the village, one Lebanese security official in south Lebanon said, without elaborating on the cause. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. An official with Hezbollah confirmed there was an explosion but declined to give further details, according to the foreign media. Another local Hezbollah official could not confirm any casualties and said the nature of the blast was not yet clear. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to give official statements. Members of the group imposed a security cordon around the area. Security sources said earlier there were injuries in the blast. Pictures from Lebanese news media showed clouds of dark smoke rose from the area. The cause of the blast about 50 km (30 miles) south of Beirut was not immediately clear. Twitter account Intel Sky shared footage of what the explosion purportedly looks like. The mysterious explosion comes seven weeks after the massive explosion at Beirut port, caused by the detonation of nearly 3,000 tons of improperly stored ammonium nitrate. The explosion killed nearly 200 people, injured 6,500 and damaged tens of thousands of buildings in the capital, Beirut. It is still not clear what caused the initial fire that ignited the chemicals, and so far no one has been held accountable.
'internal agents' may be responsible for natanz blast: iran
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URKEY’S political isolation deepened on Tuesday when six states formally established an organisation to promote natural gas exports from the east Mediterranean but did not include Ankara. Egypt, Israel, Greece, Cyprus, Italy and Jordan signed the statute to establish the Cairo-based East Mediterranean Gas Forum in an effort to advance regional stability and prosperity. Turkey is engaged in a dispute with Cyprus and Greece over maritime boundaries and access to energy resources in contested waters in the Eastern Mediterranean, an issue that was raised during the European Union’s Foreign Affairs Council on Monday in Brussels.
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The Iranian government said on Tuesday there are strong suspicions that "internal agents" played a role in a massive explosion that occurred at a key nuclear facility earlier this year. On July 2, a fire ripped through a building at Natanz, a major uranium enrichment site. Satellite images showed it caused the roof to collapse and parts of the building were blackened by the blaze. "One of the strong theories is based on internal agents being involved in the incident," government spokesman Ali Rabiei told reporters at a news conference, according to the Iranian Labour News Agency (ILNA). It is the first time an Iranian official specifically pointed to the possibility of an inside job for the blast. In late August, Iran's Atomic Energy Organization confirmed the damage to the facility was the result of "sabotage". "But how this explosion took place and with what materials ... will be announced by security officials in due course," spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi said at the time, citing "security reasons" for not disclosing further information. In early September, Kamalvandi announced Natanz saboteurs "have been identified" but refrained from discussing further details, including whether internal agents were complicit. On Tuesday, Rabiei also reiterated that "sabotage is certain" but the incident still needs to be investigated due to its complexities. The desert Natanz site, much of which is underground, is one of several Iranian facilities regularly monitored by inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN nuclear watchdog. Following the explosion, international media reports indicated Israel may have been behind the attack. Israel has been deliberately vague, neither confirming nor denying involvement while stressing the danger of a nuclear-armed Iran. "Everyone can suspect us in everything and all the time, but I don't think that's correct," Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz said days after the attack. Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi also said "Iran cannot be allowed to have nuclear capabilities", adding to that end, "We take actions that are better left unsaid."
Venezuela has slammed a new round of US sanctions on President Nicolas Maduro and Iran as aggressive and illegal, while also contesting a new UN report alleging official abuses, saying it used “human rights as a political weapon.” “Venezuela denounces the new US aggression to the international community, announcing alleged unilateral sanctions against President Nicolas Maduro, as part of a sustained campaign of aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran and our country,” Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza wrote in a tweet.
Caracas said Washington’s actions showed it had “no respect whatsoever” for the UN and that the new sanctions were imposed “without any basis” in international law. It also vowed that “no intimidating and arrogant action by the US government” would deter Venezuela from friendly relations with Iran. Hours prior, the US State Department announced a fresh round of penalties on both Tehran and Caracas – including Maduro and a number of Iranian entities – accusing the two nations of working together to “flout the UN arms embargo” on Iran. “Our placing sanctions on Maduro today is a warning that should be heard clearly worldwide:
SYDNEY Rescuers were trying to refloat hundreds of whales stranded on a sandbar off the remote west coast of the Australian island of Tasmania on Tuesday, hoping to end one of the country’s worst beaching events. Government scientists estimated about 90 of around 270 pilot whales trapped in shallow water had died since the stranding was reported a day earlier. Aerial footage showed large numbers of the animals largely prone on a wide sandbar at Macquarie Harbour, about 200 kms (120 miles) northwest of the state capital Hobart, while others floundered in slightly deeper
DUBAI AGENCIES
Oman sets minimum wage of 325 riyals MUSCAT AGENCIES
Nasr Al Hosni, under-secretary of Oman’s Ministry of Labour, announced that Oman has de-linked the minimum wage requirement to academic qualifications, according to the WAF Oman news service. Regardless of the qualifications, Omanis will be paid RO 325, which is the minimum prescribed salary for Omani job seekers. In other words the minimum wage for Omani job seekers linked to their academic degree is cancelled, as long as it exceeds the general minimum wage of RO 325. This step comes within the Fiscal Balance Programme of 2020-2024 plan (Tawazon). Earlier, Omanis with certain academic qualifications had higher minimum wage exceeding RO 350 depending on their college degree. Ministry of Labour has been initiating several moves to ensure more and more job availability for Omanis in
water. “We’ve got animals that are semi-buoyant so it probably won’t take too much to refloat those animals closer to the deeper water and will involve just a bit of grunt from specialised crew in the water,” Kris Carlyon, a wildlife biologist with the state government, told local media. Pilot whales are a species of oceanic dolphins that grow to 7 metres (23 ft) long and can weigh up to 3 tonnes. Drawing them back out to sea is a labour-intensive process that can include physically pushing the animals or using specialised tarpaulins and pontoons to drag them to deeper water. Rescuers try to keep the whales upright to avoid disorientation. Around 40 government scientists, 20 po-
private as well as government sector. A significant recent move by the Ministry of Labour included the discontinuation of sub-contracting of expatriate employees, a move that would provide more employment opportunities to Omanis. In this context, Al Hosni held a meeting with the HR officials from major banks, finance companies and money exchange companies. The meeting was attended by more than 30 human resources officials who affirmed their readiness to impart the necessary job-training and skill-transfer to Omani cadres. A vast majority of expatriate staff in finance, banking and IT sector in Oman are sub-contracted personnel. More recently several vacancies in the fields of various government related services, including health sector, were announced, calling for Omani candidates. Labour Ministry officials have also been regularly meeting private sector representatives on creating job opportunities for Omani citizens as well as to review the Omanisation process in organisations.
lice officers, and local fish farmers and volunteers were involved in the rescue attempt, which experts said was the hardest they had encountered. While the wet, cool conditions were beneficial for the whales, the rough waters and remote location were more challenging for their rescuers. “It’s pretty ugly out there for people on the ground, but as far as the whales go it’s ideal,” Carlyon said. “If the conditions stay the same they can survive quite a few days.” Scientists do not know why whales, which travel together in pods, sometimes beach themselves but they are known to follow a leader, as well as gather around an injured or distressed whale.
ical problem” the European Council would have to look at. “I cannot tell you how the European Council will solve it,” Borrell said. “It will have to be discussed and I perfectly understand the situation of Cyprus and we discussed it in Berlin, and in Berlin we decided that if Turkey does not change its behaviour, and it has not changed its behaviour in respect to Cyprus, then we will have to consider sanctions.” Clement Beaune, France’s minister for European affairs, said he was sympathetic towards Cypriot concerns over Turkey, but added that sanctions on Belarus were still important. Cyprus’s President Nicos Anastasiades warned last week of double standards and said the EU must use all measures to counter Turkey’s activities.
Gold industry wants mines to play by 'sustainable development' rules
no matter who you are, if you violate the UN arms embargo on Iran, you risk sanctions,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said while announcing the new measures. Though the weapons ban is set to expire in October, Washington has insisted it would remain in force “indefinitely,” despite a failed US-led effort to extend the embargo in the UN Security Council last month. The new penalties also come days after the US unilaterally declared the resumption of the UN’s “snapback” sanctions on the Islamic Republic, invoking the Iran nuclear deal that Washington withdrew from as far back as 2018. The move has faced nearly unanimous opposition in the Security Council.
Australia attempts to rescue hundreds of stranded pilot whales AGENCIES
“It is regrettable that today we could not decide on sanctions on violations of human rights there due to ‘a hostage taking’ by a member state,” he said. Cyprus was the only EU country to veto sanctions against Belarus. Cypriot Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides defended his country’s stance and said the EU must take a coherent stance. “Our reaction to any kind of violation of our core basic values and principles cannot be a la carte. It needs to be consistent,” he said. The EU’s foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said Turkey’s drilling and exploratory operations in Cypriot waters were “regrettable” and would be the main issue to deal with at the European Council later this week. He said it was a “high-voltage polit-
Venezuela blasts US curbs on Maduro, Iran as ‘sustained aggression’ CARACAS
TEHRAN
While there were limited signed on Monday that mediation may resume between Athens and Ankara, Cyprus refused to back EU sanctions on Belarus unless action is taken against Turkey. And on a visit to Cyprus on Tuesday, Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou called for a united stand against Turkey. “Let us fight with unshakable faith and perseverance for the end of the Turkish occupation and the reunification of Cyprus,” she said. But Cyprus’s stance was criticised by members of the bloc even though the EU states have largely backed it in its quarrel with Turkey. Latvia was particularly vocal, with Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics saying the inability to take action against Belarus sent the wrong message.
Some of the heightened ‘sustainable development’ awareness is rubbing off on the world’s gold mine operators – but there are still holdouts and that’s where the problems still lie deep. And getting them into the mainstream of the mining industry is proving difficult. “Small-scale gold mining is very different in nature to large-scale, by operating at much lower levels of capital investment and technological sophistication,” said Terry Heymann, Chief Financial Officer at World Gold Council. “As such, there are unfortunately many instances where “artisanal” gold mining is associated with poor social and environmental practices. “The World Gold Council supports the formalisation of artisanal gold mining, which can help address these poor practices.
Japan PM Suga, China's Xi to hold phone talks on Friday TOKYO AGENCIES
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Chinese President Xi Jinping are planning to hold talks by telephone on Friday, Kyodo News reported, their first discussion since Suga took over as Japan’s leader. The talks are aimed at further expanding ties between the two countries, Kyodo said on Tuesday, citing multiple unidentified government sources. The leaders are also expected to discuss Xi’s state visit to Japan which was postponed earlier this year due to the coronavirus, the news agency said. Suga last week became Japan’s first new leader in nearly eight years and has been speaking by phone with world leaders including U.S. President Donald Trump.
Egypt signs eight lucrative gas deals CAIRO AGENCIES
The Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS) has signed eight research and exploration agreements with investments of $934 million. Five agreements were signed during the last fiscal year and three others during the first quarter of this fiscal year. Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Tarek El-Molla said that the integrated strategy adopted by the ministry to develop Egypt’s natural gas resources has succeeded in recording the highest rates of natural gas production in the history of the country, achieving gas self-sufficiency
and resuming exports. He said that natural gas plays a significant role in achieving economic returns, in addition to attracting new international companies to work in the field of research and exploration in Egypt. El-Molla said a project to transform Egypt into a regional center for the handling and trade of gas and oil is being planned. The minister stressed the importance of implementing the national project for providing natural gas to all Egyptian governorates and citizens. Magdy Galal, EGAS head, reviewed the development of natural gas production rates during the past five years and the efforts to confront the natural decrease of wells.
Wednesday, 23 September, 2020
SPORTS 11
FrencH OPen: rAFAel nAdAl ‘nUmber One FAvOUrITe’, sAys nOvAk djOkOvIc
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AFAEL Nadal remains "number one favourite" for Roland Garros, rival Novak Djokovic said Monday, despite saying the Spaniard's last-eight exit at the Italian Open showed he can be beaten on clay. Nadal, a 12-time Roland Garros winner, lost in the quarter-finals of the Italian Open to world number 15 Diego Schwartzman.
"Even though he lost this week, I still think, a lot of people will agree, he's the number one favourite and, the record that he has there, the history of his results, you just can't put anybody in front of him," said Djokovic. World number one Djokovic beat Argentine Schwartzman 7-5, 6-3 in Monday's final to win a fifth Rome title, and a record 36th Masters crown to move one better than Nadal. "But, you know, definitely Diego showed that Nadal is beatable on clay,"
Thankful to Ponting, Ganguly for being part of my journey last season: Iyer IPL team Delhi Capitals captain Shreyas Iyer clarified his comments on head coach Ricky Ponting and former mentor Sourav Ganguly which he made before his team's first match against Kings XI Punjab on Sunday. During the toss, Iyer had praised Ponting and Ganguly for helping him as a captain which confused the fans and pundits as the former India stalwart is no longer associated with DC due to the conflict of interest issue. Ganguly was the Delhi Capitals mentor in the 2019 season in which Iyer led the team to the playoffs for the first time in 6 years. It was the first full season for Iyer as the team captain. "I have learnt to take some responsibility, with the likes of Ponting and Ganguly, it makes my task a bit easier," Iyer had said at the toss in DC's first game. But he issued a clarification on Twitter, saying that he was merely emphasising his "gratitude" towards the two legends. "As a young captain, I am thankful to Ricky and Dada for being a part of my journey as a cricketer and captain last season. My comment yesterday was to emphasise my gratitude towards the role they both have played in my personal growth as a captain," Iyer tweeted. Delhi Capitals opened their IPL 2020 campaign with a Super Over win against Kings XI Punjab in Dubai. The match saw both teams tied on 157 for 8 in their allotted 20 overs after which DC restricted KXIP to 2 for 2 in the Super Over. They knocked off the target in 2 deliveries to go second on the points table but later dropped to third after Royal Challengers Bangalore's win over Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday. Delhi will next play against MS Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings in the 7th match of IPL 2020 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on September 25. AGENCIES
Ultimate goal is to play 360 degrees: Alyssa Healy Australia batter Alyssa Healy has come out of lockdown wanting to take her game to another level. She has been working in the nets to develop a "360" game and admits to having driven the fast bowlers in the squad a "little aggro" as she tried a couple of things in the nets. Healy has scored T20I runs at a mind-boggling strike-rate of nearly 154 since the start of 2018 but is looking to add another dimension to her game. She isn't sure she will be ready with all the shots during the upcoming series against New Zealand but she promises "some different things" in the series. "I actually did sit down with my batting coach and we discussed a few different things we could work on.. not necessarily jump up another level, but prepare as best as I could for this New Zealand attack, and you might see some different things from me in this series," she said. "I've driven all the bowlers a little aggro over the last two weeks trying a few things in the nets, so we'll have to wait and see if they come out in the game; I'm not sure if I'm confident enough to do it yet, but the ultimate goal in cricket is to be able to play 360 (degrees), and for me there are some areas I'm not quite hitting, so I've been trying a few things to see if I can get the ball there." The Australian squad assembled on Monday after mandatory two-week quarantine to prepare for New Zealand, against whom they play three T20Is and three ODIs in the next few weeks. "(The past six months) was a great opportunity for me to go back and work on some things that I hadn't touched for a while," Healy said. "I'd obviously made some technical changes a couple of years ago and they paid off beautifully, but you never want to be standing still as a cricketer - you want to be growing and developing and there are always areas of your game you want to work on." All the six limited-overs games will be played at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane and will see the return of international cricket in the country for the first time since March. AGENCIES
added the Serb. Conditions in Roland Garros could also have an impact, with the tournament pushed back to autumn because of the coronavirus pandemic. Nadal "prefers high bounces, that it is hot, that the ball goes fast," said Djokovic, the French Open champion in 2016. "So let's see. It's going to be interesting. I think even though he's the number one favourite, I think there are players that can win against him there." Schwartzman agreed that Nadal was the favourite. "Rafa is the king. It's his house. He went to Roland Garros many years playing good, sometimes not playing his best and he won. "I think Rafa is always there, the guy who is going to win." Quick turnaround helped me get past US Open shock: Novak Djokovic after winning 5th Rome title Italian Open champion Novak Djokovic
said getting back on court for a tournament so quickly after being disqualified at the U.S. Open for striking a line judge with a ball helped him move on from the incident. The world number one came in for heavy criticism at Flushing Meadows earlier this month and the Serb said he spent several days processing what had happened. He returned to tournament play in Rome last week and captured his 36th ATP Masters crown in Monday's final by beating Argentine Diego Schwartzman 7-5 6-3. "I did experience mentally some ups and downs in the first four-five days after that happened," Djokovic told reporters. "Obviously I was in shock... but I moved on, I've never had an issue in my life to move on regardless of how difficult it is. "Obviously having a tournament a week after helped a lot because I really wanted to get on the court and get whatever trace of that
out of the way." Djokovic, who has won 31 of his 32 matches this year, said he would have to raise his game further to challenge for the title at the French Open, which begins on Sunday. "I don't think I played my best tennis, to be honest, I don't want to sound arrogant here. I am very satisfied and pleased to win a title. I know I still have a couple of gears," he added. "Hopefully I'll be able to raise that level for the French Open because that's going to be necessary if I want to go deep in the tournament." Defending Roland Garros champion Rafa Nadal was stunned by Schwartzman in the Rome quarter-finals, but Djokovic expected the Spaniard to be firing on all cylinders in Paris. "He's the player who has the highest chance of being in the final ... if it's Roland Garros it's Rafa you bet on," he said.
Premier League: Pep Guardiola salutes ‘incredible’ Phil Foden as Manchester City make winning start AGENCIES Pep Guardiola labelled Phil Foden as "incredible" after Manchester City survived a scare to start their Premier League title challenge with a 3-1 win against Wolves on Monday. City's delayed start to the campaign -- due to their involvement in last season's Champions League -- had allowed Liverpool to build a six-point lead over them before they had even kicked a ball. Guardiola's side could not afford to slip up at Molineux if they wanted to keep pace with the champions and they raced into a two-goal lead before halftime thanks to Kevin De Bruyne's penalty and Foden's cool finish. City's swaggering first half gave way to an anxious spell as Wolves dominated after the interval and they had to cling on after Raul Jimenez got one back before Gabriel sealed the points in stoppage time. Foden's goal was a welcome morale boost in his first match since the midfielder was sent home in disgrace, along with Manchester United's Mason Greenwood, after the pair invited local women into the England team's hotel. The breach of coronavirus protocols after England's Nations League match in Iceland was publicly condemned by City, but the 20-year-old retains Guardiola's trust. "For the goal and in the second half Foden played incredibly well, he helped us keep the
ball," Guardiola said. While City equalled Aston Villa's record of winning 10 consecutive opening fixtures to a top-flight season, there is little doubt Liverpool remain the Premier League's preeminent force for now. But Guardiola was delighted to open with a victory given the shorter than usual pre-season. "We could not run much because we are tired in our legs but in general we did a good game," he said. "The period that we are in, the situation that we had this last two weeks, I expected some moments where we suffer but in general we controlled it well. "It was a good performance. We know how difficult it is in this stadium. "Sometimes we need more time to get to our best condition but it was a good start to come here and win." It feels like a crucial season for City and Guardiola as they look to regain the title they won in 2018 and 2019. Guardiola says he needs to "deserve" an extension to his City contract rather than just be handed one as he enters the final year of his current deal. After finishing 18 points behind Liverpool and suffering a shock Champions League quarter-final defeat against Lyon, City need to push the champions harder this term and the early signs were encouraging. TENSE FINALE: It was De Bruyne, showing no signs of relaxing after being voted PFA Player of the Year last
season, who took the responsibility of driving City forward and in the 20th minute he prised open the Wolves defence. The Belgium midfielder's burst into the Wolves area drew a rash lunge from Romain Saiss and referee Andre Marriner awarded a penalty that De Bruyne converted with ease. City were beaten by Wolves twice last season, but this was Guardiola's team at their imperious best and they struck again with a slick move in the 32nd minute. Gabriel laid off to De Bruyne and his perfectly-weighted pass found Sterling, whose precise cutback teed up Foden to slot home from 12 yards. De
Bruyne had a chance to make it three from Gabriel’s pass, but for once he couldn't apply the finishing touch as Rui Patricio saved well. Totally out-classed in the first half, Wolves were much improved after the break and there were worrying side for Guardiola as he surveyed his creaking defence. Daniel Podence turned to fire just wide and he threatened again with a chip over City keeper Ederson that just cleared the crossbar. Jimenez set up a tense finale when he met Podence's cross with a powerful header in the 78th minute, but Gabriel netted deep into stoppage-time as his shot deflected in off Conor Coady.
Thiago Silva sets sights on Premier League glory with Chelsea AGENCIES Thiago Silva has set his sights on winning the Premier League title with Chelsea, insisting he does not lack motivation in the twilight of his career. The defender joined Frank Lampard's side from Paris Saint-Germain on a free
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transfer in August and is waiting to make his Blues debut after being granted a longer break than his new team-mates. The Brazil centre-back will be 36 on Tuesday, but he does not agree with suggestions he is past his best and will not be able to cope with the physical demands of the Premier League. Silva plans to feature at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and is targeting silverware with Chelsea after eight successful years with PSG, who won the French title and reached the Champions League final last season. "What motivates me, day by day, is the hunger to win; to win everything within my reach," Silva told Chelsea's website on Monday. "Coming to the Premier League, my main goal is to win the league title and I'm certain that we'll be fighting for that every step of the way." "As I've said before, the prospect of playing at the next World Cup is another thing that really drives me," he added. "I'll be more or less 38 years old by the time of the next World Cup and I'm hugely motivated to be in good shape for it." Chelsea have spent around £200 million ($255 million) on Frank Lampard's close-season rebuild, with Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech, Kai Havertz and Ben Chilwell all joining as well as Silva. Rennes goalkeeper Edouard Mendy is also expected to arrive soon as Chelsea seek to improve on last season's fourth-place finish in the Premier League. Lampard's side finished 33 points behind champions Liverpool, who beat them 2-0 at Stamford Bridge on Sunday to underscore the gap between the teams. Silva wants to help Chelsea overhaul Liverpool and his experience and leadership could prove key elements in a defence that has been creaky since Lampard took charge last year. "The club has gone a few years without spending big money, without regenerating the squad, but now we're starting again on a new journey with some big signings," Silva said. "I hope that this reboot will bring the same success as the club has enjoyed in the past."
Wednesday, 23 September, 2020
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QUREShI CAllS KAShmIR, PAlEStINE dISPUtES UN’S 'moSt GlARING ISSUES' ISLAMABAD
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OREIGN Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Tuesday termed Jammu and Kashmir and Palestine disputes as the “most glaring issues” of the United Nations (UN), adding that the people of occupied Kashmir and Palestine “still await the fulfilment of right of self-determination”. “We the peoples of the UN must rise to meet the global challenges faced, both historic and current,” he said in a tweet. “While we have seen enormous international cooperation to combat Covid-19, it has failed to unify humanity as it could have.” The foreign minister also stated that “the very forces that led to the Second World War, racism and fascism are
taking the shape of rising xenophobia and Islamophobia”. On UN’s 75th anniversary, Qureshi said, “Pakistan reaffirms our ardent commitment to upholding the spirit of multilateralism […] It is our conviction that for the UN, its values and its architecture, there is no alternative”. On Monday, the world’s various nations came together to deliver a declaration commemorating this anniversary of the UN, saying the determination with which all countries come together “has rarely been greater” amid global challenges ranging from the coronavirus pandemic to climate change and violent extremism. The declaration, approved by 193 member nations at the predominantly virtual commemoration, praises the UN as
UNICEF urges re-opening of schools in Eastern, Southern Africa CAPE TOWN: The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Tuesday called on governments, parents, and teachers across Eastern and Southern Africa to urgently and safely re-open schools, as the costs of continued school closures escalate across the region. Across this region, of the nearly 65 million children remaining out of school, around one in two are not reached by any form of learning, while millions of children continue to miss what was their one nutritious meal of the day, according to UNICEF. "Seven months into the pandemic, we must be very clear about the gravity of this crisis: we are at risk of losing a generation," said Mohamed Malick Fall, Regional Director for UNICEF in Eastern and Southern Africa. "We see lost learning, rising violence, rising child labor, forced child marriages, teen pregnancies, and diminished nutrition." A generation of children is at risk, and at the most critical time in the continent's history, Fall lamented. As the region is experiencing unprecedented population growth, it's important that this expanded workforce can receive quality learning at school so as to ensure that the potential for increased production could sustain an economic boom to drastically reduce poverty in Africa - where currently 70 percent of sub-Saharan Africa's people live on less than two U.S. dollars a day, Fall said. Safely reopening schools by the beginning of October this year will give scholars a full term and vastly reduce learning losses, said Fall. A third term for learners presents the last chance to recoup learning losses for 2020 and avert the dangers of permanent school dropouts, he said. Re-opening will also reduce losses incurred by both parents and governments, Fall added. UNICEF's call to safely re-open schools follows scientific evidence which shows children are not superspreaders of Covid-19, and are the least affected by the virus in the region, with a mere 2.5 percent of Covid19 cases attributed to children of school-going ages between five to 18 years. Critically, there is growing regional and global practice showing that safe school re-opening can be done with political will and community commitment, said Fall. Most countries in Eastern and Southern Africa have seen the rationale of a phased return to schools, starting with exam classes in countries such as Botswana, Eritrea, Eswatini, Madagascar, Somalia, Zambia, and recently Malawi and Zimbabwe. Bigger countries with larger Covid-19 caseloads and higher student populations - such as South Africa - have re-opened schools for all grades since the end of August. Fall pledged that UNICEF will support countries in the region, and share working practices on safely re-opening schools. APP
the only global organisation with the power to bring countries together and give “hope to so many people for a better world and […] deliver the future we want”. The declaration says the world “is plagued by growing inequality, poverty, hunger, armed conflicts, terrorism, insecurity, climate change and pandemics”. It states that the poorest and least developed countries are falling behind, decolonisation is not yet complete and people are forced to make dangerous journeys in search of refuge. Pakistan has regularly raised the Kashmir issue on different UN platforms over the years, including United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The issue has also been raised by China in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) three times since New Delhi
stripped the occupied territory of its special status last year — a move that was met with much furore in Pakistan. Islamabad has pointed out that stripping the occupied territory of its special status goes against resolutions passed by the UNSC that dictate that the residents of Kashmir should be given the right to self-determination. The Indian government, however, argues that the move has ended the ‘disputed’ nature of occupied Kashmir and therefore it should be removed from the council’s agenda. According to diplomatic sources at the UN headquarters in New York, India has long sought to remove the “IndiaPakistan Question” from the agenda of the UNSC. Despite its best efforts, India’s attempts have failed consistently.
Angered by Arab-Israel ties, Palestine quits chairing Arab League sessions JERUSALEM AGENCIES
Palestine has quit its current chairmanship of Arab League meetings, the Palestinian foreign minister said on Tuesday, condemning as dishonourable any Arab agreement to establish formal ties with Israel. Palestinians see the accords which the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain signed with Israel in Washington a week ago as betrayal of their cause and a blow to their quest for an independent state in Israeli-occupied territory. Earlier this month, the Palestinians failed to persuade the Arab League to condemn nations breaking ranks and normalising relations with Israel. Palestine was supposed to chair Arab League meetings for the next six months, but Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki told a news conference in the West Bank city of Ramallah that it no longer wanted the po-
sition. “Palestine has decided to concede its right to chair the League’s council [of foreign ministers] at its current session. There is no honour in seeing Arabs rush towards normalisation during its presidency,” Maliki said. In his remarks, he did not specifically name the UAE and Bahrain, Gulf Arab countries that share with Israel concern over Iran. He said Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit was informed of the Palestinian decision. In a new move addressing internal Palestinian divisions, officials from West Bank-based President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah faction and the Hamas movement were due to hold reconciliation talks in Turkey on Tuesday. Hamas seized the Gaza Strip in 2007 from Fatah forces during a brief round of fighting. Differences over power-sharing have delayed implementation of unity deals agreed since then.
Trump takes aims at China over Covid-19 at first virtual UNGA session NEW YORK AGENCIES
The UN’s first virtual meeting of world leaders is getting underway with pre-recorded speeches from some of the planet's biggest powers. US President Donald Trump assailed China for the coronavirus pandemic in a speech Tuesday to the United Nations General Assembly aimed squarely at US voters, calling on the international body to punish Beijing. “In the earliest days of the virus, China locked down travel domestically while allowing flights to leave China and infect the world,” Mr Trump said in the speech, which was recorded at the White House. “The Chinese government, and the World Health Organization – which is virtually controlled by China – falsely declared that there was no evidence of humanto-human transmission.” “The United Nations must hold China accountable for their actions,” Trump said. The US president has
ramped up tensions with Beijing in recent months in an attempt to portray himself as tougher towards the country’s leaders than his re-election opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden, and to deflect blame for the US coronavirus outbreak, the largest in the world. Biden has accused Trump of turning a blind eye to the virus’s spread from China as he sought to close his so-called “phase one” trade deal with Beijing in January. More than 200,000 Americans have died of Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus. Most voters give Mr Trump poor marks for his administration’s response to the pandemic, jeopardising his re-election bid. The Trump administration has made a number of antagonistic moves towards China in recent months, including sanctioning Chinese officials over their treatment of Muslim minorities, removing special trade benefits enjoyed by Hong Kong, closing a Chinese consulate in Houston, and announcing plans to restrict Chinese visas for journalists and students.
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India's new coronavirus infections at lowest in almost a month NEW DELHI: India reported its lowest daily tally of coronavirus cases in almost a month on Tuesday as it prepares for clinical trials of a potential Russian vaccine in the next few weeks. Federal health data showed 75,083 new cases in the last 24 hours, and 1,053 deaths over the same period. There have been 5.6 million cases in total in the country, second only behind the United States. The total death toll stands at 88,935 people. Despite the fall in cases on Tuesday, India is consistently reporting the highest tally of daily cases anywhere in the world as a dense population and often rudimentary healthcare infrastructure hamper attempts to control the pandemic. On Tuesday Indian drugmaker Dr Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd said it could begin late-stage trials of a vaccine within the next few weeks. Indian trials of the Sputnik-V vaccine candidate, being developed by Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, will enroll 1,0002,000 participants and be conducted at multiple government and private hospitals across the country, Deepak Sapra, CEO for API and pharmaceutical services at Dr. Reddy’s, told Reuters. “We want to get to the first step – which is the commencement of the clinical trials by getting the necessary approvals from the Indian regulators – within the next few weeks,” Sapra said. Following a three-month lockdown, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given states more powers than ever to reopen shops, offices and public transport. But the pandemic continues to have an effect on the economy, that contracted by a quarter in the three months to June – the largest such figure on record. AGENCIES
Russia vows military cooperation with Iran after UN arms embargo ends MOSCOW: Russia said Tuesday it will develop military cooperation with Tehran after a United Nations arms embargo on Iran expires next month, despite US efforts to block arms deals. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said earlier this month that Washington would prevent Iran from purchasing Chinese tanks and Russian air defence systems as the UN arms embargo expiration approaches. "New opportunities will emerge in our cooperation with Iran after the special regime imposed by UN Security Council Resolution 2231 expires on October 18," Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, told the Interfax news agency. "The amount of this cooperation and the areas in which it will develop is a separate question," he added. He said any agreements with Iran would have "nothing to do with the unlawful and illegal actions of the US administration, which is trying to intimidate the entire world". The embargo on conventional arms shipments to Iran is set to expire next month after the United States failed to win support for a new UN resolution. The Trump administration says it is "snapping back" virtually all UN sanctions on Iran lifted under a 2015 nuclear accord with Tehran negotiated by former president Barack Obama. Trump pulled out of the deal with fanfare in 2018, but Pompeo argues that the United States is still a "participant" in the deal -- with the right to impose sanctions for violations. APP
G20 trade ministers discuss Covid-19 response RIYADH: The trade and investment ministers of the G20 nations met on Tuesday under the presidency of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia's Minister of Commerce Majid Al-Qasabi told the meeting that measures adopted by the G20 in May were "critical for sustaining the flow of essential goods and services across borders and limiting the human toll of the pandemic." Khalid Al-Falih, Saudi Arabia's minister of investment, said the collective G20 response to COVID-19 had started to deliver early signs of a "resilient, and stable economic recovery." AGENCIES
US and UAE eye December goal to agree on F-35 deal WASHINGTON AGENCIES
The United States and the United Arab Emirates hope to have an initial agreement on the sale of F-35 stealth fighter jets to the Gulf state in place by December, as the Trump administration studies how to structure a deal without running afoul of Israel. Sources close to the negotiations said the goal is to have a letter of agreement in place in time for UAE National Day celebrated on Dec. 2. Any deal must satisfy decades of agreement with Israel that states any U.S. weapons sold to the region must not impair Israel’s “qualitative military edge,” guaranteeing U.S. weapons furnished to Israel are “superior in capability” to those sold to its
neighbours. With that in mind Washington is studying ways to make the Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 more visible to Israeli radar systems, two sources said. Reuters could not determine if this would be done by changing the jet or providing Israel with better radar, among other possibilities. Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz was due to meet his U.S. counterpart Mark Esper in Washington on Tuesday. The UAE embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The White House declined to comment. A Pentagon spokeswoman told Reuters, “as a matter of policy, the United States does not confirm or comment on proposed defense sales or transfers until they are for-
mally notified to Congress.” Once a letter of agreement is signed, a fine may be levied against any party that terminates the deal. Several political and regulatory hurdles must be cleared before the sale may be completed and Capitol Hill aides cautioned a deal may not be possible this year. Ellen Lord, the Pentagon’s chief weapons buyer, told reporters in August that in general, the United States aims to complete a letter of agreement for new F-35 sales in about six months. Because of the qualitative military edge restriction, the Lockheed Martin-made F-35 has been denied to Arab states, while Israel has about 24 jets. The United Arab Emirates, one of Washington’s closest Middle East allies, has long
expressed interest in acquiring the stealthy jets and was promised a chance to buy them in a side deal made when they agreed to normalize relations with Israel. Sources familiar with the negotiations said a working idea was for Israeli air defences to be able to detect the UAE F-35s with technology that effectively defeats the stealth capabilities of the jets. F-35 fighter jets sold to the United Arab Emirates could also be built in a way that ensures the same planes owned by Israel outperform any others sold in the region, defense experts say. Washington already demands that any F35 sold to foreign governments cannot match the performance of U.S. jets, said both a congressional staffer and a source familiar
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with past sales. The F-35’s technical sophistication is tied to its mission systems and processing power and “it’s the computing power that allows you to sell a higher tech jet to Israel than to the UAE,” said Doug Birkey, executive director of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies in Washington. “When foreign pilots are in training in the U.S. they type a code into a user interface as they board the jet, the code will pull a different jet for each pilot based on legal permissions,” Birkey said. Either way, the actual delivery of new jets is years away. Poland, the most recent F35 customer, purchased 32 of the jets in January, but will not receive its first delivery until 2024.