Epaper – September 29 ISB 2020

Tuesday, 29 September, 2020 I 10 Safar, 1442 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XI No 90 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition

NAB Arrests shehBAz shArif iN moNey lAuNderiNg cAse g

maryam SayS pml-n preSident arreSted ‘becauSe he refuSed to play in the handS of thoSe who wanted to uSe him againSt hiS brother’

Zubair MehfooZ

LAHORE STAFF REPORT

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he national accountability bureau (nab) arrested pakistan muslim league-nawaz (pml-n) president and national assembly opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif from the lahore high court (lhc) on monday after his petition seeking extension in the pre-arrest bail in the money laundering case was rejected. the high court had extended his prearrest bail last week, while the arguments of his counsel were in progress.

Shehbaz was taken into custody from the court’s premises, where a large number of party workers and supporters had

gathered ahead of the hearing. during the proceeding, defence legal counsel, azam nazir tarar, contended that Shehbaz’s arrest at this stage of the case could not be justified. “nab’s dishonesty is apparent everywhere,” he said. tarar declared the cases against Shehbaz fake as he observed the pml-n president was already facing two other graft probes. according to the defence, the government wanted to keep in prison to rig the upcoming local government elections. he further pointed out that though the copies of the reference had been provided, Shehbaz was yet to be indicted.

Speaking during the hearing, the counsel for the agency, faisal bukhari, said that the probe in the money-laundering case was started after fulfilling all legal formali-

coroNAvirus iN

PAkistAN

CONFIRMED CASES:

310,841

LAST UPDATED AT 8:55 AM ON SEPTEMBER 28, 2020

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

9

RECOVERED:

NEW CASES:

409

DEATHS:

296,022 6,466 SINDH:

136,017

PUNJAB:

99,219

KP:

BALOCHISTAN:

AJK/GB:

ISLAMABAD:

37,701

15,092

2,661/3,681 16,470

ties. he further said that there were decisions by courts that dictate that arrests can take place after filing a reference. he told the court that Sharif’s assets between 2008-2018 had grown multifold. he further said that the opposition leader could not explain how he was able to buy four apartments abroad and had not shared when his business had started and its income. tarar told the court that the former punjab chief minister had done a net saving of rs81 billion in the orange line train project and rs400 million in the taxi project. collectively, tarar said, Shehbaz had saved rs1 trillion in net savings. he further said that the pml-n president had never received any ta-da or salary. amjad pervaiz, who was also representing Shehbaz in court, said that none of Shehbaz’s children were his dependents, adding that in its judgement in the panama papers case, the Supreme court (Sc) had explained the matter. he further said that Shehbaz’s wife has been a filer since 2004, while his sons Suleman Shehbaz and hamza Shehbaz had been tax filers since 1996. the pml-n president’s daughters Javeria ali and rabia imran were also tax filers since 2007. pervaiz argued that in the 58-volume money laundering reference prepared by nab, there was “not a single documentary evidence” against Shehbaz. the opposition leader had declared all of his assets, pervaiz said and added that according to records of the federal board of revenue (fbr), Securities and exchange commission of pakistan (Secp) as well as other revenue departments, Shehbaz was not a benamidar. the lawyer argued that there are four approvers in the case but none of them had recorded a statement against Shehbaz.

Shehbaz also spoke before the court and said that the allegation against him was “very painful and sad”. he insisted that he had “not done corruption or taken a single rupee in kickbacks”. after the arrest, many members of the pml-n party clashed with the police.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

ccpo blames motorway incident on victim travelling 'without husband's permission' lahore ccpo contradictS officerS’ timeline regarding reSponSe to motorway incident g Senate human rightS committee reprimandS ccpo for giving ‘perSonal opinionS’ g

LAHORE STAFF REPORT

lahore capital city police officer (ccpo) umar Sheikh once again found himself in trouble when talking to the Senate functional committee on human rights to talk about the motorway gang-rape case on monday. there seemed to be discordant information about the authorities’ response time to the victim’s distress call when her car broke down on the m11 motorway. the ccpo said that it took approximately 28 minutes to reach the area, while the officers who actually responded to the distress call said that they reached the area in under six minutes. the purpose of the hearing was to discuss the case regarding the horrible gang-rape and mugging of a mother travelling with her children at night on the lahoreSialkot motorway. the incident led to country-wide protests and calls for reforms in laws pertaining to sexual assault, specifically with a call for public hangings of the perpetrators. ccpo Sheikh said during the hearing that the woman was travelling without her husband’s permission, but soon thereafter admitted this was just a “guess”. he was reprimanded by pakistan people’s party (ppp) Senator Krishna

govt to focus on tribal areas’ development to thwart destabilisation plans: pm ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

prime minister imran Khan on monday announced that the government will fully concentrate on developing tribal areas as he assured financial grant to uplift the long-deprived areas which are now part of Khyber pakhtunkhwa (Kp). addressing the inauguration ceremony of nahakki tunnel and Shaikh Zayed road in mohmand district, the prime minister said that tribal areas lagged behind in development for the last 70 years and it was one of his government’s priorities to establish industries in the region for the export of goods to afghanistan and other central asian states. he voiced the apprehension that the lack of development in the areas could be exploited by some elements to create instability. imran said that he feared “certain elements that do not want stability in these areas will try to plan something […] and they are fully funded by some foreign countries”. therefore, he added, the government will concentrate on the full development of these areas so that

Kumari Kohli, a member of the Senate committee, who also told him not to make any such assumptions in the future. when the committee reprimanded him for giving his “personal opinions” instead of stating facts of the case, Sheikh backtracked and said that “he had been told that the victim had left late at night because she had to talk to her husband on video call”. the ccpo found himself in even hotter water when he forgot the name of the prime suspect in the case. abid ali has been on the run for the past 20 days and the eight special teams — comprising personnel from all of the punjab police’s departments — have failed to apprehend despite spotting him at least thrice across the province.

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more inside

Court indicts Zardari, Talpur in money laundering case STORY ON PAGE 03

Sc blocks release of prime suspect in daniel pearl murder case plans of “certain elements” who do not want stability in those areas could be thwarted. he said that the ideology of a nation reflected its direction, and the ideology of pakistan — envisioned by Quaid-e-azam mohammad ali Jinnah and allama iqbal — was to make the country a welfare state like the state of medina which took care of widowed women, children, the elderly and poor people. “[my government’s] desire is to lift up the weaker sections. when there is development in a country, it should be for the uplifting of all areas rather than the development of one area while the rest of them are left behind,” he said. the premier added that the

tribal areas had remained undeveloped because the votes of the people living there did not help any political party come into power. “our [policy] is that we have to give the most attention to the most backward areas,” he said. “we are making full efforts to spend maximum funds on tribal areas. it saddens me that provinces promised to give 30 per cent of nfc [national finance commission] award to tribal areas before we came into power but now they are not ready to do that. i want to remind them that our religion and holy Quran tell us to fulfil our promises,” he further said.

fm urges afghan leaders for ‘serious efforts’ to take peace process forward

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

STORY ON PAGE 04

STORY ON PAGE 03

Justice Isa stresses the role of press as the ‘backbone of democracy’ STORY ON PAGE 02

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Tuesday, 29 September, 2020

NEWS

Justice isa stresses the role of press as the ‘backbone of democracy’

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NEWS DESK

FREE and robust press is the backbone of a democracy, said Supreme Court (SC) judge Justice Qazi Faez Isa on Monday, while explaining the importance role of media freedom in a fair society.

During Supreme Court Press Association’s oathtaking ceremony, Justice Isa said in his speech, “Informed citizens, including journalists, can better identify wrongdoing

in governance and demand accountability.

And, if those exercising power know that they are subject to public scrutiny, they are less likely to abuse power.”

Furthermore, the SC judge remarked that it was a “testament to [the journalists’] integrity” that they were taking oath as journalists, unlike public servants including judges, members of the armed forces and lawmakers, were not legally obliged to do so.

“I pray that you have the strength to abide by the oath and withstand outside pressure,”

pdma releases compensation to affected families of north Waziristan PESHAWAR AZIZ BUNERI

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has released Rs180 million in financial assistance to more than 15,000 victim families of Operation Zarb-e-Azb in North Waziristan district. After verification of the families, the compensation amount will be disbursed to all. According to the PDMA Emergency Wing, each of the affected families in North Waziristan who have not yet been able to return to their homes will start receiving Rs12,000 per family via mobile SMS. The spokesperson also said that this is the 73rd instalment of cash assistance to the victims of North Waziristan and will be given to 15,229 families. PDMA DirectorGeneral (DG) Pervez Khan Sabtakhel said that apart from regular financial assistance to the victims every month, they are also giving ration packs containing food items on a monthly basis and other necessities.

Sabtakhel further said that the PDMA is striving to serve the people of the province without any discrimination against natural calamities.

lhc seeks govt reply on petition challenging drug price hike LAHORE TLTP

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday directed the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), the health department and other respondents to furnish their comments on a petition challenging the recent 262 per cent hike in prices of essential life-saving drugs. Justice Sajid Mahmood Sethi heard the petition filed by advocate Nadeem Sarwar requesting the high court to declare the government’s September 22 decision of jacking up rates of 94 essential medicines illegal. He cited the federal and provincial governments as well as other relevant authorities as respondents. The petitioner stated before the court that rates of essential life-saving medicines have been increased by up to 262 per cent by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) in violation of the laws, which has added to the miseries of inflation-hit people. He pleaded with the bench to declare the increase illegal. On September 24, Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Faisal Sultan had said that the recent hike in prices of 94 essential life-saving drugs by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) was ‘inevitable’ to ensure availability of the medicines.

Dr Sultan, while talking to the media in Islamabad, said that a ‘reasonable increase’ was made in prices of 94 essential drugs by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP). Pharmaceutical companies usually stop production of some medicines if prices are not increasing, he said, adding a halt in production by the pharmaceutical companies creates a shortage of drugs across the country.

he said. “How very different this country would have been if oaths were abided by.”

The judge further remarked that all citizens were granted the right to freedom of speech and expression under Article 19 of the Constitution. The 18th Amendment, which relates to the right to access to information in all matters of public interest, made press freedom “more effective”, he added.

The top court justice spoke on the need for a disinterested and unbiased press. He recalled how, in 1991, he had written an

essay titled ‘Freedom for the Thought We Hate’. In this, Justice Isa had cited a PTV news bulletin for airing the then-interior minister’s criticism of an opposition leader’s speech, while the speech itself was not shown by the state TV channel.

“Presenting only one side of the story, broadcasting selected messages and controlling the media is not permissible,” he remarked. The judge also quoted a judgement by a former chief justice of the Sindh High Court Ajmal Mian in which the latter wrote:

PTI announces candidates for Gilgit-Baltistan election ISLAMABAD GHULAM ABBAS

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has finally announced its candidates for the forthcoming election in GilgitBaltistan (GB) where the election has been scheduled for November 15.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz, Minister of Kashmir Affairs and GilgitBaltistan Ali Amin Gandapur and Senior Vice President of PTI Parliamentary Board Arshad Dad announced 22 candidates for the next election of Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly (GBLA) which also included two candidates of Majlis-e-Wahdat Ul Muslimeen (MWM), the political party and coalition partner of PTI in the election. MWM’s Central Political Secretary Nasir Sherazi also addressed the press conference.

As per Arshad Dad, PTI, which is still in negotiation with another political party Tehrik-e-Islami, has left two constituencies, including GBLA-1 (Gilgit-1) and GBLA-

4 (Nagar-1) is pending, till the conclusion of negotiation with the second coalition partner.

As per details, Syed Jafar Shah, the president of PTI GB, has been granted the ticket of GBLA-3 (Gilgit-3) while Fateh Ullah Khan, general secretary of PTI GB has been fielded in the constituency of GBLA-2 (Gilgit-2) where he would be contesting election against former chief minister Hafeezur Rehman and candidates of other political parties.

The ruling party has also granted tickets to Col Abaid Ullah Baig, Raja Muhammad Zakaria Khan, Wazir Hassan, Syed Amjad Ali, Raja Muhammad Azam Khan Muhammad Khalid Khursheed Khan, Shamsul Haq Lone, Naushad Alam, Ateequllah, Haider Khan, Haji Gulbar Khan, Zafar Muhammad, Nazir Ahmed, Raja Jahanzeb, Muhammad Ibrahim Sanai, Amina Ansari and Syed Shamsuddin for the GBLA-6, GBLA-7, GBLA 10, GBLA-11, GBLA-12, GBLA-13, GBLA-14, GBLA15, GBLA-16, GBLA-17, GBLA-18, GBLA-19, GBLA-20, GBLA-21, GBLA-22, GBLA-23 and GBLA24 respectively.

‘Govt mismanagement caused a hike in wheat prices’ ISLAMABAD GHULAM ABBAS

As the wheat and flour prices in the country have drastically increased under the presumption that there will be a shortage of wheat in near future, National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Commerce on Monday saw mismanagement of the government behind the hike in prices of largely consumed food items.

During a meeting of the committee, chaired by Syed Naveed Qamar, the committee demanded from the government to fix the price of wheat and announce maximum incentives to local growers to prevent wheat crisis.

The chairman highlighted serious mismanagement in prior planning of wheat imports, causing not only a shortage of wheat in the country but also a huge hike in the price of flour. Qamar directed the Ministry of Food Security to take immediate steps to address the predicted shortage of wheat.

The committee observed that the price of wheat in the market is higher than the imported rate. The commit-

tee also observed that the subsidiary benefits are going to foreign farmers in the form of imports of wheat at higher rates.

Earlier, during the meeting, the Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Food Security & Research briefed the committee on import/exports of wheat and informed them that the cabinet has approved import 1.5 million metric tonnes (MT) of wheat by Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) on the recommendation of the Ministry of Food Security & Research to meet the demand in the country, which will be provided to Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), as well as to the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO).

The TCP has awarded contracts of import of wheat at the $233.85 per MT and this will arrive between October 2020 to January 2021. The ministry further said that tenders floated by TCP for import of wheat on 15th September 2020 were scrapped due to high rates. The ministries updated the committee on wheat stocks, progress on import of wheat by the private sector and through TCP, and the pricing trend in the local market.

Rasheed vows to remove encroachments from railways land KARACHI TLTP

Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed has expressed the commitment that the encroachments on the railways land will be removed at every cost.

Talking to media persons at the Railways Office on Monday, the minister said that revolutionary steps are being taken for Pakistan Railways.

He said that passenger and freight trains are being privatised for better services, whereas new signal systems are also being introduced in Pakistan Railways. The minister added that Rs10.5 billion have been allocated for Karachi Circular Railways (KCR) and the provincial government of Sindh is providing fully cooperated in the project. Replying to a question, he claimed that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has decided to spend the rest of his life in London. He said that Nawaz should have returned to the country after court orders. “Nawaz

has choked his politics by himself,” he added.

The minister questioned the former prime minister to reveal how many donations he received from Osama Bin Laden and who was behind character assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

Opposition parties can achieve nothing through their All-Parties Conference (APC), Sheikh Rasheed said and added that Prime Minister Imran Khan has strong nerves and the government and Pakistan Army are on the same page. Holding money launderers responsible for the increasing inflation in the country, he claimed that whoever looted the national exchequer will go in jail by December 31. Rasheed said that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari can play a positive role in Pakistan’s politics. Last week, the railways minister had said that both Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUIF) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Bilawal held one-on-one meetings with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

“It is unfortunate to observe that the broadcasting corporation and television corporation have not been able to establish their credibility as independent organs.”

Citing the words of Quaid-e-Azam, he said that Mohammad Ali Jinnah had spoken against the Press Act during the British rule, and had firmly stood in support of the protection of journalists “who are doing their duty”.

After independence, the country’s first prime minister Liaquat Ali Khan helped Pakistan become one of the first 48 signatories of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, including the aforementioned Article 19. Justice Isa said that this was “an auspicious beginning” for Pakistan.

“Is this commitment and guarantee of free press burning or is it being extinguished?” he asked. The judge cautioned that if citizens surrender their right to free speech, they would soon be robbed of other rights as well.

shehbaz arrested because he failed to satisfy court: faraz ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information Shibli Faraz on Monday said that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif was arrested after he failed to satisfy the court. While responding to a presser of Maryam Nawaz over Shehbaz’s arrest, he said that even religion allows investments in properties, however, law will come into force if these properties are made using illegal procedures.

“Maryam Nawaz claimed that they have inherited wealth from their forefathers. If this is the case then why they are not giving money trail behind purchase of the properties under question,” he said while addressing a presser alongside Adviser to Prime Minister on Accountability Shahzad Akbar. Faraz said that Shehbaz failed to satisfy the courts in a similar way Nawaz failed to do so before. “Do they consider responding to questions over their wealth from courts as an illegal act?” he asked. He said that whenever PML-N is sidelined from power, they started criticising actions of the state institutions. “However, they should know that no one is above the law in the country now,” the information minister said.

He said that there are open and shut cases against PML-N leaders and they could easily avoid arrests in them by providing money trail used to purchase these properties. “When courts decide in their favour, they accept it and raises hue and cry of political victimisation in case of any decision against them,” Faraz lamented. He asked as to how could Nawaz serve the country when his assets, sons and he himself is out of the country.

Akbar said that PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz has closed the chapter of her uncle’s politics today. STAFF REPORT

survey declares imran better pm of pakistan in last 15 years DUBAI: An online survey conducted by Khaleej Magazine has revealed that Imran Khan is a more well-received prime minister when compared to the previous premiers of Pakistan. The conducted poll reveals Imran Khan is the number one choice of the people in Pakistan and has been declared as a better PM in the last 15 years.

According to results, more than 93 per cent voted for PM Imran Khan, while former prime minister Nawaz Sharif secured 4.7 per cent votes and Yousuf Raza Gilani and Raja Pervez Ashraf secured 0.8 per cent votes. Earlier this year, the business community in Pakistan had expressed its optimism for improvement in the country’s economic conditions in near future, according to the first edition of the Business Optimism Index released by a global database and risk management company, Dun & Bradstreet. According to the index, the database company included 400 to 500 companies from the country during the global survey. The global survey carried out for the index’s quarterly report include companies from all economic sectors of the country.

“Around 75 of the companies that participated in the survey were foreign-based and they have appreciated the idea of bringing investment to Pakistan,” it had said. INP

Tuesday, 29 September, 2020

NEWS

COuRt IndICtS ZARdARI, tAlPuR In mOney lAundeRIng CASe ISLAMABAD

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STAFF REPORT

N accountability court in Islamabad on Monday indicted former president and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur in the supplementary mega money laundering case.

The accused, however, pleaded innocence.

The court last week ordered to indict Zardari in three corruption references against him — money laundering, Park Lane estate and Thatta water supply — while dismissing his petitions against the cases.

However, his indictment in the other two cases was delayed until October 5 due to the absence of one of the suspects.

Zardari’s counsel, Farooq Naek, was not present during the hearing. Naek’s associate informed the court that he was due at the Supreme Court (SC) today for another case and sought to delay the process, a request which was denied. The court ruled since the defendants were present, the court will proceed.

Hussain Lawai, another suspect in the fake account case, was in court while Omni Group chief Anwar Majeed attended the hearing via video link.

The court summoned the National Accountability Bureau’s witnesses on October 13.

Zardari is facing multiple corruption cases that have stemmed from a mega money-laundering scandal, which came into the limelight in 2018.

The former president, Talpur and several of their business associates are

being probed as part of a 2015 case regarding fake accounts and fictitious transactions —which were initially found to have totalled Rs35 billion — conducted through 29 benami accounts in Summit Bank, Sindh Bank and UBL. He is accused of being involved “in extending the loan and its misappropriation by M/s Parthenon Private Limited, M/s Park Lane Estate Private Limited and others”. His counsel, however, has argued that the PPP co-chief had been a director of M/s Park Lane, but he resigned from the company in 2008 before assuming the office of the president of Pakistan.

Reacting to his father and aunt’s indictment in the money laundering reference, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari slammed the govern-

ment over political victimisation of opposition parties and not bringing the likes of former president Pervez Musharraf to justice.

The trend of victimising opposition leaders continued even during a global pandemic, said Bilawal.

“There were two laws in Pakistan,” he remarked.

Zardari and Faryal had been facing courts and imprisonment for the last two years, Bilawal said and added that they were even barred from leaving the country by placing them on exit control list (ECL). But, the PPP chairman noted, Musharraf, who he referred to as a “runaway dictator” and “traitor”, as well as three special assistants to the prime minister, other cabinet members and Aleema Khan – Imran Khan’s sister – will not be summoned.

SC blocks release of prime suspect in Daniel Pearl murder case ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Accepting the petition of parents of slain Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, the Supreme Court (SC) on Monday barred the Sindh government from releasing the prime suspect in the case.

Judea Pearl and Ruth Pearl requested the top court in May to reverse the Sindh High Court (SHC) verdict which overturned the death sentence of Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, one of the four suspects, in the case, declaring that the prosecution had failed to prove the case against them.

The other three suspects are Fahad Naseem, Salman Saqib, and Sheikh Adil.

They were awarded life imprisonment by an anti-terrorism court in 2002.

However, despite the court ruling in this regard, the Sindh government issued an order to detain the suspects till September 30 (Wednesday) citing “public safety” concerns.

During the hearing, Sindh government counsel Farooq Naek recalled that taxi driver Nasir Abbas had identified the accused in front of a magistrate during an identity parade. “Sheikh was arrested on January 13, 2002, and on April 22, 2002 charges were framed against him,”

he said.

He added that there were a total of 23 witnesses in the case. Amir Afzal, the receptionist at Akbar International Hotel where Sheikh and Pearl met, also identified the accused during an identity parade, he said.

“There were a lot of things going on behind the scenes,” Naek said when the court asked where the conspiracy had taken place. When Sheikh met the journalist, he used the name Bashir, Naek said, adding that he gave a fake name because his intentions were not pure.

“It is possible that the decision to kill was taken a few moments before it actually occurred,” remarked Justice Yahya Afridi. Naek replied that the initial plan was to collect ransom, not assassinate the journalist. The court also questioned how charges against Sheikh were proven when the body was never found and an autopsy was never conducted.

“Kidnapping charges were proven.

The SHC should have ordered a retrial instead of overturning the death sentence,” the Sindh government’s lawyer replied. When asked by the court who identified the accused, Naek reiterated that the taxi driver had identified him during an identity parade.

“The taxi driver’s statement is the basis for the government’s case,” remarked Justice Qazi Amin. “His body was never found so how did the taxi driver identify Pearl,” asked the judge.

“He identified him after looking at a picture,” the lawyer replied.

The accused were acquitted on charges of murder and kidnapping for ransom, observed Justice Qazi Amin. “It looks like the high court wrapped up the matter after giving punishment only for the crime of kidnapping,” he remarked.

Barring authorities from releasing Saeed and others, and issuing notices to the parties concerned, the court adjourned the hearing until Wednesday.

The family’s appeal was adjourned earlier this month amid cries of outrage from Pearl’s family and the US government to the SHC decision.

Pearl, 38, was kidnapped and killed while investigating the link between AlQaeda militants and Richard C. Reid, dubbed the “shoe bomber” after trying to blow up a flight from Paris to Miami with explosives hidden in his shoes. He disappeared on January 23, 2002, and a videotape received by US diplomats in February 2002 confirmed his death.

A handwritten letter by Sheikh ac-

knowledged his involvement in the killing in Karachi, Faisal Siddiqi, the counsel for Pearl’s family, told The Associated Press on Sunday.

The letter by Sheikh was entered into evidence in late 2019, Siddiqi said. However, it was not among the evidence heard by the high court that in April acquitted Sheikh on a number of charges, including the most serious of the kidnapping for ransom that lead to Pearl’s slaying.

In the letter dated July 19, 2019, Sheikh said his involvement in Pearl’s death was “a relatively minor one.” Siddiqi said Sheikh implicates himself in Pearl’s murder by his admission.

In the original trial in 2002, emails between Sheikh and Pearl were entered into evidence in which Sheikh gained Pearl’s confidence, sharing their experiences as both waited for the birth of their first child. Pearl’s wife Marianne Pearl gave birth to a son, Adam, in May 2002.

Evidence entered into court accused Sheikh of luring Pearl to his death, giving the American journalist a false sense of security as he promised to introduce him to a cleric with militant links.

The police sought to locate Pearl for weeks until the video received by US diplomats showed his beheading.

PTI announces candidates for Gilgit-Baltistan election ISLAMABAD GHULAM ABBAS

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has finally announced its candidates for forthcoming election in GilgitBaltistan (GB) where the election has been scheduled for November 15.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz, Minister of Kashmir Affairs and GilgitBaltistan Ali Amin Gandapur and Senior Vice President of PTI Parliamentary Board Arshad Dad announced 22 candidates for the next election of Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly (GBLA) which also included two candidates of Majlis-e-Wahdat Ul Muslimeen (MWM), the political party and coalition partner of PTI in the election. MWM’s Central Political Secretary Nasir Sherazi also addressed the press conference.

As per Arshad Dad, PTI, which is still in negotiation with another political party Tehrik-e-Islami, has left two constituencies, including GBLA-1 (Gilgit-1) and GBLA-4 (Nagar-1) in pending, till conclusion of negotiation with the second coalition partner.

As per details, Syed Jafar Shah, the president of PTI

GB, has been granted the ticket of GBLA-3 (Gilgit-3) while Fateh Ullah Khan, general secretary of PTI GB has been fielded in the constituency of GBLA-2 (Gilgit2) where he would be contesting election against former chief minister Hafeezur Rehman and candidates of other political parties. The ruling party has also granted tickets to Col Abaid Ullah Baig, Raja Muhammad Zakaria Khan, Wazir Hassan, Syed Amjad Ali, Raja Muhammad Azam Khan Muhammad Khalid Khursheed Khan, Shamsul Haq Lone, Nshad Alam, Ateequllah, Haider Khan, Haji Gulbar Khan, Zafar Muhammad, Nazir Ahmed, Raja Jahanzeb, Muhammad Ibrahim Sanai, Amina Ansari and Syed Shamsuddin for the GBLA-6, GBLA-7, GBLA -10, GBLA-11, GBLA-12, GBLA-13, GBLA-14, GBLA-15, GBLA-16, GBLA-17, GBLA18, GBLA-19, GBLA-20, GBLA-21, GBLA-22, GBLA-23 and GBLA-24 respectively.

Interestingly PTI has also granted ticket to Haji Fida Nashad, a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and speaker GBLA-9 (Skardu-3) suspiciously as he has not openly joined PTI. He had even not appeared in the interview process of the party in which around 100 ticket aspirants of the party had appeared in Islamabad last month.

When asked about the decision of granting a ticket to the speaker, Ali Amin Gandapur claimed that Nashad was in contact with his party weeks ago. Arshad, however, claimed that the candidate had joined a few days ago. Unlike those who joined PTI, while leaving other parties, the joining of Nashad was kept secret.

After the weeks-long negotiation the PTI has agreed to grant two tickets to MWM in GBLA-5 (Nagar-2) and GBLA-8 (Skardu-2) besides some adjustments in technocrats’ seats after the election.

In reply to a query about making a team of electables, who joined PTI within last few months, instead of granting preferring party stalwarts and devotees, Ali Amin said that there were also candidates of PTI office bearers who have been granted the tickets. In fact, there were serious reservations about the distribution of tickets among those who joined the parties even weeks and days before the announcement of tickets.

Though the party received signed affidavits from all those who appeared for the interview to ensure their support to the party’s candidates in the election, many of the ticket aspirants are likely to leave the party after announcement to join other political parties or contest the polls as independent candidates.

Three names proposed for position of biological drugs analyst ISLAMABAD SHAHZAD PARACHA

The Ministry of National Health Services and Regulations has proposed the names of three pharmacists for the position of biological drugs analyst.

Sources said that the ministry has proposed Chief Pharmacist Amna Bibi, Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) Deputy Director Muhammad Arif Chaudhry and DRAP Deputy Director Zeeshan Nazir for this position.

The Drug Act, 1976, was promulgated to regulate the import, export, manufacture storage, distribution, and sale of drugs.

The fact that many vaccines and biological products, imported and produced locally, require the certificate of the federal government analyst has necessitated the appointment of a biological drugs analyst. As per schedule of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan Act, 2012, biological drugs are not allowed for sale and use until a “Lot Re-

lease Certificate” from the federal government analyst has been obtained.

This analyst would head the National Control Laboratory for Biological (NCLB), Islamabad, and report to the DRAP director. The previous drug analyst was appointed for a period of three months, and their tenure expired in June 2020. Nominations from different hospitals institutions were sought and the abovementioned people have been proposed.

PCSIR CHAIRMAN: Meanwhile, the

Ministry of Science and Technology has proposed names of Syed Hussain Abidi, Professor Arshad Saleem Bhatti and Dr Syed Habib Bukhari for the position of chairman for Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR).

The ministry had advertised this post and eventually received 55 applications.

The selection board under the chair of Federal Minister for Science and Technology conducted 15 interviews and the board recommended the above for the post.

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Soldier martyred in clash with terrorists in S Waziristan: ISPR RAWALPINDI: A soldier was martyred during an exchange of fire with terrorists in South Waziristan’s Shakai Vally, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said Monday. According to the military’s media wing, the security troops were patrolling in the area after they had received intelligence reports about the presence of terrorists there. The soldier, Captain Abdullah Zafar, 25, embraced martyrdom as he led the troops in during the patrol, the ISPR said, adding that he was a resident of Kohat’s Lachi area. “Area [has been] cordoned off for clearance operation,” the ISPR added. STAFF REPORT

KP health minister contracts coronavirus PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Health Minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra on Monday tested positive for coronavirus, who quarantined himself after being confirmed of the infection. “I have tested positive for COVID, and am isolating at home. I feel fine and healthy, albeit with a slight cough. I will continue to work from home, health permitting, Insha’Allah, and hope to be back as soon as possible,” he said in a tweet. Last week, Sindh Energy Minister Imtiaz Sheikh and Senate Deputy Chairman Saleem Mandviwalla had tested positive for novel coronavirus. It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan reported nine more coronavirus-related deaths during the last 24 hours, pushing the death toll from the disease to 6,466. According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), as many as 28,887 samples were tested for the infection during this period, out of which 566 turned out to be positive. The number of Covid-19 cases across the country has reached 310,841 with addition of the new cases. STAFF REPORT

Balochistan delays reopening of primary schools by two weeks QUETTA: Balochistan government spokesperson Liaquat Shahwani on Monday said that the provincial government has decided to delay the reopening of primary schools, scheduled to resume on Sept 30, by 15 days in view of rising coronavirus cases. The proposal, he said, will be presented in a National Command and Operation (NCOC) meeting on Tuesday.

The development on the heel of an announcement made by Minister for Education Shafqat Mehmood last week that primary schools in the country would be reopened pending a final review in the NCOC meeting on Sept 29 (Tuesday). Shahwani had previously warned of a rising coronavirus trend in the province, saying cases in Balochistan had nearly tripled since August. “Almost the same number of cases were reported in September as in May. That was around the time [Balochistan] saw a spike in cases. The flow of people in hospitals increased and we had to impose a lockdown. It was a hard experience,” he said Saturday. “Our cases have nearly tripled since August. Data suggests cases are increasing and there is a danger that they will further increase in winter. The hospital flow has not increased yet but if it does, we may be heading towards the same situation as in May.” APP

All schools reopen across Sindh under strict SOPs KARACHI: Schools across Sindh reopened on Monday for middle and primary classes under the strict implementation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). After a pause of seven months, all public and private schools have reopened for grades one to eight. Strict implementation of SOPs was also ensured at entry points of schools. Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani stressed coronavirusrelated standard operating procedures (SOPs) and precautionary measures once again, warning that strict action would be taken against all private and public educational institutions who failed to implement such measures. He appealed to parents to ensure their children comply with these measures as well. Last week, Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho had opposed the decision to reopen primary schools in haste as the coronavirus rate is increasing in the province. Dr Azra had said that the rate of coronavirus infections is increasing in Sindh.

She opposed the decision to reopen schools in the current situation. She added that primary schools should not be reopened in haste. INP

04

Tuesday, 29 September, 2020

NEWS

FM urges aFghan leaders For 'serious eFForts' to take peace process Forward ISLAMABAD

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STAFF REPORT

OREIGN Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has called on the Afghan leadership to make “serious efforts” to ensure that the Afghan peace process is taken to its logical conclusion.

The foreign minister made the remark as he welcomed the High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR) of Afghanistan Chairman Dr Abdullah Abdullah at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Abdullah is in Islamabad for a threeday trip, where he is expected to meet Prime Minister Imran Khan, President Arif Alvi and the Pakistani leadership.

“We respect Afghanistan’s territorial integrity and sovereignty,” Qureshi said, adding that PM Imran Khan had constantly emphasised that Afghanistan’s problems cannot be solved through force alone.

The foreign minister said that the world has today acknowledged Pakistan’s stance on the problems faced by Afghanistan.

“Pakistan supports a peaceful and lasting political solution for Afghanistan through acceptable dialogue,” said Qureshi.

He also told the visiting dignitary that Pakistan will continue “playing a conciliatory role sincerely” in the Afghan peace process. He added that

Four sbca officials suspended over corruption charges KARACHI: The Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) on Monday suspended four officers, including Director Malik Ejaz, for authorising illegal constructions in Karachi. According to details, the SBCA has suspended Landhi Town Director Malik Aijaz, Assistant Director Ehtesham, Buffer Zone Building Inspector Shakeel and Saddar Town Building Inspector Aijaz. Director Ejaz was suspended for allowing illegal constructions in Liaqautabad town and building inspector Shakeel was involved in illegal constructions in Buffer Zone town. According to SBCA, Ejaz was transferred from Liaquatabad town to Landi town a week ago. The SBCA has also formed an inquiry committee against suspended officers which will submit its report to SBCA DGin one week. Earlier, action taken against SBCA officials on September 19, the Sindh government had suspended three SBCA officers, including assistant directors and building inspectors over corruption charges. Three officers had been suspended after a complaint of corruption was received against them by the Sindh local government minister office. Sindh Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah has issued directives to immediately suspend SBCA assistant directors Nadeem Shaikh and Rafi Raza and building inspector Shahzad Arain over corruption charges. TLTP

Pakistan believes that peace in Afghanistan is essential for the development of the region, and warned that Afghan leaders will have to focus on the “miscreants” who try to derail the Afghan peace process. He also urged the world to come forward for the peace and development of Afghanistan.

Qureshi, while bringing up the Afghan refugees present in Pakistan, said that Pakistan wants the “dignified repatriation” of Afghans living in Pakistan.

During the meeting, Dr Abdullah appreciated Pakistan for its conciliatory efforts and thanked PM Imran and FM Qureshi for their role in the Afghan process.

Upon his arrival, Dr Abdullah also

Opposition wants to create chaos among people of Pakistan: CM Buzdar LAHORE INP

Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar on Monday said that the opposition is trying to create an environment of chaos among the people of Pakistan.

In a statement, the minister said that opposition parties are carrying forward their agenda of saving themselves from corruption cases.

The nation has given a five-year mandate to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the government will complete its tenure, he stated.

CM Buzdar further said that the conscious people of the country will not allow torchbearers of negative politics to hinder the journey of development.

94pc of kids immunised against polio in Karachi: report

us embassy to resume student visa services from thursday ISLAMABAD: The US Embassy in Islamabad and the US Consulate General in Karachi will resume student visa services from Thursday. In a statement, the US embassy said that student visas are a top priority for the US mission in Pakistan. The embassy assured to make every effort to assist student visa applicants as timely and safely as possible. The US embassy also asked the applicants to remember wearing masks and observe social distancing whilst visiting the embassy in Islamabad or the Consulate General in Karachi. TLTP

planted a tree at the Foreign Office (FO).

Earlier, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Commerce Razak Dawood and Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq received the Afghan leader at the Nur Khan Airbase.

In a statement before his departure to Islamabad, Abdullah Abdullah hoped his visit will open a new chapter of mutual cooperation at all levels, especially on achieving a lasting and dignified peace in Afghanistan.

“The visit will provide a unique opportunity for the two sides to exchange views on Afghanistan peace talks in Doha, & bilateral relations,” he posted on Twitter.

KARACHI TLTP

The anti-polio drive in Karachi remained successful as 94

per cent of the set target was achieved.

The anti-polio drive kicked off in Karachi on September 21 and ended on September 28. In a report submitted to the Karachi commissioner by the Anti-Polio Task Force, the drive received an overwhelming response and with the cooperation of the parents 94 per cent target of the drive was achieved.

According to a report as many as 17,78,598 children under the age of 5 years were administered anti-polio drops by the vaccinators. Last week, well-informed sources said that in the first three days of the anti-polio drive as many as 30.4 million children were vaccinated against the crippling disease of Polio, out of the set target of 40.16 million across the country.

In Punjab, 1.82 million children under the age of five years had been vaccinated by the polio workers. 7,480,000 in Sindh, 5,720,000 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and 1,555,489 children had been vaccinated in Balochistan.

Furthermore, 268,139 kids were vaccinated in Islamabad, 220,586 in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and 634,633 were vaccinated in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

Review: Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan Novels KABIR ALTAF Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan novels — My Brilliant Friend, The Story of a New Name, Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay, and The Story of the Lost Child — tell the story of two friends, Elena Greco (Lenu) and Raffaella Cerullo (Lina), from their childhood until their sixties. Though divided into four books, Ferrante has said that she considers the quartet to be one novel since it tells one continuous story.

The quartet opens in the present time (circa 2010) when Lenu — a famous writer living in Turin — receives a phone call from Lina’s son telling her that his mother has disappeared. She has left nothing behind and has even cut her face out of any photographs in which she appeared. Lenu realizes that Lila has finally put her plan to completely erase herself into action. She then proceeds to write the story of their relationship. The novel we are reading is thus narrated in the first person, from Lenu’s perspective.

Lenu and Lila grow up in an impoverished neighbourhood of Naples soon after

World War II. Lenu is the daughter of a porter who works at city hall, while Lila’s father is a shoemaker. It becomes apparent very early on that Lila is extremely intelligent — she has taught herself to read and write, though her parents are barely literate. At the end of elementary school, their teacher attempts to persuade both families to let their daughters take the middle school exam and study further. Lenu’s parents are ultimately convinced while Lila’s are not. This marks the moment when the two girls’ lives begin to diverge. Lenu continues to study and eventually secures a university scholarship while Lila enters into an early marriage (which ultimately becomes abusive). Both women are drawn to the same man — Nino Sarratore — a childhood friend with whom both have an affair at different times.

One of the major themes of the novels is the nature of female friendship. Lenu and Lila have an often fraught relationship. There is an element of resentment from both of them. Lenu feels that Lila is more intelligent than she is, despite not

getting the chance to study. Lila is sometimes jealous of the opportunities that Lenu has had to leave the neighbourhood and transcend their working-class background. This is symbolized by Lenu being able to speak and write in Italian rather than in the Neapolitan dialect. Lenu also marries into a distinguished family and has access to a whole new lifestyle, which she later abandons in her pursuit of Nino.

Their mutual attraction to the same man also leads to some sexual jealousy between them, particularly in adolescence when Lila gets involved with Nino despite knowing how Lenu feels about him. Yet, the two women continue to support each other throughout their lives.

Gender relations are another major theme. The two main characters grow up in a world in which it is considered normal for men to physically abuse their wives and children. Lila suffers physical and sexual abuse from her husband and is castigated by society after she leaves him.

Although Lenu becomes a part of the upper-middle class, she is also castigated

by society for choosing to leave her husband and become Nino’s mistress. Nino, in contrast, somehow manages to have it all, never separating from his wife and continuing to have affairs with other women even after entering into a relationship with Lenu. She eventually leaves him because of his serial infidelity. Ferrante thus highlights society’s hypocritical double standard for men and women.

Additionally, the novels offer a political history of 20th century Italy. The Solara brothers (who are obsessed with Lila) are fascists and associated with the Camorra — the Neapolitan Mafia.

Pasquale Peluso, a childhood friend of the girls, becomes a militant Communist and is eventually imprisoned. The quartet brilliantly evokes the conflict between fascist and communist forces, particularly in the episode of the strike at the sausage factory where Lila works after leaving her husband. Political conflict is also evoked by Lenu’s increasing bourgeois liberalism as she becomes a celebrated writer and the wife of a university professor. Nino can

20 injured in bus, trailer collision in toba tek singh TOBA TEK SINGH INP

At least 20 persons were wounded when a bus collided with a trailer in Toba Tek Singh on late Sunday night. According to eye-witnesses the passenger bus collided with a trailer due to over-speeding at the Pir Mahal Interchange near Toba Tek Singh, injuring 20 passengers. Rescue teams reached the spot after the accident and shifted the injured to Tehsil Headquarters Hospital.

Man killed by in-laws over property dispute SHEIKHUPURA INP

A man was killed by his brother in-laws over dispute here on Monday who managed to escape the crime scene. The incident took place in suburban area Feroze Watwan of Sheikhupura where culprits fired shots at their brother in-law (sister's husband). As a result of fire Variyam was killed on the spot and the attackers fled the scene. Police said that the incident was outcome of property dispute. A case was registered against the culprits and raids were being conducted for their arrest.

resolution calls for banning tallal chaudhry from politics LAHORE INP

A resolution was submitted in the Punjab Assembly on Monday calling for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Tallal Chaudhry to be banned from politics. It was submitted by PTI MPA Mussarat Jamshed Cheema. She argued that Chaudhry had harassed a female MNA, Ayesha Rajab, from his own party at her house in Faisalabad at 3 am.

Action is needed against him, she said, calling upon Maryam Nawaz to investigate the matter.

Chaudhry was injured after a September 23 fight that left him with a fractured arm and several wounds on his back. He reportedly was injured outside the MNA’s house in Faisalabad.

It is being claimed by PTI leaders that he was harassing the woman and her brothers beat him up. Chaudhry has not commented on the nature of the scuffle but in a video made at the scene, he can be heard telling the police he was robbed. The PML-N formed a three-member committee to be headed by Saira Afzal Tarar while the police have formed a four-member committee to investigate. The police have not been able to record Rajab or Chaudhry’s statements in the case yet.

also be seen as a political opportunist as he abandons his old ideals and becomes an establishment figure, eventually becoming a parliamentarian. In contrast, Lila remains engaged with the reality of the neighbourhood.

Another important aspect of the quartet is the city of Naples itself. The narrative brilliantly evokes the geography of the city, from the girls’ working-class neighbourhood on the outskirts (most likely based on Rione Luzzatti) to upper-class areas such as the Via Tasso (where Lenu lives as an adult after leaving her husband). Several critics have argued that Ferrante does for Naples what Dickens did for London. In fact, due to the popularity of Ferrante’s novels, there are now walking tours of all the locations mentioned in the quartet.

In conclusion, the Neapolitan novels are an extremely engaging and powerful reading experience. Ferrante (and her English translator, Ann Goldstein) keep the reader hooked and turning the pages. I spent a week living and breathing Lenu’s and Lila’s lives. I would highly recommend the novels to those fond of epic sagas.

Kabir Altaf has a MA in Ethnomusicology from SOAS, University of London, and a BA in Dramatic Literature from George Washington University.

Tuesday, 29 September, 2020

OmNiCOm mediA GrOup wiNS $1.4m ZONG 4G diGitAl mediA ACCOuNt Singapore

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BABAR KHAN JAVED

OLLOWING a digital media review, the Omnicom Media Group franchise in Pakistan has successfully won digital media buying duties for Zong 4G, the GSM network under CMPak Limited.

Led by Dara Bashir Khan, Manhattan International is a creative agency that owns the Omnicom Media Group franchise in Pakistan, which in turn serves clients of OMD and PHD – specialized media agencies under the holding group – in the country.

Sources told Profit that digital media buying duties for Zong 4G were with Orient McCann since mid-2019 and with IO Digital since mid-2018. In a rare twist, very few agencies participated in the CMPak Limited digital media review, according to two people familiar with the matter. Only GroupM, Brainchild Communications Pakistan (Pvt) Limited, and the Omnicom Media Group franchise in

Pakistan were shortlisted.

The brief shared by CMPak Limited featured a simulation based case study and a number of demands that made it clear that the Pakistan based mobile data network operator views media as a cost instead of as an investment for sentiment and conversion lifting.

The low industry interest to participate in the digital media review has to do with the way in which procurement teams at CMPak Limited set key performance indicators (KPIs). Sources told Profit that the annual digital media brief from CMPak Limited fails to understand the nuances of digital media, locking rates, and conversion rates for a year which historically has compromised media agency deliverables. This explains the annual change in media agencies.

Another reason for the low agency participation shared with Profit was the demand for a monthly retainer under Rs. 250,000 (USD 1,500) a month, which is under a third of what large media agencies usually charge, and barely covers

the cost of a dedicated resource. Under the leadership of Fouad Husain, the Omnicom Media Group was able to meet all of the above demands set by CMPak Limited.

As a result of this archaic approach - which is often reserved for above the line (ATL) media briefs such as the Reckitt Benckiser media review - procurement teams at CMPak Limited hold a pitch every year. An industry expert noted that time will tell how long Omnicom Media Group can sustain CMPak Limited and deliver against unrealistically high expectations. The digital media account is reportedly worth $1.4 million and represents 28pc of the total annual media spending by CMPak Limited across ATL and digital combined for performance and branding.

According to the Pakistan Broadcasters Association client-agency database, Brainchild, has been the conventional media agency for CMPak Limited since Q4 2016. A subsidiary of Z2C Limited, Brainchild has not partic-

ipated in the digital media review since 2018, for being unwilling to commit to the fixed cost of customer acquisition and a fixed conversion rate throughout the year, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Sources told Profit that the digital media brief from CMPak Limited lists demands which go against the very nature of digital media buying and conversion optimization, which changes every year as evidenced by multiple case studies and reports. Individual reports published by both Merkle and Kenshoo concluded that the Google cost per click fell 22pc in the 2nd quarter of 2020, for instance.

This, according to reports from both companies, was due to the austerity measures taken because of Covid-19, during the second quarter of 2020. It was around this time that the Atif Aslam campaign for Zong 4G was featured in the YouTube Top 10 campaigns for the APAC region, with low costs of online advertising playing their part in lowering CPMs and CPVs.

Govt to focus on tribal areas’ development to thwart destabilisation plans: PM Contunied from page 01 PM Imran said that KP had given the share from its award but other provinces had refused to do so, saying they were going through a difficult time. The premier said that he would ask other provinces to contribute their share as well, adding that he also asked the planning ministry to “complete funds required for the tribal areas from anywhere.”

AFGHAN PEACE: PM Imran said that the Afghan border was being fenced to stop smuggling through the frontier. He said that the government was also estab-

lishing border markets for the people to provide employment opportunities through trade. He termed the start of the intra-Afghan dialogue “good news” and said that if it was successful, it would bring a huge change in the tribal areas through increased trade. “[The government] will try to help in the tribal areas as much as possible. Our desire is to establish industry here. We are trying to plant olive trees here. Our research shows olive trees grow best in these areas. It will earn money that you cannot think of,” he added.

Separately, the premier performed the groundbreaking of Timargarh-Khar-

Mamad-Gat Road in Bajaur. KP Chief Minister Mehmood Khan and Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa also attended the ceremony, according to Radio Pakistan.

“I know what concerns the people had when [tribal areas] were being merged and how they would have been left behind without it,” PM Imran said on the occasion, emphasising his knowhow regarding tribal areas.

He added merging these areas with KP would facilitate trade and movement of people, which is why the decision is important. “It was previously very difficult for someone to come here if they

wanted to set up an industry […] Our effort is to develop these areas so educational institutions and industries can be set up.” Furthermore, the premier claimed that KP would be the first province to offer healthcare to all its residents. “I commend CM Mehmood Khan and his cabinet who took the decision.

Complete health insurance is not available in most foreign countries as well, including America. This is a very big step.”

He added that the government would develop the areas to facilitate trade and tourism. The premier thanked the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for sponsoring the construction of the road in Bajaur.

CCPO blames motorway incident on victim travelling 'without husband's permission' Contunied from page 01 Sheikh said, “If [police helpline] 15 had received the call, we could have reached that place in 25 minutes. The first call to 15 was at 2:47 am made by a passerby and the 15 officials reached at 3:15 am” while addressing the committee.

In reply, Marri said either the CCPO lacked the correct information or the committee had been misled.

“The call came at 2:47 am and the first [Dolphin Force] officer arrived at 2:53 am. I’m telling you the 100% truth,” the CCPO responded.

“Then your cops are lying,” Marri shot back at him.

“My job is to stop the crime and catch the culprits,” Sheikh replied. “Neither is there a CCTV [camera] at the toll plaza nor is an actual toll tax receipt

given.”

“Five technologies were used in the motorway rape case; geo-fencing, DNA filing, and fingerprint technology. Even the American police do not respond [to a crime] in six minutes,” he added.

The committee members expressed anger over the contradiction in the police officer’s statement.

“You say the police arrived at the scene in 28 minutes but the police said they had reached in six minutes,” the committee said. “The police tried to misguide the committee”.

The CCPO’s repetitive apologies seemed to further irritate the committee.

“The CCPO only apologised out of fear of the court,” PkMAP Senator Usman Kakar said.

Sheikh told the committee that Abid’s data had successfully been found

from the Punjab Forensic Science Agency’s (PFSA) 2013 records. “The first case of Daniel Pearl in Pakistan was solved with [the use of] DNA,” he said.

To which, Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, the chairperson of the Senate committee, asked why the Abid had been released.

At this, Lahore’s top cop simply sought forgiveness once more.

“Babar Malhi’s blood and DNA have also matched,” he said.

At which, the committee members paused, in shock, and asked: “Babar Malhi or Abid Malhi? Is the main suspect [named] Abid or Babar? You are investigating this case and you don’t know the name of the main suspect.”

At this point, the shaken officer cited his age an excuse for his poor memory and continued to seek forgiveness from the committee, repeatedly apologising to

Govt mulls building underground gas storages to meet demand neWS deSK Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) Nadeem Babar on Monday chaired a meeting of the Petroleum Division to discuss the infrastructure for underground gas reserves to meet energy demand.

The meeting was briefed on the

Asian Development Bank's proposal to aid Pakistan in laying out underground gas facility. It was highlighted that European gas companies were also part of the gas infrastructure project, which was essential for Pakistan as the impending crisis looms over both residential and industrial sectors in the coming winters.

It was informed that the assessment report for underground gas storage facility would be be furnished by May next year. The report shall lay out a blueprint for the volume of the storage, modules and its security.

The briefing concluded that in the light of the said assessment report, a budget would be promptly allocated to the

CMYK

all members of the hearing. He even went as far as to say a joint session should be summoned so he can apologise to all lawmakers at once.

On the other hand, he also talked about his desire to bring “court-martial law” into the Punjab police forced, touted himself as someone “who wishes to bring reforms”, and blamed leaks on his 500 people strong police force.

He further tried to shift part of the blame in the insufficient response to the call to the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO).

“In this case, too, an FWO officer was taken on the woman’s conference call. He told her he would send a car,” he said. “That car was on the M2 [motorway] and it took a long time to reach the site.” “The crux of the matter is that this alert should have been to 15,” he added.

project to surmount the challenges.

Noting the gravity of the energy crisis, SAPM Babar had last week said that Sindh may face a gas shortfall of over 400MMCFD during the upcoming winter season. Addressing a press conference, he had said that consumers were likely to face an acute shortage of gas during the winter as the Sui Southern Gas Company did not have enough gas reserves to meet the consumer demand.

He maintained that the gas crisis will further worsen in December and January in the province. The adviser said they could overcome the gas crisis if the Sindh government gives permission to lay a new pipeline in the province.

NEWS

05

Cabinet likely to approve railways’ restructuring plan iSLamaBad AHMAD AHMADANI

The federal cabinet is likely to approve the proposed restructuring/revival plan for Pakistan Railways (PR) mainly to improve its performance. According to sources, the proposed revival plan of Pakistan Railways was earlier shared with the Planning Commission as well as finance, establishment and law & justice divisions for necessary input. Subsequently, the Planning Commission raised certain queries that have been incorporated in the plan, while finance, establishment and law & justice divisions are yet to submit their replies. As per details, the proposed plan mainly focuses on areas of governance, organizational restructuring and management, operational efficiency through private sector participation, digitalization, financial sustainability and human resources management. It may be noted that the Supreme Court, during the hearing of a case on 9th July 2020, had given a month’s time to Planning Commission (with effect from 20th Aug) to submit a report on the PR structure.

The apex court had raised serious questions on the performance of PR, noting that its employees are “not fit to operate the department”.

Adviser to Prime Minister on Institutional Reforms and Austerity Dr Ishrat Hussain was tasked to prepare a comprehensive report on restructuring of Pakistan Railways. The report would be submitted before the federal cabinet tomorrow (Tuesday) for necessary approval.

Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad has seen and authorised the submission of the summary to the federal cabinet. Sources said that the government and PR have been undertaking an ambitious investment programme of more than Rs1,100 billion ($6.8 billion), with an additional Rs500 billion ($3 billion) through PSDP and private sector engagement, in the next 8-10 years. They said that these investments will upgrade the mainline between Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi and Peshawar, thus increasing the capacity on the rail network manifold. But to harness this investment and put it to good use, Pakistan Railways must change from its foundation to its management structure, they added. According to documents, Pakistan Railways (PR) is one of the largest public sector enterprises in the country. It currently employs 68,750 people across the country and for the financial year 2019-20, it had a total budgetary outlay of Rs97.74 billion. The organization is based on obsolete technology and is still governed primarily by the Railways Act of 1890, enacted by the British government. PR currently maintains about 11,700km track and operates 454 railway stations. It has 325 functional locomotives, 1214 functional passenger coaches and 3700 high capacity freight wagons.

NAB arrests Shehbaz Sharif in money laundering case Contunied form page 01 Reacting to Shehbaz’s arrest in a tweet, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz said that the PML-N president was arrested “because he refused to play in the hands of those who wanted to use him against his brother [former premier Nawaz Sharif]”. Later, addressing a press conference with other PML-N leaders, Maryam said, “I do not have a grain of doubt that Shehbaz Sharif was not arrested for corruption or accountability. A reference against him was ongoing and he was arrested in the middle.”

Maryam called this incident “a very sad day,” adding, “not only did not leave his brother’s side, but he showed loyalty and commitment to his brother and his cause and did not waiver for a second. His wife and children were made absconders, [his son] Hamza is in jail and has corona. Despite this, he stands with his brother unwaveringly.” PML-N information secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb also censured the arrest, alleging it was “political victimisation” by the government. “The entire nation has been handcuffed through Shehbaz’s arrest,” she said outside court, saying the arrest was a result of the “NAB-Niaz nexus”. Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, in a statement, condemned the arrest and demanded Sharif’s immediate release. He claimed the prime minister was worried about the opposition alliance, formed to oust the PTI government, and was resorting to “dirty tactics”. “Sending notices and arresting opposition politicians is a sign of Imran Khan’s worry,” he added. “The federal government should immediately release opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif. Imran Khan should stop using NAB for political revenge.”

Tuesday, 29 September, 2020

06 COMMENT

Morality: relative or universal?

Shehbaz’s arrest The swallow that will make a summer?

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ESPItE his best efforts, PML(N) President Shehbaz Sharif has been arrested by NAB in a money-laundering case, after the Lahore high Court rejected his pre-arrest bail petition on Monday. It was perhaps owing to the persistence of the prosecutors, but it also seems clear that the attempts by Mr Sharif to paper over his brother and ex-Prime Minister Nawaz’s outburst against the establishment, did not work. though Mian Shehbaz leading an anti-government movement would probably have meant him containing it as far as possible, he is now going to sit out some of it, perhaps all of it, while in jail. the arrest does mean that if any leader was still sitting on the fence, he or she has now been shown that moderation does not act as a talisman against arrest. Another consequence will be that the PML(N), one of the two major parties in the opposition, will now look entirely to Vice-President Mariam Nawaz during the movement, which will culminate in March. She is against her uncle Shehbaz’s policy of reconciliation, believing that it is only by confrontation that Mian Nawaz can be brought back.

Another aspect that will bother the opposition is the possibility that this is merely the first of many arrests in their ranks, meant to disrupt the forthcoming movement.

It is still not clear whether NAB is once again the flavorof-the-month for the government when it wants to ‘fix’ opposition figures, or whether Shehbaz’s arrest was merely a bit of ‘unfinished business’, but even the Opposition will concede that, believer in reconciliation though he is, its leader’s arrest even before the start of any movement, is a serious dampener. If leaders begin to run scared, or if they are put behind bars, how will the ordinary worker react? the only positive the arrest might yield is that it may perk up the spirits of those workers preparing for a movement in the backdrop of meetings between their leaders and the military. the meetings, and the policy of reconciliation, do not safeguard anything, so there is no point in moderation. the PtI may not like a movement carried on by workers convinced of this. As the PtI insists on running the opposition into the ground, it might find this policy counter-productive.

It is crucial to separate principles and their applications

HASAN AFTAB SAEED

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t is a mistake to argue based on certain norms that morality is relative. Some of the greatest thinkers in history have made this error and the result is that there remains much confusion on the issue even today. Norms are founded on repeated actions. these actions are, in turn, based on, or are applications or implementations of, some philosophy or some principle. If one focuses on these principles, it becomes clear that while the application of these principles (in terms of actions or norms) sometimes is relative, the principles themselves are universal. Morality, then, is by no means relative. there is a potent emotional reason for wishing to side with the moral relativism stance. Many people are reluctant to accept moral universality because they fear that that would inevitably lead to finally having to admit God too in their world view. Interesting that this debate is, it lies outside our scope today. For now, it suffices to point out that one must take a position on any question based on the evidence available, instead of what that stance will further lead to. two examples are frequently cited to prove moral relativity. the first is the attitude of people to alcoholic drinks. the world falls into two distinct camps on this question: those who believe there is nothing wrong with it, provided it is done in moderation; and those who believe it must be avoided under all circumstances. (Nobody is an advocate of drunkenness.)

Which of the two groups makes more sense is a question for another day. For our purposes today, there is no difference between the two groups as far as the

Changing Gilgit-Baltistan’s status

The game of future survival

Instead of statesmanship, infantile politics

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hE proposed change in the status of GilgitBaltistan is a highly sensitive matter that must not be politicized as is being done by the PtI leadership. What the Information Minister said on Sunday reveals that the party is bent upon winning the forthcoming elections. It has already announced that it wanted to make the region a province of Pakistan with due representation in the National Assembly and Senate.

According to the opposition, the PtI has already started distributing health cards which is an electoral malpractice and would be dubbed by the opposition as a part of prepoll rigging. the opposition has already rejected the move by the National Assembly Speaker inviting opposition leaders to sit with him to discuss Gilgit-Baltistan polls, maintaining that the issue does not come under his purview. According to the PML(N), it was the responsibility of the chief election commissioner of Gilgit-Baltistan to announce a code of conduct for the elections after consulting all political parties.

Making Gilgit-Baltistan a province of Pakistan will require constitutional amendments. Unless there is an understanding between the government and the opposition, there is no way the government can manage the two-thirds majority of the total membership required in both houses of Parliament. the PPP leaders made it clear at a press conference that a meeting of the parliamentary leaders could only be called by Prime Minister Imran Khan as Leader of the house in the National Assembly. this could be interpreted as a hint to the PM to personally open talks with the opposition on the issue.

In another infantile act, two dozen protesters hurled abuses outside the house where former PM Nawaz Sharif is staying in London. this sort of activity is likely to cause further bitterness between the opposition and the PtI government. What is more, it could turn out to be a double-edged sword if the other side responded similarly whenever it got the chance. What is needed is for the PtI leadership is to come down its high horse, and create an atmosphere conducive for talks with the opposition to settle important national issues setting aside personal likes and dislikes.

Lithium ion batteries needed for submarines CApTAiN (R) S F MAHMooD

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hE submarine world is now undergoing some of the fundamental changes it has seen in the last 40 years and there are signs that those changes may be the biggest, since the order was first given to “take her down.”

New technologies are producing capabilities long known to be possible, but not practical. however, with the introduction of superior weapons and sensors, powerful combat suites, capability to launch special payloads like Unmanned Underwater Vehicles and Autonomous underwater vehicles, land attack capability, enhanced submerged autonomy rendered by the combination of an Air-Independent Propulsion system (AIP) and lithium-ion battery (LiB); a conventional sub has now entered the immunity and capacity domain of a nuclear boat.

For nearly a century, diesel-electric submarines relied on constantly charging traditional lead-acid batteries by running their diesel engines either on the surface or later on, while snorkeling near the surface. this left them constantly vulnerable, as they could only hide deep beneath the surface for hours or a couple of days at a time. Over the last few decades, AIP technology has further revolutionized her traditional performance. But now, these platforms are on the verge of yet another advancement; one that will make them return to their original wolf pack roots, relying on diesel engines and batteries alone to go about clandestine business.

As for the AIP systems, the most modern versions like Stirling Engines, MESMA Closed-Cycle Steam turbine System and Fuel Cells power the submarine, while it is submerged for long periods of time. Each approach has its own pros and cons with difference in cost and technological aspect being major factors beside performance of each system.

For instance, Sweden Stirling Engines, although the technology is well proven and affordable, it also requires the boat to carry liquid oxygen oxidizer, which can have its own complexities, as well as inert gas to mix with it. With Stirling Engines and other infrastructure needed to make the system work; much of a relatively small submarine’s bulk gets taken up by the system. Additionally, Stirling Engine-based AIP has many moving parts, which can make noise even when a high-degree of soundproofing is designed into the submarine. the French MESMA AIP uses ethanol and liquid oxygen combustion to pro-

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principle is concerned. that is, nobody claims that al- to casual sexual relations. the second camp believes cohol does not affect one’s judgment for the worse, that there is another principle that is relevant here: sometimes to the extent of rendering it totally dys- exploitation. that casual sex is exploitative of one functional. Moreover, there is no disagreement about party (more often the woman) and is therefore objecthe undesirability of being deluded or even having tionable. Again, there is no disagreement about the one’s judgment partially impaired. (Even the pro-al- undesirability of exploitation. the difference is merely whether a certain act cohol group is expected to comes under the category of be horrified to know about a exploitation. Again, a differman on the driving wheel or ence on application of prina teacher in a classroom or a So long as there are no ciples. there is nothing doctor in an operation therelative about the principles atre after getting outside aldisagreements about moral themselves. coholic drinks.) So, there is On the same note, there nothing relative about the principles, it cannot be validly are garments that have been principle. the difference is argued that morality is relative known to cause many an merely in the application of eyebrow to be raised in certhe principle, or the best poleven if there are differences in tain parts of the world and in icy when it comes to everythe application of some of certain ages, and yet the day life (for the individual) same attires are considered and legislation (for the those principles. quite acceptable in other state): whether it is best to ages and locales. this too, is stay clear of it altogether or a matter of application. As to indulge in it in moderafar as the principle goes, a tion. this sort of disagreement is only to be expected. Interestingly, the very dress should be decent. Nobody would argue that nustates that allow alcohol forbid many other intoxi- dity or provocativeness are desirable. As to what cants, the use and sale of which carry long jail sen- amounts to nudity or indecency, or what comes pertences– another example of disagreement between ilously close to it, is a question on which people in different circumstances and even different people in men in such matters. the other oft-cited example is that of consensual the same circumstance will inevitably differ. For that premarital sexual relations. this again seems to have is what being a human is. It is for good reason that divided people into two camps: those who maintain the Quran gives no dress code once it has marked certhat there is nothing wrong with them and those who tain lines that might otherwise have been crossed. It believe otherwise. Again, this is no evidence in trusts the wearer to know what is appropriate and favour of moral relativism. What many fail to realise what is not for the occasion and the situation.

So long as there are no disagreements about is that the two camps apply different principles to arrive at their respective conclusions. Both camps con- moral principles, it cannot be validly argued that sider marriage to be sacrosanct and a mutual trust, in morality is relative even if there are differences in the which both parties must be loyal to one another. But application of some of those principles. the first one (to the exclusion of the second) claims Hasan Aftab Saeed is a connoisseur of music, that this is the only principle involved. And for unmarried individuals because there is no contract of literature, and food (but not drinks). He can be this sort with anybody, there ought to be no objection reached at www.facebook.com/hasanaftabsaeed

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duce steam for spinning a turbine to generate elec- this new configuration would result in quieter opertricity. the cost of the system is slightly on the higher ation than most existing AIP-capable submarines. side. Finally, Fuel Cell-based AIP is very quiet as Similarly, South Korea has equally shown excepthere are few moving parts in the system. It also is a tional indigenous resolve in development of this hivery efficient system for long endurance missions. tech product for its submarines.

Lithium-ion batteries But again, this kind of syshave a ton of advantages tem uses liquid oxygen and over their old-school leadhydrogen as basic fuels. It is acid cousins. they keep up thought that Australia’s upLithium-ion batteries have a ton their output even when their coming Shortfin Barracuda charge runs low, they are Submarines, of French oriof advantages over their oldlighter than lead-acid battergin, will use reformer Fuelschool lead-acid cousins. They ies, they can be charged exCell AIP propulsion. Israel’s fast, and they latest Dolphin-Class boats keep up their output even when ceptionally can store much more energy. also use fuel-cell AIP, being Compared to the AIP system Israel’s second-strike nutheir charge runs low, they are (which they aim to replace), clear deterrent. lighter than lead-acid batteries, submerged autonomy or enWith all sensors and durance shall be similar or weapons being equal, a they can be charged even greater, while the overNavy has to justify what exceptionally fast, and they can all boat’s design and contype of diesel electric substruction will be slim and marine to choose based not store much more energy. less intricate. Not just that, just on cost but also on what lithium-ion batteries are type of tactics they aim to Compared to the AIP system now sea-proven and allow employ and what type of (which they aim to replace), the boat to dash much faster combat environment they much frequently while are most likely to operate in. submerged autonomy or dived, as compared to runFor instance, if long-range endurance shall be similar or ning on an AIP system patrols and ambush tactics alone. are common, along with the even greater, while the overall history has, nevertheneed for maximum stealth, fuel-cell AIP technology boat’s design and construction less, shown that Submarine Warfare is something that may be best. If bursts of will be slim and less intricate. hinges on the spirit of crews high-speed during attack and sealed for months in an atevasion maneuvers are Not just that, lithium-ion mosphere of easy informalneeded, MESMA system batteries are now sea-proven ity, close camaraderie, and may be considered most apiron self-discipline. It comes propriate. For moderateand allow the boat to dash from intense, highly technirange littoral combat cal training and experience operations, the Stirling Enmuch faster - much frequently at sea. It demands consistent gine-based AIP technology while dived, as compared to efforts in analyzing threats may make more sense. adaptation to the evolvIt would be prudent to running on an AIP system alone and ing technologies. mention that with great leaps Remaining oblivious to realized in submarine batfuture challenges will tery technology, AIP syscertainly raise perils. It is to tems may soon face competition in the submarine world as the Japanese be realized, how best to cope up with this Navy seems to have pioneered a concept that aims to phenomenal shift. Lest we forget; “Chance only eliminate the need of AIP, altogether. It’s next gener- favours the prepared mind”. ation 4,200 tons, Soryu-Class diesel-electric attack Captain (R) S F Mahmood is a freelance columnist submarines are equipped with lithium-ion batteries.

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Tuesday, 29 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

Professionalism not privatisation thE power sector on the whole is not performing well . the worst performance relate to Discos , the power distribution companies charged with wrong billings & metering , bad recoveries , high system losses , power thefts , inefficiecy and rampant corruption. this has been going on for years but recently such incidences have risen sharply and is contributing to piling up of notorious circular debt which is hurting the national economy adversely . the quality of service is erratic and load shedding is being resorted to inspite of surplus generation due to distribution bottlenecks. there have been suggestions in the press and government circles to privatise the Discos in order to have better power supply conditions as well as to eliminate inefficiecy and corrupt practices. Privatisation will do more harm than good . We should learn a lesson from the performance of KElectric which is a privatised entity , where the lives of citizens have been made miserable with no sign of any releif to the hapless consumers lot.

A privatised company is also a monopoly whose main interest is to maximise its profit by not investing in upgradation of power infrastructuter as , when and where required . Experience has shown that the government can exercise little control over the privatised monopoly. the government is well advised to take appropriate measures to improve the working of the Discos , rather than privatising them . Besides strong administrative actions , it should inculcate professionalism in the technical bodies to make them service oriented.

Accountability should be enforced accross the board and the inefficient and corrupt should be shown the door . At the same time , honest hardworking professionals need to be encouraged and rewarded .

Engr riaz Bhutta LahorE

A parent’s complain

For the love of Blue Gold Water is running short, so something must be done iHSAAN AFzAl KHAN

Y

OU hear the word water and you think of life, how every living being needs water for their survival, but do you ever think of the people who don’t have access to clean water? the paramountcy of water as blue gold is evident by its massive privatization around the globe. the Washington consensus, Reaganomics and other neoliberal policies didn’t pardon even water and have detracted the focus of the world leaders from water security and sustainability. If it continues like this then the situation will get worse, and as of now at least 2 billion people across the globe use a drinking water source contaminated with faeces. Moreover, increasing water depletion from misuse, overuse, and mismanagement adds insult to injury. Not only developing countries but developed countries are also facing declining water availability due to multifarious factors. Water and security nexus is complicated under institutional inadequacies, a monochromatic supply-side vision, and a lack of substantive public participation in defining and solving problems. however, I believe there is hope. the adoption of a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) on water by the United Nations was a major success. It is an unequivocal acknowledgement that water is a core issue worldwide.

Amidst many others, Pakistan has also consistently failed to address its water security issues. the national water security index has ranked its water security as hazardous. Being an agrarian economy, water shortages may well pose the greatest future threat to Pakistan. If we keep using water, not caring about its importance, then Pakistan is bound to face massive droughts. to historicize, the pre-partition water supply, the canal irrigation system, was laid during British colonial rule. they built thousands of miles of canals between 1885 and 1947 in an arid landscape. Other resources were ground water and rain water. After partition, India had halted water from Sutlej and Beas which caused great loss to Pakistan. these disruptions led to an agreement called the Indus Water treaty (IWt) championed

by World Bank. the main purpose of the IWt is to preempt any water wars and to even distribution of water. the agreement divides the Indus River system into the Western Rivers composed of the main stem of the Indus, the Jhelum, and the Chenab, which were assigned to Pakistan— and the Eastern Rivers— the Ravi, the Beas, and the Sutlej, which were assigned to India. these resources are not sufficient for the demand of the increasing population. the United Nations (UN) estimates that water demand in Pakistan is growing at an annual rate of 10 percent, and this demand is projected to rise to 274 million acre feet (MAF) by 2025. total water

availability by 2025 is not likely to change from need to focus on social issues like over-populathe current 191 MAF. Per capita water storage tion. the national action plan for judicious use capacity available in Pakistan is 121 cubic me- of water should be formulated. Efficient policies, ters per person, which makes the storage capac- like the National Water Policy (NWP) approved by former PML(N) ity of water for a mere Prime Minister Shahid 30 days. We can only Khaqan Abbasi, might store 14 MAF. these save us from the comincreasing threats are ing water crisis. this displacing the most Taking the UN’s warnings pledges to take vulnerable communiseriously, the state should now policy steps to control the futies, leaving them in even worse social and focus to curb this threat as the ture water crisis. the policy includes effececonomic conditions.

Constitution of Pakistan tive and efficient water In addition, the main usage, even allocation, source of drinking establishes the access to environmental inwater in Pakistan tegrity, trans-boundary comes from groundwaaffordable and safe drinking water sharing, irrigated ter which is also depletwater as a fundamental human and rain-fed agriculing a meter every year ture, drinking water mainly due to groundright of all the citizens, and and sanitation, hywater extraction for thus considers water as a dropower and grounddrinking and agriculwater, among other key ture purposes. Accordhighly strategic resource. areas of water manageing to WaterAid, Pakistan has the fourth Pakistan’s current governance ment. taking the UN’s largest groundwater and priorities may be one of warnings seriously, the aquifer- covering an area of 1,137,819 km, the biggest factors preventing state should now focus to curb this threat as the from which, 60 per cent effective water management.

Constitution of Pakfor agriculture, 90 per istan establishes the accent for drinking and Imran Khan has recommended cess to affordable and 100 per cent for indussafe drinking water as a try is being extracted. the nation to watch Diriliş: fundamental human the quality of ground Ertuğrul so that It may know right of all the citizens, water is also becoming and thus considers hazardous. how the historic wars had water as a highly stratethe supply-debeen fought. However, I gic resource. Pakistan’s mand deficit does not current governance and bother Pakistan at all recommend you all to watch a priorities may be one of and It continues to the biggest factors prewaste 30 MAF water documentary named “Blue venting effective water per annum. If managed Gold: World Water Wars” that management. Imran properly, the water that Khan has recomis being wasted can be examines the environmental mended the nation to used to quench the and political implications of watch Diriliş: Ertuğrul thirst of the masses so that It may know while revolutionizing the decrease in water supply how the historic wars the agricultural and inhad been fought. howdustrial sectors. Conseon the planet, and postulates I recommend you quently, we can save that how the wars of the future ever, all to watch a docuour groundwater from mentary named “Blue depleting. Floodwater will be waged on water Gold: World Water is being wasted masWars” that examines sively because we have the environmental and very few dams. the political implications of major threat has become a non-issue and action is limited to the decrease in water supply on the planet, and ground-breaking ceremonies culminating in postulates that how the wars of the future will photo-ops with massive media coverage. Politi- be waged on water. cal hurdles, mistrust among provinces, are also Ihsaan Afzal Khan is a business executive the reasons of the detraction. Apart from climatic actions, infrastructure development like dams, with exposure in health, education, power and other economic issues, policymakers also distribution and manufacturing.

ALMOSt eight months got completed that schools are closed. But the private institutions are taking benefits from it. they are taking high fees as they took before and not reducing it at all. Mostly parents of the students’ are poor and can not afford high fees for their children in this corona time. however, a father of a student’s once went to the school for complaining to headmaster for reducing his child’s fee. his complain was rejected at the time. Most shockingly, owners of private schools are doing that they want and not looking towards poor parents whose children are getting education under. Such owners made education one of the most successful business which is destroying the life of the poor. It is very hard for poor children to get education. Lastly, I plea to the concerned authorities visit each and every private institution and solve the problems.

MunEEB MaqSood turBat

Need to address Islamophobia PM Imran Khan in the 74th UNGA session expresses concern on the fact that the scourge of Islamophobia is growing and Muslims around the world are targeted in various parts of the world. As the poignant conditions of Muslims under the BJP-led RSS inspired Modi government is nit new before the eyes of the international community, Islamophobic sentiment is brewing in the Western world that is fuelled by increased immigration and a violent response against the Islamist militant outfits in the Western soil.

While we all know that in India’s case, the anti-Muslim policies are promoted by the state, the hatred for the Muslims in the West is stirred by the most atrocious and vicious activities perpetuated by militant groups in the name of Islam. therefore, the brutality carried out by Al-Qaeda, ISIS and terrorist organizations in the name of religion leading them to penetrate within the grassroots of international order have adversely affected the way non-Muslims in the West perceive Islam. Such distorted perception about Islam feeds toxic narrative of extreme right in Europe, US and other parts of the Western world. As a result, all Muslims are considered violent and aggressive and are tarred with the same brush.

In this critical time in international politics, as our Prime Minister pointed out, there are a need to address the rising Islamophobia through establishing a channel of dialogue between the Muslim and the Western World. Such communication channel will eradicate all misconceptions that the violent lot who justify atrocities in the name of Islam do not represent the majority of the Muslims. In reality, such groups have gained maximum advantage and capitalized over the miserable socio-economic and political conditions across the Muslim world along with the failed attempts of the West who have destroyed states such as Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq in the name of nation-building and democracy. Most importantly, West should also realize that by fuelling offensive caricatures of Islam, they end up making matters worse by igniting their emotions and sensitivities that encourage extremism. hadia Mukhtar LahorE

Increasing medicine prices thE federal government has decided to allow pharmaceutical companies to increase prices of 94 lifesaving medicines in order to end the chronic shortage of these drugs in the market. to address long-term shortage of some key or life saving medicines, the federal cabinet has allowed rationalizing prices of drugs that had been reported to be in short supply due to unrealistically low prices,” said Special Assistant to Prime Minister on National health Services Dr Faisal Sultan. he said the drugs whose prices have been allowed to increase include medicines such as furosemide injections for emergency use in high blood pressure; acetazolamide tablets for glaucoma; hydralazine tablets for lowering blood pressure and carbamazepine tablets and suspension for epilepsy.

Atropine sulphate injection used in emergencies; magnesium sulphate used to treat seizures due to preeclampsia during pregnancy; hydroxyurea, daunorubicin, bleomycin –all used in the treatment of cancer; nitroglycerin and glyceryl trinitrate used as emergency heart medicines and anti-rabies vaccine are also among the medicines.

MuhaMMad naEEM karachi

Tuesday, 29 September, 2020

08 WORLD VIEW

Pakistan’s most terrifying adversary is climate change THE COUNTRY DEBATES WOMEN’S HONOUR INEXHAUSTIBLY BUT PAYS LITTLE ATTENTION TO THE FEROCIOUS AND IMMINENT DANGERS OF CLIMATE DISASTERS

New York timeS

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FAtImA BhUtto

ARACHI is home. My bustling, chaotic city of about 20 million people on the Arabian Sea is an ethnically and religiously diverse metropolis and the commercial capital of Pakistan, generating more than half of the country’s revenue.

Over the decades, Karachi has survived violent sectarian strife, political violence between warring groups claiming the city and terrorism. Karachi has survived its gangsters sparring with rocket launchers; its police force, more feared than common criminals; its rulers and bureaucrats committed to rapacious, bottomless corruption. Now Karachi faces its most terrifying adversary: climate change.

In August, Karachi’s stifling summer heat was heavy and pregnant. The sapodilla trees and frangipani leaves were lush and green; the Arabian Sea, quiet and distant, had grown muddy. When the palm fronds

started to sway, slowly, the city knew the winds had picked up and rain would follow.

Every year the monsoons come — angrier and wilder — lashing the unprepared city.

Studies show that climate change is causing monsoons to be more intense and less predictable, and cover larger areas of land for longer periods of time.

On Aug. 27, Karachi received nearly nine inches of monsoon rain, the highest amount of rainfall ever in a single day. Nineteen inches of rain fell in August, according to the meteorological officials. It is enough to drown a city that has no functioning drainage, no emergency systems and no reliable health care (except for those who can pay). Thousands of homes and settlements of the poor were subsumed and destroyed, and more than 100 people were killed.

A traders association estimated that the submerging of markets and warehouses damaged goods worth 25 billion Pakistani rupees, or about $150 million. Local papers estimated that with Karachi at a standstill for a week, in some congested areas for longer, Pakistan’s gross domestic product suffered daily losses of $449 million — a number that didn’t include the enormous informal economy. The World Bank estimates that 15 percent of gross domestic product of the Sindh province (Karachi is its capital) is lost every year to environmental damage and climate change.

Pakistan is the fifth most climate vulnerable nation in the world. Between 1998 and

2018, according to the Global Climate Risk Index, the country is estimated to have lost nearly 10,000 lives to climate-related disasters and suffered losses amounting to about $4 billion from 152 extreme weather events in that period. Analysts have estimated Pakistan’s climate migrants over the past decade at around 30 million people.

There is no end to the catalogue of climate disasters affecting my country. The glaciers in the Hindu Kush, the Himalayas and the Karakoram in northern Pakistan are melting at an accelerated pace.

If the emission trends and temperature rises continue unabated, these mountains could lose between a third to two-thirds of their ice fields by 2100. The result will be catastrophic: By 2050, the increased melting will result in landslides, heavy flooding, dam bursts and soil erosion. After the glaciers have melted away, drought and famine will follow.

The terror of our coming era will be born of heat and fire and ice. Some years ago, I was in a village in Sindh after a massive flood had devastated it. Thousands were displaced overnight. The blistering heat soaked the faces of displaced young women in sweat thick like glycerin. I was unsure what would be more lethal — the drowning or the heat.

Not far from that drowned village in Sindh is the city of Jacobabad, where temperatures in the summer run as high as 124 degrees Fahrenheit. It is the hottest city in

Asia, if not the world. Jacobabad has long electricity blackouts. Its poor die as they toil in the fields.

Temperature increases have brought plague after plague in rural areas. This year has brought Pakistan the most devastating locust infestations in nearly 30 years. The insects destroyed entire harvests, causing the government to call a national emergency as winter crops were decimated, resulting in losses of $2.5 billion.

The locusts descend like a haze, so thick that from a distance it looked like a soft pink fog. Because of heavy rains and cyclones, there has been unprecedented breeding of locusts in the United Arab Emirates. They traveled to us from the Arabian Peninsula.

This is a climate war between the large industrial superpowers, financial predators that have polluted and poisoned our planet for profit, and the poor, who have done the least damage but will pay all of the consequences. Pakistan is responsible for less than 1 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, but its people will bear the burden of the world’s deadliest polluters. If nothing is done to mitigate global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the World Bank, 800 million people in South Asia will be at risk of amplified poverty, homelessness and hunger.

The World Bank has identified Karachi as one the planet’s climate hot spots. Temperatures across South Asia are

estimated to rise by 3.9 degrees Fahrenheit in the next 30 years. Karachi is already struggling with poor road connectivity, dire educational facilities and limited market access. Its already pathetic public health system will plummet.

The rich might buy generators for electricity, pay for water tanks and rely on expensive hospitals, but the poor will continue to be devastated.

Pakistan’s current government is speaking about climate change, but it is a conversation that has come too late, unaccompanied by serious action. In 1947, Pakistan was 33 percent forest. Today, we have tree cover of just about 4 percent, all because of deforestation. This destruction, largely caused by the illegal logging by timber mafias, has silted up our waterways and left us undefended against floods and storms.The country can easily be whipped into hysteria over supposed religious infractions committed by minorities and can debate women’s modesty and honor inexhaustibly, but it has little attention for the ferocious and imminent dangers of climate change.

Karachi’s rainfall, like the rising temperatures, is a consequence of the raging climate war. We have sat by and watched how cities die: slowly. We didn’t watch closely enough when the villages sank and struggled. But it is clear now that this is how a planet burns, one fire at a time, one degree hotter until eventually all that remains will be the chalky bones of Karachi’s ancient saints, buried on disappeared cliffs.

Fatima Bhutto, an essayist and novelist from Pakistan, is the author, most recently, of the novel “The Runaways.”

The tradition of incriminating Muslims in India How the poorest countries are losing out on Covid-19 relief funds MAINSTREAM POLITICAL PARTIES ACROSS CouNterCurreNtS SANANdAdASgUptA

SOME COUNTRIES WITH A HIGHER GDP PER CAPITA HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED MORE INTERNATIONAL FUNDING TO FIGHT THE VIRUS THAN POORER NATIONS New StateSmaN NICU CALCEA

There is now almost no place in the world untouched by the spread of Covid-19. The global death toll is approaching one million and inequality is rising across the world.

International organisations such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank committed at least $48bn in support to more than 100 nations from 10 June, according to the Centre for Disaster Protection. But a New Statesman analysis suggests that among those countries, the richer ones are receiving more money.

The figures mostly cover low- and middle-income countries, although some small higher-income island states have also made the cut. The countries with a higher GDP per capita are being provided with more coronavirus funding. This is especially the case in Africa, which is where most recipients of the funds are found.

David Miliband, the CEO of the International Rescue Committee, said that the New Statesman’s data “provides yet another worrying indication that the international community urgently needs to get its act together if we are to mount a robust and truly global response to this crisis”. He added that the poorest countries require “unprecedented global assistance” to handle both the health crisis and its economic and political fallout.

Of the total $48bn committed, the IMF has pledged around $23.3bn, followed b y $13.1bn committed by the World Bank, $6.8bn by the Asian Development Bank, $2.3bn by the Inter-American Development Bank and $1.5bn by the African Development Bank.

Around $13.3bn was allocated to countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, with an additional $9.6bn going to Latin America and the Caribbean and $8.3bn to South Asia.

Yet, of the ten nations that received the

most aid per capita, nine are small island countries, many of which are classed as highincome economies by the World Bank.

The Bahamas received $182.4m in coronavirus funding for a population of around 393,000, putting its per capita funding at $464. Other island nations also received more money per person than most, including the Seychelles ($389/capita), Saint Lucia ($274), Barbados ($230) and Grenada ($199).

Some countries in eastern Europe are also among those that received the most money per capita, such as Macedonia ($139), Georgia ($139) and Bosnia and Herzegovina ($121).

On the other end of the scale, Zambia, Kazakhstan, Cameroon, Tanzania and Brazil have all received less than 20 cents per person.

Countries with higher life expectancies and lower poverty rates are also receiving more funding to help fight the pandemic.

“The process for allocating coronavirus assistance is not well coordinated and it is not based on where the greatest needs are,” Jonathan Said, of the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change think tank, told the New Statesman.

“Money being made available, for instance to Africa, is only around $20bn compared to an ask by African ministers of finance of $100bn and a global call by the UN for $2.5tn [with Africa’s proportion likely to be at least $250bn of this]. As a result, many countries are seeing a spike in their debt levels,” Said added.

Even the tens of billions of dollars in emergency coronavirus relief offered so far appears not to be targeted at the countries that need it most. As global virus cases pass 30 million and the pandemic continues to surge, more assistance for the world’s poorest states may well be required in the coming months – with more rigorous procedures to determine where exactly it should go.

Nicu Calcea is a data journalist at New Statesman Media Group. With additional reporting by IdoVock.

“The National Investigation Agency (NIA) said on Saturday that it had busted an al Qaeda module and arrested nine people who were allegedly planning to carry out major terror strikes in India at the direction of their Pakistan-based handler.”

The news hit headlines of all major dailies in India last week.

Six of these suspects were apprehended from the district of Murshidabad in West Bengal and three others were arrested from Ernakulam, Kerala. The latter three are also from Murshidabad, the district with the highest Muslim population (4.7 million in 2011) in the country and went to Kerala to work as laborers. Further reports revealed some of the arrestees were students, others worked as migrant labor, contractual worker, and tailor. Ananda Bazar Patrika, the leading Bengali daily reports the articles that were seized from the suspected Al Qaeda terrorists include fire-crackers, two sockets, metal plates for making bombs, one country-made firearm, and one locally made body armor. The seizure list published on Ananda Bazar Patrika says that the seized articles from some of them only included their android phones, sim cards, and identity cards.

For the time being let us ignore the absurdity of the claim that these people were planning to launch multiple explosions in the national capital with firecrackers and country-made pistol or they were planning to go to Sri Nagar that is under siege for more than a year, to collect arms.

This is not the first time when NIA or some similar agency arrested Muslim youths and declared them to be the deadliest terrorists.

If we look at the past, we can see a number of young Muslim men had been arrested, spent decades in prison only to be acquitted by the court. Many are still struggling without any access to a fair justice system and wasting their youthful days behind the bars.

SOME STORIES FROM THE PAST: Nisar-ud-din Ahmad was arrested by the Hyderabad police in 1994 for his alleged involvement in the previous year’s serial bomb blast in Mumbai. At the time of the arrest, he was a student at a Pharmacy college in Karnataka. When he was acquitted by the Supreme Court of India, he was 43. Ahmad spent 23 years in prison before the highest court overturned his conviction. Ahmad’s elder brother Zahir-ud-din Ahmad was also arrested and implicated in the same case and spent 14 years in jail before he got lung cancer and the court granted him bail.

Around the same time in 1994, police in Bhusawal in Maharashtra, arrested nine Muslim men for their alleged involvement in planning an attack to avenge the Babri Masjid demolition. The police claimed they had received a tip-off that Jamil Ahmad Khan, a member of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) along with eight others received training in the nearby forest to bomb government offices and attack Hindus.

This “tip-off” ruined the lives of 11 young men and snatched away the best years from their lives. Along with Jamil Ahmad Khan, eight others were arrested in Bhusawal and three more were arrested in Mumbai, one of them turned approved. All of them were charged under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act. Major Indian news outlets carried the headlines how the highly educated Muslim youths were being radicalized, as among the arrestees there were a Ph.D. holder, three doctors, an engineer, and a six-time municipal councilor.

It took ages to file the chargesheet and initiate the trial and finally, the case was taken up in 2018 on orders of Supreme Court. Within a year, all 11 of them were declared innocent by the court.

After their release in 2019, while talking to a reporter Maulana Abdul Qadir Habib said, “The early 90s were a difficult phase for the Muslim community in India. We were all socially conscious individuals who were raising their voices against the injustices of that time.

I guess that is one reason why we were targeted. Imagine, I was at-

THE SPECTRUM HAVE FOSTERED THE DEEP-SEATED ANTI-MINORITY SENTIMENT TO ACHIEVE POLITICAL MILESTONES tending a protest march against TADA in Mumbai with the late BSP chief Kanshi Ram and days later I was arrested under the Act”.

Mohammad Aamir Khan was 18 when he was arrested by the Delhi police in 1998. In his memoir Khan wrote, in 1997 he planned to go to Pakistan to visit his elder sister who was living with her husband in Karachi. After Khan received the travel documents, he was approached by someone who introduced himself as an Intelligence Officer and asked him to work as a spy for the country. Then he was assigned to complete some works in Pakistan during his scheduled visit. Khan however got too nervous and couldn’t complete the task. A few days later he found himself in police custody charged in 19 cases, for crimes including murder, terrorism, and waging war against the nation. Police claimed Khan to be the mastermind of the 17 low-intensity bomb blasts that occurred in Delhi and neighboring states between December 1996 and December 1997. It took him 14 years to prove his innocence and finally he was acquitted by the court and was released in 2012.

Syed Maqbool Shah from Srinagar was arrested for his alleged involvement in a blast that took place in Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar in May 1996. Shah was only 15 at the time of his arrest. Shah was visiting his elder brother in Delhi while he was apprehended by the police and was declared as a JKLF operative. Khan was acquitted after 14 years as the police couldn’t provide any evidence to prove their claim.

Abdul Wahid Shaikh was working as a schoolteacher before he was framed as a terrorist and arrested by the Mumbai police in 2006.

Mumbai police arrested 13 people including Shaikh for their alleged involvement in the local train bomb blast occurred in November that year. Police claimed Shaikh sheltered terrorists who carried out the blasts. Shaikh was declared innocent by the court in 2015 while the other 12 were convicted. However, Shaikh claimed all 13 of them were framed but the rest couldn’t prove their innocence due to their circumstances. MaulanaShabbirGangawaliNadvi from Bhatkal Karnataka was arrested from a mosque in Pune in 2008 for possessing counterfeit currencies. Police claimed he had a connection with the terrorist organization Indian Mujahideen and later he was named as an accused in a blast case that took place in 2010 when he was already in prison. Nadvi was released from jail after more than 8 years as the court pronounced him innocent.Ahmad, Khan, Shah, Shaikh are some of the very few who survived to tell their stories. Stories of brutal torture, hatred and injustice. There are thousands more who are rotting inside the prison cells just because they do not have the means to fight a fair legal battle.

The Hindu nationalist fascist force which is currently in power in India is notorious for their hatred towards the Muslim community, but we must remember BJP is not the only political force that nurtures Islamophobia. Muslims in this country have been incriminated for their religious identity for ages; no matter which political party is in power. Mainstream political parties across the spectrum have fostered the deep-seated anti-minority sentiment to achieve political milestones; the current government has just intensified to progress their agenda of establishing a Hindu nation.

Sananda is an independent writer and political activist. She can be reached at sananda7ster@gmail.com. Written with the inputs from SujatoBhadra, a human rights activist based in Kolkata.

Tuesday, 29 September, 2020

BUSINESS 09

ADB APPRoveS $300M loAn To helP STRengThen PAKISTAn’S FInAnCe SeCToR

CORPORATE CORNER

BUSINESS DESK

ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi is conferring an award on Hamdard Pakistan Chairperson Mrs Sadia Rashid during the 8th Achievement Award Ceremony of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI). Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh and Industries Minister Hammad Azhar were also present on the occasion.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $300 million policybased loan to help strengthen Pakistan’s finance sector by supporting measures to develop competitive capital markets and encourage private sector investment in the country.

"Capital markets act as a major catalyst in transforming the economy into a more efficient, innovative, and competitive marketplace," said ADB Senior Project Officer Sana Masood. "The reforms proposed under this programme will lower the cost of financial intermediation and facilitate private sector investment to generate sustainable growth

and job opportunities. It will also mitigate the negative impact of capital market instability on the economy and help to diversify Pakistan’s financial system."

Currently, Pakistan’s capital markets play a limited role in financial intermediation and resource mobilization. The Pakistan Stock Exchange lacks depth in terms of the number of investors and the number of companies raising capital. Fewer than 250,000 individual investors, or less than 0.1pc of the population, have a stock investing account, and the PSX lags most of its regional peers on market capitalization as a percentage of gross domestic product.

"Institutional strengthening of the debt management office will develop the government bond market on a sustainable basis," said ADB Principal Financial Sector Specialist Syed Ali-Mumtaz H. Shah. "Establishing a special tribunal for capital market-related cases would significantly enhance investor confidence in the equity market."

ADB has supported the development of Pakistan’s financial markets through three policy-based loans over the past two decades. The Third Capital Market Development Program will augment the size and capacity of capital markets and support reforms that enhance the institutional and regula-

SBP allows financial institutions to outsource cloud-based services KARACHI: Habib University on Monday welcomed State Bank of Pakistan Governor Dr Reza Baqir to the campus.

Dr Baqir termed his “privilege and great honor” to be invited to Habib University and that it was an “inspirational moment”.

Daraz seller community grows to host 70,000 sellers from across Pakistan ISLAMABAD: The seller community at Daraz, the country’s leading online marketplace, has grown to host 70,000 sellers nationwide over the past two months. By focusing on providing sellers free-of-cost education and tools through which they can scale their online ventures, Daraz empowers its seller community to reach millions of customers across Pakistan and grow the assortment on their Daraz shops. “At Daraz, our growth and success is directly connected to that of our sellers. In the current climate, focusing on digital growth and enablement for SMEs remains critical for our success. We are proud of the impact we have been able to create during these difficult and uncertain times and welcome the new sellers that have joined us,” said Imran Saleem, Director Commercial at Daraz Pakistan.

Breast Cancer Awareness: SKMT will illuminate landmark buildings in pink LAHORE: Globally, October is marked as the breast cancer awareness month and every year, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust (SKMT) campaigns aggressively on national and international levels to educate the public about the importance of early detection of breast cancer. This year, the Shaukat Khanum Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign will be launched on October 1, 2020 with the illumination of some landmark buildings in pink for three days including the President House, the Parliament House, the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, and the Cabinet Division. The illuminated buildings will be symbols of hope and a reminder to the public that prevention may not be in our hands but early detection is. On October 3, 2020 an awareness walk will be organised, starting from the F-9 Park in Islamabad, where all the participants will be demonstrating their support for breast cancer fighters and survivors. In Lahore, Minar-ePakistan will be illuminated pink on October 9th while on October 27th, an awareness event will be organised at the Shaukat Khanum Hospital where Mrs Samina Alvi, the First Lady of Pakistan, will participate as the guest of honour.

KARACHI STAFF REPORT

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Monday allowed financial institutions to outsource hosting on the cloud to both domestic and international cloud service providers.

In Circular No. 4 of 2020 issued by the Banking, Policy and Regulations, the SBP said financial institutions, defined as banks, microfinance banks and development finance institutions (DFIs), can now access cloud service models like Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) from both domestic and offshore cloud service providers.

The SBP said that the central bank’s board IT committee will approve all cloud-based outsourcing arrangements.

Through this new circular, the SBP has updated part of the language of two earlier circulars issued in 2017 and 2019, to do with the ‘Enterprise Technology Governance and Risk Management Framework for Financial Institutions (FIs)’.

Now, financial institutions can use cloud services for non-core operations and business support processes. The exhaustive list is defined as HR mod-

ules, procurement functions, non-production environment, sandboxing, inventory management, supply chain management, office productivity, customer relationship management tools (WhatsApp, Facebook etc.), communication tools, security tools, computation and processing services, data analytics and risk modeling, middleware and payments processing services.

The SBP, however, said that other banking applications and allied infrastructure, which are used to store and process customers’ information relating to deposits, loans & credits, and details of balances and transactions in ledger accounts of customers and borrowers, will not be placed under cloud-based outsourcing arrangements.

The central bank also outlined internal controls, mandating that all outsourcing arrangements are undertaken through legally binding service level agreements. The banks’ data has to be encrypted at database level, storage level and during network transmission. Further, the arrangement should not contain a lock-in clause ie. banks’ should be able to transfer their data from one cloud provider to another.

The SBP also maintains the right to conduct an audit and on-site inspection of the cloud service provider, or their sub contractor.

President Alvi stresses product diversification, branding to boost exports ISLAMABAD APP

President Dr Arif Alvi said on Monday that it was about time for Pakistani products to make an impact with high-quality standards coupled with credible and trusted business dealings at the international level.

“Turn the ‘Made-in-Pakistan’ label into a symbol of repute before the world,” the president remarked during his address to an award ceremony held by the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FCCI) at the Aiwan-e-Sadr.

President Alvi emphasised on conforming to the noble ethics of Islam such as honesty by shunning deception while undertaking business transactions.

He also called upon the businessmen to focus on value-addition, diversification and proper branding of their products to boost exports and compete in the international market.

He said adoption of business mechanisms based on information technology could help the local traders address the challenges of the contemporary financial world.

The president expressed satisfaction that FCCI, as a dynamic organisation, was contributing to the

economy of the country and termed the traders and businessmen the genuine stakeholders that needed to be taken on board by the governments in decision-making.

The president lauded the government for holding consultations with relevant stakeholders while remaining accessible to the business community to listen to their grievances.

Speaking on the occasion, Punjab Minister for Industries Mian Aslam Iqbal said giving confidence to industrial units was important to boost the country’s economy.

He mentioned that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was the only political party which promoted Special Economic Zones (SEZs) to facilitate traders and announced the setting up an SEZ on Information Technology (IT) and 23 new cement plants to boost trade activity.

FCCI President Rana Muhammad Sikandar-eAzam said that Faisalabad’s share in the country’s textiles comprised 60 per cent, while the industrial city made 20pc of the overall Gross Domestic Province (GDP).

He lauded the government’s strategy to effectively address economic challenges in the wake of Covid-19.

tory capacity of relevant government bodies. It will also diversify the investor base, develop important market infrastructure such as surveillance systems, and improve the supply of alternative financial instruments.

Additionally, the program will help the government to strengthen its debt management proficiency.

The government and ADB have agreed to anchor the programme to the design of a long-term national capital market master plan to build strong government ownership and coordination across the agencies. ADB will also provide an $800,000 technical assistance to support the implementation of key reform actions under the programme.

FPCCI condemns propaganda against national institutions KARACHI TLTP

Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Vice President Qaisar Khan Daudzai has condemned propaganda against national institutions "in the strongest possible terms".

"The country is passing through a critical stage and undue criticism against armed forces at this critical juncture amounts to treason," Daudzai said in a statement issued on Monday. "The business community rejects the deadly propaganda, which is a conspiracy that has been hatched only to create a rift between masses and national security institutions." He said that every Pakistani condemns the unholy moves to discredit the guardians of ideological and geographical borders. "All Pakistanis should give a strong message that the whole nation stands by the army," he added. The FPCCI vice president called upon the masses not to succumb to the propaganda and reject the scenario painted by international media and "paid think tanks". "In 1947, many politicians and intellectuals described Pakistan as an economically and politically unviable state, but it is still existing and will continue to exist till the end of time." He noted that over a dozen countries have initiated their proxy wars in Pakistan. "Therefore, we must support institutions that are fighting for our survival."

Privatisation likely to fetch Rs100bn this year: Soomro ISLAMABAD: Privatisation Minister Muhammadmian Soomro has said that the government is likely to earn Rs100 billion this fiscal year (FY21) through the privatization of stateowned entities. In a meeting hed on Monday, the privatization minister said that preliminary work for the privatization of power distribution companies been initiated initiated, while that privatization process for State Life has also commenced. The economic agenda of the government will not be affected by any movement of the opposition parties, he maintained. "The government has no threat [from opposition] and it will complete its five-year tenure," the federal minister asserted. "We will also win the next elections and form government again."

Meanwhile, the meeting informed that the privatization of two RLNG-based power plants, Haveli Bahadur Shah Power Plant in Jhang and Baloki Power Plant in Kasur, was in the final phases. Soomro directed the officials to expedite the privatization of public entities included in the active list, saying that all legal and administrative issues pertaining to the process should be resolved at the earliest. TLTP

market daily

Stocks bleed 960 points amid political noise KARACHI STAFF REPORT

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed bloodshed on Monday, with the KSE100 Index plunging over 1,000 points intraday amid political unrest.

Global equity markets, on the other hand, showed a positive trend, whereas crude oil prices moved north from the previous close; WTI crude price appreciating 0.55pc to $40.44

while Brent crude price increasing 0.28pc to $42.53."Last week's rollover session had its trickle down impact on today’s trading as well, primarily due to low settlement ratios.

On top of it, the arrest of Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif also caused ripples in the market, resulting in the index plunging deep in the red," said a report issued by AHL Ltd. MARKET SUMMARY: The benchmark KSE-100 Index, which remained on the fringes for most part of the day, plunged by

1,056.41 points during the closing hours, marking its intraday low at 40,644.82. It settled lower by 960.28 points at 40,740.95.

Among other indices, the KMI-30 Index declined 1,401.42 points or 2.11pc to end at 65,157.19, while the KSE All Share Index dropped 622.48 points, settling at 29,013.63.

The overall market volumes declined from 435 million shares in the previous session to 407.2 million shares (-6pc). Average traded value also declined by 7pc, from

CMYK

$92.9 million to $86.1 million. Hascol Petroleum Ltd (HASCOL -6.44pc), TRG Pakistan Ltd (TRG +1.13pc) and K-Electric Ltd (KEL -0.24pc) led the volume chart, exchanging 48.69 million, 34.54 million and 30.21 million shares, respectively.

Sectors that painted the benchmark index red included banking (-227.28 points), cement (-137.14 points) and fertilizer (75.01 points). Among the companies, Habib Bank Ltd (HBL -78.81 points), Mari Petro-

leum Company Ltd (MARI -46.52 points) and Bank AL Habib Ltd (BAHL -43.54 points) dented the index the most.

Shedding 7.50pc from its cumulative market capitalization, the refinery sector ended as the session’s top loser, with Byco Petroleum Pakistan Ltd (BYCO -7.81pc), Attock Refinery Ltd (ATRL -6.77pc), National Refinery Ltd (NRL -7.27pc) and Pakistan Refinery Ltd (PRL -7.32pc) closing in the negative.

Tuesday, 29 September, 2020

10 FOREIGN NEWS Uber wins appeal against London ban LONDON

GCC for ImmEdIATE ImpLEmEnTATIon of YEmEn’S prISonEr ExChAnGE dEAL

AGENCIES

SANAA

Uber won an appeal against a London ban on Monday after a judge ruled that the company was "fit and proper" to restore its operating licence in the British capital despite its "historical failings". Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram said the ride-hailing company could operate after Transport for London (TfL) revoked its licence in November last year for the second time over safety concerns. "Despite their historical failings, I find them, now, to be a fit and proper person to hold a London PHV (private hire vehicle) operator’s licence," Judge Tan Ikram said in his written verdict. "I do, however, wish to hear from the advocates on conditions and on my determination as to the length of a licence." Uber's licence removal last year was the latest stage of a long-running battle with London's transport regulator in one of its most important markets. TfL refused to grant the Silicon Valley-based company a new licence due to what it called a "pattern of failures", including thousands of trips conducted where drivers other than those advertised picked up passengers. This was the result of an Uber system change that allowed unauthorised drivers to upload their photographs to other Uber driver accounts, resulting in a minimum of 14,000 uninsured trips across the city, TfL said. While some of these journeys were undertaken by unlicensed drivers, others involved "dismissed or suspended drivers" creating Uber accounts to carry passengers. Tfl concluded that the company was "not fit and proper" at the time, despite moves by Uber to correct the issues. The latest court win for Uber is the first of a two-pronged process it to regain its London licence, with the second a negotiation with TfL, which has the power to approve the length of a new licence. The licence review is one of several legal battles the US firm is fighting. In its home state of California, lawsuits against the company include drivers demanding expanded employment rights which would severely affect its gig-economy business model if successful.

AGENCIES

Indian ShareChat looks to fill gap left

by TikTok ban NEW DELHI AGENCIES

ShareChat, a Twitter-backed Indian social media platform that caters for users in 15 regional languages, is one of many firms looking to fill the gap left by China’s TikTok app after it was banned in India. TikTok had around 200 million users in the country when New Delhi announced the ban in late June, citing national security concerns. Just days later, ShareChat launched its own short-video platform, Moj. “We’ve been very, very opportunistic because we figured that this is a large vacuum, it’s a large opportunity of short-video market, and therefore, we launched on that product,” Ankush Sachdeva, co-founder and CEO of ShareChat, told CNBC on Monday.

“I still believe there is a large appetite for shortvideo content and if we can provide a really good experience, that essentially translates to a really good AI-backed feed, there is a large market to be captured,” he added. Moj now has more than 80 million monthly active users who spend on average 34 minutes on the platform every day. ShareChat itself has grown “exponentially,” having amassed 160 million monthly active users, up from 60 million during the same period last year. The company said it raised $40 million last week in pre-Series E funds from a variety of investors. The startup, which has raised around $264 million to date, is also thinking about expanding outside of India, though such plans are at an early stage.

Y

EMEN’S warring parties must immediately implement a prisoner exchange deal reached in Switzerland last week, the Gulf Co-operation Council said on Monday. The agreement in Geneva through UN-sponsored talks was for the largest prisoner swap yet between the internationally recognised government and Iran-backed Houthi fighters. It involves 1,080 people.

“It is necessary to immediately put the deal in place and set free prisoners and detainees without any delay, leading

up to freeing all prisoners and reuniting them with their families,” Nayed Al Hajraf, the GCC secretary general said.

Hajraf thanked the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross for their efforts in closing the deal. It followed a week of negotiations on the prisoner swap, which was first agreed upon in December 2018 in Sweden. The Saudi-led coalition, which is supporting the Yemeni government, welcomed the agreement and said it was purely humanitarian and in line with the Stockholm Agreement.

Coalition spokesman Turki Al Maliki urged the Houthis not to undermine UN efforts, especially "as there is a real mo-

mentum to implement the Stockholm Agreement". The prisoner swap was aimed at reviving efforts to end a war that has created what the UN called the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

Since the 2018 agreement, the two sides have made sporadic prisoner swaps.

In the latest, the rebels agreed to release of 400 prisoners, including 15 Saudis, four Sudanese, 230 prisoners from Marib and Jawf provinces in northern Yemen, and 151 prisoners affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council, Yasser Al Hadi, a member of the government delegation, told The National.

The Yemeni government will free 680 Houthi fighters, Mr Al Hadi said.

Pompeo visits Greece as Athens-Ankara tensions increase ATHENS AGENCIES

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias as tensions between Greece and Turkey increased.

Arriving on Monday, Pompeo stressed the importance of US relations with Greece and their shared views. “Thrilled to be back in Greece, a vital US partner with whom we share a common strategic vision. The strength of our bilateral relationship is at an all-time high, and I’m looking forward to a productive visit,” he wrote on social media.

A dispute between Greece and Turkey over maritime borders and exploration rights in resource-rich waters in the eastern Mediterranean boiled over this year. The two Nato allies have come close to direct confrontation after Turkey sent research vessel Oruc Reis into Greek waters with half a dozen warships. Greece responded by mobilising the bulk of its fleet.

While the Oruc Reis has now withdrawn, easing tensions, Turkey’s dispute with both Greece and Cyprus over the waters continued.

Nicosia has a separate dispute with Ankara over exploration rights in its waters. The impositions of sanctions on Turkey by the EU, which has been drawn into the disagreement, have been wrangled over for weeks in Brussels. Prior to his trip to the Greek city of Thessaloniki on Monday, Mr Pompeo spoke to Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg about Greece and Turkey.

Nato has hosted discussions between the two nations at a technical level in recent weeks. "Pleased to speak today with Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to discuss de-escalation of the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean and reiterate the importance of Nato alliance unity," Mr Pompeo tweeted on Sunday. Pompeo’s visit to Greece’s most populous city and then to Crete to visit the Souda Bay naval base has irritated Turkey. The waters between Crete and Cyprus lie at the heart of the dispute. Earlier this month, Turkey said the United States needed to return to a neutral stance on Cyprus, after Washington and Nicosia signed an agreement to open a training centre. During a visit to Cyprus, which also provoked discontent, Mr Pompeo said that the United States would lift a 33-year arms embargo on Cyprus and improve its security co-operation with Nicosia.

The eastern Mediterranean island was split in a Turkish invasion in 1974 triggered by a brief Greek-inspired coup. Only Ankara recognises the self-declared government in the north of the country.

Pompeo is the first US secretary of state to visit Thessaloniki. The stop is the first leg of a five-day trip to Europe, which includes visits to Italy, the Vatican and Croatia. During his visit to Thessaloniki, the US diplomat is to sign a bilateral science and technology agreement, as well as hosting energy sector business leaders for a discussion to highlight diversification and infrastructure projects in Greece. He will also join members of the city's Jewish community to commemorate Yom Kippur.

Sino-German forum discusses future of NEV cooperation HAIKO AGENCIES

The Sino-German Forum on Cooperation and Development of New Energy Vehicles (NEVs) was held Monday in Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan province.

As part of the 2nd World New Energy Vehicle Congress (WNEVC 2020) held in the city on Sept. 27-30, the forum was attended by government officials, representatives of automakers and suppliers in the NEV industry, as well as experts from universities and research institutes.

Wan Gang, chairman of the China Association for Science and Technology and WNEVC president, said as the biggest NEV markets in the world and in Europe, respectively, China and Germany have seen cooperation in the field of electric vehicles grow from processing and manufacturing to joint R&D and production, brand building, marketing and sales, among others

along the whole industrial chain.

"The year 2020 marks the 10th year of Sino-German cooperation on NEVs, and we're looking forward to strengthening joint efforts to promote the transformation, innovation and upgrade of the industry at this new historic starting point," Wan said.

The automotive industry in both Germany and China has been committed to pressing ahead with e-mobility, said Hildegard Muller, president of the German Association of the Automotive Industry, in her address to the forum via video link, noting that environment protection, a growing scarcity of fossil fuels and an increased need for mobility require new solutions and alternative propulsion systems.

Participants at the forum reviewed the achievements of Sino-German cooperation in the last decade since the two countries forged a strategic partnership on NEVs in June 2011, and discussed the future of cooperation on e-mobility.

US judge suspends Trump’s TikTok download ban WASHINGTON AGENCIES

A judge in Washington, DC late on Sunday temporarily blocked a controversial order by the Trump administration that was set to bar downloads of the popular Chinese-owned short video app TikTok at 11:59pm (03:59 GMT on Monday).

District Judge Carl Nichols, a nominee of President Donald Trump who joined the court last year, said he was issuing a temporary injunction at the request of TikTok, which the White House has accused of being a threat to national security.

Nichols declined “at this time” to block other Commerce Department restrictions set to take effect on No-

vember 12 that TikTok has said will make the app unusable in the United States.

Nichols’ detailed written opinion is expected to be released as soon as Monday.

John E Hall, a lawyer for TikTok, had argued during a 90-minute Sunday morning hearing that the ban was “unprecedented” and “irrational”.

“How does it make sense to impose this app store ban tonight when there are negotiations under way that might make it unnecessary?” Hall asked during the hearing. “This is just punitive. This is just a blunt way to whack the company … There is simply no urgency here.”

US officials say they are concerned that personal data collected on 100 million Americans who use the app

could be obtained by China’s governing Communist Party (CCP). ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese owner, is a “mouthpiece” for the party and “committed to promoting the CCP’s agenda and messaging”, a government brief said. ByteDance said last week it had reached a preliminary deal for Walmart and Oracle to take stakes in a new company, TikTok Global, that would oversee US operations. Negotiations continue over the terms of the agreement and to resolve concerns in both Washington and Beijing. The deal is still to be reviewed by the US government’s Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).

“Really, nobody wins if there’s ultimately a ban,” Jim Anderson, a technology analyst at SocialFlow told media, noting that the US market was TikTok’s second

Of those released will be 249 Houthi fighters held in Saudi Arabia, 201 fighters will be released from the south and 230 will be released from Marib," Al Hadi said. One of the controversial prisoners held by the fighters is the brother of Yemeni President Abdrabu Mansur Hadi. But the release of Gen Nasser Mansur Hadi by the fighters was postponed, Al Hadi said.

The UN envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, brokered the peace deal in Sweden nearly two years ago. It included the prisoner swap and a halt to fighting around the Red Sea city of Hodeidah. It has been slowly and only partially implemented.

China’s top chipmaker’s stock tumbles on threat of US sanctions BEIJING: Share prices of China’s largest semiconductor manufacturer SMIC fell sharply on Monday after reports that the Trump administration will restrict technology sales to the firm over an alleged risk they will be used by the military. SMIC’s Shanghai-listed shares sank as low as seven percent, while those trading in Hong Kong were down nearly five percent on Monday. The drop came on the heels of media reports claiming that suppliers of certain equipment to SMIC will need to get a special export license. The reports cited a US Department of Commerce letter to companies which said that the supplies sold to the Chinese chipmaker posed an “unacceptable risk” of being diverted to “military end use.” The company, which denies any links to the Chinese military, said that it had seen the media reports but did not receive any official notice of the looming restrictions. The firm also advised investors and shareholders “to exercise caution.” Following the news of fresh US sanctions on yet another Chinese tech company, the Global Times newspaper published an editorial saying that China is facing “high-tech suppression being led by the US.” It added that Beijing must brace for a “new long tech march” and end its dependency in the vital sector in light of US restrictions on SMIC. The reported measures targeting China’s biggest contract chip manufacturer do not amount to a total ban, as was the case for Huawei and some other Chinese companies added to the US “Entity List.” AGENCIES

UAE consumers expect cashless society by 2030 ABU DHABI: The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the UAE's transition to a cashless society as a growing number of businesses and individuals have stopped using physical cash due to safety and hygiene concerns, according to a new survey. Almost twothirds of people in the UAE, or 64 per cent, expect the country to become fully cashless by 2030, the poll by Standard Chartered found. The survey, which was conducted globally among 12,000 respondents aged 18 and above from August 17 to 21, also found that 73 per cent of the UAE’s respondents believe Covid-19 has made them more positive about online shopping.

However, prior to the pandemic, 72 per cent of consumers preferred to shop in-person versus less than a third online. Almost half (47 percent) of UAE respondents said they also prefer making online payments now rather than using in-person cards or cash payments, according to the survey. “The UAE is on a fast track in adopting digital banking and cashless payments and the pandemic has accelerated the digital drive,” said Sonny Zulu, head of retail banking at Standard Chartered UAE. AGENCIES biggest. “The US loses, China loses, consumers lose, ByteDance and TikTok lose so you would like to think that there’s a deal to be had here.”

The Justice Department said a preliminary injunction allowing Americans to continue downloading the TikTok app would be “interfering with a formal national security judgement of the president; altering the landscape with respect to ongoing CFIUS negotiations; and continuing to allow sensitive and valuable user information to flow to ByteDance with respect to all new users.”

TikTok argued the restrictions, amid rising tensions between the US and China, “were not motivated by a genuine national security concern, but rather by political considerations relating to the upcoming general election”. Another US judge, in Pennsylvania, on Saturday rejected a bid by three TikTok content creators to block the ban, while a judge in California has blocked a similar order from taking effect on WeChat, a messaging app owned by China’s Tencent.

Tuesday, 29 September, 2020

GANGuly PRovides uPdAte oN PossiBility oF HostiNG eNGlANd seRies iN iNdiA

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AGENCIES

CCI President Sourav Ganguly on Monday said the Board will do all it can to ensure that India’s home series against England remains in the country and domestic tournaments kick off at some point despite the “fluid” Covid-19 situation.

India’s Covid-19 case load has gone past 60 lakh and the death toll has surged beyond 95,000. England are scheduled to tour India next year between January and March for five Tests, three ODIs and three T20 Internationals. “...priority is to make this (series against England) happen in India. We will try to make this happen on Indian grounds. The advantage in UAE is they have three stadiums (Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Dubai),” he said in a media interaction here addressing speculation that UAE could be the host for India given the Covid case count here. BCCI has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Emirates Cricket Board for greater cooperation in conducting matches there.

“We also have the same facility in

AGENCIES Newcastle manager Steve Bruce said the stoppage time penalty that allowed his side to snatch a 1-1 draw at Tottenham was a "nonsense" in another Premier League clash decided by the controversial interpretation of the handball rule.

Spurs had just Lucas Moura's goal to show for a dominant first-half display and were made to pay when Eric Dier was penalised after a VAR review as the ball brushed his arm in challenge with Andy Carroll. Callum Wilson converted the penalty with Newcastle's first shot on target, prompting Jose Mourinho to march down the tunnel before the fulltime whistle had been blown. Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson said on Saturday the spate of penalties being awarded for contentious handball decisions was "ruining" football.

"I can understand why Spurs will go berserk and Roy Hodgson reacted like he did. It is a total nonsense," said Bruce. "We should be jumping through hoops, but I would be devastated if that was us." Mourinho complained that Tottenham were not being treated equally to other clubs after a similar incident when the ball struck Newcastle captain Jamaal Lascelles on the arm was not punished.

"We know there are boxes and boxes, there are boxes for Tottenham and boxes for other teams. So we kept them away from the box and, on one occasion we couldn't, we lost two

Mumbai -- CCI, Wankhede and DY Patil. We also have Eden Gardens. We have to create a bubble. We want to hold our cricket in India, that’s where the game is, that’s where the heart is.

But we are monitoring the Covid situation,” Ganguly said after being named brand ambassador of the Bengal Peerless group here.

“Everything is fluid. It’s been hard for the last six months to keep everything in order. You want your cricket to happen. You want lives to get back to normal, there are players involved. But you also want to have a close look at the Covid situation,” Ganguly added.

On to domestic cricket and under normal circumstances, the BCCI would

have already started its mega season with Ranji Trophy and Duleep Trophy, the U-23 CK Nayudu Trophy, Vijay Hazare and Deodhar Trophy, and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

In 2019-20 it hosted 2036 domestic games across various age groups in the men’s and women’s category but creating a bio-bubble for so many teams across the country will be next to impossible given the virus threat.

“We are monitoring it. We want to have our domestic season. We have all the combinations, situations ready in our mind. We will try and make it happen as much as we can,” he reiterated.

Ganguly was also asked about the lacklustre IPL form of recently-retired ex-captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. He backed the iconic finisher to come good for Chennai Super kings.

“In the current situation, it will take some time for him to get back to his old touch. He played a cricket match after about one year and six months. It’s not easy however good you are. It will take some time,” he said.

“When Dhoni was in prime form and was the captain, then I was in broadcast and had said that he should bat at number four,” he recalled.

‘Nonsense’ Newcastle penalty denies dominant Tottenham

points," said Mourinho. "We deserve the points and deserve respect. At this moment we don't have the points and we don't have the respect." For all their complaints, Mourinho's men will also have to reflect on not taking their chances before the break in front of the watching Gareth Bale.

BALE WATCHES WASTEFUL SPURS: The Welshman was all smiles in the stand, but was still not fit enough to make his second Spurs debut due to a knee injury, while Mourinho left Dele Alli out of his 18-man squad com-

pletely for the second straight league game. Karl Darlow in the visitors' goal was busy from the third minute as he clawed out Giovani lo Celso's free-kick and got up to block Harry Kane's follow-up effort.

The England captain tested the Newcastle stopper again with a diving header moments later. Kane provided four assists for Son Heung-min in a 5-2 thrashing of Southampton last weekend and was the creator when Spurs did finally break the deadlock on 25 minutes.

Moura's place is most at risk when Bale

is fit to return, but reminded Mourinho of the threat he can post by bundling home his first Premier League goal since December from Kane's low cross.

Son then hit the woodwork twice with shots from outside the box, while Darlow made another fantastic save from Kane's long-range effort to crucially keep Newcastle's deficit down to just one before half-time. Spurs' attacking flow was interrupted in the secondhalf without Son, who was replaced at half-time and is now an injury doubt for Tottenham's hectic week ahead as they face Chelsea in the League Cup on Tuesday, Maccabi Haifa in Europa League qualifying on Thursday and travel to Manchester United in the Premier League next Sunday.

Yet, there was still precious little from Newcastle for Tottenham to fear at the other end until the dramatic finale.

Indeed, the closest the visitors came to scoring before the penalty was when Ben Davies smashed a clearance into his teammate Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and the ball ricocheted wide a minute from time.

But on a weekend already marked by complaints over the handball law, Spurs were stung despite Dier clearly having no intent to handle the ball.

SPORTS 11

Heat take down Celtics, move on to NBA Finals Bam Adebayo had a career-high 32 points and 14 rebounds, Tyler Herro came alive with 11 points in the fourth quarter and the Miami Heat booked their trip to the NBA Finals with a 125-113 Game 6 win over the Boston Celtics on Sunday night near Orlando. Jimmy Butler added 22 points, Herro had 19 and Andre Iguodala scored a season-high 15 as the Heat advanced to the Finals for the first time since 2014. Duncan Robinson also scored 15 and Goran Dragic 13. Jaylen Brown had 26 points, Jayson Tatum 24 with a careerhigh 11 assists and Marcus Smart and Kemba Walker 20 apiece for the Celtics, who couldn’t come all the way back from a 3-1 deficit in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals. Miami moves on to face the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of the Finals on Wednesday.

The Heat erased a six-point deficit in the fourth when Herro nailed a 3-pointer and added another bucket to knot the score at 96 with 7:40 remaining. Miami pulled ahead 104-102 with 5:31 left as Daniel Theis fouled out for Boston, Adebayo hitting 1 of 2 at the line. That free throw kicked off a 13-0 run to put the game away for the Heat. Herro gave Miami the game’s first double-digit lead at 112-102 with 3:31 to go, and the score was 116102 before the Celtics snapped a nearly 4-minute scoring drought. Boston got no closer than 10 down the stretch.

A 7-0 Celtics spurt late in the third quarter knotted the score at 86. Dragic’s basket with 26 seconds left helped Miami lead 88-86 entering the fourth. Tatum had 12 points in the second quarter after a scoreless first in which the Celtics trailed by as much as nine. His layup with 1:56 left gave Boston a 56-55 edge, but the Heat went back ahead on an Adebayo layup with 42.6 seconds remaining and led 62-60 at the break. AGENCIES

Rossi's MotoGP title HoPes ‘Closed’ AFteR CAtAlAN GP CRAsH Yamaha's Valentino Rossi admits, while mathematically he can still win, his MotoGP title hopes have "closed" after crashing from second place in the Catalan Grand Prix.

Running in the podium battle from the off, Rossi found himself in second on lap 14 when Petronas SRT's Franco Morbidelli made a mistake at the first corner.

But the Yamaha rider's 350th premier class race would last just two more laps, as he crashed at Turn 2.

Having been just 26 points adrift of the championship lead ahead of the Catalan GP, he is now 50 points down after registering his second-successive DNF and the third of the season. "In order not to despair, we have to think that it was a good weekend anyway, that I rode well, that I enjoyed myself and I could play for the win," Rossi reflected.

"We are following a very interesting road with the setting of the bike, so even if the championship is closed for me, there are great reasons to be fast from now to the end of the year.

"As long as the math doesn't say it, it's not over. But unfortunately, I have already made three zeroes and I fell twice in a row due to my mistakes. Then the bike broke down in the first race, so it's difficult.

"But there are still many races and we will have to try to be fast, if I can ride like this, I can go fast on all sides."

Rossi concedes he made a mistake by not paying attention to the temperature of the left hand side of his front tyre at Turn 2, and was trying to push at that stage to reduce the gap to eventual winner and new championship leader Fabio Quartararo. "We start very, very smooth at the beginning, we had a good pace and I tried to ride very sweet on the front tyre and rear tyre, because I know, like everybody, at the end of the race we will suffer," he added.

"But anyway, we had a very good pace and we stayed at front, but I don't push too much there.

"Franco did a mistake at Turn 1, so from that moment I push because I don't want to take too much disadvantage to Fabio. "I wanted to try and stay close to him because I know especially Suzukis at the end are very strong.

"But I did a mistake. Looking at the data it's a really, really similar to the lap before but with this temperature I need to pay more attention on the left." AGENCIES

Not going to give up, will find solutions, says Guardiola after Leicester thrash Manchester City AGENCIES Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola conceded that Manchester City put extra pressure on themselves during their 5-2 thrashing against Leicester City in their Premier League outing on Sunday. However, the celebrated tactician said he is not going to give and find solutions as it was only their second game of the new season.

Leicester City clcinched a stunning 5-2 win to jump back to the top spot of the Premier League goal, thanks to Jamie Vardy hat-trick and and a fine strike by James Maddison. Former champions Manchester City were in full control of the game when Riyad Mahrez gave them the lead as early as the 4th minute.

However, Jamie Vardy equalised from the spot in the 37th minute, it all went downhill for Pep Guardiola's site. City missed both Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus to injuries and their attack had little purpose de-

spite having a lot of possession. Every time, Leicester City went forward, the City looked like they would concede.

"It's a tough result but I am not going to give up. I am going to find solutions for the team to be stable. My players might have thought that they weren't playing well enough after conceding the equaliser but we were well on top at that stage," Pep Guardiola said. "The problem was that we put extra pressure on ourselves to score the second and third. We need to be more calm, we don't have the players to attack the box that we need.

"We needed to be more patient. It is hard, but it is the second game of the season and we have to try to see what we need to do to avoid it from happening again. I feel bad for the guys and for the club."

HOW LEICESTER CITY PUT PRESSURE ON GUARDIOLA'S SIDE WITH COUNTER-ATTACKING DISPLAY: Lack of patience after conceding an

equaliser against the run of play made Manchester City fall apart in their 5-2 Premier League home defeat by "defensive-minded" Leicester City, manager Pep Guardiola said.

Pep Guardiola, who conceded 5 goals for the first time in his 686 games as City's in-charge, conceded that Leicester City were defence minded but counter-attacked very well. It was Jame Vardie's speed that caused all the trouble for the Premier League giants on Sunday.

"They didn't want to play, they defended so deep and just wanted to counter-attack.

They scored the first time they arrived and had three penalties in total, so it was very difficult for us. The lack of creating chances made us nervous and anxious," Guardiola said.

Nathan Ake scored for City in the 84th minute but it was too late as Leicester stil had a 2-goal lead. It went from bad to worse for the home team as they conceded another before the final whistle was blown.

CMYK

Tuesday, 29 September, 2020

PrAyEr TImINGS

NEWS

DeaTh Toll riSeS To 39 aS fighTiNg BeTweeN armeNia, azerBaijaN eNTerS SecoND DaY

a

AGENCIES

RMENIAN separatists in the breakaway region of Nagorny Karabakh said on Monday 15 more of its fighters have been killed in a flare-up of a territorial dispute, bringing the death toll to 39 as the fighting entered a second day.

World leaders have urged a halt to the fighting between Azerbaijan and the Armenian rebels after clashes erupted on Sunday, raising the spectre of an all-out conflict that could draw in regional powers — Russia and Turkey.

Ex-Soviet Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked since the early 1990s in a territorial dispute over the Armeniabacked secessionist enclave, with deadly fighting flaring up earlier this year and in 2016. The defence ministry in Karabakh announced a total military death toll of 32 on Monday. Seven civilian fatalities were reported earlier, including an Azerbaijani family of five and one woman and a child on the Armenian side.

The Armenian defence ministry said heavy fighting continued overnight and Monday morning along the frontline and claimed it had won back positions taken Sunday by Azerbaijani forces. But Baku claimed further advances. Azerbaijani forces "are striking enemy positions using rocket-artillery and aviation ... and have

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Trump paid $750 in US income taxes in 2016, 2017: NYT WASHINGTON AGENCIES

taken several strategic positions around the village of Talysh," the defence ministry said.

"The enemy is retreating," it added.

MARTIAL LAW: Armenian military officials said Azerbaijani forces were continuing to attack rebel positions using heavy artillery, while Azerbaijan's defence ministry accused separatist forces of shelling civilian targets in the town of Terter. Baku claimed to have killed 550 separatist troops, a report denied by Armenia.

The clashes erupted on Sunday morning with both sides accusing each

Beijing unveils new protections for health emergency whistleblowers BEIJING AGENCIES

China’s capital Beijing will protect whistleblowers who disclose information about public health emergencies, it said on Sunday, part of the country’s efforts to fix some of the systemic faults that hindered its initial response to the Covid-19 outbreak. The Beijing city government said it would offer rewards to health workers who disclose vital information about any imminent health emergency and will also ensure their safety and legal rights are protected. Workers could in urgent situations skip the chain of command and report health risks directly to the local government, it said, and as long as their intent was not “malicious”, they would not face punishment if information turned out to be false. Beijing also said it would strengthen its monitoring network, set up specialist infectious disease hospitals and establish “sentries” at the community level to keep watch for symptoms like fever. The central Chinese city of Wuhan, where the Covid-19 outbreak first began, has been criticised for its heavy-handed treatment of medical staff who first tried to reveal details of a new and unknown pneumonia-like disease at the end of 2019. Li Wenliang, one of the doctors warned by local police, later became one of the most high-profile victims of the coronavirus, causing nationwide outrage.

Chinese officials have acknowledged that the Covid19 outbreak exposed “shortcomings” in their ability to handle epidemics, and they have promised to take action to improve early warning systems and free up the flow of information.

other of initiating hostilities.

Fighting between Muslim Azerbaijan and majority-Christian Armenia threatened to embroil regional players Russia, which is in a military alliance with Yerevan, and Turkey, which backs Baku.

Armenia accused Turkey of meddling in the conflict and sending mercenaries to the battlefield. France, Germany, Italy, the United States, the European Union and Russia have urged a ceasefire.

Armenia and Karabakh declared martial law and military mobilisation on

Sunday, while Azerbaijan imposed military rule and a curfew in large cities.

Ethnic Armenian separatists seized the Nagorny Karabakh region from Baku in a 1990s war that claimed 30,000 lives.

Talks to resolve one of the worst conflicts to emerge from the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union have been largely stalled since a 1994 ceasefire agreement.

France, Russia and the United States have mediated peace efforts as the "Minsk Group" but the last big push for a peace deal collapsed in 2010.

Gulf nations desperate for higher oil prices RIYADH AGENCIES

Despite claims that their economies can survive low oil prices, Gulf nations are grappling with a massive half-trillion-dollar budget deficit.

Gulf nations led by Saudi Arabia have been putting on a brave face and touting the strength of their economies, claiming they can withstand any scale of shocks during the oil crisis. Unfortunately, a growing body of evidence suggests pretty much the opposite: the Gulf economies are in dire straits thanks to their overreliance on oil. With oil prices stuck at $40/barrel, S&P Global Ratings has estimated that GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) central government deficits will reach about $490 billion cumulatively between 2020 and 2023 while government debt will surge by a record-high $100 billion in the current year.

Whereas Saudi Arabia, the region's largest economy, has some of the lowest production costs anywhere in the world, the harsh reality is that $40 oil is far from what the kingdom needs to balance its books.

Indeed, the IMF has estimated that Saudi Arabia needs oil prices at $76.10 to achieve fiscal breakeven in the current year with the current oil price leaving the country with a huge budget deficit of 11.4% of GDP. Oil accounts for roughly 87% of Saudi budget revenues, 90% of export earnings, and 42% of GDP. For perspective, the United States had a fiscal deficit of 4.2% of GDP in 2019 but will see the figure reach 13.1% in FY 2020 due to the adverse effects of Covid-19. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO),

however, estimates the US budget deficit in FY 2021 will return to normal levels, clocking in at 4.1% of GDP and grow steadily to reach 8.7% of GDP by 2049.

Interestingly, Saudi Arabia has denied being in austerity mode and says it will stick to its earlier budget announced in December. The country has, nonetheless, tripled its value-added tax, announced spending cuts in non-priority areas and suspended the cost of living allowance. Other GCC countries are not much better off. In the current financial year, the UAE has a fiscal breakeven oil price of $69.10/barrel; Kuwait's is $61.10 while Bahrain and Oman need oil prices of $95.60 and $86.80, respectively, to balance their books.

Only Qatar, with a fiscal breakeven oil price of $39.90, will be able to book a budget surplus. The situation is not expected to improve any time soon.

Although Goldman Sachs ranks among the more bullish oil prognosticators out there with predictions of oil prices reaching $65 per barrel by Q3 2021, other analysts are far less sanguine. For instance, a recent survey forecast a modest uptick with Brent averaging $50.45 per barrel in 2011 That would still be far from covering most Gulf countries' deficits, with Saudi Arabia needing oil prices at $66/barrel next year to balance its books.

Tighter fiscal measures by GCC have begun to weigh heavily on economic activity, with business conditions deteriorating particularly in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Depressed economic activity is also taking a heavy toll on the region's banks, forcing a wave of mergers as they scramble to survive.

President Donald Trump paid just $750 in federal income taxes the year he ran for president and in his first year in the White House, according to a report in The New York Times. Trump, who has fiercely guarded his tax filings and is the only president in modern times not to make them public, paid no federal income taxes in 10 of the past 15 years. The details of the tax filings published Sunday complicate Trump’s description of himself as a shrewd and patriotic businessman, revealing instead a series of financial losses and income from abroad that could come into conflict with his responsibilities as president. The president’s financial disclosures indicated he earned at least $434.9 million in 2018, but the tax filings reported a $47.4 million loss. The tax filings also illustrate how a reputed billionaire could pay little to nothing in taxes, while someone in the middle class could pay substantially more than him. Roughly half of Americans pay no income taxes, primarily because of how low their incomes are. But IRS figures indicate that the average tax filer paid roughly $12,200 in 2017, about 16 times more than what the president paid. The disclosure, which the Times said comes from tax return data it obtained extending over two decades, comes at a pivotal moment ahead of the first presidential debate Tuesday and weeks before a divisive election against Democrat Joe Biden. Speaking at a news conference Sunday at the White House, Trump dismissed the report as “fake news” and maintained he has paid taxes, though he gave no specifics. He also vowed that information about his taxes “will all be revealed,” but he offered no timeline for the disclosure and made similar promises during the 2016 campaign on which he never followed through. In fact, the president has fielded court challenges against those seeking access to his returns, including the U.S. House, which is suing to get Trump’s tax returns as part of congressional oversight. During his first two years as president, Trump received $73 million from foreign operations, which in addition to his golf properties in Scotland and Ireland included $3 million from the Philippines, $2.3 million from India and $1 million from Turkey, among other nations. The president in 2017 paid $145,400 in taxes in India and $156,824 in the Philippines, compared to just $750 in US income taxes. The Times said the tax records did not reveal any unreported connections to Russia. Trump found multiple ways to reduce his tax bills. He has taken tax deductions on personal expenses such as housing, aircraft and $70,000 to style his hair while he filmed “The Apprentice.” Losses in the property businesses solely owned and managed by Trump appear to have offset income from his stake in “The Apprentice” and other entities with multiple owners. During the first two years of his presidency, Trump relied on business tax credits to reduce his tax obligations. The Times said $9.7 million worth of business investment credits that were submitted after Trump requested an extension to file his taxes allowed him to offset his obligations and pay just $750 each in 2016 and 2017.

Income tax payments help finance the military and domestic programs. Trump, starting in 2010, claimed and received an income tax refund that totaled $72.9 million, which the Times said was at the core of an ongoing audit by the IRS. The Times said a ruling against Trump could cost him $100 million or more.

The president could also face mounting financial pressure in the years ahead.

India's tourism sector struggles despite reopening of historic monuments NEW DELHI AGENCIES

India's tourism sector will continue to struggle despite last week's reopening of the historic Taj Mahal and other top attractions as part of the country's ongoing efforts to kick-start the economy, according to industry experts.

With international tourism into the country still largely restricted, and even Indian citizens put off travel because of the Covid19 pandemic, the slowdown in the sector will be more prolonged than previously forecast, analysts predict.

“Because of this pandemic, people aren't even prepared to travel within the country,” says Ankit Singh, the founder of

Extra Edge Travels, a New Delhi-based company that offers tours in India and abroad. “It's almost like this industry has come to a halt now. We've been impacted financially and we had to issue some refunds out of our own pocket.”

Despite the reopening of the 17th-century Taj Mahal and other tourist attractions, coronavirus infections continue to surge in India. On Saturday, India's total confirmed Covid-19 cases crossed 5.9 million after more than 85,000 new infections were added in 24 hours, according to government data.

According to a report released this month by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the travel and tourism industry is expected to lose a total of $65.57 billion (Dh240.8bn) as a result of the pandemic.

“The coronavirus pandemic has given a crippling blow to the Indian travel and tourism industry,” CII says in the report.

“The shutdown and slowdown, which was initially expected to affect revenue streams until October, have now indicated otherwise and it will be far more prolonged than the sector had earlier anticipated.”

Hotels in India are only likely to be able to achieve an occupancy level of 30 per cent until the start of next year, according to CII, which adds that revenue streams are likely to be eroded by 80 to 85 per cent.

“The figures are quite alarming and the industry needs immediate measures for survival,” CII said.

The travel and tourism industry in India makes up 9.2 per cent of the country’s gross

domestic product and employs 8.1 per cent of the population, its figures reveal.

In a report released in June, Grant Thornton in India and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) forecast that there could be more than 40 direct and indirect million job losses in the travel and tourism sector.

The latest data available from India's Ministry of Tourism shows that the country received 10.56 million overseas tourists in 2018, which generated $28.59bn in foreign exchange earnings. Two of India's biggest source markets for tourists are the United States and the United Kingdom, which are also struggling to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

At the beginning of the government-

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imposed lockdown in March, which closed hotels and brought commercial flights to a standstill, “We fell of the cliff there and we were completely locked out for two months, as was the rest of the country", Vibhas Prasad, director of Leisure Hotels Group, says.

With limited flights within India restarted in May and the government permitting hotels to open in June, Prasad says the company, which has 27 properties in India, including in the states of Uttarakhand, Goa and Himachal Pradesh, was up and running again within a matter of days.

But he says occupancies have remained low because of strict requirements imposed by individual states, which, for example, require domestic traveller.