Epaper – August 1 LHR 2021

CMYk

1 August, 2021 I 21 Zil-Hajj, 1442 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 32 I 12 Pages I Lahore Edition

Sindh liftS ban on interprovincial public tranSport, pillion riding g

BIlAWAl, PTI MINISTerS TrADe BArBS Over IMPOSITION OF lOCKDOWN IN SINDh

t

news desk

he Sindh government on Saturday issued an amended notification regarding Covid-19 restrictions in the province. According to the fresh notification issued by the Sindh home Department, inter-provincial public transport will continue its operations as per schedule in the province. Inter-city transport, however, will remain closed amid the recent spike in Covid-19 cases, read the notification. exams of Cambridge students will be held on 2nd of August as per schedule under strict adherence to Covid-19 SOPs and the students and the concerned officials are exempted from the coronavirus restriction, it added.

Meanwhile, the Sindh government lifted the ban on pillion riding, which was imposed as part of lockdown restrictions in the province.

Addressing the media in Karachi on Saturday afternoon, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Murtaza Wahab said the government is lifting the ban imposed on pillion riding in the province.

“Shops, hotels, wedding halls, or institutions violating [Covid] SOPs will be sealed for 30 days,” he warned.

While responding to criticism by some quarters of the federal government on the new lockdown, Wahab said, “This isn’t an issue of the economy, but of health; the focus should be on convincing people, not on encouraging chaos.”

“No one from PPP issued statements over the announcement to enforce a lockdown in Punjab. Those in Karachi could not comprehend the situation in Punjab and likewise, those in Islamabad can not comprehend Karachi’s ground realities.”

The spokesperson added that the provincial government intends to work

coronaviruS in

pakiStan

CONFIRMED CASES:

1,029,811

LAST UPDATED AT 9:15 AM ON JULY 31, 2021

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

NEW CASES:

65

4,950

RECOVERED:

DEATHS:

940,164 23,360 SINDH:

PUNJAB:

380,093 356,211 KPK:

143,673

BALOCHISTAN:

AJK/GB: 24,145/8,096

30,289

ISLAMABAD:

87,304

PCB to take action against BCCI for interfering in KPL

along with the federal government and elaborated that CM Murad spoke with NCOC chief Asad Umar and SAPM Dr Faisal Sultan and “nowhere during the conversation did they object to a lockdown”.

“A matter related to humanity shouldn’t be turned into a political war; we must think about saving people from the disease,” he remarked. earlier on Friday, CM Murad Ali Shah had announced the imposition of a lockdown in the province till August 8 as cases had raised in the province and the port city – fuelled by the highly transmissible Delta variant of the pandemic.

Murad had announced that the aim of the lockdown was to reduce pressure on the hospitals and improve healthcare facilities, overcome the spread of the variant, and increase the number of vaccinations.

On Saturday, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari criticised the federal government for its criticism of the lockdown in Sindh, saying that Prime Minister Imran Khan and his ministers would be responsible if the Covid situation in Karachi became similar to India’s.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Bilawal said: “If coronavirus spreads in the province or in Karachi like [it did] in India then Khan sahab and his ministers will be responsible.” he added that the current back and forth is sending a message of “not one but two Pakistans” and pointed out the lockdowns placed by the ruling party on various cities in Punjab in the wake of rising cases.

g

FO CONDeMNS INDIA’S POlITICISATION OF CrICKeT news desk

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Saturday expressed its displeasure over reports of India’s cricket board forcing members of the International Cricket Council (ICC) to withdraw their players from the Kashmir Premier league (KPl).

The PCB said in its statement that it would “raise this matter at the appropriate ICC forum and also reserves the right to take any further action that is available to us within the ICC charter”.

“The PCB considers that the BCCI has brought the game into disrepute by issuing warnings to multiple ICC members to stop their retired cricketers from featuring in the KPl, further threatening [them that] they will not be allowed entry into India for cricket-related work. Such conduct from the BCCI is completely unacceptable, against the preamble of the spirit of cricket and sets a dangerous precedence, which can neither be tolerated nor ignored,” the statement reads.

On Saturday, Former South Africa opener herschelle Gibbs accused the Board of Control for Cricket in India of “threatening” him of denying him all cricketing activities in the future in India if he participates in the upcoming Kashmir Premier league.

Gibbs said: “Completely unnecessary of the BCCI to bring their political agenda with Pakistan into the equa-

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

Shehbaz demands probe into LNG purchase

more inside

Alvi urges youth to take part in efforts to limit climate change catastrophe

IsLAMABAd TLTP

Pakistan Muslim league-Nawaz (PMl-N) President Shehbaz Sharif has demanded a probe into the reports that the government purchased the most expensive liquefied natural gas (lNG) in Pakistan’s history.

The PMl-N president, who is also the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, while quoting an international media report about Pakistan’s lNG purchase said on Saturday that it validates the opposition’s claim of alleged embezzlement in the procurement of the lNG. The revelation has proved that the government is constantly “misrepresenting the nation”. Shehbaz said that PMl-N was buying lNG for $8 while the PTI-led government is buying for $15 dollars per metric million British thermal unit (MMBTU).

“The government is paying an additional $22.5 million on the import of one lNG ship,” Shehbaz stated in a statement, adding that an additional $95 million will have to be paid for the import of four lNG ships. he said the public will have to pay $15 per MMBTU of lNG this month, which is an injustice.

tion and trying to prevent me [from] playing in the KPl. [They are] also threatening me saying they won’t allow me entry into India for any cricket-related work. ludicrous.”

Following the threat from the BCCI, all foreign cricketers withdrew from the event which is set to begin on August 6. The six foreign cricketers, who have excused themselves from the KPl, are herschelle Gibbs, Matt Prior, Phil Mustard, Owais Shah, Tenu Best and Monty Panesar.

Taking stock of the new situation and considering the security of the foreign players, the KPl management apologised to the remaining foreign players. however, KPl President Arif Malik said that the tournament will go ahead as scheduled, adding that Pakistani cricketers will participate.

FO CONDEMNS INDIA’S POLITICISATION OF CRICKET: The Foreign Office condemned the “politicisation” of cricket

by India and termed it an “unfortunate and regrettable” development.

In a statement on Twitter, Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid hafeez Chaudhri said that depriving young Kashmiri players of the opportunity to share the dressing room with big names in cricket is “unfortunate and regrettable”.

“India’s politicisation of cricket cannot be condemned enough,” he added.

STORY ON BACK PAGE

he alleged that cheap lNG deals were available during the Covid-19 crisis but the PTI government deliberately delayed it despite being reminded by PMl-N that cheap lNG could be purchased during the Covid-19 crisis.

In September 2021, he maintained, the government will pay $387 million for importing 11 lNG ships. he said that Trafigura – one of the world’s largest independent lNG traders – had offered cheap lNG in writing but it was not accepted by the PTI government.

“A cheaper lNG deal would have saved Pakistan 35.2 million

dollars per ship,” Shehbaz said, adding if the contract for cheap lNG had been signed, the country would have imported 12 cargoes by now and saved a total of $422.4 million.

Moreover, the opposition leader said that the PTI government could order at least 14 cargoes but was deliberately importing less and due to this strategy, expensive electricity was being generated from the furnace oil. To add insult to injury, he said, that is why gas is not available in the country for the CNG sector as well as the industry.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

Pakistan hails eU parliamentarians’ letter on worsening humanitarian situation in IOK STORY ON BACK PAGE

Over 900,000 vaccinated in a day: Asad STORY ON PAGE 04

Turkey battles forest fires for fourth day STORY ON BACK PAGE

Sunday, 1 August, 2021

THE MEASURE OF A MAN

T

he passing of Arif Nizami does not just mean the end of one of the most distinguished careers of postPartition journalism, but that this newspaper has lost its founding editor. It is a measure of the man that this was not the only paper of which he was the founding editor, for he had previously been editor of The Nation from its founding in 1986 until 2009. he was also rare in having been a bilingual journalist, fluent in both english and Urdu, for that period, for he had been executive editor of Nawa-i-Waqt, the Urdu daily his father, hameed Nizami, had founded. he was a paragon of innovation, for after The Nation, which his father had conceived, he played a leading role in the founding of Waqt News, which he headed until he left the Group. however, this did not end his association with the electronic media, and he was an anchor with 92 News, until his death. even this newspaper is a departure from the more traditional broadsheet, being in the Berliner size. One of the practices of his entire career, recruiting young people fresh out of college, and then not just training them, but giving them independence and agency, may well be attributed to this spirit of innovation.

The many who were trained by him will testify that he never tried to impose an organisational template on anyone, giving them the

space to develop themselves. It is perhaps because of this that so many of those who worked for him have reached the commanding heights of journalism. he was not just a journalist, but had been destined to be one. Son of hameed Nizami, he did a masters in mass communications, and served the as President All-Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) several times, and was also President of the Council of Pakistan Newspaper editors (CPNe) at the time of his death. Both his professional training and organisational responsibilities made it inevitable that he would be such an outstanding fighter for press freedom. Over the years and until his untimely demise he confronted them all; military dictatorships, civilian governments and any force that challenged and undermined freedom of press.

It was not that he was naturally confrontational. A true Lahori, firm friendship was also one of his qualities, and he would go out of his way to use his good offices if he could. his friendships were subordinated to his being a newsman. his appetite for scoops remained undiminished even after he left the hurlyburly of daily reporting, which is where he started in Nawa-i-Waqt. Indeed, there he received hands-on training in every branch of the production process.

Arif Nizami never waved a flag, but was always a careful guardian of the national in-

terest, or rather custodian, for he did not really try to define it, leaving facts to do so. his engagement with the national interest made him accept in 2013 the Ministry of Information in the caretaker government that conducted the election that year. This engagement also made him disinclined to accept any dictation as to what it constituted. One of the remarkable things about him was the fact that while he worked very hard at the task of editing whatever newspaper he was responsible for, he managed a balance with family life. he never let his family feel neglected, and he was able to take out time for the finer things in life, such as art and films. having been bred and brought up in Lahore, he was not so much a hearty trencherman, as a discriminating one. Perhaps it is to this sense of taste that he made one departure from the journalistic norm, which was of sloppy dressing: he was a careful dresser, even a natty one. his contribution to the field of journalism in Pakistan must be seen in two contexts, not just that of a key profession, but one of service to the country as a whole, and that of carrying on the tradition of his illustrious father. In both aspects, he did not lag and carried forward both the principles he had imbibed, and those that his own experience had taught him. he had to fill a gap, and did so successfully, only to leave one in his turn. he will be sorely missed.

CMYK

Sunday, 1 August, 2021

Mr. Arif Nizami: We will always MISS you…

Arif Nizami By: HUmayUn GaUHar Arif Nizami died -- and the lights went out in my soul. I knew he was very ill, and dangerously so, but still I could never imagine his life coming to an end. It was one of the worst shocks I have had, after the death of my cousin Babar Tajammul, which I will never ever get over.

The last couple of years have been dreadful, with people I knew or close to me dying. I started wondering: why is this happening? It finally hit me: the problem is that people of my age group have entered the death zone, but our tendency is to think that we are indestructible, which is why we feel immortal. We forget that nothing is permanent, except the Almighty.

Arif was a unique individual. his was a life full of ups and downs. Above all, he was a survivor. he was the son of the famous hameed Nizami, founder of the Nawa-eWaqt Group who passed away early, in his mid-40s. At that time, Arif was just entering his teenage years, as was his brother. The newspaper began to flounder; hameed Nizami’s brother, Majeed Nizami, had started a rival publication called Nida-e-Mil-

lat. Majeed Nizami finally acquired the full shares of Nawa-e-Waqt as well.

After some time, Majeed wanted an english language newspaper too, and it fell upon Arif to launch ‘The Nation’ of which he became the founding editor with Majeed the editor-in-chief. The paper became a success.

Before Majeed died, he transferred the ownership of the Nawa-e-Waqt to his daughter. Arif though was made of sterner stuff and with the help of some friends launched ‘Pakistan Today’ which became the most readable newspaper in Pakistan.

The age of the printed word was dying, and electronic media had taken centrestage, and except for opinion columns there was very little new for Arif to print.

Yet, he made a go of it. Amongst the magazines that Pakistan Today printed, ‘Profit’ became and continues to be a terrific publication. That was the one of the great things about Arif; he understood the pulse of his craft better than most. he carefully assessed the gaps of the journalism market -- which made him a success.

Arif Nizami epitomized all that should be right in journalism. he was a man of strong and correct principles, on which he

never compromised. his analysis was thoughtful and loaded with substance. Always speaking and writing with conviction and authority, Arif Nizami became one of the most respected and admired journalists in the country. he wrote with clarity and honesty. On television, he was a voice of truth. The public respected his analysis and opinions greatly, as they knew his main endeavour was to speak the truth. he was never drawn into the current media climate, which centres on bias and hysteria. he was calm, considered and, above all, factual.

For three months, he also became the minister for information of a caretaker government. Towards the end, he focused primarily on his new baby, 'Pakistan Today'. however, he didn’t get enough time to institutionalize it.

There is nobody like him in journalism yet, and we will be hard pressed to find a replacement. hopefully, his son, Yousuf, will pick up the torch and carry it further. he will have our prayers. Rest in Peace, Arif. See you soon.

The writer is a veteran journalist, political analyst and author.

This article originally appeared in ‘The News’ on 29-07-2021

By: Syed Urooj Zafar Samdani There is so much I want to write about Mr. Arif Nizami, under whom I worked first at The Nation and then later on Waqt News. his passing away has left a void in me. he grew on people. he had that magical effect on them. I was always Samdani sb., to him even though I was much younger in age and stature, but then, this was just one of the so many traits that stood him apart from the rest.

I was just a youngster, still in college, when I started writing for The Nation. My father, (late) Zafar Samdani had taken me to him and I started writing regularly for The Nation. To say that I learnt from him would be an understatement. I learnt greatly from my days as a writer there under his able and loving guidance, supervision and mentorship. It was an open door policy in his office. One just had to inform his PS and walk in. There were no airs, no arrogance, no VIP status of a man who carried the legacy of the Nawa-i-Waqt group on his shoulders, one who kept The Nation up and running till he finally left it, unable to continue due to family politics.

I, consider myself one of those lucky

A FAREwEll TO pRiNTER’S iNk City Notes M A NiAzi

i

T would not be right to write these notes without saying that they were given their name by Arif Nizami.

They must have been a minor matter for him, as even I can realise, for he had many matters to deal with, many decisions to make, in the newspapers he edited.

But these notes have been of importance in my own life, for I’ve been writing them now for more than three decades. I never had any idea of writing them, and was then a wet-behind-the-ears reporter out of college only the year before, when I was summoned by the editor. Mr Arif Nizami was then what I would now regard as a mere stripling, but I then regarded him as an old man, not as ancient as Ahmad Aziz Zia, the

executive editor, or Jeff Plair, the news editor, but around the same age as Javed Nazir, our chief reporter, who was vigorous enough. But still old enough to have been my teacher in college.

Arif sahib briefed me about the happenings of an Iqbal Day function, The Nation had come out on the 1st of October, so this would be about a month after we had come into the market. I had not attended the function, but I took the brief, and scuttled off to write up the account. I batted it out on the old heavy-duty typewriters we then had. We went into the 1990 election computerised, but back then, in this very same galaxy, but a long, long time ago, it was those heavy old machines. Anyhow, once done, I took the result to Arif Sahib. he approved it, though I think he made a couple of changes with his pen. he then said that the piece should have a name. In fact, he said, I should

keep doing write-ups like that, and that it should be called ‘City Notes.’ For better or worse, these notes were born.

I went to get briefed for a couple of weeks before writing them, but after a while Arif sahib turned me loose, and left me to make of these notes what I would. I did. I’m not aware of how much he had to tolerate on my behalf, and where and how he defended me, not in those notes I wrote, but in the reports I filed. he backed us reporters to the hilt, that much I know. he had himself been one, which was probably the reason. he was also deeply committed to press freedom, as his activity in the All Pakistan Newspapers Society and the Council of Newspaper editors showed, and I found that he did not pass on the pressure he got to reporters. Let me assure you, if a reporter doesn’t know what pressure he has created, he will be more fearless.

One result was that Arif Sahib insisted on knowing that his report was correct. he never claimed the editor’s privilege of asking a reporter to disclose his source to him.

My own experience was that he would ask the reporter questions that went around the source, but did not find out who exactly it was. I presume that the principle was that if you didn’t know something, you couldn’t let slip even a hint. Arif Sahib knew how to walk that minefield. he had been there.

I would not claim to be among his circle of friends. however, I do claim to know those who were his friends. And they were basically people he had known a long time.

But I do claim to have been struck by something I heard from him (at one of those reporters’ meetings so long ago), “the graveyard is full of indispensable people.”

I don’t know where he got it from, but apparently there’s no firm attribution for the quote, which has been ascribed to people as

ones, who spent a lot of time with him first as a writer at The Nation and then later as the first head of Programming of Waqt News, which was his brain child. I was his choice, much before the channel was launched. he was a visionary, a gem, a giant of man, who loved the people working under him. he was gentle and compassionate and reminded me so much of my father.

In my almost thirty years of association with him, I never saw Arif. Sb. angry or impatient, even though, he went through a lot of mental pain and torture due to family politics. Still, he always had immense respect for the (late) Mr. Majid Nizami, his uncle. I can say that because I lived through those years and saw it with my own eyes during my time with Nawaiwaqt group and later.

I can go on and on about him. Words will never fail me when it comes to Arif sb.. I had messaged him a few days earlier that I wanted to come and see him, but alas! It was already too late.

I will always cherish the long and beautiful years that I spent in his company, at the fourth floor office in The Nation. he was never a boss, he was a friend, a mentor. he was Arif Nizami.

diverse as Churchill, de Gaulle and Clemenceau. Anyhow, when he spoke it, little did I know that I would have to juxtapose it with him much more closely to him than as the source. And it is perhaps only right that, on this occasion, we remember that this is where we will go ourselves.

This space will not suffice to sum up an acquaintance going back over so many years, but I will leave it by saying that after school and college,which is the best time for making friends, Arif sahib was by the most influential presence in my life. Newspaper editors are, for they are part of the daily routine of all their readers. Arif sahib was a good custodian for them, whichever paper he edited, this or another. he will be sorely missed, not just by the very wide circle of his acquaintances, but also by those many who never met him, but those who have their lives touched by his paper.

Sunday, 1 August, 2021

04 NEWS

LAHORE

Over 900,000 vACCiNAted iN A dAy: ASAd N NEws DEsk

ATIONAL Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) chief Asad Umar has said that Pakistan achieved a record daily Covid-19 vaccination milestone with more than 900,000 jabs administered in a single day.

Asad stated on Saturday that this was the fifth straight day (Friday) the country achieved a record number of vaccinations. The NCOC head added that this massive inoculation campaign has been made possible due to 2,600 vaccination centres and 2,979 mobile units operating across Pakistan.

“Vaccination records continue to be set daily. 5th straight day record vaccinations carried out. Yesterday the vaccination number crossed 9 lakh for the first time.

2,600 vaccination centres & 2,979 mobile units operating across Pakistan, to make this massive campaign possible,” Asad tweeted.

A day earlier, the NCOC announced that the federal

Punjab to suspend mobile phone services on Ashura LAHORE INp

The Punjab government on Saturday said mobile phone services would remain suspended on the 9th and 10th of Muharram for security reasons in specified areas of all the cities across the province. While it did not confirm exact timings, the cellular services — particularly in areas through which processions pass — are expected to remain suspended from morning till 6:00 pm on both days. The decision was taken at a high-level meeting of the officials of the provincial government. Meanwhile, the Home Department has sought a list of major cities from the office of Inspector General of Police for this purpose. Apart from that, it has also asked for the list of those districts in the province which are vulnerable to sectarian violence. The provincial government has decided that in Lahore, mobile phone services will remain jammed on the routes of Muharram processions only, and not in other areas.

government will be ramping up critical care capacity in Karachi as the Delta variant continues to spread unabated in the city. The country’s nerve centre for Covid response stated that it “critically reviewed” the rapid spread of the virus in the city and decided to assist the Sindh government through all possible measures.

It added that the centre will ramp up critical care capacity including ensuring the availability of oxygenated beds and vents.

The federal government will also be assisting the provincial government through the deployment of law enforcement agencies for the implementation of SOPs and other non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs).

Nearly 29.6 million vaccine doses have been administered in Pakistan to date, and those at the age of 18 or over are eligible for vaccination. However, only around 6.3 million people are fully vaccinated in the country of over 220 million.

Pakistan’s tally for confirmed virus cases reached 1,029,811 on Friday after 4,950 more cases of the

deadly virus were recorded from across the country in a day. At least 65 fatalities were also reported, taking the death toll to 23,360. As many as 1,321 recoveries were also recorded, taking the tally for recoveries to 940,164.

General elections will be held as per schedule: Rasheed NEws DEsk Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed on Saturday said that the next general elections will be held as per schedule in 2023, according to a news outlet.

According to the report, the minister said that politicians should understand that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is in a better position now. “General elections will be held in the country on time in 2023,” Rasheed said while addressing a ceremony in Rawalpindi.

He also predicted that the ruling party will form the next government in Sindh.

Talking about projects, he said Rawalpindi will be made a city of universities. He said Viqar-un-Nisa Post Graduate College will also be given the status of a university. He said the Nullah Lai expressway project is his priority and its completion will change the landscape of the city.

CONSPIRACIES BEING HATCHED TO DENT CPEC, SINO-PAK TIES: Talking to media persons on Saturday, Rasheed said that some forces are involved in conspiracies to undermine the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and Pakistan-China relations, adding that these elements will not succeed

in their nefarious designs.

The interior minister said that Pakistan-China relationship is higher than the Himalayas.

Regarding the abduction case of Afghan ambassador’s daughter, the interior minister said details of investigation into the incident and the video footage have been provided to the Foreign Office. He said that drivers of all three taxis used by the envoy’s daughter have been released as they were “innocent”.

Replying to a question, Rasheed said the accused in Noor Mukadam case will be brought to justice at all costs and will not be spared under any circumstances.

About the lockdown in Sindh, the minister said that a complete lockdown in Sindh will be damaging. He said the Sindh government should emulate Prime Minister Imran Khan’s policy of smart lockdown, which has also got worldwide recognition.

He said the province will cause loss to itself if a decision for a complete lockdown is taken and advised the provincial government to opt for a smart lockdown strategy. On a question regarding the Azad Jammu and Kashmir government, he said, “Prime Minister Imran Khan knows who will be the prime minister of Azad Kashmir.”

Chohan sent on two-week judicial remand LAHORE Staff RepoRt

A district and sessions court in Lahore on Saturday handed over a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf legislator from Punjab to police on two-week judicial remand. Nazir Chohan, an active member of Jahangir Tareen posse, was booked in May on the complaint of Minister of State for Accountability Mirza Shahzad Akbar who accused the former of levelling allegations concerning his faith during a television programme. Subsequently, the police arrested him Tuesday but released him the following day after he secured bail, only to arrest him again moments after under cyber laws. During the hearing, held after the completion of his two-day physical remand, the Federal Investigation Agency requested Judicial Magistrate Yousuf Abdul Rehman to grant an extension in the physical remand. The counsel for the agency told the court that Chohan was “not cooperating”, adding that his Facebook account was browsed and the said videos were found, for which voice sampling needed to be done.

After hearing the arguments, the judge rejected the agency’s request for extension in physical remand and remanded the legislator in judicial custody for two weeks. It also directed the FIA to submit a report regarding the investigation at the next date of hearing. The cybercrime wing of the agency had booked Chohan on Akbar’s complaint under sections 11 and 20 of Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, and read with 298, 500, 505(C), 506 of the Pakistan Penal Code and 29 of the Telegraph Act, 1885.

He and some others are accused of running “malicious and hate speech” campaigns against Akbar on social media platforms. Chohan had raised questions about the faith of Akbar.

Coronavirus infects 4,950, kills 65 in a day: NCOC NEws DEsk The fourth wave of coronavirus continues to strike Pakistan as the country recorded nearly 5,000 new infections, the highest single-day tally in the past two months, said the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Saturday. The country saw over 4,000 daily cases in the fourth day in a row, with 4,950 fresh infections on Saturday -- the highest since April 30. With the new additions, the country's overall case count reached 1,029,811. According to the NCOC, 4,950 fresh infections were detected over the last 24 hours after 58,479 Covid-19 tests were conducted. The positivity rate jumped to 8.64 percent. Some 65 more people lost their lives due to the disease, bringing the death toll to 23,360. At least 940,264 people have so far recovered from Covid-19 in the country, the data also showed, with the total number of active cases standing at 66,287. According to a province-wise breakdown, the total number of cases in Sindh has reached 380,093, 143,673 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 356,211 in Punjab, 87,304 in Islamabad, 30,289 in Balochistan, 24,145 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and 8,096 cases have so far been reported in Gilgit-Baltistan. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reported 591 new oronavirus cases during the last 24 hours, taking the tally to 144,264.

This is the highest number of reported cases in the province Since May 9 when 642 people contracted the virus. According to health officials, six more patients succumbed to the deadly virus as the death toll jumped to 4,462. They further said that 177 patients recovered overnight, taking the total to 136,107. The Sindh province is the epicentre of the fourth wave driven by the highly contagious delta variant, forcing the government to impose a week-long partial lockdown effective from Saturday to August 8. According to media reports, the positivity rate in Karachi was over 22 percent on Saturday and 26.32 percent - the highest on record yet -- a day earlier. The situation, though, has deteriorated in recent weeks, despite an expedited nationwide vaccination drive.

Pakistan leads South Asia in infrastructure development: report IsLAMABAD tLtp

Despite the unexpected shock from the Covid-19 pandemic, Pakistan has elevated one place to the fifth in infrastructure development, against the trend of an overall decline in the South Asian region. According to the annual report on the Belt and Road Infrastructure Development Index (2021), 71 countries were covered in the report, including 63 nations involved in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and eight Portuguese-speaking countries. Among the seven regions, Southeast Asia ranked number 1, with Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam taking the top four places. The Central and Eastern European region ranked at the bottom as it did last year. While South Asia was the only region suffering a major fall, declining from the third to sixth place in the index, due to a severe blow to the infrastructure development undermined by the rampant spread of the coronavirus in India, according to the China Economic Net. The report, jointly published by the China International Contractors Association and the China Export and Credit Insurance Corporation, was released at the 12th International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum (IIICF), a two-day event kicked off in Macao last week. The report pointed out that the overall index in 2021 rose to 113 from 110, turning the downward trend in 2020. This was largely attributed to easy fiscal and monetary policies put forward by major economies around the world and the global campaign of accelerating vaccination. Besides, the economy of the BRI countries has been recovering from the pandemic, driving the rebound of the infrastructure sector. The Belt and Road Infrastructure Development Index is a composite index, reflecting the environment, demand, heat and cost of the infrastructure development in BRI countries. The higher the score, the better the prospects of the infrastructure industry of a country and the more attractive it will be for enterprises to invest in the infrastructure industry in the country.

Sunday, 1 August, 2021

LAHORE

NEWS

Shehbaz demands probe into lng purchase continued from page 01 “If our proposal had been accepted, there would not have been a gas and electricity crisis in the country today and the nation would have got cheaper gas,” Shehbaz said. “This is not incompetence but the result of the desire to make money which should be investigated,” he demanded. Referring to multiple cases registered against PML-N leaders in connection with the LNG scandal, he said, cheap LNG buyers are facing jails and lawsuits while no one is holding accountable the world’s most expensive LNG buyers.

In addition, he said, long-term LNG purchase agreements are signed around the world but the PTI has adopted the method of spot purchase, which no other country in the world adopts. Responsibility should be fixed and they should be held accountable on grounds of robbing the country and the nation, Shehbaz said.

court extends Zahir Zakir’s physical remand

neWS deSK A district and sessions court in Islamabad on Saturday extended the physical remand of Zahir Zakir Jaffer, the primary suspect in Noor Mukadam's murder case, by two more days, according to a news outlet.

According to the report, Zakir was produced in the court of Judicial Magistrate Shoaib Akhtar under tight security following the completion of his three-day remand granted earlier in the week. During the court proceedings, the state prosecutor asked the court for a three-day extension in Jaffer's physical remand. The complainant's counsel argued that "new details and characters" were found from the analysis of 40 hours of CCTV footage, which require more investigation and thus the extension was sought. Jaffer's counsel, however, opposed the extension request and questioned the need for further physical remand when a polygraph test (lie detector test) was already conducted. The court accepted the extension request and remanded Jaffer for two more days to police custody for further investigation.

05

Sindh liftS ban on inter-provincial public tranSport, pillion riding

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continued from page 01

hey are undermining our efforts when in Karachi, the biggest economic capital of the country, the positivity rate is more than 30 percent,” he said. Bilawal said the Delta variant was “100pc more infectious” compared to the original virus, adding that it was the federal government’s responsibility to take care of every citizen. “Instead of taking care of us […] we are being called jahil (illiterate).”

Bilawal hit back at the government for its cavalier attitude, adding that this demonstrated that the government wanted to politicise all issues, including people’s health and lives. “They are not ready to do anything themselves and don’t let anyone else do anything.”

Bilawal said if government ministers were not satisfied with the policies adopted by the province then they should’ve “stayed quiet” and tried to help. “Instead they are sabotaging the Sindh government’s steps to protect the people.” he said the federal government had access to and looked at the same data available with the Sindh government including the extent of the disease spread in Karachi.

“They knew that the Sindh government would have to adopt such strictness. [Despite] this, people’s health and lives are being played with due to political reasons,” he said. earlier in the day, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry said that the Sindh government’s unilateral decision of imposing a complete lockdown in the province was “unconstitutional” and it is bound to hit the country’s economy hard. he was talking to a private television channel after visiting the residence of senior anchorperson Ajmal Jami

and offered condolences over the sad demise of the latter’s mother. The information minister was accompanied

by Minister of State for Information Farrukh habib.

Asking the Sindh government to revisit its coronavirus policy in consultation with the federal government, he said that Karachi is a jugular vein of the country’s economy and the decision would have adverse effects on the entire country.

Fawad said that the decisions of the Sindh government to control coronavirus in the province has raised serious concerns, adding that a complete lockdown in Karachi would hurt the national economy and add to the miseries of the common man. he said a curfew-like situation in the country’s economic hub – Karachi – is unacceptable. he asked the Sindh government to immediately lift the complete lockdown on the industrial sector, adding that the provincial government could not take unilateral decisions in the light of the Articles 149 and 151 of the Constitution and the verdicts of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

Fawad said that the Sindh government could not ignore federal government and National Command Operation Centre (NCOC) directions, adding that no province had the right to introduce complete lockdown as the provinces were bound by law to follow the government policies in letter and spirit. he said that complete lockdown would badly impact the daily wagers and labourers, adding that the industries, which had ensured 100 per cent vaccination of their workforce, should be exempted from the ban.

“The situation would have been different had the Sindh government implemented the coronavirus SOPs,” he said, stressing that the federal government had been extending full cooperation to the provincial administrations to curb coronavirus in the country.

Meanwhile, Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar urged the Sindh government to review its decisions regarding lockdown, especially those relating to closure of industries and transport.

In a series of tweets, the minister welcomed some changes by the provincial government in its Covid-19 related restrictions, but he said that there is need to bring further changes.

Asad hoped that the Sindh government would hold detailed consultations on all matters at a meeting of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Sunday. he was confident that this would lead to a strategy wherein all pillars of the state could collectively protect the health and livelihoods of people of Sindh.

Asad said the NCOC is a national platform and its decisions are not politically motivated but these are solely meant for betterment of the nation.

Reacting to the Sindh notification, the NCOC announced that the federally-administered sectors will continue to operate in line with Covid-19 SOPs in the province.

“In addition to the exemption given to some sectors in the notification issued by the Sindh government, the following federally administered sectors will also continue to operate in accordance with the Covid-19 SOPs,” read a statement issued by the NCOC. earlier in the month, health experts had warned that the eidul Azha holiday and elections in Azad Kashmir, both held in the month, could prove to be super spreader events.

Nationwide, Pakistan on Saturday reported 65 deaths and 4,950 new virus cases in the past 24 hours.

The country has reported 1,029,811 confirmed cases and 23,360 virus-related deaths since the start of the pandemic in February last year.

Minister condoles death of Arif Nizami LaHore app

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh habib visited on Saturday the residence of veteran journalist and former Pakistan Today editor Arif Nizami who passed away on July 21 to offer condolence to the bereaved family.

On the occasion, he offered a prayer for the departed soul. he said Nizami was a “shining star” of journalism and made efforts to carry forward the mission of his father and veteran journalist hameed Nizami. he described Arif’s death as a huge loss for the field of journalism and said his services and memory will always be cherished.

Treks, tours, and many facets of Azad Kashmir muZaffaraBad anadolu agency

From the mountainous slope overlooking the world’s most dangerous and highly militarised border called Line of Control (LoC) — dividing Jammu and Kashmir between India and Pakistan — it was an incredible sight on July 21, on the eve of eidul Adha.

Rival soldiers wearing white gloves were shaking hands and exchanging sweets on the narrow rope bridge over the roaring Neelam or Kisanganga River at Teetwal. Just a few months ago, these soldiers were targeting each other with mortars and shells.

The small village of Teetwal across the LoC on the Indian side in Karnah tehsil and an Indian military post was visible from the slope.

Redbrick houses with wooden rooftops and people walking on a dirt track were visible across the military line.

Noted Urdu writer Saadat hasan Manto had immortalised this village by authoring his famous short story, The Dog of Teetwal, where he described how soldiers bring the war to peaceful mountains and innocence of nature.

“The men (soldiers) cannot enjoy the pleasant surroundings because they are not there to enjoy life but to kill,“ he wrote half a century ago. But the ceasefire since February, which has silenced the guns has kicked tourism in Neelam Valley, the 144 kilometres (89 miles) remote mountainous northern strip of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

Ambitious hikers have returned by pitching their tents at a small camping site near historic Sharda town, which houses an ancient seat of learning. Crammed in colourful sturdy jeeps, groups of restless tourists are seen setting off to a rocky and curvy track that leads to the tantalising high altitude Ratti Gali Lake.

Others are proceeding to the panoramic Arrang Plateau in Kail town. yet another convoy was leading to striking Shounter Valley.

The area running parallel to the Kaghan Valley of Pakistan from north and Kupwara and Bandipora districts of Indian-occupied Kashmir from the south, hosts snow-covered peaks, some over 4000 meters above sea level.

The himalayan region, which has been a bone of contention between India and Pakistan since the two countries partitioned in 1947, following the end of the British colonial era is a treasure trove for nature lovers.

FASCINATING JOURNEY: Locals say the picturesque strip, along the 740 kilometres (460 miles) LoC was blazing with guns till February.

The fascinating five-hour drive on Neelam highway — the only road that connects the region with Muzaffarabad is dotted with snow-capped mountain peaks, and pine and deodar forests.

Some young boys who were going to play a cricket match against another village stopped my vehicle and asked for a lift while descending from Kail. Volleyball is another favourite sport in the remote region.

Many villages like the Keiran are divided in the middle by the LoC. The government has begun constructing a road from Kaeran to Sharda following the ceasefire.

Behind the wooden structures along the road are numerous orchids, the backbone of the Kashmir economy. Those who were involved in honey production, have also resumed their business following the cease-fire.

The 20 kilometres (12 miles) road from Sharda town to Kail is dotted with small honey production units overlooking the Neelam River.

“There was no tourism or business here before the ceasefire. Shelling and firing had been a routine affair,” Sardar Aurangzeb, a local journalist, told Anadolu Agency.

According to Khawaja Ikhlaq, a resident of Khawaja Sri village, half of the nearly 200,000 population of Neelam valley had migrated to Muzaffarabad and the adjoining

cities of Punjab due to shelling and firing from across the border in different phases over the past decade.

“Most of them have returned and resumed their closed businesses, including agriculture,” Ikhlaq said.

UNFORGETTABLE ORDEAL: Taking a short break from serving guests at a roadside motel in Sharda town, Maratib Ali narrated his unforgettable ordeal, when he was held in cross-firing between soldiers of Pakistan and India.

“Death was inches away. I had convinced myself that it was the last day of my life,” said Ali, 28, who works as a waiter and part-time cook at a motel.

“The shell fell with a deafening sound in the middle of the site where we were constructing a bunker for the family. There were screams, fire, and smoke everywhere (around). I do not know how did I escape from the sure death. All I remember is that I started running in panic towards a Pakistan army bunker,” he said.

The people, mainly children are complaining of psychological ailments because of living in a dangerous zone that witnesses firing and shelling almost on daily basis, said Mushtaq Shah, a migrant from Srinagar, the capital of Indian-occupied Kashmir.

“We sincerely pray that may this ceasefire lasts long. We want to live in peace,” he said.

On the foothills of lofty mountains, Muzaffarabad, located at the confluence of Jhelum and Neelam rivers is bubbling with activity. It is hard to imagine that this bustling city was once razed to the ground by a powerful earthquake in 2005 that killed 80,000 in the region. The city was turned into rubble.

With the help of many NGOs and the help of the Turkish government as well, the city is back to life. Dotted by pencil minarets and flat domes, the imprints of Turkish liberal aid that helped to rebuild the city, post-

cmYK

2005 devastating earthquake, is quite visible.

The Ottoman-style mosque has emerged, one of the startling features of the landscape of this tiny city, housing a population of 150,000.

“Ankara’s support in the rebuilding of the earthquake-hit areas, particularly Muzaffarabad has been enormous. It not only provided financial support but also lent technical assistance to ensure the sustainability of new infrastructure in case of another natural calamity strikes,” said Mohammad Khizr, a senior journalist.

RECONSTRUCTION STILL UNDER PROCESS: Although it has been over 15 years, the reconstruction process is still in process. Over 1,500 schools across the valley are still dysfunctional due to incomplete reconstruction.

Unlike the comparatively homogeneous nature of Kashmir Valley across the LoC under Indian administration, the AJK is vastly heterogeneous, inhabiting scores of ethnicities, locally known as biradaris.

Whether it is elections or the fight for resources issue, the loyalties to their biradaris reign supreme in the minds of locals.

Seven major castes or biradaris, Gujjar (Chaudhry), Jaat, Sudhan, Rajput, Syed, Khawaja, and Awan have been dominating the socio-political scene in the region.

In the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir which existed before 1947, Muzaffarabad and the Neelam areas were part of the Kashmir Valley region. The remaining areas, that now form part of AJK were extensions of the Jammu region.

Culturally, Muzaffarabad and Neelam valley are close to Kashmir Valley.

Talking about Kashmir without its trademark phern (cloak), kasaba (headgear for women) and pashmina shawl are like writing about a male deer skipping his beautiful horns. Despite everything changing in the whirl of time, the pheran and kasaba have re-

mained a tradition in the region.

Made of pure wool with intricate hand embroidery, phern is the traditional outfit for both males and females in the Kashmir Valley.

The famous headgear of the Neelum valley is called kasaba in the local language.

“Kasaba is worn by the elder lady of the house. It is also stitched and embroidered for brides in colourful patterns,” said Rukhsana Khan, head of the Art and Design department of the University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

The colourful embroidered casual caps are made and used by young ladies. The caps used by older ladies are simple in style with the collage of cloth and threads.

CONNECTIONS WITH CENTRAL ASIA: According to Khan, famous Chinese tourist huien Tsang who visited the region in the seventh century praised the dresses of the Kashmir Valley and described them as attractive in colouring, designing, and the use of pattern.

She said that male figures in the sculptures and brick tiles unearthed from harwan village near Srinagar dating back to the third century BC have been found wearing fitted trousers or pyjamas and Turkoman cap. The costumes of the figures reflect the influence of Centre Asian culture on Kashmir and its adjoining regions.

“There is a continuity of these traditional crafts that inhabitant of the valley is still using with little alterations,” Khan said.

Central Asia is also home to Sufi saints followed and revered in Kashmir. Mir Syed Ali hamadani’s grave lies in the Kulub province of Tajikistan. he is credited with bringing Islam to Kashmir, which is perhaps the only region in South Asia, where upper caste hindus converted to Islam in large numbers.

Another most-followed saint, 14th-century Bahauddin Naqshband — founder of Naqshbandi order — is buried in the outskirts of the city of Bukhara.

Sunday, 1 August, 2021

06 COMMENT

A note about my late father

Crimes against women The tip of the iceberg

W

oMeN MNAs belonging to the pTI, pMl(N) and ppp delivered highly emotional speeches against the rape and murder of women and children during Friday’s sitting and made an impassioned plea for the public hanging of those who perpetrate the heinous crimes. Keeping in view several cases of the sort reported from across the country in the month of July alone, one can understand, though not justify, the demand for public hanging by the speakers.

Rapes are grossly under-reported in the country with most cases going unregistered with the police. The major hurdle is the tendency of a misogynistic society to blame female victims for bringing the crime on themselves by their appearance, actions, or being at the wrong place at the wrong time. In rural areas the local elite having close connection with the police, it is difficult for the poor to get a rape case registered against the powerful. parents often avoid getting a case registered fearing that it would bring shame to the family. There have been cases of rape victims setting themselves ablaze after police failed to register the case or prepared a weak case leading to the influential rapist getting the bail or a clean chit.

While public hangings may assuage the widespread public outrage over the recent rape and murder cases, there is little to show that these would put an end to the widespread prejudice against women, improve the police working, or upgrade the investigation machinery to ensure the conviction of the accused. There is no evidence to support the belief that enhanced punishments reduce the recurrence of gruesome acts. public hangings were introduced by Ziaul Haq in 1981 to sentence a child molester and killer. These however failed to put an end to similar crimes against minors.

Countries with low crime rates do not punish their convicted criminals in horrendous ways while those which do so are not crime-free. Instead of enhanced punishments the government has to change the ‘thana culture’, improve and modernise the crime investigation system and ensure that no one who commits a crime can walk free. The fear that none can escape punishment is a greater disincentive than public hanging. one would agree with Federal Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari that only laws would not work because there was a need to change the mindset of society about women.

Memories, memories Yousaf Nizami

‘Y

oU don’t simply do journalism. You have to live it’. This is what my late father Arif Nizami would say to me whenever my work was not up to par. It wasn’t something that he just said, he abided by it. Having seen him at home as a father and husband while also having the pleasure of working under him in this paper for what now seems like an unfortunately brief period, I can safely say that his commitment and dedication to his work was simply unparalleled. In fact, even during the last few months of his life, despite the doctors and his body telling him to dial it down, he still wrote the columns that needed to be written, briefed reporters on stories that warranted telling and appeared on television for his show, ready to analyze the news in his own gentle and unique way for the viewer.

This is not to say that he was a workaholic, as one of his many talents was to maintain a fair balance between work and family. Although, due to the nature of the job and the uninterrupted flow of news, the work was always there, but whenever I required his undivided attention to seek advice or just to talk, he was there for as long as I needed him. I think it will be those conversations we had, where he would draw upon his own life experiences to impart valuable wisdom, that I will miss the most.

He was a cultured man, a fan of good music, especially jazz, a film and TV buff who enjoyed good food. I experienced and learned to spot the good stuff because he introduced me to it at an early age. He remained terribly busy throughout his life but would take time out for himself, grab a book, put on some light music in the background and just read in his study. I can’t forget those weekly dinners we would go to as a family, typically a new place that had opened up, where without fail someone from the office would walk in around 9pM with first drafts of

Exceeding the tax target

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He first month of the ongoing financial year has been encouraging, but it should highlight the danger areas for policymakers, rather than cause too much jubilation. The Federal Board of Revenue must be feeling pleased with itself at having managed a first-month collection of Rs 410 billion against a monthly target of Rs 341.7 billion, but while this will be helpful in meeting the whole-year target of Rs 5.829 trillion, it would be too early to declare a trend. Before either the government or the IMF get their hopes up, it would be necessary to wait for at least a couple more months of such good news. To look on the bright side, the FBR exceeded its July target as well, and then went on to achieve that target.

But exactly how good is the news? The FBR has seen an increase in taxes levied on imports at the import stage. That will not only have an inflationary effect, as importers pass through the higher tax burden, but the increase in those duties, as well as those on other indirect taxes, are regressive. As for progressive taxes, like the income tax, there has been no comparative growth. This indicates that the government has failed to widen the tax base, or ensure that those within the tax net do not make use of loopholes in the law to get away with paying less than their fair share. As the budget contained no measures designed to increase the tax base, or to improve the efficiency of the tax machinery, this was to be expected. The increases have been due to inflation, not increased tax-machinery efficiency. Without properly increasing the tax base for direct taxes, increases in the collection would not be sustainable.

Though the present government has fulfilled none of its thunderous pre-election promises for taxation reform, it has two years left in its tenure, which should allow it to do the needful. The country is hurtling towards a debt crisis like never before, and the only solution is to increase revenue; over the long haul, not just for a month or two.

Is Roman Urdu the way forward for literacy?

Rabia ahmed “The unexamined life is not worth living” –Socrates

P

eople must have the ability to read and write to be able to work at most professions, and also so that they may be aware of what happens around them, but several things prevent them from doing so. Illiteracy of course is the major factor preventing people from reading, and censorship is another. Neither of them is a new phenomenon.

They both involve words.

Words are easily the most powerful things in the world: words on paper, as well as spoken words.

We grope desperately for them if the right words do not come to mind, and a sudden or prolonged silence between individuals can be more unpleasant than a physical dispute. Words are potent, they can change the course of events, move obstacles and transform lives. That is why, throughout history, words— not guns or bombs— have posed the biggest threat to those who seek to remain in power.

Guns after all can only kill and bombs destroy, and then what? power means nothing if there is no one to wield it over. plato in the Apology, called his mentor Socrates ‘Myops’, which in english means ‘Gadfly’; the name refers to Socrates’ ability to chafe the Athenian political scene, and not allow it to become com-

Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor

Yousaf Nizami M. A. Niazi

Umar Aziz

Joint Editor

Joint Editor

Executive Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

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Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

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seen in action and endorses my belief that genuine unadulterated kindness always reciprocates.

Apart from the plethora of tribute messages I have come across since his passing, the ones from his former and current colleagues are the most touching. Their experiences with ‘Arif saab’ defined in their testimonials have allowed me to glimpse into how he operated, running a tight ship, allowing his team the freedom to pursue important stories fearlessly, while having their back. He was after all, for the longest time, a reporter himself, and he never really shed that skin of his.

Arif Nizami lived a full life on his own terms.

He was more than just a father to me, he is my idol and his loss will be insurmountable. It is however an undeniable fact and I would be remiss not to mention here that none of what my father achieved in his life would be possible without his wife, my mother, in his corner. They both navigated through happiness, pain and suffering together as a team and came out stronger each time. Theirs was a codependency and relationship that even the worst of times and people could not compromise or damage.

Rest in peace Abba!

Apart from the plethora of tribute messages I have come across since his passing, the ones from his former and current colleagues are the most touching. Their experiences with ‘Arif saab’ defined in their testimonials have allowed me to glimpse into how he operated, running a tight ship, allowing his team the freedom to pursue important stories fearlessly, while having their back. He was after all, for the longest time, a reporter himself, and he never really shed that skin of his

The power of words

One good month is not a trend

Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

the editorials for the morning paper that he would edit there and send back. There were no smartphones back then, just paper, printers, faxes and a red ink pen. one of his passions, other than journalism, was to dress well and I was told the other day by my uncle that this was something he inherited from his late father Hameed Nizami. Suits, ties, shoes and cufflinks; he would meticulously yet effortlessly combine a variety of these items he had in his wardrobe for formal and official engagements, looking dapper each time, while maintaining a completely separate section for the more informal of occasions. I have always tried to copy his style with some success; I still do and will continue to do so. It was an important part of his persona, to look good anywhere he went as it complemented the sort of person he was, good at heart and always there to help.

‘Your friends are your asset, invest in them, you won’t be sorry’. This is a belief that my father lived by with unwavering devotion. Throughout the trials and tribulations that he faced during his life, there was always an individual or a group of people eager to do their part, just as he had done for them when they needed him. I have grown up around these individuals; these are strong men and women who don’t forget a favour. It is a valuable life lesson that I have

placent, very much like a spur or a biting insect pushing at a slow-moving horse. According to plato, Socrates believed that one must ‘question everything, admit what you do not know, and never stop seeking wisdom/knowledge.’ His weapons, to put it another way, were words. And for his pains Socrates was condemned to death, by drinking poison. Free speech and the tendency to question and seek knowledge has never been welcome to those who seek to remain in power at any cost, censorship is nothing new; people encounter it every day all over the world.

There are so many avenues through which information reaches us, the old means such as newspapers, magazines and books, the relatively newer ones such as the radio, television and the newest and most potent of all, the internet. None of the older means of communication were as interactive as the internet, as a result of which more people use the ‘net than they ever read.

There is a cell phone in almost every hand, even in poor countries, making it harder and harder to prevent information from being disseminated. This poses a problem for those seeking to control, but not for those seeking to facilitate reading.

The population of pakistan is predominantly uneducated, but this has not stopped its people from accessing social media. They use it not simply to listen to inane jokes on Tik-Tok, but also to message each other. even those who do not otherwise read, manage to message each other on their phones.

Take for example the following message from a young man to his employer: Baji ji may aaj nahi aa sakta. Behen bimar hai.

Mai us ko huspatal lay ja raha hoon

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

The writer is Editor, Pakistan Today. He can be contacted at yousaf.nizami@pakistantoday.com.pk

The young man who wrote this knows enough of the english alphabet to be able to convey his Urdu message in Roman script, even though, if he were given an english book meant for students even at the secondary school level, he would be unable to read it. You wonder why he did not use the Arabic script to convey the same message.

The reason is that the Arabic script, beautiful as it is, does not come off as well on electronic media as the Roman does. The Arabic script is always written in the cursive style. There is no provision in that script for each letter to be written separately.

It is hard to decipher small Arabic script, dots and all, on a phone as compared to a similar sized Roman script. And when it is written in the cursive it is not easy on the eyes with the dots and dashes not always where they ought to be. And so, the legibility of the Arabic script takes a knock. This is why an increasing number of people— and they are not always uneducated— have taken to writing as the young man did above.

It is possible that this is one way to encourage people to read and write— on the phone, for which the Roman script is far better suited than the Arabic.

It would definitely be worth considering replacing the Arabic script by Roman as far as Urdu is concerned, to make it easier for people to communicate. It isn’t unheard of. Turkey has done it, as has Malaysia. Arabic is always taught separately in pakistan in any case, so that children can learn to read the Quran. If Urdu turns Roman in an organized fashion, would this help in the fight against illiteracy? Changing a script does not mean leaving behind a literary heritage, because the words themselves, the powerful aspect of language, would remain. If changing a script means more people can read that literary heritage, and more people can learn about the world, would this make it harder to impose opinions, and foist incorrect information upon them?

Changing a script does not mean leaving behind a literary heritage, because the words themselves, the powerful aspect of language, would remain. If changing a script means more people can read that literary heritage, and more people can learn about the world, would this make it harder to impose opinions, and foist incorrect information upon them?

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Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

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Rabia Ahmed is a freelance columnist. Read more by her at http://rabia-ahmed.blogspot.com

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Sunday, 1 August, 2021

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

A case against zoology/botany

Monsters on the prowl Justice should be quick and it should be promptly executed

Candid Corner

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Raoof hasaN

He gruesome and barbaric murder of a 27-year-old girl, Noor Mukadam, in Islamabad just a day before eid has jolted the city like nothing else could. people still find it difficult to believe that some such dastardly thing could actually happen in their city. every time I speak to my daughter, Mahnoor, who is at a college in Boston, she begins sobbing. Noor was a couple of years her senior at school. She knew her as young kids would know one another. No matter how hard I try, she won’t be consoled. She continues to languish in a state of disbelief. She actually wants me to tell her it was all a rumour. It has not happened. people tell me young girls are afraid of sleeping in their bedrooms, even stepping out of their homes. They are just scared. Is this the way we would wish our country to be recognised in the world – by the number and savagery of its predators? everyone is clamouring for the guilty to be punished. But, tragically, this is going to be a long and treacherous trail on the way to securing justice for the deceased. particular apprehension was being expressed that, being a dual national, the killer, Zahir Jaffer, scion of a moneyed family, still be delivered in this country. That fear is no longer a factor since the US embassy has issued a statement saying that it would not interfere in the case.

By all accounts that I have heard, Noor was a wonderful child in the prime of her life. people who knew her tell me that a smile never deserted her face. That speaks of the goodness that she nurtured within her, which may also have been one of the reasons why she was trapped by this monster, ending her life in such a savage and heinous manner. She did not deserve it, nor would any child if subjected to a similar fate.

It is not important why she was where she was, or what was she doing there, or how did she get there. The important thing is that she was decapitated by a person whom I shudder to call a human. He is some animal on the prowl wearing a human mask. He is a monster, a demon, a behemoth. There are punishments prescribed for such animals in the Constitution of pakistan. The state and its leadership must ensure that those punishments are awarded and executed as, otherwise, there would be no writ to work with. It must also be done without delay, which is traditionally associated with the decayed justice system that is practised in this country.

What is worrisome is that cases of rape, murder, acid throwing, burning and such other crimes have been on the increase in our society.

This could be because of the innate frustrations that it is afflicted with. But, more than that, it is because of the absence of justice in our midst.

Such cases, if registered at all, linger on for years which are ultimately either dismissed altogether, or end with meting out cosmetic punishments which are a joke.

There is no organised and credible facility for treatment and rehabilitation of such people as would be available in all civilised countries.

In spite of the increasing number of these monsters roaming around, no attention is paid to set up curative centres so that these animals could be taken off the streets. The worst aspect is the presence of quack facilities which operate with abandon, without any professional expertise, dishing out certificates which render just about everyone eligible to delve into an immensely risky area of therapy which requires the highest level of qualification and training. every second person one meets, particularly among the elitist segments of the society, is engaged in some such activity for the sake of minting quick money.

Therapy Works which has been mentioned in connection with Noor’s murder appears to be one example of how unprofessionally monsters are spread out in the society in the name of helping people with their psychological maladies.

The availability of drugs in Islamabad has assumed harrowing proportions. According to those who are aware, these are home-delivered by the agents of drug dealers. So many bright young people have fallen victim to this curse. Their lives and careers have been ruined and those of their parents turned into living hells. A comprehensive and urgent clamp-down should be ordered against this nefarious trade and their perpetrators brought to swift justice.

Noor is gone and shall not return. But none else should be as barbarously treated as she was. The first priority is that she gets justice and the person who put her through this along with all his aiders and abettors are duly punished for this bestial crime. No one should be spared on one pretext or the other. Understandably, effort is being made to exert pressure on Noor’s parents to compromise and take ‘khoon baha’ (money for blood). In spite of the abominable harm this law has done to our society, it remains part of our legal parlance. This and all other such pressure tactics should be resisted with full might of the state and society.

The justice system itself emerges as the main culprit in such cases. In spite of ample proof of crime available, the judgment takes a trip to eternity and back to be pronounced.

Noor’s case should be tried on a daily basis and its judgment handed down within a stipulated period of time which should not exceed three months at the most. There is non-contentious ev-

idence available which should be enough for the judgment to be dispensed.

In the existent state of disrepair that the society is trapped in, the above would appear to be a dream bucket list. But we should not forget that the way we are losing out on some of our brightest stars and finest human beings can actually ruin the very fabric of life around us. It already hangs by a tenuous thread. Unfortunately, no attention is paid to such ailments unless a mammoth tragedy strikes us. even then, we largely remain hostage of a dysfunctional system which works by contacts, pressure and pelf, gradually leading people to losing faith in it and taking the delivery of justice in their own hands.

This is why we have an imponderable level of barbarity in our midst which is becoming a near norm. This is plain scary.

The society needs healing. It should be constantly reminded of its infirmities and the criminal germs which have penetrated within its layers. There is no quick recipe to get rid of that.

But it is also a reality that, to facilitate even a minimal cure of the society, it must not only be rid of these maladies, but also their causes – the latter being more important than the former because if that does not happen, instances of this kind would continue to be repeated, ever more frequently, ever more brutally.

And the government alone will not be able to do this. It is through a collective effort comprising the state and the people that we can cope with the challenge which has grown alarmingly in the recent past and which poses a threat to our homes, our families, our children, our peace and our surroundings.

We can’t sit back and let the government handle it all. We have to be up there in front urging and helping it accomplish this immensely challenging task.

Violence is a stigma on the face of the society. even a sea of tears cannot wash away the pain that Noor’s parents, her siblings, her friends and the noble among the society will suffer from for a lifetime. let’s not allow her passing to go in waste. let’s erect a plaque somewhere close to where the grisly murder was committed, or any other appropriate place, in remembrance of her sacrifice and the need for cleansing this society of its violent streak and teaching it the lofty ideals of humanity and kindness. I believe Noor deserves at least this to always remind us that she suffered to leave behind a message of compassion and goodness.

Violence is a stigma on the face of the society. Even a sea of tears cannot wash away the pain that Noor’s parents, her siblings, her friends and the noble among the society will suffer from for a lifetime.

Let’s not allow her passing to go in waste. Let’s erect a plaque somewhere close to where the grisly murder was committed, or any other appropriate place, in remembrance of her sacrifice and the need for cleansing this society of its violent streak and teaching it the lofty ideals of humanity and kindness

The writer is a political and security strategist, and heads the Regional Peace Institute – an Islamabad-based think tank. Email: raoofhasan@hotmail.com.

Twitter: @RaoofHasan

SINGle national curriculum initiative is a good step but it mainly aimed at eradicating inequality and discriminatory feelings amongst the diversified population of pakistan at the primary level only. our education system is going through plenty of drawbacks which require reforms. But here I want to draw the attention of government to an overshadowed unnoticed plight in our education system. That the government should not let our youth get wasted by putting their energies and time in useless, fruitless degree programs. We are producing a massive amount of useless workforce that could give no contributions to the socioeconomic development of the country. I want to point out at the bachelors, masters, Mphil and phD programs in Zoology and botany in pakistan. Approximately half million students take admission in these disciplines every year. Neither a single student come out as a potential contributor to the society till now, in both disciplines. There is a fruitless cycle going on since decades, that a student gets admission in zoology/botany at bachelor level then does masters, Mphil or phD in the same discipline and started teaching the same in any college or university and the cycle repeat itself again and again. That youth, energy, time and money could be invested in a more skilled or productive work which could bring some utility to the society and the state. When it comes to zoo services, there are only 14 zoo in pakistan, which don't require any services of a zoologist in reality, they need a veterinary doctor there.

There is no need of such ridiculous degree programs when there are prevailing other parallel programs like veterinary sciences, environmental science, agricultural science, microbiology, biochemistry, genetics, wildlife management etc. I am not arguing to discard the zoology/botany degree programs completely from pakistan but atleast the Government should immediately take some measures to reduce such useless degree programs to a short diploma course levels. This will eventually persuade a shift of fresh-energetic youth towards the other disciplines which are not that useless. For those students who have no interest in studies, but still want to be known as graduates due to social pressure and their integrity, should avail the option of "BA" and "MA" degree programs as they are not that unproductive as the above mentioned degree programs.

Heera KHalid laHore

Functions of student societies SoCIeTY is a group of folks that commonly proportion values, requirements and pastimes. scholar is an important pillar in building and educated society as schooling is the idea for dwelling in a world network as change, industry, financial or political.

For the prosperity and betterment of a society, the foremost position of pupil is to acquire expertise and wisdom and should now not waste his/her treasured time carelessly. He ought to put up himself to the regulations of discipline to construct a civilized society. They have to understand their roles and duties in the direction of a elegant society.

They must expand conduct of self-reliance and attempt no longer to apply unfair approach in each thing. A scholar can recognize and help common humans to understand their rights. he is expected to be properly informed as well as balanced in his perspectives. He have to recognise that he is ready to offer his co-operation and services for the well being of the society. As he's conscious of right and wrong, top and awful; he will no longer comply with any other guy dictates blindly. scholar must contribute himself for improvement, choose and act for a civilized society. they will stand for the strength of will, truthfulness, high sense of obligation and honor, spirit of provider and sacrifice. A pupil have to recognise his skills and put it to use in a proper manner. fabric attention and getting reputation ought to not pass him from the right direction. If we had a look on records, we see that students played essential function in the course of struggle for independence. but sadly, now-a-days students waste their time and attention in pastimes, as education is most effective away to get academic stages. these days the conduct of college students is very casual, which if no longer diverted right into a healthy channel could take form of destruction. college students of today are leaders of the next day so they have to perform their duties for the goodness of their society and in the long run for his or her cherished native land.

The university and college college students are just like the sinews of society. they are matured, extra responsible and aware socially and politically. accordingly, they could carry out their responsibilities and help in developing a healthful tone of the society, sadly, they have got evolved bad, as a substitute unfavorable altitudes.

They take pride in bunking faraway from the lessons, in jogging truant and in sowing wild oats. They overlook their studies; use unfair way in the examinations and try and skip with the aid of hooks or crooks. They overlook that they're the future hopes of the us of a.simplest patriotic, law-abiding and disciplined youths (college students) can uplift the society and construct the state. they could make a contribution to social work in diverse ways. in preference to wasting energy in regional and political rivalries, they can assist in positive programmes. they are able to educate the illiterate and take person training inside the night. they can assist in preventing against social evils. they are able to do lots in maintaining the city easy, in producing site visitors feel most of the humans. they can render helping hand to the sick, old and terrible. they could play the position of second for the police.

KaSHif ali KHoSSo dadu

Drive carefully THe number of fatal accidents have been increasing in our country. Just a few days ago, I witnessed a car accident near my house. luckily the driver was safe. However, in many cases, people aren’t lucky. The main reason for these accidents is reckless driving. parents also allow their underage children to drive cars or ride motorcycles. These traffic authorities need to take strict steps to ensure that people are following the traffic rules. We need to make sure that all roads are safe.

Murwarid Nazir aHMed JuSaK

Sunday, 1 August, 2021

08 WORLD VIEW

For The FBI, a ShameFul annIverSary PAGE TEXTED TO STRZOK, "[TRUMP'S] NOT EVER GOING TO BECOME PRESIDENT, RIGHT?" STRZOK RESPONDED, "NO. NO HE WON'T. WE'LL STOP IT." STRZOK LATER TESTIFIED, UNDER OATH, THAT HE COULD NOT REMEMBER SAYING THAT

WashingTon examiner

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Byron york

OR the FBI, a shameful anniversary.

Five years ago, on July 31, 2016, the Federal Bureau of Investigation opened Crossfire hurricane, its investigation of the presidential campaign of former President Donald Trump.

Some parts of the bureau had been looking into allegations of collusion between the campaign and Russia even before the investigation began. But on July 31, the FBI started the process that led to a million leaks, enormous damage to candidate Trump, and then President-elect Trump, and then President Trump, the abuse of the government's secret surveillance court to wiretap a lowlevel Trump adviser, efforts to impeach the president, more leaks, media hysteria, and, finally, the investigation of special counsel Robert Mueller, who could not establish that collusion — he called it "conspiracy" or "coordination" — ever took place, much less that Trump or anyone associated with him was involved with it.

It was a multi-year wild goose chase.

And it did incalculable damage to the country. Certainly, some portion of the distrust of the FBI that exists today is the direct result

of the bureau's fruitless pursuit of Trump.

But you say: What about all those convictions and guilty pleas Mueller won? Manafort, Gates, Papadopoulos, Stone, and more. Remember: Those were mostly crimes of personal corruption, such as tax evasion, or process crimes, such as lying to investigators. Mueller never charged anyone with playing any role in any Trump-Russia plot because he could never establish that any such plot existed.

For that, the FBI sacrificed its standards and reputation. It did appalling things. One of the worst examples: In the fall of 2016, it hired Christopher Steele, the former British spy who compiled the sensational and false dossier on Trump. Steele had, of course, been commissioned and paid by the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee. But then the FBI hired him to continue his partisan, anti-Trump digging for the U.S. government. For anyone concerned about the ethics of law enforcement, it was an astonishing moment. As it turned out, the FBI had to back out of the deal when it became clear Steele was talking to the press in a desperate attempt to publicize his false charges before the election. But then the FBI established a back channel to Steele and kept using his material anyway.

The top FBI officials involved in the anti-Trump effort showed inexcusable bias.

In August 2016, at the height of the presidential campaign, the leader of Crossfire hurricane, FBI official Peter Strzok, was texting with the woman with whom he was

having an extramarital affair, fellow FBI official Lisa Page. Page texted to Strzok, "[Trump's] not ever going to become president, right?" Strzok responded, "No. No he won't. We'll stop it." Strzok later testified, under oath, that he could not remember saying that. No recollection at all. But no matter.

The inspector general of the Justice Department, Michael horowitz, concluded that the text messages between Strzok and Page "raised serious questions about the propriety of any investigative decisions in which Strzok and Page played a role." Indeed, they did.

In January 2017, the FBI's actions led to one of the most atrocious scenes in recent political history, or perhaps all political history.

The nation's top intelligence chiefs, including FBI Director James Comey, went to Trump Tower to brief President-elect Trump on the results of what was known as the Intelligence Community Assessment, that is, the investigation into Russian efforts to interfere with the 2016 election. As the briefing ended, Comey asked to speak to Trump alone.

When it was just the two of them, Comey relayed to Trump the most salacious, destruc-

George W Bush should shut up and go away BUSH IS A MASS MURDERER. HE SHOULD BE SHARING A BUNK BED WITH RATKO MLADIC AT THE HAGUE, NOT GIVING INTERVIEWS ON AFGHANISTAN IN MAINE

al Jazeera

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Andrew MitrovicA

y now, George W Bush should have completed volumes one and two of his prison letters.But, as we know, the world is not a just place. So, like all the other American presidents who have avoided the dock despite the crimes they have committed at home and abroad, the former US president remains a free, and, indeed, carefree, man.

I suspect that Bush is happy, too, biding his time during his “golden years” painting what can charitably be described as globby, deformed “portraits” and tending to the tangled bush on his Texas estate.

It is inconceivable to me, though, that a once immensely powerful man who is almost singularly responsible for two calamitous wars-of-choice which have caused such immeasurable harm and suffering to so many innocents, in so many places, could ever experience a genuine moment of stillness, let alone happiness.

I wonder, as well, if Bush ever pauses from his painting and gardening to consider the appalling measure of his guilt or shudders at the unfolding and halting scope of the profound, disfiguring consequences of his many and manifest crimes against decency and humanity.

That may well be a largely rhetorical question since one of the principal qualifications of becoming president is the necessity to kill, maim, and traumatise other human beings in the murderous pursuit of the ever malleable US

“national interest”.

So, Bush likely finds considerable solace in the slimy evasion that being president is often a thankless, dirty job that requires, on occasion, the occupant to order “hits” – big and small – against America’s “enemies” just like a mafia don, but with a much larger, more wellequipped army, of course.

I have pondered these questions lately about this banal, unrepentant killer and torture-approving thug with a presidential library because, rather than finally doing the world a smidgen of service by permanently shutting up in lieu of being charged, Bush continues to believe, incredibly, that his musings on war and diplomacy have serious merit and should be heeded. earlier this month, Bush was interviewed at his palatial summer home in Kennebunkport, Maine, by a German broadcaster with apparently nothing better to do with its time and resources.The agreeable tête-à-tête was billed as a “rare” departure of form for Bush, who reportedly avoids sit-down interviews with journalists.Gee, I wonder why?

Apart from briefly prying Bush away from his juvenile tinkering with paint on a canvas and taming his unruly hedges, an interview conducted by an intrepid reporter might cause the stammering, reclusive ex-president a little discomfort and serve as a mild, belated comeuppance of sorts.

Bush could, for once, have been challenged to account finally for the litany of lies he concocted and told to start wars that he and his posse of criminal “advisers” in slick suits and designer outfits convinced themselves would be cheap, easy and quick.

Two decades later, the cruel, lethal folly of Bush’s cocky, catastrophic delusions and fabrications is plain: millions dead and scarred in body, mind and spirit, countless other lives ruined or left adrift in refugee camps where disease, want and hopelessness are

rampant, countries engulfed by endless uncertainty, violence and sectarianism and a patient, resurgent Taliban poised to reimpose its malignant dominion over Afghanistan.

Bush could also have been pressed about his role in engineering an international abduction racket – known as “renditions” – that permitted America’s state-sanctioned hoodlums to kidnap mostly Muslim men and dump them into secret dungeons in Iraq and beyond where they were bound, interrogated, humiliated, electrocuted, attacked by dogs, sexually assaulted, water-boarded and, ultimately, murdered.

None of that appears to have happened. Instead, Bush was given unfettered licence to object to the withdrawal of the remaining US and NATO troops from Afghanistan.“The consequences are going to be unbelievably bad,” Bush said, without, I imagine, even a hint of irony.

That this callous cretin would suggest anywhere, at any time, for any reason, that the “consequences” of another president’s actions “are going to be unbelievably bad” for Afghanistan is blatant proof of Bush’s genetically programmed stupidity and obscene, near nauseating hubris.

Then, Bush proceeded to demonstrate that he is damaged in ways that only a psychologist could possibly decipher and is incapable of introspection or remorse for the horror he has wrought on so many people, in so many places because of his orders as commander-in-chief.First, he told his German guests that the Afghan withdrawal was a mistake.

Given his atrocious geopolitical record, Bush should be banned from ever uttering, under any circumstances and in any context, the word: “mistake”.Still, to define how Bush and equally culpable company went about methodically defacing Iraq and Afghanistan as “mistakes” would, itself,

be a mistake.

The injuries and atrocities Iraqis and Afghans have endured in the long, bitter aftermath of Bush’s decision to invade cannot be diminished or dismissed simply as errors.

They were and remain the inhumane corollaries of the sinister, calculated choices made by an inept president who was convinced that it was his and America’s destiny to “liberate” two distant lands for the same evangelical reasons.Second, remarkably, Bush took implicit credit – amid all the death and destruction the American-led invasion has visited on Afghans – for brutally refashioning Afghan society as a recuperative antidote to the Taliban’s brutality.“It’s unbelievable how that society changed from the brutality of the Taliban,” Bush said.

No, what is unbelievable, is Bush’s lunatic idea that the US military occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan had any redeeming or salutary impact on the fates of both nations.

Finally, and so cynically, Bush attempted to rewrite his incriminating history by implying that he unleashed American forces and drones on Afghanistan not to rout the Taliban or punish it for harbouring al-Qaeda, but to emancipate women and girls.“All of a sudden – sadly – I’m afraid Afghan women and girls are going to suffer unspeakable harm,” Bush said from the comfort of his picture-postcard oasis.

The name George W Bush is synonymous with the suffering and unspeakable harm girls, boys, women and men in Iraq and Afghanistan have braved for decades.

With the eager help of grovelling, amnesiac television hosts, Bush has mounted a muted, yet determined campaign to rehabilitate his foul reputation.

In its place, a new, gracious, if slightly awkward and endearing caricature of Bush has emerged.It is a sick mirage.

Bush is an unindicted mass murderer. he ought to be sharing a bunk bed with Ratko Mladic at The hague.

Failing that, he should keep monastically quiet and go away.As penance, it is the least this intolerable piece of crud could do.

Andrew Mitrovica is an Al Jazeera columnist based in Toronto.

tive, and ridiculous story in the Steele dossier: The allegation that, in 2013, Russian intelligence recorded a video of Trump in a hotel room watching prostitutes perform a "golden showers" routine on a bed that had once been slept in by President Barack Obama. The person who fed Steele the story later said he thought it was a joke, the kind of thing people talk about in bars. But Comey, and other top intelligence officials, took it seriously, even though, at that very moment, FBI experts were failing in efforts to verify the dossier. No mind: Comey confronted Trump with it anyway.

Trump, taken aback, denied that it had ever happened. Finishing the meeting, Comey raced downstairs to a waiting FBI car, where he wrote down his version of the conversation as he traveled across town to report what he had learned to other members of the Crossfire hurricane team. Within days, the story was leaked to the media, which reacted with a fit of hysteria, and the entire dossier was published on the internet. The Trump presidency, which had not even begun yet, suffered irreparable damage. And it went on and on.

Now it has been five years. has anyone learned anything? It's hard to say. The FBI spent years stonewalling congressional investigators looking into Crossfire hurricane.

Mueller tried to act as if the Steele dossier never existed. Many Democrats continued to maintain they were right about collusion all along, no matter what Mueller failed to find.

And now, many Republicans, Trump supporters, and some people who are simply fair-minded, are deeply suspicious of the FBI and the rest of the intelligence community. If you want an example of that, just look at their reaction to the Justice Department's investigation of the Capitol riot and the cases prosecutors have made against more than 500 suspects. It doesn't take a very long memory to recall the FBI relying on entirely fabricated information in a politically charged investigation. Why trust them now?

That's the kind of harm the FBI did to itself in the Trump era. It has now been five years since a key date in that self-harm, the founding of Crossfire hurricane. And it is not clear whether the FBI will ever fully repair its reputation.

Spyware for snooping DIGITAL AGE CALLS FOR PRIVACY, SAFETY Tribune, india

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he expose of the use of the Pegasus spyware, manufactured by an Israeli firm — which the company claims is sold only to ‘vetted’ governments to check terrorism and crime — to conduct surveillance on journalists, politicians and businessmen, leaves many questions unanswered. An international media consortium reported that more than 300 verified mobile phone numbers, including those of two serving ministers, over 40 journalists, three Opposition leaders and one sitting judge, besides business persons and activists in India, could have been targeted for hacking through the spyware. The Israeli company, on its part, has said it does not operate the system that it sells to governments, nor does it have access to data. It has also refused to disclose the identity of its clients.

The Indian Government has also denied the surveillance charge, saying that it has no basis, raising queries over the whole affair.

With smartphones increasingly being used to conduct a range of functions, the revelation has raised question marks about the importance of digital privacy, safety and security. Despite its restricted use, the ease with which the spyware can be installed in the phone is a matter of concern. In 2019, WhatsApp had informed its users about the spyware, and had even filed a case against the Israeli firm, alleging abuse of its platform.

Incidents of snooping have been alleged even earlier, like in the case of the alleged bugging of the office of then Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and when the Congressbacked Chandra Shekhar government had collapsed at the Centre. That the report should have come on the eve of the beginning of the Monsoon session of Parliament may well enliven the proceedings and it is for the Opposition to demand transparency, accountability and safeguards to ensure that the privacy of citizens is protected. Demands have already been raised for PM Modi and home Minister Amit Shah to clarify the issue because of an ‘atmosphere of fear among people’. In the digital age, the enormity of the task of protecting privacy and safety of citizens has also dawned in no uncertain terms.

Sunday, 1 August, 2021

BUSINESS 09

LAHORE corporate corner TCL unveils new 2021C series QLED TV

Tarin orDErS ExPEDiTioUS PrEParaTion of Car finanCing PoLiCy ISLAMABAD

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KARACHI: TCL has announced the launch of its latest Quantum Dot LED (QLED) TV, the C725 Series in Pakistan. Last year, TCL had introduced the Hi-Tech QLED Range with their C716 and C815 range. The new range is an upgrade to the C716 Series offering a sharper, crisper display and enhanced features from its predecessor. Coupled with the launch of their flagship ground-breaking Mini LED Technology range last month, TCL is now offering the widest, most technologically advanced range of QLED TVs in Pakistan, featuring more than 8 TV models. The new TV features a 4K QLED Quantum Dot panel with a 60Hz refresh rate. The TV comes with Dolby Vision, HDR 10+ technology, 4K resolution, AIPQ Engine, and supports both MEMC and HDMI 2.1 to deliver the best picture quality. C725 is integrated with ONKYO certified soundbar with Dolby Atmos and offers seamless voice recognition through hands-free voice control 2.0. The C725 is equipped with two 9.5W speakers. TCL C725 is available in 4 sizes: 50, 55, 65 and 75 inches and will be available across Pakistan through their official website, brands stores and dealership network throughout Pakistan. Moreover, the all-new C725 is equipped with the latest Android R operating system and Home entertainment centre which gives you access to hundreds of your favourite applications. In addition, the built-in Chromecast enables effortless mirroring of photos, videos, and music directly from your smart devices. Further, you do not have to worry about privacy anymore because the TCL C725 has a safety guard which ensures that your private information is kept safe. PRess Release

Shell, Uber and Muawin collaborate for innovative fuel management solutions

GHUlaM aBBas

hIlE the government works on finalising the Auto Industry Development and Export Policy (AIDEP) 2021-26, the Ministry of Industries and Production (MoIP) has been asked to quickly prepare a consolidated policy for car financing in the country.

During a meeting on the new five year auto policy, which was chaired by Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Shaukat Tarin, a proposal related to car financing was also discussed.

Federal Minister for Industries and Production Khusro Bakhtiar, Advisor to the PM on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood, SAPM on Finance and Revenue Dr Waqar Masood, secretary Finance Division, secretary Commerce, secretary Ministry of Industries and Production, chairman FBR and other senior officers participated in the meeting.

"The EDB and MoIP in corroboration with other ministries and institutions would be finalising the draft auto policy soon," sources claimed.

“The proposal has suggested lowering the interest rate for car financing to five to six per cent, besides other facilities. however, the finance minister directed to prepare a comprehensive policy keeping in view policies in other countries of the world,” said an official sources at Engineering Development Board (EDB).

FINANCE MINISTER ASSURES PROVISION OF INCENTIVES FOR DEVELOPING EV MARKET IN PAKISTAN According to the officials the Finance Minister also stressed to come up with innovative products for provision of car financing at reduced mark-up to consumers so that everyone can afford a car at flexible terms and conditions, he added.

During the meeting, secretary Industries and Production briefed the participants about the salient features of the AIDEP draft. The vision of AIDEP shall be to make Pakistan a hub for competitive manufacturing of autoparts and vehicles for local markets as well as for exports.

The key focus is to strengthen the competition within locally manufactured vehicles in order to provide high quality vehicles at affordable prices to the consumers in the country. It also includes increase in export of automobile parts and vehicles to earn a valuable foreign exchange.

The finance minister stated that the proposed AIDEP aims at the expansion of the auto industry in Pakistan by increasing the production of cars, motorcycles, tractors etc. The top most priority is to ensure consumer welfare through availability of cars at affordable rates for the middle and lower income groups.

With this end in view, the government has pro-

FBR exceeds July target by Rs68bn ISLAMABAD staff RePoRt

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has exceeded July’s tax collection target by a wide margin of Rs68 billion.

The FBR collected over Rs410 billion during the first month of fiscal year 2021-22 as against the monthly target of Rs341.7 billion, according to statistics compiled by the revenue board on Friday. The monthly collection was equal to 7 per cent of the annual target.

The Rs410 billion provisional collection was higher by 36.5pc or Rs109 billion over the revenue generated

during the same month of last fiscal year (FY21).

Sources said that FBR paid Rs20 refunds during the first month of the current fiscal year (1MFY22).

The FBR did not take any advance tax in the fourth quarter of the last fiscal year (Q4FY21) due to which it surpassed the revenue target of July. Besides, the government has also increased sales tax on imports due to which it collected around Rs15 billion more tax on imports compared to the first month of last fiscal year. Sources said that FBR high ups have informed Finance Minister Shaukat

Tarin that it can achieve the collection target of the current fiscal year by focusing on Point of sales (POS).

The finance minister has said that the FBR can deliver the target without taking additional revenue measures.

It is pertinent to note that the government has set a Rs5,829 billion revenue target for the current fiscal year whereas FBR is regularly sending notices to retailers who do not integrate their machines with the FBR system, sources further added that tax employees are visiting the outlets on a daily basis to check the systems of retailers.

Big Tech booms even as lockdown living wanes KARACHI: Shell Pakistan Limited collaborated with Uber and Muawin by Cashew Financial Services, to deliver a fuel management solution with unparalleled features to Uber partner drivers. Through this collaboration, Uber partner drivers will get access to fuel financing from Muawin by Cashew Financial Services, to fulfill their mobility needs at Shell. By means of tech-enabled financing and personalized Shell Fleet Cards, the Uber partner drivers can avail a wide range of convenient offers at Shell fuel stations. The offer is further enriched with fabulous discounts on lubricants and car washes, besides many opportunities to participate in other exciting promotions.

The Shell Fleet Card provides a one-stop solution to help manage fleet more efficiently and effectively by tapping into a wide range of expertise and tools. With the Shell Fleet Card as a trusted partner on the road and smarter information at fingertips, customers can optimize their fleet’s performance like never before. Speaking at the ceremony of this collaboration between three resourceful entities, Head of Shell Fleet Solutions in Pakistan Talha Shabih stated that: “It is a pleasure to work cohesively with innovative enterprises like Uber and Muawin by Cashew Financial Services. Combining our diverse technological expertise and excellence, we have pledged to orchestrate revolutionary facilities to empower frontline service providers, adding value to the community at large.”

Uber Pakistan Country Head Shahid Khan commented, ‘Our partner drivers are an integral part of Uber’s operations and we believe this collaboration with Shell and Muawin by Cashew Financials will enable financial inclusion and convenience for them by introducing cashflow management solutions and supporting the independence and flexibility they experience through Uber’s platform.

Syed Hashim Ali, Co-Founder at Muawin shared, “Muawin is proud to play its role in helping empower Uber’s enterprising partner drivers financially through easy access to financing services. Decreasing cash restraints would help enable them to sustainably focus on completing more rides and increase their income. We are very excited to see the positive impact our partnership with Shell and Uber will have on the community and look forward to scaling it across the country.” PRess Release

vided major relief to consumers by reducing sales tax on 850cc cars along with exemption from valueadded tax in the federal budget FY22.

The Ministry of Industries and Production confirmed that prices of vehicles have been reduced in correspondence with reduction in taxes whereas the industry has widely advertised for the information of the general public. The policy would encourage exports of vehicles and automobile parts.

According to officials privy to the matter, Tarin also underscored the importance of Electric Vehicles (EVs) and affirmed to provide incentives for developing the EV market in Pakistan including charging infrastructure. he said the promotion of EVs will reduce dependence on oil import bill and promote environment friendly options.

Meanwhile, Minister for Industries and Production, hammad Azhar, said that new entrants may be encouraged in the auto sector particularly for EVs. "This in turn, would encourage auto companies to invest in related infrastructure in Pakistan," he added.

Further, Razak Dawood stated that the existing tariff structure needs to be rationalised in a phased manner to promote auto industry in Pakistan, keeping in view, the objective of localisation i.e. to encourage local auto industry to come-up with high quality vehicles within affordable range.

Moreover, the finance minister emphasised broad-based consultation with key stakeholders on board to come up with an all-encompassing and futuristic auto policy.

SAN FRANCISCO aGeNCIes

Big Tech goliaths like Facebook and Amazon unveiled whopping profits this week, showing their dominance in lockdown lifestyles is on course to grow well beyond the pandemic.

“Tech wins the day, the week, and seemingly the year,” Futurum Research analysts said of the surging revenues, driven by digital advertising, cloud computing, gaming and booming use of smartphones and e-commerce.

“The strength of tech is clearly untethered from Covid,” they added.

Powerhouses Facebook, Apple, Microsoft and Google parent Alphabet all reported higher revenues even as they face heightened scrutiny from antitrust regulators for their growing dominance of key economic sectors.

Amazon said on Thursday that secondquarter profit jumped 48 per cent from a year ago to $7.8 billion, even if that showing was below high Wall Street forecasts.

A growing number of consumers turned to Amazon during the pandemic to get everything from tofu to toilet paper, and its cloud comput-

ing division also grew to help businesses and consumers stay connected.

The Amazon results capped a series of earnings from the major tech firms that benefited from successive lockdowns, but also the gradual lifting of restrictions.

Earlier in the week, Apple said its profit in the just-ended quarter nearly doubled amid improving consumer spending and a “growing sense of optimism” as pandemic lockdowns eased.

Revenue from iPhone sales jumped some 50pc and Apple posted increases for its services such as digital payments, music, streaming television and gaming.

Facebook reported its profit doubled in the recently ended quarter as digital advertising surged, but warned of cooler growth in the months ahead in an update which sent its shares sinking. Google parent Alphabet reported quarterly profit that had nearly tripled, as money poured in from ads on its search engine and YouTube video platform.

Revenue at the global video sharing platform topped $7bn, a leap from the $3.8bn brought in during the same period a year earlier, according to Alphabet.

KARACHI: K-Electric signs Nutshell Communications as Strategic Communications Partner to lead its integrated communications strategy including corporate branding and stakeholder ommunications. An agreement in this regard has been signed between both sides by Saadia Dada, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, K-Electric and Muhammad Azfar Ahsan, Founder & CEO, Nutshell Communications. Also present in the picture are Moonis Abdullah Alvi, CEO, K-Electric; Muhammad Aamir Ghaziani, CFO, KElectric; Imran Rana – Director Communications, K-Electric; Sadaf Mahmood – COO, Nutshell Communications; Zia ul Islam Zuberi – Head of Public Affairs & Media Training, Nutshell Communications along with other officials from both organizations. PR

Careem to connect merchants, employees through Jazz's communications solutions KARACHI: Careem, the Super App for the greater Middle East and Pakistan has recently announced its partnership with Jazz, Pakistan’s number one 4G operator and the largest internet and broadband service provider. This partnership allows Careem access to Jazz’s campaign management tools and provide its colleagues and restaurant merchants with GSM cellular service. Under this partnership, Jazz will provide tailored and affordable GSM voice and data services for Careem’s employees and restaurant merchants, enabling seamless connectivity across the country. The announcement was made following a signing ceremony that was held in Karachi under the presence of senior management from both companies.

Commenting on the partnership, Careem Country General Manager and CEO Zeeshan Baig said: “We are super delighted to partner with Jazz to provide our colleagues and merchants with seamless network solutions. This partnership is an embodiment of how companies can come together to provide their employees and other key stakeholders with solutions that create their day-to-day tasks hassle-free.” Jazz Chief Business Officer Syed Ali Naseer stated: “By enabling and empowering those who were previously immobile, Careem has truly revolutionized travel across the region. We’re happy to partner with such trail blazers and hope to collaborate in more so in the future. Such synergies are imperative to continue developing a more digital Pakistan.” PRess Release

Mari Petroleum celebrates world nature conservation day ISLAMABAD: In commemoration of the World Nature Conservation Day on 28th July 2021, Mari Petroleum Company Limited [MPCL], one of Pakistan’s largest exploration and production companies, initiates plantation of 100,000 tree saplings in Surghar Range in Pakistan. Inspired by the Prime Minister 10 Billion Tree Tsunami Project and Clean and Green Pakistan Campaign, MPCL hopes to play its part in conserving the trees and plants from the natural environment of the earth and to celebrate the World Nature Conservation Day. The plantation of the tree saplings in the Surghar Fields is all set to complete in August 2021. This is in line with Mari Petroleum’s CSR initiatives where the company is aggressively engaged in tree plantation drives in and around its areas of operations. Indeed, MPCL is operating in the most challenging and arid terrains in Balochistan and Sindh, where environment conservation is of paramount importance. Previously MPCL carried out Tree Plantation and beautification project at the iconic Faisal Mosque Islamabad which was implemented by environmental experts, familiar with the flora of the area. For more information, visit: https://mpcl.com.pk. PRess Release

Sunday, 1 August, 2021

10 FOREIGN NEWS

LAHORE

Thousands displaced as floods hiT Bangladesh Rohingya camps DHAKA

h

ReuteRs

eavy monsoon rains triggered landslides and flash floods in refugees camps displacing thousands of Rohingya Muslims in southeastern Bangladesh this week, UN and other officials said on Friday, with further heavy rainfall expected. at least six Rohingya, including three children, died in landslides and flooding while 15 Bangladeshis were killed and more than 200,000 stranded by flooding in Cox’s Bazar, said Mamunur Rashid, the district administrator.

Nearly one million Rohingya live in crowded camps in the border district of Cox’s Bazar, the world’s largest refugee settlement, after fleeing a military crackdown in neighbouring Myanmar in 2017.

The refugees mostly live in shacks made of bamboo and plastic sheets that cling to steep, bare hills.

Tv footage showed flooded homes and muddy water cascading down steps and hillsides. Children played in chest-high waters.

“This is like a nightmare,” said Rohingya Rokeya Begum. “I have never seen such flooding in the camps in four years. When the water came, there was nobody from my family at home to help. I was alone but I could take my belongings to a safer place. Now I am staying with another family.” The UN Refugee agency (UNHCR) said more than 21,000 refugees had been “affected” by the flooding while nearly 4,000 shelters had been damaged or destroyed.

It said more than 13,000 were forced to relocate in the camps, while thousands of facilities were damaged, including health clinics

‘The war has changed’: CDC calls for new response to Delta variant WASHINGTON ReuteRs

The war against Covid-19 has changed because of the highly contagious Delta variant, the US Centers for Disease Control said, proposing a clearer message, mandatory vaccines for health workers and a return to universal masking. an internal CDC document said the variant, first detected in India and now dominant across the globe, is as contagious as chickenpox and far more contagious than the common cold or flu. It can be passed on even by vaccinated people, and may cause more serious disease than earlier coronavirus strains.

The document, entitled “Improving communications around vaccine breakthrough and vaccine effectiveness”, said the variant required a new approach to help the public understand the danger — including making clear that unvaccinated people were more than 10 times more likely than those who are vaccinated to become seriously ill or die. “acknowledge the war has changed,” it said. “Improve communications around individual risk among vaccinated.”

Recommended preventative measures included making vaccines mandatory for health care professionals to protect the vulnerable and a return to the universal wearing of face masks.

The CDC confirmed the authenticity of the document, which was first reported by the Washington Post.

While vaccinated people were less likely to become infected, once they contracted such “breakthrough infections” from Delta – unlike the case with earlier variants – they might now be just as likely as the unvaccinated to pass the disease on to others.

“High viral loads suggest an increased risk of transmission and raised concern that, unlike with other vari-

ants, vaccinated people infected with Delta can transmit the virus,” CDC head Rochelle Walensky said in a statement. On Friday the CDC released data from a study of an outbreak in Massachusetts in which it said three quarters of those infected had been fully vaccinated.

That study played a pivotal role in a CDC decision this week to again recommend that vaccinated people wear masks in some situations, Walensky said.

‘VIRUS HAS BECOME FITTER’: The CDC has said that as of July 26, 6,587 people have experienced breakthrough Covid-19 infections after being fully vaccinated and were hospitalised or have died. It stopped reporting on mild infections this spring but in the report, it estimated that there were about 35,000 symptomatic infections each week in the United States.

In parts of the world where large numbers of people have yet to be vaccinated, the Delta variant has led once again to surging death rates and hospitalisations.

The head of the World Health Organisation, Tedros adhanom Ghebreyesus, said health systems in many countries were now being overwhelmed: “Hard-won gains are in jeopardy or being lost,” he told a news conference. The global health body’s top emergency expert Mike Ryan told reporters that vaccines were nevertheless still effective at preventing serious illness and death: “We are fighting the same virus but a virus that has become fitter.” even in rich countries that were among the first to roll out vaccination campaigns, cases have surged.

While vaccines have so far kept death rates lower, large populations remain vulnerable, especially those who refuse vaccines, a particular problem in parts of the United States where voters supported former President Donald Trump. Trump is the only living president not to have participated in public service campaigns encouraging people to take the vaccine.

and toilets. access has been hindered due to damage to roads, pathways and bridges. and the flooding is likely to get worse.

“Heavy rainfall is expected during the next few days, and as such, challenges are likely to increase,” said Manuel Marques Pereira, Deputy Chief of Mission in Bangladesh for the UN’s International Organization for Migration.

Refugees, many of them still recovering from massive fires that tore through the camps in March, said landslides and floods left homes “totally covered with mud”.

“Somehow my family members could evacuate,” said abu Siddique, who lives in the Balukhali refugee camp. “The mud that came down from the hill entered my home […] all of our belongings inside are covered in mud.”

Nearly a third of US adults have yet to get a first shot. areas, where vaccination rates are low, have seen sharp rises in cases in recent weeks, and authorities fear hospitalisations and deaths are not far behind.

The top US infectious diseases specialist, Dr anthony Fauci, told Reuters he expected that vaccines, which so far have received only emergency approval, could begin getting full regulatory approval in august, and that this could help persuade more people to get vaccinated. In Britain, where the Delta variant caused a sharp surge in infections in recent months despite one of the world’s fastest inoculation campaigns, a panel advising the government said protection from vaccines was likely to wane over time, meaning vaccination campaigns would probably last for years.

On Tuesday, the CDC, which had advised vaccinated americans months ago that they no longer needed to wear masks, reversed course, saying even the fully vaccinated should wear face coverings in situations where the virus was likely to spread.

On Thursday, US President Joe Biden urged local governments to pay people to get vaccinated and set new rules requiring federal workers to provide proof of vaccination or face regular testing, mask mandates and travel restrictions.

ASIAN COUNTRIES TIGHTEN RESTRICTIONS: Countries in asia, many of which avoided the worst outcomes that hit Western nations in 2020, have been particularly hard hit in recent weeks. Several announced new restrictions on Friday. From Monday, army personnel will help police australia’s biggest city Sydney, checking that people who have tested positive are isolating.

The Philippines announced a plan to put the Manila capital region, home to more than 13 million people, in lockdown for two weeks.

In Japan, where a surge in cases has overshadowed the Olympic Games, the government proposed states of emergency through the end of august in three prefectures near Tokyo and the western prefecture of Osaka. “Infections are broadening. The situation is extremely severe,” economy Minister yasutoshi Nishimura said, warning infections had not yet reached a peak.

Use of solid fuel risks lives of housewives in South Asia DHAKA ANADOLu AGeNCY

a large population in South asia is susceptible to respiratory ailments including lung cancer, as they still use wood, crop wastes, charcoal, dung and kerosene as kitchen fuel.

Speaking to anadolu agency on eve of World Lung Cancer Day which is being observed on Sunday (today), Shahriar Hossain, a Bangladeshi environmentalist, said the kitchen smokes is the cause of lung cancer afflicting housewives. He said the use of dry fuel also puts kids at risk, who are always with their mothers, when they cook food and inhale smoke. even at places where cooking gas cylinders are available, poor households still prefer to use the solid fuel, as they find cylinders out of their budgetary limits. abdul Mannan, 27, living in south-central Bhola island district of Bangladesh, said his family had managed to procure a gas connection, but it has proved expensive.

“We have to depend on wood and a kerosene stove. In recent years, we managed to avail cooking gas cylinders with high prices but we do not use them very often as it is expensive for the poor like us," he said.

While the family of five knows the health risks of the smoke that their women inhale from the preparation of food in the kitchen, they express their helplessness, with little options available.

"People’s vulnerability has been manifold due to indoor air pollution, certainly in the kitchen,” says Hossain, who is also secretary of the environment and Social Development Organisation (eSDO).

He estimates that at least 200,000 people in Bangladesh could die as a result of respiratory diseases and long-term exposure to high con-

centrations of contaminated air.

LUNG CANCER IN PAKISTAN: at the other corner of South asia, in Pakistan 10,538 new cases of lung cancer have been diagnosed in 2020, according to International agency for Research on Cancer (IaRC). The IaRC report said that lung cancer accounts for 5.9 percent of total cancer cases in the country.

Speaking to anadolu agency, Dr Javed Hayat, a consultant pulmonologist in Lahore, said the dung used for cooking purposes adds arsenic in fumes resulting in cough and chronic bronchitis in the female population. “any substance which goes through inhaling into the lungs can cause cancer in the longer term,” he said.

Further, the late diagnosis and falling the trap of quacks decreases the survival rate of patients.

FINANCIAL ASPECTS OF LPG IN INDIA: Similarly in India, RavindraKhaiwal, an environmental expert, said that the use of solid biomass as kitchen fuel is proving a health risk. He said women prefer to use the traditional methods of cooking in rural areas for the sake of retention of taste and save time.

He said the use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) needs to be promoted to minimise the use of traditional methods of cooking.

"There are financial aspects of it as well. So, the government should try to minimize the cost and make its scheme to promote LPG more successful,“ he said.

The Indian government had launched a social welfare scheme Pradhan MantriUjjwalayojana (PMUy) in 2016 to provide 50 million LPG connections to below poverty line (BPL) families to safeguard the health of women and children.

Sunday, 1 August, 2021

LAHORE

Jamaica sweep 100m podium, dJokovic leaves with nothing TOKyO

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REUTERS

AMAICAN sprinter Elaine Thompson-Herah blazed to 100 metres gold on Saturday, becoming the fastest woman alive as she denied compatriot Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce a third Olympic title.

In retaining her title Thompson-Herah added a sparkling flourish to a day which had seen US gymnast Simone Biles withdraw from two more finals in Tokyo, and a listless Novak Djokovic fail to take bronze in tennis after his dream of a "Golden Slam" was dashed.

Thompson-Herah led a Jamaican 100m podium sweep with Shericka Jackson in third. The champion's blistering 10.61 seconds time has only ever been bettered by the late Florence Griffith-Joyner, who set a world record of 10.49 in 1988.

"I put everything in there I gave it 100 and I would say that I'm ready, super ready, but I had to just hold my composure to come out here take it runs by runs," she said.

"It shows tonight that Elaine is back. She wasn't gone anywhere."

The day had begun with local fans defying a ban on spectators to get a glimpse of the triathlon. Big crowds lined the streets at the Odaiba Marine Park on the Tokyo waterfront, defying Olympic staff who carried signs and bullhorns asking them not to gather along the roadside to watch the event.

The setbacks for stars such as Biles and Djokovic have been in a way fitting for the improbable Games, taking place without spectators amid a widening pandemic. Minutes after his singles defeat, Djokovic withdrew from the mixed doubles bronze match.

New Covid-19 infections hit 4,058 in

Tokyo, a new record and the first time above 4,000. The government has extended a state of emergency in the capital and expanded it to neighbouring prefectures.

Swimmers Katie Ledecky and CaelebDressel recovered some lost lustre for America, while LyuXiaojun took gold in men's weightlifting, bringing China's haul in the medal tally to 21. Japan have 17 golds and the United States are at 16.

In the first instances of doping at the Games, two sprinters, Kenya's Mark Otieno and Nigeria's Blessing Okagbare, were pro-

visionally suspended after testing positive for banned substances.

American BMX racer Connor Fields was moved out of intensive care after suffering a brain bleed during his horrific crash a day earlier. Originally one of the big favourites for gold, Fields went down hard in a first-corner crash during the semi-finals.

Much of the focus at the Games has been on superstar Biles, who this week stunned the world when she dropped out of the team competition after a poor opening vault and then declined to defend her all-around

crown, citing concern for her mental and physical well-being.

"Today, after further consultation with medical staff, Simone Biles has decided to withdraw from the event finals for vault and the uneven bars," USA Gymnastics said, adding she would continue to be evaluated daily to see whether she would compete in the finals for the floor exercise and balance beam.

Her candour has pushed the issue of athlete mental health into the spotlight and triggered an outpouring of global support.

Pakistan down West Indies by seven runs Guyana AFP

arsenal signs Brighton defender white LOnDOn AFP

Arsenal has signed England defender Ben White from Premier League rivals Brighton, the London club announced on Friday. The 23-year-old, a member of England's Euro 2020 squad, has now completed a medical.

Although no fee, nor the exact length of a "long-term" deal has been disclosed, British media reports suggest White has moved to the capital for a fee of £50 million ($70 million). "Ben was a top target for us and it's great that we've completed his signing," Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta told the club's website. "Ben has been educated with two very good clubs, Brighton and Leeds, in recent seasons. He has benefitted well from two very good coaching set-ups and has shown with both Brighton and on loan with Leeds what a strong talent he is." White played 36 games for Brighton last season.

"We are incredibly proud of him and what he has achieved and much credit must go to our academy, who have played such an important role in developing Ben from a younger age," said Brighton manager Graham Potter.

Pakistan's versatile bowling attack did just enough to restrain a rampant Nicholas Pooran and come away with a seven-run victory over the West Indies in the second T20 International of the four-match series at the National Stadium in Guyana on Saturday.

Following a rain-ruined opening encounter in Barbados three days earlier, Babar Azam's team will go into the third match of the series on Sunday, also at Providence, with a 1-0 lead.

Pooran's explosive unbeaten 62 off 33 balls with six sixes and four fours kept the West Indies in with a chance of overcoming the lethargy of much of their innings, even to the final over when 20 runs were required to overhaul Pakistan's total of 157 for eight.

However Shaheen Shah Afridi claimed the wicket of captain Kieron Pollard and then denied the rampant Pooran the opportunity to swing freely and lustily at the next three deliveries to ensure the visitors came away with the win with the hosts kept to 150 for four.

West Indies were again undone in their run chase by the number of scoreless deliveries, 47, in their innings, although nothing could take away from the outstanding bowling effort of Mohammad Hafeez. Bowling

the first over of the innings, the veteran offspinning all-rounder bowled Andre Fletcher with his second ball and conceded just six runs across his four overs.

"Knowing these conditions and having played cricket here before in the Caribbean Premier League certainly helped as I knew it would be difficult for the batsmen," said Hafeez at the end of the match.

"They are very powerful players so the challenge is always to keep a tight line every time." Pollard, who played the supporting role in a 70-run fourth-wicket partnership with Pooran to revive the West Indies

chances, gave credit to his bowlers for limiting their opponents after he chose to put them in to bat.

'STARING DOWN BARREL': "We were staring down the barrel of a 170-plus total and I was really happy with the way the bowlers battled back in the latter half of their innings," he observed, before putting a positive spin on the run chase.

"We had to try and explode towards the end but it just didn't work out, however the way Evin (Lewis) and Hetty (Shimron Hetmyer) kept things going in the middle overs was quite pleasing."

SPORTS 11

She has spoken about the "twisties", incidents of disorientation, during some of her gravity-defying skills.

TOUGH RUN: Djokovic, who won a singles bronze medal in Beijing in 2008 but has failed to earn a place on the podium at London, Rio and now Tokyo, withdrew from the mixed doubles minutes after his defeat by Spain's Pablo CarrenoBusta in the singles bronze match.

On Friday, the Serbian lost to Germany's Alexander Zverev in the singles semi-finals, killing his hopes of winning an Olympic gold plus all four Grand Slams this year for a 'Golden Slam'.

His withdrawal from the mixed doubles means women's world number one Ash Barty and John Peers bag a bronze medal for Australia.

In swimming, Ledecky and Dressel added to their medal haul and took some sting off what has been a disappointing Games so far for the US swim team, whose eight golds are just half their tally from Rio. Ledecky, who lost her 200 and 400 metres titles to Australia's AriarneTitmus before beating her in the 1,500, on Saturday became the first female swimmer to win six individual golds, cruising home in the 800m.

"She made it tough and so it was a lot of fun to race," Ledecky said.

World champion Dressel stormed to the 100m butterfly title in world record time, picking up his second individual gold to add to the gold he won in the 4x100 freestyle relay.

Britain won the Olympics' inaugural mixed 4x100 medley relay for their fourth swimming gold delivering a world record time. Britain's four golds in the pool marks their best return in the swimming events for more than a century.

West Indies suffered a setback when opening batsman Evin Lewis retired hurt on 35 midway through the innings.

While enjoying the win, Babar Azam felt his team should have gotten more runs on the board.

"We were 10-15 runs short but we have to give thanks to the bowlers for the way they kept the West Indies batsmen in check," he noted. "Losing back-to-back wickets is something we have to improve on in the final overs and we hope to do better in the last two matches."

It was Jason Holder and Dwayne Bravo who combined to put the brakes on the Pakistan scoring rate.

Holder, the former captain, returned the excellent figures of four for 26 while Bravo, the veteran all-rounder and leading wickettaker in all T20 cricket, claimed two for 24 as the tourists squandered a solid platform provided by Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.

Babar's polished 51 off 58 balls with two sixes and four fours was the topscore of the innings. He put on 67 runs for the third wicket with Rizwan after Sharjeel Khan and Rizwan had set the stage for a challenging target in putting on 56.

However the demise of Rizwan for 46 via the run out route interrupted the smooth flow of the visitors' innings. In the mad dash through the final overs to lift the flagging scoring rate Pakistan lost four wickets in the space of eight deliveries as the discipline, accuracy and clever variations of Holder and Bravo brought its reward.

'Bitter' PSG face nemesis Lille in Tel Aviv today PaRIS AFP

French Cup winners Paris Saint-Germain can exact revenge on league champions Lille in the Tel Aviv-hosted French Champions Trophy on Sunday (today) as Mauricio Pochettino embarks on his first full season at the helm of the club.

The Argentine has warned whoever lines up in any match for the Parisians this season must play to win, and rather than gain revenge on anyone the club had to buck its own ideas up.

PSG take on the modest team that pipped them to the title last season without many of their top stars, nor even their new

signings Spanish defender Sergio Ramos or Italian 'keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Neymar is still in Brazil but French striker Kylian Mbappe, Italian midfielder Marco Verratti and Argentine winger Angel Di Maria are all back at the club.

Dutch midfielder Xavi Simmons has been earning rave reviews in the warm-ups and Pochettino says he won't shy away from change.

"We'll have a look Saturday to decide who travels and who doesn't," said Pochettino. "It's not so much a revenge match against Lille as a revenge match against ourselves," said the coach.

"Losing the title, losing in the Champions League semis left us with a bitter

taste in our mouths," Pochettino said at the Parc des Princes before the team embark for Israel.

"We want to win all the competitions," he insisted.

"We don't have our best team, but we are allowed no excuses, he said.

"As coach of this team I don't want to see any other side line out as favourites."

Lille won Ligue 1 by a single point to end a three-year run from the Parisians, who lost eight league games and took only one point from their two matches with Lille. After celebrations that caused police to block off the city centre, the club lost their coach Christophe Galtier to Nice while French international goalkeeper

Mike Maignan left them to join AC Milan.

"We'll remember winning the title forever, but now we have to look forwards," club captain Jose Fonte said.

Lille, who now have former Bordeaux and Guingamp coach Jocelyn Gourvennec at the helm, are promising to fight for the 'Trophy' with Fonte pointing to a relatively bare cabinet as ample motivation.

"It's a real title, and Lille doesn't have too many of those," he said. "It'll be a nice one to put in the shop window," he said.

Unlike others Fonte said he had never considered leaving Lille. "It was important for me to stay here at Lille and try and write a new chapter in the history of the club," the 37-year-old Portuguese said.

sunday, 1 August, 2021

prAyer timings

news

Alvi urges youth to tAke PArt in eFForts to liMit cliMAte chAnge cAtAstroPhe ISLAMABAD

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stAFF report

RESIdEnT dr Arif Alvi Saturday urged the youth to play a role and become a part of the government’s campaign to stave off disastrous global heating through the ambitious Billion Tree Tsunami programme.

Addressing a ceremony related to the monsoon tree plantation drive in Islamabad, the president said the onus to keep the environment clean and green now rested on the young shoulders and expressed the confidence they would carry this burden and secure Pakistan’s future.

He stressed the adoption of ecofriendly routines at the scenic and tourist spots by properly disposing of trash and garbage.

On the occasion, the president along with his spouse, Samina Alvi, also planted saplings of Chir Pine.

Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam and a large number of people also attended the ceremony.

The president observed that young

people had to play an active role in the plantation drive as it had always been the youth that changed the future course

of nations.

Sharing his past experiences prior to becoming the president, he said they had

distributed 100,000 saplings among different households in Karachi, giving away 100,000 seeds laden pencils among the students asking them to plant them in pots.

The president noted that human footprints had proved heavy on nature as the indiscriminate use of pesticides and insecticides had already eliminated a large number of insects which played a vital role in the pollination process.

He also lauded the efforts of both ministers in spearheading the plantation drive. The president said the government’s efforts and strategy over Covid-19 and the tree plantation drive had proved very successful and acknowledged by the world.

He also underlined the need of keeping tourists spots in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan clean and green as recently these places had attracted millions of tourists.

Earlier, Aslam briefed Alvi about the ongoing monsoon tree plantation drive under the Billion Tree Tsunami initiative.

He said about 500 million saplings will be planted across Pakistan as a target set for monsoon plantations.

The attendees also planted a number of different saplings in the green area.

FAJR SUNRISE

ZUHR

ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

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ISLAMABAD A day after the vice president and 15 members of the European Parliament expressed concerns regarding the “worsening humanitarian and human rights situation” in Indian-occupied Kashmir, Pakistan on Saturday welcomed the gesture, observing it was yet “another demonstration of the continuing global censure of rights violations and humanitarian crisis” in the disputed region.

In a letter addressing EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the bloc’s Foreign Affairs and Security Policy chief Josep Borrell, Fabio Massimo

Castaldo said: “As a champion of universal human rights, fundamental freedoms and the ruled-based international order, the EU must raise its voice against the violations of human rights affecting the people of Jammu and Kashmir.”

He said that the “EU should use all its leverage and tools” to cooperate with Pakistan and India “to honour the pledge made to the Kashmiris by the international community” and to implement Un resolutions.

“EU can’t back down,” Castaldo said on Twitter Responding to media queries, Foreign Office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said despite India peddling “false propaganda in futile

AFp

Fire crews tackled blazes for a fourth day as the number of people killed in forest fires sweeping through southern Turkey rose to six on Saturday, state media reported.

The wildfires broke out on Wednesday and have since injured more than 300 and forced the evacuation of villages and hotels.

The toll rose after the bodies of two workers who had been trying to put out the fires were found, state news agency Anadolu reported.

The agency said another fire began on Saturday in the tourist city of Bodrum with other reports saying people had been evacuated from their homes and hotels.

Ten fires are still going and another 88 have been brought under control since Wednesday, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirli tweeted.

8:34

MULTAN inp

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said that Pakistan is ready to hold talks with all parties in Afghanistan to establish peace and stability in the region.

Talking to media in Multan on Saturday, he said Pakistan wants a peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan, which is in the interest of the whole region. The foreign minister said Prime Minister Imran Khan has clearly presented his stance in front of the Afghan delegation that peace should prevail in Afghanistan. Speaking about the recently held elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, he said the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leadership is grateful to the voters for giving a huge mandate to their party. Earlier, addressing a meeting in Multan, the foreign minister said that 35 percent budget allocated in the current fiscal year for South Punjab will be spent on development of the region. He said separate quota for jobs and development projects has been allocated for South Punjab. The foreign minister said that South Punjab Secretariat cannot be rolled back and it will be fully authoritative till establishment of a separate province.

attempts to push the sham narrative of so-called normalcy in occupied Kashmir”, the global censure and condemnation of state-backed atrocities in the region continued unabated.

He said India must realise it could no longer ignore the growing international calls to end its grave and systematic rights violations of the people of Kashmir.

The spokesperson said India would have to ultimately give in to global pressure, end the rights violations and take steps for peaceful resolution of the dispute in accordance with the Un Security Council resolutions and wishes of the local population.

India has continued to impose strict restrictions on people in the region including on religious festivities. Local media had reported that Indian authorities had barred Muslims from offering prayers in major mosques on Eidul Azha and placed restrictions on ritual sacrifice.Meanwhile, the region's political leadership including Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Shabbir Ahmad Shah, dr Hameed Fayaz, Masarrat Aalam Butt, Aasiya Andrabi, nayeem Ahmad Khan and numerous other leaders and activists were in house detention or in jails.

Turkey battles forest fires for fourth day ANKARA

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Pakistan ready to hold talks with all parties in Afghanistan: FM

Pakistan hails EU parliamentarians’ letter on worsening humanitarian situation in IOK

stAFF report

5:16

Investigators are trying to establish if some of the fires were started deliberately.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan thanked Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin during a phone call for sending planes and helicopters to help, the presidency said.

The Turkish leader has taken flak at home after it emerged that Turkey had no firefighting planes despite one-third of its territory being forested and fires becoming an increasing problem.

"The main reason for these issues with planes is that the Turkish Aeronautical Association has not been able to update its fleet and technology," Erdogan said during a visit to the town of Manavgat, one of the affected areas.

More than 2,600 fires have erupted each year on average in the last decade, but that figure jumped to almost 3,400 last year, said Husrev Ozkara, vice chair of the Turkish Foresters Association.

Published by Arif Nizami at Qandeel Printing Press, 4 Queens Road, Lahore, for PT Print (Pvt) Limited. Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk