Epaper – December 12 LHR 2021

Sunday, 12 December, 2021 I 7 Jamadi-al-Awwal, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 164 I 12 Pages I Lahore Edition

No NRo to pluNdeReRs of public moNey, vows pm imRaN KhaN g

PM PerforMs ground breaking of 23 develoPMent Projects worth rs36 billion

MIANWALI

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Staff report

riMe Minister imran khan saturday vowed to take the accountability process to its logical end, saying that the Pakistan tehreeke-insaf (Pti) government is ready to talk to everyone, including the dissident elements in balochistan and tribal areas, for peace, but not to those who looted the public money and laundered the public money abroad. imran khan expressed these views while addressing a public gathering here in his ancestral city after performing the ground breaking of 23 development projects worth approximately rs36 billion in health, education and road sectors for the uplift of district Mianwali. the premier launched multiple projects under rs6.6 billion PM Package-ii and district development Package. he performed the groundbreaking ceremony of upgradation of the 38-kilometre kalabagh-shakardara road, which would cost rs2.70 billion, and upgradation of district headquarters hospital with an estimated cost of rs2bn.

the rehabilitation and upgradation of balkasar-Mianwali road, at an estimated cost of rs13.5bn, and wooded land at namal lake and kundia forest Park costing rs120 million, were also among the new projects. he also unveiled the plaques to inaugurate three projects worth rs5.4 billion, including the first phase of Mianwali-sargodha road, city Park and Miyawaki forest near namal lake. “we are ready to talk to everyone who has a different ideology or whom we call right or left. we are ready to resolve our issues with them peacefully, be they are in balochistan or erstwhile tribal areas or waziristan. the only ones whom we will never have any reconciliation with are those who looted and laundered the Pakistani people’s money,” he said. apprising the gathering of Pakistan’s reshaped foreign policy, the prime minister said now Pakistan would never bow before anyone rather the country would make independent decisions. the prime minister told the charged gathering that no nation with discriminatory laws for rich and poor could ever make progress.

coRoNaviRus iN

paKistaN

CONFIRMED CASES:

1,288,761

LAST UPDATED AT 10:36 AM ON DECEMBER 11, 2021

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

NEW CASES:

11

395

RECOVERED:

DEATHS:

1,250,427 28,823 SINDH:

PUNJAB:

477,721

443,794

KPK:

BALOCHISTAN:

180,611

33,528

AJK/GB:

ISLAMABAD:

34,601/10,425

108,081

he said his government would never give any national reconciliation ordinance (nro) to or make any reconciliation with the corrupt leaders until they were punished for their acts. addressing a public gathering, the premier said: “god willing, when we complete our five years, Mianwali would have witnessed the development which has never happened in its history… i always promised that if i get a chance, i will provide [the people] their right through my performance,” the prime minister told the public gathering.” thanking the people of Mianwali for supporting him through thick and thin, the prime minister said during the lat general elections, he had also committed to uplift the deprived areas of south Punjab, tribal areas and others. he said the government is prioritizing the education sector with particular focus on the girls’ education. regarding namal university, he said it would emerge as “oxford university of Pakistan” which would attract students from across the country besides facilitating the people of Mianwali. imran khan told the gathering that not only Pakistan, but the whole world including the us faced unprecedented inflation due to covid-related lockdown, which led to closure of businesses and reduction in production.

“You will have to understand, it is not only Pakistan’s issue. us, which is the richest country, is facing the worst inflation after 1982 due to lockdown,” he commented. however, he said Pakistan is still the cheapest country and hoped that the prices would come down within three to four months. he also highlighted the government’s initiatives of interest free loans for three million families, rs 2.7 million interest free loans for house building, health cards for whole of Punjab by next March, and rs47 billion higher education scholarships for 6.2 million students.

CONTINUED ON BACK PAGE

Pakistan desires productive engagement with all regional players, COAS tells US lawmakers RAWALPINDI Staff CorreSpondent

chief of army staff (coas) general Qamar javed bajwa saturday told senior parliamentarians from the united states of america (usa) that Pakistan desired to maintain productive bilateral engagement with “all the regional players” and wished for peaceful, diversified and sustained relations. the army chief expressed these remarks during a meeting with the members of the us senate armed services and intelligence committee headed by senator angus king. an official statement from the inter-services Public relations (isPr) said that the delegation included senator richard burr, senator john cornyn and senator ben sasse. us charge d’ affaires to Pakistan angela aggeler also accompanied the delegation. during the meeting, according to the statement, matters of mutual interest, the current security situation

Mini budget to be laid before Cabinet, National Assembly next week ISLAMABAD Mian abrar

in afghanistan and bilateral cooperation in various fields were discussed. on the occasion, general Qamar said that Pakistan desires to maintain productive bilateral engagement with all the regional players and wished for peaceful, diversified and sustained relations. isPr said that the coas also reiterated the urgency for global convergence on afghanistan to avoid looming humanitarian crises and the need for coordinated efforts for the economic uplift of the afghan people. he thanked the senators for their efforts in forging a mutual understanding of geopolitical and security situations in view of challenges ahead. the official communiqué stated that the visiting dignitaries appreciated Pakistan’s role in the afghan situation, special efforts for border management, role in regional stability and pledged to play their part for furthering diplomatic cooperation with Pakistan at all levels.

more inside

Policeman guarding anti-polio vaccinators killed in attack STORY ON PAGE 02

federal government is all set to table the mini-budget before a sitting of the federal cabinet. after approval by the cabinet, the mini-budget would be tabled in the national assembly for passage. federal cabinet is likely to meet on tuesday to discuss the mini-budget. President dr. arif alvi has also summoned the national assembly session on Monday at 4 p.m. to take up the mini-budget. the President has called the na session under article 54(1) of the constitution. the mini-budget is being tabled in order to meet the conditions set by the international Monetary fund (iMf) for the revival of its $6 billion loan to Pakistan. in the mini-budget, the finance bill will seek withdrawal of the general sales tax (gst) exemptions and slapping standard rate of 17 percent tax on import of mobile phones, computers, silver/gold, different articles of jewellery, re-meltable scrap, lPg and many other

asian development bank approves $385m to help improve livability in kP STORY ON BACK PAGE products.it is not yet known whether the government will impose a standard gst rate of 17 percent on Pol products or not. if the whole gst rate and petroleum levy were jacked up to rs30 per litre in phases, the storm of inflationary pressures might touch new heights.it seems that the government will make last-ditch efforts to protect the Pol products from the maximum rate of gst. currently, it is charging a minimum amount of gst on Pol products. opposition set to give treasury benches tough time. the united opposition is ready to give a tough time to the treasury benches over the mini-bud-

get. Moreover, debate over first suspected case of the omicron variant of covid-19 may also crop up during the national assembly session. overall inflation and recent increase in electricity tariff are also on opposition’s agenda for the upcoming national assembly session. a source told Pakistan today that the Pti’s government wants smooth sailing at the na session with an objective to get it approved by the first week of january. however, the opposition plans to raise the increase of rs4.74 in electricity tariff.PMl-n’s newly elected Mna shaista Pervaiz Malik would take oath in this session.

Pakistan committed to promotion, protection of human rights: Qureshi STORY ON PAGE 03

end illegal occupation of commercial plots in karachi, shc orders kMc STORY ON BACK PAGE

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Sunday, 12 December, 2021 | LAHORE

NEWS

Policeman guarding anti-Polio vaccinators killed in attack PESHAWAR

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anadolu agency

UNMEN on Saturday ambushed personnel guarding anti-polio vaccinators in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing one policeman and injuring another, police and health officials said. The incident — the latest in a series of similar attacks in recent years — occurred in the remote

Passage retrieved from squatters on ombudsman’s order LAHORE Staff rePort

On the direction of Punjab Ombudsman retired Maj Azam Suleman Khan, a public path measuring 58261.6 square feet (10 kanals 14 marlas) has been retrieved from illegal occupants in the village of Kamalia tehsil of Toba Tek Singh. The regained land was valued at Rs5 million. One Naubahar Ranjha, a resident of Toba Tek Singh, approached the ombudsman office that some people have illegally occupied the teeming pathway in his village, making it difficult for the locals to pass through. The route should be retrieved from the occupiers so that the daily problems of villagers could be alleviated, he requested. A report by Toba Tek Singh Advisor also confirmed the spot being occupied by intrusive squatters.

Khan directed Kamalia assistant commissioner to recover the passage and submit a compliance report to his office.

Following the direction, the official restored the passage by evicting the squatters.

air chief condoles death of rashid minhas’ mother ISLAMABAD Staff rePort

Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Saturday expressed heartfelt condolences on the death of Begum Rasheeda Minhas — mother of Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas, the youngest recipient of Nishan-i-Haider. In his message by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), Baber said: “May Allah bless the departed soul; and give strength to the bereaved family to bear this irreparable loss, Ameen.” Minhas was born on February 17, 1951. Having a dream of defending the aerial frontiers of the motherland, he got commission in the Pakistan Air Force on March 14, 1971, in the 51st GD-P course. On August 20, 1971, as a pilot still under training, Rashid was taxing out a T-33 Jet trainer for take-off, when a Bengali pilot instructor, Flight Lieutenant Mati ur-Rahman, forced his way into the rear cockpit. In mid-air, Rahman knocked Minhas out, seized control of the aircraft and headed towards India. Rashid struggled hard to regain control of the aircraft. The aircraft was last sighted flying very low in an abnormal manner some 32 miles short of the Indian border. It emerged that the young pilot officer without fearing for his own life deliberately crashed the plane before it could cross the border.

Taank district.

Armed assailants riding two to three motorbikes opened fire on the security personnel guarding an immunisation team on the outskirts of Taank, the police said. Dr. Ihsanullah, head of Civil Hospital in Taank, told reporters that one policeman was dead on arrival to the hospital, while another is being treated for bullet injuries.

The attack comes amid renewed anti-polio vaccination efforts across the country to consolidate the

government’s significant successes in rooting out the crippling disease. The country has not reported even a single polio case this year.

The latest attack came a day after the Tehreek-iTaliban Pakistan (TTP), an Afghanistan-based conglomerate of several militant groups, announced it was ending a month-long ceasefire with the government, although no group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack.

The TTP and its affiliates have been involved in attacks on anti-polio vaccinators across the country.

Pakistan is among three countries in the world, along with Afghanistan and Nigeria, where poliovirus still exists, and the country remains under a polio-linked travel restriction imposed by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

In 2014, the WHO made it mandatory for all people travelling from Pakistan to carry a polio vaccination certificate, although the ban is not being strictly followed.

Armed assailants targeting vaccinators see the antipolio campaigns are part of an elaborate anti-Muslim and Western conspiracy, and often issue death threats to vaccinators, many of them women, for administrating the vital jobs to children. According to officials, around 100 people associated with the drive have been killed across Pakistan since 2012.

Climber aims to scale all of world’s 8,000-meter peaks KARACHI anadolu agency

From starting as a porter in his teens, Sirbaz Khan has since scaled the heights of mountaineering, becoming the only Pakistani to climb nine peaks over 8,000 meters (26,247 feet) tall, including the world’s two tallest mountains, Everest and the mighty K2.

Hailing from the picturesque Hunza Valley of Gilgit-Baltistan, near the China border, Khan hopes to summit all of the world’s 14 mountains with an altitude of over 8,000 meters by the end of 2023 to join a small club of mountaineers who have achieved the feat.

The 33-year-old climber, who began his professional climbing career mere five years ago in 2016, has developed a taste for only the highest mountains. “I’ve never tried to touch mountains below 8,000 meters in my professional career. My aim is to scale all the 14 peaks that are over 8,000 meters,” Khan said in an interview with Anadolu Agency on the eve of International Mountains Day on Saturday.

“Below 8,000 meters isn’t my taste,” Khan, also known as “8,000-meter boy,” said with a smile.

In 2019, he became the first Pakistani to summit

Mount Lhotse in Nepal, which stands at 8,516 meters (27,939 feet) and is the world’s fourth-highest mountain.

Nanga Parbat, Broad Peak, Manaslu, Anapurna, and Gasherbrum-II are among his other 8,000-meter expeditions. Out of five peaks in Pakistan over the 8,000 mark, Khan has already scaled four mountains, leaving only Gasherbrum-I, which he plans to summit next year.

Khan accompanied iconic mountaineer Pakistan Muhammad Ali Sadpara on four of his 8,000-meter peaks expeditions. Sadly, Sadpara died this February while attempting to ascend K2 without supplementary oxygen.

‘Love for mountains runs in our

On Rights Day, Pakistan reminds world of unfulfilled rights of Kashmir, Palestine UNITED NATIONS Staff rePort

Marking Human Rights Day, Pakistan reminded the world community of the right to self-determination of the people of India-occupied Kashmir and Palestine.

Human Rights Day is observed every year on December 10, marking the day the UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.

The landmark declaration proclaims that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. It also states that everyone — regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political views, national or social origin,

property, birth or other status — is entitled to inalienable rights.

In his message on the occasion, Munir Akram, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN, said the celebration of the day is “a reaffirmation of the basic values and principles of human rights — the right to life, dignity, equality, and development — which were proclaimed 73 years ago.

“Respect for these rights must be central in responding to the challenges of a global pandemic, the realisation of the SDGs, and climate change,” he said.

“On this day, the world cannot forget the rights of the peoples of Kashmir and Palestine to selfdetermination and freedom from brutal foreign occupation”.

bLood’ It was 2004 when mountaineers from across the world gathered in Gilgit-Baltistan to celebrate the 50th anniversary of K2’s conquest, that gave Khan an opportunity to join an Italian team planning to scale the world’s second-tallest peak. He wasted no time seizing the opportunity.

“I never looked back after that,” he said. “It was just the beginning of my passion to climb all 8,000-meter tall mountains in the world,” Khan said.

That same year, together with Mohamad Ali Sadpara, he tried to scale the daunting K2, his first-ever mission as a professional climber, but he failed.

But the following year, Khan scaled Nanga Parbat, known as the “killer mountain” due to its highly treacherous terrain. “Mountaineering wasn’t something new to me, although none of my family members has ever joined this adventure sport. But it’s in the blood of the Hunza people,” he added. Scenic Hunza has produced several world-class climbers, including Nazir Sabir, the first Pakistani to summit Mount Everest, Ashraf Aman, the first Pakistani to reach the summit of K2, and Samina Baig, the first Pakistani woman to scale Everest and then all seven tallest peaks in all the continents.

SC extends deadline to submit APS carnage report by 3 weeks ISLAMABAD Staff rePort

Supreme Court on Saturday extended by three weeks a deadline it gave to the government for the submission of an implementation report on the horrendous 2014 attack on the Army Public School (APS) in Peshawar.

In November, the court in a hearing attended by Prime Minister Imran Khan directed the federal government to

submit the report, signed by the top executive, by December 10. However, on Thursday, the government requested the apex judicial forum to grant it three more weeks to do the same. In the attack that provoked horror and fierce international condemnation, members of the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), wearing suicide vests, stormed the education facility on December 16, slaughtering 147 people, 132 of them children.

FBR All Out For Making POS Campaign a Success Story ISLAMABAD Pr

Member Federal Board of Revenue (IROperations), Mr. QaiserIqbal, held a very important meeting with the top leadership of the FBR Field Formations through video link facility. He reaffirmed his commitment to continue with integration of eligible Tier-1 retailers with full force and vigour. He conveyed the unflinching resolve of Adviser to P.M on Finance & Revenue, Mr. ShaukatTarin with the directions that the largest 500 retailers be fully integrated in the first phase, followed by next 500 and so on.

The prize Scheme launched by FBR on both Print and Electronic Media was

also discussed in details. He directed the Field Formations to ensure its proper promotion and ensure that the Tier-1 retailers update all their branches on Goolge to facilitate their customers. Mr. QaiserIqbal also stressed upon effective enforcement measures for ensuring true and accurate reporting of sales by Tier-1 integrated retailers. He emphasized upon adopting all penal and prosecution measures against defaulting Tier-1 retailers on account of non-integration and those involved in tax fraud of any shade or grade.

He also hoped that Team Inland Revenue would spare no effort nor energy to make this innovative campaign on POS a true success story which promises a significant increase in tax revenue.

Sunday, 12 December, 2021 | LAHORE

NEWS

sindh assembly Passes amended lg bill amid oPPosition’s rumPus

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NEWS DESK

HE Sindh Assembly on Saturday approved Sindh Local Government (Amendment) Bill 2021 amid opposition’s ruckus.

The amended bill of the new LG system was tabled in the Sindh Assembly by Provincial Minister Nasir Hussain Shah.

In his speech, Nasir said Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah had met Sindh Governor Imran Ismail to discuss

the matter and the objections raised on the bill had been addressed.

“There has been a hue and cry [on the bill], when we have actually given more powers to local government institutions,” he remarked.

The minister assured that local government representatives would be empowered under the new bill, adding that PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had called for increasing their powers. While the session was marred with sloganeering, the legislators from the government managed to pass the bill.

Opposition members tore the copies of the agenda, when the house gave clause-by-clause approval to the bill.

Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh termed the bill “a black law”.

Chief Minister Murad also addressed the House on the occasion, criticising the opposition for protesting against the bill.

He commented that “nothing is worse than an illiterate opposition”, explaining that the bill had been amended as per the governor’s

recommendations and it would again be sent to him for his assent.

Claiming that the bill was in line with the expectations of the people of Sindh, the chief minister added that the PPP had to pass the bill in urgency as the Election Commission Pakistan (ECP) had set a deadline.

According to the provisions of the bill, towns will be set up in 6 divisional headquarters of Sindh including Karachi. The chairmen of towns and municipal committees will be elected through a show of hands.

South Korea, Pakistan ink MoU for external debt rescheduling ISLAMABAD Mian abrar

Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Mian Asad Hayaud Din and the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea, Suh Sangpyo have signed an agreement here for the rescheduling of external debt of Pakistan owed to the Republic of Korea for the year 2020 and first half of year 2021. This agreement comes, following months of negotiations leading up to the Memorandum of Understanding on the Treatment of Debt Service and

its Amendment signed between the Republic of Korea and Pakistan in June and December, 2020 respectively.

It is pertinent to mention here that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank called on all official bilateral creditors to suspend debt payments from the International Development Association (IDA) countries in March, 2020 by the G20 Finance Ministers agreement on the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) in April, 2020 and the concerns expressed by the Paris Club regarding the economic and social impact of COVID-19 crisis on the poorest countries of

the world. The Ambassador spoke at the ceremony that the Republic of Korea stands by Pakistan and aims to enhance bilateral economic relationship between the two countries. The Secretary, Mian Asad Hayaud Din appreciated the Ambassador for paving the way for this agreement and thanked the Government of the Republic of Korea for it everlasting support to Pakistan. In the side-lines of the signing ceremony, the Ambassador additionally met with the Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Zulfiqar Haider Khan and discussed matters of mutual interests.

03

HEC announces new fully-funded Chinese scholarships ISLAMABAD Mian abrar

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has announced fully funded scholarships for studies in China for the session 2022-23. According to HEC statement, Pakistani students who are desirous to study in China are encouraged to apply for new scholarships. The scholarships are for Bachelors’s, Master’s, and Doctoral degrees (Ph.D.). The Chinese universities offer scholarships in almost all academic fields and majors, including Science, Engineering, Agriculture, Medicine, Economics, Legal Studies, Management, Education, History, Literature, Philosophy, and Fine Arts. The last date of registration for HEC Chinese government scholarship is January 3, 2022.

Afghan Taliban, TTP do not share same objectives: Mujahid NEWS DESK Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid has said that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is not part of the Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan (IEA) and urged the TTP to pursue peace with Islamabad, according to media reports. According to a news outlet, Mujahid was responding to a video of the TTP chief wherein Noor Wali Mehsud had claimed his group to be a part of the Afghan Taliban. “They are not, as an organisation, part of IEA and we don’t share the same objectives,” Mujahid told a news outlet. He said that the TTP should focus on peace to “prevent any chance for enemies to interfere in the region”. “And we request Pakistan to look into their demands for the better of the region and Pakistan.”

Sunday, 12 December, 2021 | LAHORE

04 NEWS Yet another VC gets suspicious extension in GB’s varsity ISLAMABAD

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GhulAm ABBAs

ESPITE Prime Minister Imran Khan’s focus on merit and refusal to providing extensions, another Vice Chancellor (VC) of a university in Gilgit Baltistan (GB) has succeeded in getting extension for a full term of four years through its senate.

The move comes on heels of an extension in contract given to Vice Chancellor (VC) of Baltistan University

for an indefinite period.

Interestingly, both the lucky VCs, who are considered friends, have apparently used the forum of the Senate, a superior body of the universities, for granting extension in their contract unlike the set rules of appointment of VCs after completion of tenure being implemented/ practiced in other universities of the country.

As the statute of these universities have a room/ provision of giving extension to VCs in case of unavoidable situations, the VCs using similar provisions succeed in extending their contract. Interestingly in the case of

Karakorum International University (KIU), Gilgit, the entire tenure of the VC (four year) was renewed even at least eight months before completion of his existing tenure. According to reliable sources and available documents, the senate of KIU, which met here on November 2, 2021, has approved the renewing tenure of the VC with majority vote, although the same was not part of the agenda of the meeting.

The chairman of the university senate, Prof Junaid Zaidi, had introduced the case of extension of VC’s tenure as a table agenda, as a surprise to few members

of the senate despite the fact that the VC has eight months to retire. A member of the senate, an elected representative of faculty of the university, had strongly protested against the sudden introduction of the agenda saying that it has no justification to table an agenda of no urgent matter.

As per insiders, the member also raised serious questions over the intention of the agenda as the VC’s performance during the past four years were not satisfactory.

He was of the view that set rules of appointment of VCs as mentioned in the university’s statute should be followed and the existing VC may apply for another term.

However, some of the senate’s members, who are considered friends of the VC, insisted in giving the extension even months before the retirement.

KP to seek federal govt help for clean water supply project PESHAWAR Aziz Buneri

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has decided to approach the federal government for cooperation on the clean drinking water supply project for Peshawar from the under construction Mohmand dam.

The officials said that the request has been made during high financial cost of the project. The initial estimate of the project show that it will require Rs78.9 billion however, the officials are of the view that the financial cost of the project will further increase. Once completed, the project will provide clean drinking

water to the citizens of Peshawar from Mohmand Dam. The sources said that the issues will be taken up with the federal government and would be asked to contribute to the project to ensure the timely completion of the project.

According to sources, the federal and provincial governments will jointly launch the project and with the completion of Mohmand Dam, the citizens of Peshawar will have access to clean drinking water. The experts have expressed concern over the shortage of clean drinking water in Peshawar in 2025, due to which the provincial government is taking measures to avoid any future emergency situation in the district.

ANP’s Ghazanfar Bilour confirms joining PTI PESHAWAR App

Ghazanfar Bilour, a scion of the influential Bilour family has joined PTI after reposing confidence in the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan and KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan.

Talking to APP here on Saturday, he confirmed joining PTI and explicitly termed it his personal decision and nothing to do with other members of his family.

When questioned about terms and conditions of his joining the ruling party, he said that he has joined PTI unconditionally.

Ghazanfar Bilour is the son of the ANP’s longest serving Senator, Ilyas Ahmad Bilour and nephew of former federal minister Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour and Shaheed Bashir Ahmad Bilour. Bilour is the household name of ANP in the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The young Bilour also served as president of the Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) and president, Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) is the first member of the family, who relinquished decades-long association with ANP and joined PTI after reposing confidence in the party leadership.

Begum Rasheeda Minhas Laid to Rest with full Military Honours

KARACHI pr

Pakistan Air Force paid tribute to Begum RasheedaMinhas, mother of Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas (Shaheed), Nishan-eHaider, who breathed her last on Saturday in Karachi. A smartly turned out contingent of Pakistan Air Force presented guard of honour to the deceased.

The funeral prayers were attended by air & ground crew of No 2 Squadron,

which is named after Pilot Officer Rashid MinhasShaheed. Several high ranking civil and military officials were also present at the funeral. Air Vice Marshal ZaeemAfzal, Air Officer Commanding, Southern Air Command, Pakistan Air Force alongwith PAF personnel offered fateha for the departed soul.

Floral wreath on behalf of Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force was also laid on her grave.

Sustainable Development of Mountain Tourism Stressed in International Mountain Day Conference ISLAMABAD pr

To celebrate International Mountain Day 2021, Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) in collaboration with Alpine Club of Pakistan and other partner organizations organized a oneday conference was held on SUSTAINABLE MOUNTAIN TOURISM at Pearl Continental Hotel-Rawalpindi, on 11 December, 2021.This conference was part of celebration of International Mountain Day the theme of International Mountain Day 2021. Sustainable mountain tourism can help to provide new and alternative

CMYK

livelihood opportunities while also encouraging poverty reduction, social inclusion, and landscape and biodiversity protection.

In the conference, three sessions were held on the themes of “Climate Change and its Impact on Mountain Environment”, “Sustainable Mountain Tourism in Pakistan” and “Adventure Tourism in the Mountain Areas of Pakistan” in which guests speakers shared their expert opinions on the significance of mountains for the wild life and life of humans as well.

The conference was graced by the Chief Guest Raja Nasir Ali Khan-Minister Tourism GilgitBaltistan.

Sunday, 12 December, 2021 | LAHORE

CPEC broughT ProSPEriTy To rEmoTE arEaS: oFFiCiaL ISLAMABAD

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Staff rePort

HE China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has brought prosperity to remote areas in Pakistan including those in Balochistan, Khalid Mansoor, special assistant to Prime Minister on CPEC affairs said.

Speaking at the session “CPEC in the Emerging Regional Scenario” organised

by Islamabad-based think tank the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), the official stressed that CPEC has contributed to resolving the electricity shortage in Pakistan — a big hurdle to industrial development.

Before the commercial operation of a number of energy projects under CPEC, Pakistan was suffering probably

its most severe power crisis, with 12-18 hours of load shedding in a day, interrupting industrial production.

“Whatever power we were producing was most expensive, and not competitive in the international market, and that was the reason we were losing export orientation,” Mansoor said.

He said his country wants to have cost-effective power and wants to make use of coal mines in the southern Sindh province.

“Unfortunately, no funding was available for the power projects. So this is when we really resorted to China, and thanks to China for really helping us out,” he said.

The official noted that the coal-fired power plants under CPEC have installed state-of-the-art technology to make electricity production eco-friendly.

FFC Takes Lead in Earliest Dividend Disbursement to Shareholders Fauji Fertilizer Company (FFC) has been appreciated by Central Depository Company (CDC) appreciated for earliest announcement of book closure within 15 days of approval of third interim dividend by the Board of Directors and subsequent fastest electronic disbursement of the dividend into shareholders’ accounts on the 8th day, after the start of book closure. Thus, achieving compliance well before the deadlines as per the SECP directive. In a meeting with high officials of CDC, Mr. Imran Rizvi, Head of Shares Department FFC acknowledged that it was the joint teams’ effort of CDC Share Registrar (CDCSR), FFC and AKBL - the designated bank of FFC, which made this distinct achievement possible by creating new milestone in corporate history. Pr

“There used to be propaganda that Pakistan is installing coal power plants which will emit dark soot in the air. I challenge you that if you visit CPEC coal power plants, you will witness that rather than throwing dark soot into the air they are emitting very clean and clear flue gas, and their walls and floor are cleaner than those in your drawing rooms,” he said.

Mansoor said CPEC has enhanced Pakistan’s connectivity to the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa, through making the country well-connected internally to a network of motorways, roads and the Gwadar port.

He said phase 2 of CPEC which focuses on industrial, agricultural and socio-economic cooperation is more promising, with more job opportunities expected.

“Once we start developing and exe-

cuting the projects in the special economic zones, we are going to have the industrial revolution, and Pakistan is going to be the main manufacturing hub. We need to have the import substitution, and we need to have the export orientation,” he noted.

The official said his country should learn from China’s successful development experiences and follow the footsteps of China which developed strong industrialization by becoming a large manufacturing hub of the world.

He said Pakistan has a very compatible environment for foreign industries to get relocated here as labour in Pakistan is very cheap, adding that the country will encourage companies from China and any other countries to invest in the special economic zones under CPEC in Pakistan.

ECP registers eight new political parties ISLAMABAD

political parties. Interestingly, out of 135 political parties, only 16 are part of the Parliament.

Staff rePort

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has registered eight new political parties, taking the tally to 135 political parties.

The newly registered political parties include Awami Tehreek, Pakistan Mohafiz Party (National), Qaumi Awami Tehreek Pakistan, Pakistan Tehreek-eIttehad, First Democratic Front Pakistan and the People’s Alliance.

The ECP further said that Aam Aadmi Movement and Kisan Ittehad are also among the newlt registered

CCP concludes 28 enquiries in one year ISLAMABAD Shahzad Paracha

The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) while increasing the pace of enforcement has completed 28 enquiries, conducted 17 search inspections, passed 12 orders and imposed the highest ever penalty of around Rs 40 billion in the in one year.

The enforcement actions have been completed in important sectors such as sugar, milk, cooking oil, consumer goods, pharmaceutical, beverages, online trading, education, media, and paint industries.

However, in most of the cases, the CCP is facing the general difficulty in concluding proceedings due to the parties continuously seeking injunctive relief from Courts even at nascent stages of an enquiry, such as call for information and search and inspections.

The Chairperson Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) Rahat Kaunain Hassan while sharing the CCP’s performance with the participant of 23rd meeting of Competition Consultative Group (CCG) said that the Competition Appellate Tribunal is now functional, which shall aid in clearing the backlog of cases. She also informed that the CCP has started receiving the 3% of the fee and charges collected by specific regulators (PTA, SECP, NEPRA, OGRA and PEMRA).

The Chairperson also launched the study report on “Improving Economic Efficiency in Small-and-Medium Enterprises in Pakistan” prepared by CCP. The study reviews the SME Policy Framework in Pakistan and based on two surveys concerning demand side constraints and supply side issues in SMEs’ growth and challenges in SME financing, offers recommendations to the Government of Pakistan and other concerned entities focusing

on competition aspects, i.e., to ensure a level-playing field for SMEs to compete, which shall lead to the growth of the SME sector.

She also gave briefing on study, “Competition and Trade Practices Regulation in the Era of E-Commerce, Big Tech and Data Sciences” which highlights possible competition concerns in the e-commerce/online platforms market, which may fall under Section 3 (abusive conduct by dominant platforms) and Section 10 (deceptive marketing practices) of the Competition Act, 2010, and analyzes regulation strategies in more developed countries across the globe as well as other countries in the Region.

The Chairperson clarified that the CCP does not aim to become a data protection agency or over-regulate. Instead, the study aims to provide guidelines serving as a minimum benchmark of basic disclosures companies should adhere to, to avoid deceptive marketing practices.

Modi regime intensifies agenda of demographic terrorism in IIOJK SRINAGAR agencieS

In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the Narendra Modi-led fascist Indian government has intensified the implementation of demographic terrorism – the nefarious agenda of extremist Hindu organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of creating communal discard in the territory. According to Kashmir Media Service, in its latest move, the Modi regime has identified 19 locations in the Kashmir Valley to build 6,000 flats for the displaced Kashmiri Pandits who have returned or want to return to the Valley for the job. The project is a part of Indian Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP) in which New Delhi was supposed to provide 6,000 government jobs and the construction of 6,000 transit accommodations to the displaced Kashmiri Pandits. The total cost of the package has been estimated at Rs 920 crore. Reportedly, of 19 identified locations, the IIOJK administration, in the first phase of the project, has started building the flats on five locations that include Wandhama, Bandipora, Baramulla, Badgam and Qazigund.

CMYK

NEWS

05

corporate corner Webinar signifies skilled women’s role in national prosperity ISLAMABAD: Experts at a webinar have emphasized upon removing gender parity for skills development in labour market as it would not only ensure socio-economic development especially of low income population but also contribute significantly towards national economic stability. The webinar ‘Gender-parity in TVET for socio-economic prospects of Pakistan’ was organized by European Unionfunded TVET Sector Support Programme (SSP), Germany and Norwegian Embassy. Purpose of the event was to emphasize on the inclusion of women in labour market through skills development and to aware the general public about the significance of technical education and vocational training for women to access and excel in the labour market.

The TVET SSP has been commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and is being implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in close collaboration with the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC), provincial Technical Education and Vocational Training Authorities (TEVTAs) and large number of private sector organizations. The TVET SSP has been striving since the inception of its second face for more women inclusion through access and conducive environment so that more technical skills are learnt by women and the gender gap is reduced for a durable, positive and strong impact on economic productivity. The webinar addressed the topics of gender balance, equality, improved access and quality of skills training as well as the challenges which are faced in real life leading to gender-incomparability in TVET as well as labour market. Mr. Markus Strohmeier, Managing Director and CEO Siemens Pakistan; Mr. Tobias Becker, Country Director, GIZ Pakistan; Syed Mazhar Ali Nasir, Senior Vice President, FPCCI; and Qurrat Ul Ain Naveed, an entrepreneur, skills and entrepreneurship expert, were the panelists of the webinar. Giving his expert opinion in the webinar, Markus Strohmeier said that public-private partnership in the TVET SSP is the way forward for the inclusion of women. “This initiative is the means to polish their skills, and to compete and achieve their goals,” he explained. Addressing the audience, Tobias Becker shed light on the role of GIZ Pakistan on behalf of the German Development Cooperation in implementing the TVET reforms in Pakistan. He said, “GIZ Pakistan in partnership with NAVTCC is successfully implementing the TVET SSP and is delighted to see the positive outcome of this Programme,” . Pr

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06 COMMENT

Is India realigning with Kremlin?

Gwadar agitation Both sides should resolve issues peacefully and at earliest

Entry of S-400 in South Asian military scene will break US hegemony on arms sales

F

OUR weeks ago, the people of Gwadar port city launched the ‘Gwadar ko haq do’ (Give Gwadar Its Rights) movement. The protest not only continues but is snowballing as more and more men, women and children join it from interior Balochistan.

According to the movement’s leader, Maulana hidayatur-Rehman, the people would continue their protest till the achievement of their rights which had been denied to them for a long time. The government has accepted or agreed to consider quite a few of the 19 demands after three weeks of agitation.

Two of the most urgent issues still remain unresolved: action against the trawler mafia and resolution of issues on the Iran border, both affecting the livelihood of tens of thousands of the poor in Makran Division. With little agriculture and no industry in the region, millions of people living in Gwadar and adjoining areas depend on fishing for a livelihood. This is being threatened by trawlers from outside. The Illegal and unregulated fishing by Karachibased trawlers and by foreign vessels have crippled Gwadar’s fragile economy and depleted fish stocks in Balochistan. The trawlers need to be stopped from fishing w5rhin Pakistan’s maritime borders.

There being no railway line in the region, Makran depends on importing basic food items from Iran. With the fencing of the border by Pakistan proceeding apace, the common people who could cross over to bring back food items feel the pinch and are forced to demand opening the border trade with Iran to ensure the livelihood of the people.

Western and Indian media had accused Chinese trawlers of being involved. This was denied both by China and Mr Rehman who termed China a friend of Gwadar, saying that the protesters were not at all against China, China-led development, or the China Pakistan economic Corridor (CPeC). The protesters are putting up demands peacefully. It would be harmful to declare them rebels and traitors as was done in the case of Baloch leader yousuf Masti Khan who was booked for, among other things, abetting waging of war against Pakistan.

When the government stops people from airing their grievances peacefully, it forces them to take recourse to extra-parliamentary methods.

ShAziA Anwer CheeMA

B

y buying the S-400 Missile System, New Delhi has placed the USA in a challenging but interesting situation where Washington needs to manage buffer relationships with New Delhi and try to find face-saving too, because the USA clamped sanctions on Turkey back in 2017 for the same sin India has committed today.

If procurement of Russian military gear is turpitude for US allies, then the USA needs something tangible as an excuse for waiving off India from the list or facing the questions over duplicity in its geostrategic policies. Due to the grave regional scenario after the Syrian war, Turkey felt obliged to look to enhance its air defense system and took a bold step regarding strengthening its defense system by moving out of the manipulations of NATO allies defense system and made a deal with Russia to obtain the S-400 surface to air missile defense system. As a result, the USA kicked out Turkey from the “F-35 countries” list and also imposed defense sanctions on Turkey.

US is branding “F-35 countries” as “superior nations”, so denying Turkey the sale of F-35s was a serious punishment like disowning a child of the family, therefore the USA had to have something really solid to justify its decision. While explaining the possible reason for canceling the sale of the F-35 to Turkey, Pentagon editor at Air Force Magazine, Abraham Mahshie, in his article “Turkey’s erdogan and Biden to Face Off Over F-16 and F-35 Debacle “ indicates that NATO allies thought that Russian technicians while manning the controls of radar system connect with S-400 missile system can study the vulnerabilities of the F-35 and F-16 when fighter jets were flying over the S-400 system.

This fear is not unfounded because pseudolocking of the target (F-35) can explain vulnerabilities of both--- the target and the missile, so Russian can enhance the capacity and capability of S-400 with available data after doing a pseudolocking exercise.

Indian writer Aaron Mehta also fears that Russia could use S-400 to acquire classified information about

Green Line Buses Rapid mass transit or political football?

T

he shenanigans of the PML(N) and the PTI over the inauguration of the Green Line Bus in Karachi, both trying to claim some sort of credit for the project, may have gained in vigour because of the approaching of general elections. Prime Minister Imran Khan duly inaugurated the project on Friday, while the day before, an attempt by the PML(N) activists to hold a symbolic inauguration ceremony was foiled by the lawenforcing agencies.

The PML(N) is particularly incensed because it would like to be credited with the project. It is, like the Metros in Lahore, Multan and Islamabad, a project linked to the PML(N). Mr Khan being in office was obviously going to inaugurate it, but while in Karachi, he also stressed the importance of the K-IV project, meant to supply all Karachi with water. It would begin in January, and be completed in 14 months. Its completion would precede the next general election by a matter of months.

That project would indicate the real reason for the scuffle over the Green Line inauguration. The PTI wants the credit for having achieved something in Karachi, where it performed well in 2018, as does the PML(N). It is noticeable that the PPP stayed out of the matter, and KMC Administrator Murtaza Wahab limited himself to criticising Imran for not paying enough attention to inflation.

The PTI and PML(N) have had some success in Karachi when the MQM was weak or weakened. The MQM’s silence about the project is of significance. As a party which has been out of power for several years, it has little to show in terms of development, but it remains an important stakeholder in the city.

The PPP may have ruled the province since 2008, but it has limited success in Karachi, though it has won a national by-election seat recently. An underlying problem has to be solved. While parties will inevitably step up the search for electoral control before elections, there must be some modicum of civilized behaviour. Such an agreement is needed soon, for there are still nearly two years to the election, and projects will be completed with one name on the inauguration plaque, with the original conceiver depending on the public memory to give credit where credit is due.

The world hears the cry of oppressed Kashmiris The world must take on responsibility

AttiyA MunAwer

T

he issue of independence of Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir is at the forefront of the serious issues that threaten world peace. This issue persists in the form of resolutions passed by the United Nations and the Security Council but is still unresolved due to the indifference of the great powers and also their partisan role. Although this issue led to four wars that have been fought between Pakistan and India. There are also frequent border clashes that could escalate into a major war, but unfortunately the United Nations and the Security Council are unwilling to acknowledge the gravity of the situation.

There is no denying the fact that the Indian ille-

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the F-16 (already under use of the Turkish Air Force) after seeing its shaky future with the USA decided to and F-35 and thus pose a threat to the NATO defense come upfront. Australia, the United Kingdom, and the system. Fear made sense as the S-400 was built specif- United States on 15 September formed a multipurically to destroy US-made missiles and flying objects. pose military alliance with a drive of collective secuThe S-400 surface-to-air missile defense system is the rity in the region of Indo-Pacific for encircling most advanced equipment and is commonly known as Chinese trade routes. The alliance is called AKUAS a triumph in Russia. It is capable of firing three types (abbreviation of Australia (A), United Kingdom of missiles to create a layered defence. The system can (UK), and United States (US).

The US strategy to confront the rise of China is engage all types of aerial targets, including aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), and ballistic and cruise a losing proposition because Five eyes and Quadrilateral Security Dialogue missiles, within the range (Quad) failed to overof 400km at an altitude of come Chinese influence up to 30 km. The system Southeast and South can simultaneously engage The US strategy to confront the rise of in Asia so AKUAS would 36 targets. history has been reChina is a losing proposition because just another US attempt in desperation at the turn peated and the US strateFive Eyes and Quadrilateral Security of events in the 21st cengic partner in South tury. The potential frontAsia---India has purDialogue (Quad) failed to overcome line state in South Asia chased the system from a Chinese influence in Southeast and against China is not a cold war-era friend. India member of this venture, and Russia are calling this South Asia so AKUAS would just explaining the trust deal a "partnership for deficit between the USA peace, progress, and prosanother US attempt in desperation at and India over the future perity" and pledge their althe turn of events in the 21st century. regional developments. legiance toward each By being a member of other. Re-alliance includes The potential frontline state in South QUAD India must have boosting the defense ties Asia against China is not a member of expected to be a party in with a 10 years' cooperaAKUAS as well, instead tion programme. Targets this venture, explaining the trust deficit of the US partnering with have been set to expand countries having no borbilateral trade and investbetween the USA and India over the der links with the Indian ment. In addition, the two future regional developments. By being Ocean. This military alsides concluded a deal for liance is much more imIndia’s procurement of a member of QUAD India must have portant than QUAD and 600,000 AK-203 assault expected to be a party in AKUAS as explains the Indian posirifles. The AK-203 rifles tion in the USA's sphere. are to be procured through well, instead of the US partnering with On the other hand, the joint venture of IndoRussia is not hysterical at Russia rifles. countries having no border links with all about China and has Indian Foreign Secrethe Indian Ocean. This military alliance been advising India to tary harsh Vardhan keep away from the highShringla said that Putin’s is much more important than QUAD risk game theUSA is playshort but highly producand explains the Indian position ing in Indo-Pacific waters tive visit set a base for and pushing India not to some highly ambitious in the USA's sphere. prefer all US inclusive targets. he further added geopolitics in the region. that the target had been set Being an old partner Rusto increase bilateral trade sia weighs more and once to 30 billion US dollars again heavily marks its and bilateral investment to $50 billion by 2025. Indian media reports that other presence in the regional strategic maneuvering. things on the agenda are connectivity options such as Turkey bought S-400 and faced sanctions and India the international north-south corridor with the new has also bought S-400 but I do not see any sanctions against India at sight. The US will look for buffer rechanging geopolitical scenarios in the Indo-Pacific.

Indian newspapers believe that the USA tried its lations to find a way out of this awkward situation but level best to put India under its shadow, making India how? is the question. a member of QUAD while Russia had expressed conNote: Writer Shazia Anwer Cheema is a doctoral cern that this quadrilateral strategic dialogue will deform the geopolitics of the region. The Russia-India student. Researcher in semiotics and philosophy of relationship during the cold war is tested and India communication at Charles University in Prague. She after leaning towards the USA for some time is diving heads the DND Think Tank. She can be reached at Twitter @ShaziaAnwerCh Email: backward to re-align with old support.

India take AKUAS as a fortune-telling mirror and shaziaanwer@yahoo.com

I

Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

I

gally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) is an unresolved issue on the UN agenda, but it is being grossly neglected. Pakistan has attempted to awaken and shake the international conscience in every international forum by raising the issue of Kashmir. It is a different matter that Pakistan’s efforts have become a parrot’s voice in the world arena which the world powers are not ready to listen to, because the economic interests of the world powers are connected with India. Deciding against India would be tantamount to putting one’s own interests at stake. however, with each passing day, the issue is getting more and more serious.

In this regard, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Munir Akram has also said that Pakistan wants to embarrass the world on the Kashmir issue which speaks of human values. Why are they silent on Kashmir? The Kashmir issue is nothing new. It is 70 years old. The Kashmir issue has not been raised in the Security Council for 50 years.

But now it has been raised three times in the Security Council. China has changed the situation by raising its voice on the Kashmir issue as a veto power in the Security Council. however, for a permanent and lasting solution to the Kashmir issue, Pakistan must continue to shake the conscience of the international community and mobilize its diplomatic staff around the world.

There is no doubt that the internal strategy of any country is a mirror of the external strategy. however, only an economically and politically strong country can adopt an effective foreign policy. We have to learn where we stand as a nation. Are we strong enough to use our foreign policy to raise the issue of Kashmir globally and succeed in resolving this issue?

The international community is well aware of Pakistan’s weak and India’s strong economic position, so

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

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Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

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the international community is leaning towards India and the Kashmir issue is getting prolonged. If the unjust attitude of the international community continues, then the Kashmir dispute will one day become a threat to the whole world.

The international community will continue to support India as much as it wants in its own interests, but the threat to global peace must also be borne in mind. The Kashmir issue is becoming a threat not only to the region but also to world peace. India wants to suppress the struggle for independence instead of resolving the Kashmir dispute. The Kashmiri people are not going to back down from their struggle for independence and have continued their struggle for independence with patience and perseverance in the face of the machinations of the bigoted Indian leaders, an example of which is unparalleled anywhere in the world.

The Kashmir independence movement is an unprecedented movement in human history that has a definite goal of accession to Pakistan. Them struggle of the Kashmiri people for independence is in fact a struggle for the completion and stability of Pakistan.

Thus, it is the basic moral responsibility of the government and the people of Pakistan to give practical support to Kashmiris. While talking about peaceful dialogue with India, Pakistan is also trying its best to awaken the conscience of the international community. The alienation of the oppressed Kashmiris from the international community will not last long. The world has to play its role by listening to the cries of the oppressed Kashmiris and the efforts made by Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir issue will surely succeed one day and the dawn of Kashmir’s independence will dawn.

The writer can be reached at attiabutt121@gmail.com and tweets @AttiyaMunawer

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

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Sunday, 12 December, 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

Lyarri Expressway

Driven apart by deep divisions Making amends for historical aberrations, Pakistan is on course

Candid Corner rAoof hASAn “Life has taught me that you cannot control someone’s loyalty. No matter how good you are to them, it does not mean they will treat you the same. No matter how much they mean to you, it does not mean they will value you the same.

Sometimes the people you love the most turn out to be the people you can trust the least.”

–Trent Shelton

P

AKISTAN’S decision to skip Joe Biden’s ‘Democracy Summit’ is both valid and timely. The reiteration that “we value our partnership with the USA which we wish to expand bilaterally as well as in terms of regional and international cooperation” and that Pakistan would like to engage with Washington “at an opportune time in the future” is also appropriate.

The immediate reasons for the decision could include the invitation extended to Taiwan which Pakistan considers an integral part of China. Its presence at the Democracy Summit would have, therefore, been a source of embarrassment for its most trusted friend which has stood by it in its myriad hours of trial. It could also be because Russia has been left out of the list of invitees with whom Pakistan is trying to build a partnership for the furtherance of causes which are of mutual benefit to the two countries including how best to tackle the evolving situation in Afghanistan. yet, there is much more to the decision than just that. In a recent piece for another publication, I had listed five major areas of divergence between the USA and Pakistan which I thought would not be easily reconcilable.

These differences pertain to a number of issues which are impacting the shaping of events in this part of the world.

The first divergence relates to the evolving situation in Afghanistan. If the Taliban are able to bring stability to the country, as looks increasingly possible, it would provide a massive boost to the potential of Pakistan’s connectivity with the regional countries. This would inevitably contribute to the shifting of the power balance in the region in favour of China. The USA and the western world would not be comfortable with the prospect.

There is a core strategic divergence between the USA and Pakistan. While the USA is resolutely pursuing a ‘contain China’ policy in close partnership with India, it is not possible

for Pakistan to either support this effort, or even look at it favourably. In fact, its strategic interests are inextricably linked with China with whom it has had a history of trustworthy, deep-rooted and sustainable relations stretching back to decades. This is quite unlike the relations it has had with the USA which, at the best of times, have only been transactional with no element of permanence ever visible.

The third divergence relates to the ChinaPakistan economic Corridor (CPeC) which is perceived as a block in the way of the American pursuits in the region. This initiative is not only beneficial for China and Pakistan, but it has huge potential for Afghanistan and other regional countries in terms of enhanced and productive economic connectivity. This would help these countries lift their people out of poverty and facilitate them to pursue the core objectives of development and progress.

The fourth spanner in the works relates to the fact that the U.S. is interested in a region that is dominated by India to facilitate and augment its ‘contain China’ policy.

Given the history of chequered relations with its eastern neighbour, a deepening lack of trust and the precarious, almost belligerent state of existent relations, Pakistan will not live with that stigma.

The fifth divergence is rooted in the perception that the USA would like to keep the region unstable so that it could deny the fruits of economic progress to its people.

This could be achieved by pushing towards a new cold war era which is amply reflected in the increasingly hostile western approach towards China. This runs contrary to the combined regional resolve to expand economic linkages among the countries stretching from China through Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan and Central Asia all the way to Russia, thus facilitating emergence of the new economic power corridor.

By aligning itself with the region, with wh5ch its interests have always been inextricably linked, Pakistan is making amends for a policy aberration which was committed back in the 1940sand 1950s when it stretched itself across vast turbulent waters to shake hands with the USA, which compromised its natural linkages.

This cost Pakistan dearly through the succeeding years, more so because, in spite of opting for the USA; it was never able to build stable and sustainable relations with its nonNATO ally. These relations were always an up and down thing, mostly working to the detriment of Pakistan’s interests. It was even subjected to the sanctions regime to be punished for getting out of the prescribed line. It remains on the US hit list through the FATF, IMF, WB and such other veritable extensions of consistently growing levels of hubris, primarily focused on guarding and advancing the US strategic interest in the region, irrespective of the nature of the sinister tactics employed and the consequent damage it would accrue to the regional countries.

As Pakistan was going through this unstable and, at times, extremely tense partnership with the USA; its relations with China kept growing at a consistent pace. These relations were different in nature from what it has had with theUSA. These are rooted in mutual trust

and respect which, with time, grew into a sustainable and robust economic and strategic partnership. CPeC was born out of this trust which has benefited the two neighbours and holds a promise for other countries of the region once peace is established in a war-ravaged Afghanistan.

The core issue that the USA suffers from, is how it looks at the situation evolving here and how that would impact its ‘contain China’ policy. There is a strong perception that the prospect of peace in Afghanistan and the US policy objectives run counter to each other. The reason is simple: if there is peace in Afghanistan, CPeC will grow further as an economic linkage between various countries which, in turn, will facilitate the emergence of a parallel and powerful economic and strategic corridor running throughout the region. This will, in time, begin to dent the dominant position that the USA has traditionally held with regard to being the leading international economic powerbroker.

The US policy is amply reflected in its approach to the Taliban government. They entered into a dialogue with them which led to the Doha Peace Deal in February 2020, providing for the withdrawal of their troops by a stipulated date, later extended to August 15. In spite of requests from virtually all countries around Afghanistan to plan their withdrawal in an orderly manner and link it with key steps which the Taliban had promised to take, the USA insisted on a most disorderly exit, leaving the country in indescribable chaos.

Then is the question of stabilising Afghanistan which, for all the years the USA was present there, had survived on the Western aid package. Not only have the USA and its western allies stopped all inflow of capital into Afghanistan, they have also frozen $9 billion in Afghan central bank assets. Furthermore, the USA imposed sanctions and cut off the country from the international financial system which caused an instant economic collapse. In spite of the fact that the eU and some international organisations have announced aid packages, the same cannot be transmitted to Afghanistan because of fear of reprisals by the USA. Thus, economic activity remains at a standstill in the beleaguered country which is virtually tottering on the brink of starvation and a massive humanitarian catastrophe.

It is quite clear that the USA is not interested in creating stability in Afghanistan. On the contrary, its policies are directed to generate civil war-like conditions so as to push the prospect of peace back. Continued unrest and instability in Afghanistan constitute the key components of the US policy in the region which adversely impact the growth potential of other countries.

The US interests run counter not just to the interests of Afghanistan, but the entire region.

While pushing the prospect of peace back, it also raises the spectre of continued unrest in the region, thus pitting it against the USA in the long run. It is, indeed, a short-sighted policy which is not going to benefit anyone, not even the USA. hubris, they say, has no limit. And neither has its destructive consequences!

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

IN January 2018, the long-delayed construction of the northern track of Lyari expressway was finally completed and became operational.

The Lyari expressway is a 16km long road that runs along the Lyari River. The south-bound track that connects Sohrab Goth and Mauripur road was completed earlier and has been operational since 2010. It has eased travel between Sohrab Goth and Mauripur because of signal-free traffic movement.

Recently, the city administrator, Murtaza Wahab, announced that a committee would be set up to work out the possibility of opening the Lyari expressway for heavy vehicles. In 2019, the PTI government had also suggested the same idea because it is believed that rerouting the heavy traffic from Karachi Motorway towards Lyari expressway will relieve the Motorway of traffic. I strongly oppose this idea because the traffic of heavy trucks, trailers, and cargo vehicles will disrupt the smooth flow of traffic on the expressway. At present, people can travel between Mauripur and Sohrab Goth within a matter of 15-20 minutes. It will become tedious to travel through the expressway once it opens to heavy transportation because the road will become congested and reach a gridlock during rush hours.

Detouring traffic from the Karachi Motorway to the Lyari expressway is not a feasible solution as one part of the city will be relieved of the traffic whilst another will be obstructed. To resolve the traffic problems in Karachi, there needs to be an overhaul of the entire infrastructure of the city. There is a need to plan for the development and construction of new roads, and expressways to smooth the flow of traffic in the commercial parts of Karachi.

Syed MukarraM SulTan Bukhari karachi

Organic diet TO meet nutritional requirements there is a popular trend nowadays.

People prefer dietary supplements. By definition, a dietary supplement is a manufactured product intended to supplement the diet when taken by mouth. The nutrients in supplements are either extracted from food sources or synthetically made in order to increase the quality of nutritional value of a product. They are specially formulated and scientifically studied to effectively manage symptoms and improve outcomes.

But supplement consumption is not an ultimate solution, nutritional needs should be met primarily through diet.

In Pakistan, flattering advertisements and campaigns urge parents to consume or in fact replace basic diet with supplements. Parents should always consult a pediatrician or any other concerned health expert before giving supplements to their children. Supplements for sure provide vitamins and minerals to body, but some generally high in sugars. Thus, to meet the nutritional requirement of body one must prefer whole food.

Natural and organic products offer three main benefits over dietary supplements: Better nutrition; Providing innumerable essential micronutrients. essential fiber and Protective substances including antioxidants. All concerned stake holders prefer organic diet consumption, one can opt for dietary supplements but upon prescription of concerned consultants and immediate need.

The food regulatory authority in Punjab; Punjab Food Authority, its Chairman Umer Tanveer Butt and Director General Rafaqat Ali Nissoana along with their awareness teams have instructed people to prefer healthy and organic food options. We must take such instructions and messages into consideration for our sake.

USAMA PERVEZ, LAHoRE

Decline of reading culture IN the current era, with the rise of technological innovations and gadgets, the interest in buying books has come to an alarmingly low level. In the past, curiosity about buying books was very strong everywhere but this desire to read stuff in hard copy has borne a titanic hit. It has disappeared in the nick of time as soon as android mobiles and all-in-one tools have appeared. The current trends of mobile abuses have robbed people of many valuable things like unions of family, important traditional social gatherings wherein flow of wisdom lies, attention and care about parents and obedience and so on. From top to bottom, every single person is absorbed and trapped in the net of excessive mobile use. This sorry state of affairs saddened me to the core when I went to buy books from a shopkeeper in my city. I asked him, “Why don’t you bring in new books for sale ?” he replied,” People do not have time to read hard books, since it is the culprit mobile which is keeping them away from buying books from us.”

Apart from other serious effects of android mobile phones, even it has dealt a death blow to businesses of those whose livelihood is dependent upon them. The shopkeeper feared that he might put an end to the business of selling books due to the minimum sale of books. Sadly, our society has become so dependent upon technology that it has lost the value of real gems that pave the way for great wisdom in every age of man. excessive use of mobile phones has shrunk modern minds. The obsession with frequent checking of updates causes effects on minds. Rude behaviour, lack of attention to household chores and aggressive attitude among them are common. On the other hand, book reading is such a pleasure which encourages cognitive development and prevents distractions, like mobiles do, from occuring. Nowadays, mobile has taken the place of very important things in life. A few years back, people used to take a deep interest in writing books and developing the creative approach to hard material, but at the present moment, people have everything at hand and they are not required to work hard and use their energy and make optimum of their mental and physical strength. In consequence, headaches, lethargy and health problems are commonplace things. hence, everything is plain. It is strongly advised to the young generation that they ought to direct their efforts towards useful things and make the most out of books in hard copy. By doing so, they will be in a position to avoid distractions, save book reading culture and value relationships. In this context, Albert had rightly said, “I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots.” aBdul Qadeer SeelrO larkana

Sunday, 12 December, 2021

08 WORLD VIEW

Trends in Terrorism: WhaT's coming in 2022?

2022 COULD BE THE YEAR THE WORLD WITNESSES THE FIRST ASSASSINATION OF A HEAD OF STATE BY TERRORISTS USING DRONES, EMBOLDENED BY THE PREVIOUS ATTACKS AND ENABLED BY THE CONTINUED LOWERING OF ENTRY BARRIERS IN MASTERING COMMERCIAL OFF-THE-SHELF TECHNOLOGIES PURPOSED TOWARD NEFARIOUS ENDS

Foreign Policy research institute

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Colin Clarke

ith the world still reeling from the global COViD-19 pandemic, nearly two years in the making, few know what to expect terrorism trends to look like heading into 2022. however, certain trends from previous years seem likely to continue and may grow more severe. the terrorist threat is arguably more diverse than at any point in recent memory, with the threat posed by far-right extremists and jihadists joined by a growing roster of political and socio-cultural motivations, including ‘technophobia’ or neo-Luddite terrorism, violent anarchists, and extreme misogynists, especially those following the so-called ‘incel’ ideology. ‘Salad bar’ ideologies, those that combine a sampling of different ideologies, sometimes diametrically opposed to one another, are also on the rise and are best exemplified by neo-Nazis growing fetishization of jihadist ideology. And while the most lethal terrorist threats are likely to remain jihadism and far-right extremism, it is important to think about how recent developments could shape patterns of terrorism over the coming year. the recently discovered Omicron variant of the coronavirus is already forcing vaccine mandates and new waves of lockdowns in countries worldwide, fueling violent protests from anti-vaxxers and anti-government extremists, respectively. in italy, antivaxxers have linked up with far-right extremists, a combustible mix likely playing out in many other countries, not just in Eu-

rope but also in the United States, Canada, and Australia. Even good news related to the pandemic is likely to be a double-edged sword. if significant progress can be made against the virus in 2022, lifting restrictions could provide extremists with a range of new potential targets, especially soft targets where crowds may begin to congregate, including sporting events, concert venues, and farmers’ markets.

Several geopolitical hotspots will inform forecasts about terrorism trends in 2022. iran nuclear deal is on the verge of collapse, and if tehran continues to move ahead with enriching uranium, moving to create bombgrade nuclear fuel in a matter of weeks. that development alone could lead to a broader conflagration, with israel unlikely to sit by idly as iran moves closer to developing the ingredients for a nuclear weapon. israeli strikes against iran have the potential for an iranian response through its global network of proxies, like Lebanese hezbollah, a group that has attacked israeli targets on multiple continents over the years. tensions between Ukraine and Russia continue to escalate, with Moscow deploying as many as 175,000 troops to the border. Renewed conflict between Ukraine and Russia could drive an influx of farright extremists to the region. in the past, foreign fighters motivated by white supremacy and neo-Nazi ideology have flocked to Ukraine, fighting on both sides of the conflict. Extremists can gain valuable battlefield experience before returning to their countries of origin or third-party countries, destabilizing states by recruiting new members, developing terrorist networks, and gaining critical tacit knowledge of guerrilla warfare tactics.

Parts of the Middle East and Africa could experience a fresh round of terrorist attacks from insurgent groups that use terror-

ism as a primary tactic. in Ethiopia, the tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (tPLF) has conducted acts of terrorism, while in turkey and Syria, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the People’s Protection Forces (YPG) remain active, motivated by leftist ideology and ethno-nationalist motivations. hundreds of foreign fighters have traveled to the Middle East to fight alongside the Kurds. however, these individuals receive far less media attention and scrutiny than their jihadist-inspired counterparts.

Although it consumes less bandwidth amongst the international community than it did during the peak of the islamic State several years ago, the global jihadist movement will continue to present a significant threat. however, jihadist organizations will further decentralize over the next year, the byproduct of a successful counterterrorism campaign by the U.S. and its allies against the islamic State in iraq and Syria. islamic State fighters and their families still housed in detention camps and prisons throughout Syria are a lingering security challenge. in early November, Kurdish forces foiled an islamic State prison break attempt in Deir Ezzor. this method has helped the islamic State reinforce its ranks at various points and become a more central pillar of its operational focus in the coming year. Moreover, islamic State and jihadist propaganda more broadly resonates with Westerners, making the threat of inspired attacks in the West by homegrown violent extremists an enduring challenge for police and intelligence agencies. the islamic State has shifted resources and attention to its affiliates and branches elsewhere to remain relevant. in the coming year, islamic State Central Africa Province (iSCAP) and islamic State Khorasan (iSK)will be among the most lethal islamic State affiliates, continuing a trend from

Nehru: The idealist and the realist THE SEAMLESS CONTRADICTIONS OF JAWAHARLAL NEHRU oPen Magazine

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Siddharth Singh

hEN Jawaharlal Nehru died in 1964 he bequeathed a by and large peaceful india to his successors. to be sure, there were problems. Pacification efforts in Nagaland failed and five years earlier it had become necessary to impose a draconian law giving unusual powers to the armed forces. two years earlier, China had beaten india in a short but intense war.

Nehru never recovered from that blow. But overall, india was on the right track. States had been reorganised successfully; a system of economic planning was created and at a time when democracy was failing in newly independent countries, india stood out as a successful example.

Fast forward to the end of the 20th century and virtually all ailments that plagued india were blamed on Nehru. his strategy towards China was held to be the root problem for india’s territorial losses in the himalayas. the “appeasement” of Muslims by his party was traced back to the choices he made after independence. the interesting thing is that with the same set of facts, he has been criticised by Leftist and conservative intellectuals alike. One British Marxist intellectual went so far as to discern a reactionary hindu in him. For conservative hindu intellectuals, he was not hindu enough. Only the Liberals, the dominant intellectual tribe in india, think he was right all along. the best way to understand Nehru, the context in which his ideas emerged and de-

bates of the time, is to wade through his selected works and the speeches, letters and writings of those who raged against him. But that literature poses great difficulties for the ordinary reader. the Selected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru are spread across a hundred volumes. Responses to his writings by others are equally scattered. Of late, efforts are being made to collect these texts in a thematic fashion to make life easy for readers.

Nehru: the Debates that Defined india by tripurdaman Singh and Adeel hussain is one such effort. the book extracts key documents and writings that deal with four very different themes that continue to dominate debates in india until now. thematically, there are three debates. First, broadly speaking, the “Muslim Question” of the pre-independence era involves Nehru’s exchanges with Muhammad iqbal—the Muslim theologian and a key intellectual figure of Muslim separatism in 20th century india—and those with Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Second, the debate between Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on foreign policy and in particular China and, finally, the debate around the First Amendment to the Constitution that had far-reaching effects for the indian polity.

What arises from these debates is a complex figure who—after all the twists and turns—emerges as a territorial nationalist first before anything else. if one were to sketch a line from the liberal-idealist to the realist-nationalist end, the debate around the “Muslim Question” is the one that lies at the liberal end. the First Amendment issue, one that liberals would like to somehow vanish, is firmly located at the realist end. the de-

bate on foreign policy can, with many complicating qualifications, be located more towards the realist than idealistic end.

Consider the “Muslim Question” and here Nehru seems to have been outwitted by both iqbal and Jinnah; the former on theological grounds and the latter on political ones.

Unlike Nehru, iqbal had no illusions about what his religion stood for and what he—as a conservative leader—wanted. to be sure, iqbal had his own complicated conception of what indian nationhood would entail but he did not want a “forced unity” of communities. this was expressed in a far sharper manner by Jinnah for whom the price for indian unity would be a decentralised state where individual units would call the shots. Nehru’s weakness, if it can be

2021. throughout sub-Saharan Africa, jihadist groups with links to the islamic State have steadily gained momentum. iSCAP’s branch in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has claimed responsibility for attacks in Uganda. At the same time, the islamic State franchise in Mozambique (also known as iSCAP) conducted cross-border attacks into tanzania. African security forces have been unable to prevent spillover violence, and there is little indication to suggest that international assistance in combating these groups is forthcoming. in the Sahel, French forces have struggled to help African militaries contain the growth of both al-Qaeda and islamic State affiliates. terrorist attacks have plagued Mali, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Niger, and other countries in the region. in the horn of Africa, al-Shabaab is gaining strength and has evolved into a regional threat, with the possibility of more global ambitions, including setting its sights on attacking the West. terrorist capabilities and intent are not static, so the international community should not simply assume that African jihadist groups will remain focused on parochial issues. the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan facilitated a taliban takeover of the country, leading to an upsurge in attacks from iSK. the taliban’s heavy-handed approach to counterinsurgency has exacerbated the security crisis and may lead Afghanistan to civil war. if that happens, foreign fighters will flock from the surrounding region to join terrorist groups like iSK and al-Qaeda, reinforcing the latter’s ranks as its cadres rebuild under the protective umbrella of the taliban de facto government and its haqqani network leadership. One central question is whether the taliban will convince al-Qaeda to abandon its transnational ambitions and eschew plotting attacks against the West, a prospect many are pessimistic about. Even

called that, was a poor comparative understanding of religions. What emerges from these debates is an unvarnished relativism of sorts where all religions can be equally prepared for entering modernity. the contrasting fates of india and Pakistan—a fascinating natural experiment—shows how erroneous his assumption was. iqbal and Jinnah were very clear about what they wanted and they managed to get it. For all the rap that Nehru received about his “woolly idealism”, it is the creation of iqbal and Jinnah that is in trouble and is yet to resolve its identity issues.

At the other end of the spectrum lies the debate around the First Amendment to the Constitution that imposed “reasonable restrictions” on the Fundamental Right to Freedom (Article 19). the book covers one aspect of that debate, between Nehru and Syama Prasad Mukherjee. A fuller treatment of the debate is in a book by one of the authors (Singh’s Sixteen Stormy Days: the Story of the First Amendment of the Constitution of india, 2020).

At that time this was held to be a regression from the promise that had been given just a year earlier when the Constitution was ushered in. Nehru was criticised for harbouring some deep anti-democratic tendencies.

But 70 years later, that amendment has stood the test of time and has helped india survive as a nearly coherent nation-state. the authors may disagree, but that amendment surely ranks as one of Nehru’s great contributions to the survival of india. At that time, there was no internet, no WhatsApp, no social media and none of the disruptive technologies that made it easy to gang up against the government. And yet, within a year of the Constitution’s arrival, Nehru probably sensed—and rightly so—the perilous road ahead. the Nehru who emerges from these debates is not a wooly liberal, but someone who with his education was an idealist and

still, Afghanistan under the taliban could devolve into a hornet’s nest for terrorists and insurgents of all stripes, leading to a rise in terror attacks throughout South Asia, including the possibility of spectacular attacks that drag Pakistan and india closer to the precipice. Kashmir remains a geopolitical tinderbox, and the taliban’s victory in Afghanistan has emboldened a range of jihadist groups.

Depending on what happens in Afghanistan, it seems likely that external states will take a more hands-on approach, cultivating proxies and working with various non-state actors to secure their interests. to protect Afghanistan’s Shia hazara minority from the sectarian campaign waged by iSK, iran could choose to deploy the Liwa Fatemiyoun brigade, a network of Afghan Shia hazara fighters trained and equipped by tehran for combat in Syria. State sponsorship of terrorism more broadly could be a trend to watch in the coming year, especially with mercenaries and foreign fighters.

Specifically, in Libya and NagornoKarabakh, sponsors could encourage other states to begin emulating the “turkish model,” training and deploying foreign fighter brigades to tip the balance of power in civil wars and insurgencies. in terms of tactics, we should expect terrorists to continue seeking out emerging technologies to enhance the lethality of their attacks. Explosive-laden drones nearly assassinated iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Kadhimi in early November. the attack was reminiscent of a similar attempt in April 2018 to kill Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, also with drones. 2022 could be the year the world witnesses the first assassination of a head of state by terrorists using drones, emboldened by the previous attacks and enabled by the continued lowering of entry barriers in mastering commercial offthe-shelf technologies purposed toward nefarious ends.

Following more than two decades of fighting the global war on terrorism, the United States and its allies are shifting attention and resources to great power competition, drawing down forces from dangerous hotspots, and leaving local and host nation forces responsible for countering terrorists and non-state armed groups.

Washington is looking to move on from the Global War on terrorism and put an end to the “9/11 era,” as the pendulum swings from a focus on non-state actors back to nation states. But, the enemy always gets a vote, and the psychological impact of terrorism will keep it as a front-burner issue for the foreseeable future, no matter which ideologies ebb and flow next year.

Colin P. Clarke is a non-resident Senior Fellow in the National Security Program at the Foreign Policy Research Institute and is the Director of Policy and Research at The Soufan Group and a Senior Research Fellow at The Soufan Centre.

a realist in different proportions. the trouble in understanding him lies in our quest for neat, clear-cut, classificatory pigeonholes and the way we want to push leaders and individuals into them. it is also easy to blame him for the “mistakes” that continue to haunt india. take China, for example. A careful reading of the record shows that he was a territorial nationalist through and through.

Where he made an error was in appreciating Chinese intentions and strength. Similarly— on a topic that is not covered in the book— he was very clear on Kashmir. the trouble for him, and india, was that it was one matter for a world empire to hold a territory and something entirely different for an independent country to do so. the resources required—material, ideological, legitimising—were of a very different order.

Perhaps what was needed and what india possessed were badly mismatched. Yet, to the chagrin of the Chinese and Pakistanis alike, he did not let go of india’s territorial claims. One well-known commentator on international affairs has for decades blamed Nehru for not demarcating the border with China and artificially sketching a line in Aksai Chin. it is interesting to note that there has been no comment from that quarter about China’s “Nine-Dash line” that claims the entire South China Sea as its territory. it is always easy and cheap to blame the dead. there is no doubt that mistakes emerged as he went along but to blame him totally (or absolve him, for that matter) tends to impart an otherworldly, non-human quality on him. it is high time that india and indians stopped criticising Nehru for his personal failings and mistakes and analyse the context in which he made the choices that he did.

Singh and hussain’s book is a good starting point to examine the basis of those choices.

Nehru: The Debates That Defined India,

by Tripurdaman Singh and Adeel Hussain, HarperCollins, 292 pages.

Sunday, 12 December, 2021 | LAHORE

NEWS

corporate corner IoBM holds 24th Convocation; 1,249 degrees conferred

FAlSE ACCuSErS oF BlASphEMy to MEEt SAME FAtE, SAyS AShrAFI LAHORE

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KARACHI: The Institute of Business Management (IoBM), Karachi, held its 24th Convocation on Saturday, December 11, 2021. As many as 1,249 graduates were awarded degrees in business management and allied disciplines. Governor Sindh Mr. Imran Ismail was the Chief Guest while Mr. Muhammad Azfar Ahsan, Minister of State and Chairman Board of Investment (BoI) Pakistan was the Guest of Honor. The Keynote Speaker was Mr. Amir Paracha, Chairman and CEO, Unilever Pakistan. Present on the occasion were IoBM’s Chancellor, Mr. Bashir Janmohammad; Members of the Board of Governors; President, Mr. Talib S. Karim; Executive Director, Ms. Sabina Mohsin; Rector, Dr. Tariq Rahim Soomro; Deans, Heads of Academic Departments, and members of the Convocation Committee. During his speech, Governor Sindh Imran Ismail has urged the youth to use their talents for the development and stability of the country, prepare themselves to drive the country ahead. Prime Minister Imran Kahn has provided a great opportunity in the form of Kamyab Jawan Program, talented youth should take advantage of this opportunity.

He was addressing the 24th convocation of the Institute of Business Management (IoBM) on Saturday. Governor Sindh said that the country’s political and economic drive will be leaded by youth in near future, the youth should prepare themselves. He said that the Prime Minister's successful youth program for the youth was an expression of the Prime Minister's confidence in them.

With this program, a talented young person can get up to Rs. 50 million for his unique business idea on easy terms.

Governor Sindh urged the youth to dream big because big dreams require hard work and great success.

Governor Sindh said that female students were taking precedence over boys in the field of education but it was girls but most of them either got married or stay at home after getting education. He urged the female students to continue their career and contribute to the development of the country. Congratulating the young students who have completed their education, the Governor said that today is the day of reward for the hard work of their teachers and their parents. From today, students will have to start a new phase of the struggle to prove their abilities. While addressing the Convocation, Mr. Muhammad Azfar Ahsan advised students to pursue all activities with honesty, loyalty, and a sound sense of judgment. He asked the graduates to explore the world around them and become a helping hand for those who are facing tough times. He added that the times ahead will be challenging because of how the pandemic has altered our lives. He was confident that the graduates’ insights acquired during classroom lectures and experience gained while pursuing jobs or completing internships will guide them towards success. During his Keynote Address, Mr. Amir Paracha said that behind success there are failures, success and vulnerabilities. He said that your dream can evolve and change and that it is often important to listen to intuition. He advised students to continue dreaming, to be curious, to keep learning and to remain humble. Mr. Paracha's life story was indeed inspiring for the graduates that highlighted his gradual rise over the years in the corproate sector. President IoBM, Mr. Talib S. Karim during his speech said he shared that IoBM is continuing its focus on research and development as faculty members are effectively pursuing their research objectives. He added that IoBM's academic collaboration with universities abroad was also strengthened in 2021. IoBM is connected with 68 universities in Europe, Asia and the US. He further added that IoBM management envisions transforming the Institute into a tech-driven campus within the next two years. During his Welcome Address, Mr. Bashir Janmohammad said that graduates should be grateful to their parents for their selfless devotion. He paid tribute to IoBM's Late Founder President, Mr. Shahjehan S. Karim for his devotion to provide quality education. He adviced graduates to dream big and have a vision in life. He adviced the graduates to work hard, be honest, and to create jobs by establishing startups. The Valedictorian, Ishma Ghazanfar (BBA Honors/Gold Medalist), during her speech, recalled her journey at IoBM, especially the classes taken from home during the pandemic. She advised students that whatever they wish to do in life, they should do it well. Because in doing so, they will find excellence, and in pursuing excellence, they will find their desired outcome. She said that with hard work, perseverance, and faith in God Almighty, things that may seem impossible will become possible. Abdul Moizz (BSSocial Entrepreneurship and Social Leadership) was the Students Commencement Speaker. He shared that IoBM provided students with countless opportunities to build connections. Despite the COVID-19 Pandemic, our Student Exchange Program continued through which so many of us have had the privilege of studying in topranked universities all around the globe. Pr

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news desk

HE government is determined to punish all those who make false allegations of blasphemy to curb the misuse of the highly sensitive laws, a key aide to the prime minister said after a meeting with the church leadership on Saturday.

Addressing a joint press conference after an important meeting with the church leaders, Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Religious Harmony Allama Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi said that following the unfortunate lynching of Sri Lankan national Priyantha Kumara in Sialkot, the government and state authorities had decided to take stern action against those who misuse the blasphemy laws for personal motives. “We have decided to take punitive action against those who are maligning Islam and Pakistan for their vested interests,” he claimed.

On the issue of forced conversion and marriage of underage minority girls, Ashrafi said that the concerns of the church leadership were legitimate and the government would work to make sure that no girl under the legally marriageable age was subjected to forced marriage.

“We have decided to make a council in collaboration with the church both at the government and organizational levels to investigate cases of forced conversions of minority girls,”

he said, vowing that the State was responsible for the protection of all minority communities in Pakistan.

Addressing the media, Church of Pakistan Moderator/President Bishop Dr Azad Marshall condemned violence in the name of religion and demanded that state authorities took practical measures to protect all citizens, especially members of the country’s vulnerable communities.

Speaking on behalf of the Christian community, Bishop Marshall condemned the gruesome killing of Mr Kumara, saying the incident had brought shame to the country.

“We are deeply saddened by the unfortunate incident, and as Pakistanis, our heads hang in shame. Mr Kumara’s killing is not the first such incident carried out in the name of religion, therefore we demand the State authorities and the

government to stop the misuse of the blasphemy law by cracking down on elements and groups that seek to sow discord in society,” said Bishop Marshall.

He said that huge public outcry over the Sialkot incident showed that a majority of Pakistani citizens were concerned about the direction in which Pakistani society was headed.

“We appreciate the stance taken by Prime Minister Imran Khan, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, government ministers and Islamic religious scholars but we expect that they will come up with a mechanism to stop these atrocities and make Pakistan safe for all,” he said.

Reiterating his suggestion for setting up a special task force comprising officials of the Pakistan Army and intelligence agencies to investigate blasphemy allegations, Bishop Marshall

Secretary Power given look-after charge of petroleum division ISLAMABAD AhmAd AhmAdAni

The government on Saturday transferred Dr Arshad Mahmood, Secretary Petroleum Division and assigned Ali Raza Bhutta, Secretary Power Division to look-after the affairs of the petroleum division for a period of three months or till the posting of a regular incumbent.

According to sources, transfer of Secretary Petroleum Dr Arshad Mahmood, a BS-22 officer of Pakistan Administrative Service, is made after a meeting of the Prime Minister Imran Khan and Federal Energy Minister Hammad Azhar which was held on Friday to discuss various issues of the energy sector.

The Establishment Division, in a notification dated 11th December 2021, said that Secretary Petroleum Dr

Arshad Mahmood is transferred and directed to report to the Establishment Division with immediate effect and until further orders.

In another notification dated December 11, 2021, Establishment Division said that Ali Raza Bhutta, a BS-22 officer of Pakistan Administrative Service, presently posted as Secretary Power Division, is assigned additional charge of the post of Secretary Petroleum for a period of three months or till the posting of a regular incumbent whichever is earlier, with immediate effect.

Sources said that Energy Minister Hammad Azhar, during a recent meeting with the premier, has hold Dr Arshad Mahmood, Secretary Petroleum responsible for all the problems of energy sector including import of expansive Liquefied Natural Gas

(LNG), prevailing gas crisis and non-upliftment of furnace oil by power plants from the refineries.

“Transfer of Dr Arshad Mahmood is made after a meeting of the Energy Minister with PM Imran Khan wherein Hammad Azhar held Secretary Petroleum responsible for all evils of the petroleum division,” said sources.

Expressing serious concerns over the transfer of secretary petroleum in the middle of a gas crisis, the sources said that though the power division is allegedly responsible for major problems of energy sector Secretary Power Division has been given more powers as he has been given the additional charge of petroleum division while petroleum secretary has been shown the door.

‘World’s vast political landscape can’t be judged by a single yardstick’ ISTANBUL AnAdolu Agency

As US President Joe Biden called “democracy” a “defining challenge of our time,” China and Russia, argue that there is no single yardstick to “judge the world’s vast and varied political landscape.”

“Having other countries copy one’s political system through color revolution, regime change and even use of force go against international law, and are obviously anti-democratic,” Qin Gang and Anatoly Antonov, the Chinese and Russian ambassadors to the US, wrote in a joint article titled “Respect-

ing People’s Democratic Rights”.

Their views were published in a US publication ahead of the virtual Summit for Democracy that began on Thursday with opening remarks of Biden.

“The American-led online Summit for Democracy will stoke ideological confrontation,” the envoys predicted, calling for the urgent “need to strengthen coordination and cooperation for common progress.”

Over 100 countries, excluding China and Russia, have been invited to the twoday event. Self-ruled Taiwan, claimed by China, has also

been invited by the Biden administration. Pakistan chose not to participate but said it will “continue to support all efforts aimed towards strengthening dialogue, constructive engagement.”

Calling Washington out for what the two envoys said was “empowering itself to define who is to attend the event and who is not, who is a ‘democratic country’ and who is not eligible for such status,” they said this was the “product of its Cold War mentality.”

“This will stoke up ideological confrontation and a rift in the world, creating new ‘dividing lines’,” the joint piece said.

said the issue had gone beyond the control of the local police.

“Police cannot sustain pressure in blasphemy cases. If the task force comprising army officials finds the allegations false and clears the accused, I don’t think any religious party or group will have any objection to that. Similarly, any person found guilty of the charge should be proceeded against according to the law,” he said.

The senior church leader also criticised the government for ignoring leaderships of the religious minorities while formulating legislations pertaining to their communities.

“The government did not take us on board when it rejected the anti-forced conversion draft bill. It also ignored us in the drafting of the national curriculum. Has the government made sure that the new curriculum does not promote discrimination and hatred towards religious minorities?” he questioned.

The senior church leader said that religious minorities of Pakistan had always stood by the State but it was unfortunate that their voices were often ignored.

Others who spoke on the occasion included Roman Catholic Archbishop of Lahore Sebastian Francis Shaw and Church of Pakistan Sialkot Diocese Bishop Alvin Samuel. The participants of the meeting included senior bishop Mano Rumal Shah, Presbyterian Church of Pakistan Moderator Majeed Abel, Father James Channan, Pakistan Ulema Council Vice Chairman Allama Zubair Abid and Genesis Media Group’s CEO Asher John.

Economist impact and Mastercard Study: A fertile ground for the growth of Super-Apps KARACHI: From ride-hailing services to grocery delivery, and financial services such as buy-now-pay-later to microfinancing, super-apps development in the Pakistan, Middle East and Africa is emerging fast as the region proves to be a potentially fertile ground for its growth.

In a study commissioned by Mastercard and carried out

by Economist Impact titled ‘From online bazaar to one stop shop: The rise of super-apps in the Middle East and Africa’, the paper examines how population growth, digital access, connectivity, a diverse demographic, increasing trust, and affordability is contributing to the rapid progress of super-apps in the region.

The study also draws parallels between the ecosystems that drove the rapid rise of super-apps such as WeChat, Meituan or AliPay in China a decade ago to the Middle East and Africa region currently where the super-app model is showing early promise. Emerging players are seeking to emulate the Chinese-born concept and create regional success stories of their own.

While multi-function apps have been popular in Asia for some time, cut-through elsewhere in the world has been slower. Consumers in western and MEA including Pakistan markets have largely messaged, hailed taxis, summoned food and paid for things with different apps. But more recently firms including Spotify, Uber and Revolut have raced to bundle ever more features into their apps.

“With the Middle East and Africa region projected to become the most populous area in the world, with a forecast population of 3.4 billion by 2050, this expanded market presents a wealth of customer data, which regional players could leverage to add value for all stakeholders. Mastercard, with its digital-first approach, can be that single technology provider of choice to connect diverse players such as telcos, digital e-tailers and fintechs to become super-apps by providing technology solutions, platforms and propositions that enable a superior digital experience and drive greater inclusion for people across MEA,” said Ngozi Megwa, Senior Vice President, Digital Partnerships.

The report also threw the spotlight on governments’ role.

As the biggest spenders in the region, government choices over which direction to orient industrial and data policies will be key. Beyond the policies of individual governments, the harmonization of policies across the region is expected be the core strategic choice that will determine the future of super-apps.

While delving into the MEA region, the study found specific highlights that will enable the rapid growth of super-apps. Key findings include: Locally active super-apps are proliferating across the region, but larger cross-regional players remain few, The prevalence of low-end mobile phones, as well as high internet costs, make super-apps an attractive product, Super-apps can be drivers for financial inclusion, The harmonization of national policies remains the biggest challenge to the scaling-up of super-app presence. Pr

Sunday, 12 December, 2021 | LAHORE

10 fOREIgn nEwS

China says U.s. is redUCing ‘demoCraCy’ to tool and weapon

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AGENcIEs

He Chinese Foreign Ministry on Saturday denounced the “Summit for Democracy” held by the United States, accusing it of reducing democracy to a tool and a weapon for its hegemony.

A spokesperson for the ministry said in a statement that in an attempt to draw ideological lines by hosting the summit, the U.S. sought to thwart democracy under the pretext of democracy, incite division and confrontation, and divert attention from its internal problems.

The U.S. had attempted to preserve its hegemony over the world, and undermine the international system with the United Nations at its core and the international order underpinned by international law, the spokesperson added. “This move by the United States goes against the trend of the times, and has been widely opposed by the international community,” read the statement.

Dysfunction of AmericAn-style DemocrAcy: The spokesperson said the U.S. is not a “beacon of democracy,” and that American-style democracy had deviated from the essence of democracy.

Problems like money politics, identity politics, partisanship, political polarization, social division, racial tension and the wealth gap are getting worse in the American-style democracy, said the spokesperson.

Calling it a “money-based game for the rich,” the spokesperson said 91 percent of congressional elections are won by candidates with greater financial support.

“It is ‘one person one vote’ in name, but ‘rule of the minority elite’ in reality,” said the spokesperson, adding that the general public is wooed when their votes are wanted but ignored once the election is over.

The flaws of such an electoral system are self-evident, including the rampant use of gerrymandering to manipulate the division of electoral districts that compromises fairness and justice, according to the spokesperson. The spokesperson added that the check and balance in the U.S. has become “vetocracy,” with partisan interests placed above national development.

The Capitol riot, the death of George Floyd, the tragic mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the widening gap between the rich and the poor all speak to dysfunction of the American-style democracy, said the spokesperson, calling it “a fact that cannot be covered up.” Citing surveys, the spokesperson noted that 72 percent of Americans believe that democracy in the U.S. has not been a good example for others to follow in recent years, and 81 percent believe that there are grave domestic threats to the future of American democracy.

Surveys also show that 44 percent of respondents across the world regard the U.S. as the biggest threat to global democracy, among countries allied to the U.S. most of the people see American democracy as a “shat-

tered, washed-up has-been,” and 52 percent of respondents in the european Union believe the democratic system in the U.S. does not work, according to the spokesperson.

‘DemocrAcy A ‘weApon of mAss Destruction’ for u.s. to interfere in others’ AffAirs’: The spokesperson said the U.S. has been imposing its political system and values on others, pushing for “democratic reforms,” abusing unilateral sanctions and inciting “color revolutions,” which have caused disastrous consequences.

“Democracy has become a ‘weapon of mass destruction’ used by the United States to interfere in other countries’ affairs,” read the spokesperson’s statement.

Noting comments in the U.S. media, the spokesperson said if there is one country that is still seeking global hegemony, coercing other countries and defying rules in the 21st century, it must be the U.S. Saying that since 2001, the wars and military operations waged by the United States in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Syria have claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, caused millions of injuries, and displaced tens of millions of people, the spokesperson stated that imposing American democracy on others simply does not work.

Till this day, the U.S. is still trying to divide the world into “democratic” and “non-democratic” camps based on its criteria, and openly provoke division and confrontation, said the spokesperson, adding that the practice is to backpedal in history and will bring nothing but turmoil and disaster to the world.

‘A country’s pAth to DemocrAcy shoulD be chosen inDepenDently’: The

spokesperson said democracy, as a common value of humanity, is the right of people in all countries, not a prerogative of a small number of countries.

Whether a country is democratic or not should be decided by its own people, not by a handful of finger-pointing outsiders, said the spokesperson.

“A country’s democratic system and its path to democracy should be chosen independently by its own people in light of their national reality,” read the statement. “Nothing works better than the most suitable.”

The spokesperson also expounded how China practices whole-process people’s democracy under the leadership of the Communist Party of China.

Whole-process people’s democracy combines electoral democracy with consultative democracy, and integrates all links of democracy, including democratic election, democratic consultation, democratic decisionmaking, democratic management and democratic oversight, said the spokesperson. “It covers economic, political, cultural, social, ecological and all other fields,” said the spokesperson. “It is the most broad-based, real and effective socialist democracy.” The spokesperson added that China’s democracy has contributed to the country’s development and social progress, and delivered a happy life for the Chinese people. China has completed the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects and eradicated absolute poverty for 1.4 billion people, the spokesperson noted. China stands ready to work with all countries to promote peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom, which are common values of humanity, and advance democracy in international relations, said the spokesperson.

Indian farmers call off year-long mass protests against Modi reforms NEW DELHI AFP

Thousands of Indian farmers were packing their belongings and dismantling tent cities on Saturday as they headed home from the Delhi outskirts following a year-long protest against the government’s agriculture policies.

In a rare retreat last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced and pushed through parliament the repeal of three contentious laws that farmers claimed would let private companies control the country’s agriculture sector.

Hundreds of farmers danced and celebrated the victory early Saturday as they began removing roadblocks and dismantling thousands of makeshift homes along major highways.

Farmers in India have political heft due to their sheer numbers — tens of thousands had camped out to protest against the laws in the biggest challenge to the Modi government since it

came to power in 2014.

Protesters had initially refused to leave the sites despite the repeal of the legislation, pressing other demands including a legal guarantee for minimum benchmark rates for their produce.

The government said it will form a commission on fixing minimum prices for crops and promised to stop prosecuting farmers for burning crop stubble that is blamed for polluting Delhi’s air every winter.

It also agreed to pay compensation to the families of more than 700 farmers who died during the demonstrations and withdraw criminal cases lodged against protesters during the year-long campaign against the farm laws.

The three agricultural laws passed in September 2020 aimed to deregulate farm produce markets from state control and allow private companies to enter the sector — on which two-thirds of India’s more than 1.3 billion population rely for

a living.

The government said the laws were a necessary reform but farmers opposed the move, saying it would leave them at the mercy of big corporations.

Farmers started local protests in northern Punjab and Haryana — India’s breadbasket states — before tens of

thousands headed to New Delhi to press their demands.

But they were violently stopped by police at the borders of New Delhi, triggering a year-long impasse that saw authorities erect concrete and steel barricades and metal spikes to stop their advance.

China brands US democracy ‘weapon of mass destruction’ BEIJING AFP

China branded US democracy a “weapon of mass destruction” on Saturday, following the US-organised Summit for Democracy which aimed to shore up likeminded allies in the face of autocratic regimes.

China was left out of the two-day virtual summit — along with countries including Russia and Hungary —

and responded by angrily accusing US President Joe Biden of stoking Cold War-era ideological divides. “‘Democracy’ has long become a ‘weapon of mass destruction’ used by the US to interfere in other countries,” a foreign ministry spokesperson said in an online statement, which also accused the US of having “instigated ‘colour revolutions'” overseas.

The ministry also claimed the summit was organised by the US to “draw lines of ideological prejudice,

instrumentalise and weaponise democracy… (and) incite division and confrontation.”

Instead, Beijing vowed to “resolutely resist and oppose all kinds of pseudo-democracies”.

Ahead of the summit, China ramped up a propaganda blitz criticising US democracy as corrupt and a failure.

Instead, it touted its own version of “whole-process people’s democracy” in a white paper released last week that aimed to shore up legitimacy for the ruling Communist Party.

While the US has repeatedly denied there will be another Cold War with China, tensions between the world’s two largest economies have spiralled in recent years over issues including trade and technological competition, rights and Taiwan.

The US Treasury on Friday sanctioned two highlevel Chinese officials for alleged human rights abuses in the Xinjiang region and placed Chinese AI surveillance firm SenseTime on a blacklist for its facial recognition technology targeting the Uyghur minority.

Taiwan, a democratic self-ruling island that is claimed by China, was invited to the US summit in a clear snub to its larger neighbour.

But Beijing got a boost in the middle of Biden’s summit when Nicaragua dropped its previous diplomatic alliance with Taiwan, saying it only recognised China.

The announcement leaves Taiwan with only 14 diplomatic allies. In response, the US State Department called on “all countries that value democratic institutions” to “expand engagement” with the island.

Sunday, 12 December, 2021 | LAHORE

Pakistani weightlifter Talha hopes to win gold medal

SPORTS 11

WesT IndIes fInalIse sTraTegy for PakIsTan maTChes: PhIl sImmons

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News Desk Pakistani weightlifter Talha Talib on Saturday thanked his fans for supporting him in the World Weightlifting Championship, which is being held in Tashkent. He had won a bronze medal in the 67kg snatch event of the championship on Friday. He had lifted 143kg in his first attempt. His following attempts of lifting 146kg and 147kg were unsuccessful, but his first attempt had proved enough for him to secure a medal for the country. On Saturday, in a Twitter post, he said he had not responded to messages earlier because his Twitter account was not working in Uzbekistan. He further said that he hopes to win a gold medal for the country soon too. He also asked his fans to keep supporting him. Last year, the 22-year-old weightlifter had won a bronze medal in the same category at the Asian Championship and his performance had earned him a place at Tokyo Olympics. At the Olympics, he had held the gold medal spot until the final round before eventually being bumped down and denied a podium finish. In the end, he had finished fifth as China’s Lijun Chen, Colombia’ Luis Javier Mosquera Lozano and Italy’s Mirko Zani had captured gold, silver and bronze respectively.

PCB, ICC TV join hands for West Indies tour News Desk The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has entered into a partnership with ICC TV, a news outlet reported on Saturday. According to the report, after the partnership, fans from every corner of the globe will now be able to watch the matches between Pakistan and West Indies, scheduled to start from Monday in Karachi. The countries where the West Indies tour of Pakistan can be watched live on ICC TV include Andorra, Antarctica, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bouvet Island, Bouvet Island, Brazil, British Indian Ocean Territory, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Chile, China, Christmas Island, Cocos Island, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, East Timor, Ecuador, Estonia, Falkland Islands, Faroe islands, Finland, France, French Guiana, Georgia, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Guyana, Heard Island, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgystan, Laos, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, Macedonia, Malaysia, Malta, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Myanmar, Netherlands, New Caledonia, North Korea, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vatican City, Vietnam and Venezeula. Pakistan and West Indies will play three T20Is and three ODIs. The first T20I will be played at the National Stadium, Karachi on Monday.

News Desk

EST Indies head coach Phil Simmons on Saturday said that his team have finalised their strategy to play against Pakistan during their ODI and T20I series, scheduled to start in Karachi from Monday, according to a news outlet.

“The series will be interesting and our sole focus is on cricket only. Pakistan have been playing great cricket in T20Is while we will look to compete in ODIs. We have plotted plans to deal with Shaheen Afridi, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. Shaheen is one of the best bowlers currently while Babar and Rizwan have

been fantastic as openers. We have plan A, B and C for them,” he said.

“We have young players in our team. We want to see how they play against Shaheen. Playing against Pakistan in Pakistan is like a challenge. Our players will be tested under this pressure. The wicket suits the local team but we want to play freely and forget past results.” he added.

Talking about security arrangements, Phil Simmons said: “We are very satisfied with the security. The facilities provided are excellent, it was nice to come to Pakistan after a long time. I have always enjoyed coming to Pakistan. There was no problem of any kind. The situation was different when I came here as a player. Now I can’t go anywhere because of Covid-19.”

Mardan, Chitral make it to Final of Ufone 4G Football Cup PesHAwAR News Desk

Football teams of Mardan and Chitral made it to the final of Ufone 4G Football Cup Khyber Pakhtunkhwa here in Tehmas Khan Football Stadium Peshawar on Friday by registering emphatic wins against their opponent teams. Over 71 teams participated from across the region in the Khyber Pakhuntwa leg of the tournament, played simultaneously with its Balochistan edition.

The first Semi Final match was played between DFA Charsadda and DFA Mardan at Tehmas Khan Football Stadium on Friday. Despite repeated attacks on both sides, no goal could be scored during the allocated time.

Some of the shots were near misses but defenses outweighed offensive tactics on both sides and the match was ultimately decided on penalties. This stage of the contest was however dominated by DFA Mardan, which took away the match 4 against 2 to book its slot in the Final.

The second match was played between DFA Chitral and Waziristan Combined under floodlights at a packed Tehmas Khan Football Stadium.

The two teams appeared to be in impeccable touch however, Chitral was tipped as favourites for its extensive col-

lective experience and history as the Runner up of the 1st edition of Ufone 4G Football Cup. DFA Chitral dominated the match from the beginning through maximum possession of ball as well as by launching fierce attacks at regular intervals. In the 18th minute, DFA Chitral’s Muhammad Rasul sent the ball wheezing past the Waziristan goalkeeper to put his team in command.

Chitral’s dominance was further solidified

by Ziaul Islam who added the second goal in 24 minutes into the match.

Waziristan Combined took its time to respond. It started the second half on a triumphant note when Faheemullah scored the 1st goal for his team in the 50th minute.

The rest of the match remained an active contest on both sides, with Chitral seeking to reinforce its dominance while Waziristan looking to equalize the scores.

The day was however carried by DFA Chitral when its player Ziaul Islam scored a sensational long range goal, his second, in the 93rd minute, labeled as the ‘goal of the tournament’ by commentators, propelling his team into the Finals by 3-1.

In addition to the memorable performances on the field, the Semi Final matches also featured cultural performances and music to entertain the crowd.

The Final match will be played on 11th

December between DFA Mardan and DFA Chitral to decide the winner of the Ufone 4G Football Cup Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The winner of the Ufone 4G Football Cup Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will then face Muslim Club Chaman, the winners of the Balochistan leg of the cup in a Super Final match, the grand finale being played on

12th December at Tehmas Khan Football Stadium Peshawar under floodlights.

The winner will be the ultimate Champion of Ufone 4G Football Cup 2021. The Semi Finals, Final and Super Final matches will be broadcasted live on PTV Sports, ProPakistani and the official social media channels of Ufone 4G.

The lucky players franchises retained for PSL 7

News Desk All the franchises of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) finalised on Friday their retention, trade, and release of players for the

seventh edition of the tournament.

Islamabad United, Karachi Kings, Lahore Qalandars, and Peshawar Zalmi consumed their full allocation of eight retentions, while Multan Sultans and

Quetta Gladiators retained seven players each.

Player retention list: Each side was allowed to retain a maximum of eight players from the last event.

Islamabad United (8): Asif Ali, Hasan Ali (both Platinum), Faheem Ashraf (Diamond), Shadab Khan (Diamond, Brand Ambassador), Alex Hales (Gold, Mentor), Azam Khan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr (both Gold) and Paul Stirling (Silver).

Karachi Kings (8): Babar Azam, Imad Wasim (both Platinum), Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Nabi (both Diamond), Joe Clarke (Gold, Brand Ambassador), Aamir Yamin, Sharjeel Khan (both Gold) and Mohammad Ilyas (Silver).

Lahore Qalandars (8): Rashid Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi (both Platinum), Haris Rauf (Diamond, Brand Ambassador), David Wiese, Mohammad Hafeez

(both Diamond), Ahmed Daniyal, Sohail Akhtar, and Zeeshan Ashraf (all Silver).

Peshawar Zalmi (8): Liam Livingstone, Wahab Riaz (both Platinum), Haider Ali, Sherfane Rutherford, Shoaib Malik (all Diamond), Hussain Talat (Gold), Saqib Mahmood (Gold, Brand Ambassador) and Tom Kohler-Cadmore (Silver) Multan Sultans (7): Mohammad Rizwan, Rilee Rossouw (both Platinum), Imran Tahir (Diamond, Mentor), Sohaib Maqsood (Diamond), Khushdil Shah (Gold, Brand Ambassador), Shahnawaz Dahani, and Shan Masood (both Gold) Quetta Gladiators (7): James Vince, Sarfaraz Ahmed (both Platinum), Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz (both Diamond), Shahid Afridi (Gold, Mentor), Mohammad Hasnain (Gold, Brand Ambassador) and Naseem Shah (Gold)

Ruthless Australia crush England in first Ashes Test AFP A ruthless Australia crushed England by nine wickets to win the first Ashes Test in style just after lunch on day four at the Gabba on Saturday. Needing just 20 runs after bowling England out for 297 in their second innings — with Nathan Lyon taking his 400th Test scalp Australia cruised to the target in 5.1 overs when Marcus Harris square-drove Mark Wood for a boundary.

The only blemish was the wicket of makeshift opener Alex Carey, who was out for nine, caught behind off the bowling of Ollie Robinson. Regular opener David Warner was unable to bat due to a rib injury he suffered when he was twice hit by Wood in the first innings.

Australia will carry a 1-0 lead in the fivematch series into the second Test, which starts

in Adelaide on Thursday.

“A lot of things did go right,” said Pat Cummins, making his debut as Australia Test skipper. “So someone was smiling on me. I’m really proud of everyone, I thought it was a really complete performance.”

England will need to regroup after being dismantled with both bat and ball at the Gabba. After being bowled out for 147 in the first innings, England then struggled to make any impression with the ball, with player of the match Travis Head (152), Warner (94) and Marnus Labuschagne (74) all punishing the English attack, particularly left-arm spinner Jack Leach. The visitors did fight back on the third day with a defiant partnership between captain Joe Root and Dawid Malan, but once they both fell early on Saturday, English resistance crumbled. “Frustration, we worked

really hard to get ourselves back into the game last night and we knew how important this first session was,” said Root.

“If we had got through to the new ball unscathed and carried that partnership forward we would have given ourselves a really good opportunity to go in and post a total that would have kept us in the game.

“It’s a shame we couldn’t quite get through that initial phase (today) because it could have been very different.” england collaPse again: After starting the morning in a reasonable position at 220-2, the English lost eight for 77 in the extended first session. England’s batting issues at the Gabba were mirrored in the broadcast compound, where a power failure resulted in the worldwide television feed going down for 45 minutes.

Berger Paint organised Interdepartmental Cricket Tournament,winner team with MD Mehmood Ahmed & COO Zafar Qudwai. pr

Sunday, 12 December, 2021

prayer tiMings

NEWS

ASIAN DevelOPMeNT BANK APPROveS $385M TO helP IMPROve lIvABIlITy IN KP pESHAWAR

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aziz Buneri

HE Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved $385 million in financing to help improve the livability and community health of five cities in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

According to a statement issued by the ADB, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cities Improvement Project will help construct two clean water supply treatment facilities, three sewerage treatment facilities, and will rehabilitate dysfunctional tube wells among several other important subprojects in the cities of Abbottabad, Kohat, Mardan, Mingora, and Peshawar.

“More than 3.5 million people will benefit from improved access to clean and safe water, reliable and integrated waste management and sanitation services, green urban spaces, and gender-friendly urban facilities,” it said, adding that about 150,000 households will gain new connections to water supply systems and have smart water meters installed in their homes.

ADB Director General for Central and West Asia Yevgeniy Zhukov said: “Large urban projects are often delayed due to their inherent complexity and competing

TTP declare end to ceasefire

interests in limited urban space.”

“This project has used ADB’s project readiness financing facility to ensure detailed engineering design, safeguards assessments, and other critical preparatory work was completed in advance — a first for the central and west Asia region. That will ensure the transformative benefits of this project will flow to the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province more quickly,” Zhukov added.

ADB will provide a $380 million loan and a $5 million grant, while the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) will provide co-financing of $200 million, subject to approval of their board of directors.

Together with $65 million in financing from the Government of Pakistan, this represents ADB’s largest urban project ($650 million equivalent) in Pakistan.

ADB’s loan includes more than $106 million for climate adaptation and mitigation, the bank’s largest climate financing contribution in any urban project in 2021, reaffirming its commitment to helping its developing member countries fight climate change.

“With a strong focus on gender, the project will boost women’s access to economic opportunities and increase their participation in urban governance by upgrading a centre dedicated to women’s skills

development,” the ADB statement read.

ADB Approves $300m for pAkistAn’s energy sector: In a similar development, the ADB on Friday approved a $300 million policy-based loan to support financial, technical, and governance reforms to strengthen Pakistan’s energy sector and improve its financial sustainability.

“The financing is part of the second sub-programme of ADB’s Energy Sector Reforms and Financial Sustainability Programme, which aims to improve the governance of Pakistan’s energy sector and reduce and manage the accumulated cash shortfall across the power supply chain known as circular debt,” the Manilla-based bank said, adding that the first sub-programme in the amount of $300 million was approved in December 2019.

“As Pakistan’s key development partner in the energy sector, ADB has been supporting the government to expand access to reliable, affordable electricity and help enact reforms that make the sector more efficient and sustainable,” said Zhukov.

“This programme will help facilitate public and private sector investment across the energy sector value chain through key policies and integrated planning, and will help expand renewable energy generation,” he added.

Pakistan committed to promotion, protection of human rights: Qureshi

ISLAMABAD Monitoring report

Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants declared an end to a month-long ceasefire arranged with the aid of the Afghan Taliban, accusing the government of breaching terms including a prisoner release agreement and the formation of negotiating committees. The TTP are a separate movement from the Afghan Taliban and have fought for years to overthrow the government in Islamabad. Last month’s ceasefire, which was always set to run until Thursday with the possibility of extending if both parties agreed, was the latest in a series of attempts to broker a settlement to end a conflict that has killed thousands. The Afghan Taliban’s shock overthrow of the Western-backed government in August gave the talks fresh impetus but the TTP accused Islamabad of failing to respect the ceasefire agreement. It said the government had not released more than 100 prisoners as promised and had not appointed negotiating teams to conduct talks. It also said security forces had carried out raids while the ceasefire was in force. “Now let the Pakistani people decide whether it is the TTP or the army and establishment that is not abiding by the agreements?” the group said in a statement. “In these circumstances, it is not possible to advance the ceasefire,” it said. Best known in the West for attacking Malala Yousafzai, the schoolgirl who went on to win the Nobel Prize for her work promoting girls’ education, the TTP has killed thousands of civilians over the years in bombings and suicide attacks. Among its attacks was a 2014 assault on Army Public School (APS) in Peshawar, near the border with Afghanistan, which killed 149 people, including 132 children.

ISLAMABAD staff report

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Pakistan is fully committed to the promotion and protection of all human rights.

Pakistan’s progress over the last decades in the realisation of the rights agenda for its citizens is well established, the foreign minister said in a message on the occasion of Human Rights Day on Friday. He stressed the need for collaborative and coordinated global responses

to address the drivers and impacts of structural and systemic inequalities, as a means to advance human rights.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has laid bare the systemic and structural inequalities within and amongst countries.

Some of the stark inequalities are evident in the global economic and financial architecture, resulting in asymmetric economic recovery, growing debt burden and Covid-19 vaccine divide,” he said.

Pakistan also underlines the importance of promoting a culture of peace, tolerance and an end to discrimination, hate and intolerance, Qureshi said.

Challan in money laundering case against Sharif family spread over 7 volumes, court told LAHORE inp

A special court in Lahore on Saturday directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to file a charge-sheet against the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz in a money laundering case against members of the Sharif family.

Judge Mohammad Aslam Gondal heard the case as the two turned up in court. At the outset of the hearing, the court inquired about the submission of the case challan, to which an FIA prosecutor replied the charge sheet

has been finalised and approved by the agency’s board.

The charge sheet consists of seven volumes with four people nominated as key suspects while others as their facilitators, the prosecutor said.

At the previous hearing, the court had given the FIA a last chance to file the case challan. Upon failure to submit the charge-sheet, the entire probe team would be served a show-cause notice, the judge warned.

The duo is facing Rs25 billion money laundering charges in the sugar scandal. According to the prosecution of the FIA, Sharif is accused of aiding and abetting his sons Shehbaz and

Suleman Shahbaz in accumulating more assets than their declared sources of income. In 2019, an accountability court in Lahore on Monday declared Suleman a proclaimed offender in the case and issued fresh non-bailable arrest warrants against him.

During the proceedings, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has informed the court it had seized Suleman’s shares amounting to Rs2 billion in 16 companies.

According to a NAB report, it also seized cash worth Rs4.1 million held in three banks accounts as well as $4,000 dollars in two different bank accounts of the suspect.

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Senate Armed Services Committee.

Warmly welcoming the senators, the prime minister underlined that Pakistan values its long-standing relationship with the US and is committed to expand it in all spheres, particularly in the economic dimension.

He hoped that the visits of delegations would help strengthen mutual understanding and forge closer people-to-people contacts.

Imran Khan reiterated that a deeper and stronger partnership between the two countries is mutually beneficial and critical for the region’s peace, security and prosperity.

Apprising the delegation about the continuation of egregious human rights violations in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), the prime minister underscored that the extremist policies of the RSS-inspired BJP are posing a threat to regional peace and security.

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No NRO to plunderers of public money, vows PM Imran Khan cOntInuED fROM pAgE 01 “I will never disappoint you. I will take the country to the destination for which it was achieved… The country will become an ideal for others. No force can stop it from becoming a great nation,” he commented. Earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar said a District Development Package valuing Rs360 billion has been incorporated in Punjab’s budget to ensure the development of all areas including Thal, Cholistan or Koh-e-Suleman.

He said Punjab’s Rs740 billion development budget is the highest in history. He said the provincial government has announced 1,00,000 jobs and the vacancies would be filled soon. Buzdar said the provincial government is establishing 21 universities, upgrading 27000 schools, setting up 6000 record centres, besides developing 13 economic zones and approving 16 cement factories.

Joint opposition to formulate strategy against mini-budget: Shehbaz Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said that the joint opposition will formulate a strategy to oppose the government’s mini-budget. In a statement, Shehbaz Sharif said that passage of mini-budget from the National Assembly is synonymous to a national suicide. Tsunami of ‘tabdeli’ has swallowed economy, jobs and happiness of the public, he added. Shehbaz, who is also the opposition leader in the National Assembly, further said that incumbent government has become a threat to national security. “We will try making the government and its allies realise the detrimental effects of a mini-budget,” he said. He said presenting a mini-budget is similar to treating cancer with aspirin, emphasising that the government should not present the mini-budget prepared by the International Monetary Fund. In order to meet the conditions set by the International Monetary Fund for the revival of its $6 billion loan, the PTI government is all set to table a mini-budget before Parliament next week.

According to a news outelt, the finance bill will seek withdrawal of the General Sales Tax (GST) exemptions and impose standard rate of 17 percent on import of mobile phones, computers, gold, different articles of jewellery, LPG and many other products. news Desk

Another suspect emerges in Quetta video blackmail case One more first information report (FIR) has been registered on the complaint of another woman in a case related to the filming, raping and blackmailing of women in Quetta, Dawn reported on Saturday. A third suspect has come to light after the registration of second FIR. A day ago, the police had arrested two suspects for allegedly raping, filming, and blackmailing two sisters in Quetta. The police had registered an FIR against the two suspects on the complaint of the girls’ mother under Sections 34 (common intention), 354-A (stripping woman of her clothes), 365-B (seducing or forcing of adults into illicit intercourse), 376 (punishment for rape), 376-A (disclosure of identity of victim of rape, etc), 496A (enticing or taking away a woman), 503 (criminal intimidation), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) and 509 (violating modesty or causing sexual harassment) of the Pakistan Penal Code. On Saturday, Quaidabad Superintendent of Police (SP) Irtaza Qumail told a news outlet that a third girl has come forward with complaints against the two suspects and a third individual. news Desk

Imran calls for expanding Pak-US cooperation to stabilise Afghanistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that deep engagement between Pakistan and United States hold key importance to promote the shared objectives of peace, stability and economic development in Afghanistan.

Speaking during a meeting with a fourmember US Senate delegation, including senators Angus King, Richard Burr, John Cornyn and Benjamin Sasse, on Saturday, he particularly underscored the urgent need to support the Afghan people by taking all possible measures to prevent a humanitarian crisis and economic collapse.

Imran Khan also highlighted the importance of closer cooperation to address the security threats in the region, including terrorism.

All four senators are members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, while Senator King is also a member of the

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He stressed that the US must play its role in the maintenance of peace and stability in the region.

The prime minister underscored that, for its part, Pakistan remains ready to pursue measures that would reinforce peace, stability and prosperity in the region, if the enabling environment is created by India.

The senators deeply appreciated Pakistan’s recent contribution in evacuation of the American nationals and others from Afghanistan.

They reaffirmed their commitment to a stable and broad-based Pakistan-US bilateral relationship. They emphasised that, given the size of Pakistan’s population as well as its geo-strategic location, the US and Pakistan should make determined efforts to promote trade, investment and economic cooperation. news Desk

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