Epaper – December 3 LHR 2021

Friday, 3 December, 2021 I 27 Rabi-us-Sani, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 155 I 12 Pages I Lahore Edition

OppOsitiOn bOycOtts tOp security briefing fOr Mps g

Govt turninG Parliament into 'rubber stamP' institution, says united oPPosition

ISLAMABAD staff report

t

He opposition in the national assembly on thursday announced its decision to boycott in protest to “persistently authoritarian” government approach the in-camera briefing of the national security Committee (nsC) convened on december 6 to discuss, and inform the House, on the latest security situation in and outside Pakistan. the meeting may be briefed by ltGen nadeem anjum – the new chief of the inter-services intelligence (isi) agency who assumed office on november 21. the participants are likely to be updated on the situation in afghanistan, developments in india-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (iioJK) and much-criticised talks with the proscribed tehrik-i-taliban Pakistan (ttP) group. moreover, national security advisor moeed yusuf is also likely to brief the mPs on his recent interactions with officials of friendly countries. army Chief Gen Qamar Javed bajwa

is also expected to attend the moot. but Prime minister imran Khan, who skipped the previous meetings as well, is likely not to be present. the parliamentary committee issued invitations to national assembly opposition leader shehbaz sharif, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chief bilawal bhutto-Zardari, Jamiat ulama-e-islam-Fazl (Jui-F) parliamentary leader asad mahmood and Foreign minister shah mahmood Qureshi, and parliamentary leaders of all political parties having representation in the parliament. but the opposition, following a consultation meeting the previous day, issued a joint statement thursday, saying it had been informed by the government about an in-camera briefing. “opposition parties had always shown a responsible and serious attitude on all issues of the constitution, law, national security, and public importance, which is why – despite the absence of the leader of the house and his complete detachment from important national and public issues – the opposition parties fully participated in

cOrOnavirus in

pakistan

CONFIRMED CASES:

1,285,631

these briefings,” the statement said.

However, due to the government’s attitude of “bulldozing” legislation in the Parliament, as well as its “persistently authoritarian and mediocre approach” to important constitutional, legal, national and security issues, the opposition has decided to boycott the briefing. the opposition stated that it contains parties that have a “mature vision, extensive experience and seriousness on critical issues” related to the constitution, the country and the populace. “in the past too, they [the opposition] have always played a historic role in protecting, guarding and promoting the rights and interests of the country and the people. even in the current contentious era, the opposition has given priority to the interests of Pakistan and the people. it has played its role in keeping all kinds of political sub-interests and affiliations at bay.” “the opposition parties have earlier demonstrated a responsible behaviour over the constitution and public interest issues”, according to the statement. “despite the absence of the leader of the House, the opposition has attended briefings, and sessions and leaders of the joint opposition and parliamentary leaders have given their proposals and preferred public interest in this disputed period. “regretfully, the government is using the parliament as a rubber stamp. the opposition deems that key national and public matter issues are not being presented in the parliament.” it said the Parliament is being ignored and the government is running matters with in-camera briefings. “in fact, the government has practically boycotted the parliament,” according to the opposition.” “in such conditions, an in-camera briefing will only initiate a new farce. the joint opposition deems the national security adviser only a showy character,” the opposition said.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

Surging imports, rise in T-bill yields trigger PSX bloodbath the Pakistan stock exchange (PsX) on thursday witnessed a bloodbath with the benchmark Kse-100 index losing over 2,100 points. the market opened on a negative note and free fall continued till the end of the session. the Kse-100 index moved in a range of 2,281.67 points, showing an intraday high of 45,369.14 points – the last day closing point – and a low of 43,087.47 points. the benchmark index closed at 43,234.15, down 2,134.99 points, or 4.71pc. speaking with Profit, market analysts said that the the third largest decline ever in terms of index points and the worst trading session since march 24, 2020, was a knee-jerk reaction to expected imports of around $8.0 billion, which can lead to a huge Cad of around $2.5 billion, which would essentially be highest ever. For context last full year Cad was $1.9 billion. additionally, cut off yields went up sharply in last t-bill auction. secondary market yields have also followed today, which is making fixed income more attractive from investment perspective.

Further, stock market is cheap on valuations but in the short term, sentiment can overshadow fundamentals. in longer term, equities have outperformed other asset classes and could continue to do so.

Imports of food items, furnace oil and vaccines to be cut down, Tarin informed

a total of 366 companies traded shares in the stock exchange, out of them shares of 18 closed up, shares of 335 closed down while shares of 13 companies remained unchanged. out of 96 traded companies in the Kse-100 index, one closed up, 93 closed down and two remained unchanged. the overall market volumes increased by 145.68 million to 386.75 million shares. total volumes traded for the Kse-100 index increased by 128.4 million shares to 213.44 million shares. the number of total trades increased by 36,856 to 131,783, while the value traded increased by rs4.84 billion to rs14.06 billion. However, overall market capitalisation decreased by rs332.27 billion. among scrips, Wtl topped the volumes with 33.02 million shares, followed by dCr (29.58 million) and byCo (22.83 million). stocks that contributed significantly to the volumes include Wtl, dCr, byCo, unity, and GteCH, which formed around 31 percent of total volumes. the major sectors taking the index toward south were commercial banks with 360 points, cement with 314 points, oil & gas exploration companies with 240 points, technology & communication with 212 points and fertilizer with 204 points. News Desk

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more inside

Dollar soars to Rs176.65 in intraday trade, reaches new high STORY ON BACK PAGE

LAST UPDATED AT 9:16 AM ON DECEMBER 2, 2021

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

NEW CASES:

8

377

RECOVERED:

DEATHS:

1,242,718 28,745 SINDH:

PUNJAB:

476,017

443,240

KPK:

BALOCHISTAN:

180,146

33,488

AJK/GB:

ISLAMABAD:

34,563/10,412

107,765

ISLAMABAD staff report

Prime minister’s adviser on Finance and revenue shaukat tarin on thursday was briefed that there will be less import of food items, furnace oil and vaccines in the coming months, a move that will significantly reduce the pressure on trade bills in the second half of the current fiscal year (H2Fy22). the Pm’s advisor was chairing a meeting to review the balance of trade at the Finance

division wherein he had directed the concerned authorities to take effective policy measures to reduce unnecessary imports of luxury items. the meeting was held to review and discuss the import bill of the last five months – July to november – of the current fiscal year.

Federal minister for national Food security and research syed Fakhar imam, Federal minister for industries and Production makhdoom Khusro bakhtiar, Federal minister for energy Hammad

azhar, adviser to the Pm on Commerce & investment abdul razak dawood, federal secretaries, sbP governor, Fbr chairman and other senior officers participated in the meeting. the meeting was informed that the pressure on the country’s import bill was mainly due to global high commodity prices, especially energy, steel, and industrial raw materials. the forum also noted that the high import of vaccines contributed significantly to the rise in import bills.

CPeC: China to invest in new projects related to industries, agriculture, science & technology STORY ON BACK PAGE

NCOC discusses oxygen production, distribution process STORY ON PAGE 03

02

Friday, 3 December, 2021 | LAHORe

news

PM Khan directs Pac to exPose corruPtion of Present, Past govts ISLAMABAD

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Staff RepoRt

rime minister imran Khan has reiterated that he will not compromise on his ‘anticorruption drive’ and directed the ruling party lawmakers to expose the wrongdoings of the incumbent and past governments.

The premier made these remarks in

Pakistan’s un peacekeeper buried with honours ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

A peacekeeper from Pakistan Army, Havaldar muhammad Shafiq, who was serving with the United Nations mission in the Central African republic (CAr) and embraced martyrdom there, was laid to rest in his native city of mian Channu. Shafiq was buried with full military honours, an inter-Services Public relations (iSPr) statement said Thursday. He had joined the peacekeeping mission in February, and was a brave and dedicated member of Pakistan’s contingent, ensuring the protection of civilians in CAr and facilitating the delivery of humanitarian assistance. So far, 162 peacekeepers have laid down their lives as part of the global mission for international peace and stability, the statement said.

Shafiq is survived by his wife and three sons.

veterinarians call for medical care for two Karachi elephants MonItoRIng RepoRt The head of a team of veterinarians called for urgent medical care for a pair of elephants in Karachi. Dr. Frank Goeritz, whose team was sent by the global animal welfare group Four Paws to examine four elephants, reported that one of the animals needs a “complicated” surgery to remove a damaged and infected tusk. A second elephant has dental problems and a medical issue with a foot, according to vets dispatched by Four Paws. Such diseases “are very painful and can lead to life-threatening situations in elephants,” according to a report prepared by Goeritz.

Four Paws said the Sindh High Court (SHC) had asked that the animal welfare experts assess the wellbeing of the four elephants in Karachi Zoo and Karachi Safari Park. Overall, the health of the animals is good, said Goeritz, whose team will submit final recommendations on the condition of the elephants to the court. it was not immediately known when the two animals would be treated or by whom. in a statement, Four Paws said the team’s priority is the immediate medical care of all four elephants. “One of the elephants, Noor Jehan, needs major surgery for a painful infection of her broken tusk urgently.

Furthermore, all four elephants should be reunited at Karachi Safari Park, proper diet and enrichment must be provided, and the staff needs to receive proper training,” the statement said. The experts also discovered that the elephant named Sonu, believed to be male for over 10 years, is actually female, the statement said. The visit by the veterinarians comes a year after the rescue of an elephant named Kaavan, who was transferred from islamabad to Cambodia and now lives in an elephant sanctuary. Kaavan had languished in the islamabad zoo for 35 years, most of that time in chains, and he lost his partner in 2012.

a meeting with mNAs riyaz Fatyana and Noor Alam Khan in islamabad on Thursday, who are members of the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

They briefed the premier on PAC’s performance and added that the committee headed by, opposition mNA rana Tanveer Hussain, only looked into the audit papers and corruption cases could not be concluded due to the

weakness of investigating agencies like NAB and the FiA. While directing the treasury benches members to ensure their attendance in the PAC meeting, Pm imran said the committee was mandated to protect the taxpayers’ money and eradicate corruption.

He urged the mNAs to proactively attend the forum’s meetings and unmask the corrupt practices of past and incumbent government officials.

Govt gives the boot to finance secretary Yusuf Khan ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

The federal government on Thursday removed Yousaf Khan from the post of secretary Finance. According to a notification by the establishment Division, Yusuf Khan, a BS-21 officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS), posted as additional secretary (incharge) Finance Division has been transferred and posted as the secretary of the Secretariat of Council of

Common interests (CCi) under Section-10 of the Civil Service Act, 1973 with immediate effect and until further orders. meanwhile, Additional Secretary (AS) Planning, Development and Special initiatives Hameed Yaqoob Shiekh has been transferred and posted as AS (in charge) Finance Division. it is pertinent to note here that the Pakistan Stock exchange (PSX) on Thursday witnessed a bloodbath with the benchmark KSe-100 index losing over 2,100 points in intraday trading. The government is facing

engro Fertilisers inaugurates first engro Learning Centre KARACHI pReSS ReleaSe

engro Fertilizers Limited, Pakistan’s premier seed-to-harvest solutions provider, has established and formally inaugurated a solarpowered engro Learning Centre at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad.

This first-of-its-kind, academia-industry partnership is aimed at bringing together expertise from both sectors to develop innovative solutions and skill-based programs that will uplift the agricultural sector of Pakistan. Spread over two acres, the engro Learning Centre includes a research facility, training hall, an office and agri-input storage facility. A memorandum of Collaboration was also signed between engro Fertilizers and University of Agriculture Faisalabad to conduct research and development projects for improving crop yields, food quality, farmer profitability and outreach programs, and capacity-building of the University’s students.

Syed Hussain Jahania Gardezi, minister of Agriculture, Punjab, inaugurated the engro Learning Centre along with Nadir S. Qureshi, CeO of engro Fertilizers, and Dr. iqrar A. Khan, Vice Chancellor of University of Agriculture Faisalabad. The ceremony was also attended by the management team of engro Fertilizers and the faculty of University of Agriculture Faisalabad. Speaking on the occasion, Nadir Qureshi, highlighted that, “engro Fertilizers is passionate about transforming the agricultural landscape,

bringing change, and empowering the farmer community; a goal that can be achieved through such model industry and academia partnerships.

The engro Learning Centre will prove to be a step in the right direction to equip farmers with knowledge on modern practices and technology that can help boost farm economics and bolster food security in Pakistan. it is our fervent hope that it becomes a platform for agricultural growth so that Pakistan becomes not only selfsufficient in nutrition, but an export-house of agriculture as it was thirty to forty years ago and reclaims its title as the “Granary of Asia”.

Khusrau Nadir Gilani, Chief Commercial Officer of engro Fertilizers, added that this partnership will enhance the skills of young agrarians and support the development of new technologies to provide sustainable “seed to harvest solutions” to the farmers. With this support, the farmers will be able to thrive by improving their crop yields, quality, and profitability, to ultimately achieve the goal of building a more food secure Pakistan. While this is the first engro Learning Centre being set-up, it will provide the knowledge and experience required which, will set the ground for engro Fertilizers to collaborate with more universities in the future.

Professor Dr. iqrar A. Khan stated that, “Academia-industry linkages to commercialize technologies and conduct outreach programs is the need of the hour. i extend my gratitude to engro Fertilizers for their initiative to promote agri innovation and for stepping up as a key leader in the transformation of the agricultural sector.”

immense criticism from opposition parties on the deteriorating situation of the economy.

Documents state that Abdul Aziz was also transferred and posted as AS (in charge) Planning, Development and Special initiatives whereas the establishment Division has also granted leave to Secretary Overseas ishrat Ali and Secretary Health Aamir Arshaf Khawaja. in another notification, the government has also promoted Chief Commissioner islamabad Amir Ali Ahmad to grade 21.

ecP's door to door voters' verification campaign extended till dec 21 ISLAMABAD: The election Commission of Pakistan (eCP) has extended the last date of its ongoing door to door verification of electoral rolls campaign across the country till December 21.

According to an eCP official issued on Thursday, the last date has been extended to facilitate the people. earlier, the eCP on November 06, 2021 had started the door to door voting lists updating campaign and December 06, 2021 was set its last date.

The eCP has asked the people to ensure their enrollment in the lists for playing effective role in next general elections of 2023. INp

cda accelerates development work in sector i-11 ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has accelerated the development process and laying of sewerage line in Sector i-11. According to a news release issued on Thursday, the construction of drains, streets, bridges and other development works in the sector were underway. The development work in the said sector was started on the direction of Chairman Amir Ali Ahmed and on the request of i-11 Allottees Welfare Association.

With the commencement of development works in Sector i-11, it has been possible to alleviate the deprivation of 30 years. After listening the problems of the sector residents in Khuli Katcheri (Open Court) chaired by member engineering, Syed munawar Shah, instructions were issued to Deputy DG Works and DG Water and Sewerage to initiate development activities in sector i11. Sui gas pipelines and sewerage lines laying work is in full swing while construction work of drainage and street has also been started. The installation of street lights and water supply lines would be started soon. The construction of grid station for the transmission of electricity to Sectors i-11 and i-12 is in the final stages. The i-11 Allottees Welfare Association has thanked the CDA officials for initiating the development work. INp

Final chance for Vawda to submit arguments in dual nationality case: ECP ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

The election Commission of Pakistan (eCP) Thursday gave Senator Faisal Vawda a final opportunity to submit his response on a petition seeking his disqualification on charges of hiding his dual nationality at the time of the 2018 general elections. in January last, a report revealed the Pakistan Tehreek-i-insaf (PTi) leader may have committed perjury by falsely declaring in an oath, submitted at the time of filing his nomination papers in June 2018, that he did not hold any foreign nationality while he was in possession of a United States passport.

The minister remained a US national even when the scrutiny of his nomination papers

was completed. He resigned from his National Assembly seat in march hours before he was elected to the Upper House.

The Supreme Court had ruled that candidates holding dual nationality are to submit a renunciation certificate of the foreign nationality along with their nomination papers.

Days after the publishing of the report, a petition was filed with the commission, challenging Vawda’s election in 2018. in march, the islamabad High Court (iHC) held that prima facie the oath, or affidavit, submitted by the senator regarding his US nationality in 2018 was “false”.

“Since the affidavits were tendered before the election Commission of Pakistan, it is just and proper that the eCP probes into the matter

of veracity of affidavit furnished by Faisal Vawda on 11.06.2018 and if the same is found to be false to stipulate the effect thereof pursuant to observations made in PLD 2020 SC 591,” the order said.

At the hearing Thursday, Chief election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan raja, who is heading a three-member bench in this case, observed it had been established that Vawda had dual citizenship and if he had renounced the same he should submit a certificate to the body.

Addressing Vawda, raja gave him the option to either submit his arguments in writing to the commission, in which case the bench would reserve its ruling on the matter, or present the arguments himself so that the bench could issue a ruling.

Friday, 3 December, 2021 | LAHORe

PaKistan attaches high iMPortance to cPec Projects: iMran

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MonItoRIng RepoRt

rime minister imran Khan said that the country attaches high importance to the China-Pakistan economic Corridor (CPeC) projects, his office said in a statement. Chairing a high-level meeting to review the progress on CPeC projects, Khan said that timelines for the CPeC projects should be adhered to, the statement added. He said that the

na-133 by-poll: Petition for disqualification of PPP, PML-n candidates filed in Lhc newS DeSK An independent candidate has filed a petition in the Lahore High Court (LHC) and requested the court to disqualify PmL-N’s Shaista Pervez malik and PPP’s Ch muhammad Aslam Gill from contesting by-poll in NA-133 constituency, scheduled to be held on December 5 (Sunday), after they were found guilty of giving bribes to voters, express Tribune reported on Thursday. Through the petition, Sohail Shehzad questioned the conduct of the district monitoring officer of election Commission of Pakistan (eCP) and said the official just fined rs20,000 each to PPP and PmL-N candidates instead of ‘debarring or expelling’ them from the running in the by-election. The petitioner said that the district monitoring officer did not exercise the powers vested in him but imposed just nominal fines on them. “The district monitoring officer also violated the provisions of the Constitution of islamic republic of Pakistan 1973,” he added. He prayed the court that direction be passed to the district monitoring officer to disqualify the PmL-N and PPP’s candidates from contesting the by-poll.

government is fully committed to provisions of CPeC agreements.

“China has been a time-tested friend of Pakistan and that the government accords high priority to implementation and operationalization of CPeC projects,'” Khan was quoted as saying.

The prime minister highlighted that continuity of policies is essential for long-term projects to achieve maximum benefits for the country, according to the statement.

NCOC discusses oxygen production, distribution process newS DeSK The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Thursday reviewed coronavirus data, national vaccine strategy and prevalence of the disease across the country.

The forum was briefed about Covid positivity ratio, disease prevalence, number of deaths and new admissions.

The forum discussed in detail the city-wise Covid-19 vaccination process across the country and the forum agreed upon taking strict measures regarding obligatory vaccination regime. it reviewed district wise vaccination targets and reiterated that all-out efforts are being made to engage provinces to achieve the set vaccination targets.

The forum also discussed the total number of vaccine administration, procurement and balance of vaccine. it stressed upon the provinces to speed up the vaccination process amid rising trend of Omicron

variant across the globe as vaccination is the only way to prevent the spread of new Covid variant.

The forum also discussed the current status of oxygen production and distribution process across the country.

The NCOC suggested installation of oxygen plants in various parts of country with special focus on far flung areas which have logistic issues. meanwhile, according to a news outlet, GlaxoSmithKline said that a pre-clinical analysis of the antibody-based Covid-19 therapy it is developing with US partner Vir has indicated that the drug also works against the new Omicron variant.

Further tests will be carried out on the sotrovimab therapy to firm up the results, it further said.

On the other hand, Britain’s drug regulator approved GSK (GSK.L) and Vir Biotechnology’s (Vir.O) antibody based Covid-19 treatment, Xevudy, for people with mild-to-moderate Covid19 who are at high risk of developing severe disease.

Local steel industry still unable to avail tax exemptions in Gwadar ISLAMABAD Ghulam abbaS

Although the government had announced tax exemptions for local suppliers of construction materials working on projects in Gwadar, the steel industry claims that it is unable to avail the facility due to lack of a proper mechanism, while imports of the construction material continues. in a letter sent to FBr and other ministries concerned in this regard, the industry has informed that Pakistani steel companies are not able to work in mega projects of Gwadar as the industry is unable to avail GST/FeD exemptions.

According to the producers, local companies supplying tax free steel to the Gwadar Free Zone have no mechanism of claiming the sales tax paid on the inputs used to manufacture the finished products.

“Though it is encouraging to know

that the government has exempted domestic manufacturers of steel from GST if they supply the material to the Gwadar Free Zone, which includes the under-construction Gwadar Airport, Gwadar Port and some other important projects, it has made no difference to the steel industry so far because the sales tax rules do not allow apportionment of input tax on raw materials for exempted supplies,” large steel manufacturers said in the letter.

“The domestic steel industry, aligning with the government’s vision of ‘make in Pakistan’ is keen to supply steel to the Gwadar Free Zone and has sufficient capacity to meet the demand of these projects,” the letter states.

The letter adds that many hospitals, power plants and other projects are importing finished steel goods without any payment of sales tax. “This is not only detrimental to the local industry that is creating jobs and contributing to

the national exchequer, but also contrary to the government’s policy of promoting ‘make in Pakistan’,” the letter added.

The steel industry claims apart from absence of a proper mechanism for availing the tax exemptions, contractors working in Gwadar Free Zones are not engaging local companies. it has requested the government that the taxes and duties on all inputs

including raw materials – inclusive of wastages, must be allowed as input adjustment in the monthly sales tax return. The industry says that this will lower the import bill and promote industrialisation in the country. it may be mentioned here that the National Steel Council had taken up this issue with FBr in September last year but no action has been taken so far.

eCP earns a rare praise from Govt’s chief spokesman ISLAMABAD NewS DeSk

minister for information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain on Thursday welcomed the decision of election Commission of Pakistan (eCP) to constitute technical committees on the matters of electronic voting machines (eVms) and voting rights for overseas Pakistanis.

This was stated by the minister on socialnetworking website Twitter.

“The decisions of the parliament are honourable to all institutions,” he said, adding that the role of the eCP chairman and its members is significant in the election process.

Fawad said that the government will extend full cooperation to the election

commission in this regard. earlier in a joint parliament session on November 17, the government had managed

to make amendments to the elections Act, 2017 for the use of electronic voting machines and voting rights to overseas Pakistanis.

A week ago, the commission had constituted three panels to ‘implement’ legislation on eVms and voting facility for overseas Pakistanis.

According to a news outlet, the first committee will look into the technical aspects, the second will oversee the financial cost of the process and the third will point out difficulties and suggest amendments to the existing laws and rules.

The technical committee will be headed by the eCP secretary, the second committee will be headed by the additional secretary (admin) and the third committee will be headed by the director general (law).

news

03

Maryam nawaz suspends political activities for two weeks ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Pakistan muslim League Nawaz (PmL-N) Vice President maryam Nawaz Thursday announced to suspending political activities for the next two weeks owing to her son’s upcoming wedding reception, the party spokesperson said. The wedding reception is being held in Lahore following a lavish Nikkah ceremony of muhammad Junaid in London in August this year. The reception of the son of maryam Nawaz is likely to take place on December 17. PmL-N spokesperson marriyum Aurangzeb said in a statement that maryam will not be able to take part in political activities due to the family engagements. The highlyanticipated Nikkah ceremony of Junaid was held with full pomp and show in London on August 22. He tied the knot with Ayesha Saif Khan at The Lanesborough, an elite five-star hotel on the Hyde Park Corner in Knightsbridge. Ayesha is the daughter of the PmL-N chief’s close aide and former chairman of Ahtasab Commission, Saifur rahman.

asian team squash: Pakistan fails to win medal for first time in tournament history newS DeSK Pakistan squash witnessed one of its most disappointing results on Thursday as the country was beaten by Japan 2-1 in the last pool match of the Asian Team Squash Championship. The result means Pakistan will be out of the race to win a medal in the tournament for the first time since its inception. Pakistan’s only win against Japan came when Nasir iqbal defeated Tomotaka endo.

However, Tayyab Aslam and Ammaad Fareed lost to ryosei Kobayashi and ryunosuke Tsukue respectively to see Pakistan failing to reach the top four. Pakistan had earlier lost to india as well. india, along with Japan, has managed to reach the semi-finals of the 20th Squash Championship. This is the first time when Pakistan will return without a medal from Asian Team Squash Championship. in previous 19 editions of the tournament, Pakistan had won 15 Gold, 3 Silver and 1 Bronze medal. But this time, Pakistan could manage to beat only weaker sides like iraq, Philippines and indonesia. They will now play iran for classification match on Friday for 5-8 position – their first ever game for a position below 4th in the history of Asian Team Squash Championship. Once upon a time, Pakistan used to be the world-beater in squash. Then came the decline.

Pakistan started losing its glory in squash courts in the world. The rise of egyptian and French players on the global arena had restricted Pakistan to a side good enough to scare the opponents at the Asian level.

04 NEWS 3rd December 2021_Layout 1 12/2/2021 11:03 PM Page 1

Friday, 3 December, 2021 | LAHORE

04 NEWS

CPEC hElPEd brEak EnErgy, transPort infrastruCturE bottlEnECks: sCholar ISLAMABAD

a

XinhuA

S a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has helped Pakistan to break the energy and transport infrastructure bottlenecks and injected strong impetus into its economic development, a scholar said.

The BRI is a manifestation of China’s idea of shared prosperity, and a lot of demand-driven projects have been executed in countries along the BRI routes, including Pakistan, Shabir Ahmad Khan, director of Area Study Centre (Russia, China and Central Asia) in the University of Peshawar, told Xinhua in an interview.

Pakistan once faced a serious problem on load shedding, but the energy crisis has been overcome after China helped Pakistan to build a number of coal-fired, wind and photovoltaic power stations under the CPEC. Opposing an unwarranted smear by an Indian think-tank that the BRI only exports carbon emissions to countries along the BRI routes, Khan said: “Making a false propaganda against the BRI that it polluted environment in member countries like Pakistan through power plants, rather than appreciating it for overcoming energy crisis, is a shameful act.”

He noted the coal-fired power plants

under the CPEC, including those at Sahiwal and Port Qasim, are advanced and ecofriendly, and use supercritical technology and install additional facilities at the plants to keep the emissions well under the local and world standards.

“Pakistan’s contribution to the global greenhouse gas emissions is less than 1 per-

cent, so it is clear that emissions are not the major problem of Pakistan, but unemployment, poor infrastructure, unskilled labour, poverty, low agriculture production, and underdeveloped industrialization process are, and the CPEC is the answer to all these woes,” Khan said.

He added that as multiple renewable en-

ergy projects such as Karot and Suki Kinari hydropower stations are under construction, the corridor will also play an important role in Pakistan’s transformation towards clean and green energy.

Terming the CPEC as the lifeline of the Pakistani economy, he said that it has also effectively addressed the poor infrastructure

Couple breaks taboo, spreads awareness about HIV/AIDS LAHORE AnAdolu Agency

In Pakistan, where talking about HIV/AIDS is considered taboo, a couple is spreading awareness about the deadly disease for over the past 17 years.

Asim Ashraf, 43, living in Lahore, and his wife Rubina, 45, are spreading awareness about this disease.

Ashraf, living with the virus for the past 18 years, has two daughters who along with his wife are HIV negative.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency on the eve of World AIDS Day, which was observed on Wednesday, Rubina said marrying Ashraf, who had detected HIV, was the best decision of her life.

“I was an independent working woman and I did not want to get married ever. But when I saw Asim working for others, I decided that I will devote my life to this man and I proposed him,” she said. Ashraf working with Rehnuma Family Planning — a voluntary group — as HIV/AIDS coordinator is engaged in extending counselling to HIV/AIDS infected patients. He cites his example to infuse confidence among patients and breaks the taboo around HIV/AIDS. At the beginning of their awareness-raising activities, there was a group of 15-16 people but now they have reached a vast network of hundreds of people. Ashraf, who used to work in a scrap shop, was detected HIV positive in 1998 when he was planning to undertake the Hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.

“I had to undertake a medical test, in which, I

was diagnosed with HIV. When the doctor came and told me that I am HIV/ AIDS positive, I was scared like a child,” he said.

To earn living, he had to deal with hospital waste like needles, plastic, and blood bags.

“I saw people laughing at me. I was multiple times physically and mentally tortured and people did not say good things about me behind my back,” said Ashraf.

When he got the medicine from India first time, he distributed it among HIV/AIDS patients.

“At that time the medicine for one month was costing us almost Rs60,000-70,000. And one person has to take 12-13 tablets a day. We started collecting donations and imported medicine from India,” he said. According to official data, 28.2 million people around the world who are living with HIV/AIDS are receiving ART (antiretroviral therapy).

Ashraf said that in Pakistan, patients with HIV/AIDS can now get free medicines from government hospitals.

Ashraf and his wife had to marry in a civil family court as Rubina’s family did not approve of the marriage. But later they have accepted it, said Rubina.

“I have two daughters now and they see me giving medicine to their father every day. When the time will be right, I will explain the disease to them myself,” she said.

Pakistan is the second-largest country in South Asia in terms of the HIV epidemic, according to the National AIDS Program. UNAIDS also reported that around 200,000 adults and children are living with HIV in Pakistan.

problem of Pakistan by laying a network of roads including the Karakoram Highway Phase Two and the Sukkur-Multan Motorway, which has shortened the distance for commuters and traders.

Khan said that the CPEC has created 75,000 jobs in Pakistan, and there will be a lot more as the corridor has entered a new phase of high-quality development, focusing on industrial, agricultural and socio-economic cooperation.

“Chinese have worked so hard to achieve professional excellence, and through the CPEC, they have trained Pakistani labourers and engineers and transferred their skills to them, which enabled them to achieve financial independence,” he added.

Refuting the false accusation of the CPEC being a “debt trap” for Pakistan, he said the Chinese loans only account for a small amount of the country’s total external debt while the remaining majority comes from Western borrowers.

Khan said that, unlike Western loans, the CPEC loans are very low in interest rate, adding that the facts indicate that it is the Western debt that is a trap in which Pakistan has been caught for years while the CPEC has the potential to emancipate the country from it.

The BRI is leading its participants to enter into a new era of development just like what Pakistan has benefited greatly from the CPEC, he said.

P&d board chairman reviews implementation status of adP 2021-22

NEwS DESk Planning & Development Board Chairman Abdullah Khan Sumbal on Thursday chaired a meeting to review the implementation status of Punjab government’s Annual Development Plan 2021-22. The meeting, which was attended by senior officers of concerned departments, reviewed the implementation status of the ADP in light of allocated budget, releases, and its utilisation. During the meeting, the P&D chairman was briefed about new schemes and progress of ongoing schemes in Punjab. It was also briefed to the chair that out of 4,680 schemes, 4406 schemes have been approved. The chairman directed to ensure fast-track implementation of ADP 2021-22 and follow the guidelines and timelines in letter and spirit. The meeting decided that a proactive approach is required to kick start implementation of the ADP with a robust monitoring mechanism at all levels. A robust quality control mechanism will be put in place by administrative departments to ensure quality of work as per the vision of Punjab chief minister. The government will be focusing on streamlining the procedures to fasttrack the implementation.

Pakistan summons India diplomat over ‘mischievous spin’ to gurdwara shoot gaffe ISLAMABAD StAff RepoRt

A senior diplomat of the India diplomat mission was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) Thursday to convey Pakistan’s “categorical rejection of the mischievous spin given by India to an isolated incident” at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib.

Last week, a model, Sauleha Imtiaz, who describes herself as a digital creator on her Instagram profile, had posted bareheaded photos and videos of herself at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib. The pictures were also shared by a clothing brand.

The model came under scrutiny

after the pictures went viral on social media platforms, inviting criticism from Sikh circles.

The gurdwara — built at the site where Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism, is believed to have died in 1539 — is one of the holiest shrines for Sikhs.

Realising the gaffe, Imtiaz Tuesday issued an apology on her Instagram account. “It wasn’t done to hurt anyone sentiments or anything for that matter.

However, if I have hurt anyone or they think that I don’t respect [their] culture.

I am sorry,” she wrote.

The same day, the spokesperson of India’s foreign ministry, Arindam

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Bagchi, said the “reprehensible incident” had deeply hurt the sentiments of the Sikh community in India and across the world.

“Such continued incidents of desecration and disrespect of places of religious worship of the minority communities in Pakistan highlight the lack of respect for the faith of these communities,” Bagchi added. in its statement today, the Foreign Office said: “It was conveyed to the Indian diplomat that the incident was swiftly addressed and clarified.”

It said the government accorded “highest primacy to the rights of the minorities”. “Sanctity of religious places

and revered sites of every community is ensured in Pakistan.”

The Foreign Office further said the Indian diplomat was told to urge his government to investigate the incidents of gross and systematic persecution of minorities, which continue with impunity and state complicity.

“Given its systematic marginalization and brutalization of minorities, India has no locus standi to even feign concern for minorities elsewhere,” it said. The Foreign Office said India must focus on ensuring effective protection of their own minorities and places of worship from repeated instances of desecration, hate crimes and mob lynching.

Friday, 3 December, 2021 | LAHORE

NEWS corporate corner Chairman board of Investment visits PTa ISLAMABAD: Minister of State & Chairman Board of Investment (BOI), Mr. Muhammad Azfar Ahsan along with Secretary BOI, Ms. Fareena Mazhar visited Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Headquarters, Islamabad today. They met with Chairman PTA, Maj General Amir Azeem Bajwa (R).

During the meeting, the matter s pertaining to new investment opportunities in telecom and allied sectors were discussed. Chairman PTA informed that owing to government policies and regulatory mechanisms, Pakistan is among the attractive markets for local and foreign investors looking for new avenues to invest in Information Communications Technologies (ICT) sector. Both sides agreed to continue to work together to promote investments in Pakistan. p r

fbr Wins first Ever Court Conviction under anti Money Laundering act FBR has succeeded in winning the first ever case of conviction for the offence of money laundering based on massive tax evasion. The Directorate General I & I-IR had received financial intelligence in respect of Mr. Habibullah proprietor of M/s Rai Trading Company, Bajaur, KP wherein it was disclosed that the quantum of transactions (Cash & Bank) did not match with the suspect’s business profile. Initial investigations were conducted by the Directorate Intelligence & Investigation, Inland Revenue Service under tax laws which unearthed six other bank accounts with huge transactions.

Total proceeds in all the bank accounts were found to be Rs. 2,090 Million whereas the suspect paid only tax of Rs. 192,877/ for the tax year-2015.

The suspect was involved in huge concealment of income, undeclared bank accounts and misdeclaration/inaccurate particulars to hoodwink the tax authorities. A detailed scrutiny also revealed element of money laundering, therefore, investigations were initiated for the offence of money laundering under the Anti-Money Laundering Act-2010 (AMLA). With the prior approval of the Concerned Court, bank accounts were provisionally attached under section 8 of the AMLA 2010. On completion of investigations under Section-9 of AMLA 2010, final challan under AMLA2010 along with the complaint under Section- 203 of the Income Tax Ordinance (ITO), 2001 for the offence of money laundering and tax offence respectively were submitted in the Court. The prayers of the department before the court included punishment for both tax evasion and offence of money laundering and forfeiture of the proceeds. The trial proceedings concluded on 30th November, 2021 resulting into conviction of the accused under Section 4 of AMLA 2010 thus leading to 02 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 5 Lacs. In addition to this, the accused was also convicted under Section 192 -A of the ITO, 2001 with a simple imprisonment of 01 year and a fine of Rs. 01 lac. Furthermore, the court forfeited the proceeds of crime amounting to Rs 2090.4 Million. Advisor to PM on Finance & Revenue Shaukat Tarin and Chairman FBR/Secretary Revenue Division, Dr. Muhammad Ashfaq Ahmed have commended the outstanding performance of Directorate of I & I-IR and congratulated them on this importance success.

This is by all means a great success of FBR in its ongoing drive against tax evasion and money laundering and will pave the way for more convictions of various cases under investigation with the department as well as awaiting the conclusion of trial proceedings in the relevant courts of law. Needless to add that FBR is following a policy of zero tolerance against tax evasion and has introduced a number of innovative interventions both at policy and operational level to ensure a culture of tax compliance in the country. p r

‘LaWfarE’ aGaInST IndIa Way fOrWard TO PrEvEnT rIGhTS abuSE In IIOJK iSLamaBad

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staff report

AW experts have suggested “lawfare” as way forward against India to prevent human rights abuse against residents in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

A seminar on human rights violations in IIOJK was held in Islamabad on Tuesday by the Legal Forum for Kashmir (LFK), an international advocacy group, in collaboration with All Parties Hurriyat Conference – Azad Kashmir.

Speaking at the event, retired Justice Ali Nawaz Chowhan, a former judge at the United Nations, said: “Kashmir is a disputed territory recognised by the international community and the Responsibility To

Protect in a given situation and as interim measures are the best options for IIOJK to use against India.”

The Responsibility to Protect – known as R2P – is a global commitment endorsed by the UN to ensure action against crimes of genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.

Chowhan, who also served as chief justice of Gambia, said: “The state of Pakistan and people of Kashmir have the same interest of freeing IIOJK from the Indian occupation.”

“Even if ICJ [International Court of Justice] is not in a position to resolve the Kashmir issue permanently, at least the other lawfare options can send urgent relief and ease the lives of the people by stopping brutal killings at the hands of Indian occupying forces,” he added.

Advocate Nasir Qadri, the exec-

Tourism department committed to restore museums, historical sites in Punjab: official Punjab Tourism Department Secretary Captain (R) Mushtaq Ahmad on Thursday held a meeting with officials of the Agha Khan Cultural Society of Pakistan (AKCSP).

WCLA DG Kamran Lashari, AKCSP CEO Touseef Ahmed, and experts Rashid Makdoom, Wajahat Ali and Christopher Bouleau were present at the meeting.

The meeting decided that a committee, comprising of two or three experts from each concerned department, will be formed to work as one team.

“Preservation of heritage is as

important as rest of the things,” Mushtaq said.

“We have such a rich heritage that should not be wasted. Museums situated in Lahore and Taxila hold a massive importance on both national and international level. We need to train our staff through capacity building,” he added.

He directed the officials concerned to take immediate measures for the restoration of Taxila Museum. He also stressed on the need for collaboration between the departments concerned in order to build synergy and create value.

Opposition boycotts top security briefing for MPs continued from page 01 The opposition lampooned that a “selected” prime minister did not attend meetings on important national issues because “not only was he ignorant of the democratic spirit of consultation”, but was also “unknowledgeable” about the importance of different views in decision making and the usefulness of opposing views. They further claimed the prime minister was “deprived of the skill and ability” to use “collective wisdom” for the benefit of the country and the people.

The statement said that in such circumstances, an incamera briefing will merely pave the way for a new government’s “spectacle”, which has nothing to do with the performance regarding serious and critical issues that Pakistan faces or the progress towards their solution.

Furthermore, the joint opposition held the national security adviser (NSA) was “deprived” of relevant information and authority on decision-making and behind-the-scenes facts, and was merely a showpiece. They added that Moeed Yusuf’s objectives had nothing to do with real factors and future blueprints. “In this context, the united opposition has decided to boycott the briefing,” the statement said.

Record growth registered in M-Wallets to retain top slot in the Microfinancing Industry iSLamaBad news desk

Pakistan’s largest digital bank, Mobilink Microfinance Bank Limited (MMBL) has successfully retained its market standing as a leader in terms of microcredit and micro-savings during the third quarter of the financial year 2021, as per the latest report released by Pakistan Microfinance Network (PMN).

MicroWatch - a Quarterly Update on Microfinance Outreach in Pakistan, in its latest edition evaluated Pakistan’s microfinance landscape for Q3, 2021 and

utive director of LFK, said there is little possibility of direct confrontation between Pakistan and India because they are both nuclear powers.

“Now is the high time for result-oriented pro-active steps to shame and expose Indian war crimes at the international level, and the tool for such work is lawfare,” Qadri added.

He went on to say that Kashmiri victims should come forward and give testimonies at the international legal forums which would result in the conviction of the war criminals because lawfare is not possible for Pakistan without the support of the people of IIOJK. Faiz Naqshbandi, the convener of Hurriyet Conference Azad Kashmir chapter, also accused India of committing human rights violations in IIOJK.

stated that MMBL remains the largest provider of microcredit in terms of clients with over 2 million active borrowers and retained its position as a key industry leader by dominating 24.6% of the total market share.

The primary driver behind MMBL’s growth is M-Wallets, which increased by 1.8 million in the third quarter. The report concluded that, in the microfinance industry, M-Wallets held 81% of the total depositors with 14% of the total value of deposits, while the remainder 19% was traditional branch banking accounts worth 86% of the deposits. MMBL’s market

share grew by 51% in terms of depositors by the end of the third quarter. MMBL has also been one of the key drivers of the growth in the Gross Loan Portfolio (GLP).

Commenting on MMBL’s growth in Q3 of 2021, President & CEO MMBL Ghazanfar Azzam said, “Digital payments are on the rise in Pakistan and MMBL is a frontrunner in providing digital financial services to the masses.

Nearly two million new m-wallets resulted in a 51% growth in MMBL’s market share, which attests to the fact that the Bank is a major contributor to holistic economic growth. Digital financial inclu-

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“The tourism department is committed to work towards the restoration of museums and other places of historical significance across the province. We are striving towards preserving a rich heritage for future generations. To this effect, efforts are underway to draft a Lahore Museum Act,” he noted.

Moreover, the participants discussed ways to improve hygiene and sanitation facilities in Hazuri Bagh. The matter regarding restoration of Kharak Singh Haveli was also brought up during the meeting. news desk

Surging imports, rise in T-bill yields trigger PSX bloodbath continued from page 01 The most points taken off the index were

by LUCK which stripped the index of 150 points followed by SYS with 119 points, HUBC with 101 points, HBL with 91 points and PPL with 77 points.

No sector took the index towards the north. On Wednesday, the government released provisional data that showed trade deficit rose steeply by 162.4pc in the month of November, , the highest recorded in a single month in terms of value. The reversing trend in trade deficit was witnessed for the fifth consecutive month as merchandise trade deficit reached $5.107 billion in November against $1.946 billion over the corresponding month last year.

sion is at the core of MMBL’s goals and to accomplish this goal, MMBL is striving to provide products and services to millions of Pakistanis through its expansive digital financial ecosystem.”

The report also depicted a steady growth trajectory by the end of the third quarter of the year and stated that the microfinance industry in Pakistan is on a path to recovery from the adverse effects of the global crisis instigated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

MMBL is dedicated to empowering people through its diverse digital portfolio, thereby enhancing access to equitable financial services all across the country. The sharp uptick in subscriptions is indicative of the growing customer faith in the bank, driven by its constant innovation and the corresponding technological advancements to stay ahead and relevant at all times.

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IESCO’s Power suspension notification According to Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO)’s spokesman, System Maintenance/Development Work is in process.

Therefore power supply of below mentioned feeders/areas will be temporary suspended as per given schedule: On 4th December, From 08:00 AM to 03:00 PM, Sanghoi, Nathwala, Safdar Shaheed Feeders, From 09:00 AM to 02:00 PM, Marvi Road, Charaha, Zia Masjid, Highway, Khayaban-e-Iqbal, G-6/3, Orchard Scheme, Ghauri Garden, New Aziz Chowk, G-9/4, I-11/3, H-8/2, G-11/4, Railway Road, NIH, AQ Khan, Kaldana, Nimble, Patriata, University, Zafarulhaq, Committee Chowk, Major Masood, Bagh Sardar, Jamia Masjid, Gawalmandi, Pir Wadhai, Gulzar Shaheed, 6th Road, Sadiqabad, Airport, Tench Bhatta, Cheering Cross, Radio Pak, Shams Colony, Lakho Road, Mohanpura, Haider Road, AWT, AFIC, Dhok Farman Ali, Jail Park, Dr. Town, Mehboob Shaheed, Jhanda, Major Riaz, 502 Workshop, Mort, Shah Jeewan, Kent, New Rawat, Nard, Color City, Fazal Ahmed Shaheed, New Choa Aa, Nara Motor, Hamid Jhangi, Industrial, Bahr-eKalial, Nishan Haider, Mahouta, Mushtaq Hussain, Taxila, Burhan, Shafi Chauhan, Hussainabad, Shahullah Dutta, Sarai Kharboza, Kala Khan. pr

‘Clean & Green Murree Marathon’ to raise awareness regarding environmental protection ISLAMABAD: A unique sporting and social mobilization event, ‘Clean & Green Murree Marathon’ is being organised at the picturesque tourist destination, Murree to raise awareness regarding environmental protection and responsible tourism. The first of its kind event is being organized by Pakistani telecom company, Ufone 4G on Saturday, 4th December at 9AM in collaboration with Murree Development Forum (MDF), during which, citizens, tourists and members of local administration will participate in 8.3 kilometer marathon from GPO Chowk Murree to Chinar Army Public School. Online and physical registrations are open for public and the organizers have appealed to citizens to participate in the event in large numbers to help spread the message far and wide. The winners of the marathon will be awarded cash prizes. Speaking regarding the event, Head of PR & Corporate Communication at Ufone 4G, Amir Pasha said: “We are excited to support the cause of Clean & Green Murree to galvanize support for protecting the local environment, besides promoting the idea of environment-friendly and sustainable tourism.

We hope that the event creates the level of awareness to motivate efforts for environmental protection at individual, household and community levels. We are grateful to the Murree Development Forum for taking us aboard for the initiative which is in line with Ufone’s long term commitment towards the socio-economic development of our country.” p r

With no citizenship rights, Pakistani wives in IIOJK have nowhere to go ISLAMABAD: Pakistani-origin women married to Kashmiris have demanded full citizenship of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir or be allowed to return their home country. According to a report released by Kashmir Media Service, around 370 Pakistani women are married to Kashmiri men and are based in the Valley. They were married to the Kashmiri men who had crossed into Azad Kashmir as a result of the atrocities by Indian forces in occupied Kashmir, but had in 2010 returned under a rehabilitation policy announced by the Omar Abdullah government. These Kashmiri men had brought along their wives, whom they had married in Pakistan and Azad Kashmir, and children. inp

06-07 Comments - 3rd December 2021_Layout 1 12/2/2021 11:23 PM Page 1

Friday, 3 December, 2021

06 COMMENT

The cost of doing business

EVMs: examining nuts and bolts Flexibility is the hallmark of democracy

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N a sheer display of loyalty to Prime Minister Imran Khan, Punjab Chief Minister Buzdar announced the holding of Local Government elections in the province through the electronic voting machines (eVMs), thus upstaging the KP Chief minister. The election Commission of Pakistan (eCP) has directed Mr Buzdar to get the Punjab Local Govt Act (PLGA) passed within a week, warning that in case of failure to do so, the elections would be held under the old laws. Mr Buzdar has approved amendments to the PLGA in haste. This has led the PML(Q) as well as the opposition parties to protest at not having been consulted before preparing the draft.

The Punjab government claims that a delegation has met and removed the reservations of Ch Parvez elahi. however a confirmation from the PML(Q) has yet to come. The PML(N) and the PPP have meanwhile strongly rejected the Punjab government’s plans to bulldoze an important legislation.

Federal Minister Shibli Faraz has clarified that talk stopping eCP funds was no more than an informal chat among some ministers during Mr Khan’s short absence from the Cabinet meeting, indicating that the federal government has stepped back from its policy of confrontation with the eCP. how long the change in policy persists remains to be seen.

The eCP has constituted three high-level committees to assess the feasibility of introducing the electronic voting system in the next general election. To start with, the eCP has conveyed to the government that it would take an initial amount of Rs59 billion to purchase the eVMs, set up a data centre and install a system for evoting. Other issues are likely to turn up as the eCP’s committees probe the details.

The govt has set up an Information Committee under Federal Minister Shibli Faraz to review the demands and reservations of the eCP. The biggest reservation appears to be that the eCP is being required to do in less than two years what took other countries years of experimentation to remove the snags and build up public trust in eVMs. What is more the govt’s haste is leading it to steamroller the entire opposition comprising nearly half of the country’s legislators. Many think the govt should give more time to eCP to test and improve the system, meanwhile postponing the introduction of eVM’s in the next elections.

Past revolutions have occurred when there is economic turmoil at Penpoint m a NIaZI

T

he fact that the question has been raised about the possibility of a revolution is significant. That it is being dismissed on the ground that the people of Pakistan have never rebelled before is perhaps something which the government needs more to continue on its present course than to consider corrective measures.

The time is now ripe to see whether previous revolutions have any resemblance to the present situation. It is true that the French, Russian, Chinese and Iranian revolutions all occurred at a time of inflation.

In that respect, the time seems currently ripe. The inflationary spike we are experiencing has created revulsion amongst the government, but is the revulsion enough to cause people to become so desperate as to take on the might of the state.

Certain key factors need to be considered. First is the possibility of a revolution occurring without leadership coming from a pre-existing party. The Russian Revolution was not led by any party, and led Lenin to propound that a revolution had to be led by a vanguard revolutionary party. even with the French Revolution, one can discern a leadership in the shape of the Girondins and Jacobins, who coalesced from members of the Third estate.

The etats General had been summoned after 175 years. however, its commoners were followers of Voltaire and Rousseau and votaries of what was seen as the english Revolution of 1649, when Charles I was beheaded. The Russian Revolution provides a similar example, or rather the first Revolution does, the unsuccessful one of 1905, as it led to the summoning of a Duma, the first in nearly 300 years, after the one in 1613 which installed the Romanov dynasty. however, that Duma did not lead to the formation of a revolutionary party. There was already one, the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party. It had already split into the Bolshevik and Menshevik factions, the former of which played such an important role in 1917. The vanguard party did not bring about the February Revolution, in which the Czar and the Czarist state was overthrown, but it took power in the October Revolution, and later became the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

Both Russian Revolutions resulted from military reverses. In 1905, Russia had just lost the RussoJapanese War, with its fleet destroyed at the Battle of

Wheat for Afghanistan As children start starving in Afghanistan, India and Pakistan quibble

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NDIA’S gesture of sending 50,000 metric tons of wheat to Afghanistan as humanitarian aid, announced in October, has turned into a political football between Pakistan and India, as the two countries quibble over how the wheat is supposed to cross Pakistan on its way to Afghanistan. The catch is that this involves the Afghan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement. As a landlocked country, Afghanistan has a right of passage across Pakistan, but it does not have the right to import goods from India using Indian trucks. Pakistan is not treating the Indian gesture as a humanitarian gesture so much as an Indian wish to wang its way out of the ban on its vehicles. India is also apparently treating the matter not as a humanitarian crisis, but as a means of creating a precedent which it could fling in the face of future Pakistan governments.

Meanwhile, as both sides quibble, the winter gets harsher in Afghanistan, and the crisis there gets deeper.

This is no longer a crisis merely of governance, but one where people have begun to starve to death, with babies among the dead. It should also be noted that the cold is worsening the effects of winter, with respiratory diseases killing patients who would have lived if they had been better fed.

Pakistan should remember that if it insists on the letter of the law, India will never let it, or the Afghan government, forget that its obstinacy let Afghan children die of starvation. It should also keep in mind that Indian attempts to exploit the situation will not work unless there is a pro-New Delhi government in Kabul, which is not the case. While the new government has to prove its proPakistan credentials, it is certainly not pro-India. however, Pakistan’s failure to provide passage will work to India’s advantage in two ways. First, it will undermine the Taliban regime, which could be replaced by proIndian elements. even if the Taliban survive in power, they might be riled up against Pakistan, and thus Pakistan could be responsible for turning a friendly government against it. India can go on playing games if it likes; Pakistan must not forget the hungry.

Washington Watch Dr James J Zogby

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IKe many Americans, I was overjoyed by news that a Georgia jury had found three white men guilty of the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, a young Black man. The jury rejected the defense’s argument that the three men were “protecting and defending” their neighbourhood and therefore were justified in using their trucks to chase and trap Arbery and then use a shotgun to shoot him three times at close range. This verdict was especially welcome, coming just a few days after a Wisconsin jury found Kyle Rittenhouse, a white teenager, innocent in the shooting deaths of two other young white men.

Though there were obvious differences between these two cases, at stake in both were issues and values fundamental to the future of America: our obscene, pathological obsession with guns; the right-wing’s growing celebration of vigilantism; and racism.

First, a bit of background on the Rittenhouse story: It began in August of 2020 following the murder of Jacob Blake, a young Black man who was shot in the back by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Coming on the heels of a series of such incidents nationwide, Kenosha erupted in protests that came to include some rioting and looting.

Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor

Yousaf Nizami M. A. Niazi

Umar Aziz

Joint Editor

Joint Editor

Executive Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

The writer is a member of staff.

The importance of the Arbery verdict

Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami

Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

Shimonoseki Strait. The Revolutionary War in europe started after the French Revolution, not before. however, China experienced its Revolution after World War II. Iran’s war came after the Revolution, not before. There not having been a war is not a bar.

As wars generally cause economic hardship, they might be an enhancing factor, but to go back to Lenin, the rulers and ruled must both feel that matters cannot go on as they are. has that stage been reached in Pakistan? It would seem not. The government may possibly have reached the point of despair, though there re no signs of its having done so.

The essential question is whether the people have reached that point. Perhaps more important, do they have anyone to provide them leadership? It should be noted that the Marxist parties, which had fulfilled this tole in earlier revolutions, are almost non-existent. That might not be a disqualification, but more serious has been the result of the collapse of the USSR, and the turn of China towards ‘Socialism with Chinese characteristics’, which is another way of saying capitalism with the Communist Party’s control undisturbed.

China is not going to foment any revolutions in Pakistan. So long as the Pakistani state shows willingness to maintain a relationship with China, it is impossible that it will support any revolution here.

One direction from which revolutionary leadership could spring is the religious parties. The fact that they cannot win an election should incline them to revolution as the only means they could get into power, but their lack of an economic programme is an apparently insurmountable handicap.

As for the past parties of government, they do not seem to have much of an economic programme either, except that of offering better management. That seems to leave them unable to solve the economic problem faced by the people. even the PPP is not a revolutionary party, having always come to power through elections, and with the help of ‘electables’ who stand for the status quo. It should be clearly understood that revolution implies a discarding of the constitution. That would be problematic in Pakistan’s case, because if indeed desperation drove people to revolution, it would be the first time a democracy would be overthrown. In previous revolutions, democracies have not been overthrown, unless you count the overthrow of constitutional rule in Turkey by the military under Gen Kenan evren in 1980, or the overthrow of elected governments by military coups in 1958,1977 and 1999.

There may be the example of the TLP to consider.

Perhaps more of interest than its ideology is its recent protest. The death of three policemen sent the message that the steel framework of the state was under pressure. No one is claiming that it has cracked, but the police is not going to be happy that the killers of its comrades are now going through.

This will reinforce the image of a state willing to negotiate with militants. The indication is that the state is weak, but is there anyone out there which will take this as an indication that the time is ripe for a takeover? It also has not been examined what relation exists between militant use of religious issues, and the economic unrest.

The TLP stayed away from economic issues.

That is interesting, for one argument against them was economic. Could Pakistan afford spoiling relations with the european Union, which would result from acceding to the TLP’s demands, while the eU was such a large destination for Pakistani exports?

Apart from detailing how it would deal with inflation, it would also have to detail how it would handle this specific issue.

It is perhaps relevant, considering the supposed ties of the TLP with certain quarters, to note that the leader of the 1905 workers’ demonstration in 1905, Father Georgi Gapon, was an Okhrana agent, and was ultimately killed by members of the Socialist Revolutionary Party after he tried to recruit them. however, the assumed control of certain quarters over religious parties should not conceal the fact that they provide an alternative in a way that no one else does. If a party was to arise that won public confidence in its ability to solve the country’s economic woes, it could well use that confidence to lever its way into power.

The absence of a constitution is a big advantage.

It should not be forgotten, which means that the government is free to do what it wants. Bhutto’s nationalisations came before the 1973 Constitution was passed, and Martial Laws have all acted in the absence of a constitution. In all the revolutions mentioned, constitution-making as a matter of years.

Until then, the government just made things up as they went along.

Is Pakistan heading to a revolution? Inflation is punitive, but the answer depends on how much people trust the 1973 Constitution and how it is operated.

Does the 1973 Constitution answer the economic question? It must not be forgotten that the proponents of democracy have based their appeal on its doing so. however, the present hybrid rule is straining that narrative, and the nightmare of the establishment should be that that confidence will give.

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Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

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heeding the calls of some white nationalist groups, 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse secured an AR-15 semiautomatic weapon, left his home in Illinois to join the effort to “defend property and help bring law and order” to Kenosha. It was there, on August 25th that Rittenhouse killed two men and wounded another. his lawyers argued that Rittenhouse felt threatened and killed the men in self-defense. And the jury, after deliberating for four days, agreed and found him innocent.

The jury verdict in the Rittenhouse case was troubling as it left several critical questions unanswered. how is it acceptable for a 17-year-old to secure a weapon of war? What is the justification for his crossing state lines with the intent to use this weapon? And if Rittenhouse had been a young Black man, wouldn’t he have been shot dead by police merely being seen on the streets holding a semiautomatic weapon?

During the past several years, there has not only been an epidemic of police killings of unarmed Black men, but also a number of dangerous incidents where armed white men have menaced both unarmed Black men and even elected officials with whom they disagree on matters of policy. There were, for example: the group of white militia who threateningly took to the steps of Michigan’s state capitol in April of 2020 to demonstrate their opposition to their governor’s covid-19 lockdown order; the couple in St. Louis, Missouri, who menacingly brandished weapons as Black Lives Matter demonstrators peacefully marched through their neighbo4rhood; the armed militia units who posted themselves along the southern border to shoot those whom they suspected were illegal migrants; George Zimmerman who, back in 2012, murdered Trayvon Martin because Zimmerman found it threatening that a young Black male was walking in his all-white neighborhood; and finally, on January 6th, the armed militia groups who stormed the US Capitol Building in a violent insurrection with the aim of threatening Congress, in order to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

In each instance, the perpetrators were lionized by the right as heroes because they were white and their intent was deemed patriotic. Millions of dollars were raised for their defense; the St Louis couple were invited to speak at the Republican National Convention; the January 6 insurrectionists and the “border vigilantes” have been called “patriots” by former President Trump and a host of Republicans

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leaders; and Kyle Rittenhouse has become a cause célèbre, hosted by Trump at Mar-a-Lago, appearing on Fox TV, and offered congressional internships by a number of Republican congressional offices.

The danger all of this poses is real. In legitimizing vigilante behaviour, the right is returning us to the days of the Wild West or post-Reconstruction, when mobs lynched thousands of Blacks or foreigners deemed a threat.

It’s also important to consider the issue of guns and the right’s insistence that the Constitution’s “right to bear arms” is absolute and without limits. While the Second Amendment does proclaim that right, it does so with the qualification as part of a “well regulated Militia.” It is a bizarre stretch to interpret “well regulated Militia” to include the mobs that stormed the Capitol, threatened the safety of Michigan’s governor, or a 17-year-old’s self-proclaimed mission to “protect property.” And despite the successful pressure exerted by the National Rifle Association, Washington’s most powerful lobby, the Constitution does not provide citizens the unfettered right to own, brandish, and use weapons of war.

Finally, there’s the critical issue of race. It is a fact that white vigilantes are often tolerated and celebrated by the right— even when they threaten “law and order” and our democracy. One doesn’t have to imagine what the reaction might be should Black vigilantes arm themselves with the expressed purpose of defending their communities or threatening a governor or Congress. All we need do is recall the way the Black Panthers were violently suppressed in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

The fact that our hyperpartisan, polarized political environment is becoming weaponized by white vigilantes who are being validated by political leaders poses an existential threat to our democracy. It is a danger we cannot ignore. That is why the guilty verdict in the murder of Ahmaud Arbery is so important.

While the jury decision in the Rittenhouse case threatened to open the door to the chaos of the “law of the jungle,” in rejecting the defendants’ argument that Arbery’s killers were acting in self-defense and protection of property, the Georgia jury slammed that door shut.

The writer is President of the Arab American Institute

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

06-07 Comments - 3rd December 2021_Layout 1 12/2/2021 11:23 PM Page 2

Friday, 3 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

Implementation of Keynesian economics in Pakistan The basic concept of Keynesian economics lies within the government’s expenditures to reduce the impact of recession during the natural process of the business cycle. The impact on unemployment and a slowed-down economy becomes one of the leading issues when a recession hits.

Developed countries try to minimise the interest rates to provoke spending.

This thought historically has proved that recession can be mitigated.

In the US, during the great depression, Keynes thought surfaced and since then recessions have been lowered with the control on interest rates and increase in government spending in the industry. however, in Pakistan, the recent increase of interest rate to 150 basis points will raise more issues than bring solutions. The government should reduce the interest rates to increase the employment level, which will eventually have an impact on the national income levels. If the monetary policymakers think that by increasing the interest rates inflation can be controlled, then this idea may not prove to be true for Pakistan. Since the inception of this government, inflation and interest rate have moved in the same direction. The decreased growth and employment levels and increased inflation can trigger stagflation. Lowering interest rates can be considered as a starting point to control the recession but we must not rely on the self-healing mechanisms of the economy.

MuhaMMad MuShafiq iSlaMabad

Now the target should be a security Council resolution?

Everyone must be on board to cole the Rohingya problem HafIZur TalukDar

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N the last five years or so, various initiatives have been taken in bilateral and international forums to repatriate the displaced Rohingyas or to resolve the crisis, but to no avail. The adoption of a unanimous resolution for the first time in the UN’s Third Committee on this issue on November 23 is a beacon of hope.

Japan, Russia and China have expressed their views again. They have explained their position despite being with the proposal. It is important for us to observe their attitude in this regard. We can claim that their previous position has changed a bit. earlier, when such a proposal was raised in the Third committee of the UN, whatever their position, this time they did not oppose it; Apparently a little positive. But the question is - what is the real attitude of the displaced Rohingyas towards the place they want to go, the environment in Rakhine?

The statement of the european Union is significant. They said the unanimous resolution would play an important role in protecting the rights of other minorities. In the adopted resolution, Myanmar has been informed about many issues. There is no room for complacency in the UN Third Committee. The General Assembly did not reflect the effectiveness of such a proposal.

The question may arise, the proposal of the past was not as unanimous as this time. That is not unreasonable. But we see that many of the people who are committed to us in resolving the Rohingya crisis have not acted on their word. The UN General Assembly has already passed resolutions in this regard in the UN Third Committee.

But Myanmar did not follow the prescribed path.

The Third Committee deals with such proposals.

It will now go to the General Assembly again.

If the resolution is passed in the General Assembly session, then the Security Council should also pass it - that is the goal now. Since the proposal has been unanimously adopted by the Third Committee, there will not be any undesirable situation in the General Assembly session. But if Myanmar’s attitude is not positive, it will remain an obstacle to resolving the crisis. First, Myanmar needs to create a conducive environment for the displaced Rohingya to return. Second, multifaceted pressure on them is essential. The way to create it has become a little easier. Various branches of the United Nations have also made proposals in this regard. But Myanmar is not moving. At present, the military government is directly in power there. earlier they were indirect helpers.

In the last few months, we have not seen any activity of the present government in this regard, which is different from the previous government.

This relief is not enough to resolve the current crisis. A major solution could be found through the UN Security Council. The consensus of the permanent members of the Security Council is crucial. The USA and the UK are with Bangladesh in this matter. China, Russia, Japan and France need to take a clear stand on resolving the Rohingya crisis. But for this, we need more vigorous and far-sighted diplomatic activities in the context of new realities. We cannot

say that the position of China and Russia is in Bangladesh’s favour. The desired outcome cannot be expected until others as powerful as them pass a resolution in the UN Security Council unanimously.

If that happens, the pressure on Myanmar will be severe and Myanmar will be forced to change its position. This requires the sincere initiative of many parties. China, Japan, Russia Bangladesh needs to strengthen its diplomatic relations with these countries. Its economic relations with these countries are deep. They are all its development partners. Several mega projects are being implemented in the country with their financial support. If we can convince them that this is putting pressure on Myanmar, then hopefully the way to resolve the crisis will be smooth. Because Myanmar also has economic relations with them. It is difficult to say how far Bangladesh has come in such a strong position.

Now we need to work on a new framework for diplomacy to make all international alliances and organizations more active. There is an opportunity to do more in our existing relationship with Japan. With the economic relations that we have with China, Japan, Russia, it cannot be said that we have succeeded in managing the politically desired level. The constant goal of Bangladesh should be to make the diplomatic process stronger and stronger. In this case, Bangladesh has to work more bilaterally. This goal must be multilateral.

If the positive position of the member states in the Security Council can be confirmed, then this will be a source of great hope for Bangladesh to change its position. Bangladesh must continue to make every effort to strengthen our relationship with all our friends and development partners.

It is important to increase the depth and foresight of diplomacy. For example, the full support of 107 countries to the proposal of the UN Third Committee is a testament to our diplomatic success. It is important to increase the depth and foresight of diplomacy. For example, this time the full support of 107 countries on the proposal of the UN Third Committee is a testament to Bangladesh’s diplomatic success.

Many countries have abstained or voted against such a proposal in the past. But this time around, the exceptional incident will send a fresh message to Myanmar that its chances of remaining steadfast in resolving the Rohingya crisis are diminishing. The international community is now more positive than ever. There are many motives on the part of Myanmar to prolong this issue.

They may think that if the issue is prolonged, the attention of the international community will be reduced. But this time the incident has left a mark on their thinking. But Bangladesh should not seek relief here. even if it stops. It has to work hard to increase the pressure on Myanmar as much as possible to resolve this crisis. hopefully the fruits of Bangladesh’s continued efforts will be seen in the Security Council as well.

Originally, after the call of Prime Minister Sheikh hasina to the UN General Assembly, the solution to the Rohingya crisis, which had lost its importance in the international arena, came up for discussion again. And then the General Assembly unanimously passed the resolution. But skepticism remains about how much pressure Myanmar has put on the proposal. Because effective action

cannot be taken on any issue with the resolution passed in the general assembly. This requires a unanimous resolution in the Security Council.

Unfortunately, no action has been taken so far as China and Russia have sided with Myanmar. But since the two countries have not opposed each other in the General Assembly, they may reconsider their position on the Security Council.

This time, the question may come, why the expected success has not come so far? This is because while the UN and human rights organizations have been vocal about the genocide against the Rohingya, international donors and important countries around the world, who could have played a big role in the Rohingya issue, have not cooperated as much as expected.

In particular, the role of China as a referee in solving the Rohingya problem has always disappointed Bangladesh. From the beginning, the country has worked for a bilateral solution rather than presenting the issue in international forums.

It has repeatedly vetoed the Security Council, openly opposing it. On the other hand, Myanmar has suspended the repatriation process on various pretexts only after receiving their exposure. At this stage, it has made a deal with pressure and has also done repatriation drama from behind.

In addition, although the UN has spoken out against Rohingya persecution, the Security Council has not been able to take any action due to the role of China and Russia. Although the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) has agreed to a hearing on the Rohingya persecution in response to Gambia’s appeal, Chinese President Xi Jinping has visited Myanmar, giving the international community a thumbs up to encourage it to issue an interim injunction in The hague.

On the other hand, India, along with China, has recently entered into a competition. As a result, Bangladesh has never sided with a friendly country like China on the Rohingya issue.

Meanwhile, China has also increased its dependence on Myanmar due to new geopolitical calculations surrounding the Bay of Bengal.

Myanmar is considered to be the most important link of China’s BRI project in return, China gave Myanmar what it wanted.

That being said, this gateway could become the lifeline of the Chinese economy. Through it, China will balance economic and military power in Southeast Asia and the Bay of Bengal. Because of these considerations, Myanmar may have thought that prolonging the repatriation process would reduce the international community’s attention to the Rohingya crisis.

Although China has licensed Myanmar, like North Korea, to do whatever it pleases in the interests of its geopolitics, Myanmar has gradually forged alliances with the West. China and Russia understand this cunning of Myanmar. Probably the result of Bangladesh’s strong diplomatic efforts is not to oppose China in the UN General Assembly. In the case of Myanmar, Bangladesh has not opposed China or Russia because of this policy. however, it should not be satisfied with this. The move by China and Russia will only be considered positive if the two countries maintain the same position in the Security Council.

Now the regional powers like China, Russia, and India have to take the strategy to work for Bangladesh in Rohingya repatriation. In addition, the Security Council must make strong diplomatic efforts to reach a unanimous decision. The diplomatic process needs to be strengthened. No resolution can be brought in a hurry. Bangladesh must move forward only after talking to everyone.

The writer is a teacher at a local school in Dhaka.

He can be reached at sbarkatbarkatss@gmail.com

Animal abuse IN a recent Judgment, the hon’ble Islamabad high Court held that animals are to be treated in accordance with the law in terms of Article 9 (right to life) of the Constitution of Pakistan 1973 and not a means for mere entertainment. The term “life” as used in Article 9 of the Constitution of Pakistan 1973 does not only means personal rights but also includes “animal life”. Animals natural rights not to be treated in a manner that subjects them to unnecessary pain and suffering have been well recognized in the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals Act 1908.

Section 3 of the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals Act 1980 specifically states that if any person, overdrives, beats, or otherwise treats any animal so as to subject it to unnecessary pain or suffering, or, binds, keeps, carries or consigns for carriage any animal is such manner or position as to subject it to unnecessary pain or suffering or offers for sale or without reasonable cause has in his possession any live animal which is suffering pain by reason of mutilation, starvation, thirst, overcrowding or other ill-treatment, or offers for sale any dead animal or part of a dead animal which he has reason to believe has been killed in an unnecessarily cruel manner, or without reasonable cause abandons any animal in circumstances which render it likely that it will suffer pain by reason of starvation or thirst, he shall be punished, in the case of a first offence, with a fine which may extend to fifty rupees, or with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one month and, in the case of a second or subsequent offence committed within three years of the previous offence, with fine which may extend to one hundred rupees, or with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months. Unfortunately, inhumane behaviours of humans, with animals, have become a routine matter in Pakistan. There are numerous frequent unreported horrifying cases of “animal rape” in Pakistan.

Recently, in Okara District, five men gang-raped a goat, which too was widely reported in media. It is a compulsion and responsibility of the State to ensure that statutory rights of animals in terms of Prevention of Cruelty of Animals Act 1980 be performed and implemented in its true sprit. baRRiSTER aRSalaN RaJa KaRachi

Land of rivers PAKISTAN’S heart of splendid culture, history and civilization and archaic trade route is going awry amid negligence of the governments for the past 74 years.

I belong to the Thal region that sprawls over seven districts of Punjab including Khushab, Mianwali, Bakhar, Layyah, Muzaffargarh, Jhang and Chinot. These seven districts of Thal have 19 seats in the National Assembly and 37 in the Punjab Assembly. It would not be out of place to call Thal the land of rivers because one of the largest rivers Indus flows on its West and Chenab on the east while River Jhelum flows in the North, whereas head Panjnad (meaning five rivers) is the joining point of Punjab’s mighty five rivers embraces the region at the South.

Thal, apart from its unique geographical location also hosts the site of Kalabagh Dam which is called the lifeline of the country.

With great pride, I mention that Thal is the largest desert of Pakistan inhabiting a huge population and natural resources along with massive size of agriculture and youth in the region. But unfortunately, this land of opportunities and reserves has no medical college to cater for the huge healthcare and education needs of the local masses. Likewise, there is no engineering University and Agriculture University in Thal that has huge potential for local agriculture and cultivation. I am sorry to say that there is no women’s university in the seven districts of Thal which has been quoted in Sanskrit as the gold mountains owing to its increasing economic potential.

There is a divisional headquarters in other divisions of the province that have less area, political representation in the parliament, population and resources but in the seven districts of Thal neither there is any divisional headquarters nor any bench of the high court in the entire Thal to provide speedy and timely relief and justice to the local masses.

Thal’s main road Mainwali Muzaffargrah (MM) Road has become a killer road due to increased traffic accidents on a daily basis rendering huge loss of precious lives. Prime Minister Imran Khan’s constituency also existed in Thal which has by no means gained any attention or right to address its problems. Lack of education, health, Road Infrastructure, Industry, Agricultural uplift and business opportunities the local residents of the region are migrating at a faster pace to well-off districts of Lahore, Rawalpindi and others which is increasing urbanization and population burden on the already overpopulated districts at an alarming rate. If these facilities are extended to the people of Thal then it would definitely reduce the burden on the already resource-scarce cities of the province and would help preserve a potential food basket of the entire country that has been left on the mercy of fate to decay under the dust of time and ignorance.

KhaZiR KlaSRa iSlaMabad

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Friday, 3 December, 2021

08 WORLD VIEW

HoW BIden coULd BLoW HIs cHance for a deaL WITH Iran IT IS A GOOD SIGN THAT THE TALKS ARE RESUMING, BUT THE PROSPECTS LOOK DIM

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Fred KaPlan

HE United states and Iran are meeting in Vienna on Monday for one more try—possibly one last try—to revive the Iran nuclear deal.

If neither side budges from its current demands, the talks—which have been in hiatus for five months—are likely to go nowhere, in which case we will see the sharpening of tensions or worse. the deal—which was reached in 2015

by President Barack Obama and the leaders of six other nations, including Iran—required the Iranians to dismantle their nuclear program; in exchange, the U.s would lift almost all of its economic sanctions. things were proceeding smoothly—international

inspectors attested that Iran was complying—until 2018, when President Donald trump withdrew from the deal, reimposed sanctions, and pressured all the other signatories to impose sanctions as well. Iran continued to abide by the deal for a year, seeking some way to trade with the world outside the realm of the dollar. Failing to do so, tehran invoked Paragraph 36 of the 159-page deal, stating that if some signatories “were not meeting their commitments,” the others would have “grounds to cease performing” theirs. the clause was written so that the U.s. and the European nations could swiftly reimpose sanctions if the Iranians were caught cheating; but the sequence, as we’ve seen, could go the other way too.

In the two years since, Iran has resumed enriching uranium to the point where it could have enough to build an a-bomb in a month or so. It is, in short, much closer to being a nucleararmed state than it was even before it signed the deal back in 2015. trump had abrogated the deal (which he frequently derided as “the worst deal ever”), hoping to pressure tehran into signing what he and his aides called a “better” deal, but in fact his strategy backfired.

More puzzling than trump messing

things up, though, is why President Joe Biden—who, during the campaign, said he would bring back the deal—didn’t move to do so right after entering office this past January. He could have, accurately, blamed trump for the mess, offered to lift the sanctions gradually if the Iranians dismantled their nuclear hardware gradually. Instead, for reasons that no one has clearly explained, the two sides got into a dispute over who should take the first step first. In april, the European Union jumped in, holding six rounds of talks with Iran in Vienna. For a while it seemed like some formula for a return to negotiations with the U.s. could be worked out— but this didn’t happen. In June, Iran elected a new president, Ebrahim Raisi, a longtime skeptic of the deal. the impasse deepened.

It is a good sign that the talks are resuming, but the prospects look dim. the Iranians are insisting on two points: first, that the U.s. lift all sanctions before tehran dismantles any piece of its nuclear program; second, that the U.s. guarantees no future president will withdraw from the deal. Both demands are nonstarters. No president would, or should, lift all sanctions unless Iran dismantled at least some of its centrifuges, the devices that

UK, Islam and media: This is bullying, not journalism THOUSANDS OF NEWS ARTICLES AND VIDEO CLIPS POINT TO A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM ACROSS THE JOURNALISM INDUSTRY, WHERE MUSLIMS ARE OFTEN REDUCED TO ORIENTALIST TROPES

Middle east eye

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Faisal HaniF

atCHING and reading news on Muslims and Islam is not always a pleasant experience. at least one-fifth of all articles on the topic pertain to terrorism and extremism. this was among a number of concerning facts and figures that I and others at the Centre for Media Monitoring found when we analysed more than a year’s worth of material from British newsrooms that referenced Muslims and/or Islam. this included around 48,000 online news articles and 5,500 clips that aired between October 2018 and september 2019, giving us a clearer picture of how Muslims are reported on and where the problems lie. the right-leaning media, which includes most of the country’s heavyweight publications, fared worst across our rating metrics. Using a methodology designed alongside seasoned academics who have studied how Muslims are represented in the media, we pinpointed everything from the reproduction of tropes, to the misrepresentation of Muslim beliefs, to problematic headlines and imagery. a disproportionate number of articles were biased on the subject of religion, with discussions around Islam mired in Orientalism. Islam was repeatedly framed as a hostile threat to the West, as right-wing pundits trotted out tropes with impunity, while Muslim characters in fictional dramas were shown as intolerant - and were often played by non-Muslim actors. around half of the news articles and clips we examined associated Muslims with negative aspects and behaviours. While this might not seem alarming given that news generally tends towards the negative, we did not discriminate between items that were predominantly about Muslims or those that contained only a passing mention, which is a cause for concern.

PLATFORMING MARGINAL FIGURES: Our study was not just about identifying what was bad; we also found pieces that were fair and balanced, punching up against those in power, rather than punching down against Muslims, as is so often the case. Examples included the BBC’s John sudworth reporting on the persecution of Uyghur Muslims in

China, and the spectator’s stephen Daisley opining on the Birmingham schools affair, even as his publication was frequently rated poorly across our metrics.

I am often asked whether reporting on Muslims and Islam is getting better over time. But this is difficult to assess, as much depends on the news cycle and which subjects or events are in focus.

We have, however, seen a return in recent days

by British tabloids to platforming marginal and unrepresentative figures as the face of British Muslims.

In addition, certain publications - the same ones that lambaste “cancel culture” - often target individual Muslims or organisations, in an attempt to delegitimise and de-platform them.

Our report features close to a dozen instances in which individual Muslims were misrepresented in the media; in some cases, the victims spent years of their lives on a quest for justice and an apology. some of the cases involved neoconservative organisations feeding information to newspapers who appeared happy to lap it up, targeting Muslims in the public space. this is not journalism. It is bullying, and it impinges on the civil rights of British Muslims, ultimately aiming to silence them.

WILLINGNESS TO CHANGE: Our report also looked at how words are used to delegitimise Muslims, such as by describing any Muslim organisation or individual in the public sphere as “Islamist” or practicing “Islamism”. such terms have been used in a scattershot fashion, targeting everyone from Islamic state fighters, to democratically elected leaders, to schoolchildren who eat halal food at lunch.

Producing a report as detailed as ours was an arduous task, and not always a pleasant one. But it was done in good faith, with the hope that it will inform and guide members of the media.

Better reporting on Muslims and Islam is not an impossible task, as shown by Daily Express editor Gary Jones, who in 2018 lamented that past front pages at the newspaper had contributed to an Islamophobic environment. He has worked to change that, setting an example for others. another encouraging sign came from the editors of the Daily Mirror and sunday times, who welcomed our report, even though it criticised some of their coverage. this suggests that there is a willingness at the highest levels to produce better journalism - and we welcome that.

Muslims cannot, and most do not, expect special treatment from the media. What they do expect is fairness and to be treated no differently than any other community. as the former chair of the Independent Press standards Organisation pointed out a couple of years ago, Muslims have been treated differently by British newspapers. Our findings would agree with him, and it’s up to news editors and journalists to change that.

Faisal Hanif is a media analyst at the Centre for Media Monitoring and has previously worked as a news reporter and researcher at the Times and the BBC.

enrich uranium. Nor could any president honestly promise that future presidents would adhere to the accord. (the nuclear deal is not a treaty but rather a multilateral executive arrangement. It was negotiated that way, in part because Obama knew he could not sway two-thirds of the senate to ratify it, which would be required for a treaty. Biden would face the same issue today.) there may be a way out. the EU could act as a true mediator, as it tried but failed to do in april, setting a timetable where each side takes phased, simultaneous steps—the U.s. lifts a few sanctions, Iran destroys a few centrifuges. But meanwhile, several american politicians, including some members of the Biden administration, have been saying that it wouldn’t be good enough simply to go back to the terms of the 2015 deal; too much time has passed, they say (some of the deal’s measures expire in 2025), and Iran has made more progress toward building an a-bomb than it had back then. secretary of state antony Blinken said in October, “We are getting closer to a point at which returning to compliance with the [deal] will not in and of itself recapture the benefits” seen back in 2015. two points can be made here. First, Blinken and his colleagues should have seen that coming back in January. second, his view is shortsighted. true, if the deal were brought back to life this week, a follow-on deal would have to be negotiated soon after, if just to push back the

original expiration dates. But why not do that? Why not revive the original deal, devise a schedule for the step-by-step procedures (the lifting of sanctions, the dismantlement of centrifuges)—but add a clause stating that if a new accord isn’t signed (or maybe isn’t well along in negotiations) by, let’s say, 2024, the deal is off once again. (If Republicans regain the White House, it might be off anyway.) several politicians—most Republicans and a few Democrats—would say this proposal doesn’t go far enough. they want to see a new accord that doesn’t merely push back the expiration dates for Iran’s nuclear commitments but also limits or abolishes Iran’s production of missiles and assistance to terrorist groups. Obama and his team considered broadening the deal this way during the original talks, but decided against it for two reasons: First, Iran wouldn’t agree with those other limits, and second, the most important task was to keep Iran from building nuclear weapons—and the deal wound up doing that with the most intrusive verification procedures ever negotiated in an arms control deal. the realistic options were to live in a world with an Iran that makes missiles, assists terrorists, and has nuclear weapons—or an Iran that engages in those first two activities but has no nuclear weapons. the choice seemed a no-brainer. It still does. It’s time to snap that view back into focus, if it’s not too late.

Islamophobia in the British press must be tackled head-on OUR ANALYSIS SHOWS THAT ALMOST TWO-THIRDS OF ARTICLES PAINT MUSLIMS IN A NEGATIVE LIGHT

Guardian

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Miqdaad Versi

ast week, the Labour MP Naz shah observed that “Islamophobia has now passed the ‘mainstream media test’”. the report published this week by the Muslim Council of Britain’s Centre for Media Monitoring shows that she’s right.

Consider some of the most egregious cases cited in the report. there was the times, telegraph, MailOnline and Express libelling a scout group leader, ahammed Hussain, in 2019, using a laundry list of anti-Muslim tropes; these included “allegations about using the scout group to promote extremism, segregation of children, extensive links to antisemitic groups, and inviting banned preachers to the Mosque”. Or take the Mail on sunday, which called council worker Waj Iqbal “a fixer” for paedophile taxi drivers in Rochdale. as he put it, his whole world crumbled, he lost his job, his “marriage ended and [he] couldn’t see [his] kids”. the impact of this kind of reporting cannot be overstated. While nothing can repair the harm caused, in both cases, the publishers had to pay very substantial libel damages and print apologies.

Many other similar examples published in the report show how Muslims have been compelled to take libel action against newspapers, and have won. If one considers the hundreds of thousands of pounds paid to settle these claims, what does this tell us about the price they are willing to pay to misrepresent Muslims? some might say those are only the worst cases, not indicative of the media as a whole. Yet the report dispels this myth by showing how widespread the issue is, based on excruciatingly detailed analysis of more than 48,000 print articles and 5,500 tV clips that mentioned Muslims or Islam. sixty per cent of the articles and almost half of all clips analysed associated negative aspects and behaviour with Muslims or Islam, with terrorism or extremism being the most common theme. Little wonder Islamophobia is so common in society.

When we see the scale of the problem and understand its source, silence should not be an option. the easiest step, but one rarely taken, is the calling out of Islamo-

phobes or those who propagate Islamophobia in the media. they are often found in the op-ed pages of rightwing newspapers and magazines, writers for whom Muslims are rarely seen as individuals but are representatives of a homogenous and sinister group. But it can also be seen in the pursuit of specious stories and narratives on the front pages of supposedly serious newspapers. then there are publications like the spectator, which is known to have published generous articles about far-right politicians and movements. Rather than falling over themselves to attend the publication’s fancy soirées, MPs and journalists should be holding it to account.

It is not all doom and gloom. there are areas where we see improvements. there have been fewer anti-Muslim front pages in recent years, the MCB issues a smaller number of complaints than we have historically, and there have been positive editorial choices from right-leaning news outlets. these include the sun’s explanatory boxes to provide context for complex topics, the presence of Muslim people clapping for the NHs alongside their work colleagues on the front page of the Daily telegraph, and the Daily Mail calling out a “far-right activist” on its front page.

But while these positives – some of which may be because media outlets know they are being monitored – are tactically valuable and extremely important, longterm change needs to be structural. the start of this journey is acknowledging the problem from the very top. and, in a difficult landscape, it has been important to see the courage of some of Fleet street’s editors: Gary Jones, the editor of the Express, acknowledged in 2018 his newspaper had contributed to an “Islamophobic sentiment” in the media; Emma tucker, the editor of the sunday times, welcomed this week’s report “in the full knowledge that it contains criticisms of the press, my own paper included”; and alison Phillips, the editor-in-chief of the Mirror, acknowledged at the launch of this report that things have to change, laying out a series of steps her paper is taking. structural change also involves newsrooms looking more like the society we live in. Research from 2016 showed that 0.4% of journalists are Muslim (a tenth of what it should be proportionately) – and diversity schemes, such as the aziz Foundation’s apprenticeship programme, have their part to play.

However, ultimately, our hope is for adherence to basic principles of journalism and responsible reporting: the need to be sceptical, with an ear for when stories “just sound wrong” and warrant further checking; the desire to consider the real-world, social ramifications of using certain images or giving certain words prominence in headlines; and the importance of editors taking a holistic view of their coverage to reflect on whether they truly reflect their outlet’s objectives.

Editorial will, training, checks and balances, and appropriate policies and style guides can make this happen. We’re asking for fairness, not favours. It’s not too much to ask.

Miqdaad Versi is the founder of the Muslim Council of Britain’s Centre for Media Monitoring.

Friday, 3 December, 2021 | LAHORE

NEWS

corporate corner Mastercard partners with LMKR to build Pakistan’s first open-loop transit solution and simplify the commuter experience

PALM DROPS MORE tHAN 2PC AS OMICRON vARIANt wORRIES wEIGH KUALA LUMPUR

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Agencies

alaysian palm oil futures fell more than 2% on Thursday to hit their lowest in nearly two months, as concerns about the Omicron coronavirus variant and its impact overshadowed an industry forecast of lower november output.

The benchmark palm oil contract

for February delivery on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange slid 99 ringgit, or 2.11%, to 4,585 ringgit ($1,085.72) a tonne in early trade, hitting its lowest since Oct. 4.

Heavily mutated Omicron is rapidly becoming the dominant variant of the coronavirus in south africa less than four weeks after it was first detected there, and the United states on Wednesday became the latest country to identify an Omicron case

within its borders.

The southern Peninsula Palm Oil Millers’ association (sPPOMa) estimated november production fell 6.8% from the month before, traders said on Wednesday.

Top producer indonesia will need to increase the bio-content of its palm oilbased biodiesel to 40% by 2024 or risk missing its renewable energy targets, a senior official said on Wednesday.

Dalian’s most-active soyoil contract

Careem invested $100 million since 2015, created 800,000 employment opportunities DUBAI: Mastercard has announced a strategic partnership with LMK Resources Pakistan (Private) Limited (LMKR) to oversee the deployment of the country’s first open-loop transit payment solution. The collaboration will enable commuters to top-up and pay for their transit fares simply by using their debit and credit cards or digital wallets, eliminating the need to buy separate tickets for these services. The partnership will see Mastercard's digital payment platforms embedded first into the Zu Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) payments infrastructure, used by over 200,000 commuters daily, followed by a wider rollout. Developing affordable and accessible public transport systems is a crucial enabler of socio-economic development in Pakistan as the country builds an inclusive digital economy. To date, Pakistan’s transit systems have been restricted to only cash or closed-loop cards that need to be topped up in advance, resulting in additional time and efforts required by travelers. “Our partnership with LMKR will transform the everyday commuter experience for people in Pakistan. Mastercard’s digital offerings will enable passengers to simply pay using their bank card, wearable device, or smartphone, providing additional freedom for the user and decreasing the costs associated with special cards and ticket issuances for transit organizations. As a trusted advisor, Mastercard is committed to forming strategic public-privatepartnerships to accelerate the growth of Pakistan’s digital economy,” said Khalid Elgibali, Division President – MENA, Mastercard. “We are delighted to partner with Mastercard to upgrade Pakistan’s current transport payment systems. Enabling distance-based fare collection through widely available contactless debit and credit cards in Pakistan is a milestone moment in Pakistan’s digitization journey ahead,” said Iftikhar Atif Khan, President, LMKR. The announcement follows a series of strategic partnerships with key government entities in Pakistan, cementing Mastercard’s leading role as a partner to the government and a key enabler of digitization in the country. Recent announcements include the digitization of the country’s road toll payments network in partnership with One Network. P r

Haleeb Foods joined hands with CARE Foundation for Universal Children’s Day

ISLAMABAD: Careem, the Super App of the greater Middle East and Pakistan, has partnered with Oxford Economics to release “The Socio-Economic Impact of Careem”, an independent report including data from 2015-2019. The report is a detailed account of how Careem has contributed to opportunities of income generating activities, providing reliable services that simplify lives, safer mobility for women and the socio and economic impact on Captains, Customers, Colleagues and the local communities. The report includes in-depth data of Careem Captains and Customers, their demographics, total trips taken on Careem in addition to the economic impact created by the company.

According to the report, Careem has invested more than PKR 100 million in Pakistan since the last 5 years, creating a customer base of 9-10 million in Pakistan, taking a total of 236 million rides. The customer base of Careem Pakistan consists of 64% male and 36% females. Similarly, the report indicates that Careem Pakistan has a total of 800,000 registered Captains. Zeeshan Baig, Country General Manager of Careem Pakistan commented: “It brings me great pleasure to see the impact Careem has made in Pakistan over the years. It has not only paved the way for a shift in the digital ecosystem in Pakistan but also contributed massively to the lives of millions of people.

The scale at which Careem has provided employment opportunities and the people we have moved over the years truly humbles me.” The report also includes data-driven information based on a sample survey of Careem Captains, their livelihood, demographics, reasoning, behaviors and backgrounds. Careem is also known for taking the initiative of defeating the social “shock-factor” of women driving around by providing them with an opportunity to become Captains. Today Careem has more than 1600 female Captains registered having an average rating of 4.83. Women Captains have covered a distance of 4,500,000 kilometers taking more than 570,000 rides. Pr

Ehsaas Rashan Registration web-portal received 489.96 million visits since the portal opened on Nov 9: Sania ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan chaired Ehsaas Rashan Riayat meeting to review progress on Ehsaas Rashan Registration and execution. Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM briefed the PM on the steps being taken to enroll families and Kiryana shopkeepers under the programme. Prime Minister said, “Government is taking all possible measures to provide maximum relief to a common man.” Briefing the Prime Minister on the ongoing Ehsaas Rashan registration, Dr. Sania said, “Since the Ehsaas Rashan Registration web-portal opened on Nov 9, 2021, the portal received as many as 489.96 million visits. Over 6.83 million families have been registered through 8171 service and Ehsaas Rashan web-portal, so far. Likewise, 33,178 Kiryana shopkeepers have been registered nationwide under Ehsaas Rashan and registration of 50,562 shopkeepers is currently in process on the portal.” The Prime Minister directed participating provinces, district governments and other concerned authorities to expedite the Rashan registration process to benefit maximum number of poor families in the country. He also directed all concerned authorities to raise awareness among Karyana Stores and the potential beneficiaries in this regard. Through the programme, 20 million families with monthly income below Rs. 50,000 will be granted a monthly subsidy of Rs.1,000 on flour, ghee/cooking oil and pulses. Chief Minister Punjab, Sardar Usman Buzdar; Chief Minister KP, Mahmood Khan; Chief Minister Gilgit Baltistan Khalid Khurshid; Advisor on Finance Shaukat Tarin; SAPM on Political Communication, Dr. Shehbaz Gill; Prime Minister Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan Niazi; President NBP, Arif Usmani and other senior officers also attended the meeting. Registration of Karyana Stores is ongoing through the web-portal: ehsaasrahsan.pass.gov.pk whereas families can register either through 8171 or the web-portal. Pr

Direct interaction of capital city police chief with public to resolve their issues is yielding positive results KARACHI: Haleeb Foods Limited, the pioneer dairy and beverages processor in Pakistan has partnered with CARE Foundation for Universal Children’s Day with an aim to support the education of underprivileged children. This partnership is an enhancement to HFL’s corporate social responsibility agenda. CARE Foundation has been doing remarkable work in educating thousands of underprivileged children and nurturing our future generations. To be an active part of this initiative, Haleeb Foods has donated to equip the science lab. Sharing his view on this collaboration, CEO, Haleeb Foods – Mr. Syed Mazher Iqbal said: “At Haleeb Foods’ we strongly believe in working towards a better tomorrow and for this reason we have collaborated with CARE Foundation to help provide better education to the young minds who are our nation’s future.” HFL, being a responsible corporate entity, has always shown strong dedication towards the well-being and betterment of society and this alliance is yet another embodiment of it. The company has joined hands with many renowned organizations in the past to support the local community and giveback, especially during these challenging times. Pr

09

ISLAMABAD: Our primary responsibility is to provide a safe environment for business centers. This was stated by Inspector General of Police (IG) Islamabad during his visit to various markets under the liaison campaign. Senior citizens of Islamabad met with adoption and blessed with lots of prayers as part of a public relations drive by the city's police. Police IG visited various markets, met traders and citizens to meet citizens and launch a series of social media campaigns for better community relations in the city. CCTV cameras are being installed to further improve the security of business centers in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad. The business community also submits its suggestions and opinions for the betterment of the police, which are followed up by the police. Police: We will monitor them ourselves. The aim of the public relations campaign is not only to promote mutual relations between the police and the people but also to create a positive image of the police among the citizens. Pr

fell 0.6%, while its palm oil contract eased 0.5%. soyoil prices on the Chicago Board of Trade were down 0.6%.

Palm oil is affected by price movements in related oils as they compete for a share in the global vegetable oils market.

Palm oil may resume its drop towards 4,555 ringgit per tonne, as its consolidation around a support at 4,676 ringgit may have completed, Reuters technical analyst Wang Tao said.

P&G Pakistan Delegation Meets President Arif Alvi; Discuss Investments & Future Outlook

KARACHI: A delegation of senior executives, led by Adil Farhat, Chief Executive Officer, P&G (Procter & Gamble) Pakistan, met President Arif Alvi in Islamabad this week.

The Company reaffirmed its commitment to Pakistan and to continue serving consumers and the community through its brands and operations in the country.

President Alvi lauded P&G's efforts and said that Pakistan is gearing up towards new horizons as the Government is working hard to ensure that the country transforms into an attractive place for business from around the world.

The Company recently celebrated 30 years of its successful operations in the country. Since 1991, P&G Pakistan has been serving consumers with superior quality brands providing superior value and driving category growth. P&G has already brought valuable foreign direct investment into Pakistan by expanding its local manufacturing footprint and has made significant investments of over $150 million in fixed assets to date in the country. Its manufacturing plants at Port Qasim, Korangi and Hub enable over 80% of its business in Pakistan to be locally produced, allowing the Company to better serve its consumers. Moreover, P&G's latest baby and feminine care manufacturing plant investment of over $44 million is a vote of confidence in the future of the country. Today, P&G Pakistan exports its entire portfolio to Afghanistan as well as to 23 countries across Europe. This export approximately contributes over 10 million US Dollars to the country's exchequer on an annual basis.

P&G manufacturing sites in Pakistan are considered amongst the top 19 countries globally where 100% P&G manufacturing facilities meet the zero-waste-to-landfill qualification and deliver approximately 40%, 60% and 25% reduction in energy, water and CO2 respectively. Pr

AIOU to hold int’l conference on ‘Nano-materials, modeling and simulation’ on December 15 ISLAMABAD: Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) is organizing 6th international conference on ‘Nanomaterials, modeling and simulation’ on December 15 in collaboration with HEC. The two-day conference has been arranged by the Department of Physics. It is pertinent to mention here that ‘Nano Material Modelling and Simulation’ is an emerging field of critical enquiry and research. Distinguished national and international scientists, researchers, scholars and industrialists will participate in the conference. Approximately one hundred research papers will be presented in the conference. The primary objective of the conference is to disseminate knowledge constructed in the conference to boast social and economic growth of the country. It is pertinent to mention here that university is exclusively focusing on promoting and strengthening research culture in the country. University is offering cash prizes to the academia on publication of research papers in HEC recognized journals. Moreover, university provides them transportation and lodging facilities on presenting papers in conferences held in other parts of the country.

According to Prof Dr Zafar Ilyas, Chairman, Physics, this conference is a further testimony of Prof Dr Ziaul Qayyum’s vision of promoting and strengthening research culture in the country. Students of MSc Physics enrolled in final semester will display their projects in the second component of this conference. Pr

Friday, 3 December, 2021 | LAHORE

10 FOREIGN NEWS

US, RUSSIA foReIgN mINISteRS to meet AS UKRAINe teNSIoNS SoAR

StOCKHOLM

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AFP

HE chief diplomats of the US and Russia are to meet in Sweden on Thursday as tensions soar after Washington expressed concern about Russia’s military buildup near Ukraine and warned of “high-impact” sanctions.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov are to hold talks near Stockholm on the sidelines of a ministerial meeting of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The OSCE is one of the few international dia-

Atomic watchdog says Iran making nuclear advance despite talks to salvage 2015 deal REUtERS Iran has started producing enriched uranium with more efficient advanced centrifuges at its Fordow plant dug into a mountain, the UN atomic watchdog said on Wednesday, further eroding the 2015 Iran nuclear deal during talks with the West on saving it. The announcement appeared to undercut indirect talks between Iran and the United States on bringing both fully back into the battered deal that resumed this week after a fivemonth break prompted by the election of hardline President Ebrahim Raisi. Western negotiators fear Iran is creating facts on the ground to gain leverage in the talks. On the third day of this round of talks, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Iran had started the process of enriching uranium to up to 20 per cent purity with one cascade, or cluster, of 166 advanced IR-6 machines at Fordow. Those machines are far more efficient than the first-generation IR-1. Underlining how badly eroded the deal is, that pact does not allow Iran to enrich uranium at Fordow at all. Until now Iran had been producing enriched uranium there with IR-1 machines and had enriched with some IR-6s without keeping the product. It has 94 IR-6 machines installed in a cascade at Fordow that is not yet operating, the IAEA said in a statement.

logue forums to which both the US and Russia belong.

Since Russia’s invasion of Crimea in 2014, the body has been tasked with monitoring the respect of peace accords aimed at resolving the conflict with separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Kiev’s Western allies have in recent weeks been sounding the alarm about Russia massing troops along Ukraine’s borders, amid fears of a possible invasion.

Moscow, which is accused of backing the separatists fighting Kiev, has denied preparing an attack and accuses NATO of stoking tensions.

‘We Will respond resolutely’: At a NATO meeting in Latvia’s capital Riga on Wednesday, Blinken said he was “deeply concerned by evidence that Russia has made plans for significant aggressive moves against Ukraine.”

“We don’t know whether President Putin has made the decision to invade. We do know that he’s putting in place the capacity to do so on short order, should he so decide,” he said.

Blinken insisted “diplomacy is the only responsible way to resolve this potential crisis” but warned there would be “far-reaching and long-lasting consequences” for Moscow if it pushed ahead with any aggression.

“We made it clear to the Kremlin that we will respond resolutely, including with a range of high-impact economic measures that we’ve refrained from using in the past,” Blinken said.

Moscow on Wednesday hit back by accusing Ukraine of massing tens of thousands of troops in the country’s east, as worries grow over an escalation.

Putin also called for talks with the West aimed at providing “legal guarantees” against NATO’s further eastward expansion and the deployment of any weapons systems near the Russian border.

After a large part of Eastern Europe joined the USled bloc following the fall of the Soviet Union, Moscow refuses to accept that Ukraine may one day follow suit — even though Kiev’s membership talks are currently stalled. For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for direct talks with Moscow over the festering conflict with separatists in the east of his country, which has already left 13,000 dead.

‘CruCial moment’: Prior to meeting Lavrov, Blinken is due to hold talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba on the sidelines of the OSCE meeting, held near Stockholm’s Arlanda airport.

In addition to Ukraine, other issues likely to be dis-

cussed include the migrant crisis on the Belarus-EU border and the resurgence of clashes between OSCE members Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Planned long ago, the OSCE meeting “comes at a crucial moment”, the US ambassador to the body, Michael Carpenter, said as tensions spike on Europe’s doorstep.

The EU reached an agreement Wednesday on new sanctions against Belarus, and the US would follow suit soon, the US State Department said.

The OSCE ministers’ plenary session is not expected to lead to the adoption of any major agreements, as unanimity is required.

Moscow frequently blocks resolutions on Ukraine, because Crimea is described as Ukrainian or Russia is characterised as a direct actor in the conflict, while Moscow officially sees it as an internal Ukrainian conflict.

The Blinken-Lavrov talks are the first high-level meeting between the two superpowers since a summit between presidents Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin in Geneva in June.

The two foreign ministers already met in May, at an Arctic Council meeting in Iceland.

Israel failed to probe shootings that killed over 200 Palestinians at Gaza protests: report NEwS DESK Rights groups said on Thursday that Israel failed to investigate shootings that killed more than 200 Palestinians and wounded thousands at violent protests along the Gaza frontier in recent years, strengthening the case for the International Criminal Court (ICC) to intervene.

The Israeli military rejected the findings, saying the “mass riots” organised

by Gaza’s Hamas rulers were aimed at providing cover for cross-border attacks.

The military said alleged abuses were thoroughly investigated, with soldiers held accountable.

Beginning in March 2018, Gaza activists organised weekly protests that were initially aimed at highlighting the plight of Palestinian refugees from what is now Israel, who make up three-fourths of Gaza’s population of more than two million people. Every week for around 18 months, thousands of Palestinians gathered at different points along the

frontier. Groups of protesters burned tires, hurled stones and firebombs, and tried to breach the security fence. Israeli snipers fired live ammunition, rubbercoated bullets and tear gas from sand berms on the other side in what Israel said was self-defence, to prevent thousands of Palestinians from rushing into Israel. Israeli fire killed at least 215 Palestinians, most of them unarmed, including 47 people under the age of 18 and two women, according to Gaza’s AlMezan Centre for Human Rights. Hundreds of others were seriously wounded in the demonstrations, which wound down in late 2019. Many were far from the border fence when they were shot.

An Israeli soldier was killed by a Palestinian sniper in 2018 and several others were wounded.

A report released on Thursday by the Israeli rights group B’Tselem and the Gaza-based Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) said the military failed to investigate orders issued by sen-

ior commanders and took virtually no action against any soldiers.

As of April, out of 143 cases transferred to military prosecutors by an Israeli fact-finding mechanism, 95 were closed with no further action. Only one — the killing of a 14-year-old Palestinian — led to an indictment, with the remainder still pending, the report said. It cited figures obtained from the Israeli

Beijing summons Japan envoy over ex-PM’s ‘erroneous’ Taiwan remarks BEIJING AFP

Beijing summoned the Japanese ambassador to China over former prime minister Shinzo Abe’s “extremely erroneous remarks” on Taiwan, the foreign ministry said Thursday, as tensions rise over the democratic island.

With Chinese warplanes making historically high levels of incursions into Taiwan’s air defence zone in recent months, fears among Western allies like the US and Japan have grown that Beijing could order an invasion, even if they consider it unlikely for now.

Self-ruled Taiwan lives under the threat of military action by China, which views the island as its own territory and has vowed to seize it one day.

In a video speech to a forum organised by a Taiwanese think-tank on Wednesday, Abe said an emergency for Taipei would be one for Japan as well, warning that “people in Beijing, particularly President Xi Jinping, should not misjudge that”.

“A military adventure would be a path leading to economic suicide,” he said.

In response, China’s foreign ministry summoned Japanese ambassador Hideo Tarumi Wednesday evening, telling him the comments “grossly interfered” in China’s internal affairs.

“In history, Japan has launched a war of aggression against China, committing heinous crimes against the Chinese,” said Hua Chunying, assistant minister of foreign affairs, according to the state-

ment.

“It has no right or power to make irresponsible remarks on the Taiwan issue.”

Beijing has ramped up pressure on the island since President Tsai Ing-wen, who rejects the stance that Taiwan is part of “one China”, came to power in 2016.

Earlier this week, the Pentagon unveiled plans to reinforce deployments and bases directed at China, upgrading and expanding military facilities in Guam and Australia.

With tensions high between Beijing and Washington, Japan is in a tough position between two world powers that are both key trade partners.

But the key US ally has been increasingly vocal about China’s maritime expansion and military build-up, publicly protesting against the presence of Chinese vessels around disputed islets.

military through a freedom of information request. The indicted soldier was convicted of “abuse of authority to the point of endangering life or health” in a plea bargain and sentenced to one month of community service, the report said.

That’s after more than 13,000 Palestinians were wounded over some 18 months of protests, including more than 8,000 hit by live fire.

N Korea’s Kim warns of ‘very giant struggle’ next year to boost economy SEOUL ReuteRs

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has said the country must be prepared for a “very giant struggle” next year to continue to make progress in areas including defence, agriculture and construction, state media reported on Thursday. Kim made the remarks on Wednesday at a meeting of the central committee of the ruling Worker’s Party’s politburo, which decided to hold a plenary meeting of the committee next month. Kim said that while the country still faces economic difficulties, the party has had success in pushing to meet policy targets and implementing the five-year economic plan he unveiled early this year, the official KCNA news agency said. “It is very encouraging that the positive changes were made in the overall state affairs including politics, economy, culture, and national defence as evidenced by the stable management of the state economy and big successes made in the agricultural and construction sectors,” Kim said. “Next year will be an important one as we should wage a very giant struggle as much as we did this year,” he said. Kim has sought to boost the economy and power supply with his plan, but U.N. agencies have said food and electricity shortages remain, exacerbated by sanctions imposed over North Korea’s nuclear and missile programmes, the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters. North Korea has not confirmed any coronavirus cases, but has closed borders and imposed domestic travel restrictions and other measures, apparently to control or prevent an outbreak.

Friday, 3 December, 2021 | LAHORE

SPORTS 11

ShAkib, TASkin reTurn To give bAngLAdeSh bAdLy needed booST DHAKA

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‘Like poking the bear’: Australia’s Warner thrives on criticism BRISBANE AFP

David Warner might be a polarising figure but the aggressive opening batsman is rarely boring and his heroics for Australia at the T20 World Cup signalled he is back to his explosive best.

Now 35, the larger-than-life Warner boasts an average just shy of 50 from his 86 Tests, with his swashbuckling presence able to turn a game.

Even England bowler and fellow veteran Jimmy Anderson, who will go eyeball to eyeball with his old foe when the Ashes begin on December 8 in Brisbane, has grudging respect. “We’ve played so much cricket against David Warner, we know you can never say you’re actually on top of him — he’s that good of a batter, he’s got that much quality,” Anderson told Fox Sports.

“His record in Australia is ridiculous, so we know it’s going to be a different animal to the one we faced in 2019 in our summer.” An attacking left-hander, Warner will feel he has unfinished business after a miserable Ashes on English soil in 2019 where he tallied just 95 runs at an average of only 9.5. Stuart Broad was his nemesis, dismissing him seven times. But as Anderson alluded to, his form in Australia is ominous.

Warner has scored 4,551 of his 7,311 Test runs at home, smacking 18 centuries at an average of 63.20 from his 45 Tests, plundering a highest score of 335.

Former Australian captain Greg Chappell warned that he should never be underestimated. “Many had written him off before the T20 World Cup, only to have him prove how important he is at the top of the order,” he said, referring to Warner finding form again in leading Australia to the title last month. “I think he is even more important in the Test line-up,” added Chappell. “A skilful, fast-scoring opening batsman can be invaluable in setting up the game.

Teams with aggressive openers cause opposition captains and bowlers to toss and turn at night.” ‘poking The bear’: Warner made a modest debut in Brisbane 10 years ago but then carried his bat with a career-defining century in his second game at Hobart to signal his arrival. He went on to establish himself as one of the best all-format openers in the world, before it all came crashing down and his reputation was trashed. Warner was cast as the villain in the “Sandpaper-gate” balltampering scandal against South Africa in 2018, having conspired with Cameron Bancroft and Steve Smith to alter the ball during the third Test in Cape Town. He became a pariah, widely seen as a central figure in the cultural crisis that engulfed Australian cricket. He was stripped of the vice-captaincy and banned from ever holding a leadership role again in the team. Warner served a 12-month ban before being called up again, and promptly picked up where he left off, enjoying a prolific one-day World Cup before his poor Ashes series in 2019 that again had the critics writing him off. But in typical fashion, he bounced back emphatically by scoring an epic unbeaten 335 against Pakistan in Adelaide later that year.

AFP

EY Bangladesh bowlers Shakib Al Hasan and Taskin Ahmed return from injury as the hosts fight to prevent a clean-sweep at the hands of Pakistan in the second Test in Dhaka.

Bangladesh trail the two-match Test series 1-0 after being beaten by eight wickets in Chittagong, where they badly missed a strike bowler.

The hosts were also whitewashed by Pakistan 3-0 in their T20 series.

But Bangladesh have won five of their last seven Tests at Dhaka’s Mirpur Stadium, including beating England and Australia, which will give them confidence that they can repeat the feat there when the Test starts Saturday.

Skipper Mominul Haque is hoping for pitch conditions at Mirpur to match those at Chittagong, where Bangladesh were competitive in the first four days.

“I prefer wickets like this. I think we had a perfectly flat wicket, which was helpful for the batsmen, but the pacers faced hurdles,” Mominul said after losing the first Test. Bangladesh’s left-arm spinner Taijul Islam staged a lone battle to claim 7-116 in the first innings.

But Pakistan cruised to an ultimately easy win, despite

his efforts, thanks to a 151-run opening stand from Abid Ali and Abdullah Shafique.

Taijul’s regular spin partner Shakib missed the contest after a hamstring injury suffered during last month’s T20 World Cup. Shakib was included in the first Test squad with hopes he would recover in time, but he was subsequently ruled out.

Bangladesh also missed the services of pace bowler Taskin after he injured his finger during the final T20 international against Pakistan on November 22.

Taskin had been in fine Test form since making his comeback to the side after a four-year absence, picking up 11 wickets in three matches.

A number of changes are expected for the hosts for the second Test, with illness sidelining opening batsman Saif Hassan. Bangladesh selectors named a 19-member squad, mindful of the upcoming series in New Zealand, where they will travel two days after the Dhaka Test. Pakistan batsman Abid Ali, who scored 133 and 91 runs in the first Test, says that their previous wins count for nothing.

“It will be a new day and we need to bat with a positive mind,” he said. Pakistan sit second in the World Test Championship table.

Bangladesh squad: Mominul Haque (captain), Shadman Islam, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mushfiqur Rahim,

Shakib Al Hasan, Liton Das, Yasir Ali, Nurul Hasan, Mehidy Hasan, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain, Abu Jayed, Nayeem Hasan, Mahmudul Hasan, Rejaur Rahman, Khaled Ahmed, Shohidul Islam, Mohammad Naim. pakisTan squad: Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan, Abdullah Shafique, Abid Ali, Azhar Ali, Bilal Asif, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Zahid Mahmood.

Real Madrid go seven points clear in La Liga AFP Karim Benzema applauded Real Madrid’s fans after they chanted “Karim, Ballon d’Or” as his goal against Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday sent Madrid seven points clear at the top of La Liga.

Benzema’s 20th goal in 24 games this season proved the difference in a 1-0 victory at the Santiago Bernabeu that puts Madrid firmly in charge of the Spanish title race, even after only 15 games played.

“We’re on a good run and I like the atmosphere right now in the team,” said Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti.

A run of seven consecutive wins in all competitions has helped pull Ancelotti’s team away from the chasing

pack and Benzema, along with the explosive Vinicius Junior, has been instrumental.

Ancelotti insisted on Tuesday Benzema had not been “crying” about losing out to Lionel Messi in the Ballon d’Or on Monday, with the Frenchman finishing fourth in the final vote. But there was more than a hint of rebellion in the air when the Madrid fans toasted his goal by chanting “Karim, Ballon d’Or” and the 33-year-old responded by applauding them back.

Ancelotti predicted Benzema would be even more motivated to win the award next season and perhaps his best hope would be to play a decisive role in Madrid winning either La Liga or the Champions League.

With Barcelona rebuilding under Xavi Hernandez and

Atletico Madrid struggling to balance their usually dependable defence with a wealth of options in attack, Real Madrid are certainly emerging as clear favourites now in Spain. They defeated Sevilla 2-1 last weekend and now face third-placed Real Sociedad and second-placed Atletico in their next two games, fixtures that could give them a formidable lead if the victories keep coming.

Athletic, meanwhile, stay eighth, without a win now in six. “Winning seven games in a row isn’t luck,” said Ancelotti. “This Real Madrid has character. When we don’t win with quality, we have other strengths we can use.” Madrid rode their luck against Sevilla and were stretched again here, with Athletic squandering a string of golden opportunities.

31 hard, tough bouts on Day 3 of DHA Lahore 38th Men & 2nd Women Elite National Boxing Championship

djokovic doubles up as Serbia reach davis Cup semis MADRID AFP

PRESS RElEASE Qadir Khan of Pakistan Navy declared winner in the quarter final match of Men's Welter weight category in DHA 38 Men National Boxing Championship 2021 Third day witnessed 31 hard and tough bouts of quarter finals in men categories and two bouts of semifinals in women categories were held for DHA Lahore 38th Men & 2nd Women Elite National Boxing Championship at Captain Fasih Babar Amin (Shaheed) Sports Complex, Phase 6 on 2 nd Dec, 2021.

Rimsha of Punjab declared winner in the semifinal match of fly weight category in DHA 2nd Women National Boxing Championship 2021 While adopting Punch the face or face the punch techniques, boxers of both genders displayed excellent sportsmanship and mastery to overcome and outclass their opponents.

In the Semi Final matches Rimsha of Punjab emerged as victors and will face the other victor of semifinal in the final of DHA 2nd Women Elite National Boxing Championship on 5th Dec 2021.

Hamilton looks to extend F1 race as Verstappen eyes title RIYADH AFP

Lewis Hamilton will bid to keep alive his hopes of a historic eighth Formula One world title at the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix this weekend, powered by the new engine that aided his remarkable triumph in Brazil.

After consecutive victories in Sao Paulo and Qatar, Mercedes’ defending champion seeks to complete a hattrick, or see championship leader Max Verstappen suffer a setback, on the streets of the high-speed Jeddah Corniche Circuit. If he succeeds and trims the Red Bull driver’s eight-point advantage to just one, or even zero, in Sunday’s race, the title will be decided by a final winner-takesall showdown in Abu Dhabi on December 12.

But Hamilton knows it is a perilous challenge and that he cannot afford to take any risks. Verstappen will take the title on Sunday if he wins and Hamilton finishes outside the top six. “You just have to be very careful — more cautious than ever before,” said Hamilton, stressing the importance of avoiding an accident.

“You have to be ready to do whatever you can to avoid

a collision even if it means leaving the track,” he told Germany’s Auto Motor Und Sport. “After all, you want to finish the race. If you are too stubborn and defend your position, you will crash.”

Track could favour Mercedes: The 36year-old Briton and Verstappen have collided twice already this year, at Silverstone and Monza, and had several near-misses in a roller-coaster season filled with incidents and arguments. “In Brazil, I made sure to avoid the collision,” added Hamilton, referring to his off-track excursion when forced wide by a lunging Verstappen.

“I was always very decent in situations like this, I would say. Of course, you don’t always get it done perfectly… “And he’s not my first opponent to act like this.

Now that I’m a little older, I take a closer look at the characters of the other drivers and their personal backgrounds… How you grew up has an impact on how you behave. I try to understand.” The challenging track, theoretically, appears likely to favour Hamilton’s Mercedes.

Red Bull team chief Christian Horner admitted the newly-built 27-corner circuit is both unique and unknown.

“The track looks insane from what I’ve seen,” he said.

“It is going to be a massive challenge and I’m sure there will be plenty of excitement and drama.”

His Mercedes counterpart Toto Wolff was in a bullish mood as he looked forward to 10 days that will decide the season. “Both titles are wide open, and our mission is clear,” he said. “Last time out we saw a faultless drive by Lewis, in Qatar, commanding the race from start to finish… “That’s encouraging for the final races and gives us strong momentum to take forward.”

Built in just 12 months and finished only days ago, the circuit is a wall-lined street track, with some blind sweeping corners — there will be little if any margin for driver error under the floodlights. criTicisM for ‘poliTical reasons’: There has been criticism aimed at the decision to hold a race in Saudi Arabia, with even calls for singer Justin Bieber to cancel his headline act.

It is among several big events lured in recent times to the country, which has also hosted heavyweight boxing and European Tour golf and faces accusations of “sportswashing” — trying to detract attention from its human rights record.

World number one Novak Djokovic performed double duty to lead Serbia into the Davis Cup semi-finals for the fifth time on Wednesday with a come-from-behind win over Kazakhstan. Serbia, the 2010 champions, will face neighbours Croatia on Friday for a place in the final. Djokovic comfortably preserved his 10year undefeated Davis Cup singles record when he eased past 36th-ranked Alexander Bublik 6-3, 6-4 in 77 minutes to level the quarter-final at 1-1. The 34-year-old then teamed with Nikola Cacic to see off Andrey Golubev and Aleksandr Nedovyesov 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 in the decisive doubles. “I couldn’t be prouder of our fighting spirit. We dropped in level in the second set, but we managed to bounce back, stay calm and turn the tide,” said Djokovic. Djokovic had not won a Davis Cup doubles match since 2015 and went into Wednesday’s decider on a run of three defeats — including a loss against Golubev and Nedovyesov in 2016. Earlier Wednesday, Mikhail Kukushkin saved four match points to defeat Miomir Kecmanovic to give the Kazakhs the opening point of the quarter-final. Kukushkin, the world 182, triumphed over 69th-ranked Kecmanovic 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 7-6 (13/11) after more than three hours on court. “We were unlucky in the first match, we came so close. But Novak was incredible in singles and doubles,” said Serbia captain Viktor Troicki who had played alongside Djokovic in the team’s last appearance in the finals in 2019. Twenty-time Grand Slam title winner Djokovic has not lost a singles match in the competition since retiring against Juan Martin del Potro in Serbia’s 2011 semi-final defeat to Argentina. His win over Bublik, secured with a break in either set, was his 18th in a row in singles. Kecmanovic, preferred by Troicki over higher-ranked Dusan Lajovic and Filip Krajinovic, had been on course for victory after winning seven games in a row on his way to a 3-0 lead in the decider in the day’s opening clash. “You know this kind of match for sure is going to be special in my life,” said the 33-year-old Russian-born Kukushkin.

“I don’t even know what was the score in the tiebreak. This is why we love the Davis Cup, it’s about these kind of matches.

Friday, 3 December, 2021

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Gen BAjwA lAuDs excellent skills oF PAkistAn ARMY’s FiReRs

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ENERAL Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Thursday said that shooting skills are hallmark of a professional soldier.

The COAS made these remarks while While interacting with participants of the Closing Ceremony of the 41st Pakistan Army Rifle Association (PARA) Central Meet at Jhelum Garrison as Chief Guest.

Lauding the skills of the Pakistan Army’s firers for their excellent standards of marksmanship, the COAS said attaining proficiency at shooting must remain at the heart of basic military training objectives.

The mega shooting event was conducted at Army Marksmanship Unit from 26 October to 1 December 2021. Over 2500 firers from Army, Navy, Air Force, Civil Armed Forces (CAFs) including Rangers, Frontier Corps and Airport Security Force as well as civilians participated in the competition that comprised numerous events involving different

ranges and types of weapons.

COAS awarded trophies and medals to the winners and runners up in each shooting category. In Inter Formations Competition, Multan Corps came first

Rice exports surge by over 19pc to $594.5m in 4MFY22 ISLAMABAD app

The exports of rice surged by 19.04 per cent to $594.528 million during the first four months of current financial year (4MFY22) as compared to exports worth $499.442 million during the corresponding period of last the fiscal year.

According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), escalating exports are backed by the production of the current seasons rice crop which has been estimated at over 9 million tonnes (MT) as compared to the output 8.4 MT last season.

Among the rice commodities, the exports of Basmati rice increased by 27.44 per cent, surging from $161.654 million last year to $206.013 million during the current year.

The exports of other rice commodities also grew by 15.02 per cent by going up from $337.788 million last year to $388.515 million during the current year, the PBS data revealed.

In terms of quantity, the overall rice exports grew by 22.60 per cent.

Meanwhile, on a year-on-year (YoY) basis, rice exports witnessed an increase of 22.99 per cent in October 2021 as they were recorded at $171.335 million against exports of $139.306 million in October 2020.

During the period under review, the exports of basmati increased by 28.09 per cent whereas that of other rice commodities went up by 20.88 per cent.

On month-on-month (MoM) basis, rice exports increased by 19.87 per cent when compared to the exports of $142.933 million in September 2021. During this period, the export of Basmati grew by 32.19 per cent whereas the exports of other rice commodities increased by 28.03 per cent.

It may be mentioned here that the overall food exports from the country increased by 26.91 per cent to $1434.398 million during 4MFY22 as compared with the exports of $1130.250 million in 4MFY21.

followed by Mangla Corps. In CAFs category, trophy has been won by Punjab Rangers while Gilgit Baltistan Scouts were runners up.

In Inter Services Matches, Pakistan

Army won all the four contests including COAS, Chief of Air Staff (CAS) and Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Matches .

PAF remained runners up in COAS and CAS Matches while Pakistan Navy came second in CNS Match.

Pakistan Army won Shotgun, Long Range and Small Bore Trophies in Open National Matches. Pakistan Army also won the Prime Minister ‘Skills at Arms’ Big Bore National Challenge while Pakistan Navy secured second position.

The biggest Military Shooting Honour ‘The Master at Arms’ Trophy was awarded to Lance Havaldar Arshad Saddique of 12 Punjab Regiment. The President’s Cup National Challenge Match Trophy was awarded to Havaldar Jaffar Hussain of Army Marksmanship Unit.

The Prime Minister ‘Skills at Arms’ big bore National Challenge Match was won

by Pakistan Army.

The ‘Best Shot Match Trophy’ was awarded to Lance Dafadar Zulfiqar Khan.

FBR prepares mini-budget to raise tax on vehicles, mobile phones ISLAMABAD INp

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has prepared a mini-budget based on conditions set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for resuming the stalled loan programme, reversing a Rs350 billion tax relief on multiple products including mobile phones and imported vehicles.

According to details, the tax department has sen a draft of the pro-

posed mini-budget to the law department for a vetting process before tabling it in the Cabinet for approval.

“Following the Cabinet’s approval, the bill will be either tabled before the parliament or enacted through an Ordinance,” sources said, adding that Schedule 6 of the Finance Bill 2021-22 would be amended for reversing the tax exemptions.

Detailing the sectors that would be affected after the proposed bill, sources said that tax exemptions on

mobile phones, stationery, and pack food items will be lifted while sales tax exemption on zero-rated sectors will also be eliminated.

Furthermore, a uniform 17 per cent sales tax will be applied on all previously exempted sectors, taxes on luxury items will be increased and imported vehicles will be subject to additional taxes.

However, reportedly exemptions on food items and medicines will remain applicable.

Dollar soars to Rs176.65 in intraday trade, reaches new high

The Pakistani currency plunged to an all-time low of Rs176.65 against the US dollar during intraday trading on Thursday.

In the interbank market, the local currency was available at Rs176.42 whereas in the open mar-

ket, the greenback’s selling rate was recorded at Rs177.50 and buying rate at Rs177.

According to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the local currency was traded at Rs175.48 on Wednesday. The rupee had last dropped to a

record low of Rs176.20 against the US currency on November 29.

The latest depreciation comes a day after the country reported its highest-ever monthly trade deficit of $5.1 billion during the month of November.

Market analysts have attributed the record decline in the rupee’s value to the ever increasing import bill, widening trade deficit, dwindling forex reserves and the delay in arrival of funds worth $3 billion from Saudi Arabia under a support package which was expected to be received last week.

According to the central bank’s data, the rupee has maintained the downtrend for the past six months. It has lost 15.85 per cent or Rs24.15 to date, compared to the 22-month high of Rs152.27 recorded on May 14.

With a fresh decline of 0.53pc, the rupee has depreciated by 11.98pc or Rs18.88 since the start of the current fiscal year (FY22). MoNITorINg reporT

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China Thursday expressed its readiness to work with Pakistan to start investment in new projects in the fields of industries, livelihood, agriculture and science and technology.

Referring to the recent statements of Prime Minister Imran Khan, China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that China noted that recently Prime Minister Imran Khan has made positive remarks on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor on

different occasions.

“This fully attests to the all-weather friendship between China and Pakistan and the importance the Pakistani side attaches to our all-dimension cooperation,” Wang Wenbin said while responding to a question during the regular briefing in Beijing.

“As an important pilot program of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), CPEC has made significant contributions to promoting the economic development and improving people’s livelihood in Pakistan, thus winning extensive acclaim and high recognition from

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FBR increases immovable property valuation rates TAX DEPT WANTS TO COLLECT MORE TAXES FROM PROPERTIES INCLUDING COMMERCIAL, RESIDENTIAL, AND APARTMENTS ISLAMABAD INp

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has increased the valuation rates of immovable properties by 25 to 110 per cent. As per details, the hike in valuation rates has also jacked up the transfer fee. This step has been taken to collect more taxes from the properties including commercial, residential, apartments and flats. The board has also expanded capital value tax from 20Tax to 40 cities. These cities include Abbottabad, Attock, Bahawalpur, Bhawalnagar, Chakwal, Dera Ismail Khan, DG Khan, Faisalabad, Ghotki, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Gwadar, Hafizabad, Hyderabad, Islamabad, Jhang, Jheleum, Karachi, Kasur, Khushab, Lahore, Larkana, Lasbella, Mandi Bhauddin, Manshera, Mardan, Mirpurkhas, Multan, Nankana, Narowal, Peshawar, Quetta, Rahim Yar Khan, Rawalpindi, Sahiwal, Sargodha, Sheikhupura, Sialkot, Sukkur and Toba Tek Singh. Meanwhile, people linked to construction business have raised concerns over the increase in valuation rates, lamenting it that this will affect the property sector.

ADB confirms Pakistan’s inclusion into energy transition mechanism ISLAMABAD TLTp

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has confirmed Pakistan’s inclusion into its first-ever Energy Transition Mechanism aimed to support energy mix conversion over clean renewable solutions. In this regard, Special Assistant to the PM on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam on on Thursday wrote a tweet thanking ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa and also shared the confirmation letter confirming the development. He also thanked the ADB president for a follow-up meeting at the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow and approval of grant funds to execute the pre-feasibility of the early shutdown of fossil fuel-based power plants in the country. Aslam said that initially a pre-feasibility study would be carried out in selected countries to assess their energy mix and propositions for a viable transition from existing fossil fuels to clean energy with least impact on the economy of the proposed country. According to the SAPM, this is one of Pakistan’s major achievements at the COP26 where it managed to get global funding for its ecosystem restoration and climate change mitigation measures. In this letter to SAPM Aslam, the ADB president said, “Thank you for joining us at the Energy Transition Mechanism for Southeast Asia: Partnership Launch at COP26, Glasgow, UK. I thank you for your strong support provided at COP26 for the launch of the Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM) on November 3, 2021, and for the substantial points you made during the panel discussion.” He underscored that as already known that the battle against climate change would be won or lost in Asia and the Pacific. “ETM will be a win for the climate, a win for local communities, and a win for developing economies,” he added. He said the study will commence in January 2022. “Further, it is anticipated that, by March 2022, we will have the first set of key outputs for Indonesia and Philippines on technical, financial, and legal feasibility and be in a position to determine next steps, including the launch of a request for proposal process to solicit proposals from general partners/ fund managers,” he concluded.

CPEC: China to invest in new projects related to industries, agriculture, science & technology ISLAMABAD

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various sectors,” he said.

He said China stands ready to work with Pakistan to follow through upon the consensus of the our leaders, and on the basis of ensuring sound construction and operation of existing projects.

“We will focus more on cooperation in industries, livelihood, agriculture and science and technology, and strive to turn CPEC into a demonstration project of highquality BRI cooperation and deliver more benefits to people in the two countries and the region,” he concluded.

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