Epaper – February 04-2022 LHR

Friday, 4 February, 2022 I 2 Rajab, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 217 I 12 Pages I lahore edition

No Need for aNother IMf package wIth 5-6% gdp growth: tarIN g

Balochistan attacks linked to India, Afghanistan: ISPR g

13 terrorists killed, seven trooPs emBraCe martyrdom

Pakistan seeks more Chinese investments in seZs STAff RePORT

finance minister shaukat tarin has said that after completing the current international monetary fund (imf) programme, Pakistan is hoping to end reliance on the multilateral lender if the country achieved sustainable economic growth. “i think this programme should be enough. if we start generating 5%-6% balanced [economic] growth, then i don’t think we need another imf programme,” tarin said in an interview with Bloomberg on thursday. his statement comes a day after the executive board of the imf revived Pakistan’s $6 billion extended fund facility (eff) programme, paving the way for the disbursement of about $1 billion tranche. tarin said despite commodity price shocks in the international market, the economy of the country would grow by 4.5 per cent to 5 per cent during the current fiscal year and by 6 per cent next year. “i am still hoping that it (growth rate) could be 5 per cent. it could be between 4.5 to 5 per cent,” the finance minister said, adding that the next year (2022-23) gdP would go up to 6%. he said that in the beginning, the growth was overshooting as exports were high; remittances had also increased, tax collection had gone up by 32 to 35 per cent, utilisation of electricity had gone up by 13 per cent whereas the corporate profits were at historic high. “we will be doing more than 5 per cent given the fac that last year’s growth comes now with the rebasing of the economy at around 5.57 per cent,” he remarked. tarin said that since he became finance minister last april, the country had done a lot of consolidation through the imf programme. he said, the country also had to face the challenge of Covid-19 and then the government focused on inclusive and sustainable growth. “we did whatever we had to in terms of giving incentives to our industry. also putting a lot of money in agriculture and housing,” he added. the federal minister for finance and revenue shaukat tarin on thursday asked China to invest in Pakistan’s special economic Zones (seZs).

coroNavIrus IN

pakIstaN

CONFIRMED CASES:

1,442,263

LAST UPDATED AT 8:58 AM ON FEBRUARY 3, 2022

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

NEW CASES:

42

5,830

RECOVERED:

DEATHS:

1,312,819 29,372 SINDH:

PUNJAB:

546,141

483,779

KPK:

BALOCHISTAN:

197,937

34,557

AJK/GB:

ISLAMABAD:

39,323/10,768

129,758

train said that Prime minister imran khan’s visit to China is important both politically and economically.

“China is establishing its industry in other countries so we will request Beijing to relocate its industry to Pakistan. our special economic zones are ready and if China invests in these zones then it would be a winwin situation, ” he said. he also said that the prime minister will ask China to help in Pakistan’s agriculture transformation Plan. “agriculture is very important for us and our economy depends on agriculture growth, ” he added. the minister also said that the imf has approved Pakistan’s economic strategy and the approval of the $1 billion sixth tranche by the international fund will bring economic stability in the country.

Prime minister imran khan is currently on a three day visit to China to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping with a list of measures aimed at seeking China’s support in stabilisation of Pakistan’s ailing economy. economic agenda is expected to be at top of khan’s priorities as khan would sit down with the political elite of China.

RAWALPINDI Staff RepoRt

Pakistani army has said that its intelligence has linked the overnight twin attacks on frontier Corps bases in Balochistan to handlers in india and afghanistan. “as per initial investigation, intelligence agencies have intercepted communications between terrorists and their handlers in afghanistan and india,” the inter-services Public relations (isPr) said in a statement on thursday. a total of 13 terrorists were killed and seven soldiers embraced martyrdom in naushki and Panjgur clashes, the isPr said. the security forces thwarted terror attacks on their camps in Balochistan, initially killing four terrorists on wednesday evening.

SeCURIty AgeNCIeS oN hIgh AleRt: the intelligence and security agencies of the country have been ordered to remain on high alert hours after two separate terror attacks took place in Balochistan. the terrorists had late wednesday evening tried to attack security forces’ camps in Balochistan’s Panjgur and naushki, according to the inter-services Public relations (isPr). the ministry of interior, in a notification, has directed the law enforcement agencies (leas) across the country — including azad Jammu and kashmir and gilgit-Baltistan — to observe the “highest level of preparedness”. the ministry said extra vigilance on the part of leas, provincial governments, and intelligence agencies would allow them to thwart nefarious designs of anti-state elements. the ministry noted that frontier Corps Balochistan’s “alertness and bravery” was instrumental in repelling the two attacks in Balochistan. the latest statement issued by the military’s media wing said that the security forces carried out a clearance operation to hunt down the more terrorists hiding in the stated areas of Balochistan on wednesday night after repulsing the attacks. “in naushki, the security forces shot down five more terrorists, bringing the tally to nine terrorists killed in the area while four soldiers em-

‘No requirement’ for Pakistan to pick sides between US, China: Washington WASHINGTON/ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

the united states has not imposed any requirement on Pakistan to choose sides between washington and Beijing, a state department spokesperson said, emphasising it valued the strategic relationship with islamabad. the statement comes as Pakistan strives to keep opportunities open in all directions, seeking to balance its relations and avoid having to take sides between two powers. in June, Prime minister imran khan said it was unfair for the us and western countries to pressure Pakistan to choose sides and downgrade its relationship with China.

But over the years, washington has criticised islamabad for purportedly supporting the taliban. since President Joe Biden came into the white house in January last year, he has not engaged with khan. “we’ve made the point all along that it is not a requirement for any country around

g

seCurity agenCies on high alert following BaloChistan attaCks

braced martyrdom in the encounter,” the isPr said. meanwhile, an operation is still underway in Panjgur for the elimination of terrorists present in the area, where four terrorists have so far been killed and four to five others have been encircled by the security forces. the isPr said that in Panjgur, three soldiers were martyred and four others got wounded. “after successfully repulsing terrorist attacks at Panjgur and naushki yesterday night, security forces carried out clearance operation to hunt down terrorists hiding in the area,” said the isPr. the attacks in Panjgur and naushki were claimed by the separatist Baloch liberation army, which said it had used suicide bombers to enter the bases. the us in 2019 classified the Balochistan liberation army as a terrorist group. meanwhile, interior minister sheikh rashid ahmad also issued a statement to hail the services of the security forces. the minister, in a video statement released on twitter, said that the terrorists made a major attack in naushki and Panjgur late on wednesday night, which the “great forces” of Pakistan thwarted. “in naushki, nine terrorists were killed and four soldiers were martyred, while in Panjgur, six terrorists were killed,” rasheed said. he went on to say that the terrorists have been thrown out of both naushki and Panjgur as the forces “kept their tradition alive”. “this is a great victory that the Pakistan army has achieved against terror as per routine,” he said. he revealed that four to five terrorists are still surrounded by the security forces in Panjgur. “Pakistan army will soon defeat them as well,” he concluded. minister of state for information and Broadcasting farrukh habib, and Prime minister’s special representative maulana tahir ashrafi have strongly condemned the terrorist attacks on camps of security forces in Panjgur and naushki. in their separate messages, they said that entire nation stands with security forces, who are capable enough to cope with menace of terrorism. they appreciated the security forces for repulsing the terrorist attacks on security camps.

MORE INSIDE

PM stresses representation of women, youth for effective lg system STORY ON PAGE 02

Challan pins blame of karachi youth’s murder on cop STORY ON PAGE 02

the world to choose between the us and China. [But] it is our intention to provide choices to countries when it comes to what the relationship with the us looks like,” ned Price said, according to a transcript of his press conference, when asked if Pakistan was working “so closely with China” because it felt “abandoned” by washington. “… we think partnership with the united states conveys a series of advantages that coun-

tries typically would not find when it comes to the sorts of partnerships […] ‘partnerships’ may be the wrong term, the sorts of relationships that [China] has sought to have around the world.” the us has accused China of lending to poorer countries and leaving them struggling to repay debts, and, therefore, vulnerable to pressure from Beijing.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

KMC takes over Askari Amusement Park STORY ON PAGE 03

Pakistan’s efforts to strengthen economicresilience lauded by imf STORY ON BACK PAGE

02

Friday, 4 February, 2022 | LAHORe

news

SC rejects cantonment boards report in schools’ closure case ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

The Supreme Court rejected a report furnished by the nationwide cantonment boards in a case pertaining to the closure of private schools and colleges in their jurisdictions. A three-judge bench headed by Justice Ijaz ul-Ahsan took the petition against the closure of schools.

At the outset of the hearing, the counsel of the boards presented a report regarding the shifting of private schools operating in the cantonment premises. The bench rejected the report and sought a fresh one in its place. Justice Munib Akhtar said all the advertisements added in the report are for 2021. “Where are the public notices advertised in 2019 and 2020?” he questioned.

Record is available for the said period but for the convenience of the court, only those advertisements which were released in 2021 are made part of the report, the counsel replied. Later, the court adjourned the hearing for four weeks. In 2018, the Supreme Court bench headed by then-chief justice Saqib Nisar ordered the removal of all the private education institutions operating in cantonment boards’ residential areas by December 31, 2021. The cantonment boards started sealing the schools in the residential neighbourhoods in December and issued the final notices to private educational institutions to vacate the residential neighbourhoods. However, owners of schools, teachers, parents and students staged protests in the cantonment boards against the sealing. Upon this, the private schools and college association moved to the Supreme Court and filed a review petition before it. Counsel for private education institutions informed the court that more than 3.7 million children were enrolled in the 8,300 private schools located within the limits of the 42 cantonment boards nationwide and closure of schools would affect their education.

Airport security foils attempt to launder money to Dubai

Daily Covid-19 death toll at four-month high: NCOC ISLAMABAD/LAHORE Staff RepoRt

Pakistan reported 42 deaths from coronavirus on Wednesday, the first time the daily number has passed the 40-mark since October, the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) said.

On October 6, the nation, then in the midst of a peak, recorded 46 deaths from Covid-related complications. New cases of coronavirus, confirmed in the past 24 hours, were at 5,830, the federal coronavirus task force said. The latest coronavirus deaths brought the total official national death toll to 29,372, with a total of 1.44 million cases.

The nation is currently facing a serious fifth wave of Covid-19 triggered off by the Omicron variant, with a national positivity rate of just under 10 percent over the last few days. In order to control the pandemic, the NCOC has imposed several restrictions on business, recreational and educational activities.

Meanwhile, the number of active cases dropped to 100,072, including 1,590 who are in critical condition.

Sindh is the most-affected province of the country in terms of the number of cases with 546,141 infections followed

by Punjab, which has reported 483,779 cases.

MORE COVAX JABS: Pakistan will get 40 million more doses of the vaccines in the first quarter of 2022 under the Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) facility, the Pakistan

chapter of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said. IT said that since May 2021, Pakistan has received over 91 million doses under the facility, constituting about half of the total 175 million doses administered since the beginning of the vaccination drive in March 2021.

The donor agency said it also delivered 41 ultra-cold chain equipment and a huge quantity of personal protective equipment (PPE) kits, syringes, laboratory equipment, and other essential medical supplies.

“Since the beginning of the crisis, more than 150 million people have been reached with messages on Covid-19 prevention and access to services through national media channels with UNICEF support, and more than 50 million at-risk people have been reached through community engagement activities,” a statement from the agency read.

Moreover, almost 9 million people received information and guidance through a national helpline supported by UNICEF. The agency informed that since the outbreak in February 2020, UNICEF has also tried to mitigate the socio-economic impacts of the pandemic and supported vulnerable families and children through the provision of safe water, adequate sanitation and hygiene, safe formal and non-formal education, primary health care services, and immunization, screening, and treatment of malnutrition.

It said it also supports the government to address the gender gap in Covid-19 vaccination through door-todoor vaccination drives, the establishment of vaccine booths for women, and recruiting female vaccinators to increase the uptake of the vaccine among women.

HOME TESTING ALLOWED: The government also approved the general public conducting self-testing for Covid19 with testing kits to be bought over the counter from pharmacies, the Drug

Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) said.

According to the authority, the tests which require nasal swabs or saliva specimens have now been approved for home testing as a measure to reduce the chances of Covid-19 transmission from hospitals and laboratories where the tests were earlier being conducted. However, the tests which require nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal specimens will only be conducted by laboratory personnel or health professionals.

PM stresses representation of women, youth for effective LG system ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday stressed that in order to ensure the effectiveness of the local government apparatus, representation of all segments — particularly women, youth, farmers and businessmen — was important.

Chairing a meeting on upcoming LG elections in Punjab, he said a functional grassroots government system was the guarantor of national development.

With an efficient local government system, the majority of the civic problems could be resolved, the prime minister said. He said the aim of the local government system was to transfer power to a lower level. The meeting was attended by federal ministers including Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Khusro Bakhtiar, Asad Umar and Fawad Chaudhry.

Punjab Chief Minister Usman Bazdar and provincial ministers including Hashim Jawan Khan, Basharat Raja and Mian Mahmood ur-Rasheed attended the meeting via video link.

Challan pins blame of Karachi youth’s murder on cop KARACHI

LAHORE

Staff RepoRt

Staff RepoRt

Airports Security Force (ASF) thwarted an attempt to launder money at Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore, arresting three passengers. The three Dubai-bound passengers were travelling with concealed sums of $84,000 and Rs0.465 million.

They had concealed the currency under the seat of a wheelchair and in a handbag one of them was carrying. The currency was recovered during the checking by the ASF personnel at the airport. The detainees have been handed over to the Pakistan Customs for further investigation. Separately, another ASF team foiled a similar bid from Jinnah International Airport in Karachi and rounded up an accused.

The police submitted the challan in the murder of a young man who was killed during what initially was declared an encounter but found to be a pre-planned murder following an interim investigation.

Arsalan Mehsud, 18, son of a local leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) was killed in the shootout in Orangi Town No 5, resulting in the registration of a case against a police officer and his “private” aide and suspension of Orangi Town Station House Officer (SHO) Azam Gopang.

The challan submitted to the anti-terrorism court (ATC) said the suspects killed Mehsud on the order of Gopang and later tried to give an impression of a police encounter. The second man, Yasir, was injured by

gunfire and eye-witnesses identified the suspects.

The challan also noted the spent casing recovered

from the crime scene also matched with the weapon of the suspect, police constable Tauheed.

It said Gopang left his personal revolver and three bullets at the crime scene to create an impression regarding a police encounter.

“We have written letters to concerned authorities to verify armed licenses of suspects, Azam Gopang and Touhid,” the challan read, informing that reports related to post mortem and arms licenses are not yet received. The FIR for the murder was registered against three suspects — SHO Gopang, constable Tauheed and his friend Umair under sections 34 (common intention), 109 (punishment of abetment), 302 (murder), 324 (attempted murder) and 394 (voluntarily causing hurt in committing robbery) of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 7 of the AntiTerrorism Act (ATA).

Pakistan, India holding backchannel talks to normalise relations: Mansha LAHORE MonitoRing RepoRt

Non-governmental influentials from Islamabad and New Delhi are engaged in backchannel diplomacy in a new effort to calm longstanding tensions which, if successful, may result in a visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Pakistan, Geo News quoted business tycoon Mian Muhammad Mansha as claiming.

Talking to a group of businessmen from Lahore Chambers of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) on Wednesday, Mansha said: “In a month, Narendra Modi could come here if the two [nations] can get their act together.”

There should be “no permanent

enemies” with the two neighbours to work to resolve their disputes, said Mansha, who operates the country’s largest conglomerate, the Nishat group.

Pakistan and India, he said, need to resolve their issues and increase bilateral trade. “Until 1965, 50 to 60 percent of Pakistan’s trade was taking place with India,” he told the businesspersons, “We need peace.”

He added India had the business expertise to offer to Pakistan, and Islamabad too could offer New Delhi many things.

Mansha also insisted it was time to do away with the “corruption mantra” to save the economy, adding the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) should be shut down.

Why the government of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) was hesitating to privatise loss-making public enterprises, he questioned.

Ties between the nuclear-armed rivals have been on ice since a suicide bombing of an Indian military convoy in occupied Kashmir in 2019.

Later that year, Prime Minister Modi withdrew Kashmir’s semi-autonomous status in order to tighten his grip over the disputed territory, provoking outrage in Pakistan and the downgrading of diplomatic ties and suspension of bilateral trade.

But the two governments in January last year re-opened a back channel of diplomacy aimed at a modest roadmap to normalising ties.

Friday, 4 February, 2022 | LAHORe

Finance Ministry spokesperson reiterates positive economic developments despite rising inflation

F

MONItORINg REpORt

reserves touched a historic high during Covid-19, a period in which most global economies were in a

KMC takes over Askari Amusement Park NEwS DESK The Askari Park built in place of the old Sabzi Mandi has been handed over to the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) in line with an order of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Geo News reported on Thursday.

According to the report, the director general

Closing the care gap for cancer patients is possible in Pakistan DR AASIM YuSuf World Cancer Day is marked on February 4th each year by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) with the aim to create awareness around the disease and treatment options. This year, the theme of the campaign is “Close the Care Gap”, which focuses addressing disparities in cancer care. The UICC reports that nearly 70 percent of deaths due to cancer occur in low- and middle- income countries, such as Pakistan. Dr Aasim Yusuf, acting CEO of ShaukatKhanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centres (SKMCH&RC), remarked, “Cancer patients in our region face numerous challenges in accessing care, including a paucity of cancer facilities, having to travel long distances to receive care and, most importantly, the prohibitively high cost of treatment, in particular of cancer chemotherapy drugs.

However, over the past twenty-seven years, we have demonstrated that closing the care gap for cancer patients in Pakistan is possible.” Commenting on the role of ShaukatKhanum Hospitals in closing the care gap, Dr Yusuf added, “While there are still many healthcare challenges in our country, we remain committed to playing our part in ‘Closing the Care Gap’ for cancer patients. At our hospitals, we evaluate disease, rather than financial status when offering treatment and provide the same high standard of care to all our patients. Each year, we provide top-quality cancer treatment entirely free of charge to over 75 percent of our patients. Recognising that where you live must not determine if you live, we built our second hospital in Peshawar as nearly 30 percent of patients at our Lahore hospital belonged to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and surrounding areas who previously had to overcome various obstacles in order to access treatment. Now we have undertaken the gargantuan task of building our third, and Pakistan’s largest, cancer hospital in Karachi, which is expected to open at the end of 2023. This new hospital will mark a new age in cancer diagnosis and treatment for people from all over Sindh and from Southern Baluchistan.” This year on the 4th of February, UICC is also organising a full day of streaming live content via social media. The live event will feature participants leading the battle against cancer around the world, including cancer survivors and members of the global cancer community.

SKMCH&RC is the only representative from Pakistan to the global platform this year and will be featured in the live content session on Friday.

The director general parks of KMC had informed the management of Askari Park on January 14 about the court’s order of taking the park under the KMC’s supervision.

Last year, a two-member bench of the apex court had ordered relevant authorities to hand over charge of the Askari Park to the KMC within two weeks.

Imran commends army for fending off border town attacks ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

The “brave” military drew praise from Prime Minister Imran Khan for stemming twin terror attacks on two security checkpoints near the porous border with Iran in Balochistan late Wednesday night.

Armed assailants targeted two posts hours apart in remote districts of Panjgur and Naushki, triggering intense firefights that entered Thursday and killed at least 15 attackers and martyred seven soldiers, two separate updates by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) and Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed said.

Later, the newly-formed militant Balochistan Nationalist Army (BNA) group claimed responsibility for the attacks in a post on Twitter.

The first of the two attacks happened in Panjgur, according to the military statement. It said a soldier died in the exchange of fire there.

Hours later, assailants tried to sneak into a security camp in Naushki, but troops foiled the attempt and killed four militants. One soldier was also wounded in the attack, the military said.

It said intermittent exchange of fire has continued. In a tweet he sent out Thursday, the prime minister said: “We salute our brave security forces who repulsed terrorist attacks against security forces’ camps… The nation stands united behind our security forces who continue to give great sacrifices to protect us.” In an update on the number of terrorists killed in attacks, Ahmed said “nine terrorists were killed and four soldiers martyred” in Naushki, whereas six assailants died in Panjgur.

“The terrorists were repulsed from both points and the Pakistan Army kept alive its tradition [of defeating militancy]. A few — four to five people — are surrounded by them [the forces] in Panjgur which they will defeat,” he said in a video message he posted on Twitter. “This is a great success that the military has achieved in its fight against terrorism.”

“I pay tribute to the determination and courage of the security forces in eradicating the menace of terrorism,” he said, adding Pakistan’s security agencies would never allow militants to succeed in

03

meltdown, adding that the Pakistani rupee has been recently appreciating against the US dollar.

INANCE Ministry spokesperson Muzammil Aslam on Wednesday said that despite rising inflation, Pakistan’s economy has shown some positive developments like increasing exports and foreign exchange reserves.

Pakistan’s exports increased by 18 per cent, whereas imports increased by 23 per cent during last year, he said while addressing a press conference.

Aslam added that the government is taking measures to reduce inflation which has been on an upwards trajectory since July 2021.

“Despite the crisis, the country’s foreign exchange reserves reached a historic high level of $23 billion during this period,” Aslam said.

Aslam also said that the price of flour has stabilised and prices of other food items have also decreased during the last few months adding that sugar prices are stable at Rs81 per kg.

“However, the government is facing difficulty in reducing the prices of imported commodities,” the spokesperson said.

Aslam further said that inflation in Pakistan is expected to fall in line with the expectations of a fall in global inflation.

Aslam said that Pakistan’s foreign exchange

parks of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) said that the former administration of the park demolished the marriage hall built in the park before handing over the administration of the park to the KMC. The DG added that the park’s name has been changed to KMC Amusement Park and entry to the premises will be free.

news

their nefarious designs. According to South Asia Index, an online portal observing terrorism instances in the region, five militants also surrendered.

Balochistan has been on the scene of numerous militant attacks in recent months. The little-known BNA was established last month when two minor militant groups — the Balochistan Republican Army (BRA) and the United Baloch Army (UBA) — merged and vowed to continue attacks.

The latest violence comes a week after militants martyred 10 soldiers in an attack on a security post in the town of Kech in Balochistan.

Since 2018, splintering, infightings and defections have given way to mergers, reunifications and alliance-making across the ideological spectrum.

For instance, in 2018, four Baloch militant groups — the Baloch Liberation Front (BLF) of Dr Allah Nazar Baloch, Gulzar Imam faction of BRA, Bashir Zeb faction of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and the Baloch Republican Guard (BRG) of Bakhtiar Domki — merged to form the Baloch Raji Ajoi Sangar (BRAS). Subsequently, in July 2020, BRAS allied with the Sindhi ethnic-nationalist group, the Sindhudesh Revolutionary Army (SRA), against the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Likewise, since August 2020, more than 11 militant factions rejoined the Afghanistan-based Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Pakistani has ramped up operations against various militant groups as part of an effort to stave off potential security threats stemming from the withdrawal of foreign forces from neighbouring Afghanistan in August last year.

At least 13 terrorists killed in Balochistan, says ISPR NEwS DESK At least 13 terrorists were killed and seven soldiers embraced martyrdom in an encounter between security forces and terrorists in Balochistan’s Panjgur and Naushki areas on Wednesday night, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said Thursday. “Security forces carried out clearance operations to hunt down terrorists hiding in the area.” The ISPR said that five terrorists were killed by security forces in Naushki, bringing the total tally to nine. Four soldiers, including an officer, were martyred while repulsing the attack on Wednesday night. In Panjgur, at least four to five terrorists are surrounded by troops and while four others were killed.

The ISPR said the operation to eliminate fleeing terrorists is “continuing”. It added that communication between the terrorists and their handlers in India and Afghanistan was also intercepted. Earlier today, Prime Minister Imran Khan praised the country’s security forces for foiling the terror attacks in Balochistan.

Taking to Twitter, he said that the nation stands united behind the security forces of Pakistan. “We salute our brave security forces who repulsed terrorist attacks against security forces’ camps in Panjgur and Naushki, Balochistan. The nation stands united behind our security forces who continue to give great sacrifices to protect us,” the premier wrote. Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad also issued a statement to hail the services of the security forces. In a video statement released on Twitter, he said that the terrorists made a major attack in Naushki and Panjgur late on Wednesday night, which the “great forces” of Pakistan thwarted.

“This is a great victory that the Pakistan army has achieved against terror as per routine,” he said.

Govt using all resources to facilitate farmers, landowners, says food minister AzIz BuNERI Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Mohibullah Khan on Thursday said that the present government is using all its resources to provide maximum facilities to landowners and farmers in order to increase domestic agricultural production. The federal and provincial ministers stressed the need for improvement and development of the agriculture sector which they said will benefit the country’s economy as a whole. Mohibullah Khan said that through the Gomal Zam Dam Command Area Development Project more than 100,000 acre of uncultivable area has been brought under cultivation.

According to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision, the government has been working to make agriculture and livestock self-sustainable which will directly benefit poor farmers and cattle breeders. In KP numerous projects, which are important for sustainable development in agriculture and livestock sectors, have been initiated under the National Agriculture Emergency Program. Similarly, fertilizers and seed subsidies and innovation in the field of agriculture and upgradation of institutions are at the forefront of the Agriculture Transformation Program.

Friday, 4 February, 2022 | LAHORE

04 NEWS WCLA completes conservation work of Cathedral Church LAHORE: The Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) has completed 85% of the conservation works of the Cathedral Church of the Resurrection located on the Mall Road Lahore whereas the Department of Human Rights and Minorities Affairs Government of Punjab has funded this project, Pakistan Today learnt. The official of WCLA informed Pakistan Today that the Department of Human Rights and Minorities Affairs Government of Punjab had selected WCLA as the executing agency for conserving this historic Church in Lahore and also some other sites in Punjab. Moreover, the WCLA official informed that the cost of the project was Rs. 36.55 million and it would be completed in 2022. Director Conservation and Planning WCLA said that seepage was one of the main issues in this Church’s building and we have overcome that during the conservation process. “Green area directly attached to the building was a major source of seepage and a major threat to the building and it has been paved now. Most of the Cornices were damaged which are now restored. Thin biofilm growth on the surface of the bricks was seen and it has been cleaned and proper chemical treatment is done to stop micro film growth in future,” he added. Najam also informed that the main entrance to Church Building was cleaned with sand blasting and has been illuminated while repairing, cleaning and anti-termite treatment was done of wooden trusses in the Church. “We have used a 3D laser scanner to document this Church and for the first-time architectural drawings and maps of this Church were made by WCLA. We have done our best in preserving this religious heritage site,” Najam said. “Conservation works inside the building included masonry works, surface rendering works, flooring, civil works, wood work, structural wood work and roofing. Staff RepoRt

DSP shot dead by gunman in Hyderabad HYDERABAD: Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Qasimabad Faiz Muhammad Dayo was shot dead by his own gunman in Hyderabad here on Thursday. According to police, the incident occurred at Pakora Chowk area of Hyderabad. SSP Hyderabad Sajid Amir Suddozai has confirmed that Faiz Muhammad Dayo, who was serving as DSP Qasimabad has been shot dead by his gunman in Qasimabad area of Hyderabad district. Staff RepoRt

Ministers, adviser urge to MaxiMize Pak-China relations as PM leaves for 4-day visit

P

News Desk

M Imran has left for a four-day visit to China on Thursday. In this regard, government ministers shed light on the importance of his trip, stating that it would serve a number of purposes ranging from strategic to economic.

The PM, during his visit, will attend the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics 2022 in Beijing and hold bilateral meetings with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang.

According to the Foreign Office, the PM’s visit from February 3 to 6 has been scheduled on the Chinese leadership’s special invitation.

As per the details, the PM will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including members of the cabinet and senior government officials.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, in a statement carried by Radio Pakistan, said that many Chinese companies were “desirous” of investing in Pakistan and the prime minister was expected to meet many of their heads.

He said relations between the two countries had further strengthened and the premier’s visit would further expand them and promote high-level exchanges.

Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin said it was a “very

important” trip politically and economically. He added that China would be asked to relocate its industry in Pakistan since special economic zones were all ready and it would be a “win-win situation”.

“The prime minister will also [ask] them to help us in our agriculture transformation plan because agriculture holds a very important place for us,” Tarin said.

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry echoed the views, saying that the trip would serve to expand Pakistan-China relations.

Meanwhile, National Security Adviser Moeed Yusuf stressed the trip’s importance in regards to solving the Afghan crisis, explaining that the issue would be discussed during the visit as well.

Planning Minister Asad Umar said the trip was coming at a “highly important time”. A special book had been prepared which would explain why Pakistan was a prime destination for investment and it would be presented to the Chinese leadership, he shared.

“We believe that there will be further swiftness in the pace of Chinese investments in Pakistan,” Umar said.

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood said many aspects of trade would be discussed and there were some areas in the free trade agreement which needed to be “improved”.

It is pertinent to note that the PM’s visit will mark the culmination of celebrations commemorating the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China, with more than 140 events organised to showcase the resilience of the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership.

6 journalists killed, 108 attacked, 13 media houses targeted in India during 2021: report APP At least six journalists were killed, another 108 attacked while 13 media houses were targeted in India in 2021 while the spotlight on the denial of media freedom continued to be on occupied Jammu and Kashmir where journalists often found themselves summoned to police stations, FIRs registered against them, their houses raided, being manhandled and beaten by security forces, according to a new report.

The India Press Freedom Report 2021 by the Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG) said that occupied Kashmir and Indian states, including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Tripura topped the list of areas across the country where journalists and media houses were targeted last year.

Of the six journalists killed, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar reported two deaths each, while Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra reported the death of one journalist each. Eight female journalists faced arrest, summons and registration of First Information Reports (FIRs).

“The highest number of journalists/media organisations targeted was in [occupied] Jammu and Kashmir (25), followed by Uttar Pradesh (23); Madhya Pradesh (16); Tripura (15); Delhi (eight); Bihar (six); Assam (five); Haryana and Maharashtra (four each); Goa and Manipur (three each); Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal (two each); and Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Kerala (one each),” read the report.

“The widespread attacks on press freedom from Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) to Tripura are an indicator

of the continuing deterioration of civic space in the country,” stated RRAG Director Suhas Chakma.

In 2021, at least 24 journalists were physically attacked, threatened, harassed, and obstructed from doing their work by public officials, including police, across the country, according to the report. Out of the 24 journalists, 17 were beaten by police.

Physical attacks on journalists by police were mainly reported from occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

During the last year, FIRs against 44 journalists were registered, including in some cases, multiple FIRs against the same journalists in several states.

Uttar Pradesh reported the highest registration of FIRs with nine; followed by six each in Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir, and three in Bihar among others.

Out of the 44 journalists, FIRs were filed against 21 journalists under Section 153 of the Indian Penal Code relating to promoting enmity.

British High Commissioner visits Balochistan, Chaman Border QUeTTA Mian abRaR

British High Commissioner, Dr Christian Turner CMG, visited the Pakistan, Afghan border at Chaman to see at first hand how the UK and Pakistan are working together to help the people of Afghanistan.

During the visit, the High Commissioner was briefed by Pakistani officials on border processes, and how authorities are working with the UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency.

DR TuRnER wiTH CM BALOCHisTAn ABDuL QuDDus BizEnjO: The visit was part of a wider visit to Balochistan, during which Dr Turner met the Chief Minister of Balochistan, Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo, and discussed with him how the issues in Afghanistan are affecting Balochistan, as well as the wider security situation in the area, and the protec-

tion of human rights.

During his two day trip, the High Commissioner also met Commander 12 Corps, Lieutenant General Sarfraz Ali, and gave a keynote speech at the Quetta Staff and Command College.

BRiTisH HigH COMMissiOnER, DR CHRisTiAn TuRnER, CMg sAiD: “It’s very important for the UK to understand the issues facing Balochistan. During my visit to the Chaman Border I saw how the UK is working to help the people of Afghanistan, and that this is vital for the stability of the whole region.”

Last week, the UK’s Foreign Secretary Liz Truss pledged £97m of additional funds to help Afghanistan this winter.

It merits mention that the UK pledged £97 million of emergency aid for vital humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan this winter, on January 28th. The funding will provide over 2.7

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million people with food, health services, and water amid a worsening crisis.

This latest allocation of vital support means the UK has now delivered on its promise to double UK aid to Afghanistan, with £286 million committed this financial year.

UK aid allocated since October will support over 60 hospitals, pro-

vide health services for over 300,000 people; ensure 4.47 million people get emergency food assistance through the World Food Programme; and provide 6.1 million people with emergency health, water, protection, shelter, food, and education support through the UN Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund.

Friday, 4 February, 2022 | LAHORE

NEWS

Forex reserves Fall $400m To $22.08bn For 8Th sTraIghT week

CORPORATE CORNER

KaracHi

aIoU strives to promote and strengthen elT research and practices in the country iSLamaBad pReSS ReleaSe

Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) has organized launching ceremony of Pak TESOL (Islamabad chapter) in collaboration with Regional English Language Office, US Embassy, Pakistan. Prof Dr Samina Awan, Ex Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, AIOU presided over the session. Pak TESOL is a project of AIOU which is aimed at developing, sustaining, strengthening and promoting ELT research and pedagogical practices in the country. The project serves the purpose of a central platform to empower Pakistani ELT community by providing financial and technical support. It offers multiple opportunities to ELT practitioners across the country to share and exchange their ideas and to collaborate with each other for the collective benefit of the entire community. The project is expected to bring Pakistani ELT situation at par with the international standards by arranging various conferences, webinars, seminars and training sessions on the monthly basis. While addressing the participants of the launching ceremony, Dr Muhammad Kamal Khan highlighted the primary objectives and goals of the project. He emphasized that the project is exclusively focusing on capacity building of schools, colleges and university teachers of English language. Therefore, ELT practitioners should seek its membership for enhancing their teaching skills. The project team has already inaugurated its KPK, Sindh and Baluchistan chapters. While addressing the participants, Dr Ajmal Gulzar, Chairman, Department of English highlighted that AIOU has been involved in the process of nation building by exclusively focusing on providing financial and technical support to the underprivileged and marginalized segments of the society through its various projects launched in collaboration with Regional English Language Office, US Embassy, Pakistan.

Prof Dr Samina Awan, while addressing the participants, urged on the need of revisiting our own indigenous culture and history and incorporating it in the curriculum for foreign language teaching. She appreciated the faculty of English for achieving this milestone. Other speakers included Prof Dr Waseema Shahzad and Prof Dr Abdul Fatah Soomro.

The launching ceremony was concluded with an expert panel discussion highlighting the opportunities and challenges faced by language associations within the Pakistani context.

Prices of pulses, spices and branded items at utility stores are lower than the open market, Inayatullah Daula, senior general manager

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Staff RepoRt

HE foreign exchange reserves of the country dropped for the eighth successive week by $400 million (1.78 percent) to reach $22.08 billion. According to data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Thursday, the foreign exchange reserves during the week ended January 28, 2022 reached $22.08 billion from $22.48 billion due to external debt and other payments.

The foreign exchange reserves held by the central bank fell 2.86 percent on a weekly basis.

On January 28, the foreign currency reserves held by the SBP were recorded at $15,727.6 million, down $463 million compared with $16,190.1 million on January 21.

However, the reserves of commercial banks increased by over $60 million (1 percent) to $6.35 billion from $6.29 billion on a week-on-

week basis.

The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Executive Board on Wednesday approved Pakistan’s request for an $1 billion loan tranche. A meeting of the IMF’s Executive Board took place to discuss and finalise Pakistan’s request for the completion of the sixth Review and release of a $1 billion tranche under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF).

The foreign exchange reserves held by the central bank soared to an all-time high of $20.15 billion after Pakistan received a general allocation of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) worth $2,751.8 million from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on August 24.

Pakistan has been looking to build its foreign currency reserves on the back of loans, remittances, and higher exports. However, foreign direct investment continues to be an area of concern for policymakers.

The reserves level is also critical for Pakistan to build an import cover with the bill cross-

iSLamaBad Staff RepoRt

Advisor to PM on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, Ayub Afridi has said that Pakistan is looking to explore the skilled and professional employment market in Qatar that is currently occupied by other competitors.

The advisor said this during a meeting with Ambassador of State of Qatar to Pakistan Sheikh Saoud bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani at his office on Thursday.

He further stated that Pakistan has sent more than 3,500 doctors, nurses and technicians to Kuwait during the pandemic and 3,000 more are in the pipeline, while at the same time, Kingdom

of Saudi Arabia is recruiting hundreds of medical professionals too. Qatar, being an old good friend, tied to Pakistan by its British history, culture, values, and religion, must also explore such an offer, he added.

The ambassador said that he is looking forward to the ministry’s comprehensive proposal and is ready to sign a memorandum of understanding with the government for promotion of skilled emigration. He expressed that being a student to a Pakistani flight instructor himself, he has massive affection towards Pakistani expatriates in Qatar and has already helped increase their numbers by 10,000 to reach above 110,000 in total.

He further stated that more than 53 security agencies have been reached out by Qatar for se-

Islamabad Wildlife Management Board all set to receive two cubs of leopard cats

pReSS ReleaSe

Staff RepoRt

Prices of pulses, spices and branded items at utility stores are lower than the open market. This was stated by Mr. Inayatullah Daula, Senior General Manager, Utility Stores while addressing a Press Conference at Utility Stores Head Office. He informed the media that utility stores had made the procurement of pulses and spices through open tender as per Public Procurement Regulatory Authority rules, which resulted in purchase of high quality pulses and spices from registered firms, who quoted low prices. He told that red lentil and white grams are imported, so the dollar rate affects their prices. Mr. Daula maintained that Utility stores have kept the price of red lentil stable since October 26, 2020, while the price of red lentils in the open market has been rising steadily for the last six months. When purchasing pulses and spices, special care was taken to keep the prices of these items lower than the open market, assured Senior General Manager. He termed that some companies have increased the prices of various branded items that are being sold in the open market at new prices, so, utility stores also procured these branded items at new rates. “There has been no change in the prices of branded items at utility stores since October 14, 2021”, said Senior General Manager. He assured that prices for these branded items at utility stores will be lower than in the open market as utility stores is committed to providing high quality goods to the public at cheaper rates than open market.

Islamabad Wildlife Management Board is all set to receive two cubs of leopard cats for their rehabilitation and safe release in the wild. The leopard cats were recovered from Karachi’s birds market located in Empress Market, Karachi, arresting a man during the raid on Thursday.

The raid-party team of the Sindh Wildlife Department (SWD) through social activists was informed that someone was selling the leopards through social media posts. The price of both cats was fixed at Rs200,000. “The man was arrested and the property [cats] have been confiscated,” Inspector Muhammad Naeem Khan said. The operation to recover the cats was not so easy, he added. “The cats were kept in an empty room.”

The SWD officials have no idea how the cats were transported to the city from northern areas of the country. “It is being probed from where and how these leopards were transported to the city,” SWD provincial head Javed Ahmed Mahar said. Both the leopard cats will be handed over to the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board for

rehabilitation and safe release in the wild.

Mahar confirmed that all the official formalities have been completed. “We cannot keep these cats anywhere in Sindh,” he added. Margala Hills, he added, is leopards’ natural habitat.

The official also said that the trade of wildlife is illegal, adding that his department is strictly monitoring such trades.

“We are thankful to those wildlife lovers who immediately approached us for illegal wildlife activities”. He was of the view that social media has helped the wild department to trace the poachers and traders.

Activist and environmentalist Afia Salam, appreciating the efforts said in her tweet: “Thank you SWD for always coming forward on such calls for help from the civil society. An excellent example of collaboration. Hope these babies find their home.”

Rina Khan Satti, the chairperson of Islamabad Wildlife Management Board, said that recently rescued beautiful leopard cats will soon be sent to the rehabilitation centre in Islamabad.

‘No requirement’ for Pakistan to pick sides between US, China: Washington But that is rejected by China, which accuses some in the West of promoting this narrative to tarnish its international image.

Price’s comments coincide with the much-hyped tour of Khan to China, in part, to reinvigorate the gamechanger China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The project has earned American criticism, including that it burdens the country with mountains of debt, al-

ing $5 billion each month, putting pressure on the currency that fell to its weakest level against the US dollar this month.

The government borrowed $10.4 billion in the past six months, which was higher by 78 percent over the same period of last year, as it struggled to address the growing current account imbalance and keep the debt-financed foreign exchange reserves at current levels.

Gross foreign loan disbursements during July-December of current fiscal year remained at $9.3 billion, the Ministry of Economic Affairs reported a day earlier. In addition to this, the government received $1.1 billion in foreign loans from the overseas Pakistanis through the Naya Pakistan Certificates, the central bank data showed.

The cumulative gross foreign loans secured in the first half of the current fiscal year were higher by $4.5 billion, or 78%, from the same period of previous fiscal year, showed the official statistics.

Qatar ready to promote skilled emigration from Pakistan: envoy

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lowing China to use “debt-trap diplomacy” to gain access to strategic assets. Both Pakistan and China vehemently deny the claims. 21 sectors — including trade, information technology and the relocation of Chinese industries to Pakistan — have been “identified to be discussed with the Chinese leadership” during Khan’s visit, Minister for Information and Broadcast Fawad Chaudhry said Wednesday.

Price further said: “Pakistan is a strategic partner of the United States. We have an important relationship

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with the government in Islamabad, and it’s a relationship that we value across a number of fronts.” he spokesperson refused to comment when asked to comment on Indian National Congress President Rahul Gandhi statement suggesting the revocation of occupied Kashmir’s special status helped bring Pakistan and China “closer than ever”.

“I will leave it to the Pakistanis and [China] to speak to their relationship. I certainly would not endorse those remarks,” he said.

curity personnel for their newly built stadiums on quarter yearly contracts but more than 5,000 Pakistani security personnel are being hired on five-year contracts. He stated that Pakistani professionals, especially doctors, are world renown for their skill and he would wish for maximum skilled emigrants to be recruited by Qatar.

The ambassador said that apart from the state offices in Islamabad and Karachi new offices in Peshawar and Lahore will be opened soon to facilitate people of both nations.

The meeting also discussed areas to promote and facilitate Pakistani emigrants in Qatar. The advisor thanked the ambassador for the visit by stating that frequent interactions will be carried out in the future for promotion of Pakistani emigration to Qatar.

Four killed in armed clash between two groups in Islamabad iSLamaBad Staff RepoRt

At least four persons were killed and one sustained injuries in an armed clash between two groups in Islamabad’s Bhara Kahu on Thursday. Police officials told the media that the armed clash occurred in Phulgran village in Phulgran village in Bhara Kahu in which four persons lost their lives over personal enmity. Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Operations and Superintendent Police (SP) City reached the incident site. Police said that the accused were identified and will be arrested soon.

06-07 Comments - 4th February 2022_Layout 1 2/4/2022 12:54 AM Page 1

Friday, 4 February, 2022

06 COMMENT

Peace in our time

The wish list

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RIMe MINISTeR Imran Khan is in China where he will also attend the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics boycotted by the USA and its western allies. This would be a show of solidarity with China, Pakistan’s all-weather friend. The visit is also important as it marks the culmination of celebrations of the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China. During his four-day visit Mr Khan will hold bilateral meetings with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang. The two sides are expected to review the entire gamut of bilateral relations, with particular focus on stronger trade, economic cooperation and fasttracking the CPeC. Media reports tell of Islamabad seeking a $3 billion loan to stabilize its dwindling foreign exchange reserves.

China has already placed around $11 billion with Pakistan in the shape of commercial loans and foreign exchange reserves support initiatives, including $4 billion in SAFe deposits. Federal Minister Asad Umar claims that unlike the past when Pakistan would only talk about Pak-Sino friendship being higher than the himalayas and sweeter than honey, the PTI government is going to China prepared with a structured approach. Mr Khan’s rising tensions with the opposition, his recent difficulties with the establishment, the deteriorating state of the economy and his diving popularity with the electorate are factors which will figure in Beijing’s evaluation of his government’s request for more Chinese financial assistance and rejuvenated CPeC funding.

Pakistan also seeks an investment bonanza in half a dozen sectors. But investment is like the proverbial wind which ‘bloweth where it listeth’. The government is expected to tell the Chinese companies that it provided access to trade routes to the Middle east, Africa and the rest of the world– offering greater incentive in the shape of a reduction in freight cost. Seasoned Chinese investors do not need lectures from Pakistani officials when they know that Rs 230 billion in payments to Chinese power plants are still pending and the government is yet to open a revolving fund with deposits equal to 21 percent of power generation cost. Chinese investors also remain reluctant to bring in big money to Pakistan because of Islamabad’s inconsistent fiscal and energy policies, missing agreed deadlines to resolve issues and terrorist threats to Chinese in Pakistan. Unless Chinese strategic approach results in accommodating Pakistan’s economic and finance deals, the so called structured approach may not work alone.

Latest tension Ukraine makes it less likely at Penpoint M a NIaZI

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he US response to Russia’s threatening moves over Ukraine have been compared to few back of those of the UK over Germany’s over Czechoslovakia, when the UK agreed to German demands at the Munich meeting between the German Chancellor, Adolf hitler, and the British PM, Neville Chamberlain. When Chamberlain returned to London, his first words were: “Peace whit honour, and peace for our time.”

There are a number of parallels that can be made about the two situations. The first is that a power which is declining, but by no means finished, is trying to restrain a power which feels it has been neglected.

The power which is vying to replace the old power is not involved in the matter, though its sympathies are known, and it is loosely allied to one. here the parallels break down, for whereas the UK, then the leading world hegemon, tried to restrain Germany, the USA is trying to restrain Russia. The USA was not present at Munich, and it would replace the UK as a world hegemon only after World War II. Now it is the USA which is shaky, and in the face of China. Whereas in 1938 the rising world power was allied to the UK, now the rising world power is in the camp of Russia.

Another striking similarity is that Germany and Russia are both defeated powers. While Germany was defeated in World War I, Russia lost the Cold War. In a way, both crises arise out of their respective defeats.

The Czechoslovakia crisis arose because hitler wanted its Sudetenland territory, which it had attached to it when it was created after World War I out of the Austro-hungarian empire. The Sudetenland were those German-speaking parts of Moravia and Bohemia near the Sudeten mountain, and which had been part of Bohemia since the 9th century. Austria itself had been included in the Reich after 1938’s Anschluss, and Germany had made plans to invade Czechoslovakia, just as Russia has positioned itself to invade Ukraine. It has already taken a bit of Ukraine, the Crimea in 2014, which it formally annexed.

After the Cold War, the USSR’s alliance system crumbled, and the Warsaw Pact was dissolved. however, the USA-led NATO remained, but even expanded to former Warsaw Pact members. Indeed, of the ex-Soviet republics, the three Baltic republics joined NATO in 2004. While some former Warsaw Pact members, like Poland and Romania, have joined NATO, Ukraine would be 5he first Slavic ex-Soviet republic to join NATO, though Georgia is listed as an ‘aspiring member’.

Russia seems to be afraid that Ukraine might in-

IMF approves the tranche But what about the future?

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he IMF Board’s approval of the next tranche of its $6 billion extended Fund Facility to Pakistan has been received by the government as a cause of celebration, even though there are still some conditions which will be met before the review for the next tranche.

The preconditions for this tranche were the passage of a mini-budget raising Rs 500 billion in taxes by ending sales tax exemptions, and of an amendment to the State Bank of Pakistan law giving it greater autonomy. Apart from other preconditions, such as a power tariff hike, the government managed to get those measures passed, and obtained the tranche, though its conditions for upcoming tranches are already onerous. It might be remembered that this tranche will go to paying previous loans before any celebrations, not for any development project.

There is a requirement that the country build its foreign exchange reserves to $5 billion by June. With the current account deficit likely to worsen, it seems out of the question that this will be possible without borrowing, which explains the anxiety of the government about Prime Minister Imran Khan being expected to go to China and borrow that money, as if China is expected to meet any need Pakistan has for forex. Also, if the current account deficit does not stabilize, the rupee’s value will decline. This will add to the pressure the middle class faces from inflation. As the IMF wants additional increases in the power tariff, that pressure will increase. As if it is not hard enough to make a budget on existing income, that income will decline when income tax exemptions are brought to an end.

Apart from the access that Pakistan will get to other borrowers, it is difficult to see how Pakistan really benefits. The real solution does not really lie in anything but increasing foreign-exchange producing activities, like remittances or exports, rather than merely borrowing more. Pakistan is approaching the crisis point with which even the IMF will not be able to help.

Does this visit prove that China and Pakistan are all-weather friends?

Jubeda Chowdhury

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MRAN KhAN is in China now. he left Pakistan on Thursday. Imran’s visit to China is seen as important in China-Pakistan diplomatic relations. China-Pakistan’s eternal ties are going to be boosted by this visit. After a series of meetings chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan at the Prime Minister’s house on Wednesday, Information Minister Fawad Chowdhury said 21 different sectors have been identified for talks with the Chinese leadership.

The Pakistan government hopes that the ChinaPakistan economic Corridor (CPeC) project will be revived during Prime Minister Imran Khan’s four-day visit. Fawad Chowdhury said the issues to be discussed during the Prime Minister’s visit were related to the creation of special economic zones under CPeC, trade, information technology, agriculture, and the relocation of a large number of Chinese industries to Pakistan.

A statement from Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said Imran Khan could hold bilateral meetings with President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Keqiang.

The leaders will review the whole issue of bilateral relations at this time, the statement said. Particular emphasis will be placed on strengthening trade and economic cooperation with the CPeC. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry has said that Imran Khan is going on a visit at the invitation of a Chinese leader. There is a perception that the CPeC has slowed down since Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) came to power three years ago. Therefore, the government hopes that with the visit of the Prime Minister, the pace of these projects will return. Maybe these projects will be implemented or they will be taken under CPeC. The government of Pakistan is looking at changes in the CPeC to shift from road infrastructure to industrialization, power, and agriculture. Prime Minister Imran has repeatedly said this.

Khalid Mansoor, special assistant to the prime minister for CPeC, said that the government was well pre-

Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor

Yousaf Nizami M. A. Niazi

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Whether or not Putin has found an Asian partner, Pakistan does not like this business of having to choose one over another. It does not like any situation where it has to choose between the USA and China.

The writer is a member of staff.

Significance of the China visit

Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami

Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

voke the NATO treaty against the armed rebellion in Donetsk, which has declared itself the Donetsk People’s Republic, or the Luhansk People’s Republic. It also has concerns about the placing of missile defence systems there, which it probably feels would be too much of a threat after their placement in Poland and Romania.

Ukraine’s eU membership is another problem. It is a new country, becoming independent in 1991, but it is second only Russia in size in europe, and would be the largest member of the eU when it joined. It would also be the only country with an active rebellion. That rebellion is backed by Russia because it occurred in the Donbas area, which has traditionally been an industrial powerhouse. Not only is 17.3 percent of the population Russian, but the 77.8 percent Ukrainians are speakers of an east Saliva language. The other members of that ;language family are Russian and Belarusian. Belarus is another country that Russia regards as of special interest to it. Indeed, in the 1897 census, Ukrainian was not given the status of a separate language, but described a a dialect of Russian.

Though Russian President Vladimir Putin is very different from Adolf hitler, his appeal is based on the same desire to reverse the effects of the war his country lost. hitler may have had an actual defeat to reverse, that of World War I, apart from his emphasis on racial theory (which meant propagating the virtues of a mythical Aryan-ness, or the holocaust), but Putin definitelt wants to restore the prestige Russia lost after the USSR collapsed.

The USSR was primarily what is today Russia, to the extent that when Trotsky in the 1920sspeculated about what language would be spoken when communism was achieved, Stallion firmly said it would be Russian. The irony is that while Trotsky was a Russian-speaking Jew, Stalin was a Georgian.

Though Ukrainian nationalism had resurgence after the collapse of the Russian empire, and though Ukraine now inclines towards its european identity, it was always counted a close ally of Moscow. however, if it has a very strong Slavic component, it also has a strong european content. The western part of Ukraine was until 1918 part of the Austro-hungarian empire, and was only given to the USSR after World War II. The eastern part had been

part of the Russian empire and afterwards the USSR. even now, the Western part is dominated by the Roman Catholic religion, and the eastern by the Orthodox (the Ukrainian Orthodox Church split off from the Russian Orthodox in 2019 as an autocephalous church under the ecumenical Patriarchate); Ukrainian has both a Cyrillic alphabet and a Latin. Ukraine is where the Slavs meet the Teutons, it seems, and its attraction towards europe is greater than that of Russia.

It is perhaps not entirely a coincidence that an eastern european country is at the centre of the dispute.

Czechoslovakia was in 1938 a Slavic country, and like Ukraine something of a military power, hitler had prepared to invade, and on 30 May 1938, had approved ‘Case Green’, which provided for 39 divisions to carry out operations, while Czechoslovakia could mobilize 47.divisions. Similarly, Ukraine is not negligible militarily. It has the second largest military in the region.

Unfortunately, it is up against the largest, Russia. It is outnumbered, mustering 200,000men. Russia has amassed a million men on its frontier. Czechoslovakia needed help to fight Germany, and had treaties with the USSR and France guaranteeing its sovereignty. england was expected to join France.

But as early asJanuary, it was made clear that england had no intention of fighting.

Similarly, though the USA and its allies have sent equipment to Ukraine, they have made it clear that they will not help with boots on the ground. historians still debate whether the Munich Agreement delayed war. It didn’t stop the demise of Czechoslovakia, which became a Reich Protectorate even after giving up its territory.

It also meant that the Czech military was unavailable in the war that followed.

The assumption that hitler would stop was wrong. he abstracted Memel-land from Lithuania in March, and invaded Poland in September, precipitating the very war that Munich was supposed to have stopped. The year of delay was used by the UK, France, Germany and Italy in preparing for it. The verdict is that Germany made the best use of this time.

Will there be war, even though it will be devastating and nuclear. Over the Ukraine, highly unlikely, but China’s dispute in the South China Sea could be a flashpoint. Are Russia and China closely allied enough to make a flashpoint for one a trigger for both?

Memories are raised of the Germany-Japan Axis.

Whether or not Putin has found an Asian partner, Pakistan does not like this business of having to choose one over another. It does not like any situation where it has to choose between the USA and China. however, with nuclear war a threat, it may have other worries, along with the rest of the world.

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Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

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pared for the issue. A comparative analysis has been made of what opportunities Pakistan can offer to Chinese investors. he added that in the meeting of the Joint Working Group, the two countries have so far discussed 10 different areas of bilateral relations. But these meetings were organized by influential Chinese industrialists. They will also meet Imran during the visit.

According to the Foreign Ministry, Imran Khan will meet with leading business leaders, representatives of top Chinese think tanks, and the media. Before leaving for China, Imran Khan chaired a high-level meeting on Wednesday. There, he expressed confidence that his visit would take the existing strong bilateral relations between the two countries to a new height. The meeting was attended by Federal Ministers like Shawkat Tarin, Fawad Chowdhury, Asad Umar, and hammad Azhar. Also present were Trade Adviser Abdul Razak Dawood, State Minister Farooq habib, National Security Adviser. Mueed Yusuf, Special Assistant Shahbaz Gill, and Khalid Mansoor.

Islamabad’s strategic partnership with China has been growing in recent years.

Pakistan declined an invitation to attend the US Conference on Democracy. There is a hint of dissatisfaction with Islamabad’s refusal on December 6th.

This statement is enough to understand this dissatisfaction exists. earlier, Imran criticized the silence and double standards of the West on the issue of human rights violations in certain areas. he complained that the Western world was not as vocal about the human rights

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situation in Indian-administered Kashmir as it was about the persecution of the Muslim Uighur minority in Xinjiang, China.

Imran said this in an interview with a Chinese journalist in Islamabad. he added, “Pakistan’s ambassador to China has recently visited Xinjiang. he says the West’s interpretation of Xinjiang is inconsistent with reality.” Imran, meanwhile, said the West was “silent” on the ongoing violence in Indian-administered Kashmir.

So, Imran Khan’s position is very clear here. he wanted to convey a message that Pakistan would stand with China in all situations. Imran Khan proved again that China and Pakistan are really eternal friends. This visit proves that China and Pakistan are all weather friends.

Imran may seek a loan from China to help with the country’s economy, trade, and investment. The request may be made during his visit to the Beijing Olympics. According to a media report, China has already lent S11 billion to Pakistan. In addition, China has deposited another $4 billion in Pakistan’s State Bank. even with this loan from China, Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves have increased to $16.1 billion. Thus, we can say that $3 billion Chinese loan assistance would bring the two eternal ties close.

In addition to his four-day visit to China, Imran Khan is scheduled to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games, which starts on on Friday (today). A statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that despite the Covid-19 epidemic, the Chinese government is hosting the Winter Olympic Games with extra caution, such as extra arenas.

Imran may seek a loan from China to help with the country’s economy, trade, and investment. The request may be made during his visit to the Beijing Olympics.

According to a media report, China has already lent S11 billion to Pakistan.

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Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

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The writer can be reached at jubedachowdhury103@gmail.com

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

06-07 Comments - 4th February 2022_Layout 1 2/4/2022 12:54 AM Page 2

Friday, 4 February, 2022

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

The trendsetter CADeT College Larkana has been a trendsetter and epicentre of learning in Interior Sindh. It has always played a pivotal role in bringing its cadets up to the best and second to none. It has completed thirty years of its establishment.

Cadet College Larkana has been championing the cause of imparting quality education to its teachers since its inception. The quality education encompassing curricular, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities is coupled with state of the art facilities. In order to attain higher pursuits in the field of modern education, the college has established I.T Laboratories, Language Laboratories, one of the biggest Libraries, Multimedia classrooms and a central data centre. The whole infrastructure is worth appreciating.

It’s indeed a proud moment that the cadets of this elite institution are serving in the Pakistan Armed Forces and Civil Services of Pakistan.

Cadet College Larkana celebrated its 30th Annual Parents on 21 December 2021 organized at its magnificent Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Stadium, the event was graced by Major General Noor Wali Khan, General Officer Commanding 16 Division PanoAqil Cantonment, Chairman Board of Governors of the College. The Larkanians presented gymnastics, Karate, horse riding and Commando shows and attained applause and appreciation from the audience. The Chief Guest, in his presidential address, stressed upon the Larkanians to make the most of the facilities available at the college and focus on their future having a sense of dedication and persistence. In the wake of prize distribution and inauguration of different college publications, Brigadier Ghulam Raza SI (M), Principal of the College, presented College Memento to the Chief Guest.

SAJJAD HUSSAIN CHEEHANI LARKANA

RCEP: A Geopolitical Gain for China Another brick in the Great Wall against the USA raNa Sarder

T

he Regional Comprehensive economic Partnership (RCeP), negotiations for which began in 2013, took effect on January 01, 2022; with which a new political debate has starte:- did this agreement actually increase China’s power in the Asia-Pacific? In fact, according to some experts, China has created an anti-American bloc through this agreement.

The Regional Comprehensive economic Partnership (RCeP) is the world’s biggest freetrade agreement (FTA) involving the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASeAN) bloc – Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and five of their FTA partners- Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea. RCeP covers 30 percent of the global population, 30 percent of the global GDP and 28 percent of global trade. It’s also China’s first multilateral trade pact, as well as the first between China, Japan, and South Korea that excludes the USA and India.

The agreement focuses on lowering non-tariff obstacles to goods and service trade between member nations which includes measures for service industries, e-commerce and movement of people. The most significant component of the agreement is the uniform rule of origin. To be eligible for duty reductions, member countries must produce at least 40 percent of their product in one of the 15 countries.

China has won a big geopolitical victory with the RCeP as the deal improves Asia’s economic connectivity closing to China’s economic orbit as a result of tighter integration. Beijing will use its economic muscle as the region’s largest economy to exercise influence over the bloc’s norms and standards, since it currently does in the countries that have signed on to its Belt and Road Initiative.

“This alliance will definitely help China in realizing its geopolitical ambitions,” Alexander Capri, a professor of commerce at the National University of Singapore, was quoted as saying.

Former Indian Army lieutenant general Utpal Bhattacharya said, “This agreement is more political than economic.” According to Utpal Bhattacharya, “there is no scope for implementation of the issues mentioned in the agreement right now. As a result, the agreement is an attempt to convey a political message.”

The RCeP will strengthen China’s economic ties with east Asian countries and with US allies like Japan and South Korea. however, Beijing has territorial disputes over the Spratly Islands and the Senkaku Islands with South east Asian countries. Again, Australia’s relations with China have been deteriorating since early 2020 because in response to Australia’s demand for an impartial probe into China’s first coronavirus epidemic, China banned import of beef from Australia.

China now has the ultimate dominance in

the South China Sea and the Asia-Pacific. In the past few years, the USA has been desperate to reduce Chinese dominance in the South China Sea. Recently, the Biden Administration is trying to boost up the activities of QUAD, and formed AUKUS, with India, Australia and Japan to balance the Asia-Pacific region. Naturally, China did not like it.

The timing of the signing of the RCeP agreement is extremely significant. The world is currently in turmoil due to the coronavirus epidemic. Sadly, the USA has failed to lead the world in overcoming the epidemic and the resulting economic crisis. In addition, one of the most powerful countries in the world went through a political crisis since Donald Trump refused to accept defeat in the US presidential election.

China has tried to exploit this opportunity.

Under the banner of economic and trade agreements, this huge event is aimed at proving Asia Pacific once again free and so-called US allies Australia, Japan and New Zealand were also forced to come. In addition, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand will attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics 2022 despite the earlier withdrawal from the ReCP by the USA. Actually, these countries have signed this agreement for their own commercial interests. In other words, China has shown that it has created a bloc to counter the bloc that the USA has been trying to build in Asia Pacific for a long time. The RCeP is therefore seen as a way to strengthen China’s influence in the AsiaPacific region.

The USA is missing a similar trade agreement in the region. Though former US President Barack Obama had signed the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the Trump Administration withdrew from the deal in January 2016. The 12 CPTPP countries are Australia, Brunei, Canada,

Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam and the United States.

The two agreements cover six countries - Australia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and Vietnam. So along with China’s leadership in the region, the TPP can serve as a balance.

Although India initially negotiated the agreement, it withdrew from the agreement in November 2019 on the pretext of protecting its domestic industry. This will allow China to become more influential in 14 RCeP countries by integrating its value chains.

When Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced his country’s strategic reorientation, entitled “Act east Policy,” in November 2014, regional leaders believed India would become a more serious strategic role in Asia. however, India’s withdrawal from the RCeP in late 2019 has given out a serious disappointment to the country’s diplomatic ambitions. It shows that New Delhi is still unable to walk the talk when it comes to its regional economic agenda. India’s withdrawal, like that of the United States, has not only disappointed major democracies such as Japan and Australia, but it has also put its protectionism on display around the world, creating an image of unreliability in the eyes of ASeAN members, Finally, it can be said that RCeP countries would maintain a cordial relationship with China which is a significant geo-political gain for China. The tide appears to be turning in China’s favor. The recent remark of South Korea’s ambassador to the United States, Mr. Lee Soo-hyuk, about US dominance in the area demonstrates this-”just because South Korea chose the US 70 years ago does not mean it has to choose the US for next 70 years too”.

The USA is missing a similar trade agreement in the region. Though former US President Barack Obama had signed the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the Trump Administration withdrew from the deal in January 2016. The 12 CPTPP countries are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam and the United States. The two agreements cover six countries - Australia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and Vietnam. So along with China’s leadership in the region, the TPP can serve as a balance

The writer is a freelance columnist

Road safety in Karachi DRIVING in a bustling city like Karachi can be a daunting experience for many. The general regard for traffic rules, road safety measures, and basic driving etiquette is moving further and further away from our daily commutes. Moreover, it is quite appalling to see the deteriorating conditions of the roads in the city to be hazardous to drivers and pedestrians alike.

Karachi is ranked as one of the top metropolitan cities with the most traffic accidents. every other day I come across news about people being killed in road accidents either due to the negligence of drivers or failing to follow basic traffic rules. Major thoroughfares have the highest occurrence of accidents which lead to serious injuries or fatalities. What astonishes me the most is the fact that people can stop these road misfortunes from happening if we start focusing on the gravity of road safety measures that need to be implemented. Areas such as the National highway, Quaidabad, Shara e Faisal, Rashid Minhas Road, Ayesha Manzil, to name a few, are mostly the centre of the news for casualties due to unsafe driving conditions or carelessness of the drivers. Not only that, even the traffic police are too casual to set law and order on the roads.

There is a dire need for educating the masses including children about road safety measures. On one side it is indeed heartening to hear of publicprivate partnerships that aim to address road safety concerns holistically.

SYED OVAIS AKHTAR KARACHI

Economic revival The prime responsibility of any government is to identify and prioritize the problems facing the state and society of that country. Unfortunately, the ruling elite of Pakistan has never appreciated the real problems faced by the state and its huge population. Today the state of Pakistan is facing a serious economic crisis and the government finds severe challenges to overcome this financial catastrophe.

For the first time in the history of Pakistan, its GDP growth has shrunk to negative 0.50 percent for the fiscal year (2020-2021). According to the Global economic Prospects Report released from Washington DC, Pakistan’s GDP growth would continue shrinking in the next fiscal year and it might touch negative 0.2 percent of GDP in the fiscal year 2021-22.

The provinces and institutions are unable to manage their annual budgets.

The current catastrophic economic crisis situation can be attributed to the bad governance and failure of the government and its economic managers. The government and its economic managers responsible for managing the state’s economy could neither appreciate the looming financial crisis nor take timely measures to avoid the financial meltdown of Pakistan. Resultantly the country is heading towards an economic default.

Then there has been a very high inflation rate in the last two years (2019 to 2021). The inflation had risen to 6.74% in 2019 and reached its peak (11.12%) in 2020. The annual inflation rate in Pakistan accelerated to 11.5 percent in November of 2021 from 9.2 percent in October 2021. In addition, poverty is at an all-time high in Pakistan where the number of poor people is increasing with each passing day as food items and other necessities of life are beyond the reach of the common man.

While the national economy of Pakistan is sliding downwards, there has been an unprecedented mushroom growth of the various cartels in Pakistan.

These cartels are controlling the prices and supply of almost all critical food items and petroleum without any governmental check. In most cases, these cartels are part of the government with sitting ministers, MPs, and advisors.

Despite investigations and proofs against their deliberate corruption, causing heavy losses to the national economy and undesired short supply of items in the market, they stand unaccountable and scot-free. Similarly, the exchange rate of PKR versus US Dollar (1 USD=179.07 PKR) is the highest in the history of Pakistan. The worst part of the current economic crisis in Pakistan is that this below-average team of economic managers is still being praised by the Chief executive of the state and ministers are accusing previous governments of their inefficiencies which caused the financial meltdown of Pakistan. This team of ineffectual is called the financial think-tank of Pakistan holds meetings almost every week, further sinking the economic ship to the deep sea. This state of poor economic fallout has reached despite huge financial assistance (loan) from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, UAe, and many other friendly states. Besides, there has been rescheduling of the loans by IFIs owing to COVID-19. Restoration of the economy on the path of economic development through immediate and revolutionary measures is most needed to avoid economic default and even for the survival of the state. Nuclear Pakistan with rivalries all around and multiple fault lines within cannot be run like a corporate company nor can it be left at the mercy of the inept and non-serious elite.

AHSAN MURTAZA ISLAMAbAD

08 WORLD VIEW 4th February 22_Layout 1 2/3/2022 8:27 PM Page 1

Friday, 4 February, 2022

08 WORLD VIEW

The dyNAmIcs Of RUssIA’s defeNce pOLIcy THE REDEPLOYMENTS AND MILITARY EXERCISES THAT ARE TAKING PLACE TODAY ARE INTENDED MOSTLY TO WORK OUT THE LOGISTICS BETWEEN VARIOUS MILITARY DISTRICTS LOCATED IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, AS WELL AS TO DEPLOY AND MANAGE THE TROOPS IN CASE OF A MAJOR MILITARY CAMPAIGN ON THE CONTINENT

Riddle PaVel lUZin

I

N 2022, Russia’s defence policy will still be defined by the problem that took the final shape by the beginning of this decade, turning into one of the key issues for the Russian authorities. this problem concerns the balancing act between further development of the armed forces and the defence industry, the perceptible shortage of resources (people, technology, money) and the task of maintaining the stability of the Russian political and economic system.

Moreover, after a decade of active (albeit still incomplete) rearmament and modernisation of the military infrastructure, the Russian leaders have got this issue back on their radar: how to maintain everything that has been created and supplied to the army. the leaders have also revisited the need for qualitative changes in military education and combat training, which was one of the unimplemented items of the 2009–2012 military reform agenda. Furthermore, the experience of the operation in Kazakhstan and the major redeployment of troops towards the western borders and into Belarus reflects more than the military capabilities Moscow has acquired: in fact, it shows what the Russian leaders view as the crucial, although not yet resolved, tasks of its defence policy.

INEVITABLE GROWTH OF MILITARY EXPENDITURES: Russia’s expenditures on national defence in current prices in roubles, after some (rather relative) stabilisation in 2017–2020, began to increase already in 2021, and further growth is planned until at least 2024.

However, it should be remembered that Russia’s total defence expenditures do not boil down to this item alone. they must be added up with those expenditures classified under “National security and Law Enforcement” which relate to the National Guard troops and the FsB (as has been done by sIPRI and as the Gaidar Institute did until 2019). and it is exactly the “National Defence” budget item that is key to understanding Russia’s defence policy.

Russia’s spending on “National Defence” in current dollar prices peaked in 2013–2014, whereas the peak in current rouble prices occurred in 2016. If we count the spending at purchasing power parity or in constant rouble prices, it also peaks in 2016. these peaks will not be reached unless budget plans are revised towards a greater increase in defence spending and expenditure on arms procurement. and there are prerequisites for such an increase, namely the development of the 2024–2033 National armaments Programme (NaP-2033).

It is worth remembering that since 2018, Russia has had a programme called NaP‑2027, which overlapped in

timing with the NaP‑2020, in force since 2011. this overlap gives the Russian authorities the flexibility to reallocate specific projects, purchases and related expenses across the different NaPs. Otherwise, if the different National armaments Programmes one another without any overlapping dates, their inevitable partial non-completion would make it difficult to administer the allocated funds. Moreover, this would exacerbate the contradictions between different agencies and state-owned defence corporations over the reallocation of funds at the times when one NaP is coming to an end but a subsequent NaP has not yet been launched.

For example, if Borei submarines were planned under the NaP‑2020, but not all of them were built, they were almost automatically transferred to the NaP‑2027. Elements that are not produced under NaP‑2027 will automatically move to NaP‑2033, along with the funding.

However, the NaP‑2020 was planned at about RUB 20 trillion, but implemented at around RUB 15 trillion (approx. UsD 303 billion). the planned size of the NaP‑2027 is also RUB 20 trillion, but it overlaps with the NaP‑2020 by almost RUB 5 trillion (approx. UsD 75 billion). and while the NaP‑2027 is likely to be implemented in full in rouble terms, if we consider the devaluation of the rouble, its total dollar volume will account to approx. UsD 250– 260 billion. as regards the NaP‑2033, its discussed volume falls in the range of 20 to 30 trillion roubles and is likely to be closer to the upper limit. However, this will help to counteract the inflationary pressure only in a stable economic situation and, in dollar terms, this may at least return the arms purchases to a level comparable to that of the NaP‑2020, if not to exceed it. Hence Moscow’s desire to increase the volume of civilian products manufactured by the defence industry and to ensure a guaranteed market for these products becomes even more understandable. there are also several other problems that should not be forgotten. Firstly, the quantity of armaments purchased in previous years still needs to be transformed into a new quality of the armed forces and military capabilities as such (see below). secondly, it is necessary to complete a number of programmes in the 2020s that were started back in under the NaP‑2020 (the construction of the aforementioned Borei submarines, the growing production of fifthgeneration fighters, etc.). thirdly, a considerable part of the weapons and military equipment purchased in the past decade will have to undergo major overhauls and upgrades. For some complex systems (for example, in the field of radio-electronic warfare) modernisation becomes necessary before the planned overhaul period. and all this is placed in the context of the need to continue developing and procuring new weapons such as advanced combat drones, surface vessels, military rocketry and others. In addition, the infrastructure of military camps and bases needs to be maintained and the salaries of soldiers and defence industry personnel need to be increased, or at least indexed by the country’s inflation rate. the conclusion from all this is that after some reduction and stabilisation of defence expenditure in 2017–2019,

Russia seems to have already entered a phase of long-term increase in spending. From the perspective of the Russian authorities, the need for such an increase is no longer closely linked to the overall growth rate of the economy.

THE ISSUE OF MILITARY EDUCATION AND COMBAT TRAINING: two years ago, Riddle already raised the problem of the saturation of the Russian armed Forces with new weapons and military equipment, which is in conflict with the degree of combat training and the specific nature of relations within the army. this is one of the main hurdles on the way towards the transition from quantitative indicators to a new quality of Russia’s military capabilities. It seems, however, that this problem was fully understood by the Russian leadership towards the end of 2021. the issue of developing unconventional, out-of-thebox thinking among Russian commanders, as well as the issue of career advancement opportunities (which reflects systemic problems also in this sphere). Moreover, extensive work began since 2022 on revising military manuals, tactical guidelines, training courses and norms. according to plans, this work will not be completed until 2025. the Russian authorities are now forced to return to an issue that it abandoned in the very early 2010s. at that time, the Ministry of Defence under anatoly serdyukov made an attempt at introducing a major reform of military education modelling it on the systems existing in NatO countries. this triggered resistance within military institutions, academies and universities, as well as among the political leadership. the point was that such a reform would sooner or later lead to a mismatch between the quality of the officer corps and the civilian bureaucracy, to the advantage of the former, and this posed a threat to the sustainability of the country’s established political order.

However, the Kremlin is currently experimenting, trying to strike a balance between proactive and unconventionally thinking officers and well-trained soldiers, sergeants and warrant officers on the one hand, and ensuring their full loyalty to the country’s political leadership on the other. although the possibility of finding such a balance seems questionable in principle, the Kremlin has no choice in this case. that said, money, together with the military mortgage programme, remains the most accessible instrument for the Russian authorities in these efforts. If we consider that expenditures only on servicemen’s salaries today (without the civilian personnel and expenditures on military mortgages) amount to 500–600 billion roubles a year, then this figure alone can be expected to increase by at least 100–150 billion roubles a year in the coming years. For example, an additional 60 billion roubles per year has been allocated only for increasing the number of contract soldiers in 2021–2023.

SOME CONCLUSIONS ON THE TRANSFER OF TROOPS TO KAZAKHSTAN AND BELARUS: all of the foregoing comments can be juxtaposed with the events that took place in January 2022. In particular, this refers to a week-long peacekeeping operation of the Col-

lective security treaty Organisation (CstO) in Kazakhstan and a major redeployment of the Eastern Military District troops to Belarus for exercises in February, against the backdrop of general tensions in relations with the West and Ukraine.

Russia continues to hone the mobility of its armed forces within the continent, but is approaching the upper ceiling of its capabilities. For example, the transfer of 2,500 peacekeepers and the minimum quantity of military equipment required for the mission in Kazakhstan over the course of three days was ensured by more than 70 IL76 aircrafts out of approx. 110 available airplanes. thus, the Russian military transport aviation (even if we include some an-124s) is capable to transport about one brigade of paratroopers with standard armament within a few days. this state of affairs will continue throughout the 2020s, which generally confirms our conclusions published three years ago. However, this also gives rise to the following question: if Moscow seeks to strengthen its role in international relations away from its borders, then the NaP‑2033 will put more emphasis on increasing capabilities for maritime expeditions: from high-precision conventional missile weapons and their carriers to an increase in the number of modern amphibious warfare ships. as regards the redeployment of weapons and military equipment by rail from the Far East to Belarus, which began in the second half of January 2022, there are two interesting facts that draw attention. the redeployment as such, which is officially lower than the notification threshold under the Vienna Document 2011 (9,000 people), takes about three weeks when made by rail. and the Russian military is clearly learning how to optimise the use of available rail platforms, positioning some types of military equipment at the joints of adjacent platforms. this makes helps to increase the number of simultaneously transported equipment within the capacity of the trans-siberian railway allotted to the military. such redeployments involve not just standard equipment but, judging by some photographs, also equipment from storage bases. thus, there is a high degree of certainty that accelerated deployment of troops will be developed, without taking many weeks to move the troops from one part of the country to another with all the standard arms. some of the arms will probably be taken from the storage bases close to the Russian borders. the redeployments and military exercises that are taking place today are intended mostly to work out the logistics between various military districts located in different parts of the country, as well as to deploy and manage the troops in case of a major military campaign on the continent. among its other goals and objectives, Moscow is using these actions to get a better understanding of where and how to further develop ground forces in the context of the high quantities of previously supplied weapons and the volumes of resources that will not be sufficient to address all the officially stated military needs, despite the forthcoming increases in spending.

Would the weapons NATO sent be enough to protect Ukraine if war broke out?

NEITHER MOSCOW NOR KIEV WANT WAR

RT Mikhail khodarenok

L

ast week, the United states sent another B747 transport with 81 tons of ammunition to Ukraine. this week, Kiev is expecting new “aircraft with military technical aid to boost our defenses.”

Lloyd austin, the Us secretary of defense, has confirmed the plans to send a new package of military aid to Ukraine. “In December, President Biden authorized $200 million in assistance, which included additional Javelins and other anti-armor weapons, grenade launchers, large quantities of artillery and small arms ammunition and other equipment. those deliveries are ongoing,” he added.

In addition to receiving weapons and military equipment from the United states and NatO, Ukraine has seen a significant increase in the number of NatO military advisers, and experts on various types of weapons, present at the line of contact in the Donbass.

What weapons are being supplied by the West to Ukraine? Notably, most of them are aimed at combating armored fighting vehicles.

the Javelin anti-tank missile has been talked about extensively. the Ukrainian armed Forces are continuing to receive massive shipments of these projectiles from the Us. the tactical and technical characteristics of the Javelin system are as follows: the FGM-148 Javelin uses a cooled infrared seeker missile equipped with a dualmode contact/proximity fuse. aiming to avoid interception by a tank’s defense system, the Javelin follows a flight path that enables it to attack the vehicle from the top. When firing at maximum range, it rises to an altitude of 160m. armor penetration of 800mm allows the Javelin to defeat almost all types of armored vehicles. the maximum firing range is 2,500m. the benefits of this missile system include: ‘fire-andforget’ capabilities, meaning the operator can leave the firing position immediately after launch, which improves the combat survivability of the crew; the possibility to be fired from any position: sitting, kneeling, standing, and prone; a ‘soft launch’, which means the rocket is ejected from the launcher by the launch motor, and the flight motor only ignites at a safe distance from the crew, which enables firing from buildings and covered positions – very important for combat in dense urban areas. the United Kingdom has supplied Ukraine with more than a thousand fairly advanced man-portable Next Generation Light anti-tank Weapon (NLaW) systems. these deliveries are apparently being made at no charge. this portable missile system is a joint Britishswedish development by saaB and thales air Defence, currently stocked by dozens of countries.

It is essentially a portable one-shot anti-tank grenade

launcher, also working on the fire-and-forget principle, with an 800-meter firing range. the NLaW is effective against all types of modern armored vehicles. With a weight of only 12.5kg, it has an armor penetration of 500mm and, just like the Javelin, can be fired from enclosed positions.

On top of that, the Us has supplied Ukraine with some of its single-use M141 Bunker Defeat Munitions (BDM). It’s a specific-purpose weapon that can be used against bunkers and fortified positions, therefore it is particularly useful for urban military operations. the launchers have been designed for the Us army for neutralization of fortifications and infantry fighting vehicles with light armor. the weapon is a single-use shoulder-launched multipurpose assault weapon (sMaW-D) launcher with a High Explosive, Dual Purpose (HEDP) warhead that can penetrate around 200mm of concrete or 300mm of bricks and can easily go through a two-meter-thick layer of sandbags.

Ukraine has also reportedly received some stinger man-portable air-defense systems. Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania recently announced having received approval from Washington to send Us-made weaponry of this class to Ukraine. the stinger missile can engage low-altitude enemy threats at up to 3,800m and can be used against unarmored surface and waterborne targets. there have also been some reports about the United states supplying Ukraine with more of its counter-battery aN/tPQ-36 Firefinder radar stations. this is the main radar for detecting enemy artillery positions in the Us army and, as such, could help the armed Forces of Ukraine significantly improve its artillery performance. so, what are all these arms supplies to Ukraine by the United states and NatO trying to achieve? What situation is this creating? some of Russia’s experts have voiced an opinion that the West has been sending to Ukraine nothing but outdated weapons. some publications even called it

scrap metal. this is not true, to say the least. all these munitions are modern and quite competitive on the global scene, and as such are definitely a welcome upgrade to the armed Forces of Ukraine.

On the other hand, given the moderate volumes of these arms supplies (all these were small batches delivered by air), the question is, can they significantly improve Ukraine’s military arsenals and capacity?

Would that be enough to help the Ukrainian army withstand a Russian army assault, and prevail in a hypothetical battle? the answer to both these questions is ‘no’. Russia’s economic and military potential significantly exceeds Ukraine’s. No supplies of single-use missile launchers or MaNPaDs can balance out the forces – which is why all the involved parties would be better off looking for a diplomatic solution.

Neither Moscow nor Kiev want war. Last week, Russian Foreign Minister sergey Lavrov said, “If it depends on Russia, then there will be no war. We don’t want wars. But we also won’t allow our interests to be rudely trampled, to be ignored.” President Zelensky of Ukraine also urged Western nations to calm their rhetoric around the situation in the country, saying there was too much “panic.” at a press conference on Friday, he told reporters, “I don’t consider the situation now more tense than before. there is a feeling abroad that there is war here. that’s not the case.” so, while the weapons the Us and NatO have sent to Ukraine have unquestionably strengthened their forces, they simply are not enough to turn the tide in Kiev’s favor should it come to war. But that war is by no means inevitable.

Mikhail Khodarenok is a military commentator for RT.com. He is a retired colonel. He served as an officer at the main operational directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces.

Friday, 4 February, 2022 | LAHORE

NEWS

09

BANk ALfALAh DELIvErs sOLID PErfOrMANCE; PAT uP By 36% AND EquITy CrOssEs Pkr 100 BILLION KaraCHI

B

Press release

ANK Alfalah Limited (BAFL) announced its financial result for the year ended December 31, 2021, where the Bank posted profit after tax of PKR 14.217 bn (EPS PKR 8.00) for the year compared to PKR 10.475 bn (EPS PKR 5.89) reported the last year, an improvement of 35.8% year on year (YoY).

Revenue increased by 9%; YoY growth in net earning assets backed by solid deposit growth offset compression in spreads due to interest rate cuts last year.

Increase in market share and robust growth in consumer portfolio, higher credit and debit card spend, phenomenal increase in home remittance and trade flows helped achieve better results.

The Bank continues to keep a check on expenses and manage costs prudently while focusing on building revenue momentum through expansion and without compromising on investments in new ventures. During the year the bank added 60 new branches to the network.

The exceptional efforts of the network, a diversified product suite and a well-executed strategic plan resulted in Bank Alfalah achieving an impressive deposit growth of 29.2% in 2021. The bank’s deposits closed at PKR 1.139 trillion at the end of the year. The increase is mainly due to the strong growth of 26.9% in current accounts, which stood at PKR 500.753 billion as of Dec 31, 2021. CA mix was recorded at 44.0%.

The Bank’s advances book grew by 16.3% YoY compared to Dec 2021. Part of this growth is due to government-backed schemes for economic relief. At period end, the Bank’s gross advances to deposits ratio stood at 61.4%. The Bank’s non-performing loans ratio improved to 3.5% as compared to 4.3% as at last year end, while the non-performing loans remain fully covered through provisions.

Bank Alfalah has persistently demonstrated its commitment to the construction and export segments of Pakistan in line with the Government's vision to improve business environments for these sectors respectively. The State Bank of Pakistan launched numerous schemes to support these efforts for economic development and

prosperity, in collaboration with local banks and DFIs out of which Bank Alfalah's contributions have been acknowledged on multiple forums.

Bank Alfalah disbursed PKR 3.369 billion in loans under the Mera Pakistan Mera Ghar scheme, the highest in the industry, and was awarded the Best Bank in the country for house loans under the Mera Pakistan Mera Ghar scheme. In a recent achievement, Bank Alfalah was named one of the top three banks in terms of Naya Pakistan Certificate investment, and was honored by Prime Minister of Pakistan for reaching the milestone of USD 2 billion in RDA deposits.

As at December 31, 2021, the Bank remains adequately capitalized with CAR at 14.43%.

The Board of Directors have declared final cash dividend of PKR 2 per share. This is in addition to an interim cash dividend of PKR 2 declared in June 2021.

SSGC takes firm steps against industries involved in unethical practices In order to improve overall gas supply situation, SSGC has taken major steps against industries involved in unethical and unfair practices.

Governor Sindh Imran Ismail has shown keen interest in resolving this matter by personally intervening in it. SSGC intends to support the businesses but will not in any way tolerate unethical practices. So far, the Company has identified 189 industrial customers who had installed suction boosters and has taken swift action by disconnecting 15 units. The Company has already started reconnecting gas to those units who are adhering to the following conditions: • All gas supplies in addition to sanctioned Load to be billed on RLNG Tariff.

• All Court Stay Orders to be withdrawn and an undertaking to be provided by the industries for withdrawal and payment of OGRA Notified Tariff from the date of increase in price.

• All installed heavy / strong suction boosters to be removed immediately.

• Providing an undertaking to SSGC that as per signed agreements, all Captive Power connections every year will operate on alternate fuel arrangements during the three months of winter i.e., December, January and February.

NA Standing Committee on NFSR visits PARC-AZRC at Umerkot IslaMaBaD Press release

Jazz recognized for ‘driving change beyond workplace’ at OICCI Women Empowerment Awards 2021 KaraCHI Press release

To recognize the commitment in improving the lives and livelihood of women through technology, the Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI) awarded Jazz with the ‘Driving Change Beyond Workplace’ award at the Women Empowerment Awards 2021 held today at a local hotel in Karachi. Abdul Aleem, Secretary General, OICCI presented the award to Wajida Leclerc, Chief People Officer, Jazz. Jazz is dedicated to enhancing diversity and women’s empowerment within its business model and focuses on uplifting women in the society through the power of the internet. Female specific products and services are designed to help address many of the wider gender inequalities by digitally enabling them to access health, financial, and other life-enhancing services. The company’s digital financial service, JazzCash, under the GSMA Connected Women Commitment Initiative, has committed to increase the proportion of women in their mobile money customer base by 2023.

Nestlé Pakistan recognised at OICCI Women Empowerment Awards 2021 KaraCHI Press release

Nestlé Pakistan was recognised in the category of Leadership & Strategy at the Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry Women Empowerment Awards 2021, held in Karachi. The acknowledgement reaffirms Nestlé Pakistan’s constant commitment towards creating an inclusive culture, in a country where gender gap is staggering and female representation in workforce is low. In light of receiving the award, Abdullah Jawaid, the diversity champion at Nestlé Pakistan said, “Long-term prosperity is only possible when women are provided a level playing field to achieve their potential and we have been working very hard to implement these principles within our organization as well as outside. “Leaders at all levels within the company lead diversity goals which form an integral part of each functions’ detailed business plan. This not only shows Nestlé Pakistan’s commitment and dedication to women empowerment, in line with UN SDGs 5 – Gender Equality, 8 – Decent Work & Economic Growth and 10 – Reduced Inequalities, but also motivates us to continue our mission further.” Nestlé Pakistan’s internal programs ‘Phir Se Ker Dikhao’ provides the right coaching and experiential learning for women to connect back with their work life while

Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) is conducting an exposure visit of the members of National Assembly Standing Committee on National Food Security & Research (NFSR) to acquaint the committee about on-going R&D activities, new interventions / achievements of the PARC’s research establishment namely Arid Zone Research Centre (AZRC) Umerkot. Mr. Lal Chand Malhi MNA from Umerkot / Parliamentary Secretary for Human Rights, Dr. Javed Humayun Sr. Joint Secretary M/o NFSR and Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Ali Chairman PARC, Dr. Muhammad Younis, DG, PARC-SARC Karachi and other high officials also participants of the visit.

During the visit, the Committee

headed by Rao Ajmal Khan, were informed by Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Ali Chairman PARC along-with Dr. Muhammad Younis, DG, PARC- SARC Karachi about agricultural R&D products by AZRC which included 60-70 lines of Ispaghol, 34 varieties of date palm including 03 varieties imported from Egypt, 04 grafted Ber varieties, Chilies, Guar, 14 varieties of Guava, mustard, castor bean.

Models related to kitchen gardening, vertical gardening, solar power drip irrigation system, pitcher irrigation system and saline water purification system were the main focus of the interest.

Medicinal plants like cactus (spiny & spine less), Gugral, Aloe Vera, Imli, Jungle julibi, Khavi and moringa cultivated at institute field were also viewed by the visitors. While briefing about the ongoing activities and future prospects of

this PARC established station, Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Ali also told the delegation that PARC station of AZRC Umerkot is working on the restoration of desert areas of Pakistan.

To eliminate drought and turning the barren deserts into grasslands, PARC with the international collaborations, replicating successful agriculture and livestock models. Chairman PARC on the occasion also expressed that we will take all possible steps to increase the produc-

OICCI acknowledges members for empowering women at 4th Women Empowerment Awards KaraCHI Press release

The Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI) members, comprising of top 200 foreign investors, recognize the growing importance of women towards creating an enabling environment necessary to accelerate the economic growth in the country, President OICCI, Ghias Khan, remarked while commending the efforts of foreign investors at the OICCI Women Empowerment Awards 2021 organized today.

OICCI has initiated various research and has been holding annual competition among the members by recognizing those who have focused on women empowerment. “Increasing Women’s inclusion in the Pakistan Economy” a policy paper by OICCI has been shared with the Ministry of Human Rights last year.

Ghias Khan added, “OICCI had

initiated the OICCI Women Empowerment initiative in 2017 and has been regularly advocating for women empowerment among its membership.

The fourth (2021) edition of the awards this year was organized to recognize the progress made by OICCI members in raising the engagement of women within their respective organization and give awards to the outstanding performers.

The awards were judged by an independent jury who vetted the performance of the companies from different aspects and awarded the best perform-

ers overall and in seven separate categories. Three companies emerged victorious across all the categories and won top three positions: Procter & Gamble Pakistan and Telenor Pakistan were declared the first and second runner-up respectively while Unilever Pakistan won the top position and declared winner of “OICCI Women Empowerment Award 2021.”

Special Recognition Awards were given in seven categories. Nestlé Pakistan won in the ‘Leadership & Strategy’ category; Mobilink Microfinance Bank in ‘Gender Balance Workforce’; Standard Chartered Bank in ‘Work Life Integration’; Bank Alfalah in ‘Women Leaders Development’; Pakistan Mobile Communications (Jazz) in “Driving Change Beyond Workspace”; TRG (ibex. Pakistan) in “Notable Growth in Women Empowerment”; and L'Oreal Pakistan bagged the ‘Top Performer amongst companies of 300 employees’ Award.

EFU Life and Vouch365 Partner For EFU Life PRIMUS Loyalty Program Press release EFU Life Assurance Ltd, the leading insurance provider in the country is proud to partner with one of the biggest aggregators in Pakistan, ‘Vouch365’ for its PRIMUS Loyalty Program. This partnership will enable EFU Life’s high priority client base to avail Vouch365 offers on EFU Life PlanIT App. The agreement was signed by Mr. Zain Ibrahim, Executive Director & COO, EFU Life and Faizan Lakhani, CEO, Vouch365. They were joined by representatives from EFU Life and Vouch365. Through this partnership EFU Life PRIMUS Loyalty Program has further extended its valueadded services to its high-net-worth clientele, offering deals and discounts at over 130+ alliance partners nationwide, making it the biggest Loyalty Program in the insurance industry.

tivity of agriculture, livestock, fisheries and vegetables to make farmers of the area self-sufficient. On the occasion, Dr. Attaullah Khan Director PARC- AZRC Umerkot briefed about institute’s current activities i.e. seed bank, Kitchen garden, solar desalination system, drip irrigation system, herbarium block, hydro ponic, agro forestry block at 04 acres, trails and orchard (i.e. date palm, grafted ber, falsa, olive, chiku, lemon), fish pond and biogas plant.

OICCI Women Empowerment Awards 2021 recognize Mobilink Microfinance Bank Ltd. for Leading Initiatives in Diversity and Inclusion IslaMaBaD Press release

5Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI) has honored Mobilink Microfinance Bank Ltd. (MMBL), Pakistan’s largest digital bank, with their prestigious Gender Balance Workforce Award at the 4th edition of the OICCI Women Empowerment Awards 2021.

The Awards recognize the efforts made by OICCI members through initiatives, leadership programs, and willingness to incorporate D&I across all tiers of business while promoting responsible business conduct and growth. OICCI is the foremost body of foreign investors in Pakistan. While speaking about the occasion, Ghazanfar Azzam, President & CEO MMBL said: “This award is a validation of the hard work being carried out by MMBL in trying to create equal opportunities for everyone, especially women and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in the country. MMBL has strategically designed a series of flagship programs, initiatives, and products including Mobi Circle, Binte-Hawwa, Humqadam, and Women Inspirational Network (WIN) that focus on removing societal and financial barriers to achieving D&I across the board. We are proud of the work we are doing and remain committed to maintaining the same momentum going forward.” To drive positive change across the banking sector and create a truly diverse and inclusive environment in Pakistan, MMBL recently launched its 9-point agenda for Financial Inclusion, which highlights policy recommendations in the areas of D&I, along with other key domains, to help unify the efforts of policymakers, regulators, and stakeholders in reducing the financial divide and accelerating inclusive economic development in the country. Commenting on the achievement, Samiha Ali Zahid, Chief Human Resource Officer MMBL said: “We are humbled by this recognition and the honor conferred on MMBL by OICCI.

Friday, 4 February, 2022 | LAHORE

10 FOREIGN NEWS

US SAyS ISlAmIc STATE lEAdEr kIllEd In SyrIA rAId

T

AgeNcIes

HE leader of the Islamic State group died in a US special forces raid in northern Syria on Thursday when he detonated a bomb that killed him and family members, the US administration said.

Abu Ibrahim al-Hashemi alQuraishi had led the group since the death of its founder Abu Bakr alBaghdadi, who was also killed when he detonated explosives during a US raid in 2019.

“Thanks to the skill and bravery of our armed forces, we have taken off the battlefield … the leader of

ISIS. All Americans have returned safely from the operation,” US President Joe Biden said in a statement.

Quraishi had remained largely in the shadows since succeeding Baghdadi who led the group at the height of its self-declared caliphate, when it controlled swathes of Syria and Iraq and ruled over millions of people. Since its defeat on the battlefield nearly three years ago, the group has been waging attacks in Iraq and Syria. A senior US administration official told Reuters that Quraishi was killed in the raid.

“At the beginning of the operation the terrorist target exploded a bomb that killed him and members

of his own family, including women and children,” the official said.

Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby earlier described Thursday’s raid as a successful counter-terrorism mission, saying there were no US casualties.

Syrian rescue workers said at least 13 people including six children and four women were killed by clashes and explosions that erupted after the raid began, targeting a house in the Atmeh area near the Turkish border.

US military procedures to guard against civilian casualties are currently under scrutiny following a high-profile mistaken drone strike in

Afghanistan that the Pentagon initially hailed a success.

A number of militant groups with links to Al Qaeda operate in northwestern Syria, the last major bastion of rebels fighting President Bashar al-Assad in the decade-long Syrian war.

Leaders of the Islamic State group have also hidden out in the area.

Residents said helicopters landed and heavy gunfire and explosions were heard during the raid that began around midnight.

US forces used loud speakers to warn women and children to leave the area, they said.

Biden battles accusations of ‘weakness’ against US rivals AgeNcIes

Afghan Taliban closer to international recognition, claims foreign minister AFP The Taliban are inching closer towards international recognition but any concessions Afghanistan’s new rulers make will be on their terms, the regime’s foreign minister clamed in an interview with AFP. In his first interview since returning from talks with Western powers in Oslo, Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi also urged Washington to unlock Afghanistan’s assets to help ease a humanitarian crisis. No country has formally recognised the government installed after the Taliban seized power in August as US-led forces withdrew following a 20-year occupation. But Muttaqi told AFP late on Wednesday that Afghanistan’s new rulers were slowly gaining international acceptance. On the process of getting recognition … we have come closer to that goal,” he said. “That is our right, the right of the Afghans. We will continue our political struggle and efforts until we get our right.” The talks in Norway last month were the first involving the Taliban held on Western soil in decades. While Norway insisted the meeting was not intended to give the hardline group formal recognition, the Taliban have touted it as such. Muttaqi said his government was actively engaged with the international community — a clear indication, he insisted, of growing acceptance. “The international community wants to have interaction with us,” he said. “We have had good achievements in that.”

Under pressUre: Muttaqi said several countries were operating embassies in Kabul, with more expected to open soon. “We expect that the embassies of some of the European and Arab countries will open too,” he said. But Muttaqi said any concessions the Taliban made in areas such as human rights would be on their terms and not as a result of international pressure. “What we are doing in our country is not because we have to meet conditions, nor are we doing it under someone’s pressure,” he said. “We are doing it as per our plan and policy.” The Taliban have promised a softer version of the Islamic rule that characterised their first stint in power from 1996 until 2001. But the new regime has been swift to bar women from most government jobs and close the majority of girls’ secondary schools. Still, despite clear evidence to the contrary, Muttaqi insisted the new regime had not sacked any employees of the previous US-backed government. “None of the 500,000 employees of the previous regime, men or women, have been fired. They all are getting paid,” he said. But on the streets of Kabul and elsewhere in the country, thousands of people say they have lost their jobs or that they have not been paid for months.

Conditional aid: Long dependent on international aid, Afghanistan’s economic crisis has been made worse by Washington freezing nearly $10 billion in state assets held abroad. With poverty deepening and a drought devastating farming in many areas, the United Nations has warned that half of the country’s 38 million population faces food shortages this winter. Washington and much of the global community insist any financial aid is conditional on the Taliban improving their rights record — especially regarding women. The Taliban have forcefully dispersed women’s protests, detained critics and beaten Afghan journalists reporting on anti-regime rallies — something Muttaqi also denied. “Until now we have not arrested anyone who is against the ideology of this system or this government, and we have not harmed anyone,” he said.

Is Joe Biden “weak” in the face of Russia, Iran or North Korea? This is the accusation levelled by opponents of the US president, who is trying to balance a firm hand with pragmatism to overcome multiple international crises and focus on a rising China.

“Is it any surprise that Chinese planes are flying over Taiwan? Or that North Korea is testing missiles again? Or that Iran is ramping up its nuclear program?

They all sense Biden’s weakness,” Nikki Haley, who served as UN ambassador under Donald Trump, tweeted this week, summing up grievances of Republican hawks. The standoff with Russia over its buildup of troops on Ukraine’s borders fanned the flames of these accusations, which broke out in earnest amid the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan in late August.

The Democratic president may have adopted a martial tone, amped up warnings and even sent troops to Eastern Europe this week, but his resolve is being called into question. The Republican opposition, including its moderate fringe, have reproached Biden for ruling out preemptive sanctions against Moscow to discourage an attack on Ukraine. The choice is, in fact, in the hands of Biden’s administration, which is betting that the threat of “devastating” punitive measures in the event of an invasion will dissuade Russian President Vladimir Putin. Some of the most hawkish in Washington have criticised the president for ruling out the option of direct

military intervention to defend Ukraine.

But criticism came from many more corners when Biden made an apparent gaffe in mid-January.

The 79-year-old leader had sowed confusion by suggesting a “minor incursion” by Russia would prompt less pushback from the West, and indicated divisions between NATO countries on the scale of response that such an invasion would warrant.

Republican lawmakers quickly blasted Biden, accusing him of having tacitly “green-lighted” an invasion and forcing the White House to backpedal.

“It’s typical of Biden: he responds often more like an analyst than a president,” said Celia Belin, a re-

searcher at the Brookings Institution think tank in Washington.

She nonetheless deems the US handling of the Ukraine crisis effective so far.

But his analytical responses are “a mistake as a leader,” she said, especially as “Republicans harp on the idea of weakness because it resonates with the general perception of Biden as elderly, frail and not determined enough.” However, she underscored that this “trial of weakness” is typical of America, with a “constant” push and pull between a neoconservative bent toward the use of force to re-establish order and a camp that prefers to “choose its battles.”

For Kori Schake, Director of Foreign and Defense Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute, a right-leaning think tank, these disparities don’t negate that the US government is doing a “pretty good job balancing the competing demands” in the crisis.

US intelligence agencies quickly identified the “pattern of Russian aggression,” allies were consulted early enough to “come to consensus,” and the Pentagon has displayed “steadiness and readiness,” she told AFP. Biden entered the White House with a promise to US allies that “America is back,” indicating a willingness to seek compromise at the risk of giving an impression of hesitation. But this re-investment in the international arena, after the unilateralism of the Trump era, does not mean that Washington intends to play policeman everywhere at all times.

Armenia, Turkey resume first flights in two years IstANBuL AFP

Historic rivals Turkey and Armenia on Wednesday resumed their first commercial flights in two years as part of cautious efforts to warm their frozen ties.

Armenia and Turkey have no diplomatic relations, a closed land border and a deep-seated hostility rooted in the purported mass killing of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire during World War I. But in December, the two countries appointed special envoys to normalise relations, spurred by support from regional powerbroker Russia and Armenia’s arch-foe Azerbaijan. The push came a year after Azerbaijan used the help of Turkish combat drones to recapture most of the territory it lost to ethnic Armenians in a 1990s war in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. A Russianbrokered truce that ended the second conflict removed Turkey’s main objection to talking to Armenia — namely, Yerevan’s support for the local Nagorno-Karabakh government’s claim of independence from Azerbaijan.

The special envoys met in Moscow last month for a “constructive” first round of talks that skirted the issue of Turkey’s refusal to recognise the 1915-16 killings of more than a million Armenians as genocide.

The neighbours agreed to resume flights at around the same time. The first flight operated by the low-cost carrier FlyOne Armenia landed in a cold and drizzly Istanbul to a warm reception from airport officials, who welcomed passengers with flowers and chocolates.

“We think these flights are important for preserving ties between the Armenian community in Istanbul and Armenia,” FlyOne’s Armenia chief executive Aram Ananyan told reporters after disembarking the flight.

An overwhelming majority of the 50,00070,000 Armenians in Turkey live in Istanbul, a megalopolis of 16 million people. ‘positive bUt not revolUtionary’: A flight run by Turkey’s Pegasus Airlines took off from another Istanbul airport for Yerevan a few hours later, watched by a swarm of Turkish and

Azerbaijani reporters.

But an AFP reporter said some of the 100 or so ticketed passengers were turned away due to a lack of Armenian visas, which they had expected to purchase on arrival in Yerevan. “I see Armenia and Turkey as brothers: one part of our family is here as the other is in Armenia,” Turkish passenger Sezar Yilidirm said before boarding in Istanbul. Fellow traveller Narin Ayvazian, an Armenian living in Turkey, added: “I am sure that more good things will follow, God willing.” The budget Turkish airline will fly three flights to and from Yerevan a week. FlyOne plans two weekly return flights. Analysts called the resumption of flights a positive but cautious first step in the difficult journey of normalising relations.

“This is of course good news but it’s also just a restoration of a previous situation,” Thomas de Waal, a senior fellow at Carnegie Europe think-tank, told AFP. “The involvement of Pegasus, a regular Turkish carrier, rather than charter flights as previously is a positive step but not a revolutionary one,” he said.

“So though I welcome this very much I would hesitate to give it too much political significance,” said de Waal. The flights between the two capitals were interrupted when the low-cost Turkish company Atlasglobal, which had several flights per week, filed for bankruptcy in February 2020. Passengers were then forced to transit via Georgia. The land border between Turkey and Armenia has been closed since 1993, forcing trucks to travel through Georgia or Iran.

UAE says it blocked drone attack, little-known group claims responsibility ReuteRs The United Arab Emirates said it intercepted three drones that entered its airspace over unpopulated areas early on Wednesday in the fourth such attack on the Gulf commercial and tourism hub in the past few weeks. The first three assaults, including a missile attack on Monday during a visit by Israel’s president, were launched

by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis in an escalation with a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia and which includes the UAE. The Houthis have not yet announced a new operation and Wednesday’s drones attack was claimed by a little-known group calling itself the “True Promise Brigades”, according to US-based SITE Intelligence Group.

The group’s only other claim was in January 2021, when it said it launched a drone at Saudi Arabia, which is locked in several proxy conflicts with rival Iran, including in Yemen. The UAE defence ministry said it was “ready to deal with any threats” and was taking “all necessary measures” to protect the country which prizes its reputation as a safe business haven. On Tuesday, the United States said it was sending fighter jets to assist the UAE after the attacks, one of which was aimed at a base hosting US forces and followed a Jan. 17 strike that killed three people in Abu Dhabi. The unprecedented attacks on the US-allied country are an escalation in the seven-year Yemen war. The Houthis had focused on cross-border assaults at Saudi Arabia but extended them to the UAE last month after Emirati-backed local forces joined fighting against the group in energy-producing regions. If confirmed, the claim by the “True Promise Brigade” could indicate an upswing in violence involving militias seeking to help ally Iran oppose Western and Gulf Arab adversaries, according to some analysts.

Friday, 4 February, 2022 | LAHORE

MultaN SultaNS’ MaN-MouNtaiN tiM DaviD ShareS PSl exPerieNCe So far

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News Desk

INGAPOREAN cricketer Tim David, playing for Multan Sultans in the seventh edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), says the quality of batting and bowling as well as “high standards” in the PSL have made the tournament among the best in the globe.

David spoke about his performance with the bat as well as his extraordinary catch in the Sultans’ slim win over Quetta Gladiators.

The match between Multan Sultans and Quetta Gladiators on Jan 31 ended on the penultimate ball of the match, with the Gladiators needing seven off two, when

Nasim Shah, arriving at number 10, was caught by David at the square-leg boundary off David Willey.

The Singaporean had tossed the ball up after getting hold of it, stepped across the boundary line and then completed the catch to cap Multan’s third victory in a row. When questioned about the catch that caught everyone’s eye, David said that he was nervous of coming into contact with the rope but was still confident that the catch taken was clean.

Talking about his cricket journey, David said his father inspired him towards the sport and his love for the game has been relentless ever since.

David narrated that he grew up watching Australian greats such as Ricky Pointing, Adam Gilchrist and Shane

Warne.

He credited his success in the PSL to the team’s coach Andy Flower, captain Mohammad Rizwan and the team culture developed by the pair.

“Everyone is a team player and no one is here for individual success, which is the backbone of what we have achieved so far,” he explained.

David praised the leadership of Rizwan who he said has “infused his trust in the team and told the players to go out and enjoy it on the ground”.

When asked about one player whom he admires the most, he named pacer Shahnawaz Dahani whom he described as “full of life and a humble host”.

“Dahani is the one person who is a lot of fun and he

SPORTS 11

gets on well with everyone.”

He also expressed his love for scrumptious Pakistani food and said it was starkly different from what was generally available in Singapore — his home.

Hashim Amla praises Pakistan cricket team News Desk

Pat Cummins confirms most players comfortable with touring Pakistan News Desk Australia remain confident a near full-strength squad will tour Pakistan with only a few players still uncomfortable over security fears. Cricket Australia is happy with the pre-trip security briefing and expected to approve its first tour to the country in 24 years on Friday. Test captain Pat Cummins on Thursday confirmed most players were comfortable with the tour going ahead, while understanding and accepting a few may not make the trip. “I think we’ll get close to a full-strength squad,” Cummins said. “There is still a little bit of work to do. We have received a lot of information and it has been great. All the pre-tour security and biosecurity work has been done and it’s been fantastic. “There are a couple of players still keen to get a bit more information but everyone is really pumped and feeling relatively comfortable. If anyone doesn’t make the tour it is absolutely okay, we will back them for sure.,” he added. According to Australian media, the Aussies players are scheduled to leave the country in a little over three weeks, ahead of the first Test in Karachi from March 3 It must be noted that this will be Australia’s first tour of Pakistan since 1998. They will play three Tests, three ODIs and a T20I.

Nadal says 21 Grand Slams not enough in all-time record race sYDNeY ReuteRs

Australian Open champion Rafael Nadal said he would love to finish his career with more Grand Slam titles than rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic but thinks he will have to secure more than 21 to do so. Nadal fought back to beat Russian Daniil Medvedev in the final at Melbourne Park on Sunday to move one ahead of Federer and Djokovic and claim a men’s record 21st major title. “I have no idea what number of Grand Slams I will have,” Nadal told reporters at his academy in Mallorca. “I want to be the one with the most majors out of the three of us, I would love that, but I’m not obsessed, absolutely not.

Whatever comes is welcome and I don’t think 21 is enough, to be honest. But you never know what will happen in the future.” World number one Djokovic did not feature at the Australian Open after being deported from the country due to his Covid-19 vaccination status, while Federer was ruled out following a third knee surgery last year.

Nadal, who missed much of last season due to a niggling foot injury, added that it still hurts when he plays but his game was a higher level now.

“This (the win) has given me a huge boost of confidence to move forward,” said the Spaniard. “I have been able to enjoy the highest level of sport again, something that was very difficult to imagine a few weeks ago.”

Former South Africa batsman Hashim Amla has praised the Pakistan cricket team, describing the team as “talented, entertaining and a treat to watch”, Dawn reported on Thursday. According to the report, Amla said that Pakistan captain Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are “fantastic players”, adding that their partnership is a “major plus” for Pakistan cricket in all formats of the game.

He also praised the HBL Pakistan Super League’s standards, talent available on show and the quality of the bowling standard in the league’s 7th editiion.

“As always, the PSL will unearth a quality fast bowler from the young talent it is grooming,” he predicted.

Amla had played for South Africa in all three formats of the game. He had played 124 Test matches, 181 ODIs and 44 T20Is, scoring 9282, 8113, and 1277 runs respectively.

Figure skating: Germany’s Seegert out of teams event with Covid-19 BeIJING ReuteRs

Germany will compete without their figure skating pairs in the team event at the Olympics after Nolan Seegert tested positive for Covid-19 a second time and was isolating in a hotel, the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) said on Thursday.

Seegert was on the roster with partner Minerva Fabienne Hase for the team competition starting at the Beijing Games on Friday.

“Team Germany will compete in the team event but without the pair,” the DOSB said in an email to Reuters.

“This way, the other team members will test the ice in a competition and will get some experience before their individual events.”

Hase trained alone at a practice facility in Beijing on Thursday. She said they would have to wait and see

whether they could take part in the pairs event starting on February 18.

“Nolan is so far symptom-free,” Hase told reporters after her training session. “Of course, it was a shock for me as well. We were careful. I struggle a bit right now. I will try to get back on track in the next few days.”

The pair ranked third in the 2019/20 Grand Prix and fifth in the European Championships in 2020.

A number of athletes have been ruled out of the Feb. 4-20 Games after testing positive on arrival at the airport, while others who are asymptomatic are isolating.

Italian pair Rebecca Ghilardi and Filippo Ambrosini said they were sad to see competitors affected by the virus and were taking measures to prevent a similar ordeal from happening to them.

“It’s a hard situation,” Ghilardi said. “You try to be safe as much as you can. Since Christmas, we are in our bubble.”

Karel Fraeye sets NexGen Football Stars finale for Ireland’s Special One - Brian Kerr to select 20 European hopefuls kARACHI PRess Release

Global Soccer Ventures’ (GSV) national hunt for the 20 NexGen Football Stars finalists set for the national showdown at KPT Stadium on 5th February 2022 at 10am.

Karel Fraeye ran Pakistan’s biggest talent hunt drive under St Pat’s development plan in collaboration with Kamyab Jawan Program. GSV NexGen Football Stars trials has been delivered in 9 out of 10 cities successfully and include; Islamabad, Muzaffarabad, Peshawar, Sialkot, Multan, Sukkur, Quetta, Faisalabad, and Lahore. Now Karachi is in the spotlight with the arrival of Brian Kerr with his academy director Ger O Brian to oversee the grand finale selection of Pakistan’s emerging football gems. The trial are being held at KPT Football Stadium, Kharadar from February 3, 2022 to February 8, 2022. The raw talent is being evaluated under the direct supervision of UEFA licensed coaches including Karel Fraeye and Dennis Ricardo of Belgium and Marc Antonio of UK. Karel Fraeye, UEFA licensed coach said: “It was an amazing experience to talent ID some of Pakistan’s raw and young gems from across the country. There is no doubt that Pakistan has immense football potential, and I am sure the nation still has a lot of untapped talent”. Yasir Mehmood, Chairman of GSV said: “Now that the trials are finally coming to an end and I can’t wait to see these incredible players representing Pakistan on a professional level. I am really delighted that The NexGen soccer trials of GSV have led Pakistan's emerging talent to the right place in the football world”. Arslan Mushtaq, Director Operations of GSV said: “The trials demonstrate that Pakistanis' passion for football has no boundaries. GSV's NextGen Football Star trials have finally made young people's aspirations come true by giving them the chance to make their mark in Europe”. Brian Kerr has the challenge to drill down the super talented 20.

So far 61 players have been shortlisted; 13 from Islamabad, 3 from Muzaffarabad, 14 from Peshawar, 4 from Sialkot, 1 from Multan, 7 from Quetta, 8 from Faisalabad, 11 from Lahore, while the hopefuls from Karachi are still being talent ID’d. These players will then be gathered for the final showdown spread across 4 rounds of match play assessment out of which 20 emerging NexGen Football Stars will progress for the GSV’s Road to Europe international training programme which could result in a life changing career for some. A naturally gifted and raw player has been discovered thanks to the national talent hunt. The technical committee are keeping details of this football wonderkid off the record until St Pat’s team and Brian Kerr give their green light. The interested football enthusiasts are encouraged to join the trials through swift registration on GSV’s website or by visiting www.globalsoccerventures.com/#/players/register. As the final whistle on the NexGen Football Stars is to be blown the football fraternity of Pakistan awaits a nail biting outcome on 8th February who will be on the road to Europe to secure professional football opportunities in Ireland with St Pat’s.

Friday, 4 February, 2022

prayer tiMingS

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FAJR SUNRISE

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ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

5:31

12:16

4:02

6:54

5:40

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PM KHAn GIven red-CArPet reCePtIon In BeIjInG BEIJING

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Mian abrar

rime minister imran Khan landed in Beijing Thursday evening for a four-day official visit that will include attending the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics and meetings with the Chinese leadership.

Pm imran Khan was received by China’s Assistant minister for Foreign Affairs mr Wu Jianghao, Chinese Ambassador mr Wu Jie and Pakistani Ambassador moinul Haq. According to the Pm Office, the premier was “accorded a red carpet welcome” upon his arrival at the Beijing Capital international Airport.

Foreign minister Shah mahmood Qureshi, Finance minister Shaukat Tarin, and Planning and Development minister Asad Umar, information minister Chaudhry Fawad, National Security Advisor Dr moeed Yusuf, Advisor on Commerce Abdul razzaq Dawood and Special Assistant on China-

Pakistan economic Corridor Khalid mansoor are accompanying the premier.

Besides attending the ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, the prime minister is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang to discuss wide-ranging issues.

During the visit, a book titled “ChinaPakistan economic Corridor — investment Opportunities in Pakistan,” will be presented to Chinese President Xi Jinping, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and businessmen.

Prior to departure, the accompanying ministers termed the prime minister’s visit to China of great significance.

Fm Qureshi said Pm imran’s meeting with the Chinese leadership would focus on bilateral strategic partnership, regional matters, and peace and security in South Asia.

On the other hand, Finance minister Tarin said that the Pm would propose to the Chinese leadership to relocate their industry in Pakistan’s Special economic Zones for a win-win situation besides extending assistance in agriculture.

NSA moeed Yousaf said the visit would

IHC declares govt’s plot allotment scheme unconstitutional

provide an opportunity to discuss ways to improve peace in Afghanistan to end terrorism. Commerce Adviser Dawood said the meetings would focus on some areas of the free trade agreement and trade of cement, rice, fruit and vegetables.

‘Pakistan-China relations higher than the Himalayas’ Federal minister for information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain has said that Pm imran Khan’s China tour would further enhance the bilateral relations between islamabad and Beijing.

The statement came during a media briefing in islamabad on Thursday, ahead of Pm imran’s departure for China.

“Pakistan-China relations are deeper than the oceans and higher than the Himalayas,” the minister said.

Fawad went on to say that the premier will call on his Chinese counterpart and Chinese president. He will also hold meetings with the Chinese investors and businessmen on the sidelines of the tour.

He further stated that the prime minister’s visit would follow the arrival of more

Chinese businessmen in Pakistan to shift their industries here.

Pm imran’s visit was notified by the Foreign Office in a statement issued on Wednesday.

“Prime minister imran Khan will visit China from February 3-6 to attend the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games,” the FO said.

As a global event, the Olympic Games foster mutual understanding, inclusivity and friendship among the peoples of the world.

Beijing will soon become the first city to host both summer and winter editions of the Olympic Games. “it is highly admirable that the Chinese government has made meticulous arrangements for holding the Winter Olympic Games despite the COViD-19 pandemic,” according to the statement.

The FO said during the visit, the prime minister would hold bilateral meetings with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang. The leaders will review the entire gamut of bilateral relations, with a particular focus on stronger trade and economic coop-

eration including CPeC (China Pakistan economic Corridor),” it said.

A number of memoranda of Understandings (moUs) and agreements will be concluded during the visit. in Beijing, the prime minister will also meet prominent business leaders of China and representatives of leading Chinese think-tanks, academia and the media. He will also have other bilateral interactions on the sidelines. The two sides will also hold wide-ranging exchange of views on major regional and international issues.

The prime minister’s visit will mark the culmination of celebrations commemorating the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China, with more than 140 events organized to showcase the resilience of the All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership amidst the COViD-19 pandemic and the unfolding international situation. “it would thus renew the bilateral commitment to taking the iron-clad partnership between Pakistan and China to new heights and add impetus to cooperation across multiple domains,” the FO statement said.

AGP asks Punjab govt to examine Nawaz’s latest medical report NEwS dESk

ISLamaBad inp

The islamabad High Court (iHC) on Thursday declared allotment of plots to judges, bureaucrats and government employees unconstitutional.The court ruled that the scheme of allotting plots in sectors F-12, G12, F-14 and F-15 is unconstitutional, illegal and against public interest as state land is not for elites but for public. The ruling said judges, bureaucrats, and public office holders cannot pursue a policy of self-interest against the public interest, adding that the job of the jurists and bureaucrats is to serve people. The iHC said that the Federal Government employees Housing Authority (FGeHA) cannot design a scheme against the Constitution. The court directed the housing secretary to put its verdict before the federal cabinet within two weeks. The court also expressed hope that the cabinet and prime minister would devise a policy for the four sectors keeping in view the public interest.

Saudi oil facility worth $1.2bn to be operationalized Shahzad Paracha Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have agreed to operationalise the $1.2 billion Saudi oil facility at the earliest. According to details, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in islamabad Nawaf bin Saeed Al-malkiy called on the Federal minister for economic Affairs Omar Ayub Khan on Thursday.Both sides discussed ongoing development projects and new initiatives.

The minister appreciated Saudi Arabia’s support in the priority development areas. During the meeting, it was agreed to operationalize the Saudi oil facility at the earliest. earlier on November 29, 2021, a financing agreement worth $1.2 billion for import of petroleum products was signed between the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) and economic Affairs Division (eAD). As per the financing agreement, the SFD will extend financing facilities up to $100 million per month for one year for purchase of petroleum products on deferred payment basis. remaining work on development projects in the earthquake affected areas of Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) was also discussed during the meeting. Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) is providing financial assistance for various development projects in the areas of energy, health, education and infrastructure. most recently, the SFD has committed to provide financing for mohmand Dam Project, Shounter Hydropower Project, Jagran-iV Hydropower Project, Gravity Flow Water Scheme mansehra and Abbottabad-muzaffarabad road.

The Saudi ambassador assured the Pakistani side of continued support to further strengthen bilateral economic cooperation between the two countries.

Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Khalid Jawed Khan has sought a medical board’s opinion from the Punjab government on PmL-N supremo Nawaz Sharif’s health condition in light of fresh medical report submitted by him in the Lahore High Court (LHC), express Tribune reported on Thursday. earlier on Tuesday, Nawaz had submitted his three-page medical report prepared by Dr Fayaz Shawl in the LHC, which advises him against undertaking any travel “without undergoing a definitive treatment in London”. in the medical report, Dr Shawl had warned that “if he [Sharif] returns to solitary confinement, he may develop what we

call the takotsubo syndrome due to stressful environment” and it could have “devastating consequences”.

The AGP wrote a letter to the Punjab government, which had formed a medical board last month to examine the medical reports of Nawaz, and requested to examine the latest medical report of Nawaz to “evaluate given all the known and reported facts and public activities of Nawaz to form an opinion, if any, on this subject”.

“Once the expert medical opinion is available, this office shall proceed as per the order of the court,” the letter stated. in November 2019, Nawaz, who is convicted in a corruption case, had left the country after signing a court-approved undertaking, saying that he would return to the country within four weeks.

Video of Nawaz visiting faraway UK business ‘four-five months old’: son LONdON Staff report

An apparently leaked video showing “critically-ill” deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif visiting a local industrial unit in a northwestern town of england was “four to five months old”, his son told Geo News.

The video went viral on social media Wednesday, a day after Sharif’s counsel submitted to the Lahore High Court (LHC) a fresh medical report advising the Pakistan muslim LeagueNawaz (PmL-N) supreme leader against travel to Pakistan. it sparked a debate about Sharif’s health and strengthened the legitimacy of government claims that he’s only faking his illness to escape the trial in cor-

ruption cases against him. His detractors also called into question the credibility of the medical reports submitted to the courts since his departure in 2019. The video, accessed and shared by ArY News and not independently verified by Pakistan Today, showed Sharif, accompanied by his two sons and former finance minister ishaq Dar, visiting the different sections of the business — a factory — and apparently taking a briefing from the staff.

Speaking on Geo News programme Aaj Shahzaib Khanzada Kay Saath, Hussain Nawaz said: “i and Nawaz Sharif paid a visit to one of our acquaintances’ houses. Subsequently, he took us to see his factory.”

He also sought to clarify that due to coronavirus restrictions, businesses

across the UK were understaffed, implying that it, therefore, posed no threat to Sharif’s health.

Visiting a factory is not a sin and Sharif went out [of his home] for just two hours, Nawaz added.

According to ArY News, the business is located in Nelson, a town in the Borough of Pendle in Lancashire, some 245 miles (394 kilometres) away from the former prime minister’s notorious Avenfield House residence in Central London. The government did not contact the Sharif family in London to inquire about Sharif’s health condition, he claimed. Nawaz said Sharif was undergoing medical treatment in London which he said will finish only after his doctors will find improvement in his condition.

Pakistan’s efforts to strengthen economic resilience lauded by IMF Shahzad Paracha The international monetary Fund (imF) has welcomed Pakistan’s recent policy measures aimed at strengthening economic resilience.

The imF in a statement stated that its executive Board concluded the 2021 article iV consultation and the sixth review of the extended arrangement under the extended Fund Facility (eFF) for Pakistan. The completion of the review allows the authorities to draw the equivalent of SDr 750 million (about $1 billion), bringing total purchases for

budget support under the program to SDr 2,144 million (about $3 billion).

The program aims to support Pakistan’s policies to help the economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, ensure macroeconomic as well as debt sustainability and advance structural reforms to lay the foundations for strong, jobrich, and long-lasting growth that benefits all Pakistanis.

Pakistan entered the Covid-19 pandemic with strengthened buffers, following the approved eFF program. A strong economic recovery has gained hold since summer 2020, benefiting from the au-

thorities’ multifaceted policy response to the unprecedented shock. At the same time, external pressures also started to emerge in 2021, including a widening current account deficit and depreciation pressures on the exchange rate which also reinforced domestic price pressures.

The recent policy adjustments were appropriate to address these challenges and maintain economic stability. The economy is set to continue recovering in FY2022, with real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth projected at 4 per cent, while inflation is expected to pick up this year before gradually slowing down.

Cabinet committee to give recommendations regarding audit of regulatory authorities by AGP ahmad ahmadaNI The cabinet committee will submit its recommendations before the federal cabinet regarding the extent and nature of the annual audit of regulatory authorities to be conducted by the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP). According to sources, regulatory authorities functioning under the cabinet division and the office of the AGP are not on one page regarding the extent and nature of the annual audit to be conducted by the AGP. “The cabinet committee is likely to submit its recommendations regarding the audit of regulatory authorities by the AGP,” said sources. The regulatory authorities, in view of the constitutional stipulations and their particular enactments, believe that the AGP can conduct audits of their accounts only and not of their regulatory functions or their performance. However, the AGP insists on its broader role in the scheme of audit.

According to sources the ministry of Law and Justice in its opinion regarding scope of the audit

by AGP with regard to regulatory authorities already concluded that “the AGP can only conduct audit of accounts and also determine the nature of extent of such audit of accounts”. However, later the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) decided that the jurisdiction of the AGP and consequential oversight jurisdiction of the parliament cannot be restricted to accounts only by excluding the performance of the authorities or bodies established by or under the control of the federal government particularly when they impact public interest and involve public finances. The Attorney General for Pakistan (AGFP) while giving opinion on the issue had already opined that “the audit of (i) economy of administrative activities; (ii) efficiency of utilisation of human, financial and other resources; and (iii) effectiveness of performance was beyond the scope of the AGP.

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