Epaper – February 28-2022 LHR

Monday, 28 February, 2022 I 26 Rajab, 1443 I Rs 40.00 I Vol XII No 241 I 52 Pages I Lahore Edition

PM reaffirMS ‘unwavering coMMitMent’ to nationaL Security

NEws DEsk

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RiMe Minister imran khan on the third anniversary of operation swift Retort, stated that pakistan was “resolute and unwavering” in its commitment to national security. “i have always believed in conflict resolution through dialogue and diplomacy. that should never be taken as a sign of weakness,” the premier said on twitter. “as we showed india on feb 27, 2019, when it chose to attack us, our armed forces backed by the nation will respond to military aggression and prevail at all levels,” he added. “we are resolute and unwavering in our commitment to the security of our country and our nation,” he said. inter-services public Relations (ispR) director general Maj gen Babar iftikhar said today marked the third anniversary of operation swift Retort when pakistan’s armed forces gave a befitting response to “indian failed misadventure”. “achievements of paf in shooting down two indian fighter ac, detection of indian submarine at sea by pak navy and resounding response at line of control by pak army are [a] testament to professionalism and de-

termination of pakistan armed forces for [the] defence of [the] motherland,” he said. “not just weapons or numbers, but [the] resolve of a nation and [the] operational preparedness of armed forces defines success in face of adversity,” he concluded. it is pertinent to note that on february 27, 2019, the pakistan air force (paf) had shot down two indian planes that had violated pakistani airspace. one of the indian pilots was captured by pakistan, but was later handed over as a gesture of peace. the epicentre of the pakistan-india escalation was an attack in occupied kashmir’s pulwama on feb 14, 2019, in which more than 40 indian paramilitary soldiers were killed. the attack, surpassing one in 2016 when 19 soldiers died, saw explosives packed inside a van rip through buses in a convoy of 78 vehicles carrying some 2,500 members of the paramilitary central Reserve police force. two blue buses carrying around 35 people each bore the brunt of the explosion around 20 kilometres from the main city of srinagar on the main highway towards Jammu. the next day, indian prime Minister narendra Modi said his country would give a “strong response” to the pulwama attack.

coronaviruS in

PakiStan

CONFIRMED CASES:

1,508,504

the “blood of the people is boiling” and forces behind the act of terrorism will be definitely be punished, he stated.

Modi didn’t name pakistan but went on to say: “if our neighbour, which is totally isolated in the world and thinks it can destabilise india through its tactics and conspiracies, then it is making a huge mistake”. the situation heated up when indian military planes violated the line of control, intruding from the Muzaffarabad sector. “pakistan air force immediately scrambled” and indian aircraft went back, the ispR had said in a statement. the intrusion in pakistani airspace by indian air force (iaf) aircraft had happened for a second consecutive day, as one of its planes had to release payloads in the Balakot area while being chased away in the early hours of the day. the pakistan military spokesman had then promised “surprise” for india in response to the iaf aggression. a day later, the iaf jets entered pakistani airspace after the paf strikes on the other side of the loc from pakistani airspace for, what the foreign office and army had described as, a demonstration of pakistan’s “right, will and capability for self-defence”. the paf strikes across the loc were first announced by then fo spokesman dr Mohammad faisal via a tweet. “paf undertook strikes across loc from pakistani airspace. the sole purpose of this action was to demonstrate our right, will and capability for self-defence. we do not wish to escalate but are fully prepared if forced into that paradigm,” he had tweeted. shortly afterwards, the then pakistan military spokesman Maj gen asif ghafoor announced the shooting down of iaf aircraft. he had tweeted, “iaf crossed loc” after the paf strikes in india-occupied kashmir (iok). “paf shot down two indian aircraft inside pakistani airspace. one of the aircraft fell inside aJk while the other fell inside iok. one indian pilot arrested by troops on the ground while two in the area,” he had stated.

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NEW CASES:

20

847

RECOVERED:

DEATHS:

1,441,528 30,173 SINDH:

PUNJAB:

567,309

501,108

KPK:

BALOCHISTAN:

216,051

35,325

AJK/GB:

ISLAMABAD:

42,946/11,473

134,292

shaheen shah afRidi youngest captain to win psl tRophy LAHORE Staff RepoRt

lahore Qalandars sunday thrashed Multan sultans by 42 runs in the hBl psl final to claim their first pakistan super league (psl) in seven editions. the sultans got off to a bad start in their 181-run chase as their top order was demolished early on and failed to deliver. Mohammad Rizwan was dismissed for 14, shan Masood 19, and aamer azmat 6. the Qalandars’ bowlers were impressive as shaheen afridi picked up three wickets, Mohammad hafeez and Zaman khan two each, and haris Rauf and david wiese one each. earlier, lahore Qalandars had handed a 181-run target to Multan sultans. lahore, after electing to bat first, got off to the worst possible start as they were reduced to 25-3 in 4.2 overs. the in-form fakhar Zaman was removed for just three runs by asif afridi with shahnawaz dahani taking a great catch, while abdullah shafique was also removed by asif. after that, Mohammad hafeez showed his experience and class as he steered the ship for lahore by playing sensibly. with kamran ghulam, he forged an important 54-run partnership to steer the inning. hafeez took the attacking mode as he went after the opponent bowlers, and was finally removed for 69 runs by dahani. he scored those runs off 46 balls with one six and nine fours. after, his dismissal harry Brook and david wiese registered a 43-run stand in just 2.4 overs as they went rampant against the Multan bowlers. wiese remained not out for 28 runs off just eight balls with three sixes, while Brook scored 41 runs off 22 balls. in terms of bowling for Multan, asif was the stand out bowler with brilliant figures of 3-19 in four overs, while leggie imran tahir gave away just 22 runs in a wicket-less four-over spell. dahani went to the cleaners in the late overs as he ended with figures of 1-34 in three overs. Rumman Raees conceded 35 runs in just two overs. shaheen shah afridi youngest captain to win psl trophy shaheen shah afridi, who was impressive throughout the pakistan super league (psl) achieved a tournament record as he led lahore Qalandars to their maiden victory. the 21-year-old became the youngest captain to lift the psl trophy as lahore handed Multan sultans a 42-run defeat at the gaddafi stadium.

Russian foRces enteR ukRaine's second city, gas pipelines explode agencieS

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

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Ukraine and Russia agree to talks without preconditions: President Zelenskiy LVIV/UkRAINE

LAST UPDATED AT 7:32 AM ON FEBRUARY 27, 2022

Lahore Qalandars thrash Multan Sultans to claim maiden PSL trophy

ukrainian and Russian officials will meet for talks at a venue on the Belarusian border with ukraine, president Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s office said on sunday. the talks, the first since Russia unleashed a full scale invasion of ukraine last week, would be held without preconditions and are the result of a phone call between Zelenskiy and the Belarusian president, Zelenskiy said. “we agreed that the ukrainian delegation would meet with the Russian delegation without preconditions on the ukrainian-Belarusian border, near the pripyat River,” he said in a statement.

Meanwhile, ukraine’s foreign minister said that Russia dropped its preconditions for talks after suffering military setbacks, adding that ukraine would attend the talks to listen to what Russia had to say. dmytro kuleba also told a briefing that Russian president Vladimir putin’s move to put nuclear forces on high alert was aimed to put pressure on ukraine during the negotiations.

Russian forces enter ukraine’s second city, gas pipelines explode Russian military vehicles pushed into ukraine’s second-largest city on sunday and explosions rocked oil and gas installations on a fourth day of fighting in the biggest assault on a european state since world war two. Russian soldiers and armoured vehicles were seen in

different parts of the northeastern city of kharkiv and firing could be heard, a witness said. a burning tank was visible in a video posted by the government.

Russian troops blew up a natural gas pipeline in kharkiv before daybreak, a ukrainian state agency said, sending a burning cloud up into the darkness. “the Russian enemy’s light vehicles have broken into kharkiv, including the city centre,” regional governor oleh sinegubov said. “ukraine’s armed forces are destroying the enemy. we ask civilians not to go out.” ukraine’s western allies ratcheted up their response to Russia’s land, sea and air invasion late on saturday with sanctions to banish major Russian banks from the main global payments system and other measures aimed at limiting Moscow’s use of a $630 million war chest of central bank reserves. More than 368,000 refugees, mainly women and children, have poured into neighbouring countries, clogging railways, roads and borders since Russian president Vladimir putin, 69, unleashed what he called a special military operation on thursday. ignoring weeks of frantic diplomacy and sanctions threats by western nations seeking to avoid war, putin has justified the invasion saying “neonazis” rule ukraine and threaten Russia’s security – a charge kyiv and western governments say is baseless propaganda.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

MORE INSIDE

PSX may remain range-bound after 2,100 points fall in fortnight STORY ON PAGE 02

Bilawal takes a jibe at pM imran as ppp’s long march to the capital begins STORY ON PAGE 02 IN TODAY S ISSUE

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Monday, 28 February, 2022 | LAHORE

NEWS

PSX may remain range-Bound after 2,100 PointS fall in fortnight KARACHI

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Staff RepoRt

FTER closing the second consecutive week in the red territory and shedding over 2,100 points in the last fortnight, the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) is likely to have range-bound activity in the week starting today (Monday).

Last week proved to be the worst out of the previous 12 weeks for the PSX amid Russia-Ukraine war, widening of current account deficit to historic levels, rollover week, and political uncertainty. Surging crude oil and commodity prices rattled the financial and equity markets across the globe, and dented the investors’ confidence in the local bourse. However, strong financial results helped the bourse trim some of the losses.

The benchmark KSE-100 Index shed 1,691.63 points (-3.7 percent) to settle at the 43,984.2 level. The KSE-30 Index shed 712.87 points (-4 percent) to close at 17,091.06 points. All share average traded volume during the week surged 20 percent to 229 million shares/day as against 191

million shares a day traded in the preceding week. However, average daily traded value went down 29 percent on a week-on-week basis to $38 million.

In terms of sectors, negative contributions came from technology and communication with 342 points, followed by commercial banks (243 points), cement (222 points), oil and gas exploration companies (146 points) and fertilizer (127 points). The most points taken off the index were by TRG Pakistan (201 points), Lucky Cement (133 points), Systems Limited (109 points), HBL (100 points) and Pakistan Petroleum (76 points).

The sectors taking the index towards north were automobile assembler (18 points), real estate investment trust (10 points) and tobacco (9 points). The scrip wise positive contribution came from UBL (46 points), Millat Tractors (23 points) and Habib Metropolitan Bank (16 points).

Foreign selling continued this week, clocking in at $3.2 million compared to a net sell of $1.97 million last week. Major selling was witnessed in cement ($2.1 million) and technology ($1.7 million). On the local front, buying was reported by banks ($0.6 million)

KP to set up check posts to protect cattle from diseases

followed by all other sectors ($0.5 million).

The analysts said that Russian President Putin ordered a military operation where forces launched a full invasion in Ukraine on Thursday, resulting in a bloodbath session in the global and domestic markets, as well.

Moreover, uncertainty floated on the local political front as opposition seems in the process of securing the number to oust the prime minister in a no-confidence motion, which lowered the investors’ sentiment.

Additionally, the geopolitical uncertainty lifted the international commodities prices to report at record high levels, which further threatened the bourses throughout the week.

Going forward, they expect the market will remain range-bound.

They said that Pakistan’s energy import bill is expected to surge to $20 billion in FY22 because of elevated oil and gas prices.

On an average, Pakistan imports around 15 million barrels of both crude and refined fuel each month, suggesting a $10/barrel increase in oil prices would enhance Pakistan’s monthly import bill by $150 million.

Moreover, Pakistan’s increasing reliance on re-gasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) is expected to exert additional strain on the

PESHAWAR

ISLAMABAD tLtp

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will establish 20 check posts in tribal districts to prevent spread of foot and mouth disease (FMD) and peste des petits ruminants (PPR) diseases in cattle. The spokesman for the KP Agriculture and Livestock Department said this in a statement on Sunday, adding the check posts will help enhance the production of meat and its export. The initiative is part of the Prime Minister’s Agriculture Transformation Plan and is being implemented in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said the provincial government has launched a Rs1 billion programme for the prevention of deadly diseases in livestock to enhance the production of quality meat and then export it to earn foreign exchange. Through check posts, the provincial government will monitor the transportation of cattle and besides registration they would also be administered anti-germs medicines and injections against FMD and PPR. Hundred percent cattle would be vaccinated against PPR and 350,000 against FMD, he added. Besides, reporting disease outbreaks each year and after three years steps would also be taken for establishing disease free zones to attract investors towards secured investment and encourage the production of quality meat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa particularly in the newly merged districts to help promote business activities in the province.

The federal labour court has reinstated the services of an employee of Habib Bank Limited (HBL) who was dismissed illegally under the charges of misconduct when he was falsely implicated in a criminal case.

Advocate Umer Gilani had invoked the jurisdiction of National Industrial Relation Commission (NIRC) Islamabad on behalf of his client Syed Arif Bacha, a cashier of the bank in Swabi, who was falsely implicated in a murder charge on July 01,2014 whereas the main target of the first information report was the brother of the appellant.

Trial court exonerated Bacha and he was released from jail on June 21,2019.

The court acquitted Bacha on the basis of a compromise between the parties.

Soon after his acquittal, Bacha sent a grievance notice to the HBL which failed to provide any relief. Finally, he

QUETTA Staff RepoRt

Chaman-Spin Boldak crossing, a key border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan, was reopened on Sunday after three-day closure. “The border has reopened for all sorts of activities,” a spokesman for Pakistan’s paramilitary border force told a foreign news agency. A security source said it came after “successful talks” between Pakistani officials and the governor of Afghanistan’s Kandahar province. Mahmood Azaam, spokesman for the governor, confirmed the crossing has been reopened. Thousands usually cross every day, including traders, Afghans seeking medical treatment in Pakistan, and people visiting relatives.

Since the Taliban returned to power last year, border tensions between the neighbours have risen, with Pakistan alleging militant groups were planning attacks from Afghan soil. The Taliban deny harbouring Pakistani militants, but are also infuriated by a fence Islamabad is erecting along their 2,700-kilometer (1,600-mile) border, drawn up in colonial times and known as the Durand Line.

considerably impact the country’s inflationary outlook, particularly after the second-round effects of inflation materialise.

NIRC reinstates bank cashier dismissed on unfair labour practices

Staff RepoRt

Chaman-Spin Boldak border crossing reopened after three days

country’s finances, as both oil prices and RLNG spot prices climb further. They warned that higher oil prices could

filed a grievance petition on 21st August 21, 2021 before the NIRC Bench in Peshawar in the matter. However, the single-member bench of the NIRC Peshawar dismissed the petition.

Consequently, Gilani challenged the NIRC single-member bench’s decision before a three-member bench of the NIRC Islamabad saying Bacha was wrongfully terminated in circumstances which reflect nothing but cruel treatment and unfair labour practices.

Appearing before the three-member

bench comprising Noor Zaman, Mukhtar and Abdul Qayum Khan in the matter, Gilani submitted that from July 02,2014, since his client was in confinement, an inquiry officer of the HBL framed two charges against Bacha that he had committed misconduct by continued unauthorised absence for more than 10 days.

He further informed the bench the bank alleged that Bacha was causing a reputational risk to the bank due to his involvement in the case. Gilani further

submitted that as a result of the inquiry his client’s employment was dismissed on the basis of both the charges on July 30, 2015.

After hearing arguments of the counsel in the matter, member of the NIRC Noor Zaman authored the verdict saying, “When Bacha was in custody and beyond his control, how could he attend office and how can it be said unauthorised absence. Conducting departmental enquiry in such a situation is just formality and nothing else”.

The bench said in its order, ” In view of the facts and law position the appeal is allowed, however, as the appellant has not performed duties of the bank due to imprisonment in criminal case and not due to any action of the bank, therefore, he is allowed back benefits from the date of grievance notice and not from the date of dismissal.” It has been stated in the order that period from the date of dismissal to date of grievance notice by Bacha to be treated as leave due.

Oil records weekly gains despite receding to below $100 mark ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Crude oil futures surged on a week-onweek (WoW) basis after registering a minor dip in the preceding week.

Both global benchmarks – Brent and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) – have recorded an increase in nine out of the last 10 weeks. However, major oil benchmarks of Opec+, including Opec Basket, Arab Light and Russian Sokol, are keeping the bullish bias intact and closed the 10th straight week on a positive note.

Oil prices receded to below $100 a barrel at the end of trading on Friday after breaching the psychological level to reach prices not seen since 2014.

Brent, the international benchmark for two-thirds of the world’s oil, and West Texas Intermediate (WTI), the main oil benchmark for North America, edged higher by $4.39 (+4.69 percent) to $97.93 from $93.54 and $0.52 (+0.57 percent) to $91.59 from $91.07, respectively, on WoW basis.

The price for Opec Basket surged to $101.22 from $95.32 on a week-onweek basis, showing an increase of 6.19 percent. Similarly, Arab Light price went

up 6.68 percent to $97.61 from $91.50 a barrel and the price of Russian Sokol surged 5.28 percent to $99.31 from $94.33 on WoW basis.

During the last week, after soaring above $105 on Thursday, oil prices weakened after various punitive measures announced by the US and its European allies against Russia for its military offensive in Ukraine, fell short

of targeting Moscow’s energy industry.

The measures include limiting Russia’s ability to do business in dollars, euros, pounds, and yen, while 27 EU members also moved to freeze Russian assets and deny banks access to the bloc’s financial markets. On Saturday, Washington and EU allies agreed to block certain Russian lenders from the Swift payments network to ensure that these banks are

disconnected from the international financial system and to harm their ability to operate globally.

Notably, the US and EU have not placed sanctions on Russia’s energy and commodity industries, which are integral to the global economy. That eased market concerns as Russia is among the world’s biggest producers of oil and natural gas, in addition to nickel, aluminium, palladium, cobalt, copper, wheat and barley.

The risk of more restrictions being placed on energy supplies from Russia is likely to make crude oil prices volatile over the next few weeks.

However, if a nuclear deal with Iran is reached, it would provide additional supply to the world markets and could help ease the energy crisis and pull the energy prices lower. The US Energy Information Administration estimates that Iran’s production could return to full capacity, at 3.8 million barrels per day, if Washington lifts the sanctions.

Opec+ will meet this week to decide future production cuts. The group had decided to add 400,000 barrels of oil per day to the market in March as demand continues to pick up amid the global economic recovery.

Monday, 28 February, 2022 | LAHORE

Pak, afghan commerce ministers meet today as trade shrinks ISLAMABAD

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Staff RepoRt

HE commerce authorities from Pakistan and Afghanistan are set to meet today (Monday) to fix trade related issues. A high-powered delegation led by Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce, Textile, Industry and Production, and Investment, Abdul Razak Dawood, accompanied by Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq, is scheduled to meet Afghan Minister of Commerce and his team at Torkham border on Monday. This was informed during the meeting of the Afghanistan Inter-Ministerial Coordination Cell (AICC), said a press release issued here.

The two delegations will visit the Torkham border to witness cross border movement of pedestrians and vehicles. The scheduled meeting will discuss various important matters related to the smooth movement of people and patients across the border, issuance of temporary admission documents, increase in timings of border crossing points, the establishment of joint border infrastructure, training of Afghan nominees for trade-related capacity building courses and smooth crossing of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.

The time frame for re-initiating the stalled Torkham-Jalalabad road project and the start of the luxury bus service between Peshawar-Jalalabad and Quetta-Kandahar will also be part of the discussion.

Prime Minister Imran Khan has announced an Rs5 billion package to assist Afghanistan in addressing the impending humanitarian and economic crisis. Under the package, several initiatives have been taken by AICC including the supply of lifesaving medicines and technical assistance for restoration and functioning of hospitals. In addition to the PM’s Relief Package, Pakistan is also sending relief goods and food supplies to Afghanistan on a daily basis.

Recently, a delegation of Afghan Chambers also visited Pakistan and held discussions with the business community to explore trade opportunities between the two countries.

Meanwhile, a report of the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI) has expressed serious concerns over the “shrinking” trade volume from $2.5 billion to $1 billion between the two countries.

“Lack of business-friendly policies, absence of proper barter trade mechanisms, ineffective investment and joint venture policies apart from unnecessary

pressure and action by the FIA and FBR are the main factors that reduced the trade volume,” the report submitted to a committee on Afghanistan, headed by National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, said.

It stated that in the absence of an operational banking structure in Afghanistan, banks refused to process third-party payments which hindered international transactions. In addition, imposition of duties, fiscal reforms, double taxation, and unilateral imposition of duties and taxes by either government also affected the trade.

“The trade volume decreased due to the unregulated movement of goods, the need for unnecessary documents, difficult security checks, and poor transit facilities in both countries.”

PAJCCI Chairman Zubair Motiwala said, “The trade volume between the two countries should reach $5 billion, but due to the absence of a banking system in Afghanistan, payments through third countries are not possible.” He added that the government has not yet facilitated trade in rupees with Afghanistan whereas barter trade is also not allowed. It is, however, pertinent to mention that, at the same time, opportunities have arisen for other countries, including Iran, to expand their business activities in the Afghan market.

Development projects worth Rs.1b completed in NA-130, PP-160: Mian Mahmood ur Rasheed LAHORE Staff RepoRt

Punjab Minister for Local Government and Community Development Department Mian Mahmood ur Rasheed has said that public welfare development projects worth over Rs.1 billion have been completed in Allama Iqbal Town in the constituency of Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood NA-130 and his constituency PP-160 during the last two years.

These include sewerage, water supply, gas pipeline, construction, repair and carpeting of roads, streets, and installation of street lights, he added.

Giving details in this regard, the provincial minister

said that numerous public welfare development projects were completed in Karim Block, Neelam Block, Badar Block, Nishtar Block, Shah Kamal, Fatehabad, Bhikewal, Ichhra, Kamboh Colony, Ganj Bakhsh Road, Shah Jamal Road, Union Parks and other areas of Allama Iqbal Town. While the ongoing projects will be completed as soon as possible.

Mian Mahmood ur Rasheed said that in PP-160, efforts are being made to provide more civic amenities to the residents. According to the vision of the Prime Minister and Chief Minister of Punjab, providing basic facilities to the people is our mission.

Providing basic services to the people is one of the top priorities of the PTI government, he added.

JI continues campaign to drum up support for Karachi Rights Caravan KARACHI Staff RepoRt

The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), in connection with the Karachi Rights Movement, continues its door to door campaign to drum up support for the upcoming Karachi Rights Caravans to be taken out all across the city.

The caravans will be taken out on daily basis at one after another area of the

megalopolis. The activity will be started in the first week of March.

For the past several days, JI workers have been approaching people across the city to update them in connection with the JI’s Karachi Rights Movement and to invite them to the caravans.

Meanwhile, protest demonstrations were held across the city, demanding the provincial government to curb the rising and

Govt may build strategic reserves of sugar to avoid price hike in future ISLAMABAD ahmad ahmadani

In a bid to avoid price variation/hike in the future, the federal and provincial governments of Sindh and Punjab are likely to purchase 0.50 million metric ton of sugar from sugar mills from February to June 2022.

According to sources, the government is all set to build strategic reserves of sugar to avoid import of sugar at expensive rates from the international market.

And, for this, the federal government will purchase 0.300 million metric ton (MMT) of sugar while provincial governments of Sindh/Punjab will purchase 0.200 MMT from the sugar mills in current crop year when the prices will be at low rates in the local market.

As per details, National Price Monitoring Committee (NPMC) in its meetings held on December 15, 2021 and 22nd December, 2021 directed the ministry of industries and production to build the strategic reserves of sugar to avoid price variation/hike in future by procurement from local producers at the most suitable rates.

The Sugar Advisory Board (SAB) meeting was conducted dated 29-12-2021 to review the sugar produced and estimation of sugar produced during this crushing year.

And, the Agriculture Policy Institute (API) under the Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MNFS&R) informed that due to bumper crop of sugarcane, it is anticipated that sugar around 7.04 Million Tons will be available during this crushing year i-e 2021-2022. This corroborated well with estimation of Cane Commissioners of the provinces, whose estimates hover around 6.353 million tons for this crushing year.

Keeping in view of uncertainty of consumption pattern of sugar, it was decided in the SAB meeting held on 29th December 2021 to take increased estimates of annual consumption of sugar from 5.80 million metric tons (as was determined in the SAB meeting held in December 2020) to 6.30 million tons for this crushing season).

It was also decided that reserve stocks of sugar may be maintained by the government by purchasing sugar in phased manner. From local sources instead of lifting the entire quantities in lumps sum and escalating the local prices. This will additionally help government to avoid import of sugar at expansive rates from the international markets, said sources.

As per the sources, it was proposed that upto 0.300 million metric ton sugar (which is for two months household consumption) should be

deadly street crimes.

Addressing the demonstrations, the JI leaders demanded of the government to ensure proper and sufficient deployment of law enforcement officers to curb the crime instead of deploying them for protocol duties.

The JI leaders also condemned the PTI and the MQM for their contribution in ruining the city.

purchased by the federal government whereas the provincial governments of Sindh/Punjab may be advised to purchase 0.200 million metric tons of sugar for strategic reserves from sugar mills in current bumper crop year.

Further this local purchase of sugar may be done when the prices are lower in the local market (i-e from February 2022 till June 2022).

The purchase of sugar may be made in phased manner so as not to interfere with market forces.

Further, this sugar should be purchased in following manner: Up to 0.150 million metric tons of (Granular sugar used by domestic consumer as per PSQCA standards) to be purchased by PASSCO and upto 0.150 million metric tons will be purchased by TCP. The sugar purchased from local sources by PASSCO and TCP will be kept in government warehouses of these organizations. iii. The purchased/stored sugar will be released as per terms and conditions on the directions of federal cabinet’s economic coordination committee (ECC).

The purchase of the upto 0.300 million metric tons of sugar will be financed by finance division and purchase of sugar will be done through standards procedure of commodity financing.

Similar advisory may be issued to the Punjab and Sindh by Ministry of Industries and Production.

It is also learnt from sources that both National Food Security and Research and Commerce Division have been found reluctant to store sugar in the respective departments.

NEWS

03

agP inaugurates 3-week int’l intensive training Program in Performance auditing LAHORE Staff RepoRt

The Auditor General of Pakistan Muhammad Ajmal Gondal on Sunday inaugurated three-week International Intensive Training Program in Performance Auditing (107-ITP) As many as 47 Auditors from 14 Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) of Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, China, Iran, Kyrgyz Republic, Liberia, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand and Turkey are participating in this training. Auditor General of Pakistan welcomed the participants and said that ITP in Performance Auditing was pioneered in 1981 and its continuation till date not only validates the ever increasing importance of performance audit, but also the dedication and hard work of the management of PAW to materialize it. Ajmal Gondal said, “I take pride in international recognition of the PAW for its commitment and professional approach in imparting training.

However, the Performance Audit over the years has attained more importance and become a large scale and a distinct practice”. He said Performance Auditing gives the auditor an opportunity to go beyond traditional compliance issues and enable him to examine performance of the executive in a wider context. It is a modern, challenging and fascinating form of audit that requires specialized skills and standards, he added. While addressing the participants of 14 countries via Zoom, Director General Performance Audit Wing Sami Ullah Teepu reiterated the vision of Auditor General of Pakistan and said that legislature and other stake holders demand multidimensional view of things to ensure transparency and accountability in public sector. He said, “Today audit managers have to look beyond compliance issues and learn new techniques and tools in order to fulfil the demand of changing times. The purpose of the program is to enhance the analytical skills of audit managers of the SAIs to equip the participants with analytical tools & techniques and to enhance their professional knowledge &capabilities in the regime of performance auditing.” The Director General Performance Audit Wing apprised the foreign participants that SAI Pakistan has been organizing this intensive training Programme since four decades for sister SAIs. He told the participants that we are working in challenging environment and our job demands utmost proficiency and dedication. The commitment and appropriate knowledge and skill can lead auditor and audit both in the right direction, to serve the common cause of acquiring and utilizing the state resources efficiently and effectively. This will go a long way in improving the governance & better service delivery as expected by the stakeholders, he concluded.

Monday, 28 February, 2022 | LAHORE

04 NEWS

GilmoRe assURes GoveRnoR PUnjab of fUll sUPPoRT in exTension of GsP PlUs sTaTUs LAHORe

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Staff RepoRt

overnor Punjab Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar was called on by the Special Representative of the European Union for Human Rights Eamon Gilmore and a five-member delegation including EU Ambassador to Pakistan.

The EU Special Representative and EU ambassador assured Pakistan of their full support in the extension of GSP Plus status for Pakistan and the EU Special Representative also commended Pakistan’s efforts for protection minorities in Pakistan. According to details, EU Special Representative Eamon Gilmore along with EU Ambassador to Pakistan Androulla Kaminara and others called on Governor Punjab Chaudhry Mohammad Sar-

war at Governor House Lahore.

During the meeting, matters regarding bilateral ties between Pakistan and EU, trade promotion and the extension of GSP Plus status were discussed. Eamon Gilmore expressed confidence in the government’s efforts to protect human rights in Pakistan, and Governor Punjab also spoke about the realities of atrocities against minorities in India. He called on the EU Special Representative to take notice of the atrocities committed against Kashmiris and Indian minorities.

During the meeting, Governor Punjab Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar thanked the representatives of the European Union for supporting Pakistan for the extension of GSP Plus status and said that due to GSP Plus our exports have doubled since 2014. And Pakistan got the profit of more than 20 billion dollars. He further said

that the European Union is Pakistan’s main trading partner. GSP Plus status plays a vital role in our economy.

We are meeting 27 conventions imposed by the European Union, including Human rights, Women Rights, Minority Rights, etc. I assure you that Pakistan will continue to comply with these conventions while ensuring the protection of minorities in Pakistan as well as the provision of human rights at all levels.

EU Special Representative Eamon Gilmore praised Pakistan’s role in maintaining peace and protecting human rights, saying that peace was needed worldwide and that everyone must work together for peace. He said that Pakistan is a beneficiary country of GSP Plus status so we are here to review Pakistan’s performance on 27 conventions imposed by the EU, adding that he is glad about the improvement that Pakistan is making across

various Human Rights and Labour rights issues.

EU Ambassador to Pakistan Androulla Kaminara said that she has always stood by Pakistan on the issue of extension of GSP Plus status and I have had many meetings with Governor Punjab Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar in this regard. Pakistan has played a commendable role in Afghan Peace Process and we appreciate Pakistan’s efforts for regional peace, she added.

Google blocks RT, other Russian channels from earning ad dollars AgencIeS

Twitter says its site is being restricted in Russia amid Ukraine crisis AgencIeS Twitter said in a tweet on Saturday it was aware its service was being restricted for some people in Russia and said it was working to keep the site safe and accessible.

On Friday, one day after Russia invaded Ukraine, Moscow said it was partially limiting access to Meta Platforms Inc’s Facebook, accusing it of “censoring” Russian media. It was not immediately clear what Russia’s restrictions on Facebook would involve. Twitter did not immediately respond to a question on whether Russia had communicated with the company about any actions.

Timber mafia kills forest officer in Upper Dir UPPeR DIR Staff RepoRt

A timber mafia truck ran over a forest officer in the Upper Dir district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to initial reports, Karamat Ali Ankar was posted in the forests to prevent illegal activities conducted by the timber mafia.

On Sunday, a truck, that had illegally cut trees in the area, rammed into Ali killing him on spot. Forest department officials say the victim tried to stop the truck but its driver ran the vehicle over him. The suspect is on the run. Officials have, on the other hand, seized the truck and started investigations into the case.

YouTube on Saturday barred Russian state-owned media outlet RT and other Russian channels from receiving money for advertisements that run with their videos, similar to a move by Facebook, after the invasion of Ukraine.

Citing “extraordinary circumstances,” YouTube said in a statement that it was “pausing a number of channels’ ability to monetize on YouTube, including several Russian channels affiliated with recent sanctions.” Ad placement is largely controlled by YouTube.

Videos from the affected channels also will come up less often in recommendations, YouTube spokesperson Farshad Shadloo said. He added that RT and several other channels would no longer be accessible in Ukraine due to “a government request.”

Ukraine Digital Minister Mykhailo Fedorov tweeted earlier on Saturday that he contacted YouTube “to block the propagandist Russian channels such as Russia 24, TASS, RIA Novosti.”

RT did not immediately respond to a request for comment. YouTube did not name the other channels it had restricted.

For years, lawmakers and some users have called on YouTube, which is owned by Alphabet Inc’s Google, to take greater action against channels with ties to the Russian government out of concern that they spread misin-

Pakistan citizen portal helps settle 15-yearold land dispute ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

formation and should not profit from that.

Russia received an estimated $7 million to $32 million over the twoyear period ended December 2018 from ads across 26 YouTube channels it backed, digital researcher Omelas told Reuters at the time.

YouTube previously has said that

it does not treat state-funded media channels that comply with its rules any differently than other channels when it comes to sharing ad revenue.

Meta Platforms Inc, owner of Facebook, on Friday barred Russian state media from running ads or generating revenue from ads on its services anywhere in the world.

The Pakistan Citizen’s Portal (PCP) on Sunday helped settle a 15-year-old land dispute of Pakistani expat in Khanpur, KP . As per details, an overseas Pakistani named Sajjad Ahmed filed his complaint on the Pakistan Citizen’s Portal (PCP) a month ago stating that land mafia has occupied his land in Haripur’s Tehsil Khanpur.

Sajjad said the land bought by her mother 15 years ago in the area was occupied by the land mafia and urged the PM through the PCP to take action into the matter. The matter was resolved within a month by the PCP after the complaint was filed. After the timely solution of the problem, Sajjad Ahmed has thanked Prime Minister Imran Khan for timely action. Earlier, the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit (PMDU) issued a monthly report on the performance of the Pakistan Citizen’s Portal (PCP), stating that the number of registered users has crossed the 3.7 million mark. According to the report, 2.2 million people registered themselves with the PCP from Punjab, 0.6 million from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 0.5 million from Sindh, 51,000 from Balochistan and 77,000 from Balochistan. As many as 4.4 million complaints were lodged on the portal, including 215,000 from non-resident Pakistanis.

Lord mayor of Birmingham visits orphanage in Pakistan AgencIeS Lord Mayor of Birmingham Chaudhry Muhammad Afzal on Sunday has said that the Pakistani and Kashmiri diasporas in the United Kingdom are playing a vital role in the development of the country.

“I am the living example before you. Birmingham is the largest council in Britain and I was elected its first Muslim member in 1982. The UK is the land of opportunities where an honest and hardworking person can touch heights of [their] career,” Afzal remarked during an address to the Pakistan Sweet Home – a non-profit orphanage. He added that people could make progress with hard work and dedication.

Afzal further said that he was glad to be in Pakistan and had realised that the future of this country was in safe hands. Talking about his life’s struggle, Afzal stated that he was elected a councilor when he entered politics for the first time and was accepted by everyone because he had been elected with the “power of the vote”.

“There is no culture of advocacy in the UK. There is a strong justice system,” he said.

On the occasion, Chairperson Jammu and Kashmir Salvation Movement (J&KSM) Bhat said that the children of Pakistan Sweet Home had always stood for their brothers and sisters in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), and that the orphanage’s chairperson Zamrud Khan had made sure the Kashmir issue is not forgotten by arranging demonstrations and rallies with us. Bhat further said that the children of the Home should play their role in exposing Indian atrocities in IIOJK through the internet by tagging international organisations and asking them why Kashmiri children were being denied basic human rights.

He added that the August 5, 2019 move of the Modi

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government of India was economically motivated and aimed at breaking the will of the people of IIOJK. Bhat stated that the Indian occupational forces destroyed apple trees, saffron fields and business activities were halted, causing local farmers to lose billions of dollars in business. Birmingham Councilor Raja Ayaz said that the act of charity was widespread in England, and so he would ask the chairperson of Pakistan Sweet Home to come to the UK to raise funds for the children. Khan gave a brief introduction and spoke of the achievements of the orphanage, which were lauded by the guests.

The reception was hosted by Chairperson J&KSM Bhat and chairperson Pakistan Sweet Home Zamrud Khan. Earlier, Lord Mayor Afzal was received by Bhat and Khan. The children of the orphanage presented Afzal with a flower bouquet, after which the guests were given a tour of the premises.

Monday, 28 February, 2022 | LAHORE

NEWS

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MOFA, ISPR MARk tHRee yeARS OF ‘OPeRAtIOn SwIFt RetORt’ AGAInSt InDIA newS deSk

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The ministry emphasised that India must remain mindful of the consequences of its reckless conduct in February 2019 and “refrain from any such misadventure in the future”. “The government, armed forces and the people of Pakistan continue to stand firm in their resolve to safeguard the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity against any aggression,” it reiterated.

The ministry further underscored Pakistan’s commitment to the peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.

The communique called upon the international community, including the United Nations, to hold “India accountable for its gross and systematic human rights violations and crimes against humanity in IIOJK”, without further delay.

The director-general of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on the occasion highlighted the Pakistan armed force’s achievements in the operation, which included shooting down two Indian fighter jets, the navy detecting an Indian submarine at sea and a “resounding response” at the line of control.

In a tweet, the DG ISPR said: “Today marks the third anniversary of ‘Op[eration] Swift Retort’ when Pakistan armed forces gave a befitting response to Indian failed misadventure.” He maintained that the Pakistan army’s response was a “testament to [the] professionalism and determination” of the armed forces for defending the “motherland”. “Not just weapons or numbers but the resolve of a nation and operational preparedness of [the] armed forces define success in face of adversity,” he stated.

125 Pakistanis safely evacuated from Ukraine

side three students from other cities. Thirty students from Kharkiv are currently in transit to Lviv via train, which is estimated to arrive later in the afternoon, while seven students have reached Ternopil.

The Pakistan Embassy of Ukraine reiterated its resolve to conduct all possible efforts to ensure the safe evacuation of Pakistani citizens.

“The government of Ukraine is dysfunctional, yet the embassy is making allout efforts to facilitate the evacuation of Pakistanis from Ukraine,” it added.

Two Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) aircraft would fly to Poland on Sunday (today) to evacuate the Pakistanis stranded because of the ongoing war in Ukraine, a spokesperson for the nationalflag carrier said on Saturday.

Spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez said that the PIA had drawn up a flight plan to evacuate Pakistani nationals. “The preparations have been made to send two flights to Poland from Pakistan on Sunday,” he said, adding that the departure of flights depended on the arrival of Pakistani citizens in Poland.

AKISTAN on Sunday has reiterated its resolve to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity at all costs as it marks the third anniversary of the armed forces’ exemplary response to India’s ill-conceived military airstrikes inside its territorial airspace.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement, India, in utter violation of the United Nations charter and international law, violated Pakistani airspace on February 26, 2019, and conducted airstrikes inside Pakistani territory.

“The botched attempt at infringing Pakistan’s sovereignty was swiftly riposted by Pakistan’s armed forces,” the statement said, adding that not only did Pakistan resolutely safeguard its sovereignty, it also displayed utmost

Daily COVID-19 case count falls to lowest in Pakistan since January 4

restraint. On February 27, 2019, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) had launched Operation Swift Retort in broad daylight, in response to the violation of its airspace by Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter jets in the dark of night on February 26.

Two Indian fighter jets a MiG-21 Bison and a SU30 were shot down by the PAF during the operation. The captured pilot of one of the downed aircraft was later returned to India as a goodwill gesture.

“Pakistan is a proponent for regional peace and stability. At the same time, our desire for peace is accompanied by strong resolve and capability for self-defence,” the ministry maintained.

It further stated that February 27 also served as a lesson for India that “none of its militarism and war-mongering jingoism would go without a befitting response.”

ukraine

newS deSk

Staff RepoRt

Pakistan reported only 847 new COVID-19 cases in a single day, the lowest since January 4, amid a drastic drop in the country’s active coronavirus cases, the National Command and Operation Centre’s (NCOC) data showed Sunday morning.

The daily case count on January 4 stood at 630, as per the NCOC data. Pakistan’s active case count significantly fell to 37,212 from 61,332 on Saturday. The number further sank to 36,803 as 1,236 patients suffering from coronavirus recovered overnight. The national COVID-19 body said it conducted 40,127 diagnostic tests during the last 24 hours. The 847 new cases that emerged during these tests placed the country’s COVID-19 positivity ratio at 2.11% and the overall case count at 1,508,504.

The Pakistan Embassy in Ukraine stated on Sunday that Ambassador Dr Noel Khokhar met with the deputy internal affairs minister of Ukraine to discuss the facilitation of evacuation for Pakistani citizens from the war-hit country.

A statement released by the embassy stated that they had requested a meeting with the commander of border points for the Ukraine-Poland border to highlight the issue of Pakistanis stuck on the Ukrainian side awaiting exit.

As the Russia-Ukraine conflict escalates, the embassy has provided updates regarding their evacuation efforts. The body

stated that 125 Pakistani citizens have been successfully evacuated so far, while 376 have reached the Ukraine-Poland border, four are at the Ukraine-Romania border and nine at the Ukraine-Hungary border.

According to the statement, the Pakistan mission has been providing accommodation to students in Ternopil and transportation wherever possible, especially from Lviv to the border crossings.

The embassy reported that a night curfew has been imposed in the cities of Kharkiv, Lviv and Ternopil, while the capital city Kyiv is under a 24-hour curfew.

Due to the increased conflict, the embassy stated that “there is no safe place in

Ukraine” and the Ternopil district administration issued a warning on Saturday to civilians to keep lights off.

As cities in Western Ukraine, previously believed to be safe experience heightened encounters, including Lviv and Ternopil, the embassy highlighted that “the majority of students from Kharkiv have already reached Lviv and have departed for the Poland border”.

Furthermore, Pakistanis are being evacuated from Ternopil and Lviv to Poland, Hungry, Slovakia and Romania as the embassy is coordinating with respective Pakistan missions.

Data provided by the embassy states that 35 students from Kharkiv have been received by Lviv Facilitation Desk along-

Ukraine and Russia agree to talks without preconditions: President Zelenskiy Continued from Page 01

SHCBA elections: Ghulamullah Chang elected president, Razia Ali Ahmed vice president HYderaBad Staff RepoRt

Ghulamullah Chang advocate was elected as the president and advocate Razia Ali Ahmed Patoli as vice president of the Sindh High Court Bar Association (SHCBA) in an election held on Saturday, according to the unofficial results. The lawyers have elected advocate Altaf Sachal Awan as general secretary of the bar. The advocates Niaz Hussain Abro, Saad Salman Ghani and Kashif Faraz Bhutto has been elected to the posts of joint secretary, library secretary and treasurer, respectively. The results of the elected members of the Members Managing Committee (MMC) are still awaited. The final official results will be announced on February 28.

The Kremlin sent a diplomatic delegation to neighbouring Belarus offering talks, but Ukraine rejected the offer, saying Belarus had been complicit in the invasion. Ukraine was happy to hold talks elsewhere, Zelenskiy said.

Russian missiles found their mark overnight, including a strike that set an oil terminal ablaze in Vasylkiv, southwest of Kyiv, the town’s mayor said.

Blasts sent huge flames and billowing black smoke into the night sky, online posts showed.

“The enemy wants to destroy everything,” said the mayor, Natalia Balasinovich.

Ukraine’s gas pipeline operator said the transit of Russian gas via Ukraine, vital for Europe’s energy needs, was going on as normal. Kremlin-controlled energy giant Gazprom also said gas exports via Ukraine continued normally.

Russian-backed separatists in the eastern province of Luhansk said a Ukrainian missile had blown up an oil terminal in the town of Rovenky.

Reuters witnesses in Kyiv reported occasional blasts and gunfire through the night, then three blasts after air raid sirens went off shortly before 9 am. (0600 GMT).

Ukrainian leaders were defiant.

“We have withstood and are successfully repelling enemy attacks. The fighting goes on,” Zelenskiy said

in a video message from the streets of Kyiv posted on his social media.

A US defence official on Saturday said Ukraine’s forces were putting up “viable” resistance to Russia’s air, land and sea advance.

The United States and its allies have authorized more weapons transfers to help Ukraine fight and imposed a range of sanctions on Russia in response to the assault, which threatens to upend Europe’s post-Cold War order.

On Saturday, they moved to block certain Russian banks’ access to the SWIFT international payment system, making it harder for Russia to trade and for its companies to do business.

They also said they would impose restrictions on Russia’s central bank to limit its ability to support the rouble and finance Putin’s war effort.

“We will hold Russia to account and collectively ensure that this war is a strategic failure for Putin,” the leaders of the European Commission, France, Germany, Italy, Britain, Canada and the United States wrote. They did not name the banks that would be expelled. An EU diplomat said some 70% of the Russian banking market would be affected.

Sanctions on Russia’s central bank could limit Putin’s use of his more than $630 billion in international reserves, widely seen as insulating Russia from some economic harm.

Google barred Russia’s state-owned media outlet

RT and other channels from receiving money for ads on their websites, apps and YouTube videos, similar to a move by Facebook.

Judo black-belt Putin was suspended as honorary president of the International Judo Federation (IJF) on Sunday, in response to the war.

The Kremlin said its troops were advancing again “in all directions” and Putin thanked Russia’s special forces, singling out those who are “heroically fulfilling their military duty” in Ukraine.

A Ukrainian presidential adviser said about 3,500 Russian soldiers had been killed or wounded. Western officials have said intelligence showed Russia suffering higher casualties than expected.

Russia has not released casualty figures and Reuters was unable to verify tolls or the precise picture on the ground.

A United Nations relief agency said at least 64 civilians had been killed among 240 civilian casualties.

Ukraine, a democratic nation of 44 million people, won independence from Moscow in 1991 at the fall of the Soviet Union and has pushed to join NATO and the EU, goals Russia opposes.

Putin has said he must eliminate what he calls a serious threat to his country from its smaller neighbour, accusing it of genocide against Russian-speakers in eastern Ukraine – something Kyiv and its Western allies reject as a lie.

Two-day agricultural exhibition inaugurated in Sargodha SargodHa Staff RepoRt

Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhr Imam inaugurated a two-day agricultural exhibition organized

by Agriculture Department Punjab at University of Sargodha.

Minister for Agriculure, Punjab Syed Hussain Jahania Gardezi and Secretary Agriculture Punjab Asad Rehman Gilani specially participated.

Speaking on the occasion, Syed Hussain Jahania Gardezi said that this is a mega event

of its ever first kind in Sargodha district in which a large number of exporters of high value agriculture, farmers and other stakeholders are participating.

Holding this exhibition will further impove the linkages between farmers and the industry. Farmers will be able to learn about the latest production technology of fruits and vegetables.

The Provincial Minister for Agriculture said that efforts were being made to reach markets globally to increase the exports of agricultural products and this agricultural exhibition was a continuation of these efforts.

About 75 Stalls of local and domestic

agricultural products, industry, agricultural machinery, fruits and vegetables have been set up in the exhibition. The exhibition will help improve the high value agriculture chain and increase our agricultural exports.

Prior to the event, the Agriculture Department Punjab has so far organized Pakistan Horti Expo and Punjab Agri Expo exhibitions for the promotion of High Value Agriculture chain, which was attended by more than 35,000 visitors including importers, buyers and businessmen from abroad.

More than 40 delegations from different countries (Malaysia, Indonesia, Qatar,

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Egypt, Sri Lanka, Bahrain, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, Belarus and Ukraine etc.) participated. Through these 5 exhibitions, business deals worth $ 13.2 million were made.

Addressing the function, Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhr Imam said that steps were being taken to increase agricultural exports in line with the vision of the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

This exhibition held today in Sargodha district is one of those series. It will not only make the farmers aware of modern production technology but also increase the agricul-

tural exports.

On this occasion, Secretary Agriculture Punjab Asad Rehman Gillani said under the ongoing project “Establishment of Model Farm Project” at a cost of Rs. 3.20 Billion practical training has been provided to farmers.

Under this scheme, support has also been provided to the Citrus industry (processing units) to improve their storage and value addition capacity. Apart from this, agricultural exhibitions are also being organized to increase the country’s agricultural exports. This agricultural exhibition will come to end today.

06-07 Comments - 28th February 2022_Layout 1 2/27/2022 9:44 PM Page 1

Monday, 28 February, 2022

06 COMMENT

Some issues in dealing with climate change crisis

Ukraine crisis Pakistan must be seen on the right side of history

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USSiA’S invasion of Ukraine can only be described as an unjustifiable and extreme action that will have serious lasting effects on both countries for years to come. With hundreds of lives having already been lost on both sides, in all likelihood, the conflict will become bloodier with each passing day. Only time will tell how and when this war ends and the extent of damage that is done as a result but a majority of the world has already outrightly condemned Vladimir Putin’s actions, with the US and some european countries imposing heavy sanctions. Within Russia, widespread anti-war protests have been held and the state has attempted to quell this uprising through brute force and has intensified its censorship efforts, pressurizing tech giants to set up legal entities in the Russia as part of a new law. in this backdrop, Pakistan’s decision to go ahead with a preplanned bilateral visit to Moscow has made Prime Minister imran Khan the only leader of a democratic nation so far to have met Putin in Russia after the start of the conflict. The visit could perhaps be categorized as ‘bad timing’ but that would be an inexplicable excuse to try and sell to the US and european countries who have expressed their displeasure over the meeting. However, maintaining a good relationship with Russia is also important for Pakistan from a geopolitical and economic standpoint. Pakistan, along with china and Russia’s help is attempting to resolve the Afghan crisis. A net importer of energy, Pakistan has to keep Russia engaged as the latter is the second largest gas producing country in the world. it seems the Foreign Office has not approached the matter with the sensitivity and carefully thought out strategy that it deserves. The optics of the entire visit being held on the eve of Russia advancing into Ukraine despite international pressure and warnings will have diplomatic consequences for islamabad. it is necessary now that Pakistan takes a more neutral and clear position on Ukraine, preferably one where it also calls for Russian troops to exit Ukraine. Short of this, Pakistan will not be seen on the right side history when the conflict eventually ends.

Developed countries must lead the effort better and do more

Dr Omer JaveD

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ince the industrial Revolution, the countries mainly responsible for causing climate change crisis are basically those that form the developed world. Yet after the end of colonization in the last century, countries that gained independence after that have had needs to reduce poverty, and in turn ambitions for economic growth to catch up on last time as colonized people, and given the ability to modern state of technology to make such rapid gains in industrialization possible, have continued to quickly gain ranks in terms of contributing towards global carbon emissions.

A recent Foreign Affairs (FA) published article ‘The coming carbon tsunami: developing countries need a new growth model – before it’s too late’ by indicated in this regard as follows: ‘Since the dawn of the industrial Revolution, countries have released one and a half trillion metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

The largest cumulative emissions have come from the United States, european countries, china, and Russia, in that order. But these countries are now prosperous enough to pay for policies that can place them on the path to net-zero emissions by midcentury. The top emitting countries of the future could come largely from the developing world—countries such as Brazil, india, indonesia, and South Africa, which face the herculean task of bringing millions out of poverty while simultaneously adapting to the harsh realities of climate change.’

Transition to green new technologies requires finances to support workers, and firms in making that shift, including investing in skills’ capacities to adjust with the needed change. According to international

Australian team arrives in Pakistan An important tour that must end safely

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FTeR close to a quarter of a century, the Australian cricket team has arrived in Pakistan to play a full series that includes Test matches, ODis and T20s in three cities. The primary concern for any nation touring Pakistan is security and it is clear that the government, armed forces and other security enforcing institutions have made satisfactory arrangements to ensure all practice sessions and matches are executed safely, otherwise, cricket Australia would not have sent a team.

The importance of this tour being a success cannot be emphasized enough as it would demonstrate to other top cricketing nations that Pakistan is more than equipped to execute such bilateral series. Another challenge that must be handled with equal attention and precision is maintaining the bio-bubble throughout the series to avoid players getting covid-19. Additionally, traffic management on match days must be planned so that the normal daily routines of citizens are not interrupted and they are not inconvenienced. credit must also go to the Pakistan cricket Board (PcB) under its new chairman Ramiz Raja for producing a world-class squad that top teams must compete against to achieve that coveted number one spot in the rankings. While they were unable to make it to the final stage of the T20 world cup, the Pakistani side under Babar Azam was simply unrecognizable, playing top notch cricket to beat formidable opponents such as india and new Zealand.

This tour should also serve as a lesson to both england and new Zealand whose unprofessional, irresponsible and most importantly unnecessary last minute cancellation of confirmed tours dealt a severe blow to the revival of international cricket in Pakistan. Their actions received valid condemnation from critics at home and abroad and both nations must make reparations now by touring Pakistan. There is still a long way to go before Pakistan completely recovers from what transpired in Lahore in 2009 when the Sri Lankan team was attacked; the country has simply not been the same since. The resurgence of terrorism in the country since the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan is fast developing into a serious threat with the enemy attacking city centers and security forces with increased frequency. it is imperative that intelligence agencies along with security forces get ahead of the problem before it gets out of control. There is much excitement in the country over the Australians touring Pakistan and one hopes that the cricket is competitive and entertaining and that the series ends on a high note.

A friend in need is a friend indeed Questions over the US’ future role and fidelity

Kawsar UDDin mahmUD

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S policy towards the ongoing Ukraine crisis is undoubtedly unsatisfactory and inadequate so far. no suspicion that just debating whether Ukraine should get arms or not and delivering incessant imbecile lip service, rather than providing armors or taking grave measures to bring a halt to this war proves the US is reluctant to get engaged in this crisis. A rare instance can be found in international politics that defends imposing economic sanctions to stop a war. What the US is doing now regarding the crisis based on only sanctions intriguingly depicts that this erstwhile superpower is going to lose its credibility of playing a ‘major’ hegemonic role.

The US playing an impactful role in nATO could take robust and effective measurements but its disinclination in this respect will bring about many negative consequences in the future. Scholars argue the US will have suffered from such type of pessimistic and despondent policy in these rainy days for Ukraine.

While the US is still pendulous in providing arms to Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky is gravely concerned with nATO’s role to protect its nation. The US and

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Monetary Fund, already high corporate debt of firms globally, increased all the more and rapidly during the pandemic. A recently published article ‘World’s biggest firms failing over net-zero claims, research suggests’ by Guardian highlighted a study, which pointed towards weak performance of a number of major firms globally in making a meaningful contribution in an overall effort to deal with the climate change crisis. The article highlighted as follows: ‘Some of the world’s biggest businesses are failing to live up to claims they will hit net-zero emissions targets, according to research that suggests they will cut their carbon emissions by only 40% rather than the 100% cuts claimed.’ At the same time, developing countries with limited fiscal space, rising debt sustainability issues, especially in the wake of the pandemic, and keeping a balance between making health/development/ stimulus related expenditures, and in shifting towards technologies that put carbon emissions in an overall effort to reach net zero in the next few decades.

Yet, the developed countries have neither provided enough climate finance to developing countries, nor have played much-needed meaningful role in reforming the multilateral system away from neoliberalism to make it fairer, and in turn allow developing countries to be on a sustainable growth path, one that suffers minimally from money-laundering and off-shore accounts/safe-heavens, allows greater debt sustainability, and ability for developing countries to practice counter-cyclical policies, and in turn have enough fiscal space to make both needed climate- and development/stimulus expenditures.

The same FA published article pointed out in this regard that ‘if industrialized countries do not shoulder the responsibility to help prevent this next wave of emissions, the global effort to avoid climate disruption will fail. …in order to simultaneously preserve the environment and help lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty, rich countries must provide financing and policy support at a scale that has so far been unavailable to poorer countries. There are roughly two dozen emerging economies across the globe that are poised to expand their greenhouse gas emissions dramatically in the near future if they do not receive this assistance.’

With regard to money laundering taking a lot out of the fiscal space of developing countries, and the overall insufficient policy emphasis of developed countries to play their part in discouraging moneylaundering, economics nobel laureate, Joseph Stiglitz recently pointed out in his Guardian published article ‘credit Suisse has allowed the morally bankrupt to steal from the poor far too long’ as follows: ‘The bombshell revelations of the Suisse secrets… are a

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nATO members should ponder; this is not just a question to their future role but also their ‘liberal, humanitarian, and democratic portrayals of ideological stances.’ it is well-palpable that the US, in this respect, will envisage mass agitation and criticism.

The US et al were continuously babbling that Zelensky might not be skeptical about their support to Ukraine and imposing sanctions on Russia, by contrast, Bloomberg reported that the US is not going to impose sanctions on Russian crude oil. imposing on ‘particular’ areas and giving room to ‘other goods and products’ proved that the US is just prejudiced with its self-interest not others’ miseries. Thus, this has been another negative value for its credibility. Still, no major military measurement, no impactful sanction, no major policy to bring peace and to stop the war has been taken by US and nATO. How bizarre the ‘interest” is in international politics! if ‘interest’ doesn’t ensure the credibility of acceptance then what would it be termed? coming to the question on Russia’s aggressive strategy through making breakaway states- Donetsk and Luhansk-, which great power would be pleased with seeing another great power diverts its neighbor from its realm that would be a peril for its security? no state would be happy with such insecurity and the dire political nature of other states. Then why should Russia be? The US would never be pleased with seeing Manuel López Obrador as a disciple of Putin and as a threat against the US security.

However, Putin’s strategy to make proxy states and invade others bringing a ludicrous explication on international law is not new. Putin exploited the same strategy in invading Georgia in 2008. On the other hand, the US and its nATO allies could not map any meticulous policy to save Ukraine from such invasion though they preserve vigorous strategic experiences.

Therefore, the Ukraine crisis is nATO’s failure, not Russia’s. Russia is solely concerned with its security which led it to be notorious like the US was notorious towards iraq only based on groundless perceptions of so-called WMD. That is why Obama called it ‘a war of choice’ and brought a halt to this war in 2011.

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continuation of the path-breaking work of the Panama Papers and the Paradise Papers. …it appears the countries that suffer the most from the bank’s assistance to bad actors are developing countries and emerging markets. …How many stories, how many revelations, how many exposés, will it take for Switzerland, the US, UK and other countries to change their laws on secrecy in banking and real estate, and all the other activities that facilitate money laundering and promote crime and corruption? While this treasure trove showed Switzerland benefiting from a flow of money from poor countries, the system itself is corrupting: the rot of tainted money spoils all that it comes in touch with.’

Hence, in addition to providing enough climate finance to developing countries, developed countries will need to quickly improve its policy focus with regard to money laundering, if it wishes to build the otherwise little capacity of developing countries in making needed climate related expenditures. Overall, also, not much could be achieved during cOP26 meetings last year in terms of detailed tangible steps as to how countries will move towards the net-zero carbon emissions goal.

On the contrary, a recent Financial Times (FT) published article ‘Fossil fuel and agriculture handouts climb to $1.8tn a year, study finds’ highlighted a study, which pointed out the significant level of subsidies being provided globally that would likely exacerbate the climate change crisis. The article pointed out in this regard that ‘Governments worldwide are spending at least $1.8tn a year on subsidies in support of heavily polluting industries led by coal, oil, gas and agriculture, according to new research, despite their commitment to climate change targets. About 2 per cent of global gross domestic product was spent annually on subsidies that encourage unsustainable production or consumption, deplete natural resources and degrade ecosystems, the independent researchers Doug Koplow and Ronald Steenblik concluded. The biggest beneficiary of the handouts was the fossil fuel industry, which enjoyed $640bn a year, while the agricultural and forestry sectors received $520bn and $155bn, respectively, the research found.’

This subsidy provision direction needs to change if a serious effort needs to be made, in dealing with an otherwise existential, and fast unfolding climate change crisis. Already for instance, and this is just for europe and only for the last forty years, according to a recent Guardian published article ‘extreme weather has cost europe about €500bn over 40 years’ the impact of extreme weather has been very significant. The article, reflecting the study by european environment Agency, pointed out as follows: ‘Severe floods and other trillion euros in the past four decades, with Germany, France and italy the worst-hit countries.’

“This morning we are alone in defending our country just like yesterday. The most powerful forces in the world watch from afar. Have yesterday’s sanctions persuaded Russia?” These Zelensky words exhibit the grim portrayal of the US and its nATO’s ‘rational foreign policy and realist dogmatism.’ Showing liberal plantain and breaking ray of hope by realist policy will head other states’ reliability and fidelity on the US toward a dire brink in the near future.

Zelensky might be astute to foresee US’ reluctance to provide a total help in this region. He might learn from the first european war of the 21st century, the Russo-Georgian war in which Putin followed a similar strategy to invade Georgia by making proxy states- South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

The crimean crisis of 2014 could be another instance for the Zelensky government.

Reports say nATO warships had left the Black Sea before Russia began the invasion. This current leads us to speculate, ‘a friend in need’s a friend indeed’ is a doubtful proverb. it actually doesn’t work when it comes to talking about ‘interest’ going beyond the humanitarian issue. However, looking at the AUKUS treaty, during its formation, France had to give up more than just a pact, a partnership of $90 billion with Australia only for the so-called “rational” policy of the US and UK that had been termed as “Stab in the Back” by Macron. Macron didn’t give up on keeping hope on the Biden government though he expressed a sole disquiet. Therefore, if this offishness and isolationist type of development in US and nATO policies continues further, it leaves no suspicion that this will envisage a drought of acceptance in the coming days.

However, to conclude, china is economically and militarily growing at a nimble pace in the indo-Pacific region and around the world, Russia is strengthening its military exercises in the West frontier but still the US is paying less heed to these calculations. The United States of America, an “erstwhile” global superpower, and its nATO allies must be concerned with their future role in the world order. To the extent of securing trustworthiness with its allies and other states they must follow more transparent policies that would bring peace based on their liberal lessons, not war based on ‘liberal reasons for war.’ War never brings good upshots for humanity.

The writer is a student, writer and political analyst.

He can be reached: Kawsarduir[@]gmail.com

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

06-07 Comments - 28th February 2022_Layout 1 2/27/2022 9:44 PM Page 2

Monday, 28 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 plight of child labour in Pakistan

Gender inequality in education A barrier to economic progress

Dr mUhammaD abDUl Kamal

G

enDeR inequality refers to the variability in the conditions that women and men encounter when exercising their full human rights. in 2015, 193 nations agreed to the Sustainable Development Agenda (2030), which comprises 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), several of which address gender inequality to varying degrees. Goal-4 specifically focuses on education, in particular, stressing the importance of vigorously striving for universal education goals. Goal-5 emphasizes gender equality and women empowerment that ensures the equal participation of women in the process of decision-making process, social, political, or economic. Goal-8 promotes and encourages the creation of a healthy and positive work environment for women that will upraise sustainable economic growth. The premise behind the aforementioned commitments is that granting women equal access to education, as well as political and economic bodies, will assist in the development of more sustainable economies and societies. in Pakistan, there is a substantial gender disparity in education. Pakistan is a patriarchal society in which women face a wide range of discrimination, leading to a low social, economic, and political status. Women comprise 52 percent of Pakistan’s total population, according to World Bank statistics.

Keeping such a large portion of the population illiterate is a dreadful situation, and it might be the root cause of the country’s fragile and lopsided economy.

Pakistan is positioned fourth-worst in the world for gender parity in the 2021 Global Gender Gap Report. in terms of educational attainment, Pakistan is ranked 144th out of

nafeesa GUl Qazi 156 countries in the report. Pakistan’s entire education system has a 13 percent gender disparity in enrollment. in addition, just 46.5 percent of women are literate, 61.6 percent attended primary school, 34.2 percent attained high school, and 8.3 percent attended tertiary education. The report further revealed that Pakistan will need 136 years to bridge the gender disparity at its present rate of progress. There are insufficient government schools for children, or those that are available are inaccessible to schoolchildren. The situation is significantly worse in Pakistan’s rural areas, where schools lack essentials such as water, power, and other educational necessities.

When gender inequality in education rises, it has an impact on a family’s socioeconomic position. While on the macro level, gender disparities in education lead to the underutilization of human capital, which has the potential to stifle economic growth. As a corollary, the government should reassess its laws and norms in order to expeditiously bridge the gender gap. explicitly, women’s education improves social objectives like educating the coming generation, preventing child mortality, reducing fertility, and enhancing child nutrition. On the flip side,

Education alone is insufficient to enable women to enter the labor force in Pakistan due to traditional dogmas and cultural customs. Teenage pregnancy is the leading social factor forcing girls to drop out, while sons are given priority in attaining education

such social goals have a progressive impact on the economy, for instance, reducing poverty, improving labor productivity, human development, and eventually driving economic growth. in a nutshell, improved gender parity and women’s participation in economic activities are strongly tied to social and economic progress. Women’s education, health, and autonomy are essential for human development and long-term stability. Pakistan tends to lag in all critical parameters.

The government must strive and ensure that all of its population has access to education. According to UniceF, 22.8 million children aged 5 to 16 are out of school, with girls accounting for over 60% of these children. To address the issue of school dropouts, the government should build additional schools and train newly recruited teachers. The government should start “education for All children” programs and make it a high priority, allocating 4% of GDP to education rather than the current 2%, which is insufficient to address and meet the needs of education. it should begin implementing state-ofthe-art teacher training programs and facilities, as well as ensuring their implementation and effective follow-up. in addition to upgrading the present school system, more schools with advanced and modern technologies and facilities should be built to address the dire need for education, particularly for girls. education alone is insufficient to enable women to enter the labor force in Pakistan due to traditional dogmas and cultural customs. Teenage pregnancy is the leading social factor forcing girls to drop out, while sons are given priority in attaining education, particularly tertiary education. implementing measures aimed at reducing household care obligations (for example, free daycare, and positive discrimination for female employees) will certainly boost women’s participation in economic activities. These prejudices can only be addressed by spreading awareness. There is also a pressing need to modify societal customs and attitudes that discriminate against women through public awareness and education efforts. Women’s growing importance to the general wellbeing of their families and society must be conveyed through these efforts.

In Pakistan, there is a substantial gender disparity in education. Pakistan is a patriarchal society in which women face a wide range of discrimination, leading to a low social, economic, and political status.

Dr. Muhammad Abdul Kamal is working as Assistant Professor at Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan. He can be reached at kamal@awkum.edu.pk M/s. Nafeesa Gul Qazi is a graduate student at Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan.

TODAY, our nation is plagued by the menace known as child labour. children are stripped of their childhood, and sent to work in grueling sweatshops and factories across the nation. instead of going to class and gaining an education, children work themselves to the bone for reasons they do not understand. instead of making friends and carelessly running around in juvenile bliss, these children bruise and bleed for the heartless animals who force them to work.

Going hand in hand with the employers are the parents who force their weak and voiceless children into work, only to snatch their hard-earned wages for their own gain. This brings into question the entire society we live in, including the current laws on guardianship of children, and their enforcement by the masses.

Over the course of the cOViD 19 pandemic, child labor grew at an exponential rate, while authorities had their hands full trying to mitigate the effects of the virus, shuttered schools coupled with crippling economies means more children are driven into the workforce. it should come as no shock that while child labor is a foul field, it has irrefutable impacts on economies such as Pakistan. The disturbing part is that due to its unpoliced nature, children incarcerated in this vicious world will undoubtedly be pushed into hazardous work environments, such in the burning heat of brick kilns. in continuum, the unregulated essence of child labor directly contributes to rising health risks across the world. initially, children incur wounds and cuts, from operating equipment neither designed for nor intended from them. The number of asthmatics increase as young and sensitive lungs succumb to the black smoke of factories. Diseases like leukemia can develop from early exposure to harmful chemicals. On a similar note, this kind of stress and emotional volatility at such a young age can lead to depression, anxiety and other ills later on.

But there is still hope. Governments and their people must work hand in hand to eradicate this evil. On the institutional side, constant policing and regulatory checks are being made to find and catch the perpetrators of these crimes against humanity. it is also the job of each individual citizen to take responsibility and help save the society they live in. Only by banding together for the greater good will we be able to finally put an end to child labor.

MUHAMMAD HAAD LAHORE

Sunk cost fallacy THe sunk cost fallacy is the inclination to follow an endeavour if one has already invested time, effort, or wealth into it, whether the current costs offset the benefits. it means making irrational decisions because we favour influences other than the current alternatives.

This theory is not limited to ordinary decision-making but involves institutional and bureaucratic issues as well. For example, Pakistani society has constantly carried out decisions based on past imaginations, which means that we go against evidence that shows it is no longer the best decision. For instance, people in both urban and rural areas have consistently voted for representatives that have had a poor track record. currently, our economy is also dealing with the same scenario. A dozen new ministers have been tested on inconsistent economic decisions that have strained the economy.

The old, practised laws and modes of commerce need to be regulated and renewed by gauging their pros and cons. implementing past precedents may somewhat vary from the present because the world is progressively changing, and new regulations will require time. The sitting government successfully broke the bar on the rotten laws and planned new trade strategies, something that signals a positive boost.

There may be several reasons for predilection to this sunk cost fallacy.

Still, the primary observing factor is loss aversion. Loss aversion is an intellectual prejudice that specifies why, for the individual, the grief of losing is twice as powerful as the pleasure of gaining. Although challenging to overcome such cognitive fallacies, it is difficult to eradicate the gargantuan of irrational choices. Still, we can focus on current and future costs and benefits instead of past commitments. We should focus on concrete actions instead of feeling guilt that accompanies dropping an earlier commitment, as studies have shown that when we are deterred from making decisions based on our emotions, the effects of the sunk cost fallacy are reduced.

NAZIM KHAN KARACHI

The dangers of plastic usage ALTHOUGH plastic bottles have made mineral water and other drinks easily accessible and portable, the price we have to pay for this luxury is extremely high. Plastic bottles are one of the major contributors to plastic pollution throughout the world. The manufacturing process of plastic water bottles itself releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which contaminates the oxygen. Resultantly, it is difficult for people to breathe. not only do plastic bottles litter the landscape but the plastic does not decompose and remains in the soil for decades eventually disintegrating into microparticles. The microplastic particles are polluting the ocean and threatening marine life and biodiversity. Plastic waste is either consumed by seabirds, seagulls, and marine mammals, or they get entangled in the waste. it is estimated that 20% of sand is composed of microparticles across the world’s beaches and approximately 46,000 pieces of plastic are floating in the ocean. Some plastic waste also ends up in landfills and is responsible for chemical leakages, disruption of ecosystems, etc. i request the government of Pakistan to either switch to glass bottles or implement strategies to reuse plastic bottles. To ensure that it is effective, people should be given an incentive to return plastic bottles to retailers. companies should be encouraged to reuse bottles by thoroughly sterilising them. Also, companies should be told to collect non-usable or damaged plastic bottles that can be converted and used to manufacture other items.

Given the deteriorating environmental conditions, the use of plastic bottles must be drastically reduced.

SHAHRYAR KHAN PESHAWAR

08 WORLD VIEW 28th February 22_Layout 1 2/27/2022 10:06 PM Page 1

Monday, 28 February, 2022

08 WORLD VIEW

WhaT dOes Russia have in mind nexT fOR ukRaine?

FOR THOSE WHO UNDERSTAND MOSCOW’S ESTABLISHMENT AND VIEW OF THEIR COUNTRY’S VITAL INTERESTS, NONE OF THIS SHOULD BE A SURPRISE

Responsible sTaTecRafT AnATOL LieVen

T

He illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine has shocked the West and many ordinary Russians.

But for those who understand the Russian establishment and its view of Russia’s vital interests, it should not have come as a complete surprise.

Since nATO expansion first began in the mid-1990s, Russian officials and other establishment figures have been warning that if the West tried to turn Ukraine into an ally against Russia, this would lead to confrontation and quite possibly war. As the great international relations scholar Hans Morgenthau taught, to craft a viable U.S. policy towards other major states, it is essential to understand from within how they see the world and their country’s place in it. Today, we need to do this if we are to craft a policy towards Russia that will bring about an end to this war, a Russian withdrawal from Ukraine, and a restoration of Ukrainian sovereignty.

The foreign and security establishments of all major states operate on the basis of what might be called doctrines concerning their countries’ vital interests and place in the world. The Russian establishment believes that Moscow must be one pole of a multipolar world. If you do not believe in that, you do not belong to the Russian establishment, just as if you do not believe in U.S. global primacy, you do not belong to the U.S. establishment.

Ukraine is critical to that vision. A Ukraine hostile to Russia and strongly linked to the West negates any possibility of Russia leading a reasonably strong regional bloc of states. From this point of view, most Western observers have not understood just how severe was the defeat suffered by Russia when Ukraine experienced the revolution of 2014 and rejected membership of the eurasian Union. Seizing part of the Donbas, and even annexing Crimea, were very miserable consolation prizes by comparison.

Ukraine is by far the biggest former Soviet republic apart from Russia, with 44 million people to Kazakhstan’s 18 million and Belarus’ nine million. Ukraine has by far the largest Russian ethnic minority outside

Russia. Without a largely Russian-speaking Ukraine, Russia loses most of its status as an international language. Without Ukrainian membership, the eurasian Union is a pathetic shadow. At the very least, the Russian establishment—going back to Boris Yeltsin’s administration in the 1990s—has been absolutely determined that Ukraine should not join an anti-Russian alliance.

Russia’s interest in Ukraine however goes far beyond the economic and strategic. As emphasized in Putin’s articles and speeches, Russians see their own cultural and historical identity as closely bound up with that of Ukraine. This owes something to the origins of the Russian state and Orthodox religion in Kievan Rus, and something to the role of Ukrainians in modern Russian culture, as symbolized by nikolai Gogol (Mykola Hohol in Ukrainian), a great Ukrainian writer who identified with the Russian empire and wrote in Russian.

This factor imparts a strong element of historicallybased nationalism to the Russian and Putin attitude towards Ukraine. There is some understanding in Russia of why Ukrainians would want their own state, but almost none of why Ukrainians would want to define that state against Russia. Hence the Russian demonology of “nazism” and “U.S. manipulation.” In other words, while Russian officials use the term “Monroe Doctrine” to explain and justify their desire to prevent Ukraine joining a hostile alliance, their interest in that country has an emotional force wholly absent from U.S. attitudes to Mexico.

Whether Russia would have accepted a Western offer of compromise (if one had been made) involving a moratorium on nATO expansion and mutual arms limitation, we will probably never know, and this question is now academic. L’appetit vient en manger (“appetite grows with eating”) as the French say, and the more of Ukraine Russia now occupies, the more ambitious its goals in Ukraine are likely to be.

The point is, however, that these goals are now overwhelmingly focused on Ukraine. nobody in Moscow now appears to believe that there is any possibility of an agreement with nATO on conventional arms limitation, or on some form of new european security architecture.

The most that can be hoped for by Moscow is a Cold War-style treaty on nuclear arms reductions, and perhaps some agreement on cybersecurity. When the Russian government decided to invade Ukraine, it chose to accept that relations with the West would be basically hostile for a long time to come.

The Russian government aims to establish a Russian sphere of influence, not a new version of the Soviet Union. Putin has stated that “whoever does not miss the Soviet Union has no heart, but whoever wants it back has no brain.” The eurasian Union falls vastly far short of the USSR. Kazakhstan for example is a member, and has always sought good relations with Russia. But

Kazakh officials have stated publicly and repeatedly that it is not some form of super-state; and Kazakhstan has repeatedly refused to follow Russia’s lead in international affairs—including most recently by refusing to recognize the independence of the Donbas republics. The eurasian Union and Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) are loose partnerships.

As for Russian domination of eastern europe beyond the borders of the former USSR, this is vastly beyond Russia’s ambitions and capability. not merely would it involve Russia in an attack on nATO, with all the hideous risks that this would entail (whereas the United States and nATO have declared explicitly that they will not fight to defend Ukraine); but it would require Russia to subjugate and hold down Poland. Russian officials and commentators with whom I have raised this possibility have simply burst out laughing at the absurdity of the idea.

Concerning Ukraine, there are two possible paths for Russia to take. Which one will be chosen will become apparent in the next days, or possibly hours. The first would be an agreement with the existing Ukrainian government (as publicly demanded by Russia immediately after the invasion) that would guarantee Ukrainian neutrality and the exclusion of Western armaments. Moscow will almost certainly also demand that the Donbas republics, and any other Russian-speaking areas occupied by the Russian army, receive fully autonomous status within a federal Ukraine. Moscow would likely present this to the West as an expanded version of the Minsk II agreement of 2015 on autonomy for the Donbas within Ukraine.

The second path would be for Russia to occupy Kiev itself, replace the Ukrainian government with Russian puppets, and draw up a new Ukrainian federal constitution by Russian diktat. At this point, Moscow might also try to force its Ukrainian client state to join the eurasian Union and CSTO. This would be a vastly more dangerous project for Russia.

Unlike local governments in the Russian-speaking areas, which Moscow at least hopes could gain a measure of local legitimacy, a puppet government in Kiev and the Ukrainian ethnic heartland would only survive with the permanent presence of a Russian army. The government and army would face permanent mass unrest and violent resistance, which it only could quell through savage repression.

This would be atrocious for the people of Ukraine, and very dangerous for nATO. If the United States decided to arm a guerrilla war in Ukraine, such a force could only be supplied through Poland—which Russia then might directly target, which likely would expand and escalate the conflict dramatically. Furthermore, this guerrilla war would inevitably turn into an ethnic conflict of Ukrainian nationalists against the local Russian pop-

ulation, making any long-term unity of Ukraine next to impossible and probably lead to the eventual Russian annexation of the Russian-speaking areas of Ukraine.

The purpose of Western sanctions against Russia should be to press Russia to withdraw its army from Ukraine and restore Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity (minus Crimea). This however will inevitably now require some form of compromise with Russia on Ukrainian neutrality (but not membership of the eurasian Union) and federalism. Short of the military defeat of the Russian army or the collapse of the Russian state, it appears impossible now to achieve unconditional Russian withdrawal from Ukraine.

The alternative is for the United States to use sanctions not to change Russian policy in Ukraine, but to overthrow the regime in Russia itself by crippling the Russian state and economy. This would be a vastly more ambitious and dangerous project, and probably futile.

The U.S. use of sanctions to bring about regime change has been a universal and unmitigated failure—in Cuba, Venezuela, Iraq, Iran and north Korea.

Russia is much stronger than those states, and will probably receive much greater help from China, whose economy has now overtaken that of the United States.

Such a strategy would sooner or later also open up a gulf between the United States and its european allies, involving as it would the indefinite sponsorship of an armed struggle in Ukraine, with all the consequences of that for europe.

Above all, Western sanctions should be intended to help the Ukrainian people. The latter strategy of guerilla warfare would instead instrumentalize Ukrainians as a weapon to weaken Russia and recall some of the worst U.S. actions of the Cold War, when Washington supported local insurgencies (sometimes led by evil figures like Jonas Savimbi and extremist ideologies like that of the Afghan Mujahedin), with no regard whatsoever for the interests of local peoples.

Outside europe, the Cold War was waged over the corpses of innumerable Africans, Asians and Central Americans, and there was often no moral difference at all between the “pro-Western” and “pro-Soviet forces.”

For America to go down this path would be a betrayal of those very Ukrainians whom the U.S. administration says that it wants to help.

Anatol Lieven is a Professor at Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, Qatar, visiting professor in the War Studies Department of King’s College London, and a senior fellow of the New America Foundation in Washington DC. He is the author of Pakistan: A Hard Country. Anatol spent the first part of his career as a journalist in Afghanistan, Pakistan and the former USSR.

The mystery of what happens when we die NEW RESEARCH SUGGESTS THE POINT WE’VE TRADITIONALLY CALLED “DEATH” MIGHT HAVE BEEN A FEW SECONDS TOO EARLY RT Chris sweeney

O

ne of the questions everyone wants the answer to may have been solved by accident. A groundbreaking study offers hard new evidence that, at the moment we shuffle off this mortal coil, our life really does flash before our eyes, challenging the very understanding of the time at which death actually occurs.

Dr Ajmal Zemmar, a neurosurgeon at the University of Louisville, in the US, stumbled across something so deep, it throws doubt over when a person truly dies. He was treating an 87-year-old patient, who had a bleed between the brain and skull. Although Zemmar removed the clot, the patient began having seizures, so an electroencephalogram (eeG) was attached to record his brain activity. This was all routine.

“The thing that changed the standard was this: while the eeG was recording, the patient suffered a cardiac arrest and died. So, now, all of a sudden, we have the firstever recording from life to death in the human brain,” Zemmar told RT. To the layperson it might not sound that profound, but there are a few reasons such activity has never been recorded before. First, it’s impossible to know when someone will die in order to be ready to measure it. And, second, the accepted way to measure life is by recording a heartbeat - that is, the activity of the heart,

rather than the brain.

“What we do as standard is record eKG [electrocardiogram] activity. When we have a patient in the ICU, we don’t, as standard, record eeG,” explained Zemmar. “So, one thing our study might open up for discussion is this: is it worthwhile considering recording eeG? When do we die – is it when the heart stops beating or when the brain stops reacting?”

Zemmar and his colleague Professor Raul Vicente Zafra of the University of Tartu, in estonia, and their team recently published a paper titled ‘enhanced Interplay of neuronal Coherence and Coupling in the Dying Human Brain’. By analysing the readings, they saw a spike in brain activity after ‘death’.

“There’s a frequency called the gamma band, which is electrical activity in your brain going up and down 40 or 50 times per second … And we saw that, after cardiac arrest, the power of this rhythm increased,” said Vicente.

“We also saw the power increase in this same frequency range when someone was engaged in activities like memorising a list of words, for example.”

Based on the data the researchers collated, the idea of our life flashing before our eyes at great speed when we die is a serious possibility. Such oscillations occur for a full 30 seconds before death, if we have the misfortune to suffer a cardiac arrest.

In Zemmar’s view, a previous paper offers further confirmation of this theory: “In a study in rats that was done nine years ago by colleagues in the United States, they saw very similar findings around the time of death in those that had no injury and had a clean, healthy brain. In these rats, they were observing very similar findings to what we’re seeing in the human brain.”

Zemmar’s and Vicente’s team kept their research on ice as they analysed their findings, but now they’ve pub-

lished it and are posing some very big questions.

“One of the things we would like to open up for discussion is this: if, when we say the patient ‘died’, we refer to the time when their heart stopped, is that correct?

Because, if their brain keeps going, are they really dead?” Zemmar speculated. “We would rather say, in this case, that, after the heart stopped pumping blood, we recorded 30 seconds of activity in the brain. To us, the patient was not yet dead, by definition.”

As testament to how big these findings could be, the study has garnered global interest. But it’s been hard work for Zemmar and Vicente to ensure their study is as robust as possible.

“We’ve been working on this data set for quite some time – that’s something people don’t realise – so it’s very nice now to get the rewards and the attention, and see them being interested. All this analysis takes time and it’s been the work of months, if not years,” explained Vicente.

The neuroscientists do appreciate, however, that they have data from only one patient and that the extreme nature of collecting similar data means it’s unlikely their research will be repeated on a mass scale.

“We have one case, and one is better than none.

We’ve waited for quite some time to go out with this, hoping there would be more people coming along to give us more cases, but there simply aren’t any,” Zemmar said.

Some might still be wondering why they can’t just repeat their research. “The difficulty is we would have to speak with families and say, ‘In the last moments, would you be OK with us doing an experiment?’ even if families would agree to this, you can’t predict death,” explained Zemmar. “So, when the patient dies and you keep them artificially alive with machines and put on

electrodes, I don’t know how much true brain activity you would capture and how much would be the brain saying goodbye and the heart artificially working.”

He and Vicente hope that, by releasing their data, they will prompt other scientists with relevant research to share it with them so further conclusions can be drawn in what is surely one of the most defining scientific studies in history, calling into question the very idea of death.

“There is no scientific evidence that the patient would really have died when the heart stopped beating, if you just look at the pure data we have. It might be a few seconds later, maybe in some other patients it’s a few seconds less or more. I don’t know. But it’s fair to say, maybe what we declared as death was a few seconds too early,” said Zemmar. It could be different for each individual. Is it 20 seconds? 45 seconds? 90 seconds? Speaking to RT via Zoom, both men were beaming and clearly proud their work is receiving so much positive attention. It could also cap an incredible rise for Zemmar, who, as a refugee, fled Afghanistan aged six with his parents, arriving in Berlin just three days before the wall came down in 1989. He was raised there before pursuing a career in neuroscience internationally.

“The moment we saw similar findings to what they had seen in the rat study… those are the moments you live for as a scientist. It’s like when a soccer player wins the World Cup. It was one of the most unforgettable moments we’ve ever had,” he said. ‘We have the first-ever recording of what’s happening in a brain from life to death’ Of course, what happens when we die is not only a scientific question, but a spiritual one. Ironically, this study might actually be of more use to the living than the dead. “I’ve received messages from friends and patients who recently lost a family member,” said Zemmar. “They said the idea that their loved one might have been having a flashback of the nicest moments of the life that they’d experienced together gave them calm at the moment they had to say goodbye.”

Chris Sweeney is an author and columnist who has written for newspapers such as The Times, Daily Express, The Sun and the Daily Record, along with several international-selling magazines.

Monday, 28 February, 2022 | LAHORE

NEWS

AbhinAndAn cArried expired stuff in survivAl kit: sources

A

NewS DeSK

CCORDING to a recent development in the investigation of the Operation Swift Retort, it has been revealed that the aviation supplies and other paraphernalia being carried by a pilot who was captured by the Pakistani authorities after his jet was shot down three years ago were expired.

It may be recalled that the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) had launched Operation Swift Retort in broad daylight on February 27, 2019, in response to the violation of its airspace by Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter jets in the dark of night on February 26.

Two Indian fighter jets a MiG-21 Bison and a SU-30 were shot down by the PAF during the operation.

The pilot of the MiG-21, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, was captured by Pakistani authorities as the fighter jet crashed inside Pakistan’s territory, while the other aircraft went down

in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

The captured pilot was released a day later as a goodwill gesture towards India.

Adding insult to injury, India’s air de-

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Portal Welby visits Grand Jamia Mosque of Bahria Town, Lahore. Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Religious Harmony Maulana Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi and others are also present.

fence system shot down its own helicopter in the “fog of war”.

The rare aerial engagement that significantly raised the stakes in the perilous standoff came a day after New Delhi

claimed its aircraft had launched an airstrike on what it called the “biggest training camp of Jaish-e-Muhammad” group inside Pakistan – a claim debunked by Islamabad.

Now, the fact has come to the fore that the aviation supplies being carried by Abhinandan had expired in 2016.

Interestingly, the Indian Air Force has always boasted about dexterity and combat readiness but the presence of expired items implies government’s apathy towards its armed forces.

It has been divulged that the life-saving equipment and supplies including first aid kit, painkillers, chocolates and dates being carried by Abhinandan were not fit for consumption.

This life-saving stuff comes in handy when an air force pilot parachutes to a location away from population.

During this time, the pilot needs eight to 10 hours of supplies so that he can meet his emergency food and other needs without any help.

KARACAHI: Dr Muhammed Aasim Yusuf, Acting CEO of the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust (SKMT), and Mr. Irfan Siddiqui, President & CEO of Meezan Bank Limited (MBL) sign an MoU to help SKMT in implementing a Shariah-compliance framework for collection, utilisation, and management of Zakat Funds.

09

Murad saeed sends legal notice to reham khan NewS DeSK Federal Minister for Communications and Postal Services Murad Saeed on Sunday sent a legal notice to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s ex-wife and Journalist Reham Khan on charges of defaming him. The minister stated that while the Ministry of Communications was awarded the top position for its performance recently, the accolade was made controversial by quotes from Reham Khan’s book, which not only discredited the petitioner but also discouraged the officials attached to the ministry.

As per the notice, Saeed claimed that all his achievements were made controversial due to “slander and dirty propaganda” taken from the book while a “draft was leaked which you [Reham] have Referring to the draft, the minister expressed that he was slandered and demanded an explanation, and apology from Reham within 14 days or else he would proceed with legal action. Furthermore, various TV programmes, speeches and social media posts have been attached to the notice, while an explanation has also been sought. Saeed stated, “in all the slander, not only is there a reference to your [Reham’s] writing but you have also been retweeting it. In case of non-apology, the court will be requested to award severe punishment and one billion rupees in damages.”

chief executive iesco will hold online katchery PReSS ReLeASe

Philip Morris (Pakistan) Limited wins two awards at NFEH CSR Awards 2022 KARACHI Press release

Acknowledging the efforts for the betterment of environment and society, leading multinational company, Philip Morris (Pakistan) Limited (PMPKL) has been declared

as the winner for awards in two categories: “Waste Management/Recycling” and “Green Energy Initiatives” at the 14th Annual Corporate Social Responsibility Awards 2022 organized by National Forum for Environment and Health (NFEH) during a ceremony held in Islamabad.

NFEH is a non-governmental, nonprofit organization with an aim to facilitate, promote and help create environmental, healthcare and educational awareness amongst the masses.

NFEH annually evaluates and awards organizations which have a pos-

itive impact on the environment and society at large. The awards for “Waste Management/Recycling” and “Green Energy Initiatives” are in recognition of PMPKL’s efforts for its initiatives related to environmental, social and economic sustainability.

Aiou delegation arrives in turkey

Traffic police to take strict action against route violators

ISLAMABAD

ISLAMABAD

Press release

An 11-member delegation of Allama Iqbal Open University led by the Vice Chancellor, AIOU, Prof. Dr. Zia Ul-Qayyum has arrived in Turkey on a seven-day official visit. The delegation will visit various universities in Turkey and the purpose of this visit is to introduce educational programs in various disciplines with Turkish universities and to explore the possibilities of the faculty development/exchange program.

An MoU will be signed with Ibn Khaldun University, Turkey. Moreover, VC, AIOU, Prof. Dr. Zia UlQayyum will give a special lecture on the new initiatives taken by Open University while the Director, Directorate of International Collaboration and Exchange, Dr. Zahid Majeed will brief about the University and educational facilities provided to international students. Anadolu University will host the visit in Turkey. During the stay at Anadolu University, there will be meetings between the heads and professors. The delegation will visit the Turkish Youth Foundation, ILKE Foundation and the mausoleum of Maulana Jalaluddin Muhammad Rumi.

Implementation of customer friendly policies is the top priority of any public utility institution which leads towards quality services and timely redressal of valuable customer complaints. By following same Chief Executive IESCO Dr. Muhammad Amjad Khan will hold on line katchary on Monday dated 28.02.2022 From 09:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Valuable IESCO customers related to all Operation Circles i.e. Islamabad, Rawalpindi City, Rawalpindi Cantt, Attock, Jhelum, Chakwal and surroundings are requested to participate in said katchary by calling on telephone number 051-9253105 for immediate redressal of their electricity related issues or for their valuable suggestion according to given schedule.

Press release

Fatima Group inks $1 billion deals with global agriculture giants at Expo 2020 Dubai. A formal signing of the business partnership was held at the Pakistan Pavilion in line with the ongoing Agriculture Week at Expo 2020 Dubai.

Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) has decided to take stern action against public service vehicles involved in non-completion of routes, misbehavior with passengers and overloading. "Strict action will be taken against those transporters violating traffic routes. The purpose is to provide better traffic facilities to the citizen," said SSP (Traffic) Rai Mazhar Iqbal on Sunday while reviewing special report submitted by the Special Squads constituted for checking of route completion.

According to details ITP is utilizing all resources to facilitate the general public and not only issuing traffic violation tickets to the PSVs for over charging, misbehavior of driver/conductor and incompletion of route but also canceling the driving license of

the PSVs drivers who found repeatedly involved in same violation. He said that action against such violators would be made more effective and progress of squads would be reviewed on regular basis. Following directions of IGP Islamabad Muhammad Ahsan Yunis, the SSP (Traffic) said that special squads have already been constituted to check the route violation and Traffic Help Line (051-9261992,93 or 1915 was established to resolve the public grievance well in time where every citizen can complain on the help line round the clock.

He said that the citizens can lodge their complaint regarding non-completion of routes, misbehavior with passengers or other traffic related issues at this ITP helpline. He assured effective action against such violators in future and directed all Zonal DSPs to accelerate action in this regard.

Monday, 28 February, 2022 | LAHORE

10 FOREIGN NEWS China lifts curbs on Russian wheat to ease impact of sanctions BEIJING Agencies

China is now fully open to Russian wheat deliveries, as all import restrictions have been lifted, the South China Morning Post has reported, citing the country’s General Administration of Customs. The announcement was made public, hours after Russia began its military operation in Ukraine, the paper says, adding that the deal could provide a lifeline to the Russian economy as it faces tough economic sanctions from the EU and the US, and at the same time addresses China’s need to enhance food security. China previously restricted imports from Russia due to phytosanitary concerns, as a measure to control the spread of plant diseases. Earlier this month, during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Beijing, China agreed to allow imports from Russia.

The crisis in Ukraine sent global wheat prices to record highs this week. Russia, the world’s top wheat exporter, and Ukraine, dubbed ‘the breadbasket of Europe’, both account for nearly a third of the global wheat export market.

Wang Yi: China backs a security dialogue between nato, eu and Russia

Wang Yi expounds China’s five-point position on ukRaine issue MIaN aBrar On February 25, 2022, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi had phone conversations with UK Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell, and French Diplomatic Advisor to the President Emmanuel Bonne respectively. They had in-depth exchanges of views with a focus on the situation in Ukraine. Wang Yi expounded China’s basic position on the Ukraine issue, which can be summarized as the following five points: 1. China maintains that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected and protected and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter abided by in real earnest.

This position of China is consistent and clear-cut, and applies equally to the Ukraine issue.

2. China advocates common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security. China believes that the security of one country should not come at the expense of the security of other countries, still less should regional security be guaranteed by strengthening or even expanding military blocs. The Cold War mentality should be discarded completely. The legitimate security concerns of all countries should be respected.

Given NATO’s five consecutive rounds of eastward expansion, Russia’s legitimate security demands ought to be taken seriously and properly addressed.

3. China has been following the developments of the Ukraine issue closely.

The current situation is not what we want to see. The top priority now is for all parties to exercise the necessary restraint to prevent the current situation in Ukraine from getting worse or even getting out of control.

The life and property safety of civilians should be effectively guaranteed, and large-scale humanitarian crises, in particular, must be prevented.

4. China supports and encourages all diplomatic efforts conducive to a peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis.

China welcomes the earliest possible direct dialogue and negotiation between Russia and Ukraine. The Ukraine issue has evolved in a complex historical context. Ukraine should function as a bridge between the East and the West, not a frontier in big power confrontation.

China also supports the EU and Russia in entering into equal-footed dialogue on European security issues and implementing the philosophy of indivisible security, so as to form eventually a balanced, effective and sustainable European security mechanism.

5. China believes that the UN Secu-

rity Council should play a constructive role in resolving the Ukraine issue, and give priority to regional peace and stability and the universal security of all countries. Actions taken by the Security Council should help cool the situation and facilitate diplomatic resolution rather than fueling tensions and causing further escalation. In view of this, China has always disapproved of willfully invoking of UN Charter Chapter VII that authorizes the use of force and sanctions in UNSC resolutions.

State Councilor Wang Yi noted that as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a responsible major country, China has always faithfully fulfilled its international obligations and

played a constructive role in maintaining world peace and stability.

“When it comes to peace and security, China has the best record among major countries. We have never invaded other countries or engaged in proxy wars, nor have we ever sought spheres of influence or participated in military bloc confrontations,” he said.

“China stays committed to the path of peaceful development and the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. We will continue to firmly oppose all hegemonies and power politics and resolutely uphold the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries, especially small and medium-sized countries,” he concluded.

NEws DEsk China supports the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union (EU) to restart a security dialogue with Russia, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday.

Wang made the remarks when he talked over phone with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock about the ongoing situation in Ukraine. He said China supports the resumption of such talks among the related parties to seek the building of a balanced, effective and sustainable European security mechanism and achieve a long-term stability on the European continent. Noting that the Cold War was over long ago, Wang said it is necessary for NATO to reconsider its positioning and responsibilities, and the Cold-War mentality based on bloc confrontation should be “completely” abandoned. He said China is highly concerned about the situation in Ukraine, and supports all efforts that are conducive to de-escalation and a political solution. When it comes to European security issues, legitimate concerns of all countries should be taken seriously, Wang said, adding that Russia’s legitimate security demands should be addressed properly, given five consecutive rounds of NATO’s expansion eastward. China does not agree to solve problems through sanctions, and objects unilateral sanctions that have no basis in international law, he said. Sanctions will not only cause a “lose-lose” or “multiple-lose” scenario economically, but also hinder the process of political settlement, Wang explained. He reiterated that China, as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, always fulfills its responsibility to maintain international peace and security. If the Security Council takes action, it should be helpful for a political solution to the current crisis, instead of provoking new confrontation, Wang said, adding that was why China had prevented references of authorization of force and sanctions in a draft resolution over Ukraine. “China will continue to play a constructive role in seeking peace and realizing peace.”

no more evacuations until situation improves for afghans abroad: taliban NEws DEsk The Taliban will not allow any more evacuations of Afghans until the situation improves abroad for those who have already left, their spokesman said on Sunday. “The government has the responsibility to protect the people so this will be stopped until we get the assurance that their lives will not be endangered,” Zabihullah Mujahid told a news conference.

More than 120,000 Afghans and dual nationals were evacuated up to August 31 when the last US-led troops withdrew, two weeks after the hardline group seized Kabul. Hundreds more were allowed to leave on flights after that, but the last official evacuation by air was on December 1. Occasional evacuations have taken place by road via Pakistan until recently, however. Zabihullah said the Taliban had received reports of thousands of Afghans “living in very bad conditions” in Qatar and Turkey.

Arrest of APHC VC Ghulam Ahmad Gulzar denounced IsLaMaBaD APP

In Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Hurriyat leader Dr Masaib has strongly condemned the arrest of APHC Vice Chairman Ghulam Ahmad Gulzar

by Indian police.

According to Kashmir Media Service (KMS), the Indian police have arrested Ghulam Ahmad Gulzar after raiding his residence in Srinagar on Friday night and shifted him to Batamaloo Police Station in the city.

Dr Masaib in a statement issued in Srinagar said that with such arrests, India could not prevent the people of IIOJK from their just struggle for securing their right to self-determination and would continue the struggle till complete success.

He said that India was constantly committing human rights violations in the territories and the inter-

national community should take notice of it.

Meanwhile, Hurriyat leader, Abdul Samad Inqilabi, in a statement issued in Srinagar said that the Kashmiri people were already worried about drug addiction among the youth and in these circumstances the encouragement of alcohol by the Indian government and the administration was a matter of grave concern.

He said that due to unemployment during the military siege in the territory, the youth have fallen prey to bad habits and companionship and instead of taking steps to bring them back into the society, the authorities have decided to open liquor shops in the territory.

He termed it as a double standard of the authorities and appealed to all religious, political and social personalities to come forward and play their role to save the entire society from the scourge of drugs and alcohol.

China’s top legislature reviews work report, draft agenda for upcoming annual session NEws DEsk The Standing Committee of the 13th National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s top legislature, started its 33rd session on Sunday to prepare for the upcoming fifth annual session of the 13th NPC, which will open on March 5.

Li Zhanshu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, presided over the session’s first plenary meeting. A total of 157 members of the NPC Standing Committee attended the meeting.

Lawmakers reviewed the work report of the NPC Standing Committee.

The work report will be submitted to the annual assembly of the legislature in March for deliberation.

Lawmakers also reviewed the draft agenda for the NPC annual session, the draft name list of the annual session’s presidium and secretary-general, and the draft name list of members invited to sit in on the annual session as nonvoting participants.

They deliberated a draft decision on the ranks for active-duty soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army, a draft decision to establish a Chengdu-Chongqing financial court, and a report on the implementation of a decision by the NPC

Standing Committee regarding the litigation procedure of intellectual prop-

erty cases.

Lawmakers also reviewed a report

on certain deputies’ qualifications, as well as personnel-related bills.

Monday, 28 February, 2022 | LAHORE

AuStrALIAn crIcket teAm ArrIve In PAkIStAn AFter 24 yeArS AmId tIgHt SecurIty

A

agencieS

USTRALIA flew into Pakistan on Sunday for their first cricket tour in nearly a quarter of a century — and into a high-security bubble that will envelop them throughout their six-week stay.

Senior batsman Steve Smith posted a picture on Twitter of the 35strong Australia tour party inside their charter flight’s cabin after it touched down in Islamabad. Local officials confirmed their arrival.

Pakistan have struggled to attract visiting sides since a fatal terror attack on the visiting Sri Lanka team’s bus in 2009. Australia pulled out of a tour five years earlier after a suicide blast at a Lahore church.

They last played in Pakistan in 1998, winning the three-Test series 1-0 and blanking the hosts in the three one-day internationals.

Having been forced to play their home games abroad — mostly in the United Arab Emirates — Pakistan appeared to have reassured international cricket authorities last year with both New Zealand and England scheduled to tour.

But the Black Caps hastily departed in September just minutes before their first match was due to start, citing security fears, and England postponed tours by both their men’s and women’s teams soon after.

The decisions incensed Pakistan cricket authorities, who felt they had done everything possible to ensure

safety and security.

They say they are again leaving nothing to chance, with nearly 4,000 police and military personnel guarding the team hotel in Islamabad and the cricket stadium in Rawalpindi.

“The squad will be given ‘head of state-level security’,” a spokesman for the interior ministry told AFP. “Such arrangements are only made for high-level foreign delegations, [and] the president and prime minister of Pakistan.”

Roads will be blocked off when the Australians make the 15-kilometre commute, with their team bus to be shadowed by army helicopters.

Snipers will be positioned on buildings surrounding the stadium, while nearby shops and offices have been

ordered to close on match days, the interior ministry said.

Similar arrangements will be in place for matches in Karachi and Lahore.

The Australians will be confined to quarters for 24 hours after arrival for Covid tests, before intense train-

SPORTS 11

ing ahead of the first Test starting on March 4.

“We’ve got to a place where everyone hopping on the plane is comfortable with where it’s all sitting,” Australian skipper Pat Cummins said ahead of the team’s departure from Sydney.

“It’s been a really thorough body of work that the security and the logistics teams have worked through.”

More than half of Pakistan’s 220 million people were not even born the last time Australia toured — the median age is 22.8 — but stadiums are expected to be packed as the country emerges relatively unscathed from the Omicron stage of the Covid epidemic.

The teams will play three Tests, three one-day internationals (ODIs) and one Twenty20 match before the Australians depart on April 6.

Pakistan are due to host eight Tests, 11 ODIs and 13 Twenty20 internationals in the next 13 months.

Australian Test Captain Pat Cummins, while addressing a virtual news conference, said the players were feeling “incredibly safe” after arriving and raring to dish out their aggressive brand of cricket.

“We’ve been really well looked after by the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board). “Upon arrival, there’s been lots of security. We were straight off the plane and straight to the hotel.

Australian skipper Cummins feels ‘incredibly safe’ in Pakistan app

Promoting its mission of inclusivity, Faysal Bank Limited, one of the leading Islamic banks in Pakistan, was the platinum sponsor for the 7th Special Olympics Pakistan Unified Marathon 2022, held at Emaar Pakistan. The event was inaugurated by Mr. YousafHussain, President & CEO, Faysal Bank Limited, hosting 2000 participants from all walks of lives, including more than 300 differently-abled children and adults. pr

International Judo Federation suspends Putin as honorary president

Australian Test Skipper Patrick Cummins said Sunday he and his team feel “incredibly safe” in Pakistan and termed the country an “incredible cricket playing nation.”

“I feel incredibly safe and we’ve been really well looked after by the Pakistan Cricket Board,” Cummins said in a virtual press conference after landing in Islamabad.

“There’s been lots of security upon arrival. We were straight off the plane and straight to the hotel,” said Cummins, whose side is touring Pakistan for the

first time since November 1998.

During the tour, the Aussie men will take on Green Shirts in three Test matches — in Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Karachi — and the same number of ODIs and one T20 in Rawalpindi.

The first match of the Test series will begin on March 4.

Cummins said his side played throughout the summer in the Ashes back home in Australia.

“Now the challenge is to try to continue that form. Pakistan is an incredible cricket playing nation and the Pakistan Super League is been very successful.

Pakistan came to play in Australia and

Russian president Vladimir Putin has been suspended as honorary president of the International Judo Federation (IJF) due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the sport’s governing body announced on Sunday. The conflict has entered a fourth day with Moscow ordering its troops to advance in Ukraine “from all directions”, while the West responded late Saturday with sanctions that sought to cripple Russia’s banking sector. Ukrainian officials said 198 civilians, including three children, had been killed since Russia invaded early Thursday. “In light of the ongoing war… in Ukraine, the International Judo Federation announces the suspension of Mr Vladimir Putin’s status as Honorary President and Ambassador of the International Judo Federation,” read the IJF statement. Putin, an accomplished judoka who was awarded an eighth dan in 2014 — one of the highest levels in the sport, has been honorary president since 2008. IJF president Marius Vizer lauded him back in 2014 as “the perfect ambassador for our sport”. Putin has made much of his fondness for keeping fit with judo and ice hockey. Putin’s suspension comes on the back of a range of sporting punishments for Russia. European football’s governing body UEFA stripped Saint Petersburg of the hosting of the May 28 Champions League final — their most prestigious club competition — and Formula One cancelled the Russian Grand Prix scheduled for September 25. Both Poland and Sweden have said they will not play Russia in the 2022 World Cup play-offs with the Swedish Government, hoping to persuade their 27 European Union partners to implement a blanket sporting ban. This includes barring Russian athletes from competing on European Union soil.

and shining, Cummins said.

To a question, the skipper said we would go out to the ground and have a look to see what we want to pick for the best 11 — two spinners or three quicks.

“Steve Smith (vice-captain) has played a lot in the subcontinent so I’ll be laying on him about the field placements, spin bowling etc. (Test match) is 90 overs a day so we will look one day at a time,” he said.

Cummins said the team’s schedule was really packed.

“We are playing 15 days Test cricket in the space of 28 days and then three ODIs,” he said.

Mushtaq Ahmed credits Mohammad Rizwan for Multan Sultans’ performance Staff RepoRt

afp

hopefully, we can return the favour,” he said.

Cummins oversaw Australia’s 4-1 Ashes romp against England in his first series in charge and the speedster was confident they could be as assertive against Babar Azam’s side.

He said the thing makes him more excited was the fans.

“When we have come to play in the subcontinent the fans are so passionate and it is the first test match (Pak-Aus) here in 24 years. So we hope the fans can enjoy,” he said.

The thing we love about Pakistan team was young guys coming forward

Multan Sultans’ spin bowling consultant and assistant coach Mushtaq Ahmed has credited the leadership of Mohammad Rizwan for the performance of Multan Sultan in the Pakistan Super League.

Multan won the 6th edition of PSL under Rizwan’s leadership last year and this year, they’re playing the final after winning 9 out of 10 league matches and then winning the qualifier play-off as well.

Mushtaq told media that Rizwan’s leadership has been amazing.

“Everyone is united under his leadership and contributing to the team’s cause. We played according to our plans and management deserves credit for all this,” Mushtaq said.

“Rizwan is honest and very firm in decision making, he doesn’t hesitate in taking risky decisions. But the best thing about him is that whatever decision he takes, he does it with the consultation of everyone,” said Mushtaq, who was also a member of Pakistan’s 1992 World Cup-winning squad.

He added that Rizwan has got everything that is needed to be a good captain.

The former cricketer also hailed Sultan’s fast bowler Shahnawaz Dahani and said that his attitude plays a vital role in lifting the team’s mood.

“Shahnawaz is a very good performer and he has also won many hearts with his performance as well as his unique style of celebration. Everyone in the team enjoys his presence and involvement in the game.”

“He just needs to understand the intensity of his celebration at various stages of the game and gradually, he’s learning that too,” Mushtaq said.

The Sultans’ assistant coach named four cricketers, including Lahore Qalandars’ Zaman Khan, as a find of this tournament but insisted that they should also play first-class cricket because it is important for their development.

“Qalandars’ Zaman Khan, our Ehsanullah, Aamir Azmat, Muhammad Haris are the players who can be considered as find of this tournament but it is important that after PSL’s exposure they are also developed in First Class Cricket because playing red-ball cricket will earn them the experience and temperament which is much needed at the international level,” he said.

Replying to a question, Mushtaq said that the crowd in Pakistan has been amazing and it plays an important role in keeping the game alive.

“I will say that crowd here is the life of the game; they play an important role, the noise they make in the stadium during these matches brings so much excitement! That’s unmatched,” he concluded.

Secretary General Pakistan Olympic AssosiationMr Muhammad Khalid Mahmood and DHA Lahore Director Sports Brigadier Munir Ahmed (Retd) with the winners of DHA Junior National Badminton Championship 2022. pr

HBL PSL: Fakhar Zaman misses out on major PSL record LaHoRe Staff report

Lahore Qalandars’ flamboyant batter Fakhar Zaman has missed out on a major opportunity to create the record of becoming the first cricketer to reach the 600-run mark in a single edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

Before the final Fakhar stood with 585 runs in 12 games and just required 15 more runs in the final to reach the 600-run landmark and become the first-ever batter in PSL history to achieve the milestone. The batter has not been up to the mark in the last two matches and he failed to deliver in the crucial final of the PSL 7, as Lahore Qalandars seek to claim their maiden title.

Zaman was dismissed for three runs by Asif Afridi in the initial stage of the match and he was able to reach 588 runs — just 12 runs shy of achieving the 600-run mark. The aggressive left-hander Zaman has been in a rollicking form in this year’s event as he is the leading runscorer, and he also holds the record for most runs scored in a single PSL edition after he surpassed Babar Azam’s record in the league stages. The hi-octane final of PSL’s seventh edition is underway and the Lahore Qalandars have had the worst possible start as their toporder batters — Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, Zeeshan Ashraf — were dismissed in the powerplay.

Monday, 28 February, 2022

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ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

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Bilawal takES a jiBE at PM iMRaN aS PPP’S loNG MaRch to thE caPital BEGiNS

c

NeWS DeSK

HAIRPERSON Pakistan People’s Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Sunday addressed a huge crowd in Karach, at the start of the PPP’s Awami Long March against the PTI-led government.

Bilawal, during his address remarked that the people of Karachi had gathered at the Quaid-e-Azam mausoleum to “send the selected, illegitimate and incapable [government] home.”

He raised the slogan of “go selected go”, and stated that Karachi is a city where people came from every province and that the economy of the country ran with their sweat and blood.

“The people have been compelled to send Imran Khan home because this ille-

gitimate, incapable and incompetent selected have robbed the people of Sindh, Balochistan, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [K-P] of their rights,” he claimed, adding that the PTI government had robbed the people of their votes, pockets and livelihoods.

He emphasised that the entire opposition had decided to send Prime Minister Imran Khan home and that the jiyalas (supporters) of the PPP were at the forefront of this movement.

“No power can stop these jiyalas,” he stated. He further said that the Quaide-Azam had promised that the country will be a parliamentary democracy but the incumbent government had “attacked our democracy, our economy and human rights”.

“We will complete the mission of Quaid-

e-Azam and Shaheed mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, and defend the 1973 constitution, the rights of the people and the economy of this country,” he stated.

The PPP chairman claimed that “the PPP had always defended the rights of the people, increased salaries and pensions, and given rights to the provinces and made them the owner of their own resources.”

He further alleged that the “puppet” Imran Khan wanted to dismantle the 18th amendment and NFC award.

“Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah is trying to serve the people of the city of Karachi and this province despite the fact that the puppet government of Imran Khan does not provide the due share from NFC to provinces,” Bilawal said.

Bilawal further maintained that the ruling party has made Pakistan one of the most

corrupt countries in the world, adding that Transparency International had declared the PTI government as the “most corrupt government in history”.

He added that the “awami” government will provide resources to the provinces and hence, all cities will get their due share.

He went on to state that it was impossible to achieve anything until “this puppet” was in the government and the PTI-IMF deal was in place.

“The time has come to bring the no-confidence motion against Imran Khan and send him home. Now with this march, cries will be heard from Bani Gala,” he said.

According to Bilawal, the PPP will put the demands of the people of every city on the way to Islamabad during this long march.

“We will attack this government after reaching Islamabad,” he stated.

Qureshi accuses PPP of luring workers with Rs30k each for its Awami March SENIOR PTI LEADER SAYS PEOPLE OF SINDH WILL HOLD PROVINCIAL GOVT ACCOUNTABLE FOR PLUNDERING WEALTH StAff RePoRt Senior PTI leader and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who is leading the party’s Ghotki-Karachi march against the PPP government in Sindh, has alleged that PPP was paying Rs30,000 to each worker for participating in its long march on Islamabad using the provincial government’s resources.

The statement comes hours after PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari kicked off his party’s long march to Islamabad from Karachi in a bid to send the PTI-led government packing on Sunday.

Meanwhile, PTI, which is in opposition in Sindh,

has also launched protest rally dubbed as ‘Huqooq-eSindh March’ against the provincial government, which will culminate in Karachi on March 6 after passing through several districts of the province.

“Bilawal, I ask you… why Sindh’s treasury is being plundered; who doled out a package of Rs30,000 to each worker of PPP for your long march… people of the province want accountability,” said Qureshi while addressing the participants of the march in Sindh’s Shikarpur district earlier today.

The foreign minister claimed that the amount was distributed among the PPP workers because “ideological activists” had left the party and added that the party

founded by Bhutto family had been taken over by Zardari. Qureshi also urged the participants not to fear Zardari and join the PTI’s march.

The march, led by Qureshi, was welcomed by party supporters in Ubauro, Daharki, Mirpur Mathelo, Panu Aqil and other towns on its way to Karachi on Saturday.

The PTI leaders also addressed the march in Sukkur. “[How come] a party, which has been robbing Sindh, is telling the people of Pakistan that it will provide a new leadership in the form of Bilawal [Bhutto Zardari] and that it will offer solution to the country’s problems,” Qureshi wondered.

He said that the people of Pakistan knew very well that “you are in power in Sindh for the last 15 years and have failed to uplift the lives of the people and cannot develop the province … what message are you sending” across the country. “Fifteen years is not a small time,” he added.

Pakistan expresses ‘serious concern’ over Ukraine crisis StAff RePoRt Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Sunday, during a telephonic conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba, shared Pakistan’s serious concerns over the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Qureshi, taking to Twitter, said that he underscored the importance of de-escalation and the indispensability of diplomacy. He also appreciated the role of Ukrainian authorities in the evacuation of the Pakistani community and students.

He further said that Pakistan looks forward to continued and swift facilitation from the Ukrainian authorities in this connection.

Earlier today, the Pakistan Embassy in Ukraine stated that Ambassador Dr Noel Khokhar met with the deputy internal affairs minister of Ukraine to discuss the facilitation of evacuation for Pakistani citizens from the

war-hit country.

A statement released by the embassy stated that they had requested a meeting with the commander of border points for the Ukraine-Poland border to highlight the issue of Pakistanis stuck on the Ukrainian side awaiting exit. s the Russia-Ukraine conflict escalates, the embassy has provided updates regarding their evacuation efforts.

The body stated that 125 Pakistani citizens have been successfully evacuated so far, while 376 have reached the Ukraine-Poland border, four are at the Ukraine-Romania border and nine at the Ukraine-Hungary border.

The embassy reported that a night curfew has been imposed in the cities of Kharkiv, Lviv and Ternopil, while the capital city Kyiv is under a 24-hour curfew.

Due to the increased conflict, the embassy stated that “there is no safe place in Ukraine” and the Ternopil district administration issued a warning on Saturday to civilians to keep lights off.

No polio case reported across country in last 14 months: Dr. Ehsan Ghani RAWALPINDI District Health Officer (DHO) Rawalpindi, Dr. Ehsan Ghani has said that no case of polio has been reported in the last 14 months in the whole country and in order to achieve polio free status it is necessary that no case of polio be reported for three consecutive years. While briefing about the polio campaign that will start from February 28 (Monday), he said that Rawalpindi is a high risk district in terms of polio so six antipolio campaigns are run in a year and in non-high risk districts three campaigns are run in a year. Dr. Ehsan Ghani said that significant achievements have been made in Rawalpindi regarding polio and since April 2021, no polio virus has been found in the environmental samples of Rawalpindi and this proves that the quality of polio campaign in Rawalpindi is satisfactory. He said that the process of migration of population in different cities of Rawalpindi district is very high due to which according to the records of Health Department Rawalpindi 1.8% children are deprived of polio vaccine every year but these children must be vaccinated in other cities.

Sheikh Rasheed says ‘Bilawal is not capable of pulling off long march’ NeWS DeSK Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid on Sunday claimed that PPP Chairman Bilawal BhuttoZardari is not capable of pulling off the planned long march towards Islamabad. It is pertinent to note that Bilawal had announced the PPP’s plan to hold long march against the deteriorating economic conditions in the country during a news conference in Lahore after presiding over a meeting of the party’s core committee on January 6.

The PPP has kicked off its long march towards the capital against the incumbent government and is expected to reach Islamabad in 10 days after travelling through 34 cities and towns of the country.

Rasheed, while addressing a presser in Islamabad today, said that “Bilawal sahab, it is not in your capability that you are staging a long march for 10 days for the prime minister’s resignation.” “Come to Lal Haveli, we will give you a resignation,” he said with a laugh, referring to his own political office. He further criticized the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and its plans for moving a noconfidence motion against the PTI government, saying that there was still a “deadlock” among opposition parties. He further claimed there was a group of 12 “joggers” — people who might back off from their support — in the opposition and said he fully believed that the PDM wouldn’t be in the capital on March 23. “All these self-interested people have united against Imran Khan, who will carry out a political cyberattack at the right time. You will get to know, you are underestimating him,” he declared. The interior minister said the opposition’s movement would fail and it would instead strengthen the prime minister, calling on the opposition to “take care of your own people.” “Leave our allies. They are with us and will remain with us and Imran Khan,” Rashid said. However, Rasheed said that the government would create no obstacles for the PPP’s long march and that he had held a meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar on the issue and concluded that the provincial government would take care of the march.

PKR sheds 0.71pc against USD for 3rd week amid rising oil prices KARACHI

Staff RepoRt

As cities in Western Ukraine, previously believed to be safe experience heightened encounters, including Lviv and Ternopil, the embassy highlighted that “the majority of students from Kharkiv have already reached Lviv and have departed for the Poland border”.

Furthermore, Pakistanis are being evacuated from Ternopil and Lviv to Poland, Hungry, Slovakia and Romania as the embassy is coordinating with respective Pakistan missions.

Ukraine, a democratic nation of 44 million people, won independence from Moscow in 1991 at the fall of the Soviet Union and has pushed to join NATO and the EU, goals Russia opposes.

Putin has said he must eliminate what he calls a serious threat to his country from its smaller neighbour, accusing it of genocide against Russian-speakers in eastern Ukraine – something Kyiv and its Western allies reject as a lie.

Prior to Bilawal, PPP leaders Murtaza Wahab, Raza Rabbani, Murad Ali Shah, Nisar Khoro and Qamar Zaman Kaira also addressed the people.

The march began from Mazar-e-Quaid on February 27 (today) at 10 am and the protesters will reach Badin where they will spend the night. The protesters will resume their journey on February 28 passing through Hyderabad, Hala and Nawabshah and end its second day at Moro.

Marchers will reach Khairpur city on March 1 and end their third day in Sukkur.

The long march will then continue from Sukkur on March 2 from where the protesters will reach Rahim Yar Khan.

On March 3, the PPP convoy from Rahim Yar Khan, passing through Bahawalpur and Lodhran will end its fifth day with a large public gathering in Multan.

Staff RepoRt

Rupee slipped 0.71 percent (Rs1.25) against the US dollar for the third straight week due to surging oil and commodity prices globally amid Russia-Ukraine war.

The rupee slipped from 175.86 to 177.11 against the American currency in the interbank market last week after going 0.13 percent and 0.66 percent down in the preceding weeks. Overall, the rupee has depreciated by Rs19.68 during the ongoing fiscal year 2021-22, while the local unit has depreciated by 60 paisas during the current year 2022.

Within the open market, the rupee weakened to 177.50/178.50 per dol-

lar against 176.50/177.50 per dollar a week earlier. On the other hand, the US Dollar Index, which tracks the greenback versus a bundle of its main competitors, came under pressure and slipped back below the 97.00 yardstick on Friday. The appetite for safer assets continued to bolster the dollar and kept the index on the positive footing on the back of the deterioration of the geopolitical scenario.

The constructive view in the buck remained underpinned by the current elevated inflation narrative and the probability of a more aggressive start of the Federal Reserve’s normalisation of its monetary conditions. The index gave away ground following a tepid change in the markets’ mood after news reported a probable meeting between

Russian and Ukrainian officials despite the relentless advance of Russian troops into the country.

The rupee remained volatile and started last week on the front foot, appreciating by 11 paisas (+0.06 percent) on Monday. However, it came under pressure on Tuesday and depreciated by 48 paisas (-0.27 percent). The rupee remained firm on Wednesday and eroded a part of previous day’s losses by gaining 7 paisas (+0.06 percent). However, the next two days remained tough for the local unit, as Russia intensified attacks on the Ukrainian territory. The rupee depreciated by 23 paisas (-0.13 percent) on Thursday and 72 paisas (-0.41 percent) on Friday, which turned the overall week negative for the rupee.

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

The rupee is bearing the brunt of increasing trade deficit, surging import bill due to rise in oil prices, shrinking reserves, Russia-Ukraine conflict, and speculative elements. The oil import bill recorded a sharp increase in the first seven months (July-January) of 2021-22 from a year ago owing to rising prices on the international market and massive depreciation of the rupee.

The oil import bill surged 107.35 percent to $11.7 billion in the first seven months of the current fiscal year.

Experts believe that as war prolongs the international oil prices would move upward and subsequently affect the rupee value. Moreover, a sharp rise in the current account deficit also put additional pressure on the local currency. The country’s current account widened to the highest-ever monthly deficit of $2.6 billion in January 2022, compared to $1.9 billion in December 2021, taking the current account deficit to $11.6 billion in the first seven months of the current fiscal year.

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WORLD VIEW

UncoverIng the cAA’s lArger strAtAgem THERE IS ONE CLUE TO THE LOGIC THAT INFORMS THE CAA: THE LEGISLATION INTENDS TO PRESENT THE PERPETRATOR AS MUSLIM, AND ONLY MUSLIM

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tUDent protesters have exacted their first concession from the powers that be. the Prime Minister has denied any official intent to compile a countrywide national register of citizens (nrc), nor to build detention centres to contain those classified as noncitizens. the implication is to delink any connection between the nrc and the citizenship (amendment) act (caa), 2019. this signals an official intent to shift the focus of public attention from the nrc to the caa. the reworked message: What could be more benign than an act that reaches out to oppressed religious minorities in the neighbourhood? those who continue to protest must either be misinformed, misguided or ill-intentioned.

THE LARGER PICTURE: there is a fourth possibility: the student protesters may be right. to make sense of the protester’s point of view, one needs to look beyond the list of those included, which is indeed the benign half of the picture. the other half is the list of those excluded. Only a grasp of reasons that explain both sides of the list, those included and those excluded, can give a sense of the whole picture.

Why does the list of minorities include only those from Pakistan, Bangladesh and afghanistan? Why not from other neighbours such as Sri Lanka, china and Myanmar? could it be because the ruling powers in these countries are not officially Muslim? i can think of only one reason why a government pledged to Hindutva would exclude ‘persecuted Hindu’, such as the tamils of Sri Lanka, from the list — because their oppressor does not claim to be an official representative of islam. Here is one clue to the logic that informs the caa: the legislation intends to present the perpetrator as Muslim, and only Muslim.

NO ‘VICTIM’: For a second clue as to the kind of reasoning that informs this double process of exclusion and inclusion, let us focus on the exclusion of the most persecuted minorities in the region, such as the rohingya of Myanmar or the Uighurs of china.

Just as the legislation recognises only Muslim perpetrators, it recognises no Muslim victim. to complete the list of those excluded, we need to focus on oppressed Muslims in countries where the ruling power officially claims to be Muslim. those oppressed may be targeted as groups such as ah-

madiyya or Shia, or they may be identified as individual critics. One such instance was headlined by the Karachi daily, The Dawn, of December 23, 2019: “academic Junaid Hafeez Sentenced to Death on Blasphemy charges by Multan court.”

Whether intended or not, it is these reasons that make the caa a demonic rather than a benign legislation. More than helping out persecuted minorities, its effect will be to demonise and isolate one group, Muslims, as exclusively a group of perpetrators. the official discourse thus seeks to present Muslims as a politically and morally legitimate target for persecution by a government-mobilised majority. it is this stratagem that student protesters have exposed. the student protesters consciously claim to follow an earlier generation of nationalist leaders — evoking names such as Gandhi, ambedkar, azad. inspired by the independence movement, they pledge non-violent action. indeed, these non-violent protests have exploded in the face of brutal official repression.

A CONTINUING PROCESS: Like the independence movement, the protest is not a standalone event, but an ongoing process. it resembles what the South africans used to call “rolling mass action” at the peak of anti-apartheid mobilisation. Few have bothered to draw up a blueprint or even define a destination for the protests. though many demand “independence”, the call does not adequately sum up what these protests are about. Perhaps more accurate is the accompanying call for the defence of secularism, specifically as incorporated in the indian constitution.

Secularism does not necessarily translate into denouncing the presence of religion in the public sphere. instead of a simple opposition between secularism and religion, protesters tend to distinguish different trends within secular and religious realms. they embrace secularism which accommodates diversity, but not the French-style laicity that openly shuns it. a recent Oped favourably contrasted religious sentiment that reaches out to embrace as opposed to fundamentalisms that thrive on exclusions. their pledge to emulate the earlier generation of nationalists also hides the important ways in which the protests depart from the independence generation in significant ways. the protest leadership comes from loosely coordinated student groups. there are hardly any luminaries in the protest, whether from the world of finance or industry or entertainment. they keep a distance from political parties. indeed, many of these youthful protesters seem disillusioned with party politics. rather than look to representative democracy as the guarantor of people’s rights, they are in search of new and popular ways of defining and defending these rights. in pointing to new possibilities, they seem to follow a trend that can be discerned at a global level, in places such as Lebanon, Sudan, algeria, France, chile, Hong Kong, and so on, in what we may define as the contemporary post-arab Spring era.

Mahmood Mamdani is Herbert Lehman Professor of Government at Columbia University and director of the Makerere Institute of Social Research in Kampala, Uganda.

UK murders and Putin's hand THE AUTHOR ALSO TRACES THE UPWARD TRAJECTORY OF A WORKADAY KGB OFFICER NAMED VLADIMIR PUTIN WHO BECAME A DEPUTY MAYOR AND LATER ROSE TO BECOME THE LEADER OF RUSSIA Washington times

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en Macintyre, a columnist for the London times and the author of “the Spy and the traitor: the Greatest espionage Story of the cold War,” “a Spy among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal,” and other fine books on spies and espionage, wrote about a russian GrU (military intelligence) assassination group operating in europe that is the descendant of the Soviet assassination organization SMerSH, the counterintelligence unit that inspired ian Fleming. “if the idea of a ruthless spy-killing unit sounds like the stuff of fiction, that’s because it became precisely that,” Ben Macintyre wrote in his times column. “in the James Bond novels, ian Fleming portrayed Smersh (director of operations: rosa Klebb) as a massive counterintelligence network that more closely resembled the KGB.” Ben Macintyre wrote that the real SMerSH was effective in not only murdering Soviet traitors (some of whom were undoubtedly innocent, he noted), but SMerSH also instilled terror among potential enemies and enforced obedience in Soviet citizens. “and now it is back, with a new name and a new remit but essentially the same purpose: to put the fear of God, and assassination, into russia’s enemies, traitors and deserters,” Mr. Macintyre wrote. “according to intelligence sources, Unit 29155 is an elite sub-unit of GrU assassins that operated out of the Haute-Savoie in the French alps, conducting a variety of wet jobs across europe: notably the attempted poisoning in Salisbury of GrU officer-turned-Mi6 spy Sergei Skripal, and the attempt to kill a Bulgarian arms dealer in 2015.” in ian Fleming’s classic 1957 thriller “From russia with Love,” James Bond was the target of a SMerSH plot to assassinate him and discredit British intelligence in a scandal. SMerSH sent out from russia a psychopath assassin named red Grant to kill Bond. ian Fleming admitted that his plots were fantastic, but he also said they often lifted the tip of the veil to reveal the real world of espionage.

Heidi Blake’s “From russia with Blood” (a clever take on ian Fleming’s “From russia with Love” title), lifts the veil off a series of murders in the United Kingdom and places blame squarely on russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Ms. Blake, formerly assistant editor of the British Sunday times (where ian Fleming also worked years before), is the global investigations editor at BuzzFeed news and oversees an award-winning team in the U.K. and the United States. Her team’s investigation into russian assassinations in the West was named a Pulitzer finalist in 2018. in the foreword to her book, she explains how she flew to new york in 2014 to meet the BuzzFeed news investigations editor, Mark Schoofs. She was meeting the editor to discuss setting up an investigative unit at BuzzFeed’s’ U.K. office. “i came carrying a newspaper clipping containing the first clues to a mystery i hoped the new team might solve,” Ms. Blake writes. “it described how a multimillionaire property tycoon had plunged to his death from the fourth-floor window of a London town house a few days earlier — becoming the latest in a group of men, including the exiled russian oligarch Boris Bere-

zovsky, who had all died under bizarre circumstances. i was fascinated by what lay behind this expanding web of death at the heart of London — and so was Mark.”

Ms. Blake goes on to note that as she was setting up the team, she received a call from the ex-wife of the tycoon who died in the fall.

“Her ex-husband had been murdered, she said, and by coincidence she wanted my new team to investigate. More serendipitously still, she was sitting on a large trove of documents detailing the activities of her ex-husband and his associates in the years before their untimely deaths.” the author traces how a privileged few benefitted from the fall of communism in the Soviet Union and gobbled up the state-run utilities and companies at mostly rigged auctions and became oligarch billionaires. the author also traces the upward trajectory of a workaday KGB officer named Vladimir Putin who became a deputy mayor and later rose to become the leader of russia. the russian government forged a partnership with russian organized crime and the favored oligarchs, enriching the selected few. But as some oligarchs fell out of Mr. Putin’s favor, some were arrested and imprisoned, some died mysteriously, and some left russia with their millions and moved to London. One such oligarch, Boris Berezovsky, attempted to undermine Mr. Putin from London. this did not end well for him. nor did it end well for a former KGB/FSB officer who worked with the oligarch. “From russia with Blood” is a well-written and well-researched book that reads like a thriller.

Paul Davis covers crime, espionage and terrorism.

FROM RUSSIA WITH BLOOD: THE KREMLIN’S RUTHLESS ASSASSINATION PROGRAM AND VLADIMIR PUTIN’S SECRET WAR ON THE WEST

By Heidi Blake, Mulholland Books, $15.99, 336 pages

America’s Iraq war may escalate after airstrikes on Iranian-backed groups US AIRSTRIKES WERE SUPPOSED TO BE A MESSAGE OF DETERRENCE FOR THE ATTACK NEAR KIRKUK. BUT THIS BRINKMANSHIP COULD LEAD TO A WIDER CONFLICT

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Orty-eiGHt tense hours separated an attack that killed a U.S. contractor at a base near Kirkuk on Friday, December 27, and U.S. attacks against the Kataib Hezbollah militia in iraq and Syria on Sunday. it is a serious response that backs up six months of Washington’s rhetoric which has warned iran of a strong and decisive response to any attacks by tehran or its proxies. the United States opened a new chapter in iraq on Sunday with its airstrikes. the strikes, carried out by F-15s and other aircraft, hit five targets, three in iraq and two in Syria. the largest strike hit a headquarters of Kataib Hezbollah in al-Qaim and killed several members of the militia. according to local reports abu al-Khazali, a commander of Brigade 45 of the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), was killed.

Brigade 45 is made up of Kataib Hezbollah members and is officially a paramilitary unit within the iraqi Security Forces. the airstrike is a response to rocket fire that killed a U.S. contractor and wounded four U.S. personnel at the K-1 base northwest of Kirkuk. it was the latest of at least ten attacks since October 2019. these attacks actually began earlier this year when rockets were aimed at U.S. bases in February and May. When U.S.-iran tensions skyrocketed in May the attacks increased. in May, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo flew to iraq to warn of iranian attacks. the attacks did come, but in the form of mining oil tankers in the Gulf and then the downing of a U.S. drone in June. then iran shifted tactics a bit, targeting Saudi arabia’s abqaiq facility and also targeting israel. there were iranian rocket attacks on

israel in May of 2018 and in January, September and november this year. iran’s strategy is complex. in iraq, Syria, Lebanon and yemen it works with local forces. these include Hezbollah, the Houthi rebels and Shia militias, many of them linked to the islamic revolutionary Guard corps. Pompeo calls these “proxies” and warned on December 13 that iran’s proxies had “recently conducted several attacks against bases where iraqi Security Forces are co-located [with] US and international coalition personnel.” the United States and coalition are in iraq with thousands of forces to fight iSiS. the United States had reduced its diplomatic staff in iraq due to the iran tensions. Protests in iraq that began in October led to the resignation of Prime Minister adel abdul Mahdi and the country has a leadership vacuum.

President Barham Saleh, who met with Pompeo at the sidelines of the Un in September, has threatened to resign. the U.S. role in iraq has become increasingly complicated well. With iSiS largely defeated in iraq in the fall of 2017, the United States shifted to stabilization, training and dispatching Security Force assistance Brigades—in an advisory role—to advise the iraqis and Kurdish Peshmerga. the coalition highlights weekly raids against iSiS and the United States conducts some airstrikes. However, Lead inspector General reports show that tensions with iran are increasingly on the minds of U.S. forces. the iran tensions span iraq and Syria. this is partly a result of the war against iSiS which spanned across both countries.

Similarly, pro-iranian groups in Syria and iraq also fought iSiS and filled the vacuum left behind. in iraq, that meant that the Popular Mobilization Units, a group of mostly Shia militias, set up bases in places like Kirkuk, nineveh and anbar province. in al-Qaim, for instance, the 45th Brigade of the PMU, linked to Kataib Hezbollah, set up a base. it also built a base on the Syrian side in a house. iran also built a base on the Syrian side near albukamal called the imam ali base. together Kataib Hezbollah units and the imam ali base have been hit by israeli airstrikes.

For the United States, the concern in iraq and Syria is multi-layered. after the

U.S. withdrawal from part of northern Syria, it repositioned units to guard oil and keep a presence in southern Syria. it has warned the Syrian regime against advancing into these areas east of the euphrates or around the tanf base on the Jordanian base. in February 2018, the United States helped stop a Syrian regime advance near Deir ezzor that included russian mercenaries. in Syria, the United States has expressed concern that israeli airstrikes might lead the Syrian regime or its allies to target the United States. in iraq, the United States says israeli airstrikes have complicated the mission a bit. israel has said it opposes iranian entrenchment in Syria and iraq. in a sense, the United States and israel view iran’s threats similarly, but they have different challenges. israel wants iran to stop moving munitions to Syria and reduce its presence. the United States wants to be able to continue the anti-iSiS campaign without iranian-backed harassment. But iran has shown that it will conduct tit-fortat pressures in response to sanctions and other issues. iranian-backed groups, such as Kataib Hezbollah and asaib ahl al-Haq (aaH) have a long history of opposing and fighting the United States in iraq, only stopping momentarily due to the war against iSiS. the United States sanctioned Kataib Hezbollah leader abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in 2009 and he is wanted for terrorism charges in Kuwait. Washington also sanctioned Qais Khazali, leader of aaH, in December and has sanctioned Harakat Hezbollah al-nujaba, another PMU militia. all this adds up to a very tense December, even without the attack and retaliation that just took place. PMU militia leaders like Muhandis want the United States to leave iraq. the Pentagon says that Kataib Hezbollah has been responsible for past rocket attacks on bases where U.S. forces are present. these attacks have become increasingly threatening since October; they have included different types of rockets, including iranian-made 107mm rockets. On December 27, a total of thirty-two rockets fired from an improvised rocket launcher in the back of a Bongo truck, struck the K1 base. U.S. personnel were there as part of an anti-iSiS operation. the rockets set off a munitions facility. One U.S. contractor

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was killed.

On December 29, the F-15s dropped their ordnance in iraq and Syria. the Pentagon says that targets included command and control areas and also storage facilities that Kataib Hezbollah has used to plan and execute attacks on the U.S. and coalition forces. the decision to strike in both Syria and iraq shows that Washington views the threat as spanning the border. it is highly unusual for the United States to conduct airstrikes this way, across borders at the same threat. the only parallel might be the conflict against groups like al-Qaeda that have spanned continents and resulted in U.S. drone strikes, many of them confidential, from Pakistan to africa. the strikes represent a keen understanding of the threat that Kataib Hezbollah poses. it is not just an iraqi militia: its leader trained with the irGc in the 1980s and it is part of iran’s regional strategy. in that sense, like aaH and other groups in iraq, it has played a role in Syria, established relations with Hezbollah, and has threatened israel. Like the rest of iran’s proxies, it views itself as “resisting” the United States in the Middle east. the trump administration has been reticent to get involved in a conflict with iran despite the rising tensions since May. However, the trump administration has tested iran’s role in iraq in the past. in October 2017, former Secretary of State rex tillerson said that the iraqi militias, such as Kataib Hezbollah, should go home now that the war on iSiS was over. then-Prime Minister Haider al-abadi condemned tillerson and said the militias of the PMU were the hope of the future of iraq and the region. in December 2018, President Donald trump said the United States could use iraq to “watch iran.” Similar statements in January 2019 ruffled iran’s feathers and angered iraqi politicians who didn’t want iraq used as part of a U.S. war with iran.

Hadi al-amiri, head of the Badr Organization, which is part of the PMU, warned in May that tensions with the United States and iran could “burn” iraq. the tensions point to a crucial moment for the United States in iraq. Washington has already left iraq several times in the past: in the 1990s, after the Gulf War US

forces withdrew and again in 2011. now pro-iranian groups want to see the United States leave again. iraqis don’t want a U.S.iran conflict or a proxy conflict in iraq. But many iraqi protesters have been protesting iran’s presence as well, not only the U.S. presence. iranian consulates have been burned, militia headquarters have been targeted, and iranian-backed militias have been accused of killing protesters. this means the United States is in a different place in iraq today than in 2011. However, the killing of members of Kataib Hezbollah and the attacks straddling the iraq-Syria border illustrate that a larger conflict is already taking place. this conflict has existed under the surface, involving iran’s actions in the Gulf, and Houthi attacks on Saudi arabia as well as israeli airstrikes against iran in Syria and iraq. Kataib Hezbollah has been seeking to strike at the United States since May, when the rocket attacks began. at the same time, iran is accused of transferring ballistic and other missiles to iraq. the PMU are at a crossroads after the U.S. strikes. they can choose to escalate the conflict and show that they are the new power behind the throne in iraq, a sort of iraqi version of iran’s irGc. Or iran may seek to reduce tensions. yet iran will likely choose both options, as it has in the Gulf and in Syria. trump has been reticent to commit more U.S. troops to foreign wars that he portrays as endless sunk costs. iraq is a sunk cost in this estimation and trump has said iSiS is defeated on the ground. that puts the United States in a complex position, wanting to maintain some presence in iraq and southern Syria, but not wanting a large new conflict with iran or iran’s proxies.

Five airstrikes were supposed to be a message of deterrence for the attack near Kirkuk. it shows the United States has been watching several Kataib Hezbollah’s sites for weeks or months. But Kataib Hezbollah didn’t evacuate its locations, assuming it was safe. this is the brinkmanship that could lead to a wider conflict. that conflict could stretch thousands of kilometers from the Gulf to israel’s Golan Heights.

Seth J. Frantzman is a Jerusalem-based journalist who holds a Ph.D. from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is the executive director of the Middle East Center for Reporting and Analysis and a writing fellow at Middle East Forum. He is the author of After ISIS: America, Iran and the Struggle for the Middle East (forthcoming Gefen Publishing).