Epaper – July 2 ISB 2021

Friday, 2 July, 2021 I 21 Dhul-Qadah, 1442 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 3 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition

Top securiTy officials brief lawmakers on currenT siTuaTion in kashmir, afghanisTan

ISLAMABAD Mian abrar

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OP military brass Thursday briefed top political leadership of the country that situation in Afghanistan was fastchanging and the spring offensive of Afghan Taliban were gaining ground and the Taliban had reached an hour’s drive from Kabul.

Informed sources have told Pakistan Today that the in-camera briefing regarding the evolving situation in Afghanistan and other strategic matters was given during a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security.

In addition to the 29 members of the committee, some 16 legislators had been specially invited to the meeting which was also attended by Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, while Director-General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt. Gen Faiz

Hameed gave the main briefing. Prime Minister Imran Khan did not attend the meeting.

Sources said that the lawmakers were informed that Afghanistan was ‘about to erupt’ as civil war was raging in several districts of Afghanistan after the US troops withdrew from the war-torn country, and that fighting between the Afghan government and the Taliban was likely to lead to a crisis.

The sources said that Afghan refugees can turn to neighbouring countries including Pakistan. The sources said that the participants were also briefed on the global scenario, Pak-US and Pak-China relations and the situation in the region.

Pakistan’s position on Afghanistan and the situation after the withdrawal of US troops was also shared. The situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir was also covered by the DG-ISI besides back-channel contacts with India. The participants were also given an overview on the overall situation in

coronavirus in

pakisTan

CONFIRMED CASES:

958,408

LAST UPDATED AT 7:58 AM ON JULY 1, 2021

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

NEW CASES:

40

1,037

RECOVERED:

DEATHS:

904,320 22,321 SINDH:

PUNJAB:

337,674

346,301

KPK:

BALOCHISTAN:

138,068 AJK/GB: 20,343/6,138

27,178 ISLAMABAD:

82,706

the region.

The sources said that the parliamentarians were briefed that Pakistan will welcome the true representative government of Afghanistan’s people and continue to play its responsible role for lasting peace in the neighbouring country.

The meeting was told that Pakistan had honestly played a “very positive and responsible” role in the Afghan peace process.

“Due to Pakistan’s efforts, not only was the path paved for talks between different Afghan factions and warring groups, but meaningful dialogue between the United States and Taliban was also started,” the lawmakers were told.

“We believe in the fact that lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan will actually result in stability in South Asia,” a press release of Ministry of Information said.

The meeting was told that Pakistan will welcome the true representative government of the people in Afghanistan “at every level” and continue its role for the Afghan peace process.

“Pakistan’s land is not being used in the conflict going on in Afghanistan and the hope was expressed that Afghanistan’s soil will also not be used against Pakistan,” the statement said.

Lawmakers were informed that 90 per cent of the fencing at the Afghan border had been completed, while an effective system for customs and border control was also being formulated.

According to the handout, political leaders “expressed satisfaction” at the briefing and conveyed wishes for peace, progress and prosperity in Afghanistan.

The meeting started in the late afternoon and was continuing till late evening after a break. The information ministry said participants gave their suggestions during a question and answer session in the briefing, and that their “suggestions will be considered an important part of the security policy”.

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Pakistan’s biggest challenge in coming years will be food security, says PM Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Thursday that food security will be the biggest challenge the country will face in the coming years, adding that Pakistan must take steps now to protect its population in the future from food shortages.

Address to the National Kissan Convention in Islamabad, the premier explained the nature of the problem, wherein he stated the country had been forced last year alone to import 4 million tonnes of wheat to meet a shortfall. “The expense of that was paid in foreign exchange, in a country that is already short of dollars,” remarked PM Imran Khan.

Remarking on the unsustainability of such a method, the PM asked how they would create food for the public in the years to come given the rapidly increasing size of the population.

The premier said that it was necessary to raise awareness about food security and that Pakistan should start taking measures to tackle the problem from today.

“If we want to save our

We expect reciprocation for denial of land's use against another state: minister ISLAMABAD staff report

Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Thursday said Pakistan has always ensured that its land is not used against another country and, in return, expected that no country would use theirs against us.

In an apparent reference to Afghanistan, the minister, who was addressing a press conference in Islamabad, said Islamabad “will not allow” any state to render its land for terrorism activities inside Pakistan.

His statement comes following an increase in cross-border attacks from Afghanistan on security forces. Only Wednesday, militants based in Afghanistan fired across the border at a security checkpoint in North Waziristan, leaving two soldiers dead.

These isolated attacks have raised fears that the proscribed Afghanistan-based Tehreek-eTaliban Pakistan was regrouping in the border region of the wartorn country. The TTP is a separate insurgent group from the Afghan Taliban.

“It will not be allowed,”

nation from the challenges ahead [we need to see that] food security in reality [has become] national security,” said PM Imran Khan.

He noted that around 40 percent of children in the country did not reach their full height nor did their brain develop fully because they did not receive enough nutrition.

“Food security is actually national security,” he emphasised, saying the government in order to address the issue of stunting was bringing a nutrition programme through Ehsaas for the first time.

He elaborated that the plan will focus on ensuring that the diet of children till the age of three is complete so they are not stunted.

The premier said that if they remain stunted then the children will be “left behind in the race of life as their brain and body will not be developed”.

PM Imran Khan also lamented that Pakistani children often got “contaminated” milk, which aggravated the stunted situation.

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more inside

Several injured after explosion on Quetta’s Airport Road STORY ON PAGE 02

Pakistan won’t tolerate foreign pressure on China relationship: Imran STORY ON BACK PAGE

Rasheed told the reporters.

He further said that fencing along the restive border with Afghanistan will be completed within two months. The fencing was 88 percent finished whereas 46 percent of the border with Iran had also been fenced, he said.

He further said that India will inherently desire that peace is not achieved in Afghanistan.

However, Pakistan had been making sincere efforts for durable peace in the neighbouring state.

“Pakistan wants to have good relations with all coun-

Bajwa, Akram discuss Afghanistan, Kashmir matters

tries, including India,” he said.

“However, [first] India will have to give the oppressed people of Kashmir their right to self-determination.”

Rasheed also condemned the statement of Indian Home Affairs Minister G. Kishan Reddy that sought to place blame on Pakistan for a purported drone attack on the Jammu Air Force station in occupied Kashmir.

“Investigation is underway and the security forces are on high alert, but one cannot deny the role of Pakistan,” NDTV quoted Reddy as saying.

Zulfi Bukhari sends £100m defamation notice to Bilawal over Israel comments

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STORY ON PAGE 03

STORY ON BACK PAGE

02

Friday, 2 July, 2021

ISLAMABAD

NEWS

SeverAl InjUred AFter exPloSIon on QUettA’S AIrPort roAd

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NEWS DESK

N explosion on Quetta’s Airport Road left multiple people injured and has damaged nearby buildings, according to police reports. The police have reported at least six people as having been injured as of the time of filing. Rescue officials of the Edhi Foundation said the blast occurred close to a moving FC vehicle.

Following the blast, the injured are being shifted to the city’s Civil Hospital where an emergency has been declared, police said, adding that the bomb disposal squad has been summoned to the site of the blast.

There have been reports that one of the injured individuals was Frontier Corps personnel. A spokesperson for the CounterTerrorism Department said that the nature of the blast was being determined.

However, Balochistan Home Minister Mir Zia Langove said a convoy of six Pakistan Army vehicles were passing on the road when the bomb — fitted in a motorcycle — detonated.

“Four to five kilograms of explosive material was used in the bomb. Five security officials were injured in the blast and were taken to Combined Military Hospital,” he told reporters.

“India is using Afghanistan’s land to conduct attacks in [Pakistan]. Peace in Balochistan will only come from peace in Afghanistan,” he added. The area has been cordoned off and further investigations are ongoing, police said.

“We are investigating the nature of the blast,” Balochistan Deputy Inspector General of Police Muhammad Azhar Akram told Quetta Voice.

Eveywitnesses said the bomb went off

Pakistan, India exchange list of prisoners ISLAMABAD Staff REpoRt

Pakistan and India exchanged on Thursday a list of civilian prisoners and fishermen languishing in each other’s jails, officials said. The exchange was carried out through diplomatic channels simultaneously at New Delhi and Islamabad, Ministry of External Affairs, India said. “India handed over lists of 271 Pakistani civilian prisoners and 74 fishermen in India’s custody to Pakistan.

Similarly, Pakistan has shared lists of 51 civilian prisoners and 558 fishermen in its custody, who are Indians or are believed-to-be Indians,” said a statement issued by the ministry.According to it, the exchange was done in keeping with the provisions of the 2008 Agreement under which such lists are exchanged every year on January 1 and July 1.

Army inducts new battle tank ISLAMABAD Staff REpoRt

The army on Thursday inducted a Chinese-origin main battle tank in its armoured division, the InterServices Public Relations said. The VT-4 integrates advanced armour protection, manoeuvrability, firepower capabilities and state-of-the-art technology, it said in a statement. The main gun is a large 125-millimetre smoothbore gun that can fire a variety of shells, including the high-explosive antitank, armour-piercing sabot, and high explosive.

There is also a .50 calibre remote weapon station on the hull. Upon request, the VT4 can also be outfitted with a 120mm main gun, as sourcing ammunition for the NATO-standard calibre can sometimes be easier. In addition to both explosive-reactive armour, and a type of composite armour, the VT4 appears to be armed with China’s GL5 active protection system. The GL5 system detects incoming projectiles and fires a pair of rockets at the threat.

Balochistan govt forms commission to probe Kakar's death The Balochistan government has formed a judicial commission to investigate the death of senator Usman Khan Kakar of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, Geo news reported on Thursday. The additional secretary of the home department, in a notification, said the Balochistan government has set up a judicial commission comprising two judges — Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Nazir Ahmad Langu from the Balochistan High Court — after approval from the court's chief justice. The judicial commission has been tasked to find out the cause of Kakar's death and submit a report within 30 days. NEWS DESK

Actor Anwar Iqbal Baloch passes away Actor Anwar Iqbal Baloch passed away in Karachi on Thursday after protracted illness, Dawn news reported. He was in his 70s. The senior artist played a number of memorable characters in Urdu and Sindhi dramas. He was especially known for his roles in top PTV serials "Shama" and "Akhri Chataan". Ahmed Iqbal, Anwar's brother and the owner of Wash TV, told the news outlet that that Anwar had been suffering from multiple diseases. He was diabetic and had stomach issues. NEWS DESK

near the Askari Park area of Quetta. The blast was heard far and wide in the city.

Police and rescue workers reached the spot shift the injured of the blast to the hospital.

Fire also erupted in the nearby building in the aftermath of the blast. Bomb disposal squad and fire brigade also called to extinguish the roaring flames of fire. The blast also caused the suspension of the traffic on Airport Road.

Several people shared video footage of the damage caused by the explosion.

Last month, four FC troops embraced martyrdom in a terrorist attack on MargetQuetta Road.

According to a press release issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations on June 14, the martyred troops were deployed on the security of Marget Mines. The suspected terrorists used an improvised explosive device in the attack.

The martyred troops are Junior Commissioned Officer of FC Balochistan, Subedar Sardar Ali Khan, a resident of Village Wanda Lungar Kel, Lakki Marwat; Sepoy Musaddaf Hussain, a resident of Chak-272 EB, Vehari; Sepoy Muhammad Anwar, a resident of Wanda Talgi, DI Khan and Sepoy Awais Khan, a resident of Village Bandal, District Neelum.

Such cowardly acts by inimical elements cannot sabotage the hard-earned peace and prosperity in Balochistan, the ISPR said, adding that security forces are determined to neutralise their nefarious designs even at the cost of blood and lives.

Moreover, five people got injured in an explosion on Qambrani Road in the provincial capital on May 24. This was the second explosion in Balochistan within that week. Earlier on May 21, at least seven people, including three leaders of the Jamiat

Ulema-e-Islam-Nazaryati, were killed and 14 others injured in an explosion in Chaman, Qila Abdullah district.

Furthermore, At least four people were killed and over a dozen injured in a powerful explosion in the parking lot of Serena Hotel in Quetta, Balochistan on April 21.

At the time, Balochistan Inspector General of Police Tahir Rai informed a local news outlet that the blast took place in the parking lot of the hotel and that the area had been cordoned off.

Serena Hotel is located on the Shahrahe-Zarghun Road of the provincial capital.

Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan condemned the incident and sought a report from police officials. He stressed that no one would be allowed to disturb law and order in the province, adding that the “entire nation is united to eradicate the scourge of terrorism”. The CM had therein directed the security forces to ensure foolproof security arrangements within the province and urged health authorities to give the best medical facilities to the injured.

Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed had also condemned the incident and sought a report from the provincial chief secretary. He also expressed grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives in the blast.

Protesting students demand Shafqat Mehmood’s resignation ISLAMABAD Staff REpoRt

A large number of students from across the country reached outside the Higher Education Commission head office to press for their demands for cancelling the physical exams and asked Education Minister Shafqat Mehmood to resign from his office.

A number of students were detained by the police; however, they announced they would continue their sitin till the approval of their demands.

Senior Superintendent of Police (Operations) Dr Mustafa Tanveer told a local news station that the students had started gathering outside the Higher Education Commission (HEC) office between 10:30 am and 11 am.

However, as the number of protesters increased, they blocked Ninth Avenue, he said. “We were told to use force to clear the road for traffic,” he added.

The police then detained around a dozen students and used force to disperse the protesters and clear the road for traffic, the official said. The students were later released.

The Islamabad Capital Territory administration earlier deployed contingents of police at the protest venue. Police personnel reached the spot along with armoured personnel carriers.

The students chanted slogans against Education Minister Shafqat Mehmood and the government for conducting physical and demanded cancellation of the examinations.

The protesting students said that the government taught them via online classes so they were not prepared enough for the exams. The protesters demanded Shafqat Mehmood’s resignation over the conduction of examinations.

A similar protest also took place in Rahim Yar Khan

where students demand online examinations or cancellation of the exam instead of physical exams.

The state of examinations this year has been rather tenuous. Last month, the government allowed all students, who wish to seek admission in medical and dental colleges, to take the MDCAT examination even if they have not yet taken their intermediate or A-level exams. The decision was taken during a joint high-level meeting held here Thursday under the co-chair of Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mahmood and Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan.

The meeting aimed to ensure the admission of intermediate (Pre-medical) and A2 Cambridge students to public and private medical universities of Pakistan.

Disruption was caused in the current academic year and exams due to Covid-19.

The meeting discussed various options to save the academic year of A2 and FSc pre-medical students and ensure their timely admission in the public and private medical universities across the country.

The Pakistan Medical Council informed the minister that as per the PMC Undergraduate Education (Admissions, Curriculum and Conduct) Regulations 2021, all students who wish to seek admission in medical and dental colleges can take the MDCAT examination even if they have not yet taken their FSc pre-medical or A-level exams.

The MDCAT exam will be conducted from August 30 to September 30. All students, who will be taking their A-Level exams in October, can take the MDCAT exam in September and apply for admissions to medical colleges before their exams are held.

The admissions are to be finalised in medical and dental colleges by January 15, 2022, as per the PMC regulations. The meeting agreed to accommodate the students, taking their A-level exams in October and

Alleged rapist arrested after rape of UK-based ‘family friend’ visiting for father’s funeral NEWS DESK A deplorable crime took place in Lahore’s Wahdat Colony area, wherein a woman was allegedly raped by a family friend whilst the woman had travelled from the UK to attend her father’s funeral, according to police.

Police said they had arrested the accused after registering the first information report, reported Dawn.

Reportedly, the incident took place on June 26 and the victim later approached the police to register the case.

The 26-year-old victim told police that she had come to Pakistan from England six months ago to attend her father’s funeral. She narrated that her step-mother refused to let her stay at their home, adding that she had gone to the house of her father’s close friend, Syed Taqveem Ahsan, in Wahdat Colony area in Gulshan-e-

Rehmat and had been staying there since then. She said Ahsan’s son, in the wee hours of June 26, barged into her room and sexually assaulted her.

She further stated that the man assaulted her over the following three days, and refused to let her visit the hospital in spite of her deteriorating health. The victim said she called a police helpline on June 29 and informed them about the trauma she had undergone and detailed the entire incident.

She appealed to the police to bring the culprit to the book.

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has taken notice of the incident and sought a report from the Lahore police chief.

He directed the police to ensure dispensation of justice in the case.

President House shifts to green energy with installation of solar system ISLAMABAD MoNitoRiNg REpoRt

A ceremony to convert the power supply of the President House to green energy was held on Wednesday to promote the government’s vision of protecting the environment for the coming generations.

The “Green Presidency Initiative” comprises of 1megawatt Solar Photovoltaic System, having the capacity of generating 1.4 million units of green electricity annually, the president’s office said in a statement.

“After installation, 1 MW Solar PV System under the ‘Green Presidency Initiative’ saves cost

expecting results in January 2022. Each medical and dental college and university will be directed not to finalise the admissions of students, who will be taking their A-levels in October, as the admissions of those students will be finalised after the declaration of results of A-level exams in January 2022.

For this purpose, the PMC will permit colleges to finalise admissions on these special category seats by February 10, 2022.

The PMC vice president also requested the federal minister for education and SAPM on health to consider using only elective subjects’ results this year for merit creation in public colleges as the FSc exams are being held for elective subjects only.

The PMC is already considering a policy on these lines for private colleges.

The minister and SAPM reaffirmed that the incumbent government is absolutely focused to address the education emergencies due to Covid-19, and said no stone would be left unturned to provide the students fair opportunities for their career path.

It was also agreed that the ministry of federal education will closely coordinate with provincial governments for the smooth implementation of this agreed policy.

On June 7, the schedule for exams of grades 1-8 was been announced to take place from July 18-30, according to Punjab Education Minister Murad Raas.

Report cards will be issued by July 10, as per the notification. The minister took to Twitter to share the schedule for the School-Based Assessments as educational institutions in most parts of the country started reopening Monday. All schools in the country have reopened except for primary classes in Sindh, as Covid-19 cases decline after a deadly third wave.

“Please follow SOPs issued by the government,” read the notification.

Fazl discharged from hospital after recovery NEWS DESK Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) President Maulana Fazlur Rehman has been discharged from the hospital after recovering from his illness. Fazl had been undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Karachi due to illness. JUI Spokesperson Aslam Ghauri said that Fazl will leave for Islamabad later in the day to attend a meeting of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) in Swat on July 4. It should be recalled that Fazl had tested negative for the novel coronavirus a week ago. He had taken a test for the virus after he started feeling unwell and developed a fever. of further electricity generation. Thus, it leads to an annual contribution of Rs32 million (about 203,000 dollars) to the national exchequer,” the statement said.

Speaking at the ceremony, President Arif Alvi reiterated the government’s commitment to protecting the environment and highlighted the importance of the conversion of the power supply of the President House to green energy.

The president said that his country has a huge potential for renewable energy including hydropower, solar and wind, and they are gradually moving towards the target of 30 percent renewable energy in the national grid by 2030.

Friday, 2 July, 2021

ISLAMABAD

NEWS

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ZulFI BuKhaRI sends £100M deFaMaTIon noTIce To BIlawal oveR IsRael coMMenTs

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NEwS DESk

ORMER special assistant to the minister Zulfi Bukhari has sent a £100 million defamation notice to Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari over remarks about alleged Israel visit, it emerged on Thursday.

Criticising the government over the move, Bilawal, in a press conference on June 28, said that the government must “reveal the details of Zulfi Bukhari’s alleged visit to Israel.”

He said that an aircraft as per reports flew Israel from Pakistan, adding that the government must issue a clarification in this regard.

The former aide of Imran Khan, in a tweet, said: “After consulting with my legal team, I’ve decided to move ahead with defamation proceedings against #Bilawal Zardari for his recent irresponsible remarks.”

“His poor understanding about most things again made him blurt out things fed to him, provoking issues he knows nothing about.”

In the notice issued to Bilawal, Bukhari has demanded PPP chairman

publicly apologise on national media, take an oath to not utter such defamatory remarks against him again and if Bilawal does not do the above within 14 days, then legal action would be taken against him.

On June 28, former SAPM Zulfi Bukhari denied that he had secretly visited Israel for meetings with senior government officials, following a report in Israel Hayom newspaper that an unidentified official with a United Kingdom passport had visited Tel Aviv last November.

Bukhari holds both British and Pakistan nationalities.

The funny bit is Pakistani paper says I went to Israel based on ‘Israeli news source’ & Israeli paper says I went to Israel based on a ‘Pakistani source’-wonder who this imaginative Pakistani source is.” Bukhari tweeted at the time.

“Apparently, I’m the only one who was kept out of the loop.”

According to the report in Israel Hayom, Bukhari flew to Israel from Islamabad via London. He was quoted to have met with officials from the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as then-Mossad chief Yossi Cohen in Tel Aviv to pass on messages from Prime

Minister Imran Khan and Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa.

The report, based “on a source in Islamabad”, further claimed that the visit came following “heavy pressure” from the United Arab Emirates.

In addition to Bukhari, Focal Person to

Prime Minister on Digital Media Arslan Khalid also dispelled the report. “Bukhari had clarified last year that he was never sent by the government to Israel. This IsraelIndia-Pak fake news peddlers network is getting so boring and predictable,” he tweeted. If confirmed, this alleged visit

Balochistan government withdraws FIR against opposition MPs

No plan for taking loan in Ravi project: Gill ISLAMABAD app

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill made it clear on Thursday that there was no plan of taking any loan for carrying out the landmark Ravi Riverfront Urban Development Project in Lahore.

“You have heard of many projects in the past like Orange Line, Metro, Balloki, Bhikki and others, but all of them involved loans. In this entire project, there is no involvement of loan,” said the SAPM in a news conference.

Flanked by Lahore Development Authority Vice Chairman Shaikh Muhammad Imran and Ravi Urban Development Authority Chairman Imran Amin, he said the project would be the first-ever green city of the country and set the highest example of sustainability in the realms of development.

Briefing about the progress of the project, the SAPM said a consortium of 13 reputable companies won bidding for developing its ‘Sapphire bay’, being built under the first phase of the river-front project.

The agreement with the consortium in that regard would be signed next week, he added.

He said massive forestation, seven treatment plants and three barrages would be built under the first phase, planned over 2,000 acres.

Citing the example of Islamabad, he said the development of Federal Capital was started on only 80,000 acres of land, adding this project would have 29 sectors and span over 102,000 acres with a major focus on mitigating environmental issues, water shortage and unplanned development in the area.

It would have state-of-the-art educational institutions, healthcare facilities, innovation and technology centres, sports grounds, he said while regretting the less focus of previous governments on such initiatives, which were being taken across the globe for development purposes.

He said that seven treatment plants and three barrages

would be built in the city to overcome the water shortage and to improve the water table in Lahore. He was of the view that barrages would help save the city from the flood in case India released the water during monsoon season.

Shahbaz Gill said that 8 local and three international universities had expressed their interest to set up their campus in the new city.

He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan was taking a keen interest in the first green and environmentally friendly project and conducted over 70 meetings to date.

The SAPM said the studies were carried out during the tenure of previous governments, but it was only Prime Minister Imran Khan, who had been advocating planned development in the country for the last several years, who finally decided to materialize the project.

LDA Vice-Chairman Shaikh Muhammad Imran said that the Ravi River Front Urban Development Project aimed at rehabilitating the city of Lahore, meeting the needs of a growing population, reducing water scarcity

Covid-19 kills 40, infects 1,037 in a day: NCOC ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

The government portal on Wednesday registered 1,037 new Covid-19 cases, the National Command and Operation Centre said on Thursday.

The NCOC, the department leading the national campaign against the

pandemic, said that the number of overall cases rose to 958,408, including 904,320 recoveries.

There are currently 31,767 active cases across the country, with 1,844 of them being in critical condition.

According to the NCOC, 40 more deaths were recorded on Wednesday, raising the death toll to 22,321.

Punjab is the worst-hit province with 346,301 infections and 10,755 deaths, followed by Sindh with 337,674 cases and 5,464 deaths.

The NCOC said on its website that Pakistan has administered a total of 159,716,411 Covid-19 vaccine doses across the country, with 3,032,920 people fully vaccinated so far.

would not be the first contact between the two countries. In 2018, an Israeli business jet flew to Islamabad, staying on the ground for ten hours before returning.

Israel and Pakistan do not share diplomatic relations and last month Islamabad was critical of Israel for its attacks on civilian neighbourhoods in Palestine, involving the most intensive aerial exchanges for years.

At the time, the Foreign Office condemned both “Israel’s heinous attack on Al-Aqsa Mosque” and its airstrikes on Gaza, which it said violated “all norms of humanity & international law” and constituted an “indiscriminate use of force” against “defenceless Palestinians.”

“Strongly condemn Israeli Forces’ attack esp during Ramazan on Palestinians in Qibla-e-Awaal, Al-Aqsa Mosque, violating all norms of humanity & int[ernational] law,” Imran tweeted immediately prior to the outbreak of hostilities.

Both Israel and Pakistan are slated to participate in the US Sixth Fleet’s annual Sea Breeze exercise in the Black Sea. 32 countries will participate in the upcoming exercise near Russianoccupied Crimea, which Moscow has promised to closely monitor.

and boosting economic activities throughout the province, including Lahore.

He said the project would not only fulfil the socioeconomic needs of the city of Lahore but also create immense job opportunities for the people.

Imran was of the view that at present, the country was facing a shortage of about 10 million houses, adding the completion of the project would hopefully rectify the situation in the city.

Muhammad Imran said that the master plan of Lahore was changed in four years including 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016, but unfortunately work on the project of national importance could not be initiated.

Ravi Urban Development Authority Chief Executive Officer Imran Amin said a new city was need of the hour as Lahore was grappling with multiple challenges due to a rapid increase in its population and inefficient civic planning, adding the master plan of Lahore should have been revised multiple times in the past but the initiative was not taken by the previous regimes.

He dispelled the impression that the land would forcibly be acquired for the development of the new city, adding the affectees would be accommodated through various regulations in the Act. Imran Amin said the Ravi city was a modern city that would be built on par with international standards. The positive impact of the new city would come to the fore in the next three to four years, he added.

“We have envisaged a city of future dreams. It will meet the water needs of Lahore till 2045,” he said, adding “With a length of 46 kilometres and a width of 3,280 feet surrounded by a 33 feet high wall, it will look like a gift of nature for the people of Lahore.”

He said 836 cusecs of untreated domestic wastewater was being dumped into the project area of Ravi River. The development of a lake would purge the Ravi of domestic and industrial waste, and provide 271 billion litres of water, he added. Imran Amin said the treatment plants would help treat 2.4 million litres of water that would eventually help irrigate 75,000 acres of land.

QUETTA INp

The Balochistan government has withdrawn a police case registered against 17 opposition members of the legislative assembly for purportedly attacking the building and treasury members ahead of the presentation of the budget on June 18. A notification regarding withdrawal of the case has also been issued. On June 18, the said MPs held a sit-in outside the assembly building in a bid to stop the finance minister from presenting the finance bill. The atmosphere turned tense after they stopped the assistant commissioner from entering the assembly and started throwing flowerpots and stones at security officials and treasury members. Clashes erupted between the police and the opposition lawmaker when Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan arrived at the assembly. Later, the police registered the case against the MPs, including the opposition leader in the House, on charges of attacking the building and treasury lawmakers.

PTI constitutes campaign committee for Kashmir elections ISLAMABAD app

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has formed a fivemember campaign committee to oversee and steer the Azad Kashmir elections scheduled for July 25. According to a notification issued here, PTI chief organiser Saifullah Khan Niazi said the committee will also establish a control centre that will be fully equipped for communications and media management and to facilitate party candidates. Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Ali Amin Gandapur will serve as committee chairman, Sardar Tanveer Ilyas as deputy chairman, while Khawja Farooq Ahmed, Chaudary Muhammad Akhlaq and Sardar Abdul Qayum as its members. Kashmir chapter of Jamiat Ulemae-Islam also announced to support PTI candidates in the upcoming elections. The alliance was announced after a meeting was held between Ilyas and JUI leader Qazi Mahmood Al Hassan. Ilyas said that the joining of more prominent political personalities from all over Kashmir in PTI was a reflection of the bright future of the people of Kashmir and their trust in the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

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Friday, 2 July, 2021

ISLAMABAD

NEWS

Power of arrest wIthIn PremIses Granted to PunjaB assemBLy

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NewS DeSk

N amended law within the Punjab Assembly has given it powers to arrest and prosecute journalists, bureaucrats and lawmakers without a warrant, at any place within the “precincts of the Assembly”, which has been defined as the assembly’s courtyard, hall, lobbies, press galleries, and rooms.

The Provincial Assembly of the Punjab Privileges (Amendment) Act, 2021 was tabled by Pakistan People’s Party’s MPA Usman Mehmood as a private member’s bill, according to a report by Geo News.

It is noteworthy that the bill was neither on the agenda, nor was it sent to the relevant committee to be examined, and yet it was passed through a majority vote in the house without much resistance from the opposition parties.

Under the Act, Sergeant-at-Arms now has the power to arrest any person on the orders of the Speaker, to prevent them from acting in any manner in breach of privileges within the precincts of the Assembly.

The new law also allows for the use of “reasonable force as may be necessary”

when making the arrests.

Now, the speaker “can in writing direct the arrest and detention in custody” of any member, meaning a journalist, bureaucrat and/or any lawmaker.

The act further calls for the establishment of a Judicial Committee of the Assembly, notified by the Speaker, to try offences and award punishments and the sentence passed by the Committee will have the same status as a sentence awarded by the Magistrate of 1st Class.

Reza Ali, a lawyer based in Lahore, told Geo that the Amendment Act can be challenged on the basis that it contravenes various legal provisions of the Punjab Privileges Act 1972, where the members of assemblies are immune from detention, whilst the session is pending.

“It also delegates excessive powers to the Speaker and the Presiding Officers and ultimately to the Sergeant-at-Arms to arrest a member, which is illegal.”

Ali added that under the Act only the Speaker can hear an appeal against the arrest of a member, which is a usurpation of a Judicial function. “The Act is liable to be challenged” in court, the lawyer explained.

For those convicted, the Act allows an appeal within 30 days, but to only the speaker of the Assembly.

The violations carry a number of sentences based on the purported crime. For example, using criminal force to obstruct, assault, threaten or insult any member or an officer carries a punishment of six months and/or fine.

Punjab health department says reports of vaccine wastage misleading NewS DeSk Reports of vaccine wastage have been denied by the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department Punjab on Thursday, which maintained that only a normal level of 38,000 vaccines have been wasted due to the lack of optimal storage temperature.

The health department secretary said the numbers of doses being wasted during the vaccination process were being misreported by certain sections of the media, according to a report by Dawn.

Secretary Sarah Aslam maintained that the wastage of coronavirus vaccines had been 0.37 percent of the total supply, which she asserted was a “normal waste”.

In the statement issued by the depart-

ment, she clarified that the numbers of vaccines wastage being reported were actually the total figure from the last five months of routine wastage, whose data was also shared with the National Command and Operation Control on a daily basis.

She informed that so far 8.626 million Covid-19 vaccines had been administered in the province, and its total wastage was 38,357. She highlighted that all cold storage facilities in Punjab had “excellent arrangements” to store vaccines as per international standards, adding that vaccine temperature was routinely checked under the standard operating procedures.

She asked the people not to fall for false reports regarding the so-called wastage of vaccines.

“The Covid-19 vaccines are properly stored in our facilities and the same are administered to hundreds of thousands of people on a daily basis,” she added.

As many as 289 coronavirus patients recovered in Punjab during the last 24 hours, reported by the health department.

According to the data shared by the health department, 304,834 coronavirus patients recovered altogether so far in public sector hospitals being run under the control of Specialized and Primary & Secondary Healthcare departments across the province.

The Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department sources said that 6823 beds were reserved in all government owned hospitals for corona patients, out of which 6272 beds were unoccupied. Like-

Meanwhile, tampering with, deterring, threatening, or any way unduly influencing any witness with regard to evidence to be given by him before the assembly or any committee, can land a person in prison for one month and/or a fine.

A person presenting to the assembly or a committee any false, untrue, fabricated or falsified document means prison for one

wise, 1355 beds were reserved in government hospitals of the provincial metropolis and 1211 beds were vacant so far.

In view of the surging corona pandemic, the Specialized Healthcare Department had arranged 3099 beds in Isolation wards of all government hospitals in the province, out of which, 2957 beds were vacant. However, 346 beds for corona patients were reserved in isolation wards set up in the government hospitals of Lahore and 325 beds were unoccupied. In addition, 3022 beds were also reserved in HDU for patients suffering from Covid-19 in all the hospitals of the Punjab government and 2724 beds were vacant while, in the hospitals situated in the provincial capital, 768 beds reserved in HDU and 691 beds were unoccupied. The department had arranged 706 ventilators for corona patients in all hospitals of the provincial government, of which 115 ventilators were under use while 591 were unoccupied.

Around 241 ventilators were reserved in Lahore hospitals, of which 46 were occupied and 195 ventilators were vacant.

Pakistan Railways conducts training workshop on safety of train operations Sukkur PR

Groundbreaking ceremony of CCI Pakistan‘s seventh production plant held LAHOre PR

The groundbreaking ceremony of CCI Pakistan (Coca-Cola Beverages Pakistan Ltd) greenfield production plant in Haripur was held on Wednesday with Chief Minister KP Mahmood Khan being the guest of honour. This will be CCI Pakistan’s 7th production plant in Pakistan and the first in the province of KP. The new facility will be set up with an investment of $50 million and will enhance the company’s annual production capacity catering to the growing demand.

The groundbreaking ceremony was also attended by H.E. İhsan Mustafa Yurdakul, Turkish Ambassador to Pakistan, Abdul Karim Khan, Special Assistant to CM KP on Industry and Commerce, Taimur Saleem Khan, Minister Finance KP, and other notable guests. Senior management of CCI Pakistan, including Ahmet Kursad Ertin, General Manager at CCI Pakistan, and members of the press were also present at the event.

Speaking at the event, Ahmet Kursad Ertin said, “CCI Pakistan stands committed to creating value for our stakeholder. Through this greenfield investment. We will not only be enhancing our production capacity to expand our national footprint, but we will also be generating direct and indirect employment for hundreds of people in the province of KP. Furthermore, we will also explore and expand our community uplift projects in the province of KP. Moving forward, we will continue to explore future opportunities and invest in similar projects subject to government’s implementation of level playing field policies.”

An important workshop on “Safety of Train Operation” was organised on Thursday in Sukkur by COPS Safety Shoaib Adil.

Participants of workshop were sensitised that passengers were VIP guests of Pakistan Railways and they need to be taken care of their lives.

Railway staff was advised by COPS safety to remain vigilant to ensure safe journey of the passengers. “As we say the best safety device is the vigilant railway man,” Shoaib Adil.

COPS safety further said,” no safety device can match their abilities and strengths to protect and save passengers lives than their vigilance and commitment to their duties”.

It was interactive workshop and participants were given more time to

express their seasoned views. Important to note that their valuable feedback was recorded to further look after safety requirements. This feedback shall be built in to further strengthen safety protocols.

The workshop was attended by

more than 50 officers and officials from traffic, civil, mechanical, signal telecommunications and police departments.

This series of safety workshops shall be further extended to Rawalpindi, Quetta and Peshawar.

month and/or a fine.

Meanwhile, willfully publishing any false or perverted report of any debate or proceedings of the assembly or any committee or willfully misrepresenting any speech made by a member before the Assembly is now punishable with imprisonment of three months and/or fine.

Moreover, casting or publishing any reflection upon the character or conduct of the presiding officer or any imputation of partiality against him in the discharge of his duties can land you in prison for three months.

Furthermore, making or publishing any maliciously false, scandalous, defamatory or derogatory statement concerning any Member is three months prison.

Printing a copy of any act or ordinance or of any report, paper, minutes or notes of proceedings of the assembly or any committee, which in fact has not been so printed, is three months in jail.

In addition, publication of any proceedings or report of a committee before they are reported to the assembly or published in the official gazette is three months prison. Also, the creating or joining in any disturbance in the chamber or in a committee is three months.

Balochistan suspends 70 Levies personnel for refusing vaccine NewS DeSk Assistant Commissioner Habib Bangalzai said on Thursday that some 70 Levies personnel have been suspended from Duki district, Balochistan as they did not get themselves vaccinated against Covid-19 in spite of official requests. The AC in his issued statement explained that the paramilitary personnel had been told to get Covid-19 jabs but they turned a blind eye to “repeated reminders”. “As a result, they have been suspended and their salaries withheld,” the statement added. The personnel suspended over apparent reluctance to get the vaccines include two naib tehsildars, three constables, a muharrar, and a wireless operator. The deputy commissioner had earlier asked the levies personnel to ensure their vaccinations to protect themselves from the Covid-19. The National Command and Operation Centre had on June 9 made coronavirus vaccines mandatory for all public and private sector employees, directing government employees to be fully vaccinated by June 30. The national tally on Thursday of total active Covid-19 cases was recorded 31,767 with 1,037 more people tested positive for the deadly virus and 836 people recovered from the disease during the last 24 hours. 40 corona patients have died during the past 24 hours, 36 of whom were under treatment in the hospitals and four of them perished in their respective homes or quarantine facilities, according to the latest update issued by the NCOC. Most of the deaths occurred in Sindh and followed by Punjab. Out of the total 40 deaths that occurred, 20 of them died were under treatment on ventilators. There were 1,844 Covid infected patients under treatment in critical condition in various Covid dedicated healthcare facilities of the country. The National Covid positivity ratio during the past 24 hours was recorded at 2.2 percent. The Covid positivity ratio is the percentage of actual positive cases appearing in every 100 tests performed to identify infected individuals. The maximum ventilators were occupied in four major cities including Islamabad 22 percent, Bahawalpur 20 percent, Peshawar 21 percent and Multan 23 percent. The maximum oxygen beds were also occupied in four major cities of Gilgit 48 percent, Rawalpindi 18 percent, Karachi 24 percent and Multan21 percent.

TikTok removes 6 million videos in Pakistan after bans ISLAMABAD AFP

More than six million videos were removed from TikTok in Pakistan in three months, the app said, as it battles a series of suspensions.

Wildly popular among the youth, the Chineseowned app has been shut down by the courts twice over “indecent” content, most recently in March after which the company pledged to moderate uploads.

“In the Pakistani market, TikTok removed 6,495,992 videos making it the second market to get the most videos removed after the USA, where 8,540,088 videos

were removed,” TikTok Pakistan’s latest transparency report announced on Wednesday, covering January to March. Around 15 per cent of the removed videos were “adult nudity and sexual activities”.

A spokesman said the Pakistan-made videos were banned as a result of both user and government requests.

In the Muslim nation, posting videos in Western clothes that reveal too much skin is taboo, and is often met with abuse. Earlier this month, small anti-TikTok rallies were held against what protesters called the spreading of homosexual content.

“One can speculate that this is a result of government pressure or a reflection of the large volume of con-

tent produced in Pakistan given the popularity of the platform, or both,” said digital rights activist Nighat Dad. “Social media platforms are more willing to remove and block content in Pakistan to evade complete bans,” she said. It comes as the app faces a fresh court battle in Karachi, where the Sindh High Court has asked telecommunication authorities to suspend it for spreading “immoral content”. The platform is still working in Pakistan, however. Dating apps have been blocked and last year regulators had asked YouTube to immediately block all videos they considered “objectionable” from being accessed in the country, a demand criticised by rights campaigners.

Friday, 2 July, 2021

ISLAMABAD

NEWS

‘GLObAL infLAtiOn Pick uP is tRAnsitORy’ London

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AGENCIES

pick up in inflation in major economies is temporary with rises in wages remaining the missing ingredient, Citi’s global markets strategist Matt King said on Thursday.

Inflation in the euro area is at 1.9%, right on the European Central Bank’s target of “below but close to 2%”. U.S. consumer prices accelerated 5% in the year

to May, notching up their biggest yearon-year increase in 13 years.

Such data has fuelled a debate among policymakers and in markets over whether a pick up in inflation is transitory or a sign of sustained move higher after years of laying dormant.

“I am in the transitory camp, I’m not convinced that what we are seeing is no more than bottle necks,” King told a Citi media summit. “What you need is a sustained wage price cycle and I’m not convinced there’s a change here.”

peSHaWar STAFF REPORT

HE Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Revenue Authority (KPRA) successfully collected Rs20.8 billion in the financial year 2020-21 (FY21), achieving its target.

Despite the disastrous impact of the pandemic on economic activities in the province, KPRA showed 21.6 per cent growth rate in the overall revenue collection compared to FY20 wherein the author-

OGRA hikes LPG price up to Rs19 per kg The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has hiked the price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) once again up to Rs19 per kilogramme. LPG Association Chairman Irfan Khokhar said that the price of an 11.8 kg LPG cylinder for domestic consumers has been jacked up to Rs224 and commercial cylinder up to Rs863. He said that the LPG prices were hiked for the fourth time in a month and it is the first time to witness the rise in prices in the summer season. Earlier on June 22, LPG distributors chairman had announced to go on strike against the price hikes on June 30 and warned to cut LPG supply across the country. MONITORING REPORT

We expect reciprocation for denial of land's use against another state: minister

ity had collected Rs17.1 billion.

It is worth mentioning that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had given a huge tax relief package to the business community by slicing down the rates of sales tax on services in 28 different sectors in the last fiscal. KPRA managed to meet its annual targets by expanding its tax net taking it to over 15,000 registered taxpayers despite the reductions.

According to details issued by the authority, every regional office showed tremendous progress in meeting their annual

India wanted to hide its failure in addressing the Covid-19 crisis through such claims, Rasheed said. IN response to another question, he said that while hostile intelligence agencies — such as the Research and Analysis Wing of India — may perpetrate acts of terrorism such as the Lahore explosion to destroy hard-earned peace in the future as well, they must realise that our police was now as well-trained as the military. In response to a question, he urged opposition parties to sit with the government to introduce electoral reforms for transparent elections in the future. On the briefing of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security on the situation in Afghanistan as US troops quit the war-battered country, Rasheed said it will change the course of politics in Pakistan. The politics will now centre on national security after the briefing, he asserted. Earlier in the day, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry said the briefing will focus on Kashmir, Afghanistan and internal security challenges.

revenue and non-revenue targets.

The South Region of KPRA was tasked to collect Rs1.5 billion which it managed to exceed.

Similarly, the Mardan Region also exceeded its annual target of collecting Rs800 million, while, the Northern Region successfully collected Rs928 million. Further, the KPRA also exceeded the annual target given to it in the collection of Infrastructure Development Cess (IDC). The government had tasked the authority to collect Rs1,300 million in the IDC whereas it collected Rs1,410 million.

Palm hits near three-week peak as India lifts curbs on refined oils

KuaLa Lumpur AGENCIES

continued from page 01

We expect reciprocation for denial of land's use against another state: minister continued from page 01

KPRA meets annual revenue target

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Malaysian palm oil futures scaled to a near threeweak peak on Thursday, extending gains for a third straight session, driven by prospects of stronger demand after top buyer India allowed imports of refined palm oil and cut tax on the commodity.

The benchmark palm oil contract for September delivery on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange closed up 115 ringgit, or 3.20%, to 3,714 ringgit ($893.54) a tonne.

Palm rose to an intraday high of 4.5% and closed at its highest since June 11. The contract fell 8.2% last month, its biggest monthly decline since April 2020.

India on Wednesday declared that the import of refined palm oil is amended from "Restricted" to "Free," allowing imports of the product for six months.

Earlier this week, the country also cut the import tax on refined palm oil to 41.25% from 49.5% for three months to bring down local edible oil prices.

Top producer Indonesia has set a lower reference

price in July for crude palm oil at $1,094.15 a tonne, an official document seen by Reuters showed on Wednesday.

Lower export levies are likely to encourage higher exports from Indonesia and narrow the discount from the benchmark price, Fitch Ratings said in a note, adding, it would weaken benchmark prices.

"However, we do not see any meaningful longterm benefit from the export levy revision, as we expect crude palm oil prices to be significantly lower from 4Q21, limiting the cut in applicable levy rates."

Malaysia is facing a labour shortfall of around 32,000 people and annual losses of 10 billion ringgit due to coronavirus restrictions, the country's commodities minister said.

Dalian's most-active soyoil contract rose 3.4% and its palm oil contract gained 4.2%. Soyoil prices on the Chicago Board of Trade rose 1.6%.

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

Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa also answered some questions at the meeting. The sources said that the DG-ISI comprehensively briefed the members on internal and external national security paradigm in the ever evolving geopolitical and strategic environment. The participants appreciated the efforts of COAS and DG ISI in identifying various challenges and providing clarity on the issues confronted by Pakistan through a detailed and informative briefing. The briefing has helped in building consensus on core challenges confronted by Pakistan.

Pakistan’s biggest challenge in coming years will be food security, says PM continued from page 01 “[Just] think, our kids are not getting pure milk and that is their most basic need for growth,” said PM Imran Khan. He also said that when the government further investigated the problem, it found that the cows in Pakistan were producing lesser milk than those in other countries. The restrictions to control such issues had led to price increases and that showed Pakistan’s milk production lagged behind other countries. The premier said a simple solution to this was to import good quality bull semen from abroad which could improve the genes of local cattle.

The prime minister said that the government then realised that it was because the country never worked on improving the genes of the cows. He added that it was all because of the “elite capture”. Elaborating further, he said that a small section of the society “captured” the country when it was created. The leaders that we got did not work on inclusivity, he said. adding that there is a separate education system for the rich. Public hospitals have been destroyed and private hospitals have improved. Regarding the justice system he said that if you hire an expensive lawyer, then there is justice, he said. The prime minister said that the country’s agriculture sector faced the same issue when Pakistan was created. He added that the farmers in Pakistan there were mostly small landowners and they were not helped. Imran Khan said that the state of Madinah was the first to help the lower class while China was the first to lift 700 million people out of poverty in 35 years. He said China helped small farmers to develop the country, we should have helped our small farmers first. “China also had small land hold owners and they helped the small farmers as there was poverty in the villages,” said PM Imran. He lamented that Pakistan did not do the same thing 74 years ago. He also gave the example of Israel and how it had successfully managed to cultivate a desert environment and take it to new heights. PM Imran Khan reiterated that if Pakistan continues its current trajectory, food security “will turn into national insecurity”. He said that if 30 to 40 percent are left hungry then “they will bring the whole nation down”.

“A nation that does not fulfil the diet of its people should be punished,” said the prime minister. He added, “The country wasn’t made for everyone [and] a small segment captured all resources and no one tried to change it.” The premier said that the steps being taken by the government today are taken with a view that Pakistan becomes a food exporter rather than food insecure.

Nissan bets big on UK with EV battery plant and new crossover SunderLand AGENCIES

Nissan Motor Co bet on Britain to supercharge its European electric future on Thursday, pledging $1.4 billion with its Chinese partner to build a giant battery plant that will power 100,000 vehicles a year including a new crossover model.

Facing the most profound technological shift in a century, the titans of the auto industry are racing to secure battery supply close to the factories where they will make the new cleaner electric vehicles of the future.

Nissan's backing for the 9 gigawatt hours (GWh) plant cements its wager on Britain five years after the Brexit vote threatened to block off the rest of the European market.

The 1 billion-pound investment by Nissan, its Chinese partner Envision AESC and local government in northeast England will create 6,200 jobs at the Sunderland plant and

in British supply chains.

"Nissan's announcement to build its new-generation all-electric vehicle in Sunderland, alongside a new gigafactory from Envision AESC, is a major vote of confidence in the UK and our highly-skilled workers in the North East," British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a statement.

"This is a pivotal moment in our electric vehicle revolution and securing its future for decades to come." The capacity of the new plant is on a par with one announced by France's Renault and Envision earlier this week.

Nissan will spend up to 423 million pounds to produce a new-generation all-electric crossover vehicle at the plant where it already produces the LEAF electric vehicle and the Qashqai crossover SUV. As world powers try to slash carbon emissions by scrapping the fossil-fuel guzzling internal combustion engine, one of the

icons of 20th Century capitalism, Britain has pledged to ban the sale of new diesel and petrol cars from 2030.

Going electric, though, is hard.

ELECTRIC FUTURE: China dominates the production of electric vehicle batteries and the processing of the core minerals such as rare earths used to make them, though the United States and Europe and are trying to catch up, albeit slowly.

Western leaders, including Johnson, are loath to sacrifice hundreds of thousands of automotive jobs - often in politically sensitive constituencies - in exchange for importing batteries from China.

But unless Britain can build both battery production and supply chains, it risks losing its four-decade reputation as the investorfriendly gateway of choice for top companies seeking to export to the rest of Europe.

Envision could invest an additional 1.8 billion pounds in the battery plant to gener-

cmYK

ate up to 25GWh and create 4,500 new jobs in the region by 2030. There is potential on site for up to 35GWh, Nissan said.

Nissan said its new crossover built in Sunderland, on the Alliance CMF-EV platform shared by partners Renault and Mitsubishi, would be exported to European markets.

BREXIT: Japanese capital has used Britain as a gateway to Europe since the early 1980s, when then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher persuaded Nissan bosses to build their plant in the northeastern English city of Sunderland on an old air force airfield.

As British automakers withered, Nissan flourished: Thatcher personally opened the plant in 1986 and was pictured sitting at the wheel of a Nissan Bluebird.

Japanese investors worried that the United Kingdom's Brexit vote - which was particularly strong in Sunderland - would scupper their bets, though the worst ravages of a tumultuous no-deal Brexit were avoided.

The Brexit trade deal agreed with the European Union last year allowed the free trade of cars but with a dangerous twist about rules of origin: at least 40% of the value of a car has to be produced in the United Kingdom or EU to be sold in the EU. The rules rise to 55% from 2027 - a crucial detail that would mean an imported battery, which can make up half the vehicle's showroom sale price - would close off the European market to British-based car factories such as Nissan.

Nissan's Sunderland plant was one of the first in Europe to build electric vehicle batteries, though its stake in the joint venture was bought out by Envision AESC. "Our announcement today comes out of lengthy discussions held within our teams, and will greatly accelerate our efforts in Europe to achieve carbon neutrality," Nissan Chief Executive Officer Makoto Uchida said.

Friday, 2 July, 2021

06 COMMENT

Digitizing electoral reform

Imran Khan’s overture to opposition A chance to evolve agreed electoral reforms

Overseas Pakistanis have a central position

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MONG the issues that Prime Minister Imran Khan spoke about in his National Assembly speech was the need for electoral reforms. The PM called upon the opposition to engage with the government on the matter, on which, according to him, depended the future of Pakistan’s democracy. The PM said his government was ready to listen if the opposition had any other advice regarding electoral reforms. The government maintains that it wants to introduce the latest technology to bring transparency and credibility to the election process. The undue haste shown in getting the elections reforms bill through the National Assembly without debate has led the opposition to maintain that the PTI’s electronic voting system is in fact aimed at a planned technological rigging of the elections.

The government bill which was meant to end election-related controversies, has itself become controversial. The entire opposition has rejected the bill while the election Commission maintains that some of its clauses violate constitutional provisions. The controversy has led Mr Khanto call on the opposition to enter into talks with the government. election rigging has two parts, pre- election rigging and rigging during the election. There have been complaints during almost all elections held after the 1970 polls of lists of candidates chosen by major parties either reviewed by the establishment or electables made to change party loyalties through phone calls. NAB has been used too often for the purpose. Introduction of eVMs would not end pre-poll rigging. For this social pressure will have to be built by the opposition parties. The opposition will have to be convinced that the voting machines cannot be manipulated. The opposition however will be failing in its duty if it does not proceed beyond nitpicking. It will have to share its own plans to hold transparent elections.

The PPP considers Parliament as the right forum to evolve a consensus over national issues like electoral reforms. The PML(N) however wants the eCP to call representatives of the government as well as the opposition to evolve a consensus and the jointly agreed draft then taken to Parliament for further improvement and ratification. Both the PPP and PML(N) agree on strengthening the eCP.

At Penpoint M A NIAZI

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he government and opposition seem opposed on the issue of electoral reform, with the government proposing electronic voting machines (eVMs) for constituencies at home, and i-voting (internet-voting) for overseas Pakistanis. It has legislated for his purpose, and has passed a bill through the National Assembly. So far, the Opposition had merely opposed,but now Leader of the Opposition Mian Shehbaz Sharif has proposed that overseas Pakistanis be given representation in Parliament, with five to seven seats in the National Assembly and two in the Senate, chosen the way one member of the AJK Legislative Assembly is chosen: elected by the directly elected members. he also proposed that the right of overseas Pakistanis to vote in Pakistan personally would remain unaffected, but they would, as at present, have to turn up to vote.

The PTI shows the truth of the axiom that electoral reform is only sought by those who lose elections. The PTI seemed to have lost its urge for electoral reform after the 2018 elections, which it had won. As opposed to the concern it showed after the 2013 elections, which led to the famous dharna, whose basic demand was electoral reform. A second dharna was ended only after the Supreme Court set up a commission to examine the rigging charges. however, while it did not demand an examination of the election it won, it came up against a string of by-elections that it lost; including of seats it had held previously, notably a provincial seat in KP, and a national seat in Karachi. It is within this context that the PTI enthusiasm for electoral reform has come.

It should also be noted that the PTI had vowed reform of the Senate elections in 2018, but slept on the issue until the Senate polls earlier this year. The government seems to have been infuriated by its defeat in the Islamabad election, where the PPP had its candidate, Yusuf Reza Gilani, elected. The government found that the secrecy of the ballot prevented the adherence to strict party lines which would have given it victory.

One of the problems that the PTI faces is the need to bring to bear the support it enjoys among overseas Pakistanis upon the electoral issues. There are two issues here. The first is that one has to be physically present in Pakistan to vote. Second, there is the issue of citizenship. enthusiasm for the PTI may well not extend to taking time off from work, and coming home to vote. Then there is the citizenship issue. The Supreme Court has found that even dual nationals are precluded from being members of either house of Parliament. Does that extend to voting? Many Pakistanis have taken citizenship only to establish right

NAB woes Even the government has started complaining about NAB

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he government’s use of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to persecute opposition leaders has run into criticism by its own leaders, reflecting that the policy of misusing it is not so free of harm as might have been thought in certain circles. SAPM TabishGauhar’s claim that the shortage of gas countrywide was linked to NAB’s investigation of the LPG reference against former PM ShahidKhaqanAbbasi, has been hotly denied by NAB. however, in testimony to the Senate Standing Committee on Petroleum, Petroleum Secretary DrArshad Mehmood said that NAB had taken away officials’ ability to take decisions, and was a hurdle in the way of them adopting out-of-box solutions.

PTI had propounded the thesis that corruption caused losses; but now there is a scenario developing of its anticorruption efforts resulting in economic loss. The pursuit of the opposition was wrong from the point of view of fairness and morality, not to mention the law and the Constitution, which is why opposition stalwarts have been getting bail from the courts. The government, which has all along expressed its concern for public money, should realize that its efforts to go after those who criticize it, need to be reconsidered. The government never tires of proclaiming NAB’s independence. That show of independence should not extend to harming the country.

If Prime Minister Imran Khan succeeds in getting the opposition to join him in electoral reform, he would do well to build on that (if at all it happens) to go for a revision of the NAB Ordinance. That the NAB law needs reform gains even more urgency considering the voices against it are rising within the government, and if the government were to engage with the opposition on this crucial issue, the country as a whole will benefit. The criticism may seem limited to the Petroleum Division, but that may well be because it has found itself the victim of a crisis that, in the opinion of its leading lights, could probably have been avoided had NAB not been pursuing narrow institutional interests, instead of wider national ones.

It could all blow up in everyone’s face Rutt Syed

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he evolving situation in Afghanistan has become a matter of great concern for the International community. Afghanistan has long been the theatre of ‘great power’ rivalry between the USA and Russia. Both espoused starkly different policies vis-à-vis Afghanistan but neither was successful in bringing peace and stability in the country.

A two-decade-long presence of US troops to curb the insurgent forces has also been unsuccessful. Consequently, the exit of the troops and allied forces will also not bring any peace or stability for the country.

Rather, the intra-state situation is likely to get worsened due to the threat of civil war or a possibility of complete takeover by the Islamist extremists. This would definitely reverse the peace process in an uncontrollable manner which may be the ending of this new beginning.

Initially, the peace process was to begin with the agreement between the USA and the Taliban on 29 February 2020 in order to end the two decades-long war in Afghanistan. It aimed for a phased US military withdrawal, if granted certain security guarantees from the Taliban including severing the ties with Al Qaeda. however, this long-drawn process finally began on 12 September 2020 which was attended by key regional and international stakeholders. The conditions of the negotiations were so questionable that the future of these peace talks were far from promising. Despite the agreement with the USA, violent attacks continued all over Afghanistan as the number of Taliban-led attacks remained significantly consistent. The UN Security General quarterly report supports this argument as despite the evolving situation in Afghanistan, there were about 3,458 casualties suffered by the civilian population by mid-2020.

Nonetheless, a report by the United Nations An-

Arif Nizami Editor Managing Editor

Joint Editor

Umar Aziz Executive Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

One of the main problems with i-voting is that it is subject to hacking remotely, as well as interference at the voting sites. A group of outside experts was asked before the 2018 election to examine the possibility. The findings were discouraging: the secrecy of the poll could not be ensured. His is the same problem as has been identified with EVMs.

The writer is a member of staff.

The ending of a new beginning?

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Yousaf Nizami Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

to residence, not some sense of loyalty to the country they have migrated to. True, the Supreme Court has not taken this as any sort of excuse, but if someone wants to represent overseas Pakistanis in Parliament, would he or she have to give up a foreign citizenship obtained only through considerable difficulty?

Of course, the PTI wants overseas Pakistanis given the right to vote, but presumably not to become MNAs or Senators themselves, unless they gave up citizenship. They would then be free to contest from a general seat, where the majority of voters would probably be ordinary Pakistanis, with no foreign experience. They would be in the position of none other than the Prime Minister himself, who was very much an overseas Pakistan, who studied and played in the UK, found a wife there, and only then came back to Pakistan for politics. however, he sits for a very rural seat, the largest conurbation in it being Isakhel,with a population of less than 20,000. While many of its sons have sought employment abroad, it is hardly known as a source of labour abroad.

The truth is that the distribution of labour abroad is so wide that MianShehbaz’s proposal has a certain validity: that the National Assembly is the best forum to represent overseas Pakistanis. Of course, that also hides another question: whether overseas Pakistanis should be represented at all. The government itself is a little self-contradictory here, for it has proposed delimitations based on the number of registered voters, rather than population, as at present. Overseas Pakistanis are not enumerated in the population, unless present at the time of the census. however, they are registered as voters. That change might come into conflict with the constitutional provision laying population down as the touchstone for delimitations.

Once one is amending the Constitution, then an amendment increasing the membership of Parliament seems to overcome an inevitable objection. There could be some sort of trade-off, with NADRA to be allowed to prepare electoral rolls, in exchange for an increase in the number of seats. If the seven MNAsare added, the total membership of the National Assembly would reach 349, with only 272

directly elected.

If overseas Pakistanis are to be given representation, and the need for increasing the size of the National Assembly avoided, a leaf out of the Indian book may be copied. There, to ensure that 25 percent of the members of the LokSabha are from the Scheduled C states, certain seats are reserved. The implication is that all parties have to put up SC candidates, who will have to obtain nonSC votes to win. The standard set by the AJK Legislative Assembly, residence outside the state, may be followed, and seven constituencies reserved for overseas Pakistanis. It would be rare for one to win a second term, because being an MNA might cost resident status abroad.

One of the main problems with i-voting is that it is subject to hacking remotely, as well as interference at the voting sites. A group of outside experts was asked before the 2018 election to examine the possibility. The findings were discouraging: the secrecy of the poll could not be ensured. his is the same problem as has been identified with eVMs. There was the 2018 debacle of the RTS, the internet-based Result Transfer System, which has been pointed out as a sign of the kind of rigging that allowed the present government to come to office. Do eVMs and i-voting allow the results to be manipulated?

They do, and there is one view that such manipulation will be necessary at the next election, if the PTI’s victory is to be ensured. Obviously, this view is held by those who believe that those forces which brought it to government would like to repeat the experience. For whatever flaws of governance there have been, the PTI is not the PML(N) or the PPP. I-voting could well change the results of closely contested seats. eVMs could do the same. Of course, if the opposition was to cry foul, then the election would be rendered doubtful. The 1977 election is paradigmatic in that respect. The option then, of a military takeover, may not be so simple now, not that it was a snap of the fingers then. I-voting and eVMs might help. In 1977, people came onto the streets because the results did not mesh with what they had seen at the polling stations (and even where the PPP would have won, the margins were too large). No one wants that in 2023.

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Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

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alytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team revealed in May 2020 that the Taliban still continue to maintain close operational and ideological ties with Al Qaeda. This led to incidents of violence including the assassination of key political figures like Vice President Amrullah Saleh and Fawzia Koofi, who was one of the most prominent women of the Afghan delegation in the Doha negotiating peace talks. At one side, where the Taliban reject all these UN reports, the findings raise some serious doubts about the sustainability of the Afghan peace process.

Considering all these situations, it adds up to the uncertainty coming out of Washington. Undoubtedly, both Presidents Trump and Biden have expressed a keen desire to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, but this withdrawal will certainly be conditions-based.

From the time President Biden was Vice-president during the Obama Administration; he had been consistent in his stand. even the US Ambassador to Afghanistan, William Ruger, has been in favour of a military withdrawal claiming that : “America has achieved [its] three primary objectives: attrite the AlQaeda, kill or capture Osama bin Laden, and secure counterterrorism guarantees from the Taliban.”

Moreover, the Taliban remain an unrepentant force, opposing compromise as they compel the Afghan government to concede significant political control of the country to be promised through the intra-Afghan negotiations. The Taliban are unwilling to compromise on two crucial demands; “making the hanafi school of Islamic jurisprudence the guiding principle to frame laws in post-conflict Afghanistan, and using the US–Taliban agreement as the basis for peace negotiations.” But for the Afghan government, both of these situations are obnoxious, considering the desire of the government to reform the society in a way in which it could reflect plurality and acceptance for a better national future.

Although the two political rivals eventually signed a power-sharing deal that came into effect in May 2020, but there remained some biggest points of contention between the two parties. The major friction was caused due to the composition of the government’s negotiating team for the

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

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Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

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intra-Afghan-negotiations to engage Taliban. Others were the creation of a new cabinet and appointment of the high Council for National Reconciliation (hCNR), issued by President Ashraf Ghani via the presidential decree instead of by the head of the hCNR, Abdullah Abdullah. Ghani not only appointed the Council unilaterally, but also incorporated some of his allies into some crucial positions. Similarly, the Taliban demanded for release of their 5000 fighters to which President Ghani refused but Abdullah insisted on compliance. Such differences between the two rival parties, despite the distribution of power between them, would certainly endure in the future.

The future of Afghanistan is largely contingent upon how regional and international stakeholders respond to the evolving political and security situation there. While long-term peace in Afghanistan would be advantageous to all powers involved, the need to secure their respective strategic interests in the country,often at odds, could altogether threaten the prospects for peace. Moreover, existing bilateral tensions between many of the external players could spill over into Afghanistan, undermining collective regional efforts and significantly altering the outcome of the process. So far, all external powers have unanimously expressed support for an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled peace process. even in the South Asian tangle, both India and Pakistan are in favour of enduring peace and stability in Afghanistan. But both of them have opposing views when it comes to the future political system of Afghanistan. Pakistan’s primary objective for its involvement in Afghanistan, however, is to secure its strategic depth. While India considers Pakistan as the biggest obstacle to peace in Afghanistan, it must accept that Pakistan has weaved itself intricately into the Afghan reconciliation narrative, with the USA acknowledging it as an indispensable force in bringing the Taliban to the negotiating table. This in itself is an achievement because these negotiations are the only ray of hope for ending the 40-year old war in the regional buffer-zone that is Afghanistan.

The writer is a freelance columnist

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Friday, 2 July, 2021

COMMENT 07 Editor’s mail Send your letters to: Letters to Editor, Pakistan today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan.

E-mail: letters@pakistantoday.com.pk Letters should be addressed to Pakistan today exclusively

Digital currency tHROUgH the platform of your newspaper, i want to focus on an emerging social change in the world which is cash currency is going away. it can have positive as well as negative impact on our societies. Plus point is that it can cause a noticeable decrease in street crimes like snatching money from people at gunpoint. A lot of people today are afraid of carrying cash, particularly large amounts due to the fear of being robbed.

But if paper currency is replaced by digital currency or debit card system it’ll cause ease to people. Like if someone steals your debit card, it can be canceled and replaced easily. While in case of cash if it is stolen then it is gone forever. in Pakistan street crimes are increasing rapidly while digital currency use is less. Converting to digital currency will be technological as well as economic revolution. if you see the other side of the picture then, converting to digital currency must be accompanied by high cyber security as chances of hacking will increase. in America cash is the second most payment method after debit cards. in the world of the internet Bitcoin is becoming more and more popular. World is moving to digital currency, so should we, it is the need of the time.

Laiba Fatima bahawaLpur

President’s message

France- losing its credibility under Macron France’s people are angry, which is making them careless

MuhaMMad Sohail ahMed

G

etting slapped is the ultimate embarrassment that can be caused to a person in today’s civilized world. it is a gesture of anger, hate or disgust that indicates a high degree of frustration.

When President emanuel Macron was slapped during his tour to the southeastern town of France, the onlookers standing behind iron barriers shouted slogans.

When the President descended out of his vehicle and decided to meet the crowd, he rushed towards the crowd in such a quick move that the security staff accompanying him fell behind him by a few feet. it is unclear why the President, despite wearing a face mask and knowing that the Covid-19 pandemic precautions don’t allow a handshake or close contact, decided to offer his hand to one of the onlookers later identified as Damien tarel. He slapped the President on the face and shouted ‘down with Macron’. the security staff hurriedly pulled the President to save him from further assault and apprehended the attacker.

Later the court announced four months imprisonment for him (and 14 months more suspended). While informing the cause of the attack, tarel told the court that he felt that the President was lying to him and wanted him to vote for him in the next elections, thereby triggering his rage.

President emanuel Macron was facing a lot of criticism after he ordered the display of blasphemous cartoons on the Champs elysée as a gesture of right of expression. the question is, Damien also had the freedom of expression, which the court had not accepted. An exciting aspect of the proceedings is that Macron did not file a formal complaint to the court. However, while discussing the matter in the French parliament, the slap was pronounced as an attack on democracy. it is also worth noting that no one condemned the attack in the international forum. this is because the President has become an unlikeable person due to his outrageous outburst that usually heads of states do not exhibit. Similarly, the local

Muslim population has also no soft corner left for him due to his high-handed approach against islam and the Muslim community.

Many military officers in France have written an open letter to the President of France to warn him against an impending civil war. though the chief of army staff of the French army has denounced the letter and vowed to take disciplinary action against those who have signed it, the question remains bout what has caused so much polarization in France. What factors leave the French President in isolation and growing unpopularity despite his efforts to overcome post-covid-19 hardships?

One of the factors is the growing awareness among the masses through social media, the internet and the fast pace of communication at all the tiers of society. As soon as the President visited a school after getting slapped, a small girl asked him how he felt after getting slapped.

He avoided further embarrassment by saying that he was fine. He further added that it was not a good action and it was not good to slap anyone like that.

What are the issues that reflect France as a failing nation and why are the armed forces of France writing open letters to the government? this can be explored from the basic investigations undertaken by the French police about the background and activities of Damien tarel and his accomplice Arthur.

As per the initial investigations, the French authorities raided the residence of tarel, who lives with his mother. He managed a local martial arts club, read comic books, played video games, and was inclined towards the slogans of the French army during the monarchy. Ostensibly he is neither satisfied with himself nor with the current system of government.

His friend Arthur is also found to possess Hitler’s Mein Kampf, and a licensed rifle at home. the frustration among these young French people is indicative of issues in the French government system and at the national level. A few months back, the Perle, an Rubisclass French nuclear submarine, caught fire in the dock at toulon and was rendered lost or damaged beyond economical repairs. the inves-

tigation revealed that the yard workers did not take necessary precautions during the welding process, leaving burning material inside the forward compartment unattended and leaving the premises. this indicates an unmotivated workforce or an unsafe approach, which is an outcome of unsatisfied workers. A national loss worth billions of dollars and the loss of a valuable asset for national defence is a hefty price that the French people will have to pay. Defence minister Florance Parly visited Perle the submarine. the most startling revelation from the minister was the analogy that she drew about the on-board fire submarine with the notre Dame. the fire at notre Dame, that destroyed the entire edifice of the historic cathedral in Paris, occurred last year. the cathedral earned fame due to the novel of Victor Hugo, The Hunchback of Notre Dame. even though the cathedral had 160 fire detection devices installed after six years of designing the fire detection system, the fire caused severe damage to the building and tower.

When the fire broke out, the alarm system alerted the security staff, but they wasted 30 precious minutes to locate the fire. it pointed out the possibilities of cigarette butts or electric shortcircuit that caused the fire. this was further aggravated due to the delay in locating the start point or location of the fire soon after the alarm had sounded. the renovation cost is estimated at $600 million, which are being collected through donations from American residents presumably of French origin. the comments from the French Defence Minister indicate tht a lack of interest or careless attitude caused these significant losses. the French masses are in a state of disenchantment with the existing system, causing a lack of motivation and resultantly such huge losses. the mental state of Damien tarel and Arthur are also reflective of their search for alternatives to the existing system of democracy. it is, therefore, necessary for the French leadership to focus on the wellbeing of their discontented masses instead of involving in issues such as blasphemy which is likely further to alienate Muslims of France and the Muslim Ummah.

The French masses are in a state of disenchantment with the existing system, causing a lack of motivation and resultantly such huge losses. The mental state of Damien Tarel and Arthur are also reflective of their search for alternatives to the existing system of democracy. It is, therefore, necessary for the French leadership to focus on the wellbeing of their discontented masses instead of involving in issues such as blasphemy which is likely further to alienate Muslims of France and the Muslim Ummah

The author retired as a commodore from the Pakistan Navy, and can be reached at msohailyz@gmail.com

DR ALVi expressed concern over the retrogressive laws in the making in europe in the wake of islamophobia to target Muslims, including women.

He said the media could play an important role in changing cultural scriptures about problems such as domestic violence by portraying it as an ill-practice. the president said the role of Ulema (religious figures) could prove effective in supporting healthcare issues, including breastfeeding and population control. Federal Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari said the women had played a forefront role in the national development right from the creation of Pakistan by standing shoulder-toshoulder with their male counterparts. She said whether it was struggle for family laws in the era of 60s or the present day ‘Aurat March’ and ‘Haya March’, women of the country always championed their rights with diversity in views or forms. She said the government’s amendments in inheritance laws led to smooth dispensation of justice and mentioned that soon the bill on amendment in Protection of Women Against Harassment at Workplace Act would be tabled in national Assembly. She urged upon the international community to take serious note of the rape incidents of Kashmiri women and the detention of women political leaders in the indian illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, besides the persistent violation of geneva Convention. Minister for Defence Production Zubaida Jalal said education and financial security was the basis of women empowerment that gave strength to girls and women to make their mark in all fields of life. She mentioned that the school, she had founded 38 years ago in Balochistan’s Mand village, paved way for local girls to excel as a pilot, bankers and paramedics. During the COViD-19, she said, as an educationist, she started first ‘camel library’ in different areas of Balochistan to help children continue their studies during lockdown. She mentioned that 200 women had recently joined Frontier Corps in Balochistan in the fight against terrorism. Dr Fehmida Mirza, Member of national Assembly and former nA speaker, said the women could harness their potential and achieve tremendously if provided a level-playing field instead of the treatment of gender bias. She proposed a gender-specific national budgeting, a 10 percent quota in party tickets in general elections and an intensive post-legislative scrutiny of Harassment at Workplace Act to make it more inclusive. eU Ambassador to Pakistan Androulla Kaminara said a conducive legal environment and a gender sensitive approach was need of the hour. aLi Khan LahorE

Languishing power sector it is saddening that the national power sector is deteriorating with passage of time instead of any noticeable improvement in its governance , administration or professionalism . the result is that circular debt keeps on ballooning , tariffs are ever escalating , thefts go unchecked with revenue leakage , high transmission & distribution losses adding to the cost of delivered power , inefficient & incompetent handling of problems and poor operation & maintenace of powerplants and grid system network are all going unaddressed.

Lack of industrialisation and commercialisation has resulted in surplus power which remains unutilised though you need to pay for this to the investors . the recent countrywide total black out exposed the grave weaknesses in the operation & maintenace of the power system and the lack of professionalism in running it . Billions of Rupees losses have incurred as a result thereof as the system restoration took over twenty hours . it points out that all is not well in the power sector which is supposed to be the backbone of the national economy . Future blackouts can not be ruled out . the power sector is seized with multitude problems of our own making and one wonders what our advisors and administrators have been doing to address these problems . Rest assured that raising of power tariffs now & then is not going to solve the problems . nor vesting of powers to the government to levy surcharges in the consumers bills , at their sweet will , will prove fruitful . it may , however , please the iMF and other lending agencies at the expense of the cosumers and the government ultimately . in short , the whole power sector is in shambles and is highly messed up , and it is beyond the capacity and capability of the present masters governing this sector of vital national importance . in view of the gravity of the state of affairs confronting the power sector , there appears to be no quick fix as the challenges have been made highly complex to resolve . People with proper expertise and a clear mind are required to thrash out the teething multifarious challenges & problems. the first thing is to draw a transparent comprhensive road map of initiatives in the right direction . One should remember that it is easier to make a new system than to straighten out a bad one that has been grossly mishandled and governed over the years. it is high time that the existing inefficient and incompetent gurus managing the affairs of the power sector are replaced with more qualified , experienced and sound professionals possessing a clear vision to set the house in order . needless to say that Pakistan can not take off economically without ensuring a reliable , dependable and affordable power system , which , however , is not in sight at present .

Engr riaz bhutta LahorE

Friday, 2 July, 2021

08 world view

To The WeST: Your hegemonY iS over KoMMersAnt/ WorldcruncH

T

SeRgey LavRov

He frank and generally constructive conversation at the June 16 summit between presidents Vladimir putin and Joseph Biden in Geneva resulted in an agreement to begin a substantive dialogue on strategic stability [...] But almost immediately after the end of the summit, u.s. officials — including participants of the Geneva meeting — began to assertively return to their former attitude: "pointing out," "clearly warning" and making myriad demands on Moscow. Moreover, all these warnings were accompanied by threats: if Moscow didn't accept the rules of the game outlined for it in Geneva within several months, then it would be exposed to the new pressures.

Washington's instantly voiced backlash in the wake of the talks is quite indicative, especially since the european capitals, having caught the mood of big brother, immediately began to actively echo it — and with pleasure. The gist of their statements: They are ready to normalize relations with Moscow, but Moscow should change its behavior first.

The sense is that this chorus in support of the star performer was prepared in advance, and it was precisely this preparation that was laid out in a series of high-level Western events immediately before the usRussia talks: the G7 summits in Cornwall and the North Atlantic Treaty organization (NATo) summit in Brussels as well as Biden's meeting with european Council president Charles Michel and european Commission president ursula von der Leyen.

These meetings were carefully prepared in a way that leaves no doubt: the West wanted to make it clear to everyone that it is more united than ever and will only do what it thinks is right on the international stage, while forcing others — above all, Russia and China — to follow the course that it sets. The documents of Cornwall and Brussels enshrined the promotion of the concept of rules-based world order in opposition to the universal principles of international law, enshrined primarily in the uN Charter.

A series of summits of G7, NATo, and the u.s.-eu has marked, according to their participants, the return of the u.s. to europe and the restoration of consolidation in the old World under the new administration in Washington. Most NATo and eu members welcomed this u-turn with relief, accompanied by enthusiastic comments. The ideological basis for the reunification of the Western family was the declaration of liberal values as the guiding star of human development. Washington and Brussels, without false modesty, called themselves the anchor of democracy, peace, and security in opposition to authoritarianism in all its forms, declaring in particular the intention to strengthen the use of sanctions in the interests of supporting democracy around the world.

The new Atlantic Charter (new Anglo-American Atlantic Charter approved by Biden and uK prime Minister Boris Johnson on the margins of the G7 summit on June 10) was also conceived as a kind of starting point for building a world order, but exclusively by Western rules.

Its wording is ideologically charged with deepening the divide between liberal democracies and all other states, designed to legitimize an order based on rules. The new charter contains no reference to the uN or the osCe, firmly fixing the commitment of the collective West to commitments within NATo as, in fact, the only legitimate decision-making center (this is how former NATo secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen characterized the importance of the North Atlantic Alliance back in 2014).

Russia and China are identified as bearers of authoritarianism, the main obstacle to the implementation of the course announced at the June summits. Two groups of claims are put forward, on both the domestic and international fronts. Beijing is accused of too assertive promotion of its economic interests (the one Belt, one Road project), building up its military and its technological power to increase its influence. Russia is accused of aggressive policies in many regions, posing as such Moscow's policy of countering ultra-radical and neo-Nazi tendencies in the policies of neighboring countries, which suppress the rights of Russians and other national minorities, uproot

THEY DEMAND MOSCOW AND BEIJING (AND EVERYONE ELSE) FOLLOW WESTERN RECIPES ON HUMAN RIGHTS, CIVIL SOCIETY...

In Moscow daily Kommersant, a long and fiery response from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to the US and European tactics during and after this month's Putin-Biden summit

the Russian language, education and culture. Nor do we like the fact that Moscow is standing up for countries that have fallen victim to Western adventures and have been attacked by international terrorism with the threat of losing their statehood, as was the case in syria. still, the main pathos of the announced Western approaches is focused on the internal structure of non-democratic countries, and the determination to change them according to its standards, seeking such changes in the organization of society that would correspond to the vision of democracy promoted by Washington and Brussels.

Hence their demands for Moscow and Beijing (and everyone else) to follow Western recipes on human rights, civil society, opposition, mass media, functioning of state structures, and the interaction between the branches of power. sensible politicians in europe and the u.s. understand the impasse of such an uncompromising course. so far, not in public, they are beginning to reason pragmatically, admitting that there is more than one civilization in the world, that Russia, China and other major powers have their own thousand-year history, their own traditions, their own values, their own way of life. It is futile to ask whose values are better or worse, we should simply acknowledge that there are other forms of social organization as compared to those in the West, accept them as a given, respect them. There are problems with human rights everywhere, but it's time to abandon the position of one's own superiority: we in the West will deal with them ourselves because we are democracies, while you are not yet mature enough; you need help, which is what we will do.

The collective historical West, which has dominated everyone for 500 years, cannot help but face the truth that this era is irrevocably passing, even as it tries to hold onto what's slipping away, to artificially slow down the objec-

tive process of forming a multipolar world.

Introducing its concept of a rule-based world order, the West pursues the aim of leading the discussion of the key topics to the formats it finds convenient, where dissenters are not invited.

Narrow-group platforms and appeals are assembled to agree on recipes for subsequent imposition on everyone else. examples include a call for security in cyberspace, a call for respect for international humanitarian law, a partnership for freedom of information.

At the same time, for each such format of like-minded people, the european union creates its own mechanism of horizontal sanctions, also, naturally, without any regard to the uN Charter.

The West justifies the reckless expansion of NATo eastward to the Russian borders. When we refer to the assurances given to the soviet union that this will not happen, the answer is: well, these were just verbal promises, no documents were signed.

Rule-based order is the epitome of a double standard.

When it is convenient, the absolute rule is the right of peoples to self-determination. This includes the Falklands 12,000 kilometers away from Britain, remote former colonial possessions that paris and London retain despite many uN and International Court decisions, which no one is going to liberate, and the independent Kosovo, in violation of a uN security Council resolution. When the principle of self-determination contradicts the geopolitical interests of the West, as in the case of the free will of the residents of Crimea in favor of common destiny with Russia, they forget about it and angrily condemn the free choice of people and punish them with sanctions.

The concept of rules also manifests itself in an attack not only on international law but also on human nature it-

self. Attempts by sane politicians to protect children from aggressive LGBT propaganda are met with militant protests in enlightened europe. There is an attack on the foundations of all world religions, on the genetic code of key civilizations of the planet. The u.s. has led blatant state intervention in the affairs of the church, openly seeking to split the world orthodoxy, the values of which are seen as a powerful spiritual obstacle to the liberal concept of unlimited permissiveness.

Neither NATo nor the eu intend to change their policy of subjugating other regions of the world and proclaiming a self-appointed global messianic mission. The North Atlantic alliance is actively joining the u.s. strategic turn toward the Indo-pacific (with the open goal of containing China), which undermines the central role of AseAN in the open architecture of Asia-pacific cooperation that has been built up for decades.

The eu, in turn, develops programs for the development of neighboring (and not very) geopolitical spaces without much consultation on their content with the invited countries. This is the nature of the eastern partnership and Brussels' recently approved program for Central Asia. such approaches are fundamentally at odds with the way integration associations with Russian participation (CIs, CsTo, eurAseC, sCo) which develop relations with external partners exclusively on a parity mutually agreed basis.

As for the West's approach to Russia, it is high time to understand that your hopes of having one-sided rules have been finally drowned out. All the formulas from Western capitals about their readiness to normalize relations with Moscow, if it repents and changes its behavior, have lost any sense — and the fact that many continue to put forward unilateral demands to us by inertia does not do credit to their ability to adequately assess what is happening.

Judging by the practical actions of the West in recent years (including the hysterical reaction to Moscow's defense of Russian rights after the bloody coup d'etat in ukraine in 2014 supported by the united states, NATo and the eu), they thought that all this was not very serious: Russia had declared its principles, so be it. We need to put more pressure on the interests of the elites, increase personal, financial, and other sectoral sanctions, and Moscow will come to its senses and realize that without a change in behavior (that is, without obedience to the West) it will experience deeper and deeper difficulties in its development.

And even when we clearly said that we perceive this policy of the u.s. and europe as a new reality and therefore will build our work in the economy and other spheres, based on the unacceptability of dependence on unreliable partners, they still continued to believe that Moscow will eventually change its mind and make the concessions required of it for the sake of material benefits.

I will stress once again what president Vladimir putin has said many times: there were no unilateral concessions at the end of the 1990s, and there never will be any. If you want to cooperate and regain your lost profits and your business reputation, you should negotiate with each other in order to find fair solutions and compromises.

It is fundamentally important for the West to understand that this world view is firmly rooted in the minds of the Russian people and reflects the views of the overwhelming majority of Russian citizens. Those irreconcilable opponents of the Russian authorities, on whom the West relies and who see all of Russia's problems in antiWesternism, demanding unilateral concessions in order to lift sanctions and obtain some hypothetical material benefits, represent an absolutely marginal segment of our society. At the June 16 press conference in Geneva, Vladimir putin clearly explained what the West's support of such marginal circles is aimed at.

They are going against the historical continuity of a people that has always, especially in difficult times, been known for its maturity, sense of self-respect, dignity and national pride, ability to think independently while being open to the rest of the world on equal terms for mutual benefit. It is these qualities of the Russians after the confusion and vacillation of the 1990s that have become the foundational concept of Russia's foreign policy in the 21st century. They are able to assess the actions of their leadership themselves, without prompting from abroad.

Pfizer or AstraZeneca, and what are the risks?

Some pointers for young Australians

S

AustrAliAn science MediA centre/sydney Morning HerAld RobeRt booy

uppose you’re a 25-year-old young person, male or female. How do you weigh up the risks of catching CoVID, and the complications of that, with the risk of having a CoVID vaccine, pfizer or AstraZeneca?

First of all, we know that CoVID is less severe in young adults and the risk of hospitalisation or death from CoVID is much lower than an older person. so, what is needed is a way in which to calculate a risk-benefit ratio that’s relevant to you, as a young person. such a calculator is available on the web from Britain. It was set up by the oxford group. It’s extremely helpful if you live in the uK where disease is common but we need a risk calculator for Australian circumstances. several groups are working on just that. The Immunisation Coalition is in discussion with the oxford group to quickly adapt their instrument to Australia. so a 25-year-old person has to consider whether to

have pfizer – having to wait for some weeks and months – or getting AZ quite quickly. she/he would take into account that there is an imminent risk of transmission if living in the eastern suburbs of sydney, but a very low risk in many other parts of Australia. understandably, she/he would be concerned that there is a risk of clotting syndrome (TTs) in the order of one in 25,000 after the first dose of AstraZeneca.

The clot problem would probably require hospitalisation but only about one in 25 people hospitalised might die from it, giving a risk of less than 1 in 500,000 of dying from a clot due to the vaccine.

That’s about the same risk as being struck by lightning. The risk of being killed in a motor vehicle accident is much higher, and the risk of getting a serious clot in a 25-year-old woman on the oral contraceptive pill is quite a bit higher. No vaccine or medicine is without some risk, albeit rare, or even very rare. Reports from the us suggest the pfizer jab may result in

a risk of myocarditis/pericarditis for one in 100,000 vaccine recipients, with a higher rate if you are young and male. Also, about one in 100,000 people given an mRNA vaccine is at risk of anaphylaxis but the allergic reaction is most unlikely to cause death.

There’s a lot to consider. experts are working on it, and these calculators will hopefully be available soon.

In the meantime, Gps are well equipped to answer people’s questions, their opinions are respected and the government is supporting them to have enough time to undertake meaningful discussions with their patients about vaccinations.

Professor Robert Booy is an infectious disease and vaccine expert with an honorary professorship at the University of Sydney. He is a director of the Immunisation Coalition and is a consultant to vaccine manufacturers including CSL, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck Sharp &Dohme and Sanofi Pasteur.

Friday, 2 July, 2021

BuSineSS 09

iSLamaBad corporate corner UBL partners with Temenos, NdcTech to modernise, scale digital banking strategy KARACHI: UBL, Pakistan's fastest-growing digital bank, has signed an agreement with Temenos (SIX: TEMN) and National Data Consultant (NdcTech) to provide and implement a next-generation digital banking solution. Through this agreement, the bank has embarked on a digital transformation journey across all channels, products and segments, including retail, SME and corporate, for its domestic and international markets. Once executed, the bank expects to hyper-scale its digital footprint and provide a modern online banking platform with an integrated, seamless customer experience, covering the entire customer lifecycle from customer onboarding, deposit, loan originations, and digital servicing. The agreement was signed virtually with UBL & NdcTech at the UBL Head Office in Karachi and Temenos at their Head Office in Dubai, UAE. PRESS RElEASE

SECP launches WhatsApp support service ISLAMABAD APP

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has introduced its WhatsApp id for business care to promptly respond to public queries regarding the incorporation of companies. The WhatsApp help line number is first of its kind service in Pakistan’s public sector, said a press release issued here on Thursday. The WhatsApp service can be accessed by saving the help line number 03069365625 and then starting a conversation with SECP WhatsApp. Users will have a more streamlined experience as this service will provide immediate responses to their queries on company registration, companies search through name and incorporation number and fee calculator.

WB highlights role of loss-making SOEs in growing govt debt The total liabilities of the state-owned enterprises (SOEs) that made a loss in three out of the five past years have been about 8 to 12 per cent of GDP in recent years, several times more than the country’s public spending on education in 2019-20. According to the report compiled by Dawn, describing the percentage liabilities to GDP as ‘remarkably high’, the World Bank report, “Hidden Debt: Solutions to Avert the Next Financial Crisis in South Asia” points out that Pakistan’s SOE sector also shows a tendency toward rapidly declining profitability in recent years, with its net income dropping at an annual rate of 57pc on average from 2014 to 2017.South Asian SOEs are concentrated in energy, utilities, transport, and telecommunications. This concentration is most stark in the case of Pakistan, where the energy and transport sectors together account for 95 per cent of SOE revenues.

The WB report warns that South Asia is more exposed to the risk of “hidden debt” from state-owned commercial banks (SOCBs), state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and public-private partnerships (PPPs) because of its greater reliance on them compared to other regions. The SOE sector in both India and Pakistan is more than twice as large as the international benchmark, controlling for size of the economy. Overall, India and Pakistan are among the biggest users of public agents such as the SOEs, SOCBs, and PPPs. Total SOE revenues amount to nearly 8pc of GDP in Sri Lanka, 12pc in Pakistan, and 19pc in India.

The total number of the SOEs exceeds 200 in Pakistan, 400 in Sri Lanka, and 1,300 in India. MONITORING REPORT

NAB gIvES POWEr DIvISION grEEN SIgNAL TO CLEAr DUES OF IPPS ISLAMABAD

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AHMAD AHMADANI

ATIONAL Accountability Bureau (NAB) has reportedly given its approval to the Power Division for clearing the pending dues of Independent Power Producers (IPPs) established under the power policy 2002, in accordance with the revised contracts.

According to sources, the matter was taken before Prime Minister Imran Khan during the federal cabinet’s meeting held on June 22 whereas Cabinet members voiced their favour of clearing the dues.

An official of the Power Division on condition of anonymity confirmed the info, adding that following NAB's permission, the Power Division is likely to present a fresh summary in the upcoming meeting of the ECC to seek approval in light of NAB’s decision.

Sources said that ECC had earlier deferred its decision to make payment; however, NAB has now informed the Power Division that it may conduct the payment procedure to IPPs of 2002 Power Policy

2002 in accordance with the revised contracts.

“Next ECC meeting will take up the matter as NAB has now granted its permission to the power division to clear dues of the IPPs established under power Policy 2002 in accordance with the revised contracts, '' said the sources.

According to revised contracts, reduced tariff will be applicable from the date of payment after the payment of the first installation. Similarly, an increase in late payment charges on their undisputed payables will be stopped, which will lead to a reduction in circular debt.

Furthermore, a heat rate test will be conducted as the said IPPs have already agreed that the government can determine heat rate test to find out actuarial while these revised contracts will save the government approximately Rs180 billion or more.

Sources also said that NAB has been investigating the stated savings in the tariff component of the IPPs and that the Power Division had asked NAB to examine and validate the process of negotiations and signing of agreements, including the arbitration submission agreement. "The bureau was also asked to

notify if they have any issues with the signing of the agreements and payments," they added.

Moreover, they said that firstly, it was also proposed that the government may withhold payments to all IPPs that have signed agreements pursuant to the MoUs under the Power Policy 2002, until the conclusion of NAB investigations. Secondly, the process of signing the arbitration submission agreement with the IPPs, and notifying them of their revised tariffs as determined by National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA), may face suspension until NAB completes investigations. It is relevant to mention that the government has so far made payments totaling Rs89.2 billion to IPPs excluding those under the Power Policy 2002.

The ECC of the Cabinet on May 5, had approved a summary seeking the approval of Rs89.86 billion for payment of 40pc dues as the first installment to 20 plants as one third cash, one third in a 5-Year Sukuk, and one third in 10-Year PIBs. The government was to pay the remaining 60pc payment in six months in the same ratios whereas this decision was ratification by the Cabinet on May 18.

Pakistan records highest export of goods in FY21: Razak Dawood ISLAMABAD APP

Pakistan’s exports of goods recorded their highest level of $25.3 billion during the fiscal year 2020-21 (FY21), higher than the $25.11 billion recorded in 2013-14 (FY14), Advisor to Prime Minister on Trade and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood said on Thursday.

As compared to the previous financial year, FY20, exports increased by 18 per cent, despite the

negative impact of Covid-19, the adviser said while addressing a press conference here.

He said that during the outgoing financial year, country’s merchandise exports stood at $25.3 billion, while services exports reached to $6 billion.

He said that during the month of June FY21, domestic exports exceeded $2 billion.

“Similarly, Information Technology (IT) exports remained above $2 billion in last fiscal year,”

he added.

He said that the government would sign a Preferential Trade Agreement(PTA) with Uzbekistan on July 7 whereas it was also working on ‘tariff rationalisation’ and would rationalise 4,000 tariff lines in 2022.

Later, in a series of tweets, Dawood congratulated Pakistani exporters for their work. “Our exporters have done it!! It gives me immense pleasure to share that our exports of goods during FY 202021 stand at $25.3 billion,” he said.

Oil refining policy to be presented to Cabinet soon ISLAMABAD APP

The Senate Standing Committee on Petroleum was told on Wednesday that the new oil refining policy, which mainly focused on attracting maximum investment in the sector, would soon be presented to the federal cabinet for approval.

The policy would attract huge investment in the oil refining sector by offering tax rebate to the local and foreign investors for up-gradation and establishment of new deep-conversion refineries, Petroleum Secretary Dr Arshad Mahmood informed the meeting.

The maiden meeting of the Senate panel after its reconstitution aimed to get a detailed briefing on the working and performance of the Petroleum Division and its attached departments.

At the outset of the meeting, the chairman highlighted the important role of the Petroleum Division in meeting the country’s ever-growing energy needs.

He called for exploring innovative means and ways to cope with shortage of energy by stepping up oil and gas exploration activities

and removing hiccups for encouraging investment in the sector.

Briefing the committee on salient features of the policy, the secretary said import duty on motor gasoline (from 5 per cent to 10pc) and diesel (from 13pc to 10pc) would be applicable as tariff protection for refineries, effective from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2026.

He mentioned that there would be a 10-year income tax holiday for up-gradation, modernisation and expansion of the existing refinery projects, besides a 20-year income tax holiday for all new deep-conversion refinery projects of a minimum capacity of 100,000 barrels per day (bpd).

As per the policy, he said the product pricing formula of refineries would be based on “True Import Parity Price”, adding there would be zero duty on import of crude oil from fiscal year 2023-24 (FY24).

Arshad said it would also offer exemption from customs duties and other levies on the import of any equipment and machinery for up-gradation and establishment of new oil facilities. Answering a query of Senator Abdul Qadir, the

secretary said currently 3,800 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of gas, including the imported liquefied natural gas, was available in the system.

He said the faulty Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) of Engro’s terminal would be restored by July 5 after its overhauling. Following which, the energy supply situation would return to normal, he added.

The body was also apprised that Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) and Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) had considerably reduced their line losses under a proactive strategy and with the support of provincial governments.

The secretary said that 90pc work on dualisation of the White Oil Pipeline from Karachi to Mehmood Kot had been completed, and the pipeline’s testing and commissioning was scheduled for September 1, 2021.

Through the pipeline, he said multiple products such as diesel and petrol would be transported in batches, which would eventually ensure uninterrupted supply of fuel and reduce reliance on oil tankers.

PIBs attract net inflow of $256m in FY21 Foreign investment in Pakistan Investment Bonds (PIBs) witnessed a cumulative net inflow of $256 million during the outgoing financial year as opposed to the trend in Treasury bills (T-bills) and equities. As per a local media report based on latest data issued by the State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) on Wednesday, inflows in equities and T-bills were less than the outflows resulting into negative figures for the two segments. The long-term domestic bonds PIBs remained attractive for foreign investors as the returns were much higher than the investments in government bonds internationally. Ten-year PIBs offered 9.84 per cent return in the auction held on June 9. During FY21, inflows in PIBs were $277.5 million while the outflows reached $21.5m. The cumulative net inflow was $256m. The highest inflows in PIBs were from the United States which reached $118.5m in FY21. The inflows from Luxemburg were the second highest with $115.3m but an outflow of $11.7m was also noted from the country. Net inflow in equities was $681m against the outflow of $1,101m during the entire fiscal year, recording a net outflow of $420m. Similarly, the inflows in Tbills during FY21 were $688m while outflows were $890m. Net outflow was $202m. The total net inflows of PIBs, T-bills and equities were $1,647m compared to the outflows of $2,013m during FY21. Net outflow of $366.6m was witnessed in FY21. MONITORING REPORT

SoftBank invests $200m in Latam cryptocurrency exchange NEW YORK AGENCIES

Japan's SoftBank Group Corp has invested $200 million in Mercado Bitcoin, one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in Latin America, said Roberto Dagnoni, executive chairman and chief executive officer of 2TM Group, the trading platform's parent company.

The investment, raised in a Series B funding round, was made through SoftBank Latin America Fund and represents the

SOFTBANK CAPITAL RAISE COMES AMID REGULATORY CRACKDOWNS IN CHINA, BRITAIN AND JAPAN Japanese multinational company's largest investment in a Latin American crypto company. As a result of the investment, 2TM said its valuation reached $2.1 billion.

The SoftBank capital raise comes at a time when investor sentiment on cryptocurrencies has soured amid regulatory crack-

downs in China, Britain and Japan. That has led to outflows from crypto investment products and funds the last few weeks.

Dagnoni, however, was unfazed by the current slump in cryptocurrencies. "We are strong believers in the fundamentals of crypto," Dagnoni told Reuters in a phone interview.

CMYK

Mercado Bitcoin will use the funds to scale its operations, expand offerings, and invest in infrastructure to meet rising demand for crypto in the region, 2TM said in a statement.

"The platform is quite integrated. So custody is very important in releasing the power of the institutional market," Dagnoni said in the interview.

"We're also looking at regional expansions in Latam and expansions via M&A (mergers and acquisitions) as well," he added.

Mercado Bitcoin, which launched in

2013, has grown significantly over the past year, with its client base reaching 2.8 million in 2021, more than 70% of the entire individual investor base in Brazil's stock exchange, 2TM said.

Between January and May 2021, approximately 700,000 new customers signed up to use Mercado Bitcoin's services, the company said. During the first five months of the year, trade volume at the crypto exchange also increased to $5 billion, surpassing the total for its first seven years combined.

Friday, 2 July, 2021

10 FOREIGN NEWS

ISLAMABAD

XI rallIes Party for ‘unstoPPaBle’ PursuIt to natIonal rejuvenatIon as CPC CeleBrates Centenary BEIJING

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XinhuA

HE Communist Party of China (CPC) on Thursday celebrated the 100th anniversary of its founding, as its top leader declared the achievement of a milestone development goal and announced that the Chinese nation is "advancing with unstoppable momentum toward rejuvenation."

Addressing a grand gathering at the iconic Tian'anmen Square, where CPC forefather Mao Zedong proclaimed the birth of the people's republic, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, hailed the Party's success over the past century and called on the whole Party to continue its hard work and carry out "a great struggle" to achieve national rejuvenation.

Xi delivered a nationally-televised speech from Tian'anmen Rostrum before a 70,000-strong crowd.

The historic event also witnessed a chorus of Party songs, a flypast of fighter jets and helicopters, a 100-gun salute, and a flagraising ceremony.

Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, declared that China has realized the first centenary goal of "building a moderately prosperous society in all respects."

"This means that we have brought about a historic resolution to the problem of absolute poverty in China, and we are now marching in confident strides toward the second centenary goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects," Xi said.

HISTORICAL INEVITABILITY: Reviewing the past 100 years, Xi said the Party has united and led the Chinese people in achieving great success in the new-democratic revolution, socialist revolution and construction, reform, opening up and socialist modernization, as well as for socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

In 1921 when the CPC was founded, it had just over 50 members. Today, with more than 95 million members in a country of more than 1.4 billion people, it is the largest governing party in the world and enjoys tremendous international influence.

Xi paid tributes to CPC forefathers in-

cluding Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping, as well as revolutionary martyrs who died for the Party's cause.

"All the struggle, sacrifice, and creation through which the Party has united and led the Chinese people over the past hundred years has been tied together by one ultimate theme -- bringing about the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation," Xi said, adding that this prospect "has become a historical inevitability."

The ceremony was presided over by Li Keqiang, and attended by Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng -- all members of the Standing Com-

mittee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, as well as Vice President Wang Qishan.

At the event, Wan Exiang, chairman of the Central Committee of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang, read a congratulatory message on behalf of the eight non-CPC political parties in China, the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, and personages without party affiliation. Over 1,000 young people, who are representatives of the Chinese Communist Youth League and Young Pioneers, conveyed their congratulatory message through a recitation at Tian'anmen Square, expressing the younger generation's commitment to the CPC's cause.

"I feel very honored," said Wang Fangyanni, a 22-year-old university student who watched the celebrations on the spot.

Wang gained full membership of the CPC in April.

Xi's one-hour speech captured the Party's tremendous success over a century.

Under the Party's leadership, the country has lifted nearly 800 million people out of poverty over the past four decades. China is now the world's second-largest economy, the largest recipient of foreign direct investment, and boasts one of the world's largest consumer markets. Its GDP has exceeded the 100-trillion-yuan (about 15.47 trillion U.S. dollars) threshold.

Many people have experienced a significant improvement in their lives.

Bao Xianjie is one of them. A member of the Tu ethnic group, she relates the CPC centenary with changes in her home county in northwestern Qinghai Province, which has

recently cast off poverty.

"When I returned home in recent years, I saw big changes: expressway has been opened, traffic is made convenient, and everyone's life is getting better," Bao told Xinhua at Tian'anmen Square.

Yang Pin-hua, an ethnic singer from Taiwan who has been living in Beijing for 14 years, was also in the audience at the square.

Having traveled to more than 70 mainland cities with large ethnic populations, Yang said he has seen those places undergoing tremendous changes over the years. "The Party's support has reached every village and every ethnic group."

EVEN STRONGER PARTY: In his address, Xi laid down principles that must be followed on the journey ahead.

The firm leadership of the Party must be upheld, he said, calling it the foundation and lifeblood of the Party and the country, and the crux upon which the interests and wellbeing of all Chinese people depend.

Vowing to remain committed to combating corruption and root out "any viruses that would erode its health," Xi said the CPC must continue to advance the great new project of Party building.

"We must unite and lead the Chinese people in working ceaselessly for a better life," he added. "Any attempt to divide the Party from the Chinese people or to set the people against the Party is bound to fail. The more than 95 million Party members and the more than 1.4 billion Chinese people will never allow such a scenario to come to pass," he said.

Xi stressed continuing to adapt Marxism to the Chinese context.

Europe court refuses to hear case on Yasser Arafat's death STRASBOURG AFP

The European Court of Human Rights on Thursday dismissed a case brought by the widow and daughter of Yasser Arafat, who have claimed the iconic Palestinian leader's death was the result of poisoning.

Suha El Kodwa Arafat and Zahwa El Kodwa Arafat, who are French citizens, filed their case with the Strasbourg-based European court in 2017 after French courts dismissed their claims. Arafat died at the Percy military hospital near Paris aged 75 in November 2004 after developing stomach pains while at his headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Many Palestinians accuse Israel of poisoning Arafat, a charge flatly denied by the Jewish state.

But in 2012 his widow, Suha El Kodwa Arafat, said traces of the radioactive isotope polonium 210 had been found on his

clothes, prompting a French lawsuit alleging his murder. After a series of analyses and witness interviews, a court in Nanterre, west of Paris, dismissed the case, a ruling upheld on appeal.

Lawyers for Arafat's widow said the investigation had been “fundamentally biased” and accused the judges of closing the probe too quickly.

Arafat's wife and daughter turned to the European court in 2017, saying they had been refused their right to a fair hearing, in particular a refusal of their request for an additional expert report on his death.

In a unanimous decision, three judges said that after reviewing the case, “at all stages of the proceedings the applicants, assisted by their lawyers, had been able to exercise their rights effectively”. “Judges did not appear to have reached arbitrary conclusions based on the facts before them and their interpretation of the evidence in the file or the applicable law had not been unreasonable,” they added.

17 injured in explosion after LA police's 'catastrophic' detonation LOS ANGELES AFP

At least 17 people were injured on Wednesday night as a Los Angeles bomb squad botched the removal of improvised explosives seized along with thousands of pounds of illegal fireworks, officials said.

The blast blew the top off a bomb disposal truck and shot a fireball above the south Los Angeles neighbourhood, according to video from local news channels. At a press conference, Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michael Moore said that 10 responding officers and seven civilians had non-lifethreatening injuries from the explosion, which

damaged homes and blasted out windows in the neighbourhood.

He added it was unclear why there had been a “total catastrophic failure of that containment vehicle”. “This vessel should have been able to safely dispose of that material,” he said.

“Protocols were followed and pursued, but something happened in that containment vehicle that should not have happened and we don't know why.” Moore said officers were responding to a call about illegal fireworks at a private residence when they found boxes of commercial-grade fireworks stacked eight to 10 feet high, and estimated to weigh up to 5,000 pounds stored on the patio.

While removing the fireworks, the officers discovered additional, improvised explosives made of soda cans and simple fuses, Moore said.

Those devices were scanned and transferred to the specially-designed containment truck and detonated around 6:40pm. A resident at the house stashing the explosives, 27-year-old Arturo Cejas, was arrested and charged with possession of a destructive device.

Police are also looking to charge him with child endangerment after finding his 10-year-old brother on the same premises. “We understand that this explosive material was acquired out of state and transported here for the purposes of reselling it to community members and neighbours for use during this Fourth of July holiday,” Moore said.

The drought-plagued city of Los Angeles has launched a fireworks buyback program ahead of the holiday, hoping to stop the illegal sale and use of the banned explosives. Last year, the LAPD said it seized more than four tons of fireworks.

Birthday cake helps Indian brothers escape leopard NEW DELHI AFP

Two brothers pulled off a sweet escape from a leopard in India by throwing a birthday cake at the animal as it chased them while they rode a motorbike, officials said Thursday. "Your first instinct when you sense danger is to do whatever you can to save yourself. That's what they did," a forest official told AFP. "They had a cake with them and they threw it at the leopard." According to the Times of India, Firoz and Sabir Mansuri were heading at dusk to a birthday party for Firoz's son in Madhya Pradesh state when the leopard burst out of a sugarcane field.They accelerated but the big cat gained on them on the muddy path, leaving Sabir, riding pillion, no other option than to lob the box containing the cake at the predator.

Hit by the "weapon of sweet distraction", the flummoxed feline gave up its chase and darted back into the fields - and without even trying the cake, the paper said. "The leopard followed us for over 500 metres (yards). We narrowly escaped death," it quoted Sabir as saying. Leopard numbers in India grew more than 60 percent between 2014 and 2018 to almost 13,000, according to the government, with the highest numbers in Madhya Pradesh. They are less scared than tigers of people and often enter villages and even towns. Attacks on adults are rare but children are more at risk.

Last month a leopard snatched a four-year-old girl from her garden in Kashmir. Her mutilated body was found the next day.

Friday, 2 July, 2021

ISLAMABAD

Zverev reaches WimbleDOn thirD rOunD LONDON

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Djokovic and Federer named in Olympic tournament

REUTERS

HE business of trying to win your first Grand Slam title can be a tough one as Alexander Zverev is all too aware. Despite being only 24, the German, seeded fourth at Wimbledon, is playing in his 24th Grand Slam tournament and so far it has been a slow grind.

It looked like he was going to claim the long-predicted first major when he led Dominic Thiem by two sets in last year's US Open final, only to go down in five.

Yet while being an elite tennis professional is a serious business, there can still be some fun days at the office, as was the case against the aptly-named Tennys Sandgren on Thursday.

At times, Zverev's 7-5 6-2 6-3 win over the American looked like an exhibition match with both players laughing and joking and interacting with the fans on Court Two. It was a welcome relief from the inten-

sity that usually comes with a Grand Slam clash and there were hints of comedy as Sandgren was docked a point after a ball fell out of his pocket while he was running towards the net.

"I've got a spare pair of shorts if you want," Zverev said to Sandgren, who kept up a running commentary during the match.

There will be more serious days ahead for Zverev, but on Thursday, at least, he could enjoy himself.

"I think it's not common to have days like that, matches like that," Zverev, who has yet to drop a set in two commanding wins, told reporters. "But Tennys has a very good sense of humour. I think the British crowd have a great sense of humour.

"You can't really do that if the crowd doesn't have a great sense of humour. I do enjoy those kind of moments.

"Grand Slams are so serious, our sport is very, very serious because if you lose focus for a second the match can turn around very quickly. But I believe

that (some humour) is also very good for our sport."

The clean-hitting German was always in command of an entertaining tussle once he broke Sandgren's serve at 5-5 in the first set. From then on it was one-way traffic as Zverev reached the third round for the fourth time.

Sandgren entertained the crowd with some good-natured banter and could only chuckle when he made a complete mess of a Zverev miss-hit to go down a double break in the second set.

The German faced only one break point in the match and has yet to drop a set.

He will face another American in the next round -- either 31st seed Taylor Fritz or Steve Johnson.

"For a second round, I played very decent tennis. But I also do know that there will be guys, there will be opponents, who will not let me play this well and who will try to break my rhythm, who will try to break my game up," Zverev said.

"Those are the kind of moments where I will need to step up and play even better."

SPORTS 11 BARTY WINS BLINKOVA BATTLE: Meanwhile, World number one Ash Barty moved into the third round but not without a battle as she overcame spirited Russian Anna Blinkova and her own inconsistency in a 6-4 6-3 win.

The top seed never looked in danger against the 89th-ranked Blinkova, but it was still not plain sailing for the Australian scrapper.

Her serve, so often a dependable weapon, was at times wayward, as she hit nine double faults and was broken three times, while her 33 unforced errors suggest she has some way to go to get fully sharp on the grass.

Barty, whose sole Grand Slam title came at the 2019 French Open, has never gone beyond the last 16 at Wimbledon.

She ultimately had too much firepower for Blinkova, however, and wrapped up victory after an hour and 30 minutes when her opponent swiped a forehand long.

"A few things didn't feel quite right today. That's half the battle in sport, being able to find a way when it's not feeling all that great," Barty told reporters.

"I felt like when my back was against the wall today I was able to bring the good stuff. It just wasn't quite there all the time."

Next up for Barty will be an encounter with 64th-ranked Czech Katerina Siniakova, who booked her spot in the third round with a 4-6 6-2 6-2 win over CoCo Vandeweghe.

LONDON REUTERS

World number one Novak Djokovic and 20time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer were both named on the list of players for the Tokyo Olympics on Thursday -- a boost for a tournament hit by high-profile withdrawals. Women's world number one Ash Barty and Japan's Naomi Osaka head the field in the women's singles. A first-time gold-medal winner is assured in the women's singles with Puerto Rico's defending champion Monica Puig unable to compete because of injury. Two-time champion Andy Murray, whose ranking has slipped to 118 as he battles to come back from hip surgery, will be aiming to win gold for the third Olympics in succession. Djokovic, who is bidding at Wimbledon to match Federer and Rafa Nadal's record Grand Slam haul, won a singles bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing when Federer won doubles gold. An Olympic singles gold is the one major prize that still eludes the two players who are vying, along with Nadal, to be considered the greatest of all time. A total of 46 nations will be represented at the Olympic tennis event which will be held at the Ariake Tennis Park from July 24 until Aug 1. Several big names will not be travelling to Tokyo including former singles and doubles gold-medallist Rafa Nadal, four-time gold-medallist Serena Williams, US Open champion Dominic Thiem and Romanian two-time Grand Slam winner Simona Halep.

WI Women down Pakistan Women by 10 runs NEWS DESK Nida Dar took 2 for 15, and during the process became the first Pakistan cricketer (male or female) to 100 T20I wickets, but Shamilia Connell's 3 for 21 proved more decisive as West Indies Women clinched the T20I series opener in North Sound on Wednesday, ESPNcricinfo reported.

Connell bowled three of Pakistan Women's top four within three overs to set up the hosts' successful defence of 136 in North Sound. Hayley Matthews and Aaliyah Alleyne made further inroads to reduce Pakistan to 57 for 6 in the 13th over. Ayesha Naseem and Fatima Sana produced a late assault, adding an unbroken 69 for the seventh wicket at a run rate over nine, but it was not enough for the tourists to topple West Indies. Naseem hit 45 off 33 balls while Sana made 24 off 21 balls.

Mathews had also contributed with the bat, scoring 32 in a 65-run opening partnership with Deandra Dottin. Although both Dottin and captain Stafanie Taylor fell to Dar, cameos from the returning Knight sisters and Chedean Nation hauled West Indies closer to 140. Sana, too, picked up two wickets and later struck three fours, but her all-round effort ended in vain for Pakistan.

Connell won the Player-of-the-Match award for his second successive three-wicket haul.

"It feels great," she told the CWI media. "Coming off the last game I played in England I was Man of the Match also, so being able to start back my inter-

national series with a man of the match is a great feeling as well. My game plan was to just go out there and execute my areas hard and just try to contain as much as possible."

Notably, this was West Indies Women's first T20I victory after seven completed matches and first at home since the 2018 T20 World Cup. It also meant that Courtney Walsh won his first T20I in charge of the side.

Belgium fret over Hazard, De Bruyne for Italy quarter-final MUNICH AFP

Belgium are anxiously waiting on the fitness of stars Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard for their Euro 2020 quarter-final showdown against Italy on Friday (today).

Thorgan Hazard fired Belgium into the last eight with the goal that knocked out holders Portugal, but the fitness of his brother Eden and De Bruyne is Belgium's main concern before facing the Azzurri in Munich.

De Bruyne came off early in the second half against Portugal with an ankle knock, while Belgian captain Hazard injured a hamstring late in the game.

Neither trained Wednesday with Belgium's medical staff working around the clock to get them fit to face Italy.

Coach Roberto Martinez admits neither player will probably be 100 percent in Munich, "but we will use every day to get them as fit as possible".

Manchester City midfielder De Bruyne is central to Belgium's hopes of reaching the semi-finals, where Spain or Switzerland would await next Tuesday.

Martinez is assessing his alternative options in attacking midfield.

Atletico Madrid's Yannick Carrasco could replace Hazard, while Napoli forward Dries Mertens may step in for De Bruyne.

Martinez expects Italy to "attack from the very first second, they will be very struc-

tured", underlining the need for De Bruyne's presence to guide Belgium's counter-attacks.

Chelsea midfielder Jorginho, who faced De Bruyne's City in last month's Champions

League final, has warned his Italy teammates. "De Bruyne is a player who makes the difference. We have to stop him because he always finds space. He can be really dan-

gerous," said Jorginho.

With four wins and three clean sheets so far at Euro 2020, the Belgians are living up to their billing as the world's top-ranked

team. However, Italy are on a national record run of 31 games unbeaten after digging deep to seal a 2-1 victory over Austria following extra time in the last 16.

Second-half replacements Federico Chelsea and Matteo Pessina scored to send the Italians through.

"Italy will be the toughest opponent we've met so far," said Belgium forward Thorgan Hazard. "They've had a good run of wins and it will be a nice challenge for us to end that sequence." Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku, the Serie A player of the season as Inter Milan ended an 11-year title drought, has scored three goals at the tournament.

Italy midfielder Pessina says the Inter star is a handful who "can take on three defenders by himself".

Meanwhile forward Ciro Immobile has answered critics' claims he only scores in the blue of Lazio, not the national team, with goals against Switzerland and Turkey in the group stage.

After 25 goals in 41 games last season for Lazio, Immobile has the confidence of Italy coach Roberto Mancini, but had a frustrating night against Austria, hitting the post with half an hour gone.

The striker says the Azzurri have a point to make to Italian fans at Euro 2020.

Failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup was "a lesson for us that will hopefully help us to go far in this European Championship and write over the ugly memories," said Immobile.

Friday, 2 July, 2021

PrAyer Timings

NEWS

Pakistan WOn’t tOlerate fOreign Pressure On CHina relatiOnsHiP: imran ISLAMABAD

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sTAff rePorT

RIME Minister Imran Khan has said Pakistan will not be prodded into downgrading its ties with China after the western powers reportedly stepped up pressure on Islamabad to revisit its ties or choose sides in the Unites Statesled engagement against its closest ally.

“It is not going to happen if this [foreign] pressure is put on Pakistan to change its relationship or downgrade relations with China,” he told members of the Chinese media during a virtual press conference recorded on Tuesday but released only on Thursday in connection with the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of China.

The prime minister observed that the great power rivalry between the US and China is taking place in the region. “It creates problems because what the US is doing is building this regional alliance called the QUAD [to counter China].”

The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or QUAD, is a strategic dialogue between the US, Japan, Australia and India that is maintained by talks between member countries. Initiated in 2007, the diplomatic and military arrangement is widely viewed as a response to China’s increased economic and military might.

“From that point of view, Pakistan thinks that it is very unfair for the US and all other powers like us to take sides,” Imran said, questioning: “Why do we have to take sides as we should have [a] good relationship with everyone?”

“It is not going to happen. Because relations between Pakistan and China are very deep. It is not just between governments, It is a people to people relationship,” he told the journalists.

Imran further cautioned that the “idea that India is supposed to lean to the Western world to counterbalance China” will

be “very detrimental” for New Delhi.

The prime minister observed that China was too strong [for India to take on it]. “India will benefit from trade with China, which is much more advantageous [for it] than acting as a sort of counterbalance,” he said, adding that if a country will lose out, it is going to be India.

Imran further noted that relations between China and Pakistan, contrary to western media reports, have nothing to do with India. The two countries have a long history of diplomatic ties. “Our bilateral relations are extremely strong,” he said.

When asked about how he would respond to reports of him choosing not to criticise Chinese policy in the Xinjiang region during an interview with Axios, which accused Beijing of “buying” dissent, Imran told the Global Times that the official version as to the situation in the region is “completely different” to what is being portrayed by Western media and their governments.

“We have a very strong relationship with China based on trust. So we actually accept the Chinese version,” he said. He also criticised Western media for being “hypocritical” as they turned a blind eye to the gross human rights violations in In-

WHO decision challenges West to recognise Chinese Covid-19 vaccines The World Health Organisation said on Thursday that any Covid-19 vaccines it has authorised for emergency use should be recognised by countries as they open up their borders to inoculated travellers. The move could challenge Western countries to broaden their acceptance of two apparently less effective Chinese vaccines, which the UN health agency has licensed but most European and North American countries have not. In addition to vaccines by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna Inc, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson, the WHO has also given the green light to the two Chinese jabs, made by Sinovac and Sinopharm. In its aim to restore travel across Europe, the European Union said in May that it would only recognise people as vaccinated if they had received shots licensed by the European Medicines Agency — although it’s up to individual countries if they wish to let in travellers who have received other vaccines, including Russia’s Sputnik V. The AssociATed Press

dian-occupied Kashmir.

During the presser, Imran also congratulated China and the CPC on the centenary of the founding of the party. He praised the anti-corruption fight of the Chinese government and the “miracle” that the country and the party were able to lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty.

CPC, he said, is a unique model.

“While they had been told that the best way for a society to improve itself is to follow the Western system of liberal democracy, the CPC actually beat all Western democracies by nurturing a society that brings things forward,” he said.

“What the CPC has done is that, without that electoral democracy, it has actually fared much better. What I saw in China when I visit the Communist Party headquarters and when they give us briefings about their system of sifting talent and then grooming it and bringing it up, for me it is probably more remarkable than any electoral democracy.”

The prime minister stressed that the CPC has a “flexible system” when they seek to try something. The system allows them to bring about a change, while in Western democracies it is very difficult.

“Besides, China has long-term planning

while in an electoral democracies people only look for the next presidential term.”

Climate change, Imran said, is one of the most serious challenges facing mankind. And the CPC has been upholding the idea of the building of a community with a shared future for mankind and leading China to do a large amount of work in protecting the environment and tackling climate change.

2021 also marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Pakistan and China. Imran stated that Pakistan is committed to strengthening its political relations with China, as well as in the economy and trade.

“The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is a flagship programme of the Belt and Road Initiative, and for Pakistan, it is the one program which gives us the greatest optimism and hope for our future economic development,” he said.

He said that Pakistan hopes to attract Chinese industry to its special economic zones by offering incentives to businesses. “In Pakistan, the labour is much cheaper than in China. We hope to attract businesses which will benefit from our cheaper labour.”

Pakistan also hopes to get more help from China to develop its agriculture and improve productivity.

In the fight against Covid-19, China has not only performed exemplarily within the country but also helped many other countries, including Pakistan, control the crisis through timely vaccine provision and other ways, he recalled.

Hailing the vaccine provision as timely help, the prime minister said that his country was able to kick off the nationwide vaccination drive because of the vaccine doses from China to vaccinate frontline health workers and senior citizens in the first phase, “which gives us a lot of confidence.”

Global Times and Xinhua contributed to this report

Bajwa, Akram discuss Afghanistan, Kashmir matters ISLAMABAD sTAff rePorT

Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Munir Akram on Thursday called on Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa at General Headquarters in Rawalpindi.

During the meeting, matters of mutual interests, overall regional security situation, including the Afghanistan peace process and Kashmir dispute, were discussed, said an Inter-Services Public Relations press statement.

Gen Bajwa appreciated the diplomatic mission’s role and efforts in the service of Pakistan.

The government appointed

Akram as the permanent representative to the world body in New York in place of Maleeha Lodhi in October 2019.

The sharp-tongued Akram had previously served as permanent representative to the UN for six years from 2002 to 2008.

FAJR SUNRISE

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ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

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Pakistan will continue to play constructive role in afghan peace process: fO ISLAMABAD sTAff rePorT

Pakistan has reaffirmed its commitment to playing a constructive role in the Afghan peace talks. At the weekly press briefing in Islamabad on Thursday, Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said Islamabad has worked closely with Washington to achieve durable peace and stability in Afghanistan. He said Pakistan will continue to cooperate with the US and the international community towards that end. The spokesperson said it was the desire and hope of top Pakistan leadership to see the peace process succeed and the stakeholders agree to a mutually beneficial solution that is inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive. He reiterated that there was no military solution to the conflict. When asked to comment on Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani’s recent statement during the visit to Washington, Chaudhri said instead of indulging in the blame game, the leadership of the war-battered country should spend its energies on making the peace dialogue successful. He also welcomed the recent report of UN Secretary General António Guterres which highlighted the indiscriminate targeting of the people of Indianoccupied Kashmir with pellet guns. He called on the international community to take cognisance of the plight of oppressed children. He said the meeting held in New Delhi last week was yet another attempt by the Bharatiya Janata Party government to further marginalise the population to perpetuate its occupation.

He said the meeting further exposed the falsehood of the Indian narrative of so-called normalcy in the occupied region. Chaudhri said any measures that were aimed at bringing further change in the disputed region will not be accepted by the people of Kashmir and will also be opposed by Pakistan. He said the only viable option is the solution to the dispute was in adhering to the UNSC resolutions and aspirations of the people of Kashmir. Responding to a question, the spokesperson confirmed that Pakistan is participating as an observer in the Sea Breeze 2021 naval exercise hosted by Ukraine keeping in perspective defence ties with the host. He recalled that Ukraine also participated in the Pakistan-hosted Aman-2021 exercise. The drills are being participated in by 32 countries, including Israel.

However, he said there was no change in Islamabad’s principled position on the Palestine dispute. He said Islamabad had always called for a two-state solution with pre-1967 borders and Jerusalem as the capital of the Palestinian state. Seperately, Chaudhri also felicitated the “all-weather strategic cooperative partner” on being declared malaria-free after a 70-year effort to wipe it out. “Congratulations to [government and] people of China on ridding the country of Malaria as certified by WHO. From 30m[illion] cases annually in 1940 to eradicating mosquito-borne disease is indeed a great achievement,” he said in a tweet. Good to see our all-weather strategic cooperative partner achieve this milestone.” In a statement on Wednesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the country had now gone four years without registering a case, giving it malaria-free certification.

China’s success was hard-earned, said Ghebreyesus, and came only after decades of targeted and sustained action. Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through mosquito bites. Beijing has brought malaria cases down by using anti-malarial drugs, spraying mosquito breeding grounds, and distributing insecticide-treated nets. Countries can apply to the WHO for certification as malaria-free after they report four consecutive years of no indigenous cases.

Western forces pack up to end their war, Afghans ‘manage the consequences’ “They didn’t do anything for us since they came and now they’re leaving us with an uncertain future,” says a local scrap dealer.

Afghan scrap dealers are picking over the detritus of the two-decade US military intervention in Afghanistan, collecting whatever they can of value from heaps of broken military hardware, scrapped machines and old furniture.

While the scrap men search through junk outside the main US base in Afghanistan, the Afghan government, and the country as a whole, are having to face up to the end of an international mission that promised so much but failed to bring peace.

“There’s just so much waste,” said scrap dealer Abdul Ahmad, outside the Bagram Airfield, about 50 kilometres north of the capital, Kabul, as he surveyed the pickings.

“They didn’t do anything for us since they came and now they’re leaving us with an uncertain future and so much destruction.”

Over Afghanistan’s decades of war, the Bagram airbase has been a grand prize for whoever holds the upper hand in the fight.

Now US forces will hand it over to Afghan government forces as they face a surging war with the Taliban and questions

swirl about their prospects.

Guards in body armour still control the heavily fortified entrance to Bagram — a favourite target for suicide bombers over the years — and helicopters clatter overhead and an occasional truck comes and goes.

But few people remain in the expanse of prefab facilities that grew up alongside the giant runway in the months and years after international forces arrived in late 2001, as the defeated Taliban fled from US bombers to mountains on the Pakistani border.

Two US security officials said this week the majority of US military personnel would most likely be gone by July 4, with a residual force remaining to protect the embassy.

Many Afghans, like Ahmad, feel abandoned. Last month, US President Joe Biden told his Afghan counterpart, Ashraf Ghani, that “Afghans are going to have to decide their future, what they want”.

Ghani said his job was now to “manage the consequences” of the US withdrawal.

This week, General Austin Miller, the top US commander in Afghanistan, acknowledged the rapid loss of several districts to the Taliban was worrisome. Only “a political settlement” could establish peace

among the warring Afghan sides, he said.

America’s allies, most of them Nato members, who have been supporting its efforts in Afghanistan are also packing up and getting out at the end of a mission that at its height was hailed as a worthy example of Nato unity and cooperation, and as a model for its operations.

The German military this week concluded its withdrawal, finishing Germany’s deadliest military mission since World War Two. In northern Afghanistan, Camp Marmal was the biggest German armed forces base outside their homeland. Its once bustling cafes, gyms, salon, handicraft shops, hospital and entertainment zones are all shut.

German forces shipped home the equivalent of about 800 containers of equipment including armoured vehicles, helicopters, weapons and ammunition.

Even a 27-tonne war memorial was shipped to the German armed forces’ joint operations command in Potsdam.

The base has been handed over to Afghan forces.

Brigadier General Ansgar Meyer, the commander of German forces in Afghanistan, told Reuters in an interview be-

fore the German’s withdrawal that the hospitality of the Afghan people under the most difficult circumstances was something everyone could learn from.

“This is still one of the poorest countries in the world but the immense friendliness with which Afghans welcome anyone is amazing,” he said. “These are characteristic traits that we in Europe

Published by Arif Nizami at Plot # 7, Al-Baber Centre, F/8 Markaz, Islamabad, for PT Print (Pvt) Limited. Ph: 051-2204545. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk

might want to copy.”

For the Taliban, fighting since 2001 to expel foreign forces, the departure of their enemies cannot come soon enough.

“Wherever the invaders have gone they leave a trail of destruction,” Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said of Western forces, adding that the Taliban remained on guard in case of any last-minute deception. reuTers