Epaper – June 21-2022 LHR

01 FRONT PAGE (21-6-2022)_Layout 1 6/21/2022 12:23 AM Page 1

Tuesday, 21 June, 2022 I 21 Dhul-Qadah, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 352 I 12 Pages I Lahore Edition

Govt-IMF deal lIkely In a day or two, says MIFtah

ISLAMABAD

F

Shahzad paracha

ederAl minister for finance miftah ismael said on monday that the government international monetary fund (imf) deal was expected in a day or two. the minister stated this while speaking to media after a meeting of the Senate Standing committee on finance. he dispelled the impression that there was any deadlock with the fund over the payment of salaries. he said the government planned to tax the rich people while exempting those who were poor. there is a lot of uproar over the government’s negotiations with the imf these days as there has been an unprecedented increase of rs84 per litre in the price of petrol by the government in just two weeks. And the hike in petroleum products’ prices is one of the conditions laid down by the fund for the deal. Similarly, the money lending organization has also demanded excessive taxation from the government, which certainly will have a direct impact on the lives of ordinary people. only six days ago, on June 14,

2022, the government had agreed to accept the demand of the international monitory fund (imf) to withdraw the income tax exemption proposed in the budget for the fiscal year 2022-23.

Sources, however, told that the government had decided that the relief given to the low-paid classes will be maintained. the sources said the government was considering raising the amount of income tax on the people receiving monthly salaries of above rs500,000. the sources further said that consultations with the imf were still going on and efforts were being made not to burden the people with income tax, drawing monthly salaries between rs100,000 and rs200,000.

Also six days back, the global lender has expressed its concerns over budget asking Pakistan to take more strict measures in terms of tight fiscal discipline if it wants the revival of the $6 billion loan programme. meanwhile briefing the committee, miftah ismail said that government will not take any tax if builders start construction of the plot. however we will take tax if the plot remain vacant, he added. the committee members asked the

finance minister not to tax vacant plots for a specified period. the finance minister agreed to the proposal with regard to not tax vacant plots for a specified period. miftah ismail also said that companies will pay 2% additional tax on annual profits of rs 300 million. committee member recommended that income of more than rs300 million should be taxes. finance minister replied that i agreed with the proposal but we need money. on this occasion, Senator Shaukat tarin said that “i agree with miftah but he should cut another pocket”. on this, ismail said that government will cut many more people’ pockets. officials of the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Association (PPA) informed the minister about their concerns regarding the non-payment of sales tax refunds. former finance minister on this occasion said that what steps have been taken to bring pharmaceutical companies under sales tax? the same factory with pharmaceuticals is making juices as well as makeup products and they are not paying sales tax adding that he said that if they taxed less than 17 sales tax, they will not pay. the minister expressed his commitment to resolving the issue of refunds of the sector on a priority basis. while criticizing the present government policies, former finance minister said that country would be face skyrocketing inflation of 35percent due to increase in petroleum prices. replying to this, finance minister said that Prime minister Shahbaz Sharif angry over tax hike but i tell the Prime minister that if we don’t increase taxes, how will the income increase? the committee under the chair of Senator Saleem mandviwala reviewed and finalized the budget recommendations made in the previous meetings of the committee, regarding finance bill 2022-23. A detailed report containing the budget recommendations made by the Standing committee will be presented in the Senate session.

Rupee shoots past record Rs210 mark against US dollar ISLAMABAD Staff report

in line with market expectations, the Pakistani rupee has plunged further and crossed the 210 threshold against the US dollar for the first time in the interbank market on monday. the domestic currency was available at rs210.19 against the greenback in the interbank market at 11:02am, according to tresmark. the latest fall in the rupee’s value against the USd comes after traders resorted to panic buying on reports that some commercial banks had run out of the foreign currency. this is the seventh consecutive working day of free-fall in the rupee, losing approximately rs6, or over 3%, to date. the central bank has seemed helpless in controlling the speculative fall in the rupee as demand for the greenback continues to soar due to quarter-end payments pressure. “the currency will continue to fall until Pakistan manages to strike a stafflevel agreement with the international monetary fund (imf),” said director AA commodities Adnan Agar. the analyst was of the view that the investors’ confidence is completely shattered which can only be strengthened by positive development on the imf front.

Agar also mentioned that depleting foreign exchange reserves has triggered panic buying giving speculators a chance to play with the demand and supply of the greenback. meanwhile, exchange companies

President refuses to sign NAB law, says it ‘promotes corruption’ g

officiAl SAyS PreSideNt’S Nod to the billS merely ‘ceremoNiAl’

g

NA SecretAriAt to regiSter two billS iN itS gAzette by todAy

ISLAMABAD Mian abrar

President dr Arif Alvi monday sent back the National Accountability (Amendment) bill, 2022 unsigned to the Prime minister’s office, saying the bill, as passed by the parliament, was regressive in nature, and would promote corruption and encourage corrupt practices. this is the second bill returned by President Alvi which was passed by the Joint Sitting of both houses of the Parliament. last week, President Alvi had returned elections [Amendment] bill 2022 unsigned. however, according to the government sources, both the bills, passed by the joint sitting of the parliament, will come into effect, whether or not the president gives it an accent, by today. An official told Pakistan today that the president’s refusal to give a nod to the bills was ‘ceremonial’ and the National Assembly Secretariat would register the two bills in the government gazette by today. “while the president didn’t sign the two bills, we will register them in the gazette by today or tomorrow, counting ten days from the date of sending the bills to the presidency,” the official said. in his note attached to the bill, President Alvi said the bill also sent a message to the corrupt, who had amassed tremendous wealth and

about which there was no doubt in the minds of the people of Pakistan, that they were not accountable and free to continue plunder. “having weak accountability is against the basic rights of the people of Pakistan who are the suffering masses, and, therefore, it is also against the fundamentals of our constitution,” President Secretariat Press wing in a press release on monday quoted the president as saying. the president lamented that the small man would be

caught for petty crimes while the corrupt rich would remain free to continue with their abhorrent practices. the president said that it was sad that rather than structurally improving the institution, the enactment of these amendments was like demolishing the process of accountability without an alternate system being in place, making it sterile and allowing extractive institutions and practices to pthe president reiterated that he personally followed, upheld and abided by the constitution of Pakistan. “we must act upon the injunctions of the Quran and Sunnah, and above all, i am answerable to Allah and ask for his forgiveness. therefore, i painfully state that my conscience does not allow me to sign this bill,” the president maintained. the president said that he was aware of the fact, in view of the ‘deeming’ provision under Article 75 (2) of the constitution of Pakistan, that the National Accountability (Amendment) bill, 2022 would be enacted into law even if the President of Pakistan did not sign the bill. rosper. “weak laws, such as this one, create a facade of justice that blatantly hides a corrupt elite capture, and nations that accommodate such laws ensure very damaging exploitation of the common man perpetuating an unjust society,” he added.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

Association of Pakistan (ecAP) chairperson malik bostan identified widening trade deficit, political instability, and declining foreign direct investment as major reasons behind the devaluation of the local currency.

“Political stability is key for economic development,” he said, adding that former prime minister imran Khan’s call for another long march may adversely affect the rupee-dollar parity. the currency expert was of the view that the positive news from the financial Action task force (fAtf) will help attract foreign investments which will increase the availability of the greenback. if the imf deal is finalised, traders expect the rupee to settle within a range of 195-200 per dollar till the end of the outgoing fiscal year 2021-22.

Pakistan’s currency is one of the worst performers in the world as it has depreciated by 14.57% against the dollar this year, the data compiled by ismail iqbal Securities showed. it is not the rupee that has tumbled and underperformed its regional peers and various global currencies, but other ones are taking a beat.

Pak rupee and the Japanese yen fell almost equally against the dollar this calendar year to date. the yen declined by 13.34%. the local unit is one of the 15 currencies that have lost ground. the Sri lankan rupee has been the worst-performing, plummeting 43.9%, with the laotian Kip battering 24%, turkish lira 23.18%, and ghana cedi 22.33%, respectively, the data revealed.

MORE INSIDE

PM Shehbaz gets permanent exemption in Ramzan sugar mills case STORY ON BACK PAGE

corruption does not affect Pakistan’s economic development: Ahsan iqbal STORY ON PAGE 03

Sri Lankan top official debunks ‘Chinese Debt Trap’ propaganda STORY ON PAGE 02

banks turn away letters of credit as foreign exchange liquidity becomes scarce STORY ON BACK PAGE

02

Tuesday, 21 June, 2022 | LAHORe

news

Sri LANkAN TOP OFFiCiAL deBuNkS ‘ChiNeSe deBT TrAP’ PrOPAGANdA IsLAMABAD

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MiaN abRaR

ORMER Sri Lankan naval commander, Jayanath Colombage on Monday debunked the so-called ‘debt-trap’ theory surrounding China’s Belt and Road Initiative, saying that Sri Lanka owes less than 10% of its foreign debt to China.

Speaking at an international webinar comprising experts from China, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, Commander Jayanath Colombage said that 10% debt is actually highly advantageous to Sri Lanka because it has

produced enormous economic prospects for the country’s citizens.

The webinar was organized by the Pakistan-China institute under its flagship ‘Friends of Silk Road’ series, titled “Big Power competition in the post-pandemic World Order and the Belt and Road Initiative”, with speakers from Pakistan, China, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, UK, and the US. Former Foreign Secretary, Ms Tehmina Janjua, chaired the Webinar while Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Chairman of the Senate Defence Committee and the PakistanChina Institute, made a keynote speech.

Furthermore, Sri Lankan commander

PM forms task force to oversee measures for minorities’ rights protection News Desk Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif Monday approved the establishment of a task force to oversee the implementation of measures for protection of minorities’ rights.

“Our non-Muslim citizens are part and parcel of our national fabric. I have approved the establishment of a task force on the rights of minorities,” the prime minister said on Twitter. He said the said task force, besides overseeing the implementation of measures about the rights of minorities, would also present quarterly report to him.

Former Wapda Chairman Gen Muzammil appears before NAB LAHORe Staff RepoRt

Former Chairman WAPDA lieutenant general (retd) Muzammil Hussain on Monday appeared before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) where he would be grilled over the delay in the Tarbela Fourth Hydropower project that caused losses of millions of dollars to the national exchequer. A single-member team of the NAB will grill the former WAPDA chairman after the accountability watchdog received multiple complaints regarding corruption and delay in mega projects that resulted in losses to the national exchequer.

The NAB case against lieutenant general (retd) Muzammil Hussain stated that during his three-year tenure, WAPDA suffered losses due to a delay in projects. “Corrupt practices of USD 753 million have been identified in Tarbela Fourth Hydropower project,” it said and added that contractors were made illegal payments. Former Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) Chairman Muzammil Hussain had skipped the NAB’s previous hearing into a hydropower project scam. The accountability watchdog has summoned the ex-chairman of Wapda, Lt. Gen. (retd) Muzammil Hussain again for a hearing on June 20 with the record. The 1410 megawatts Tarbela Hydropower Project IV has been nearing completion but it has highest per unit construction cost in the country. Former Wapda chairman Muzammil Hussain had submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the first week of May. In August 2021, the Ministry of Water Resources extended his term of office and notified Muzammil Hussain as the chairman Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) for a second consecutive term of five years.

urged aligning the Belt and Road Initiative with China’s domestic economic conditions so that both nations can secure high-quality BRI project development.

In her opening remarks, Ambassador Tehmina Janjua, former Pakistani Foreign Secretary, remarked that China had done miracles by uplifting 800 million people out of poverty. She described the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as an opportunity to leverage the economic potential of the global South in the post-pandemic period.

The belief in US policy circles that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has strategic rather than economic grounds has harmed

China’s aspirations to build a prosperous community. She described the US and its allies’ efforts to limit China on all fronts as ‘unfortunate,’ because they will have major ramifications not just for the global South, but also for the US and its allies, because such development impacts everyone, not just the one being targeted. In his Keynote, Senator Mushahid Hussain said Pakistan was in a strategic location where huge transformations and transitions were taking place, including the retrenchment of American power, the peaceful rise of China, and Pakistan endeavoring to be the hub of regional connectivity through CPEC, by making a

transition from geopolitics to geoeconomics.

He said after 42 years of war in Afghanistan, which affected Pakistan directly, the country cannot be a party to any new conflict, confrontation, or a Cold War, as connectivity and cooperation are the need of the hour. Similarly, he called for an end to the war in Ukraine, adding it is raising new tensions and has had unexpected consequences like food and fuel shortages.

Senator Mushahid Hussain underlined the need for proactively promoting CPEC, which is the flagship of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which he termed the most significant diplomatic and developmental initiative in the 21st Century. He hoped all Asian countries would stay away from any Cold War. He said while the US was still clinging to a militarycentric approach, as evident through the QUAD, AUKUS, and seeking a global NATO, conversely, China sought an economic-driven vision through connectivity and regional cooperation, particularly BRI which now has 145 countries and 32 international organisations in its fold.

Pakistan needs to brace for heavy monsoons: MoCC News Desk The Ministry of Climate Change has sent out a warning for the upcoming monsoon season and urged the national and provincial disaster management authorities and relevant local authorities to take all-out precautionary measures to cope with possible disastrous impacts of the expected monsoon rains.

“Pakistan will experience monsoon rains until at least August 2022, during which the rainfall is expected to be above normal in Punjab and Sindh,” Federal Minister for Climate Change, Senator Sherry Rehman said in a statement issued here on Monday. She warned, “the country will be a part of a global La Niña weather pattern which refers to the

large-scale cooling of the ocean surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean.

The early onset of monsoons after a debilitating heat wave across South Asia has already wreaked havoc in parts of India and Bangladesh. All forecasts predict that there will be an overall tendency for above-normal rains over the country during the forecast period.”

“Geographically, above-normal rainfall is most likely along the foothills of the Himalayas, Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan, and central parts of the Punjab region,” she added.

At the same time there is a high possibility of riverine floods in the major rivers so all precautions need to be taken.

Urban areas will also likely face a cascade

of threats from torrential rains. There is a clear risk of urban flooding across major cities including Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Peshawar, and Islamabad.

Over the last two years in fact, there has been a rising pattern of urban flooding in these cities and therefore provinces should be on high alert for serious damage to lives and livelihoods of the people as well as public infrastructure.” Urging upon the provincial governments, management authorities, and individuals to take caution during the rainy season, she said “provinces must exercise vigilance and preparedness for the upcoming monsoon to brace for low to high-intensity floods.

There is also some prediction that Pakistan could even experience a similar

AC reserves verdict on PM Shehbaz’s plea for permanent exemption from appearance LAHORe Staff RepoRt

An accountability court (AC) in Lahore on Monday reserved its verdict on the petition filed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for permanent exemption from court appearance in the Ramzan Sugar Mills’ reference.

Earlier, giving arguments in the court in the favour of his plea, the prime minister said that he had never skipped the hearing of any corruption reference against him and always appeared in the court whenever he was summoned.

He said he wanted to emphasize the point that he had a busy schedule. “The purpose of filing the petition is that as prime minister of the country I have a lot of responsibility on my shoulders,” he said, adding, “There are times when I have to travel abroad, meet with the officials of International Monetary Fund (IMF) and foreign dignitaries.”

In Ramzan Sugar Mills’ reference, he said had he wanted to benefit the mills that actually belonged to his sons, he could have done it long ago. “The nullah in question was built following approval by the then Punjab cabinet,” he added. Later the court allowed the prime minister to go.

Pakistan witnesses surge in Covid-19 cases News Desk Pakistan has once again witnessed an increase in daily Covid-19 cases as 171 people were found infected during the last 24 hours, according to data shared by NIH on Monday. The National Institute of Health (NIH) said that the new infections were detected after 11,212 coronavirus diagnostic tests performed across the country, which placed Pakistan’s positivity ratio at 1.53% and the overall case count at 1,532,153.

Pakistan’s active cases stand at 3,148, the NIH said. However, no Covid-19-related death was reported in the country during the past 24 hours. The overall death toll count stands at 30,383, it added.

The forum further shared that the cases count has increased across the country, particularly in Hyderabad and Karachi, where the positivity ratio was recorded at 16.67per cent and 10.08pc respectively.

Covid-19 positivity rate in major cities Hyderabad: 16.67pc, Karachi: 10.08pc, Mirpur: 5.26, Mardan: 3.39, Muzaffarabad: 2.27pc Lahore 1pc, Islamabad: 2.27pc.

Previously, in May, Prime Minister Shehbaz

Sharif restored National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), an umbrella body that led Pakistan’s fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

The step was taken after emergence of a new sub-variant of Omicron strain of coronavirus, in the country.

Pakistan on May 9 reported the country’s first case of Omicron sub-variant BA.2.12.1.

The NCOC had ceased to function on March 31 this year and all its functions and responsibilities were officially handed over to National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad.

scale of floods that occurred in 2010 when one-fifth of the country was inundated. Timely advisories have been issued to provincial governments on waste collection, cleaning, and management of storm drains amid early warnings for flash floods across vulnerable locations”. She recommended the district-wise contingency plane with mobilization of staff and resources for immediate flood response.

The Federal Minister said, at the citizen safety level, individuals can take personal safety measures like, driving slowly to react better to road conditions, avoiding flooded areas, and remaining abreast with the weather situation, staying away from accumulated water around electrical installations.

Over 0.6mn youth to get employment opportunities in Qatar: Bugti Minister for Narcotics Control Nawabzada Shahzain Bugti on Monday said more than 0.6 million people would be provided employment opportunities in Qatar in different fields of services sector. He said this during his meeting with Ambassador of Qatar Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Faisal Al-Thani, said a news release issued here. Bugti said the youth of Balochistan were serving in various fields in Qatar especially in the security forces and over a half million Pakistanis would avail employment opportunities in Qatar. The minister said Pakistan valued its relations with Qatar and the latter’s efforts for the development of different parts of Balochistan was commendable. The minister discussed various issues related to the prevention of drug trafficking in the meeting whereas both the dignitaries also discussed bilateral cooperation between the two countries in various fields and also the best use of Pakistani manpower in Qatar. The Minister also lauded Qatar’s cooperation in drug prevention and other legal matters and termed the assistance as commendable. app

Punjab ministers get eight new Toyota cars Punjab government ministers got eight new Toyota vehicles on Monday as per the policy of new vehicles.

All the old new vehicles from these ministers are being withdrawn and now being given to various provincial departments. In the second phase, 28 new cars will be provided to the ministers. Earlier, the Punjab government ordered 46 new cars. Punjab govt buying 46 new cars for ministers In January this year, the Punjab government issued formal order for buying new cars for provincial ministers and made an advance payment to a car manufacturer for purchasing 46 vehicles. NewS DeSk

CPEC to help address food security challenge of Pakistan APP The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will help address the looming food security challenge of Pakistan by introducing modern farming to enhance the country’s yield through agricultural cooperation, a government official has said.

Pakistan has realized that food security is an important component

of national security, and agribusiness is being promoted through more investments in the agriculture sector, which will be further enhanced under the CPEC framework, Syed Zafar Ali Shah, a top official of ministry of planning, development and special initiative, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

“As a part of improving food security, this year we are investing

more in the water sector and the agriculture sector to increase our yield, all these sectors are strengths of China, which has shown great performance and productivity,” he added. Talking about the potential of his country’s agriculture sector, the official said that it is a big producer of milk, vegetables and fruits, but a huge chunk of it goes wasted due to the unavailability of processing units and

the supply chain. Chinese investors can tap the potential of the sector as they invested in other sectors, he said.

The secretary said that his country is committed to CPEC, and no matter which political party is in power, there is a joint consensus that the project is important for the economic development of Pakistan.

CPEC is a multifaceted program that catered to the needs of Pakistan,

including the most urgent and pressing demand to meet the electricity needs of the country that was facing up to 18 hours of load shedding when CPEC was introduced, he said.

Shah noted that CPEC invoked a new life to the economic development of Pakistan by bringing large foreign direct investment (FDI) through different projects. Talking about CPEC’s role

in the overall development of Pakistan, he said that it started off with infrastructure, followed by a new phase of industrialization which is going to be started in the special economic zones (SEZs) under the framework of CPEC. “FDI in SEZs has played a great role in the countries which were short of capital … China being one of the largest investors in the world is our close friend, so we are hopeful that the Chinese investment will contribute a lot to the economic development of Pakistan,” Shah said.

Tuesday, 21 June, 2022 | LAHORe

COrruPTiON dOeS NOT AFFeCT PAkiSTAN’S eCONOMiC deveLOPMeNT: AhSAN iQBAL

P

News Desk

LANNING Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Monday said corruption was not the primary reason holding back Pakistan’s economic development, claiming that there were examples of countries that managed to progress despite similar levels of corruption.

The PML-N leader indicated that the far bigger impediments to Pakistan’s growth were “political instability and policy reversals” as opposed to corruption.

Addressing a seminar in Islamabad, he said: “The biggest lesson today is that I can count many countries in the world

that have developed despite having similar corruption as ours but you can’t point out a single country that has progressed despite political instability and discontinuity of policy.”

Iqbal quoted the examples of Bangladesh and India, which he said have managed to grow even though their corruption problem was just as severe as Pakistan’s.

He said there was a “structural problem” that wasn’t allowing Pakistan to take off, as he stressed that reforms would require “at least a decade” to truly work. If there was not a continuation in direction for 10 years then no good measure would yield results, he added.

“We have failed to give continuation

to policies in this country and a big reason for that is our internal political situation.”

Iqbal said that economic growth in Pakistan required strong fiscal discipline and economic management.

“We have to move towards exportled growth,” he said, adding that Pakistan was lagging behind others in the region as its tax-to-GDP ratio had never been above 12 per cent.

He lamented that Pakistan was also lagging behind in exports compared to others in its region. The planning minister said that present foreign direct investment stood at a mere $1.5 billion while in Vietnam it was $30bn.

Furthermore, he pointed out that

Pakistan’s savings to investment ratio was very low.

Iqbal said that Pakistan had not paid attention to its human resource development, and the dream of economic development could not be fulfilled with inadequate education levels.

“We have to make our youth skilled and educated. Because of the CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor) project, we got the attention of the world. The world wanted to invest here,” he said.

The planning minister said that in order to balance its annual budget, Pakistan would have to move towards export-led growth so that the economy could become sustainable and inclusive.

HBL becomes the first Pakistani bank to provide payment services on whatsApp PRess ReLeAse HBL becomes the first Bank in Pakistan to launch “full feature” banking services on WhatsApp. The facility has been developed in partnership with leading cloud communication service provider E.Ocean.

HBL’s Conversational Banking was made available to its clients through E.Ocean’s WhatsApp Business Platform in 2021. To use the service, HBL clients need to initiate a conversation on HBL’s WhatsApp number (021-111-111-425) from the mobile number registered with the Bank. Now, in addition to the information services already being offered, the “full feature” set of services will enable HBL’s customers to conduct payments / financial transactions as well. These transactions / services include: Inter-bank Funds Transfer Intra-bank Funds Transfer

FTO directs FBr for quick disposal of long pending cases While disposing of a complaint relating to customs Intelligence, Quetta, tax ombudsman has directed FBR to conduct a detailed analysis of all those cases which are pending at the Appellate Tribunal level for more than five (05) years and frame an effective policy and issue necessary guidelines to all field formations for quick disposal of all such cases. As per details, Directorate of Intelligence and Investigation Quetta intercepted one Toyota Master Ace Surf van. It was alleged that in the registration documents the vehicle was mentioned as “Toyota Lite ace Van” whereas physically the same was found as “Toyota Master Ace Surf Van: and the chassis number of the vehicle was also tampered. During the proceedings of the case the vehicle being tampered was confiscated and subsequently sold to the office of Accountant General of Balochistan Quetta (A.G) against token money of Rs188,701. The Complainant approached the High Court of Balochistan by filing of Constitution Petition No.1233/2020 praying that in view of the factual and legal position, the Directorate may be directed to immediately restore the vehicle to the Complainant without further delay in condition in which it was seized on 03.02.2003 the petition was withdrawn, where after the complaint has been filed in terms of Section 10(1) of the Federal Tax Ombudsman Ordinance, 2000 (FTO Ordinance). Staff RepoRt

WhatsApp Platform to unlock value for our clients.

With over 2 billion users, WhatsApp offers an unparalleled opportunity to address immediate basic banking needs. This is why we integrated a host of banking services into a platform which is already embedded in our clients’ everyday lives. Client centricity is fundamental to how HBL does business, and we believe this partnership, and its results reflect our commitment to the same.”

Speaking on the occasion, Altaf Siddiqui, Director of Products, E.Ocean, said “It is a moment of great pride for E.Ocean to facilitate HBL in launching first of its kind full feature banking service for its retail customers over WhatsApp. HBL has become a trend setter by going agile and incorporating financial services into a channel that millions of its customers already use, to deliver truly on the go banking with a focus on convenience, accessibility and security”

Mobile recharge (Prepaid & Postpaid) Utility Bill Payments Temporarily block/ unblock Debit or Credit Card Speaking on the occasion, Abrar Ahmed Mir, Chief Innovation and Financial Inclusion Officer – HBL, said, “We are excited to leverage the potential of the

Governor Punjab assures to raise CNG industry issues before govt AHMAD AHMADANI The Governor Punjab Muhammad Baligh-ur-Rehman has assured All Pakistan CNG Association (APCNGA) that he will soon raise the issues of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) industry before the federal government and will try his level best to get them resolved.

A delegation of APCNGA comprising representation from all districts of Punjab province led by Ghiyas Abdullah Paarcha has met with the Governor Punjab on Monday and briefed the Governor about the problems currently being faced by the CNG industry. The delegation also presented their recommendations to solve the problems of the CNG industry. And, the Governor has assured the delegation about his full cooperation and support and promised to solve the serious problems of the CNG industry as soon as possible.

The Governor Punjab, during the course of meeting, informed the APCNGA delegation that he will present the case before the federal government and he will leave no stone unturned to get all the problems resolved as early as possible.

While briefing the Governor Punjab about the issues being faced by the CNG sector, Ghiyas Abdullah Pacaha said that the incumbent government is seriously faced with balance of payment issues and this issue can be resolved with the promotion/use of CNG as an alternate fuel for the motor vehicles. Similarly, foreign remittance

can be saved by approximately $2.1 billion dollar per annum on account of fuel import bill while 50 percent cut in public transport fares is also possible and circular debt can be reduced by Rs1,500 billion besides minimizing the environment pollution by ensuring gigantic reduction in the carbon emissions with the use of eco-friendly CNG as a fuel for motor vehicles.

Furthermore, revival/expansion of the CNG sector can generate thousands of new employment/job opportunities while the use of CNG as an alternative fuel for motor vehicles is equivalent to having an environmental benefit of 152.63 million trees per annum.

According to Ghiyas Abdullah Paracha, he has also requested the Governor Punjab to immediately get restored the gas supply to CNG Stations of Punjab province which are facing closure from last seven months (7th December 20211till date) to save the public from the impact of rising oil prices in the international oil market.

Paracha also told the Governor that the CNG is still cheaper than prevailing petrol price and the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) industry can provide 43percent and 55pc cheaper eco-friendly fuel to the motor vehicles in comparison with the price of petrol and diesel respectively in order to provide immediate relief to the public only if the government facilitate CNG industry to purchase and bring gas to meet the needs of CNG industry.

Petrol prices and the Punjab budget City NoteS M a Niazi You know, if you really put your mind to it, you can stop the inevitable from happening. The English have a story about King Canute, back in the first half of the 11th century, being told incessantly by his courtiers about how powerful he was, had his throne taken to the beach, and ordered the waves to stop. They didn’t. Well, Punjab Speaker Ch Pervez Elahi might like to take heed, because he stopped the provincial government from presenting the budget twice, but he couldn’t stop it forever, and with the other side having both Chief

Minister and Governor, it was only a matter of time.

The situation is complicated.

Look, Ch Pervez is serving as the last picture card of the PTI in Punjab, and trying to show the powers of the Speaker. He and his staff have it easy, for even if the Budget is not passed, they keep getting the money allocated to them because it’s charged expenditure.

That means that the expenses of the Assembly (and its staff), the High Court, debt servicing and other commitments made by the provincial government, are charged to the Provincial Consolidated Fund. The Assembly does not vote on charged expenditure, but merely gets the details laid on the table by the Finance Minister when he

presents the Budget.

Then there is the voted expenditure, the money the governments needs to pay salaries, buy newspapers, fill fuel tanks of official vehicles. And such like.

These are in the form of the demands for grants, which the Assembly votes on. The demand for grant is not really money, but a sort of upper limit. If a demand for grant is passed, it means that that much money from the Provincial Consolidated Fund can be spent, but not that it has to be.

Nor is that money pressed into an official’s hot little hand, with a pat on the back and the disbursing officer saying “Jaa puttar, ayaashi kar.” It’s an upper limit, which indicates the maximum that must be

spent. If there is some other expenditure, the department must get a supplementary grant.

Supplementary grants do not necessarily mean that more money is needed. Say a department needs new air conditioners. It had earlier had the money for a car approved, but hasn’t bought. So it would present a declaration that it wouldn’t buy a car, as well as a supplementary grant for the ACs. One of the documents presented by a Finance Minister, is the Supplementary Budget, which is a consolidation of all of these re-appropriations made during the year.

The Assembly duly votes on these supplementary grants, but long after theory’ve been ‘provisionally’ approved, and the money spent.

What would happen if a supplementary grant failed to pass?

Well, for a start, the government of theory would fall, but I think there

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PM stresses global support for refugees from Syria to Afghanistan News Desk Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday called for renewed policy focus and arrangement of resources to address the suffering of refugees across the world. “From Syria to Palestine to Afghanistan, their plight calls for renewed policy focus and resources,” he said in a tweet, on World Refugee Day. The prime minister termed refugees as “the worst victims of wars and conflicts” besides inflicted by poverty and economic inequality. He called for global efforts to the developing countries that were extending support to refugees. “The world should help developing countries who continue to host a large number of refugees,” he said. The Foreign Office in a statement issued on the World Refugee Day said Pakistan joined the international community in commemorating the day and expressed solidarity with refugees all around the world.

“This Day behooves us to reflect on the drivers of forced displacements and to reaffirm our commitment towards finding sustainable solutions for refugee situations, including through conflict prevention and resolution,” it said. The FO said the day was also an occasion to reiterate collective resolve for refugee protection under the principle of international burden- and responsibility-sharing. “Pakistan has shouldered the responsibility of one of the largest and most protracted refugee situations in the world for over four decades. Pakistan continues to host more than three million Afghans,” it said. The FO said another 0.4 million Rohingyas had also found refuge in Pakistan and the people of Pakistan had demonstrated exemplary generosity, hospitality, and compassion towards the refugees in the country. It emphasized that as new situations emerged around the globe, the long-standing Afghan refugee situation must not be forgotten by the international community.

Balochistan budget deferred till Tuesday News Desk Due to personal engagement of Chief Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo, the presentation of Balochistan budget for the fiscal year 2022-23 which was due to be presented today (Monday) has been deferred till tomorrow (Tuesday). A notification regarding rescheduling of the budget session has been forwarded to the acting governor.

The presentation of provincial budget has been deferred till June 21 due to Chief Minister Bizenjo’s engagement in the council session of Balochistan Awami Party (BAP).

The BAP held its intra-party elections on Sunday and elected Bizenjo as its new president. But the fissures appear in the party as the exercise was rejected by former Balochistan chief minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani, who termed the BAP general council meeting “illegal”, saying that the general council meeting could only be convened by the party president. “I am the president of the party and I was not consulted for convening the general council meeting,” Mr Alyani said, adding that BAP’s general council meeting will now be held on Aug 9 in Quetta.

Balochistan will present its budget for the next fiscal with a total outlay of Rs580 billion.

MQM-P, PPP lock horns over LG law kARACHI Staff RepoRt

A deadlock has emerged between Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) over amendments in the Local Government (LG) Act despite promises being made to the latter from the former before joining the federal government.

According to the details, the PPP has agreed to implement the agreement with the MQM-P in 30 days after asking the latter to quit the PTI-led federal government. The provincial assembly lawmakers of the MQM-P have expressed their discontent over a delay in the implementation of the agreement and said that they recently complained to Asif Zardari, which resulted in a meeting between the two parties.

will first be lightning bolt striking the offending official dead, with a ghostly voice above saying, “Bad boy!””

Anyhow, the Punjab Assembly does not have its Demand for Grant voted on. It’s a charged expenditure.

I doubt if Ch Pervez Elahi is much interested in this right now, what with his son Moonis being summoned by the FIA in connection with money laundering.

Of course, the FIA would hardly be impressed by his being a former federal minister, what with having a serving PM in its charge. Nor would Shehbaz have much sympathy for Ch Pervez, as his son Hamza faces an FIA investigation.

However, Ch Moonis might find the charges more difficult to answer, for Shehbaz and Hamza had the case against them prepared

by Shehzad Akbar.

Its legal advisers like Shehzad

Akbar and Farogh Nasim who got him trouble, but bringing Hamid Khan on board will only help to get rid of Fawad Chaudhry. Will that be much of a loss? Not so long as the PTI has Shahbaz Gill on its side.

Meanwhile, the regular weekly fuel price rise occurred. The government is torn between blaming the IMF and the previous government. Funny, it doesn’t apply that logic to getting off the FATF grey list. For that, it takes the full credit. Of course, if coming off the list has any problems that come up later, then the previous government will get the blame.

It’s like kids. If they have any good quality, it’s because they inherited it from the side of the family the speaker belongs to. A father’s aunt always ascribes a child’s brightness to her brother, and a mother’s aunt to hers. So with governments.

Tuesday, 21 June, 2022 | LAHORE

04 NEWS

COUrt ACCEPtS PrE-ArrESt BAIlS Of PtI lEAdErS ISLAMABAD

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Staff RepoRt

local court in Islamabad has granted pre-arrest bail to several Pakistan Tehreek-i-insaf leaders in a public disorder and damage to property case during party’s long march on Islamabad.

The court accepted the pre-arrest bails of Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Asad Umar, Sheharyar Khan Afridi, Qasim Suri, Murad Saeed, Ali Nawaz Awan, Ali Muhammad Khan and Awami Muslim League Chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmad.

District & Sessions Judge Kamran Basharat Mufti heard the pre-arrest bail petitions of PTI leaders and AML Chief Sh Rashid. While announcing a reserved judgement, the judge accepted bail applications of all the accused.

However, the court directed the accused to become part of the investigation in cases registered against them in I-9, Golra and Tarnol police stations.

After the hearing, PTI Secretary

General Asad Umar said that the present government did not come through public votes rather it was brought and imposed on us. He said the government hatched a conspiracy and made fake cases against the.

He was of the view that the country could be shut by using power but it could not be run.

Babar Awan said that a certain ‘group’ in Pakistan did not believe in law, rather it believed in NRO. On this occasion, Afridi, Faisal Javed and Suri said that an imported government had been imposed on us at the behest of America. They requested the Supreme Court of Pakistan Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial to take suo motu notice of it.

Meanwhile, the Islamabad High Court has extended the interim bails of former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser and AML Chief Sh Rashid till June 28. The court directed to club together applications of PTI leaders and Sh Rashid’s application.

Meanwhile, Umar Amin Gandapur withdrew his protective bail application. IHC Chief Justice Athar

Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment registers cases against Usman Buzdar LAHORE Inp

Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) on Monday registered cases against the former Punjab chief minister Usman Buzdar along with his brothers for transferring 900 kanals of land illegally in Dera Ghazi Khan. As per details, two cases have been registered against the Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) leader. The cases have been filed on the inquiry report of Deputy Commissioner of DG Khan. As per sources, Usman Buzdar’s brothers have also been included in the cases. While it was also revealed that the provisions of transferring government land through forgery have been included in the cases. The allegation includes forging a fake letter to transfer 900 kanals of government land in Tonsa. While investigations regarding the matter have been commenced.

Minallah heard the petitions. PTI leaders submit Rs0.1m surety bonds to ATC in Lahore Meanwhile, the PTI leaders have submitted Rs100,000 surety bonds each to an anti-terrorism court in Lahore for their bails in vandalism cases registered against them after the party’s long march on Islamabad.

The PTI leaders were granted bail in a new FIR registered against them at Bhati Gate, Lahore on Saturday. The accused said that they were nominated in the case because of a sub-statement in the FIR. They rued that they were nominated in cases in several police stations at the same time.

PTI leaders including Hammad Azhar, Dr Yasmeen Rashid, Mian Mehmoodur Rashid, Mian Aslam Iqbal, Andleeb Abbas, Yasir Gilani, Jamshed Iqbal Cheema, Musarrat Jamshed Cheema, Shafqat Mehmood and Aslam Iqbal appeared before the court.

Earlier, the PTI leaders have secured pre-arrest bails in cases registered against them in Shahdara and Gulberg police stations.

Rising inflation leads to exodus of one million students from Punjab schools ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Rising inflation has led to the exodus of one million students from Punjab schools, says a report released on Monday.

Some 30,000 students have left schools in Lahore, the provincial capital of the most populous province of the country.

Expensive education and educationrelated materials including books and stationary have contributed to this unfortunate development.

According to the educationist, if the upwards spiral of inflation went unchecked, a further one million students will leave schools by August when the new academic year will start.

The educationists have demanded of government to provide the publishers printing paper on subsidized rate so that the children can get books and stationary on a discounted rate.

The educationists warned that if this trend goes unchecked, it would badly affect the literacy rate in the country and more children will remain outside the school.

PTI observes Black Day against NAB law changes

ISLAMABAD Staff CoRReSpondent

Pakistan Tehreek Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan Monday chaired a meeting of PTI leaders and decided to mark Monday (today) as Black Day against the

amendments made in NAB laws by the coalition government. Imran Khan tasked Fawad Chaudhry and other party leaders to expose the shameful conspiracy behind it — and what goals this government wants to achieve— to the nation. Imran Khan also tasked leaders to involve spokespeople in the political debate.

Imran Khan said that these stooges’ sole target was to destroy the accountability system and to get the NRO. The former prime minister claimed that the accountability system has been buried by giving NRO to these ‘thieves’ and was an attempt to look over the dacoity of Rs1200 billion. Imran Khan blamed rich thieves for the state of poverty in third-world countries like Pakistan. PTI chairman Imran said that on one side coalition government did not able to run the country and on the other side ‘stooges’ efforts to get away from the accountability are being overlooked.

PTI leader vowed his resolve to protest against this effort in all forms. On Sunday late evening, PTI workers and supporters staged protest demos to mark their anger against the increasing inflation.

LHC refuses stay over ordinance limiting speaker Punjab Assembly’s powers LAHORE Staff RepoRt

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday refused to provide immediate relief to Speaker Punjab Assembly Parvez Elahi and PTI after it refused to issue a stay against an ordinance from Governor Baligh Ur Rehman, limiting the powers of the speaker of the assembly.

The court has summoned advocate general Punjab for assistance and issued notices to the Punjab government and others for June 24.

Justice Sajid Mehmood Sethi during the hearing on a petition filed by Parvez Elahi and Sibtain Khan said that they would decide on the matter once the

government submits its replies.

Former advocate general Punjab Advocate Ahmed Awais said that the assembly session was ongoing when the governor issued an ordinance on June 14.

“The powers of the speaker have been limited and were given to the secretary law through the ordinance,” the plea stated. It said that ordinance was against the constitution and rules and procedures of the assembly.

He pleaded to issue a stay order against the ordinance unless a final decision is being announced.

“Since it is an ordinance, therefore it is important to listen to the other party,” the Lahore High Court judge said while rejecting the plea.

Comedian Masood Khawaja passes away Comedian-actor Masood Khwaja passed away here on Monday after a prolonged illness. Masood was hospitalized in Holy Family Hospital for a couple of days. He was senior actor who appeared in national television drama and gave some memorable performances. Masood Khawaja was popularly known for working in the Pakistani TV industry. For many years, he has enthralled audiences with his incredible comedy abilities. newS deSk

Six including four friends killed in Mir Ali firing incidents PESHAWAR: Unidentified assailants shot dead six people including four close friends in Mir Ali area of North Waziristan during the night between Sunday and Monday. The police said four friends identified as Asad Dawar, Waqar Ahmad, Hammad and Sunaid Ahmad had dinner with their friends and were on their way to homes when assailants riding a motorbike started firing on them. As a result of the firing, all the four friends were killed on the scene. The police shifted their bodies to Mir Ali hospital. The other incident also occurred in Mir Ali tehsil of North Waziristan district where two cloth dealers were abducted from Khadi Market and later shot dead on the bank of River Tochi. Police said both the deceased were shot in the heads. The police registered cases and started investigation. app

Indian troops martyr three more Kashmiri youth in IIOJK SRINAGAR: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism, martyred three more Kashmiri youth in the territory, today. Two youth were martyred by Indian troops and paramilitary forces during their continued cordon and search operation in Lolab area of Kupwara district.

Another youth was martyred by the troops during a cordon and search operation at Chatapora area of Pulwama district. Pertinently, the death toll of martyrs, killed by Indian troops during cordon and search operation reached to seven during past 24 hours in the Kashmir valley. Staff RepoRt

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Tuesday, 21 June, 2022 | LAHORE

NEWS

Rana TanveeR sees off CovID-ResTRICTeD PakIsTanI sTuDenTs aT IslamabaD aIRPoRT

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news desk

eDeRAl Minister for Federal education and Professional Training, Rana Tanveer Hussain visited the Islamabad Airport to see off the first batch of Pakistani students going back to China after the imposition of travel restrictions due to COVID-19.

The federal minister along with senior officials of the Ministry of Federal education and Professional Training (Fe&PT) and Higher education Commission met with the students going to China.

The federal minister congratulated the students on their return to China to complete their education.

“It is our national duty to facilitate the youth in their pursuit of knowledge, he said.”

He acknowledged that the students were facing difficulties for two years and had contacted HeC, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Fe&PT. He said that Ministry of Fe&PT took lead in this matter and approached the relevant Chinese authorities, PIA and Civil Aviation Authority to resolve this matter on urgent basis.

He praised PIA that despite busy Haj

schedule they managed a flight for the Pakistani students.

Rana Tanveer said that today 105 students were returning and soon the rest would also be able to fly back.

He acknowledged the efforts of Secretary education Ms. Naheed. S Durani and eD HeC Ms Shaista Sohail for their contribution towards resolution of this issue. The federal minister said that a round of deliberations were held between all relevant stakeholders including Chinese embassy, Islamabad Pakistan, MoFePT, HeC and MoFA to address the subject issue of 5,832 students who provided their particulars online to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Islamabad (MoFA). Mentioning the three phases for completion of this task, the federal minister said the Priority-I, will be 492 students who were due to complete their degree programs in 201920 and 2020-21 while Priority-II will be 1,529 students who have to complete their degrees in 2022. The Priority-III will be 3,196 remaining students due to complete their degrees in 2023 onwards.

The federal minister said that all 105 students have completed the procedural requirements for the ISB-XIY charter flight. He continued that hopefully they

would land safely in XIY and resume their studies. Rana Tanveer Hussain said that the issues of Pakistani students were of utmost importance and reiterated his resolve to ensure that the concerns of the Pakistani students would be addressed on priority basis.

He congratulated his team for this success and wished the students best of luck for their future endeavours.

The PIA special flight carrying first batch of Pakistani students arrived in Xian, later in the day.

PIA special flight PK-6854 with 90 students on board took off from Islamabad International Airport and landed at Xian Xianyang International Airport at 15.00 local time, official sources told APP here on Monday. All the students will undergo 14-day quarantine in Xian as per Covid-19 control and prevention measures imposed by the local government for the passengers arriving from abroad. later, the students will go to their universities in different cities to continue their education.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in his last month’s telephonic conversation with Chinese Premier li Keqiang discussed the issue of Pakistani students who were desirous of returning to China to resume

studies. Premier li Keqiang had assured that China accorded high priority to this matter. Resultantly, the two sides agreed for phased return of the Pakistani students subject to the Covid-19 situation in China. The Chinese side had agreed to allow around 250 Pakistani students for return to China enabling them to continue their studies in the Chinese universities in different cities.

The unprecedented and extraordinary situation caused by the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has affected students’ educational activities across the world, including a large number of Pakistani students enrolled at Chinese universities, many of whom are currently in Pakistan.

The embassy of Pakistan in Beijing had long been engaged with the relevant Chinese authorities regarding return of Pakistani students to their universities in China. Resultantly, the two sides have agreed for phased return subject to the Covid-19 situation in China. The embassy would continue pursuing this matter with the Chinese authorities for return of remaining students as well.

According to official sources, there are 6,000 Pakistani students, who intend to go back to China to pursue their studies.

Three held over poaching of rare Tarantulas spider in Hazara app The Wildlife Hazara circle has successfully foiled a bid to smuggle rare Tarantulas spider and arrested three poachers at Shah Maqsood Interchange.

“The poachers have been arrested systematically as Wildlife officials engaged them by posing themselves as potential buyers,” informed Muhammad Hussain Conservator Wildlife Hazara Division.

The three poachers have been fined a sum of Rs. 120,000 under relevant laws of Biodiversity and Wildlife Act of 2015

besides confiscating the spider, Hussain apprised APP. He informed that the seized spider is in good health and will be released soon in its natural habitat of semi dry rocky terrain.

The rare Tarantulas spider was purchased by the poachers from a person in Chattar Plane area of Battagram district.

The details about the seller in Chattar Plane has also been shared with concerned DFO of Battagram who will take action against him, Hussain added.

“Tarantulas comprise of a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae and is a rare specie in our

region,” informs Nawaz, SDFO Wildlife Hazara Circle.

Talking to APP, Nawaz informed that the seized spider was of black color and large to an ideal size as of a dinner plate when the legs are fully extended.

These spiders have demand in international market due to use of their venom for treatment while is also kept by insect lovers as pet.

Tarantulas spiders play key role in food chain and act as both predator and prey. They keep insect population in check which helps to control the spread of disease and they serve as valuable sustenance

for birds and other small animals.

Nawaz opined that fake reports on social media about high demand of different wild species like black scorpion, lizard and spiders lure people to this illegal practice of poaching.

The arrested poachers, he continued, were young and found to in influence of social media reports of becoming richer in less time by selling few highly demanded rare wild species in international market. He said the Wildlife Department trapped them by posing themselves as buyers and make a lucrative offer which helped in seizing of the trapped spider.

President refuses to sign NAB law, says it ‘promotes corruption’ Continued from page 01 While elaborating his reasons for not signing the bill, the president said that the world had struggled to control white-collar crime.

Black money, acquired through tax evasion or through other avenues of crime and corruption, especially by politically exposed persons, did not leave easy tracks or a trail that could be followed, he said, adding the exercise undertaken under FATF itself was an example of decadeslong efforts to block all avenues of money laundering.

The president said that this was where we should take inspiration from Islam and referred to an incident frequently quoted as of Caliph Hazrat Umar (RA) who was asked to explain how he acquired two pieces of cloth used in the cloak he was wearing, instead of the one everybody was given.

And because he had it in his possession, he explained the source.

The president said that this incident laid down two fundamental principles of accountability; one, that the onus of the prosecution or the accuser was to make sure that the item, in this case, an extra piece of cloth, was in the possession of the person (Hazrat Umar RA), and second, that the onus to justify the source of the item (wealth) was upon the accused.

While further elaborating, the president said that the principle of justice for all crimes was that a person was presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The exception was that the accused must present a money trail, for example, where and how did he get an extra piece of cloth, any property, or wealth that was in his possession, he added.

This principle was embodied in the NAB Ordinance. The onus of the prosecution was to prove possession and that of the accused was to show the money trail. The possession of unexplained wealth was a crime in Pakistan until

Intending pilgrims should improve country’s image: mufti shakoor news desk Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Mufti Abdul Shakoor on Monday said that intending pilgrims were the ambassadors of Pakistan so they should improve the image of the country during their stay in Saudi Arabia. He was addressing the training session of intending pilgrims here at Haji camp, Sargodha road.

Director Hajj Rehan Abbas Khokhar was also present on the occasion. The minister said that all out measures had been adopted to facilitate the intending pilgrims at maximum level during Hajj.

these amendments which have diluted the concept, making it substantially ineffective, he added.

The president said that as had been observed by the superior judiciary, reflecting the general perceptions, that unfortunately, there were flaws in the implementation of the NAB Ordinance.

This law, like all other laws vesting authority in the executive, was abused for political exigencies by those in power.

Because of this reason, along with the role of vested interests, the accountability process in Pakistan became quite ineffective, he observed.

While the public clamoured for the return of looted wealth, the president said, the long judicial processes involved and ineffective prosecution actually made it very difficult to expose, prevent and eliminate corruption.

He said the he believed that a strong effort for improvement was desperately needed.

“Our experiences of the last few decades should have guided us; to modify the law; avoid its miscarriage; close the glaring loopholes, and make it stronger,” he added.

He said what was least expected was that the efforts of some previous governments were dumped and the principle of accountability, though upheld, was weakened beyond recognition.

The president said that it was sad that rather than structurally improving the institution, the enactment of these amendments was like demolishing the process of accountability without an alternate system being in place, making it sterile and allowing extractive institutions and practices to prosper.

“Weak laws, such as this one, create a facade of justice that blatantly hides a corrupt elite capture, and nations that accommodate such laws ensure very damaging exploitation of the common man perpetuating an unjust society,” it was added.

05

Clash in PP-167 by-Polls: eCP calls PTI, Pml-n candidates on June 23 isLamaBad INP

The election Commission of Pakistan (eCP) chief has called the rival candidates of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim league Nawaz (PMl-N) on their workers’ fighting in PP167 by-polls on June 23. An important meeting regarding the situation in the by-elections in PP-167 lahore was held in the eCP under the chair of the Chief election Commissioner (CeC). Special Secretary election Commission briefed on the incident of firing in PP-167 lahore on which, candidates Nazir Ahmed Chauhan of PMl-N and Shabbir Ahmed of PTI have been summoned. The Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) lahore, District Returning Officer and Deputy Monitoring Officer have also been called on the same day to brief the commission on the matter. In the meeting, a briefing was also given regarding the irregularities in NA-240 Korangi Karachi and summoned Pak Sarzameen Party head, Mustafa Kamal, on June 22. The eCP has also called SP Korangi, District Monitoring Officer and Returning Officer to appear before the commission on the said date.

Hussain elahi to decide joining PTI ‘after consultation’ isLamaBad Staff RePoRt

Pakistan Muslim league Quaid (PMl-Q) leader and member of National Assembly Chaudhry Hussain elahi on Monday said that he would decide to join PTI in consultation with his family. Responding to a question asked by the journalist, he said that Imran Khan will come back with the majority because people have decided to support him, adding that he would decide to join PTI in consultation with his family. earlier, PMl-Q leader Hussain elahi addressing the National Assembly said where are those people who were holding protests and staging sit-ins on the petrol prices hike in the past but now they have stitched their lips over the historical inflation and petrol price hike. Rebuking the current government, Maryam Nawaz, and Maulana Fazl ur Rahman marched towards Islamabad but the PTI government had not stopped them the incumbent government tortured the PTI’s protestors brutally and the people have understood that the current inflation is due to the ‘imported government’.

anP not interested in governorship: Haider Hoti news desk Central Senior Vice President of Awami National Party (ANP) Ameer Haider Khan Hoti on Monday said that his party was not interested in the governorship of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the decision had been conveyed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. In a statement issued after meeting with the prime minister, he said that a debate was going on for some time about governorship of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and that the constitutional appointment had become controversial due to unnecessary delay. He thanked the PM for the invitation to join the federal cabinet, but said that the ANP had already decided not to join. Haider said that the country was facing severe economic crisis due to wrong policies of the previous government and the incumbent government was taking tough decisions out of compulsion. He said that such bitter decisions were necessary to protect the country’s economy, but resulted in huge burden on people. He said that necessary steps should be taken to alleviate hardships and problems of people.

Pakistan earns $2,197mn from IT services’ export in 10 months app Pakistan earned $2,197.787 million by providing different Information Technology (IT) services in various countries during the ten months of fiscal year 2021-22.

This shows growth of 29.29 percent as compared to $1,699.860 million earned through provision of services during the corresponding period of fiscal year 2020-21, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported.

During July-April (2021-22), the export of computer services grew by 30.77 percent as it surged from $1,343.550 million last fiscal year to $1,756.957 million this year.

Among the computer services, the exports of software consultancy services witnessed an increase of 48.43 percent, from $443.478 million to $658.239 million while the exports of hardware consultancy services also rose by 337.72 percent from $0.456 million to $1.996 million.

The export and import of computer software related

CmYk

services also rose by 41.42 percent, from $331.730 million to $469.133 million whereas the exports of repair and maintenance services surge to $1.249 million from $0.464 million. In addition, the exports of other computer services increased by 10.38 percent going up from $567.422 million to $626.340 million.

Meanwhile, the export of information technology services during the period under review increased by 39.51 percent by going up from $3.240 million to $4.520 million. Among the information services, the exports of news agency services increased by 68.56 percent, from $1.765 million to $2.975 million whereas the exports of other information services increased by 4.75 percent, from $1.475 million to $1.545 million.

The export of telecommunication services also witnessed an increase of 23.58 percent as these went up from $353.070 million to $436.310 million during the year under review, the data revealed.

Among the telecommunication services, the export of call centre services increased by 42.98 percent during the period as its exports increased from $124.255 million to $177.658 million whereas the export of other telecommunication services also increased by 13.04 percent, from $228.815 million to $258.652 million during the period under review, the PBS data revealed.

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Tuesday, 21 June, 2022

06 COMMENT

The permissible/forbidden binary

Miftah Ismail and IMF PML-N getting isolated

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NLy two weeks back a confident Miftah Ismael told the Pre-Budget Business Conference, “We talked to them and we are very, very confident that we will soon have an agreement with the IMF”. Now, a week before the passage of the budget the government is nowhere close to a staff-level agreement for revival of the extended Fund Facility (eFF). We are told that the IMF staff still has reservations over Rs9.5 trillion expenditures projected by the authorities for the next fiscal year and the revenue measures in the budget are also insufficient to deliver the slightly over Rs7tr target. Four days back the Finance Minister and his Deputy called on the US ambassador to seek his government’s support for revival of the Facility. A yet to be confirmed newspaper report from Washington says US has agreed to help Pakistan negotiate a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Did the government fail to pay attention to the IMF demands on account of over confidence? Was the government carried away by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s apparently successful US visit and the US welcoming the ongoing IMF deliberations with Pakistan? Was the failure due to an attempt to simultaneously appease both the IMF and the electorate? Whatever the reason Pakistan’s economic problems continue piling up in the absence of the revival of the eFF. The inflation continues to rise while the dollar has reached new high to soar past Rs210 in interbank trade.

Inflation has provided Imran khan an additional stick to beat the government with. In his Sunday night address Ik warned people that spiraling inflation can turn Pakistan into next Sri Lanka. he asked them to take to the streets against inflation for their own good. Miftah Ismail has promised to control inflation in two to three months which is easier said than done.

PML-N led government’s failure to bring round the economy is leading some of its allies to gradually distance themselves from the alliance’s leading party. PPP’s Information Secretary Faisal kundi says his party plays only an advisory role in the ruling alliance while decisions are the prerogative of the Prime Minister who leads the PML-N. Similarly Asif Ali Zardari has promised that if he got a chance to return to power, he will turn around Pakistan 110 degrees. Unless the Shehbaz government is able to deliver the PML-N will be isolated and made sole target of attacks.

A certain recipe for disaster

haSan aFTaB Saeed

T

he Dua Zehra episode has once again brought to the fore old issues that keep rearing their heads every once in a while, only to be forgotten as soon as some other sensation steals all the headlines. On each such occasion there is much consternation and anger, not only on the part of the parties involved, but among the general public as well. emotions have a way of preventing men and women from thinking clearly. For those intimately involved, these emotions are understandable and to a large extent unavoidable. As for the interested bystanders, they owe it to themselves (if not to anybody else) to try and think clearly instead of giving in to sentimentality. here are a few lines in that spirit. First some prefatory remarks: Thinking in terms of binaries can be harmful even when the binary in question is not false. An example of this is the propensity to think solely in terms of permissible and forbidden. Religion no doubt lays out boundaries for permissible conduct – and these boundaries are important – but one must reconsider one’s decisions if the only thing in their support is the fact that a particular act is permissible.

Floods on the horizon

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RISeS never end on the weather front. We might be seeing a short respite from the blistering heat on account of the rains, but there are already met reports about upcoming floods. The erratic weather patterns that accompany global warming are wreaking havoc with the state’s already strained crisis management apparatus. The National Disaster Management Authority has its work cut out for it.

As a nation, we’ve had a long history with the natural phenomenon, with our then eastern wing facing massive cyclones. In the western wing, we’ve seen some pretty bad floods; the terrible instance in the early 90s, and the state’s response to it, became a political rallying cry that eventually led to the then government’s (undemocratic) ouster. We’ve also seen a terrible instance in 2010. Our learning curve in how to deal with the same leaves much to be desired, however. That is not to say there isn’t an institutional memory regarding how to deal with such calamities, and it would be unfair to say our response has not improved. But more needs to be done.

The government’s strategies for evacuation of the population in most at-risk areas need to be sharpened. The various meteorological departments need to improve their modeling abilities and should be funded as such, so that the latest equipment (and training) is provided to them.

Massive relocation of population isn’t possible if there isn’t enough of an advance warning. Also, the practice of human settlements in areas that are periodically wiped out by water needs to be dealt with strongly. Being a soft state when it comes to this on account of the sheer poverty of those residing in these areas will not do, because it would be a mortal disservice to those very same disenfranchised people.

Lastly, there also need to be longer-term strategies.

We ignore the role deforestation plays in the devastation caused by the floods. Plus, on the global front, Pakistan, as a member of the comity of nations, needs to slow down its reliance on fossil fuel. And, as a member of the Global South, hold the developed nations’ feet to the fire regarding their own carbon footprints.

Provincial harmony at risk

MehMil Khalid Kunwar

P

AkISTAN is an agrarian economy and the water for irrigation comes mainly from the Indus River. The Indus River System employs around 13 percent of country’s population and more than 50 percent of rural population. The water distribution to the provinces from the Indus River is carried out under Water Apportionment Accord 1991 whose regulation is controlled by Indus River System Authority (IRSA). The Accord was produced in order to dissolve the water conflicts arising between the provinces who have been demanding the harmonized distribution of water since independence. A number of commissions and committees resulted in the formation of the accord of the Indus River that is regarded a historic agreement. however, owing to the loop holes present in the accord, lack of proper dispute resolution mechanisms and the trust deficit existing among the provinces, the resolution of the water issues remains elusive.

“Sindh and Punjab have been squabbling over water distribution even before the independence and partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947,” noted water expert Feisal Naqvi. “This is not a new issue. It was inherited by Pakistan at the time of independence.”

Recently, the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Water Resources was briefed that Sindh was being deprived of its 46 percent of its water share in Punjab (between Taunsa and Guddu

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So much for religion and law. But marriage is much more than merely a religious and/or legal matter. It has enormous and far-reaching social implications. Norms of the society are therefore important too. In our society for instance, where marriage is considered a union of families as opposed to mere individuals, the consent, participation, and happiness of parents can never be considered trivial. These social aspects must therefore be thoroughly thought through before taking any drastic steps. In our society, more than merely the blessings of the family (or lack thereof), it is seen as betrayal and a matter of family honour. Boys and girls should therefore think thrice before subjecting their parents to this ordeal.

Most people would agree that human beings are supposed to use their intellect in their decision-making. Far too often, however, the intellect is pressed into service in a problem-solving, as opposed to a problem-avoiding, capacity. We all need to realize that there are messes one can put oneself and others into, from which there is no good way out. So it is that the Sindh high Court’s verdict to allow Zehra to decide her own fate has left her parents feeling let down and hard done by.

If incidents like this are to be prevented, an active and effective communication channel between parents and children would be crucial. It would have been best had the matter been resolved at home away from the media spotlight. The great communication gap, especially when it comes to matters of matrimony, sees to it that there is equal hesitation on either side. This, as we keep seeing from time to time, is to the detriment of all.

Most people would agree that human beings are supposed to use their intellect in their decision-making. Far too often, however, the intellect is pressed into service in a problem-solving, as opposed to a problemavoiding, capacity.

The author is a connoisseur of music, literature, and food (but not drinks). He can be reached at www.facebook.com/hasanaftabsaeed

Uneven water distribution

The NDMA has to put its shoulder to the task

Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

Carbonated drinks are permissible, but one is supposed to exercise one’s best judgment when deciding whether and in what quantity to consume them.

Any error of judgment in this regard can hardly be pinned on religion or law.

The unfortunate tendency of considering everything exclusively a religious issue is also very widespread. The result is that amid all the heated debate regarding the permissibility or otherwise of an action, what gets neglected is the scarcely less important question of taste. Unlike the issue of permissibility, often the answer to this latter question is relative, not absolute. For something could well be in good taste in one time and place but in extremely bad taste in another setting. For example, the social implications of polygamy in the Middle east and the Indian sub-continent could not be more different. Religion can hardly be blamed for any unfortunate consequences arising out of bad judgment by the parties involved.

Coming now to the issue at hand, there can hardly be any doubt that as per the religion, the right for deciding whom to marry and when principally lies with the prospective bride and groom; and for a very good reason: it is after all the couple that must ultimately make the marriage work.

When is a boy and a girl competent to make that decision? In other words, when do they come of age? Deciding the age of consent is not a religious matter at all. Sexual maturity, or age of adulthood, change with geography, time, and culture. These things are best decided by parliaments, so that they can be amended as and when needed. however, these laws are binding so long as they are operative.

It is therefore hard to see any verdict the Sindh high Court could have announced other than what it did the other day.

I

Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

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barrages) and Balochistan is also suffering at the hands of Sindh that is not providing its share of 84 percent to the province. experts say that there exists a trust deficit among the provinces that remains critical in resolving the issue to the core. Punjab, the most resourceful province of the country, is being accused by Sindh for providing it a compromised share that the latter believes aggravates the issue. This, in turn, creates problems for Balochistan who blames Sindh for not giving it the allocated share. A number of researchers have also proved that the trust deficit among the provinces has been contributing in escalating the problem further.

“Lack of trust among the provinces of Pakistan especially between Sindh and Punjab and between Sindh and Balochistan, is the main cause of water disputes. Sindh always objects, as a lower riparian, about the withdrawal of the water from the upper canals

by Punjab and objects that Punjab is using its water share. The groundwater salinity and the degradation of land in Sindh is more serious than in Punjab”, the researchers say.

For its defense, Sindh claims that IRSA needs to revise the share of allocation to Balochistan as it seems incorrect and it is getting impossible for it to provide share to Balochistan as it does not receive its own apportionment from Punjab.

The Balochistan government, on other hand, insistently demands its share from Sindh and warns that it would deprive water supply to karachi through hub dam if the Sindh government does not consider their appeal seriously.

The Balochistan government spokesperson, Liaquat Shahwani, while accusing Sindh of its irresponsible behavior, says,” The Sindh government does not release full share of water to province.”

“Our due right share is 10,900 cusecs including a shortfall of 30 percent: The total share becomes 14,000 cusecs but Sindh is providing 7,000 cusecs water to Balochistan”, the spokesperson further added.

Amid an unprecedented water shortage across the country along with an increased depletion of water resources due to climate change, the spate of conflicts among the provinces is aggravating the existing situ-

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

ation. According to an IMF report, there is a decrease in Pakistan’s per capita annual water availability that was 1500 cubic meters in 2009 and now stands at 1017 cubic meters. Pakistan is declared to be waterstressed country that is going to experience absolute water scarcity by 2025(PCRWR). The internal disturbances and continuous wrangling for water share among the provinces would play havoc with the national cohesion that is already plagued with unresolved indigenous issues. Such an alarming situation calls for swift action by the government and other authorities to dissolve the differences between the provinces that are arising due to the irrational management of water share.

There are a number of steps that can be taken to resolve the protracted issue. The provincial irrigation authorities and the IRSA members need to work out the differences, reaching at a consensus by making formal agreements.

Within the Apportionment Accord, it is also mentioned that if a dispute cannot be resolved by IRSA, the other route that can adopted is approaching Council of Common Interest that is responsible for mitigating the power-sharing issues present between the Centre and the provinces. The CCI meeting has been getting delayed due to lack of political will to devise a solution to the problem. It is incumbent upon the government to convene a meeting of CCI as early as possible to discuss the possible solutions to matters relating to water shortage with the provinces. The trust deficit among the provinces can be eliminated by revising the existing clauses of the accord to the best interest of the provinces. It has been observed that the provisions of the accord are ambiguous that has led to its subjective interpretation, making it a controversial document. It is high time to consider the problem with pragmatic lens so that the matter can be approached and resolved amicably among all the stakeholders for their peaceful co-existence.

Amid an unprecedented water shortage across the country along with an increased depletion of water resources due to climate change, the spate of conflicts among the provinces is aggravating the existing situation.

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Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

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The writer is a polymer engineer with a profound interest in politics. She works on social issues and gender bias. She can be reached on Twitter @mehmilkhalid

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

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Tuesday, 21 June, 2022

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

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

Barriers of Caste

The UNSC is in desperate need of comprehensive reforms Many UN agencies were created that have and continue to provide critically important assistance in many fields, saving the lives and wellbeing of millions of people Charter have not generally been punished, which in many ways signaled that any country can violate the Charter and do so with impunity.

dr alon Ben Meir Righting the WRong: Any fair analysis of the United Nations strongly suggests that the UN of today is not the same UN that was established in 1945. The United Nations Security Council in particular, which was intended to maintain international peace and security, has sadly outlived its usefulness in its current makeup. It has, for all intents and purposes, been paralyzed due to its own structural fault line that provides the five permanent member states—the United States, Russia, China, the United kingdom, and France—veto power. Whereas political consideration and self-interest understandably influenced their respective decisions, their veto power has often been used to meet one state or another’s narrow political interest regardless of its impact on international peace and security. the composition of the Un: When the UN was established, 51 countries were member states of the General Assembly (GA).

Presently, there are 193 member states, along with two Permanent Observer states (the holy See and Palestine). The GA can pass resolutions by a simple majority that expresses only a general consensus but without any enforcement powers. The problem here is that although the number of states in the GA has quadrupled and represents the entire international community, the Security Council’s size and permanent makeup has not changed, granting decision-making powers over binding resolutions to an increasing disproportionately small number of nations. the United nations secURity coUncil: The UNSC (the Council) is composed of 5 permanent states: The United States, Russia (the successor nation of founding member USSR), China, the United kingdom, and France.

These countries were accorded veto power because of their status as both great powers and the victors in World War II. They continue to exercise that power even though they do not represent the changing global demographic composition or realities of current geopolitical power.

Moreover, whereas the Council was bestowed with the powers to maintain peace and international security with enforceable mechanisms, it has generally failed to reach consensus on enforcing its own resolutions. Thus, many countries who committed even egregious violations of the UN

the cReation of Un agencies: Although the UN has lagged greatly in its intended purpose to maintain international peace and security, it has over the years established many agencies that provide significant humanitarian assistance in many fields. Among the most important agencies are the Office of the high Commissioner for human Rights, World Food Program, International Monetary Fund, UN educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNeSCO), World health Organization, high Commissioner for Refugees, and UN Women. In this respect, the UN has become a massive relief organization.

Un peacekeeping foRces: Another important branch of the UN is its peacekeeping forces. In many cases the peacekeepers rendered important services to keep the peace in different areas of conflict and in different times; currently, peacekeeping missions are ongoing in the Golan, Cyprus, kosovo, Lebanon, Mali, Central African Republic, Western Sahara, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, South Sudan, and India and Pakistan, to maintain ceasefires, prevent outbreaks of violence in contentious areas, promote human rights, support humanitarian services, and support stabilization efforts as each individual mission requires.

On the whole, however, UN peacekeeping forces have become basically an afterthought to the global community as an increasing number of states no longer view UN forces as effective in their missions, and as the UN fails to hold accountable peacekeepers who commit human rights abuses, particularly sexual abuse and exploitation. Nevertheless, as the World Bank notes, “every study that looked at diverse types of peacekeeping missions found that the UN was more effective in preventing and reducing violence than non-UN missions, and that stronger mandates and larger missions increased the likelihood of any mission’s success.”

In recent years, however, there has been a decrease in funding for UN peacekeeping forces, particularly due to the Trump administration’s withholding of full funding, which may eventually lead to dispatching of fewer and fewer peacekeepers, especially if more countries refuse to provide their share of funds.

RefoRming the secURity coUncil: Regardless of the importance of the humanitarian agencies, given the increasing violent conflicts around the world, the importance of the Security Council’s task to maintain international peace and security must become again central to the functioning of the UN. Due to the present makeup of the Council, however, it cannot operate in that capacity unless significant reforms are undertaken. As a case in point, one must only look at the behavior of Russia at the onset of its invasion of Ukraine, where Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia denied in the midst of the invasion that it was not a war but only a “special military operation.” he also vetoed numerous resolutions condemning Russia’s actions, a move that Nor-

wegian Ambassador Mona Juul criticized, stating “A veto cast by the aggressor undermines the purpose of the council. It’s a violation of the very foundation of the U.N. Charter.”

It will be presumptuous on my part to provide the kind of reforms necessary to make the council relevant to international peace and security. Many have tried before me and sadly to no avail. One thing though is clear. For the Security Council to meet its obligation and responsibility and be effective in maintaining peace and security, it must first and foremost represent the demographic makeup of the international community. In addition, given the fact that the current countries on the Security Council will not relinquish their veto power voluntarily or by any provision in the UN Charter, the following partial reforms stand at least a small chance of being adopted. To that end, the following should be considered: The Security Council should expand from 15 to 21 member states.

Nine states or regional unions will be granted permanent membership with veto power: the eU, the US, Russia, China, India, Indonesia to represent Asian countries, Brazil to represent the Latin American countries, the Arab League, and the African Union. Naturally the Uk could present a major obstacle in this format, as it is no longer a member of the eU and would thus lose representation on the Council.

Twelve other countries in the Security Council would rotate every two years based on the current format.

A resolution can only be vetoed if two countries exercise their veto power.

The Security Council will establish an enforcement mechanism to ensure that its resolutions are carried out.

The Security Council will be empowered to resolve current violent conflicts and mediate other conflicts before they become violent.

The General Assembly will have the power to override any veto by a two-thirds majority.

The current global population is approximately 7.9 billion, and the total population of the above states or unions is 5.8 billion.

As such, the Security Council would represent 73 percent of the global population, instead of the current Council makeup which only represents a paltry 25 percent, lower even than the 35 percent of the global population that the permanent UNSC members represented at its creation.

As I indicated above, this may well be a farfetched idea, but then again, we must begin to think seriously about reforming the Security Council if we want the UN to perform the way it was intended to. Indeed, violent conflicts are on the rise, countries are infringing on the sovereignty of other weaker countries, and still many old conflicts remained unsolved. Together we are witnessing a far greater global volatility.

To stem these tides, we need a renewed effort to reform the UN Security Council and give it the power to resolve conflict peacefully.

Dr Alon Ben-Meir is a professor of international relations at the Centre for Global Affairs at NYU. He teaches courses on international negotiation and Middle Eastern studies. alon@alonben-meir.com

MARRIAGe is considered as a pious relationship in every religion. But the process of getting married varies from culture to culture. even in the 21st century, very few cultures allow the individuals to select their life partners themselves. For instance, In Pakistan, love marriages are still not welcomed and the decision of marriage is usually taken by the parents or guardians. Moreover, several people have set strick caste barriers for marriages. And they impose these cultures to their upcoming generations willingly or unwillingly. even Though, the religion encourages the inter-caste marriages but people have entangled themselves in meaningless boundaries of the societal norms and cultural values. Alot of considerable proposals are rejected just because of the caste discrimination. Many castes like Syeds opt to not tie the knot with other castes and they made their daughters remain unmarried even for their entire lives. And sadly, those who want to see their daughters to fulfill this requirement of religion and want to see their daughters happy often become the prisoner of sacrifice just to maintain their so-called respect in the society.

Caste biasness gives birth to loads of social problems like elopement, honour killing and many others. Therefore, everyone should realize that caste is just a word and it should be used only for the sake of easy identification not for the division, especially in case of weddings.

MAHNOOR BALOUCH PANO AKIL, SINDH

Taxing education We never would have imagined how our lives would end up depending so much on digital connectivity and the Internet. Covid and its consequent restrictions have made it necessary for everyone to be digitally online if they’d like to continue working/studying. I am a student at university and have no income of my own.

A lot of my classes, lectures, and group study happen online, and with the frequent loadshedding and electricity issues, I have to more often than not rely on phone and data services to stay connected. however, I am barely able to afford a decent data package for myself that can suffice for my needs. While data packages are usually affordable, the taxes deducted on the SIM balance reload takes away a huge chunk of my little budget.

Being a student with no income of my own, why am I being forced to even pay this Advance Income Tax of 15 percent every time I reload the balance? Digital connectivity is now an essential service, not a luxury.

Low-income people, many of whom live in rural areas, are not eligible for taxes, and yet they are taxed for this basic service. We have a new set of policymakers now, and I appeal to them to please look into this and help revoke these unreasonable taxes being imposed on the common man in the form of telecom taxes.

NABEEL AHMED LAHORE

The political sect cult The appropriate word for the group of supporters that Imran khan has given birth to is a political cult.

To make it easier to understand, it can be called the next level of “populism”. This english term, like other terms, has evolved. In the beginning, it was special for the civilized. In modern times it has also been used for groups that come under the influence of a charismatic personality and give it the same status as its founder in a religious sect.

That is, free from error, the standard of truth and above criticism.

If such personalities are in politics, then the nature of affiliation with them is the same as that found in religious sects. Since the basis of “cult” is not rational, argument based dialogue with such groups is not possible.

Religion is based on immature faith, so religious groups have similar beliefs about their leaders and ideas.

Populism is such a political process. It presents a simple solution to the complex problems facing the people and under the influence of the charismatic personality of an individual, the people are made to believe that the determination of a single individual can save the nation from problems. hate is used as the main weapon against the political characters in it. By creating excitement, the people are deprived of their ability to think and understand. Thus, populism gives birth to a political cult.

We were seeing that the powerful state institution was marketed in a very cohesive manner and intelligently keeping in view the psyche of this nation that Imran khan was very honest. A T-shirt with fur was shown.

Sometimes Imran khan was shown resting on a broken shoe, eating a hundred loaves of bread with tea and sometimes on a broken four pie.

The marketing was so brilliant that even ordinary people, great intellectuals and the intelligentsia of this country were impressed by this marketing and they started seeing a messiah in the form of Imran khan who will come and change the destiny of Pakistan. ‫ ۔‬Streams of milk and honey will start flowing in Pakistan. The rule of law will prevail. The lion and the goat will drink water from a pier. Merit will be a far cry. however, what Imran did with the nation is difficult to teach his blind followers. The drama was created to cover up the failure of the PTI government on the economic front, money budget, wasteful administration and mismanagement and to avoid embarrassment at the national level and the failed team of thugs decided to become political martyrs instead of taking responsibility. What Niazi tried to sew up nationalist rhetoric to highlight the government’s dismissal on the cards. This was Niazi’s madness but he should know that he will become Bhutto. he is Niazi.

Mr Niazi, the whole state and state machinery were with you, you still failed on every front, and now you are fighting the state and showing new dreams of change !!! your existence is only in speeches. In the field of action, you have given the nation nothing but disappointment, division, deception, deception and utopia. The captain had fought the last election on the statement of corruption of Nawaz Sharif and Zardari. This time, his program is to contest elections on anti-US and anti-military rhetoric. This is a dangerous move, like playing with fire. We have seen the fate of Saddam Gaddafi and Bhutto. It seems that the captain’s tongue will be closed in a few days by showing some files etc. If not, the result will be a lot of trouble.

I don’t know the fate of Pakistan and how many sad nights have been written. how many sad generations have gone to sleep under the dust of Naseem Sehar’s wish? I don’t know how far this morning is. More than one level is written in the destiny of this country.

MUHAMMAD AMIN KECH

08 WORLD VIEW 21st June 22_Layout 1 6/20/2022 8:45 PM Page 1

Tuesday, 21 June, 2022

08 WORLD VIEW

india iS becoming a Hindu-faSciST enTerpriSe We have Reached The poInT of no ReTuRn. WhaT ThoSe of uS Who STand agaInST ThIS, and eSpecIally The MuSlIM coMMunITy In IndIa, needS To ThInk abouT IS, hoW can We SuRvIve ThIS? hoW can We ReSIST IT? TheSe aRe haRd queSTIonS To anSWeR, becauSe Today In IndIa even ReSISTance ITSelf, hoWeveR peaceful, IS conSIdeRed a heInouS cRIMe alMoST akIn To an acT of TeRRoRISM

Al JAzeerA arundhati roy

o

veR the last few months, authorities in Indian states governed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have started bulldozing the homes, shops, and places of business that belong to Muslims merely suspected of participating in anti-government protests. The Chief Ministers of these states have proudly flaunted this policy in their election campaigns.

To my mind, this marks the moment when a deeply flawed, fragile democracy has transitioned – openly and brazenly – into a criminal, hindu-fascist enterprise with tremendous popular support. We now appear to be ruled by gangsters fitted out as hindu godmen. In their book, Muslims are public enemy number one.

In the past, Muslims have been punished with pogroms, lynchings, targeted murders, custodial killings, fake police “encounters” and imprisonment under false pretexts. Bulldozing their homes and businesses is only a new – and highly effective – weapon added to this list.

In the ways in which this phenomenon is being reported and written about, the bulldozer has been invested with a sort of divine, avenging power. This menacing machine with its huge metal claw that is used to “crush the

SwiSS bankS on a roll

enemy”, is being portrayed as a mechanical, comic-strip version of a mythical God slaying demons. It has become the talisman of the new, avenging, hindu nation. Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson posed next to one during his recent visit to India – it is hard to believe that he did not know exactly what he was doing and who he was endorsing. Why else would a head of state do something as bizarre as posing with a bulldozer during a state visit?

For their part, government authorities insist they are not targeting Muslims and are merely demolishing illegally constructed properties. A sort of municipal cleanup mission. That reasoning, of course, is not even meant to be convincing. It is meant as mockery, and to instil terror. The authorities and most Indians know that most of the construction in every Indian town and city is either illegal or quasi-legal.

Bulldozing Muslim homes and businesses for purely punitive reasons without notice, without a chance of an appeal or a hearing achieves several things all at once.

Before the bulldozer era, punishment for Muslims was meted out by vigilante mobs and the police – which either participated in the punishment or chose to look away. The bulldozing of properties, however, involves not just the police, but the municipal authorities, the media – who must be present to amplify and broadcast the spectacle of demon-slaying – and the courts who must look away and not intervene. It is meant to tell Muslims, “You are on your own. No help will come. You have no court of appeal. every institution that used to be part of the checks and balances of this old democracy is now a weapon that can be used against you.”

The properties of anti-government protesters from other communities are almost never targeted in this way.

On June 16, for example, tens of thousands of young men furious with the BJP government’s new army recruit-

who delivered the insult has been suspended from the party, but has been openly embraced by its cadres. her political future appears bright.

Today in India, we are living through the political equivalent of a scorched-earth policy. everything – every institution that has taken years to build – is being destroyed. It is stupefying. A new generation of young people will grow up entirely brainwashed, with no connection to the history or the cultural complexity of their country. The regime – with the help of a media made up of about 400 Tv channels, countless websites and newspapers – keeps up a continuous drumbeat of bigotry and hatred, fuelled by hate-spewing stock characters on either side of the hindu-Muslim divide.

Within the cadre of the hindu right there is a new, aggressive far-right displaying a palpable restlessness the Modi government is increasingly hard-pressed to control, because they are the BJP’s core support base. On social media, it is now routine to encounter open calls for the genocide of Muslims. We have reached the point of no return. What those of us who stand against this, and especially the Muslim community in India, needs to think about is, how can we survive this? how can we resist it?

These are hard questions to answer, because today in India even resistance itself, however peaceful, is considered a heinous crime almost akin to an act of terrorism.

Arundhati Roy is the author of The God of Small Things, which won the Booker Prize in 1997 and has been translated into more than forty languages, and The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, which was long-listed for the Man Booker Prize 2017. Roy has also published several works of non-fiction, including The Algebra of Infinite Justice, Listening to Grasshoppers and Broken Republic. She lives in Delhi.

why the west was no match for the tech giants

The annual data from Switzerland’s central bank says funds deposited

by Indian nationals and firms in Swiss banks rose to a 14-year-high of over Rs 30,500 crore in 2021 Tribune

T

he late Arun Jaitley’s remark that ‘not all Swiss bank money is dirty’ may well be true, but any information related to banking figures does give rise to the notion that there’s more to it than meets the eye. The annual data from Switzerland’s central bank says funds deposited by Indian nationals and firms in Swiss banks rose to a 14year-high of over Rs 30,500 crore in 2021. The figure for 2020 was over Rs 20,700 crore, which was a substantive increase from Rs 6,625 crore in 2019. Though Indian clients have been under constant government scanner, the flight of capital is only seeing a vibrant ascendancy. A collection of official figures reported by individual banks, the data does not account for the alleged black money held in Switzerland, nor the money that Indians might have in names of third-country entities. India was placed 44th on the list for foreign clients’ money; the UK was at the top.

Swiss banks pay next to nothing for deposits, but their reputation for privacy and a combination of conditions that ensure returns make them a haven for foreign deposits. Under the 2018 automatic exchange framework, it was in 2019 that the Swiss handed the first tranche of details about the accounts of Indian clients in banks. Though details are shared about accounts of Indians suspected to have indulged in financial wrongdoings after prima facie evidence, disclosures are prohibited under the confidentiality provisions of the treaty. While there is a need to exercise caution against jumping to conclusions about the statistics, the rising business transactions by Indian companies being a plausible explanation, there are legitimate concerns about untaxed slush funds gaining safe parking lots abroad.

A study estimates that 8,000 high net worth individuals could migrate out of India this year, attributing it to the stringent tax rules and reporting requirements, along with the desire for stronger passports. Like with black money, why clean money is leaving the country should be as much of a concern.

ment policy went on a violent rampage across North India.

They burned trains and vehicles, blocked roads, and in one town they even burned the BJP office. But most of them are not Muslim. So their homes and families will remain safe.

In the two general elections of 2014 and 2019, the BJP has shown convincingly that it does not need the vote of India’s 200 million-strong Muslim population to win a majority in Parliament in the national elections.

So, in effect, we are looking at a sort of disenfranchisement. That will have dangerous corollaries. Because once you are disenfranchised, you don’t matter. You become inconsequential. You can be used and abused. This is what we are witnessing now. even after high-ranking BJP officials publicly insulted everything Muslims hold most sacred, the party did not lose the backing of, or receive meaningful criticism from, its core support base.

There have been significant protests by Muslims in response to these insults. The protests were understandable, because the incident came on the back of so much violence and brutalisation. except that as inevitably happens, some among the protestors called for a blasphemy law, which the BJP would probably be more than happy to pass, because then almost all commentary about hindu Nationalism could also be criminalised under that law. It would effectively silence all criticism and stunt all intelligent commentary about the political and ideological pit into which India is falling. Other individual protestors, one from an important political party, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) called for hanging and others called for beheading – all of which serve to confirm every stereotype about Muslims that the hindu right works so hard to perpetuate. Across the high walls of insults and death threats from either side, no conversation appears possible.

The polarisation that followed the protests has only increased support for the BJP. The BJP spokeswoman

Observer John naughton

a

S Marx might have put it, a spectre is haunting the world’s democracies: the spectre of tech power. For more than two decades those democracies slept peacefully while a small number of global corporations acquired a stranglehold on the most powerful communications technology since the invention of printing.

The political earthquakes of 2016 provided a rough wake-up call as these slumbering giants suddenly realised that “the technological was political”, that unaccountable power was loose in their world, and that if they didn’t rein it in they may wind up as democracies in name only.

The years since that rough awakening have seen a frenzy of legislative and regulatory activity: antitrust suits, draft bills in the US, the eU and the UK (among others), congressional and parliamentary inquiries and so on. Whether any of this leads to effective curbs on tech power remains to be seen, and this reviewer isn’t holding his breath. The question is not whether tech giants can be brought under control: we know that they can because Xi Jinping’s regime has been conducting masterclasses in how to do it. The question for us is: can liberal democracies do it?

All of which is by way of explaining why Jamie Susskind’s big book is a welcome arrival on the scene.

Its focus is unaccountable tech power and how it might be tamed. But unlike the many other works which critique, say, machine learning technology on the grounds of racial or gender bias or its environmental impact, Susskind raises the deeper question of why such powerful discriminatory technologies can be deployed at all. Why are democracies so cowed by digital technology that almost anything goes? he’s struck, for example, by how Joe Biden, when he was running for president, “started a petition asking Facebook to keep ‘paid misinformation’ from influencing the election”, while over on Capitol hill, Nancy

Pelosi, Speaker of the house of Representatives, “plaintively asked advertisers to tell technology companies to reduce online misinformation”. how did we get here – where public officials have to plead with corporations to protect the integrity of the democratic system? The answer is that for 50 years liberal democracies have been building a polity where the interests of corporations are systematically prioritised over those of citizens. The result is a world in which tech companies are allowed to wreak their “creative destruction” while government and civil society are expected to mop up the wreckage, much like those Indian servants in the Raj who trudged after ceremonial elephants sweeping up their dung.

The name that Susskind gives to this slavish mindset is “market individualism”, an ideology that sees society “as the product of a grand contractual bargain between each of its members, a vehicle for the pursuit of individual advantage, with no overarching pursuit of the common good”. It’s what I would call neoliberalism, in the sense that Gary Gerstle uses it in his new book, The Rise and Fall of the Neoliberal Order, and Susskind doubtless had reasons of his own for avoiding such an inflammatory term.

But that’s a minor quibble. The important thing is Susskind’s contention that a society governed by such an ideology will never be able to bring tech giants to heel. We need something better, and he knows what it is – a republican mindset. Note the small r: this has nothing to do with the GOP, or indeed the IRA, but with a more venerable way of thinking about governance. To be a republican in that sense is, Susskind argues, to oppose all social structures that enable one social group to exercise unaccountable power (ie domination) over others. Republicans “reject the institution of absolute monarchy, not just the flaws of particular kings. They fight for tenants’ rights, not just for more beneficent landlords. They demand legal protections at work, not just kinder bosses.” And they object to the very idea of someone with Mark Zuckerberg’s power, not Zuckerberg himself.

Susskind’s book is essentially an exposition of how anyone who subscribes to these principles would approach the task of curbing the power of the tech companies now dominating our networked world. he kicks off with a succinct outline of how republicanism differs from market individualism and follows that with a diagnosis of how digital technologies control our behaviour, frame our perception of the world and increase the intrusions of markets into every aspect of our lives. But he also makes the point that there is nothing God-given about the political and economic system that has allowed all this to come about. It can – and must – be changed.

The remainder of the book is about what we should do differently if we do not wish to live as slaves to tech power. It involves taking seriously republican principles about not tolerating unaccountable power, after which it sets out a prospectus for a new system of republican governance of the industry. Accordingly, a lot of the second half of the book is about

governing data, challenging the legitimacy of inscrutable machine-learning algorithms, antitrust matters, the difference between free speech and algorithmic amplification, and related topics.

Put like that, it may sound like a to-do list for policy wonks, but Susskind’s gift for exposition means that the reader rarely loses the will to live as they head towards the (vast) bibliography. It also helps that he has a knack for the telling phrase: surveillance capitalists are the “Big Brotherhood”, for example; TikTok has “subtly marginalised the unattractive and the poor”; we need “a Marketplace of Ideals”; and so on.

But really, the most refreshing thing about this fine book is its ideological stance. The reason why most current attempts to rein in tech power are doomed is because its critics implicitly accept its legitimacy rather than being outraged by its arrogant effrontery.

That’s because they’ve been drinking the neoliberal Kool-Aid for nearly half a century. Ideology, after all, is what determines how you think when you don’t know you’re thinking. It’s time for a change, and The Digital Republic is a good place to start.

John Naughton is an Observer columnist and chairs the Advisory Board of the Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy at Cambridge University.

The Digital Republic: On Freedom and Democracy in the 21st Century by Jamie Susskind is published by Bloomsbury (£25).

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Tuesday, 21 June, 2022 | LAHORE

Nadra, Bureau of StatiSticS iNk Mou for ceNSuS Software developMeNt iSLaMaBaD

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Press rlelase

oU Signing Ceremony between PBS and NADRA for development of census software and Tablet provision was held at National Census Coordination Centre (N3C), PBS Head office, Islamabad. Professor Ahsan Iqbal, Federal Minister of Planning, Development and Special initiatives was Chief Guest at the occasion. Besides, the logo of 7th Digital Population and Housing Census was also unveiled by Mr. Ahsan Iqbal.

Representatives from collaborating partners i.e., NADRA, NTC, SUPARCO, delegates from Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Dr. Naeem uz Zafar, Chief Statistician, Mr. Muhammad Sarwar Gondal, Member Support Services / Resource management, Mr. Ayazuddin, Member Census and Surveys and other senior officers from PBS were also present on the occasion.

Dr. Naeem uz Zafar, Chief Statistician welcomed the guests and informed that NADRA will provide software and tablets for the upcoming 7th Digital Population and Housing Census. The software is being de-

veloped after detailed information sharing and extensive consultations between PBS and NADRA. Software development is a major milestone which is almost mature and Census software that will be provided by NADRA has 16 modules. He also delivered a brief presentation on Census process and the mechanism of monitoring census activities and confidence building of stakeholders.

Mr. Tariq Malik, Chairman NADRA considered it to be an honour for his organization to be a collaborating partner in a National activity like Census. He announced that the software provided by NADRA will be a comprehensive application for house-

hold listing, enumeration and will be linked with GPS control. It will ensure data security and NADRA will also provide 24 hours Technical help during census exercise. After successful execution of Pilot Census, the scope will be extended to full enumeration.

Dr. Naeem uz Zafar, Chief Statistician and Mr. Tariq Malik, Chairman NADRA signed the MoU. Mr. Ahsan Iqbal, Minister, Planning Development and Special Initiatives congratulated PBS and NADRA. He further added that both PBS and NADRA are important organizations. As PBS collects data for development of country and NADRA maintains a compre-

NEWS

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hensive automated registration system for the country. Census is an important activity linked with resource allocation, delimitation and policy making. Digitization will increase the transparency but digital technology is dependent on software capacity. In the end, he hoped that PBS will timely provide census results to Election Commission for delimitation of boundaries.

Sindh Government reduces sales tax on commissions charged by online platforms for home based vendors Karachi

NBp launches aitemaad islamic Banking window at Main Branch, rawalpindi PrESS rELEaSE The Islamic Banking Window of NBP Aitemaad at Main Branch, Rawalpindi was inaugurated by Mr. Gul Bahar Khan, EVP / General Manager – Islamabad Cluster and Mr. Saquib Haider Loan, Regional Head, AIBR-FEDC. Ms. Zahida Hameed, Regional Head Rawalpindi, Ms. Mahum Tariq, SVP/Chief Branch Manager Main Branch Rawalpindi along with Mr. Muhammad Farhan, Project Coordinator IBW AIBRFEDC Islamabad. The launching ceremony was also attended by other executives from NBP Aitemaad Islamic Banking Group, Regional Team of Rawalpindi/Islamabad Region and other executives of the Bank. The launch of Islamic Banking windows will allow NBP to serve its customers with tailor made financial solutions while growing its overall position as the leading Islamic Banking player in the industry.

dG khan cement maintaining eco-friendly environment Nishat Group is one of the largest and most diversified business groups in South East Asia. The Management of Nishat Group under the dynamic leadership of Mian Muhammad Mansha continues the spirit of entrepreneurship and has led the group successfully to make it the premier business group of the region. The group has now become a multidimensional corporation and is playing an important role in the industrial and economic development of the country.

Firmly believing in “growth through professional management” Nishat Group's corporate culture is based on decentralization, delegation of authority, encouraging the acceptance of responsibility, and inculcating quality-consciousness. Nishat takes is corporate social responsibility very seriously and continues to strive to be a better group today than what they were yesterday, for their customers, shareholders, investors, the environment, community and for their employees.

DG Khan Cement Company Limited (DGKCC) is amongst largest cement manufacturers of Pakistan with a production capacity of 25,000 tons cement per day (7.500 million tons/annum). DGKCC has three cement plants located at Dera Ghazi Khan, Kalar Kahar and Hub. Plants and equipment are supplied by renowned European suppliers and are based on the latest Dry Process Technology. DGKCC is the first to use innovative technologies in the cement industry.

DGKCC latest state of the art plant located at Hub is first of its kind to have largest production line with six stage preheater tower, largest vertical griding mill based on COPE drive system, multiple chamber cement storage silos to store different products at the same time. It is from this plant that we are exporting a ship load of low alkali cement to the USA.

Press release

In the recently announced provincial budget 2022/2023, the Sindh Government took an important step in supporting home based vendors through allowing a reduction in sales tax on commissions charged for home chefs that operate on online platforms. The rebate is consistent with similar reductions offered by other provinces like Punjab and KP, and is expected to help grow the sector and support grass root economic empowerment (especially for women).

The rebate reduces sales tax from 13%

to 8%, allowing for better unit economics and higher potential for growth for such HomeChefs operating on online food delivery platforms, such as foodpanda.

Dr. Wasif Ali Memon, Chairman SRB, stated, “This step by the Sindh Government will support home-based entrepreneurs working on online delivery platforms and drive economic viability for a large, and growing segment of the society. The rebate will lead to an increase in the number of home based vendors and create an enabling environment which is well aligned with the government’s focus on economic sustainability.”

Muntaqa Peracha, CEO foodpanda, while sharing his thoughts said, “This initiative by the Government of Sindh is in line with our vision of creating a favourable business environment for HomeChefs as they represent an important segment of our portfolio. This move will help grow a new sector that has significant potential for financial and economic inclusion, specifically women’s economic empowerment. We are excited to see its positive impact on food entrepreneurship and aim at scaling it further across the country.”

The reduction in the rate of Sindh sales tax SST) on commission charged by online

Naval Chief message on World Hydrography Day 2022 PrESS rELEaSE World Hydrography Day (WHD) is celebrated worldwide on 21st June every year to raise awareness about hydrography and how it plays a role in the improved knowledge of the seas and oceans. The theme chosen

by International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) for WHD-22 is "Hydrography - contributing to the United Nations Ocean Decade".

This year's theme is designed to highlight how hydrography can support the United Nations Decade of Ocean Sciences for Sustainable Development (2021 - 2030). The commemoration would emphasize importance of hydrography that underpins almost every activity associated with the sea including safety of navigation, economic development, security and defence, environmental protection, scientific research, resource exploitation, disaster management, maritime boundary delimitation and Integrated Coastal Zone Management etc. Moreover, this year WHD celebrations will highlight the efforts to bring together ocean stakeholders across the world to foster partnerships and generate the knowledge needed to support a well functioning, productive, resilient, and sustainable ocean.

Pakistan is a responsible coastal state blessed with over 1,000 Kms of coastline along with 240,000 Sq Km of sea area within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) In 2015, Pakistan Navy Hydrographic Department (PNHD) along with other relevant national organizations played a vital role in securing approval of an additional sea area of 50,000 Sq Km as extended Continental Shelf from relevant UN Commission, adding it to Pakistan's

Maritime Zone. As per United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), coastal states are responsible for hydrographic surveys and production of nautical charts/ maps of their waters to provide accurate nautical information to the mariners. On behalf of Pakistan, PNHD is fulfilling this obligation and has produced required nautical paper and digital charts to ensure safe navigation through busy shipping lanes traversing across our Maritime Zone. PNHD is also shouldering the national responsibility of Coordinator NAVAREA-IX (comprising North Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf and the Red Sea Region) since 1976 by promulgating regular Navigation Warnings. In 2019, a new Survey Ship 'PNS BEHR MASAH' was inducted in PN, which has boosted national surveying capacity. Its services are also being utilized to support regional countries in addressing their specialized survey needs.

food delivery channels from home-based chefs will be applicable from 1st of July, for a period of two years, ending on June 30, 2024.

HomeChefs are essentially people operating out of their home kitchens who sell food through online platforms. Foodpanda, along with a few other players in the industry, currently has several thousand registered HomeChefs who have been taken on board after stringent routine checks for food hygiene, quality, safety, packaging, etc. The sector is expected to grow significantly, for example foodpanda aims to increase the HomeChefs base in the next two years and take it up to 100,000 registered HomeChefs.

ambassador of spain calls on air chief iSLaMaBaD Press release

Ambassador of Spain Mr. Manuel Duran GimenezRico called on Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force in his office today. The visiting dignitary appreciated the professionalism of PAF personnel and the exceptional progress made by PAF over the years, especially through indigenization. The Air Chief highlighted that both countries enjoy cordial relations and reiterated his resolve to further enhance the existing bilateral cooperation between the air forces of the two countries. Various matters of mutual interest and professional cooperation also came under discussion during the meeting.PMC – a Public Centric National Regulator achieving landmark targets Pakistan Medical Commission has worked diligently to implement benchmarks set to ensure standardized quality medical and dental education in Pakistan. Still, in its nascent state, PMC has taken strides in the improvement of medical and dental education in Pakistan. The Pakistan Medical Commission, since its inception, has achieved landmark targets that have positively impacted the quality of educational institutions as well as licensed practitioners and have been highly appreciated by all stakeholders. Out of landmark targets that were the top priority of the PMC were Quick online service, Online Application form, Issuance of official Documents like license, good standing certificates, etc. within 2 days of application, Rapid response to online registered complaints, No person to person contact so minimal chances of corruption, Implementation of Equal Stipend to private graduates, Implementation of House job Policy, Grading of Medical Colleges, Issuance of no. of house job seats in different Teaching & nonteaching Hospitals, Give & implement Policy related to new Medical College Registration & Upgrading of Previously opened Private Medical Colleges, National computer-based MDCAT, Black listing of Colleges not maintaining the Criteria of PMC, Give licensing pathways to Foreign graduates.

Shaheed Benazir Bhutto – tethered to people forever Bashir riaz

Fourteen years on, as we mark Shaheed Benazir Bhutto’s birthday, she is not amongst us physically but her name is still alive in the hearts and minds of the people across the world. June 21, 2022, is Shaheed BB’s 69th birthday.

Death is an undeniable reality but some people are born to live beyond death. In Pakistan, the Bhutto family has forever left a permanent mark on the political landscape of our country. Benazir Bhutto, just like her father Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, remains alive for all those who believe in democ-

racy. For women in Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto is a great inspiration—an example that women in our country can achieve great things. She is a pioneer of women leadership in the Muslim World.

Known as the Daughter of the East, Benazir Bhutto is the star that did not shatter under autocratic rule of dictator and its brilliance did not dim in the collective consciousness of the people of Pakistan and the World.

A recent example is the rich tribute paid by Jacinda Ardern, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, for Shaheed BB at an event in Harvard University. She said,

“There will be opinions and differing perspectives written about all of us as political leaders. Two things that history will not contest about Benazir Bhutto. She was the first Muslim female Prime Minister elected in an Islamic country, when a woman in power was a rare thing. She was also the first to give birth in office. The second and only other leader to have given birth in office almost 30 years later, was me.” Arden also quoted Benazir Bhutto’s remarks on democracy from BB’s speech in 1989: ‘We must realise that democracy can be fragile’, and went on to say, “Now I read those

words as I sat in my office in Wellington, New Zealand, a world away from Pakistan. And while the reasons that gave rise for her words then were vastly different, they still ring true.”

Benazir Bhutto stood for a progressive and democratic Pakistan, fighting for a Pakistan where the weak and the strong have equal voice. Her struggle for democracy ended up taking her life but fear never dissuaded her.

Perhaps she inherited this trait from her father who refused to bow down to a military dictator and chose to go down in history as someone who would never give

up on his democratic principles for self-preservation. Years later, when his daughter was warned by Pervez Musharraf not to return to Pakistan and stay away from elections, she refused and chose to return and be part of the democratic electoral process. As she finished an election rally in Rawalpindi on December 27, 2007, she was assassinated by a suicide bomber who shot her and blew himself up.

She died amongst her people.

Shaheed BB served two terms as prime minister of Pakistan and both times, her government was interrupted and her term ended prematurely.

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Tuesday, 21 June, 2022 | lahore

foriGen news

Ukraine blames rUssia for stepping Up attacks

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AGENcIES

USSIAN forces have stepped up their shelling in Ukraine’s Kharkiv and Donetsk regions, Kyiv said Monday, after President Volodymyr Zelensky warned to expect greater hostilities ahead of a historic EU decision on Ukraine’s bid for candidate status.

Nearly four months after Russia launched a bloody invasion of his country, Zelensky said in his evening address on Sunday there had been “few such fateful decisions for Ukraine” as the one it expects from the European Union this week.

“Obviously, we expect Russia to intensify hostile activity this week … We are preparing. We are ready,” he said.

Leaders of the EU’s 27 member states will discuss at a summit on Thursday and Friday whether to add Ukraine to the list of countries vying for membership.

EU foreign ministers gathering in Luxembourg kicked off the week urging

Moscow to stop blocking the export of vitally needed grain from Ukraine, a top global supplier.

“One cannot imagine that millions of tonnes of wheat remain blocked in Ukraine while in the rest of the world people are suffering hunger. This is a real war crime,” the bloc’s top diplomat Josep Borrell said.

Moscow has denied responsibility for the food crisis, and blames Western sanctions for the disrupted deliveries that have pushed up cereal prices and fanned fears of famines in vulnerable regions.

On the ground, Russia appeared to be making some battlefield advances in the east. In its daily update on Monday, Ukraine’s presidency reported heavier Russian shelling in the Kharkiv region in the northeast. In the Donetsk region, the intensity of the attacks “is growing along the entire frontline” it said, leaving at least one person dead and injuring seven people, including a child.

Fighting also continued in the key industrial city of Severodonetsk in the east, with

Ukraine saying it had lost control of the adjacent village of Metyolkine.

“Unfortunately, we do not control Metyolkine anymore. And the enemy continues to build up its reserves,” the Lugansk regional governor Sergiy Gaiday said in a statement on social media.

Moscow’s forces have for weeks been battling to seize the eastern Donbas region, after being repelled from other parts of the country following their February invasion.

A chemical plant in Severodonetsk where hundreds of civilians are said to be sheltering was being shelled “constantly”, Gaiday said.

NATO’s chief Jens Stoltenberg meanwhile warned on Sunday that the war could grind on “for years” and urged Western countries to be ready to offer long-term military, political and economic aid.

Ukraine has repeatedly urged Western countries to step up their deliveries of arms, despite warnings from nuclear-armed Russia that it could trigger wider conflict.

Russia’s defence ministry said Sunday it

launched missile strikes during the past 24 hours, with one attack on a top-level Ukrainian military meeting near the city of Dnipro killing “more than 50 generals and officers”.

It said it also targeted a building housing Western-provided weapons in Mykolaiv, destroying Ukrainian artillery and armoured vehicles. There was no independent verification of the claims.

Mykolaiv is a key target for Russia as it lies on the route to the strategic port of Odessa.

With Russia maintaining a blockade of Odessa that has trapped grain supplies, residents have turned their attention to rallying the home front effort.

“Every day, including the weekend, I come to make camouflage netting for the army,” said Natalia Pinchenkova, 49, standing by a large Union flag, a show of thanks to Britain for its support for Ukraine.

The Ukraine war is fuelling not only a global food crisis but an energy crisis too.

Hit by punishing sanctions, Moscow has turned up the pressure on European

Jubilant Gustavo Petro elected Colombia’s first leftist president BOGOTA Agencies

Ex-guerrilla Gustavo Petro was elected the first ever left-wing president of Colombia on Sunday, after beating millionaire businessman Rodolfo Hernandez in a tense and unpredictable runoff election. With more than 99.9 percent of votes counted, Petro — the 62-year-old former mayor of Bogota — held an unassailable lead of 50.45 percent compared to Hernandez’s 47.3 percent.

“Today is a celebration for the people.

Let’s celebrate the first popular victory,” Petro wrote on Twitter. Hernandez, 77, accepted the result, in which he came up short by 700,000 votes, in a Facebook live broadcast.

“I hope that Mr Gustavo Petro knows how to run the country and is faithful to his discourse against corruption,” said the construction magnate, who had made fighting graft his main campaign pledge.

Petro will succeed the deeply unpopular conservative Ivan Duque, who was barred by Colombia’s constitution from standing for reelection, in a country saddled with widespread poverty, a surge in violence and other woes. “May so much suffering be cushioned by the joy that today floods the heart of the Homeland.

This victory is for God and for the People and their history,” added Petro.

In another historic achievement, environmental activist and feminist Francia Marquez, 40, will become Colombia’s first black woman vice president. Amid fears a tight result could spark post-election violence, some 320,000 police and military were deployed to ensure security.

The electoral observer mission said one of Petro’s election monitors and a sol-

dier were killed, both in the south.

Colombia is no stranger to political violence, with five presidential candidates having been murdered over the course of the 20th century.

Before the first round of this year’s presidential election, several candidates received death threats. Regional leftist leaders were quick to congratulate Petro.

“Gustavo Petro’s victory is historic.

Colombia’s conservatives have always been tenacious and tough,” Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador wrote on Twitter.

“Joy for Latin America! We will work together for the unity of our continent in the challenges of a world changing rapidly,” tweeted Chile President Gabriel Boric. Diosdado Cabello, the second most powerful man in Venezuela, wished the new president “the greatest success,”

while Peru’s President Pedro Castillo said Petro could “always count on” his country’s support.

When voting in Bogota, Petro, who comfortably topped last month’s first round, urged his supporters among Colombia’s 39 million registered voters to “defeat any attempt at fraud with massive participation.”

The national registrar, Alexander Vega, denounced such fears as “disinformation” while Hernandez, who voted in the northern city of Bucaramanga where he was mayor from 2016 to 2019, accused Petro of “creating an atmosphere of fraud.” Elizabeth Dickinson, Colombia analyst at the International Crisis Group in Bogota, told AFP such claims were “dangerous” and “could easily erupt into post-election unrest.”

With the traditional political powers

suffering a chastening first round defeat, many voters were wary about what the future would hold. Alejandro Bueno, 20, an economics student in Bogota, said he hoped for “a peaceful transition to the next government.”

Petro will have to deal with a country reeling economically from the coronavirus pandemic, a spike in drug-trafficking related violence and deep-rooted anger at the political establishment that spilled over into mass anti-government protests in April 2021.

Almost 40 percent of the country lives in poverty while 11 percent are unemployed. “This result does not give the new president a clear mandate to execute his policy without at least trying to address concerns from his counterpart,” Sergio Guzman, president of the Colombia Risk Analysis consultancy, told AFP. “This is a lesson that should be learned from Ivan Duque’s administration, if Petro does not take a hard look in the mirror and think about how to govern with the other half of the country, we can expect four years of stalemate and brinksmanship.”

One major worry for many is Petro’s past as a radical leftist urban guerrilla in the 1980s who spent almost two years in jail.

Left-wing ideology is intrinsically linked in many Colombians’ minds to the country’s six-decade long multi-faceted conflict, leaving many to fear what a Petro presidency would represent.

He has also vowed to negotiate with Colombia’s last recognized Marxist guerrillas, the National Liberation Army (ELN).

“To demonstrate he is not himself an extreme left wing politician, it would be very complicated for him to open negotiations (with the ELN),” said Dickinson.

Macron loses parliament majority in shocking setback PARIS Agencies

French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday lost his parliamentary majority after major election gains by a newly formed left-wing alliance and the far right, in a stunning blow to his plans for major second-term reform.

Though Macron’s “Together” coalition will still be the biggest party in the next National Assembly, the result from Sunday’s second round poll threw French politics into turmoil, raising the prospect of a paralysed legislature or messy coalitions with Macron forced to reach out to new allies.

Macron, 44, now also risks being distracted by domestic problems as he seeks to play a prominent role in putting an end to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and as a key statesman in the EU. But with 245 seats, according to full interior ministry results announced in the early hours of Monday, it is well short of the 289 seats needed for a majority in the 577-member chamber.

“This situation constitutes a risk for our country, given the challenges that we have to confront,” Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said in a televised statement, vowing: “We will work from tomorrow to build a working majority.”

The outcome severely tarnished Macron’s April presidential election victory when he defeated the far-right to be the first French president to win a second term in over two decades.

“It’s a turning point for his image of invincibility,” said Bruno Cautres, a researcher at the Centre for Political Research of Sciences Po. Le Monde daily headlined on its website: “Macron faces the risk of political paralysis,” while the Le Figaro daily said the results raised the spectre of a “stillborn new mandate”.

The new left-wing coalition NUPES under 70-year-old hard-left figurehead Jean-Luc Melenchon won 135 seats, according to an AFP count based on the results published by the ministry.

The coalition, formed in May after the left splintered for April’s presidential

elections, brings together Socialists, the hard left, Communists and greens. Melenchon called Sunday’s results “above all an electoral failure” for Macron.

“The rout of the presidential party is total and there will be no majority” in parliament, he told cheering supporters in Paris. A prominent MP from Melenchon’s party, Alexis Corbiere, said the result meant Macron’s plan to raise the French retirement age to 65 had been “sunk”.

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen’s National Rally party made huge gains and will send 89 MPs to the new parliament, making it the biggest rightwing force in parliament ahead of the traditional right The Republicans (LR).

Le Pen hailed a historic result for her party, saying it would send “by far” its highest number of MPs to the next National Assembly.

Macron had hoped to stamp his second term with an ambitious programme of tax cuts, welfare reform and raising the retirement age. All that is now in question. “This will complicate the reforms…

It will be much more difficult to govern,” said Dominique Rousseau, professor of law at Paris Pantheon-Sorbonne University. “The slap,” said the headline in the left-leaning Liberation’s Monday edition, adding the results represented the “fall” of Macron’s way of governing.

There could now potentially be weeks of political deadlock as the president seeks to reach out to new parties. The most likely option would be an alliance with the Republicans, the traditional party of the French right, which has 61 MPs. LR president Christian Jacob however made clear there would be no easy partnership, saying his party intended to “stay in opposition”.

Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire denied that France would be ungovernable but admitted “a lot of imagination would be needed” from the ruling party in an “unprecedented situation”.

Macron had called on voters to hand his coalition a “solid majority” last week, adding “nothing would be worse than adding French disorder to the world disorder”.

economies by sharply reducing gas supplies, which has in turn sent energy prices soaring.

Germany on Sunday announced emergency measures including increased use of coal to ensure it meets its energy needs after a drop in the supply of Russian gas in recent days.

Austria announced it will reopen a mothballed coal power station to combat shortages, and Italian company Eni joined a huge Qatari project to expand production from the world’s biggest natural gas field.

China’s imports of oil from Russia meanwhile jumped by 55 percent year on year in May, customs data showed Monday, as Beijing continued to refuse to condemn Moscow’s war.

Natalia Khalaimova, 54, a resident in Lysychansk, across the river from Severodonetsk, said she wanted Russia and Ukraine to negotiate an end to the war.

“Every war in any country ends — but the sooner, the better,” she told AFP. “So many civilians are killed. Most of them were not involved in the war at all.”

Xi encourages pla academy students to contribute to strengthening armed forces BEIJING Agencies

Chinese President Xi Jinping has encouraged students from the Army Infantry Academy of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to contribute to the cause of strengthening China’s armed forces. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a recent letter replying to all the students of the academy who are graduating this year. He hailed the efforts made by the students in learning and training at the academy and congratulated them on their achievements and upcoming graduation. Xi said he is delighted to learn that they are determined to go to remote areas, troops on the frontline and places where they are needed the most to build their careers. He called on them to work hard and grow in the troops and make contributions to China’s cause of building strong armed forces. Chinese President Xi Jinping watches a training session at the Army Infantry Academy of the People’s Liberation Army in east China’s Jiangxi Province, May 21, 2019 Xi attaches great importance to education and talent cultivation at military colleges. He paid an inspection tour to the PLA Army Infantry Academy in east China’s Jiangxi Province in May 2019. The over 1,100 students of the academy who are graduating this year recently wrote a letter to Xi, expressing their determination to work at the grassroot-level and on the frontline and strive for building strong armed forces.

asia’s largest passenger railway hub starts operation in beijing AGENcIES The largest passenger railway hub in Asia was put into operation Monday in Beijing as a four-year reconstruction breathes new life into the Chinese capital’s oldest railway station. With a gross floor area of nearly 400,000 square meters, or 56 standard football pitches, Beijing Fengtai Railway Station has 32 rail tracks and 32 platforms and is able to accommodate a maximum of 14,000 passengers per hour. Located in southern Beijing’s Fengtai District, the time-honored station was built in 1895 and used to provide both passenger and freight services until its closure in 2010. Reconstruction of the station kicked off in 2018. In addition to accommodation expansion, the station has a new look with many traditional Chinese architecture designs. It is also the country’s first railway station featuring a double-deck structure that serves both high-speed and regular train services.

There is also a metro station under the railway station, enabling convenient transfers. The station’s operator said it would put 120 trains into service for the preliminary stage of the railway station’s operation.

over 1,100 ancient tombs discovered in china’s sichuan AGENcIES Archaeologists have found more than 1,100 tombs dating back to the late Shang Dynasty (1600 B.C.1046 B.C.) and the early Western Han Dynasty (202 B.C.-25 A.D.) in Yanyuan County, southwest China’s Sichuan Province. Over 5,000 artifacts including pottery, bronzeware, ironware, goldware, and silverware have been unearthed from the Laolongtou ruins site since an excavation launched in April 2020, according to the cultural relics and archaeology research institute of Chengdu, capital of Sichuan.Archaeologists said that most of the pottery are jars with ear handles.

Tuesday, 21 June, 2022 | LAHORE

SPORTS 11

RUMOURS RIFE AbOUT REMOvAl OF RAMIz RAjA AS PCb CHAIRMAn ISLAMABAD

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UMOURS are rife about a massive shift in Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and talks about replacing Ramiz Raja as PCB Chairman has resurfaced once again. According to sources, the following federal cabinet meeting may discuss amendments in the board’s constitution along with the potential removal of Ramiz Raja and Asad Ali Khan from PCB Board of Governors (BoG). This will pave way for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to appoint a new PCB Chairman

England’s Matt Fitzpatrick wins US Open for first major title

under Article 47 of the board’s constitution.

Furthermore, changes in the board’s constitution are also expected, if the federal government deems it necessary to make changes at this moment in time.

A number of high-ranking officials have backed the idea of replacing Ramiz Raja and PM Shehbaz Sharif has already met with Najam Sethi, Zaka Ashraf, and Khalid Mahmood. It is worth pointing out that no meeting between the newly elected PM and current PCB Chairman has been conducted thus far.

Traditionally, PCB management also sees a change after a shift in management in Pakistan’s government as well. However, Raja has been retained;

the reason behind this is that a high-ranking official backed Ramiz’s performance which saw him retain the power as PCB Chairman.

Ramiz Raja, in a conversation with the media, had voiced his opinion about resignation following the departure of PM Imran Khan. However, there was no development on that front either.

The source further added that under the current PCB constitution, the government cannot directly change the PCB Chairman. However, following the changes in the PCB constitution, it will reserve the right to withdraw its nominations for the governing board and avoid direct action to avoid any controversy in case a legal battle may

Asia Cup 2022 schedule yet to be announced AgencIeS The Asia Cup 2022 which was scheduled to be played in the T20 format between August 27 and September 11 has yet to be announcing the schedule.

The Asia Cup 2022 would be the 15th edition of the regional tournament since it was first conducted in 1984 in Sharjah.

According to cricketaddictor.com, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) was yet to announce the schedule for the qualifiers round and the main fixtures and venues of Asia Cup 2022.

Sri Lanka was named the hosts for the Asia Cup, which they were initially supposed to host in 2020 but the tournament was deferred due to the rising COVID-19 cases in the country.

Despite the unrest in the island nation, which was facing political turmoil

AgencIeS England’s Matt Fitzpatrick captured his first major title on Sunday by winning the US Open in dramatic fashion, making spectacular shots as rivals crumbled under final-round pressure. After a thrilling threeman fight down the back nine at The Country Club, Fitzpatrick fired a two-under-par 68 to finish on sixunder-par 274 and defeat Americans Scottie Scheffler and Will Zalatoris by one stroke. World number 18 Fitzpatrick, who won the 2013 US Amateur at The Country Club, matched Jack Nicklaus as the only US Open and US Amateur winners on the same course, the US legend doing the double at Pebble Beach. The 27-year-old from Sheffield, who shared fifth last month at the PGA Championship for his best prior major result, sank a stunning 48-foot birdie putt at the 13th hole to grab a share of the lead. At the 15th, Fitzpatrick blasted out of the right rough to just inside 19 feet and rolled in a tension-packed putt to reach 6-under and lead by two. But after birdies by Scheffler at 17 and Zalatoris on 16, Fitzpatrick clung to a one-stroke lead at the 18th tee. After the Englishman sent his tee shot into a left fairway bunker, he blasted a magnificent approach to 18 feet and two putted for par, leaving Zalatoris needing to sink a 14foot birdie putt to force a playoff. When Zalatoris missed, the title and a record $3.15 million top prize belonged to Fitzpatrick.

Pak-England T20I series expected to start from September 15 LAHORe INP

A special committee has been set up by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to iron out the details for the England cricket team’s upcoming tour of Pakistan. Both boards will collaborate together to discuss various issues including the tour schedule and security arrangements throughout the series. It is expected that the tour is set to kick off on September 15. England will come head-to-head against Pakistan in a 7-match T20I series; initially, five T20Is were scheduled but former ECB Chief Executive Tom Harrison announced the addition of two more T20Is to make up for cancelling Pakistan’s tour last year. The England team will travel to Pakistan again following the conclusion of the ICC T20 World Cup to play a 3-match Test series later this year. PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja, last week, said that the board will soon announce the final dates for the England tour along with other details such as venue, time, and tickets pricing.

break out. In addition to this, the new government is also keen on changing the domestic circuit, which was created at the behest of former PM Imran Khan.

England recall Billy Vunipola for Australia Test series

and economic crisis, there is no confirmation whether it would continue Sri Lanka as the host or if any alternate Asian country would replace them.

This would be the second instance of the Asia Cup being played in the T20 format, the last time it was played in 2016 in Bangladesh just prior to the T20 World Cup. India were the defending champions of the Asia Cup after defeating Bangladesh in the final in 2018.

Five Test-playing nations- India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan along with one more team would make the cut in the qualifiers starting on August 20. Hong Kong, Kuwait, Singapore and UAE would play in the four-team Asia Cup 2022 qualifiers tournament. However, none of the five teams confirmed to participate in Asia Cup 2022 have announced their squads for the biennial event.

Aakash Chopra heaps praise on Imam-ul-Haq

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Eddie Jones on Monday recalled powerful Saracens forward Billy Vunipola and named veteran scrum-half Danny Care in his 36-man squad for England’s three-Test Australia tour in July. Injuries to Alex Dombrandt and Sam Simmonds have opened the door for No. 8 Vunipola to make his first international appearance since last year’s Six Nations.

England will travel to Australia on Tuesday ahead of their first game against the Wallabies in Perth on July 2, with matches to follow in Brisbane and Sydney. Australia-born Vunipola, whose brother Mako Vunipola is also in the squad, was knocked out in the closing stages of Saracens’ 15-12 Premiership final defeat to Leicester on Saturday.

But the 29-year-old, who has 61 England caps, been included in the touring party and will compete with Tom Curry for the number eight jersey.

“Billy needed to find his best,” said Jones. “He wasn’t at his best in the last Six Nations he played with us, he was a bit up and down. “I asked him to go away and find his best and I think that consistently for Saracens he has been close to that.

In the (Saturday’s Premiership) final he was exceptional, he looked like a Test number eight.” Danny Care, 35, is on course to make his Test comeback in Australia as one of three scrum-halves included in the touring party, almost four years after winning the last of his 84 caps.

But three notable senior players are missing in Ben Youngs, Joe Marler and Elliot Daly, while Max Malins continues to be frozen out after being dropped during the Six Nations.

Youngs has recently experienced family tragedy with the death of Tiffany Youngs, the wife of his elder brother Tom,

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but other omissions were purely selection-based.

Eight uncapped players have been named in the squad including London Irish full-back Henry Arundell, who has created a buzz after scoring several eye-catching tries for London Irish and England Under-20s.

“Henry has a lot to like, but the next step is the big step — to go from a part-time club player to a fully fledged international is a big step,” Jones said.

“He’s taking good steps towards it, he has a good attitude.

He works hard and has been learning from senior players.

Luckily he has a guy like Jonny May to learn from, an ultimate professional.” Jones revealed that he would name his captain in the week of the first Test. England have won all eight of their Tests against the Wallabies since former Australia coach Jones took charge after the 2015 World Cup, including a 3-0 series whitewash six years ago.

Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has lavished praise on Pakistan batter Imam-ul-Haq after the left-hander overtook India’s Virat Kohli on the second place in the latest ICC ODI rankings.

The 26-year-old had great back-to-back series against Australia and West Indies at home. He jumped to second spot with 815 points whereas Kohli slipped to third spot with 811 points. “Imam has reached the number two spot [in ODI cricket]. He scored tons of runs during the recent tour by West Indies and also did well before that,” said Chopra on his YouTube channel. “He is a very good player, there is no doubt about that,” he added. The former Indian opener also added that Imam would stay ahead of Kohli in the ICC rankings in near future. “There is only four-point gap between Imam and Kohli which isn’t much. But he will stay ahead of Kohli for a little while because Kohli isn’t going to play ODI cricket in the near future,” he said. In 52 games, Imam has scored 2,520 runs in ODIs at an impressive of 54.78.

PCB announces rewards of Rs1m each for blind cricket teams ISLAMABAD INP

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ramiz Raja has announced rewards of Rs one million each for the Pakistan blind and deaf cricket teams in recognition of their performances at the international level. He announced the reward in the PCB General Body meeting held here in Lahore following January’s elections of the Pakistan Deaf Cricket Association at the National High-Performance Centre on Monday.

PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja chaired the meeting, while Syed Sul-

tan Shah (Chairman, Pakistan Blind Cricket Council) and Irfan Miraj (President, Deaf Cricket Association) also attended the meeting along with their office-bearers, who participated as observers on the special invitation of the PCB Chairman. PCB Chief Executive Faisal Hasnain and Chief Operating Officer Barrister Salman Naseer also attended the meeting as ex-officio members.

In accordance with Clause 20 of the PCB Constitution 2019, the General Body considered and expressed their views on the audited accounts and PCB Annual Report, which are now available for viewing and downloading at the corporate web-

site under Documents.

The General Body was also provided with a snapshot of Pakistan cricket and received a briefing on the steps and measures being taken to bolster Pakistan cricket’s foundations by strengthening grassroots cricket.

The General Body was informed the Pakistan men’s sides were presently ranked fifth in Tests and, third in ODIs and T20Is, while they are placed in the fourth position in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League, which is a qualifying event for the 2023 World Cup. The General Body was updated on the busy and tough 2022-23

cricket season for the men’s side that including the tour to Sri Lanka for two Tests and the ACC T20 Asia Cup, Netherlands for three ODIs and Australia for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in October.

The subsequent home series includes split tours by England and New Zealand, while the West Indies will return for three T20Is in January/February 2023.

The women’s side will feature in the Birmingham Commonwealth Games and T20 World Cups in South Africa, while their ICC Women’s Championship fixtures will be against Ireland at home and away in Australia.

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Tuesday, 21 June, 2022

PRayeR tImINgS

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PM SHeHbaz GetS PerManent eXeMPtIon In raMzan SuGar MIllS CaSe iSLAMABAD

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N accountability court on Monday approved a plea of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for permanent exemption from attending the hearing in the Ramzan Sugar Mills case.

Accountability Judge Asad Ali Awan announced his decision, which was reserved over the plea in a previous hearing.

Shehbaz Sharif in his application argued that he could not appear before the court as the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

He had sought the court’s instructions for nominating pleaders in the case. The court adjourned further hearing of the case July 05.

The court also summoned lawyers in

the next hearing for arguments over acquittal petitions of the accused.

In the plea filed through his lawyer, he had stated that he saved billions of rupees of the public in government schemes. He said he was neither a shareholder nor the director of the sugar mill as he had already transferred his properties to his children.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has failed to prove corruption charges against him, he claimed, requesting the court to acquit him in the case.

In Dec, his son and now Chief Minister of Punjab, Hamza Shahbaz had moved an acquittal plea in the Ramzan Sugar Mills reference.

He filed the acquittal plea on the basis of the amendments made to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) law. He stated that the corruption watchdog filed

Pol import bill surges 99pc to $19.6bn in 11 months APP The imports of overall petroleum group witnessed an increase of 99.14 percent during the first eleven months of the current fiscal year (2021-22) as compared to the corresponding period of the last year. During the period under review, the total imports of the petroleum group stood at $19.679 billion, as against the imports of $9.882 billion last year, according to the latest data issued by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). Among petroleum commodities, the import of petroleum products rose by 126.17 percent, from $4.431 billion last year to $10.022 billion during the period under review. The imports of petroleum crud also increased by 74.70 percent, from $2.724 billion last year to $5.7591billion during July-May (2021-22) whereas the imports of liquefied natural gas surged by 86.29 percent from $2.302 billion to $4.289 billion. Similarly, the import of liquefied petroleum gas grew by 43.50 percent, from $422.917 million to $606.892 million. However, the imports of all other petroleum group commodities decreased by 19.04 percent, from $0.305 million to $0.247 million, the data revealed. Meanwhile, on year-on-year basis, the petroleum group imports witnessed an increase 123.40 percent during the month of May 2022 as compared to the same month of last year. The petroleum imports during May 2022 were recorded at $2.645 billion against the imports of $1.184 billion during May 2021. On month-onmonth basis, the petroleum imports into the country also increased by 19 percent during May 2022 when compared to the imports of $2.223 billion in April 2022, the data revealed.

It is pertinent to mention here that during the first eleven months, the overall merchandize imports went up by 44.28 percent by growing from $50.028 billion during July-May (2020-21) to $72.182 billion in July-May (2021-22). The exports also witnessed an increase of 27.78 percent and were recorded at $28.848 billion during the period against the exports of $22.576 billion recorded last year. Based on the data, the overall trade deficit during the period under review was recorded at $43.334 billion, showing an increase of 57.85 percent over the deficit of $27.452 billion recorded during last year, the PBS data revealed.

Hina and Hamza discuss progress on FatF action plan iSLAMABAD Staff RePoRt

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar called on Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz on Monday and discussed the progress on getting Pakistan out of the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Punjab CM Hamza Shahbaz appreciated the efforts of State Minister Hina Rabbani Khar and the entire team on the positive progress on the matter of FATF. During a meeting, the Punjab CM said that the positive development of FATF from the grey list to the white list is a victory for the country. Hamza Shahbaz said he hopes Pakistan will return to the white list after the FATF team’s tour to Pakistan in October. Member National Assembly Raza Rabbani Khar, Provincial Minister Syed Ali Haider Gilani, Sardar Awais Leghari, and Member Punjab Assembly Makhdoom Syed Usman Mahmood were also present at the meeting.

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Pakistan, Iran discuss aspects of electricity supply from Iran to Gwadar APP Federal Minister for Power Engr. Khurram Dastgir Khan on Monday held a meeting with Iran’s Minister for Energy Ali Akbari Mehrabian in Tehran and discussed various aspects of electricity supply from Polan (Iran) to Gwadar.

The meeting was also aimed at increasing avenues of cooperation in the field of energy between both the neighbors, said a press release issued here. Khurram lauded Iran for its cooperation in energy sector and reiterated his country’s commitment to further strengthen the relations. He stressed the need to expedite the electricity import project, it further said. Both long term and short-term energy plans also came under discussion.

the reference against him for allegedly getting a drain built with the public funds to facilitate the Ramzan Sugar Mills.

The NAB reference is ill-founded and based on mala fide intentions and on political grounds, he alleged.

Banks turn away Letters of Credit as foreign exchange liquidity becomes scarce AriBA ShAhiD Banks are turning away customers with import transactions due to a shortage of foreign exchange in the interbank, informed sources told Profit on Monday.

This news comes just days after Profit reported exclusively that the interbank market was running out of dollars.

As per informed sources, banks are being told not to give quotes for import transactions by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). Sources say only those banks that are receiving inflows from remittances or exports are being allowed to process import payments.

Even as leading commercial banks struggle to process import documents, the State Bank of Pakistan denied giving any fresh instructions to curb imports.

“State Bank has not stopped banks from making import pay-

ments,” the SBP said in a statement released on Monday in response to media queries about the issue.

“Even today, roughly about USD 200 million import payments have been executed. SBP has, however, required prior approval before opening of LCs or registration of contracts for certain types of imports like Cars (CKD), cell phone (CKD) and certain types of machinery. But these instructions were issued on May 20 and not today.” The drying up of dollar liquidity in the interbank market has led to the collapse of forward premiums on dollar swaps altogether as the SBP has not sold dollars in the interbank in a month.

In the interbank, the forward premiums continued to fall sharply on the first trading day of the week after registering steep falls all last week. Monday saw forward premiums drop by 714 bps, 1406 bps, 22 bps, 2141 bps, and 3057 bps for the one-week, two-

week, three-month, two-month, and three-month tenors respectively.

As the payment pressures mount, the rupee continues to take a battering against the US dollar, hitting a high of Rs 213 in the interbank on Monday, before closing just below Rs 210 as per the SBP – depreciating

by Rs 1.2095 or 0.58% over Friday’s closing.

Bankers with visibility on developments in forward markets for foreign exchange tell Profit that aside from not selling dollars in the open market, the SBP has also been rationing dollars through various means despite a ban on imports of certain goods. Measures include making “administrative” delays in processing letters of credit.

According to the latest data from the SBP, the country’s foreign exchange reserves stand at $14,943 million as of June 10th falling $233.5 million from the previous week.

Govt summons parliamentary body for briefing on talks with TTP iSLAMABAD Staff RePoRt

The federal government has summoned an in-camera session of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) on Tuesday (today) to give briefing on ongoing talks with banned outfit Tehreek-iTaliban Pakistan (TTP), sources said on Monday.

The in-camera session of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) has been summoned tomorrow to give a briefing on TTPgovernment talks.

The movement for summoning the PCNS in-camera session at the National Assembly (NA) Hall was presented by Federal Minister for Par-

liamentary Affairs Javed Abbasi. The movement was approved by the NA lawmakers.

Sources said that the PCNS incamera session is being summoned after Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) raised objections over the secrecy of the government’s ongoing talks with the banned TTP. In the upcoming session, a briefing will be given to the outlawed TTP, sources added.

Earlier, PPP had mounted pressure on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to summon the meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) and an all-parties conference (APC) regarding the talks with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

The coalition party of the Pakistan

Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) led government, PPP has strongly reacted to ongoing talks with the banned TTP without taking it into confidence.

Sources told PPP expressed serious reservations over the secrecy on the progress of ongoing talks with the banned TTP. Following the PPP’s reservations, pressure has been mounted on PM Shehbaz Sharif to summon an NSC meeting and an APC for a briefing on TTP talks.

It was learnt that PM Sharif consulted the ministers to summon NSC or APC. It should be noted here that the coalition parties of the PML-N-led government expressed concerns over the secrecy being adopted for holding talks with the banned outfit.

KP govt spends 64pc of ADP fund Aziz Buneri The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has utilised 64% of the Annual Development Program (ADP) for the current financial year.

Ten departments – including Transport, Public Private Partnership, Information, Finance, Excise and Taxation, Environment, Food, and District ADP, all failed to utilise up to 50% of development funds for the current financial year. According to sources in the finance department, due to financial constraints because of the delay in getting funds from the federal government and foreign finance institutions, most of the projects in the Annual Development Program could not be completed on time and most of the plans have been put on hold. Sources said despite the lack of funds, the provincial government has included projects worth billions of rupees in the ADP. The provincial government has utilised upto 79% of

the budget from the Rs270 billion development program for settled districts. The KP government has spent Rs8.9 billion out of Rs11.3 billion for the agriculture department.

The Department of Endowments and minorities affairs spent Rs503 million out of Rs729 million. Board of revenue spent 79% of its budget, Rs1.3 billion out of Rs15 billion allocated for District ADP has been utilised. The public health engineering department has spent Rs4.7 billion out of the allocated Rs6.5 billion.

The elementary and secondary education department could use just Rs6.7 billion out of Rs12.8 billion while the power and energy department utilised Rs4.6 billion out of the allocated Rs15.1 billion. Environment could use Rs12mn out of Rs40mn, The establishment and administration used Rs155 million out of Rs266 million, Rs30 million out of Rs175 million were used by the excise and taxation department, the finance department used Rs163 out of Rs27.3 billion.

IHC approves petition for dismissal of case after Imaan Mazari offers apology iSLAMABAD INP

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Monday approved the petition of Imaan Mazari, the daughter of former federal minister Shireen Mazari, to dismiss the case against her for using offensive language against the army after Ms Mazari offered apology. IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah approved the petition for the dismissal of the case. The lawyer for Imaan Mazari adopted before the court, “We became part of investigation despite our reservations. We were giving our statements to the police; the police were writing something else.” He also told the court, “We had told the police we will submit a written statement ourselves. We had said on the very first day that there is no justification for the word that was spoken [by Imaan Mazari].” The IHC chief justice, in his remarks, said: “Imaan Mazari is an officer of the court. She should not have said such words.” “Imaan Mazari has apologised for her statement. What more do you want now?” Justice Athar Minallah asked from the lawyer for the Ministry of Defence. The defence ministry’s lawyer said, “Imaan Mazari should apologise for her statement in front of press,” to which the IHC chief justice stated, “She has already apologised before the court for her statement. You must look at the time when the statement was made. What had happened to her mother at that time.” The defence ministry’s lawyer answered, “Imaan Mazari is like our daughter, but we must look at her past conduct.”

PSX loses 363 points, closing at 41,776 points APP The KSE 100-index of the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Monday witnessed bearish trend, losing 363 points, a negative change of 0.86 percent, closing at 41,776.98 points against 42,140.76 points on the last working day. A total of 162,112,379 shares were traded during the day compared to the trade of 282,931,441 shares the previous day, whereas the price of shares stood at Rs4.910 billion against Rs9.059 billion on last trading day. As many as 318 companies transacted shares in the stock market, 87 of them recorded gain and 220 sustained losses, whereas the share price of 11 companies remained unchanged.

The three top trading companies were TPL Properties with a volume of 19,495,500 shares and price per share of Rs19.75, WorldCall Telecom with volume of 15,351,000 and price per share of Rs1.41 and Pak Refinery with volume of 11,823,839 and price per share of Rs17.69. Rafhan Maize witnessed a maximum increase of Rs459.67 per share, closing at Rs10,359.67 whereas the runner up Allawasaya Tex, the share prices of which climbed up by Rs73.78 to Rs1,320. Unilever Foods witnessed maximum decrease of Rs150 per share closing at Rs25,650 followed by Indus Motor Co, the share price of which declined by Rs38.37 to close at Rs1,148.22.

Published by Arif Nizami at Qandeel Printing Press, 4 Queens Road, Lahore, for PT Print (Pvt) Limited. Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk