Epaper – June 21 LHR 2021

Monday, 21 June, 2021 I 10 Dhul-Qadah, 1442 I Rs 40.00 I Vol XI No 351 I 48 Pages I Lahore Edition

Pakistan not resPonsible for afghanistan’s internal Problems, says Qureshi g

Foreign minister 'passes' on question asking iF oBL is a 'martyr'

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oreign minister shah mahmood qureshi on sunday said that whenever “things aren’t moving in the right direction”, afghanistan looks for “scapegoats” with its “favourite” being pakistan who it ultimately blames for its problems, adding that pakistan was not responsible for the internal matters of the neighbouring country. “pakistan is not responsible for the failure within, for the squabbling going on in afghanistan, if the afghan leadership can’t sit and work out a peace deal,” he said during an interview with afghanistan’s tolo news at his office in islamabad last week regarding the interviewer’s question on taliban presence and freedom of movement in pakistan, qureshi said it was an “exaggeration”.

He said that the bulk of the taliban leadership was not in pakistan but afghanistan and the former was only engaging with them to “facilitate the peace process” and try to be

‘Record’ inoculations last week, minister says as more doses arrive ISLAMABAD staff report

Days after reports of vaccine shortage emerged, threatening to hamper the nationwide campaign, minister for planning and Development asad umar on sunday announced that a “record” more than 2.3 million vaccine doses were administered in the last week. about 332,877 vaccines on average were administered daily in the last week, umar, who also heads the national Command and operation Centre, said.

“With 1.5 million vaccines arriving today and another almost 5 million in next 10 days, inshallah next week will be a new record.

Well done pakistan,” he tweeted.

Last week, minister of state for national Health services Dr

Faisal sultan said the shortage is limited to busy vaccination centres and is only temporary. officials, he had assured, were working on ensuring the supply of additional shots and the situation was expected to improve after June 20. today, a special flight of pakistan international airlines carrying 1.55 million doses of the sinovac vaccine reached islamabad from Beijing. in a statement, the nCoC announced that the shipment was part of the “planned contracted quantity purchased from China”. measures had been taken to transport the doses to all provinces and federating units as per their requirements, the body said. it further announced that another tranche of “two to three

Coronavirus in

Pakistan

CONFIRMED CASES:

948,268

LAST UPDATED AT 8:13 AM ON JUNE 20, 2021

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

NEW CASES:

37

1,050

RECOVERED:

DEATHS:

892,319 21,977 SINDH:

PUNJAB:

331,659

344,970

KP:

BALOCHISTAN:

136,973 AJK/GB: 19,934/5,803

26,585 ISLAMABAD:

82,344

million” doses is expected to arrive from China next week, which would be followed by continuous supply.

“China, as a time-tested friend of pakistan, has taken special measures to ensure the uninterrupted supply of vaccine to pakistan,” it said. Dr sultan shared a timeline for the vaccine supplies on saturday, saying that the pressure in the system including local or distribution issues would be eased by monday or tuesday. the government launched a nationwide vaccination drive, starting with older people and frontline healthcare workers, in march. the drive began with a focus on the oldest people in the community, generally over the age of 80, and worked its way down.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

more inside

Police arrest cleric charged with sexual abuse STORY ON PAGE 02

two militants killed, soldier martyred in n Waziristan shootout STORY ON PAGE 03

UAE extends restrictions on travel from Pakistan

STORY ON PAGE 03

in today’s issue

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“helpful and constructive”. “many have started recognising that internationally but some in afghanistan still have that mental blockade of accepting the fact that pakistan is being genuine, constructive and sincere because pakistan feels it is in our enlightened interest that there is peace and stability in afghanistan.” pressed again on whether the taliban were funded in pakistan, the foreign minister responded: “you’re stuck in the old groove. please get out of that groove. if you remain stuck in this then believe me you will not be able to travel far and we want you to travel far.” qureshi stressed that pakistan wanted afghanistan to be peaceful and stable because that would yield mutual dividends and benefits such as regional connectivity, adding that economic security and promotion of regional bilateral trade could only be achieved through peace.

He said there were notions that pakistan

was concentrating on a particular faction but in reality, “we want to engage with and be friends with everyone and be friends with afghanistan and afghans.”

Fm qureshi said both countries realised there were issues between them and would always remain, hence they had agreed on a “structured and institutionalised mechanism” to sort them out when they arose, referring to the afghanistan-pakistan action plan for peace and solidarity. He pointed out that though it was functioning, it could be used more effectively.

He also added that pakistan would be “happy” to train afghan security forces but so far, the afghan leadership hadn’t taken the offer seriously. “We honestly feel that we can be of assistance […] We speak the same language, you know, culturally, we have so many similarities. they will feel at home,” said Fm qureshi. the foreign minister expressed the belief that the taliban were also ready and willing for peace, due to the cost they had suffered as well in the years of fighting. qureshi said it would be an “exaggeration” to hold the taliban solely responsible for the increasing violence in afghanistan, pointing out that other elements such as Daesh (islamic state) and internal afghan factions also played a role. news desk

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02

Monday, 21 June, 2021

lahore

news

Police arrest cleric charged with sexual abuse LAHORE

a

Staff RepoRt

cleric who was charged with sexually abusing a student at a religious school in lahore has been arrested, Punjab police chief inam Ghani announced Sunday.

His arrest by the crime investigation Agency comes a day after lahore police spokesperson Arif rana told media that Mufti Azizur rehman, an active member of Maulana Fazlur rehman’s faction of Jamiat-e-Ulema-eislam, has escaped and the police were working on tracing him.

Crime investigation agenCy arrests mufti azizur rehman's sons in separate raid “We will take it as a test case, interrogate him, conduct scientific professional investigation, prosecute and get him convicted by the court,” Ghani tweeted.

“We want our kids protected from these child molesters and keep our society safe for our future.” later, the ciA also claimed the arrest of rehman’s two sons, Altafur rehman

Vaccine shortage another proof of govt’s incompetence: shehbaz LAHORE tLtp

lashing out at the government, Pakistan Muslim leagueNawaz President Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday expressed severe concerns over non-availability of covid-19 vaccine in various parts the country. Shehbaz, who is also the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, in a couple of tweets on Sunday called for the federal government to change its approach with regard to procuring vaccines. “Planning should be done keeping in view the 220 million population. The small-minded view of ordering a few million vaccines and relying on donations needs to change,” the PMl-N’s official Twitter account quoted Shehbaz as saying. He said that the unavailability of the coronavirus vaccine is another proof of the government’s “criminal negligence and incompetence”. Shehbaz said the opposition has sounded the alarm time and again for the government to ensure timely booking of vaccines to keep the populace safe from the virus. “The same thing is happening with the supply of vaccines as that which occurred with the supply of lNG,” the PMl-N president said. He went on to state that “just as people with vested interests lined their pockets by scamming people over the sale of wheat flour, sugar and medicines, the same is being repeated when it comes to coronavirus vaccines”. Shehbaz said that it is regrettable that the government, when it comes to the lives of the people, is “displaying the most serious form of criminal negligence”.

The opposition leader said the situation has already been muddied with questions being raised about the rs12,000 coronavirus relief package following allegations of corruption. “Theft of public funds is rampant and the provision of services to the public is zero,” he alleged. “The people are being punished for the government’s thievery, incompetence and poor planning, which is regrettable and condemnable,” Shehbaz added. Shahbaz’s remarks followed a statement by Minister for Planning Asad Umar, who said that a record number of vaccines — 2.3 million — have been administered to people in the week of June 12-18. He said this was done at a rate of 332,877 jabs a day.” This is the highest so far in any week,” Umar said.

efforts yielding results as lahore groundwater levels stop plunging: imran ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Prime Minister imran Khan Sunday said that the water conservation policies of his government were yielding fruit as Punjab had stopped the depletion of lahore’s underground water level for the first time in more than four decades. “Our water conservation policies showing results. [chief Minister Usman Buzdar]-led Punjab government has stopped fall in lahore’s groundwater for [the] first time since 1980,” the prime minister said in a tweet. He said the depletion has been controlled through recycling policies, new aquifer charges, underground rainwater storage, well-timed pumping and other targeted measures. imran also shared the statistics showing minimum water level at 5.7 meters and maximum at 15.96 meters in 1980 which fell to 8.18 meters minimum and 23.33 meters maximum in 1990 and further to 11.94 meters and 32 meters in 2000. The water table stopped depleting in 2018 and stood at 23 meters minimum and 50 meters maximum ever since. Faced with fast-depleting groundwater supplies, the Punjab government began rationing water and instituting a range of new conservation measures in October 2018. WWF researchers noted in 2017 that the water table in the centre of the city is now 130 feet (40 meters) down and is expected to fall below 230 feet (70 meters) by 2025. “if the trend continues the situation will become even worse by 2040,” they had predicted. To try to avoid a crisis, Water and Sanitation Agency also began turning off the provincial capital’s 700,000 water connections 12 out of each 24 hours. Users now get water only from approximately 4:00 am to 9:00 am, noon to 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm. The water agency also increased water tariffs by about 20 percent for households and about 400 percent for commercial users. Previously, water prices had been frozen since 2004.

and Atiqur rehman, on charges of threatening the victim of dire consequences for filing a case against their father. Both of them have been booked for criminal intimidation. The first information report was registered against the cleric on Thursday after cellphone videos purporting to show the cleric forcing himself on the student went viral on social media. The

case has caused a stir, and outrage on social media, with many calling for a strict punishment for the cleric.

Aziz denied the accusation of sexual abuse in a video statement issued on social media, saying that he was drugged before the filming of the alleged abuse. He said this was part of a plot to throw him out of the seminary — the Jamia Manzoorul islamia.

The student, who police said appeared to be in his early 20s, said in his complaint that he has given several video and audio recordings to help police investigate, adding he had gone into hiding because he had received death threats.

The police said the student had told them that the cleric had been abusing him for several years. He said he started filming the abuse after he got sick of it, and sent the video clips of the abuse to the head of the Wifaqul Madaris, the body that oversees the religious schools system. Aziz, who is in his 60s, has worked as a custodian of the seminary for several years.

See Editorial: A Wider Problem Page 06

UAE extends restrictions on travel from Pakistan DUBAI ReUteRS

The United Arab emirates has extended the travel ban for all direct passenger and business flights from Pakistan until July, its Supreme committee of crisis and Disaster Management said. in a statement carried by state news agency WAM, the authority said it would allow travellers from South Africa and india, countries previously barred, who have received two doses of a vaccine approved by its Ministry of Health and Prevention, to enter Dubai starting from June 23.

Travellers from india, who have valid residence visas and have received two doses of an approved vaccine, will also be allowed, it announced.

The sheikhdom had barred entry, includeing transit flights, to non-resident travellers from Pakistan in May

to try to contain the spread of the contagion disease.

To enter the UAe from the four countries, people must have been in another country for at least 14 days beforehand, National emergency crisis and Disasters Management Authority said at the time.

The UAe has approved four vaccines for protection against covid-19 infections: Sinopharm, PfizerBioNTech, Sputnik V and Oxford-AstraZeneca.

Pakistan has been inoculating the population with both Sinopharm and AstraZeneca jabs, while reserving the limited Pfizer doses it received under the covid-19 Vaccines Global Access for people with low immunity.

Meanwhile, travellers from Nigeria must only present a negative Pcr test taken 48 hours prior to departure for the UAe and will also undergo another Pcr test on arrival in Dubai, WAM added.

The UAe also said it would suspend travellers from liberia, Sierra leone and Namibia from entering the

country on national and foreign flights, effective 23:59 pm on Monday, June 21, WAM reported on Saturday, citing a statement by the General civil Aviation Authority. The GcAA said the restrictions would also include transit passengers, with the exception of transit flights traveling to the UAe and bound for those countries. cargo flights between those countries and the UAe will continue, as usual, the statement added. it said the restrictions were being introduced to limit the spread of covid-19.

The GcAA added that exemptions to its decision include: UAe nationals, their first-degree relatives, diplomatic missions, official delegations, business jets — after getting prior approvals — and golden and silver residency permit holders, in addition to those who work essential jobs. Those who are exempted will still have to take a Pcr test at the airport and enter a mandatory 10-day quarantine.

ismail urges Murad to prepare for risk of more heavy monsoon rains KARACHI app

LAHORE: Visitors offer prayers for former president of Akhbaar Farosh Union, Chaudhry Nazeer Ahmad, on his first death anniversary. ZUBaIR MeHfooZ

Ahead of a fresh monsoon spell, Sindh Governor imran ismail has written a letter to chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, urging all stakeholders to work jointly in a bid to avert last year’s flooding during torrential rains in Karachi. in the letter dated June 16, the governor shared how the record-breaking rains led to fatalities and suggested that Murad being the executive head of the province mobilise all concerned institutions. “Saving the lives of the citizens is among the top priority of the government,” he said. ismail said that cleaning of drains and removal of encroachment alongside them on the Supreme court’s order will help in taking concrete measures to avert a similar crisis. “Kelectric, HeScO [Hyderabad electric Supply company], and SePcO [Sukkur electric Power company] have been directed to take necessary measures ahead of monsoon spell in Karachi and avoid load shedding during the rain,” he said.

former finance minister opposes govt decision to grant fBr powers of arrest NEwS DESK The government’s decision to grant powers to the Federal Board of revenue commissioners to arrest citizens including businessmen was strongly opposed

by Pakistan Muslim league-Nawaz leader and former finance minister Miftah ismail on Sunday, who called it “unnecessary and a tool for harassment”. ismail during a press conference said the government’s tax policies had already burdened the business community, “and now the arrest powers to FBr will further shake the confidence of businessmen and it will pave way for harassment, which we are strongly opposed to.”

He also highlighted that the government had imposed a condition upon taxpayers to submit the total tax amount as “identified” by the FBr commissioner. “like, if the commissioner has asked a person his outstanding tax dues amount to rs500 million, he first has to pay the entire amount before filing a review plea, which is totally unjust,” he said, adding that previously there was a condition to submit 10 per cent amount and avail the review option.

The PMl-N leader said everyone knew once the money was deposited to FBr, it could not be reclaimed. ismail said such conditions would not increase revenue but would fuel anxiety among the business community. The former finance minister said the FBr still had rs700 billion in income tax refunds, which they had not yet been paid.

He said the government had fixed rs 610bn for petroleum levy, and the current indicators showed that about rs30.5 would be further increased in petroleum prices, which in turn may further lead to a hike in the price of basic edibles.

He said that the iMF programme for Pakistan was currently suspended, while the World Bank also

withdrew its $600bn and the ADB also froze its payment. He added that Pakistan’s plan to get iMF funding restored through US talks was unfeasible and may have repercussions.

He also criticised the government for “failing to meet iMF targets in the last two years.” He said the G20 granted Pakistan a $2bn exemption, but the government couldn’t make the most of it. earlier this week, Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin had agreed to amend the clauses pertaining to the arrest of tax evaders in the finance bill.

While giving the briefing to the Senate Standing committee on Finance and revenue on budget proposals, the Finance Minister said that the finance bill will be amended and the arrest clause will be changed.

“Those who do not appear in the tax net will be arrested but after the approval of a three-member committee comprising the finance minister, special assistant finance minister and chairman FBr,” he added. The finance minister requested the Senate committee to prepare amendments, adding that he has also asked the law minister to make changes in the bill in this regard.

He also informed the members that FBr was barred from sending notices. The third-party will not only send notices but also conduct the audit to taxpayers.

The finance minister said that the iMF had imposed very strict conditions in this loan program. The government on the instruction of lending organisations enhanced the policy rate to 13.25 per cent which increased the interest on loans from rs1,300 billion to rs2,900 billion besides, devaluing the rupee.

He also said that the government on the instructions of the iMF raised the electricity and gas prices, which not only pushed up inflation but also affected the industry.

“The iMF’s aim was to slow down the economy so

that imports could be reduced due to which growth slowed to 2.1 per cent,” the minister added.

He said that there is a sale of rs100 trillion at the retail level but we only collect rs650 billion tax.

We will install point-of-sale machines at the retail level and this would be linked to FBr, he further added that the government will also give reward to those consumers who will compel outlets for computerised receipts. The finance minister said that the government will give tax relief to the ex-FATA and PATA area people till 2023 as they have badly suffered from the war on terror. The case of Azad Kashmir is different and we will not make changes there.

Member of committee Senator Sherry rehman said that in-direct taxes will further increase inflation.

Senator Sadia Abbasi said that the ground realities are different. The biggest issue is unemployment and the government will have to pay heed to this matter.

Senator Faisal Sabzwari said that the tax on the agricultural sector should be increased. The Finance Minister in response to the questions of the members said that two provinces suggested to FBr to collect agriculture tax. The federal government can collect rs 60 to 70 billion tax from the agricultural sector.

Meanwhile, the Federation of Pakistan chambers of commerce and industry (FPcci) said that giving the powers to the FBr to raid offices of traders will eventually turn the tax collection body into a mini NAB. “The new powers to FBr to raid trader’s outlets or offices is totally unfair,” Haji Qurban Ali, vice president FPcci. He was talking to a group belonging to the business community of the Potohar region along with Abdul rehman Mirza, head of the FPcci capital office.

Haji Qurban said that there were serious differences and a lack of trust between the business community and the institutes like FBr.

Monday, 21 June, 2021

lahore

two terrorists killed, soldier Martyred in n waziristan shootout PESHAwAR

a

Staff RepoRt

SHOOTOUT between security forces and terrorists overnight in North Waziristan left two terrorists dead and a soldier martyred, the military said Sunday.

An inter-Services Public relations statement said security forces conducted an operation in the Spinwam area of the district, a tribal region that has in the past served as a sanctuary for india-funded terrorists.

APP The spokesperson of the Pakistan embassy in the United States said on Sunday that islamabad will extend its help in the ongoing efforts to recover US national Mark Frerichs, who is reportedly in the captivity of the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Spokesperson Maliha Shahid, who is a press attache at the Pakistan embassy in Washington, told the ABc News in response to its report that “Pakistan has always extended its assistance in recovering hostages in good faith, and not driven by incentives or pressure.”

The channel said that the location of Frerichs, a 58year-old civil engineer, who was kidnapped in January 2020 from Kabul, was still not known.

The spokesperson also said that islamabad had “no evidence to suggest that Mark Frerichs is being held in Pakistan” and that Pakistan “remains committed to play any role it can” to reunite Frerichs with his family.

She added that, “Pakistan has always regarded any assistance it can provide in helping the United States and other foreign countries with the recovery of their hostages from Afghanistan as a moral and humanitarian responsibility”. ABc News, citing experts, said the US will lose most of whatever leverage it might have to free the hostage through one of the limited number of tracks the government has already contemplated or acted upon during his 17 months of Frerichs’ captivity after American military and special operations personnel leave Afghanistan expected to be by July Fourth.

The report said the options that had been considered for freeing Frerichs include trying to arrange a controversial prisoner exchange involving an Afghan druglord, ask Pakistan to influence the Haqqani network, or staging a high-risk rescue operation if the hostage can be located.

But ABc News said the hostage-rescue option was seen as even less likely than the prisoner exchange.

Balance to be created among farmer, consumer, industry: Jamshed Cheema LAHORE app

Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Food Security Jamshed iqbal cheema on Sunday said that under ‘Prime Minister’s Agriculture Transformation Plan’ balance would be created among farmer, consumer and industry. Addressing a press conference, he said that basically agriculture supplied food, feed and fiber and all challenges in this regard would be handled.

He said, “each individual all over the world consumes 370 kilo grams grains and in Pakistan per capita consumption of grains is 200 kilo grams.”

The SAPM said that almost every year, each person across the world consumed 210 Kg of fruits and vegetables whereas in Pakistan per capita consumption of fruits and vegetables was 63 Kg. in Pakistan per day, each person consumed 100 calories, he added. cheema said, “We need 40 million tonnes of feed for our animals and we are producing 13 million tonnes.” He said there was a need to improve nourishment of humans and animals in the country. He said that before the Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaf government came into power federal government budget for agriculture sector was between rs1.15 billion to rs1.60 billion.

He added that this year the incumbent government

had allocated rs53 billion for agriculture sector, adding that this allocation was 40 times more than that of previous year. He further said that government was focusing on greenifying all possible land besides utilising each drop of surface water for harvesting purpose. He added that all out efforts were being made to save water.

The special assistant said that country had a potential of growing over 1 billion trees of olive and so far 4.1 million olive trees had been planted. He said that grafting of wild olives was underway to make fruit giving trees. Upscaling of nurseries was also being carried out which would ultimately help plant maximum olive trees, he added. He further said that total production of rice, wheat and maize was 44 million tonnes and the government wanted to increase this production up to 80 million tonnes. cheema said that textile industry was confident that country’s textile export would reach a figure of 50 billion dollars.

He said that this year in Balochistan cotton had been cultivated on area of 350,000 acres of land and he hoped that this year 9 million cotton bales would be produced easily. He added that the government was focusing to cultivate early maturing varieties of rice and wheat so that cultivation could be started from October. The SAPM said that in coming season more than 7 million tonnes of sugar would be produced.

fawad seeks utilisation record of rs1,800bn given to sindh govt in two years NEwS DESK Federal Minister for information and Broadcasting Fawad chaudhry on Sunday said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaf-led federal government has transferred rs1,800 billion to the Sindh government during the past two years and asked as to where the money has been utilized. Addressing media at Karachi Press club, Fawad said that Karachi elected 16 PTi MNAs and they have all the right to ask as to where the rs1800 billion given to the Sindh government has gone. “Why this money is not being spent on Karachi’s uplift,” he asked and added that the money received in the name of Ghotki by the provincial government would have turned the area into Paris if utilized properly. “What is the situation in larkana where billions of rupees have been spent,” he asked and added that when they are asked about the utilization of funds, the PPP start raising hue and cry. He was alluding to money laundering cases filed against PPP leaders, including the party’s co-chairperson, Asif Ali Zardari, and his sister, Faryal Talpur.

The federal minister held Sindh’s rulers responsible for what he dubbed as the province’s derelict condition, claiming that they were, in fact, Sindh’s enemies and that their days were numbered.

“There is no democracy here [in Sindh]. Here, there is a dictatorship under the guise of democracy and that is why people here have been deprived of their rights,” he said, questioning where the funds given for the province’s uplift were spent as no improvements were visible. He demanded of the Supreme court of Pakistan to ensure the implementation of Article 140-A of the constitution across Pakistan, especially in Sindh.

03

Four hurt in Firing on school Van ISLAMABAD

The military, which acted on intelligence to identify the terrorists’ location, said the terrorists were involved in activities against security forces and belonged to the proscribed Afghanistanbased Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. The terrorists opened fire on security forces, triggering an intense exchange of fire during which the two terrorists were killed and a soldier was martyred. North Waziristan and six other tribal regions were merged into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2018 following military offensives against terrorists in the mountainous region which borders war-torn Afghanistan.

Pakistan to help recover Us national allegedly abducted

by Taliban in Kabul: official

news

Staff RepoRt

Four teachers were injured in firing by unknown gunmen on a school van in Mastung district of Balochistan late on Saturday, reports said. The gunmen ambushed the school van and attacked it when the female teachers were on their way back home after taking classes.

The injured women were shifted to a nearby hospital, where their condition is said to be stable. No group or individual has claimed the attack yet. Police have cordoned off the area and an investigation to know the motive of the attack has been kicked off.

‘India misrepresenting decision of ICJ in Kulbhushan Jadhav case’: FO ISLAMABAD INp

Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesman Zahid Hafeez chaudhri said that Pakistan is fully aware of its international obligations in the context of the international court of Justice’s decision in Jadav’s case.

The indian government is misrepresenting the

decision of the international court of Justice and india is refusing to take advantage of the legal assistance provided by Pakistan, the Foreign Office spokesperson said. it may be recalled that Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said that india does not want consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav, under the guise of which it wants to drag Pakistan back to the international court.

Monday, 21 June, 2021

04 NEWS

LAHORE youth DieS oF alleGeD Police torture in DaDu DADU: Taking notice of the death of a youth in police custody, the SSP Jamshoro suspended six policemen, including the SHO, on Sunday. According to details, the incident took place on Saturday in Sehwan Sharif, a taluka of Sindh’s district of Dadu, where a motorcycle was stolen from Syed Abdullah Shah Institute of Medical Sciences. Later, the police arrested a youth named Rashid Lashari on the charge of theft. According to the police, the youth was shifted to Bhan Saeedabad Health Center after his health deteriorated in the lock-up, but he could not survive and breathed his last during treatment. After the incident, the heirs staged a sit-in by placing the body on Sehwan Indus Highway Road. Due to the protest, the traffic from Larkana to Hyderabad has been affected for several hours. Taking note of the incident, SSP Jamshoro has suspended SHO Sehwan Zulfiqar Odhano and a case has been registered against him. Six persons including SHO Sehwan have been nominated in the case. INP

two youth Shot Death, another coMMitS SuiciDe

ISLAMABAD: A A A Citizens enjoy dinner at an open air restaurant on Margalla Hills. ONLINE

Pakistan leads by example in refugee protection: FM NEWS DESK Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that Pakistan reiterates its call for greater global responsibility-sharing, redoubling of efforts for durable solutions. In his message on the World Refugee Day, he said for over four decades, Pakistan has led by example in refugee protection as the country is one of the world’s largest refugee hosting countries. He said Pakistan still hosts around 3 million Afghans providing them necessary protection according to country s inclusive policies on public health, education and livelihoods, during the ongoing Covid-19 response. He said the people of Pakistan have contributed more than their fair share of shouldering the international responsibility by hosting millions of refugees.

The foreign minister said the Covidcompounded socio-economic and health challenges for developing countries that host millions of refugees necessitate global political and financial support to the host countries.

Qureshi said Pakistan has also been playing a key role in facilitating sustainable peace in Afghanistan. Commending work of UNHCR with respect to leadership and support to the refugees and host communities throughout the world, he said this day serves as an opportunity to take stock of the drivers of conflicts and reminds us to enhance investment in peace, conflict prevention and conflict resolution.

Mother oF three Burnt alive By in-lawS in lahore LAHORE

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INP

woman, mother of three, was burnt to death by her in-laws when they doused her with petrol in Harbanspura, Lahore, and set fire to her, police said on Sunday.

Reportedly, the in-laws of Guriya Bibi, mother of three, were not on good terms with their daughter-in-law. They used to subject her to torture as Guriya’s husband was a junkie.

On the day of the incident, Guriya’s in-laws and her husband first beat her up then set her on fire

after sprinkling petrol on her. The poor woman was engulfed soon in raging flames.

The residents of the area came to the rescue of the mother of three and shifted her to Jinnah Hospital after contacting emergency service 1122.

According to doctors, Guriya’s body received severe burn wounds and almost her whole body had been burnt. They said her condition was critical. But later, the poor woman succumbed to her injuries in the hospital.

Police have started an inquiry against her in-laws.

A week ago, a woman was also brutally tortured by her brother-in-

law and two other influential persons in Chunian in the premises of City Police Station, Mohalla Simunwala. The affected woman sustained deep wounds on her knees, feet and head and has been undergoing treatment at the Emergency Ward of the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, Chunian.

The husband of the woman, Yaqub alleged that Ayub and other accused forcibly evicted Rubina from her house and tortured her in the muhalla’s main street that can be clearly seen in the footage.

The brother-in-law, Ayub, used knives and iron rods to torture her sister-in-law.

PMD forecast premonsoon rains in Sindh, Punjab, GB and Kashmir KARACHI/ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Meteorological Department on Sunday forecast rainfall with wind and thunderstorm in eastern parts of Sindh, Punjab, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir. The weather will remain hot and dry in most parts of the country, the Met Office said. Mirpur Khas, Umarkot, Tharparkar and adjoining areas will likely to receive rainfall with wind and thunderstorm today. Maximum rainfall yesterday reported in Sindh at Mithi 42mm and Badin 03mm, in Kashmir Garhi Dopatta 10mm and Rawlakot 09mm, in Punjab at Mangla 19mm, Jhelum 14mm and Gujrat 12mm, while 05mm in Barkhan area of Balochistan. Maximum temperature at Karachi is expected to remain up to 36 degrees Celsius.

The city experiencing partly cloudy weather as southwestern winds blowing with 23 kilometers per hour speed. The first spell of pre-monsoon rains lashed Karachi’s northeastern suburbs until Nooriabad on Friday, along the M-9 Motorway. The monsoon season is expected to begin in Pakistan in the first week of July, according to the Met Office. INP

LAHORE: A A visitor inspects a painting at a local art exhibition in the provincial capital. ZubaIr MEhfOOZ

KHAIRPUR: Armed men gunned down two youth while another committed suicide by shooting in separate incidents on Sunday. Police said that unidentified armed men gunned down a youth Mansoor Ahmed Tanwari in village Allah Bux Tanwari of Kandiaro. Another youth Din Muhammad Sheikh was killed after attacked by unknown culprits with sharp edges knives in Rohri.

Disappointed over domestic quarrels, Hidayatullah Mazari 22, committed suicide by consuming toxic spray in village Meeral Mazari of Ubaro. The bodies were shifted to different hospitals of respective areas and police after registering separate cases at concerned police stations started investigations. INP

Ke continues drive against Kunda and generator mafia in different areas of liaquatabad

KARACHI: In a bid to provide safe and reliable electricity to its consumers, K-Electric continues its drive against the menace of Kunda and generator mafia across the city. With the support of Electric Inspector Karachi (EIK) representative, Mr Khalid Qaimkhani, KE media and security teams alongside Law Enforcement Agencies, 08 generators located in 06 different areas of Liaquatabad were successfully disconnected. More than 1,750 residential and commercial buildings were being powered through illegal installations of 75 KVA to 150 KVA generators in Block 3, 4, 10, Quwait ul Islam Colony and Nairang Commercial zones in Liaquatabad. Similarly, during another raid in Landhi an extremely hazardous underground cable being used for illicit extraction of electricity was disconnected by KE teams of IBC Landhi.

While the residents have been urged to abstain from such malpractices and shift to legal and safe metered connections. During the crackdown, KE teams were faced with aggressive resistance from the area locals backed by the generator mafia, who were neither following Covid-19 safety protocols. Officials of EIK also issued warning to the owners of the generators, and initial reports were filed, while further raids are expected over the days to come.

The unauthorized use of KE infrastructure, by generator mafia, for illegal power supply, poses severe public-safety hazards and causes serious accidents in monsoon season. It was further clarified that provision of electricity in License Area, other than by K-Electric, is in violation of NEPRA Act 1997, section 21, and there is an urgent need to take action against such malpractices. PrESS rELEaSE

No interaction planned with NSA’s Indian counterpart in SCO’s meeting in Dushanbe: sources ISLAMABAD aPP

National Security Advisor Dr Moeed W Yusuf left for Dushanbe on Sunday to participate in the 16th meeting of the Secretaries of the Security Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states being held on 22-23 June 2021.

During the visit, the NSA will participate in the joint session of the National Security Advisors of the member states and also sign the Protocol of the Sixteenth Meeting of the Security Council Secretaries, official source in the National Secu-

rity Division told APP. The office of the NSA has confirmed that Dr Yusuf will not meet his Indian counterpart who will also be attending the SCO summit. Last year, the meeting was held virtually in which India had walked out on Dr Yusuf’s refusal to remove Pakistan’s political map from his background.

During the visit, Dr Yusuf may also meet with his counterparts from Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and China to discuss matters of mutual interest. It may be remembered that Prime Minister Imran Khan has already reiterated that Pakistan’s

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stance that there will be no dialogue with India till it revisits its illegal and unilateral action of August 5. There is speculation that the Afghan NSA, Hamdullah Mohib will also be in Dushanbe as Afghanistan is an Observer of SCO, the official said. “Mohib who has recently made multiple baseless accusations against Pakistan. Pakistan has responded formally, accusing him of undermining progress towards peace in Afghanistan. Pakistan has reportedly stopped engaging with him,” he told.

It is therefore not surprising that no meeting is expected between the Pakistani and Afghan NSAs in Dushanbe either, the

official underlined. The upcoming SCO meeting is especially important as Prime Minister Imran is expected to visit Dushanbe for the SCO Heads of State Council meeting later this year. President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon already visited Pakistan on 23 June 2021 and met with President Dr Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan.

It may be mentioned here that established on 15 June, 2001, this year was also the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the SCO. China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, the republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan are the founding members of the organization. Pakistan joined SCO in 2017.

Monday, 21 June, 2021

LAHORE

CnG stAtions mAy Get no GAs As Crisis worsens KARACHI

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HE gas crisis in the country has worsened as Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) has decided to disconnect supply to CNG stations and industrial units. According to sources privy to the matter, two gas fields in the Sindh province, Kunnar Pasakhi and Gambat gas fields have been shut for repair works, worsening the already strained supply.

“The SSGC after the closure of these two gas

fields is facing up to 40 percent shortage in gas supply,” they said, adding that the SSGC has a requirement of 1260 mmcfd, however, it is only receiving a supply of 850 mmcfd.

They further said that it has been decided to shut supply to the industrial units and CNG stations in order to ensure uninterrupted supply to households and other consumers.

It is pertinent to mention here that Karachi’s sole gas distributor Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) spared itself from the responsibility to ensure gas supply to the commercial and domestic sectors citing acute shortage

in the system and low pressure, asking them, on Saturday, to go for an alternative until the crisis is resolved.

Until the gas supply has resumed and the crisis is resolved, SSGC has asked the stakeholders to go for an alternative arrangement to meet their gas requirements as the Kunnar-Pasakhi Deep field is shut due to the annual maintenance work.

It said things will get better in a few days as for now the accumulation of gas was lower than usual and underlined a shortfall of 177 mmcfd that has affected gas linepack –the total volume of gas contained within the system.

An unpArliAmentAry Attitude City Notes M A NiAzi

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don’t know what it is about Awans. I mean, hardly had we been treated to the sight all over the social media of Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan slapping PPP MNA Abdul Qadir Mandokhail on a TV talk show, that we had the same social media almost collapsing from the clips of Ali Nawaz Awan, PM’s Special Assistant for CDA, and MNA from Islamabad, who was shown using language that can’t be reported in a family newspaper like this, and which frankly, one is a little surprised that he knows.

But in a rare display of bipartisanship, the PML-N’s Sh Rohale Asghar said that bad language is a part of Punjabi culture. Obviously, Sh Rohale is more cultured than I, for Punjabi literature on both sides of the border is as free of bad language as any other. One simple test is that the Punjab Information Department does not take a more relaxed view of bad language in Punjabi newspapers than English. Bad language is as

much depreciated by Punjabi women as their sisters in other provinces.

There is a myth that Sh Rohale might know about, for he belongs to a family with enmities, and both his father, Sh Asghar, and his younger brother Shakeel, were murdered. But while having close relatives murdered may incline one to swear, that does not mean the whole province should have its culture condemned. Does Sh Rohale like the stereotype about Kashmiris, for example?

Then what about the stereotypes about Pakhtuns? Has anyone accused Speaker Asad Qaiser of stinginess? Or stupidity? Speaking of speakers, what about the similarities between a WWF referee and the speaker? Of course, the ref doesn’t have anyone wanting him to make sure somebody wins. The speaker ordered six members banned from the house, including three from the opposition. More bipartisanship.

If you ask me, it’s all Abdul Qadir Mandokhel’s fault. He beat the PML-N candidate in the recent by-election, and went on a talk show, and Dr Awan mauled him. Was he in the House when Ali Sher got into action. I wonder if Awans have a thing about him.

Incidentally, somebody should check to make sure Ali Nawaz’s remarks don’t form part of the record. Just in case they do, they should be expunged. If anything could be called unparliamentary language, that was it.

Speaking of speakers and unparliamentary language, Manzoor Wattoo, when speaker of the Punjab Assembly from 1985 to 1993, used the concept of ghairparlimani rawaya (unparliamentary attitude). Well, that was on show last week in the National Assembly. It wasn’t just a matter of a snatch of speech or a word, the whole attitude was not fit for any legislature. Heck, it wasn’t even fit for a union council.

We might remember that the signal for the 1958 Martial Law came when the deputy speaker of the East Pakistan Assembly was killed by a flung mike while presiding over a session in which a no-confidence motion against the speaker was being considered.

Both Speaker Asad Qaiser and Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri had better watch out. They’ve both got no-confidence motions moved against. They can take comfort in the fact that the National Assembly mikes are fixed at the desks.

In a flight of fancy, I had once wondered about how Speaker Wattoo would have reacted to one member murdering another on the floor of the house. I was sure he’d start by condemning the offending member for his ‘unparliamentary attitude. Little did I know that this is what the National Assembly would almost experience.

I see that the Balochistan Assembly has followed suit. When MPAs protested their constituencies being left out of the budget, the government took action. I’m sure the speaker knew what was happening. The assembly jurisdiction extends a certain distance outside the building, where the police need the speaker’s permission to enter.

Well, that’s one idea, now that the government has gotten into the action.

Another idea was tried out on an old man, Muslim, in UP, while he was going to a mosque. A crowd got hold of him, and when he refused to raise a ‘Hay Ram’ slogan, they cut off his beard. And took away his watch phone and wallet.

Imagine MNAs and MPAs being treated like that by opponents. Truly an unparliamentary attitude. But it saves the labour of having to think up a reply.

Experts emphasise proper handling of child abuse cases A workshop on investigation of child abuse cases was held in Lahore wherein experts emphasised the importance of proper handling of child abuse cases.

The workshop was organised by the School of Strategic Studies, and was conducted by former inspec-

tor general of police of Gilgit-Baltistan, Sarmad Saeed Khan.

Inaugurating the session, Ali Sajjad, the CEO of School of Strategic Studies, told the audience that his institute is actively working on child protection and se-

curity studies. He said that it is the need of the hour to protect all children.

He also said that this workshop about investigation on child abuse cases will certainly help in understanding of the intricacies of child abuse cases. News Desk

Gujranwala schools focusing on character building of students Understanding the role of teachers and schools in illuminating the future of nations and laying a solid foundation for it, the educational institutions of Gujranwala region are paying special attention in this regard and introducing students to various aspects of life under the personality grooming programme.

Recognising that character building of students at an early age helps them to become a good citizen in the days to come, the students are being taught dining etiquette, personal hygiene, environmental pollution, conservation of water, traffic rules, tree plantation, social etiquette, importance of truth telling, and social values. The students as well as parents are showing keen interest in the programme. News Desk

Bitcoin breaks below $34,000 as cryptos lose 5.5pc market cap

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ISLAMABAD: The prices of major cryptocurrencies went down on Sunday and market capitalisation of crypto market currencies decreased by 5.5 percent to reach $1.47 trillion as of 13:35 GMT. The price of bitcoin (BTC), the largest cryptocurrency, dipped below $34,000 for the first time in two weeks, shedding 5.36 percent to reach $33,957. With this decrease in price, the market capitalisation of the BTC has reached $636 billion. Likewise, ethereum (ETH) price decreased by 6.98 percent to reach $2,085. With this decrease in price, the market capitalisation of ETH has reached $242 billion. Similarly, XRP shed 9.63 percent to reach $0.716. The market capitalisation of XRP stands at $71.6 billion after this decrease.

On the other hand, Cardano (ADA) price reached $1.34 with a 5.98 percent fall in its price. Its market capitalisation has reached $43 billion with this decrease.

Similarly, dogecoin (Doge) shed 9.70 percent to reach $0.264. With this decrease in price, the market capitalisation of Doge reached $34.3 billion. The bitcoin price dipped below $34,000 for the first time in two weeks and despite the pessimism, a particular technical indicator suggests its time to buy BTC. Bitcoin price is down by nearly 19% after rising to a high of $41,400 on June 15. AGeNCies

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NEWS

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pakistan not responsible for Afghanistan’s internal problems, says Qureshi ContInued fRom pAge 01 When questioned if he would be against a Taliban military takeover, the foreign minister categorically said: “We have never said, supported or advocated a takeover of Kabul by force.” He said any decision about the form and structure of government in Afghanistan was a decision for the Afghan people.

When questioned on any continued understanding with the US with regards to Afghanistan after its withdrawal, the foreign minister said Pakistan would be willing to help further the peace process, Afghanistan’s rehabilitation and reconstruction and countering terrorism but it would not be providing military bases to the US. Qureshi was also asked about Prime Minister Imran Khan’s comments calling Osama bin Laden a martyr in the National Assembly in June 2020. “Prime Minister Imran Khan called Osama bin Laden a martyr,” said TOLOnews journalist, Lotfullah Najafizada. He asserted that Prime Minister Imran’s comment was taken out of context and played up by the media. “Well, uh, again, out of context. Out of context,” responded the foreign minister, after a brief pause. “He [PM Imran Khan] was quoted out of context. And, uh, you know, a particular section of the media played it up,” he added. “Is he a martyr? You disagree? Osama bin Laden?” asked Najafizada. The FM did not answer the question directly and said that he would let “it pass”.

‘record’ inoculations last week, minister says as more doses arrive ContInued fRom pAge 01 Battling a third peak of the virus, the Health Department began the campaign with Chinese Sinopharm and CanSino jabs. Private hospitals in major cities are using the Russian Sputnik-V vaccine that has been imported by a local pharmaceutical company. Initially, the government had to deal with vaccination hesitancy and a shortage of vaccine supplies and had limited shots to people aged 30 or over. But with purchases from China and allocations from the World Health Organisation and the GAVI Vaccine Alliance, the government has now secured more than 18 million doses and is keen to get them out into the population. The health authorities have administered 12.9 million vaccine doses with supplies from three Chinese companies — Sinopharm, Sinovac and CanSinbio — and the Oxford-AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech shots.

super tax on banking firms imposed permanently The levy of super tax has been permanently imposed on banking companies as it was expiring in the tax year 2021. According to officials in the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), the super tax was only imposed on banking companies while the other taxpayers were exempted from tax year 2020. They said that the Finance Bill 2021 had proposed to continue the levy of super tax at 4 percent on banking companies beyond Tax Year 2021 and onwards. News Desk

30-06-2021 11:00 am

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Monday, 21 June, 2021

06 COMMENT

Remembering Shaheed Benazir Bhutto’s Legacy

Neglecting agriculture The Budget debate reveals the concerns of the people

Today is Benazir Bhutto’s 68th birth anniversary

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He concerns of the people were faithfully depicted in the Budget discussion in the national Assembly, as members, many of whom were content to mere lobby fodder and stay silent the rest of the year, were now expressing the sentiments of their constituents, irrespective of which side of the aisle they sat on. the government had claimed that it had presented a budget which had benefited farmers, but it came in for criticism not just from the opposition, but from its own members. this might reflect the large number of agriculturists in the House, but it also reflects the noise in those constituencies.

A universal complaint seems to be of inflation and loadshedding, which opposition members accused the government of causing, and which treasury members said the government was unable to stop. one treasury member raised the question of the law and order situation in rajanpur, and pointed that while multiple IGPs had come and gone during the PtI’s tenure, criminal gangs continued to run riot in the riverine area of rajanpur district. Apart from the failures on the economic front, law and order problems should cause the government concern, especially as rajanpur abuts Chief Minister usman Buzdar’s native Dera Ghazi Khan district. the PtI may have its strongholds in urban areas, but there is no gainsaying the fact that rural areas provide the majority necessary to rule. the government must pay attention to the voices coming from the backbenches, for at Budget time, legislators can be disarmingly frank. the biggest mistake the government would make would be to dismiss these speeches as being made by members of the opposition, or by members of the disgruntled pro-tareen group which has its own reasons to be upset with the government. those of its legislators, who are giving a report that all is well, may simply be trying to avoid trouble. At the same time, the government should remember that these voices are merely trying to represent their constituencies. It should keep in mind that these speeches may well be all that allows the members to go back to their constituencies. the government should realize that it has a problem when its members cannot go back to their constituencies unless they have criticized the government for inflation and loadshedding, instead of defending it.

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ourteen years after the martyrdom of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, “Zinda hai BB, zinda hai” still echoes in political rallies and every day, in the hearts of her party-workers.

I often think that indeed, Shaheed BB still lives in our thoughts and memories. every year, June 21 is marked as her birthday and cakes are cut to pay tribute to this phenomenal woman, who was the pride of Pakistan nationally and internationally. Despite a known threat to her life, she chose to return to her people for the sake of democracy and rule of law. Her sacrifice will be remembered in the history of Pakistan forever as part of Bhutto family’s irrefutable contribution towards the restoration of democracy.

During her tenure as the Prime Minister, she created employment opportunities and helped numerous people who had nowhere else to turn to. She even financially supported needy people from personal charity, such as the caretaker of Pak tea House, which was a space of freedom where political, intellectual and artistic culture flourished. today, all those whose lives she touched remember her with deep respect.

Shaheed BB is an example of a true leader who stays alive in the hearts of the people long after leaving this world. Her generosity is also evident in her ideology of reconciliation instead of revenge. today, this legacy of respect in politics should be a lesson for everyone about promoting a culture of tolerance in politics. there are countless instances from the life of Shaheed BB that are a testimony to

A wider problem When public interest dies down, will the case be forgotten?

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Much remains to be done

zainaB nazir

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oDAy, a culture of insatiability and a shortfall of community-mindedness overrun Pakistani society. Pakistan’s short history as a nation has been extremely fierce.

It sways between the military principle and equitably chosen governments, between common approaches and monetary support as a “frontline” state during the Cold War and the conflict against illegal intimidation.

Pakistan is at war with itself. this halfway affable conflict is caused because of the misfortunes of numerous inner and outer powers. this load of powers are chipping away at their plans without stressing about the eventual fate of Pakistani individuals and ramifications of these lethal plans on the South Asian area and the rest of the world. Pakistan keeps on confronting different wellsprings of inside and outside struggle. While rates of homegrown illegal intimidation have diminished, to some extent because of measures taken by the Pakistani state, fanaticism and narrow-mindedness of various varieties has developed. there is some acknowledgment by the express that rather than simply dynamic reactions, comprehensive counterterrorism strategies are expected to balance this pattern. the developing radicalism has been filled by a limited vision of Pakis b ns totan’s public personality, compromising the nation’s ability to achieve social union and dependability. the powerlessness of state establishments to dependably give serene approaches to determine complaints has urged gatherings to look for viciousness as a real other option.

Pakistan’s political instability today is in enormous measure because of the battle between three significant entertainers— the regular citizen wing, the

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami Editor Managing Editor

Joint Editor

Umar Aziz Executive Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

The writer is the former press secretary of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto and adviser to PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto

Pakistan Today

He news is unfortunately all too familiar. A cleric in a madressah sexually assaults one of his students, the matter comes somehow into the public domain, the authorities expresses the intention to punish the culprit, civil society tut-tuts and shakes its collective head in condemnation, and then the matter is swept under the carpet when the next ‘hot’ story comes, and takes away public attention with it. A case has been registered against Mufti Azizur rehman, a teacher at the Jamia Manzoorul Islam by a student, for sexually assaulting him over a period of time. Part of the interest in the case comes from the Mufti’s having been naib Ameer of the Lahore chapter of the JuI. He has been arrested from Mianwali, having been sacked from the madressa and suspended by the JuI. He claims that he was intoxicated and was the victim of a conspiracy, but the fact is that everything happened after a video of him in the act went viral on social media. the problem exists. It is not as if madressahs are being targetted. the roman Catholic clergy worldwide has been accused the world over for molesting little boys. then too every effort was made to keep the problem hidden. It did not work. Similarly, attempts at concealment will not work. the parade of childhood victims, now grown to adulthood, has not yet started.

However, it is a safe prediction that some will find catharsis in unburdening themselves. Before that happens, clerical leaders have an opportunity of acting. true, the Muslim clergy are not hierarchically organised like the Catholic Church, but they do have political parties. not only are such assaults inhuman, but they are also against the precepts of Islam. the only issue about madressahs that the government has taken up is that of syllabus, and their potential to act as conduits of terrorism. It must not just seek the aid money for reform, but also tackle the issue of child abuse. It must take on board the religious parties, and make them be a part of the solution than the problem.

Yousaf Nizami Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

her courage and struggles for democracy. She never gave in to the pressures of the military regime and firmly stood by her ideologies, almost as an article of faith— she protected her vision with her life. on 14 January 1984, Shaheed BB reached Heathrow airport in London after five years of jail and house-arrest where she received a very warm welcome from her supporters. on this occasion, she spoke to the media and said, “Pakistan is my homeland. I will live and die there. I have come to Britain to seek medical treatment. In Zia’s martial law, I stayed in confinement for five years and now I am breathing freely in a free country. After consultation with party leaders here, I will decide on the future course of action. Pakistan People’s Party does not belong to any single individual but it belongs to the people of Pakistan. I will return to Pakistan as soon as my treatment ends.” After the surgery of her ear, she increased the intensity of her struggle against the Zia regime in London. only a few days after arriving in London, I received a call from Sanam Bhutto that BB was looking for me. Shaheed BB asked me if I wanted to work with her as her spokesperson. I was humbled by this proposal and accepted. I responded that I would try my best to do justice to this position. It was her guidance that taught me a lot and gave me a fulfilling mission in life. the international media gave a voice to her struggle for democracy on the world stage. A newspaper from Denmark introduced Shaheed BB in these words, “Who knew that a graduate of Harvard and oxford, tall, slender and sophisticated ‘Princess of the east’, would become a symbol of unity for the people of Pakistan?”

Whenever she spoke about her struggles against the oppression of the military regime, there were never tears in her eyes and she never wallowed in self-pity.

When she would talk about her time in jail, she always remembered her party workers awaiting punishment in the Pakistani jails. She never forgot the need to fight for her people, staying true to the legacy of her father, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. She said that we have to end this autocracy and if this can be achieved by her going to jail then she would do it again and again. She raised her voice for a democratic Pakistan on multiple forums internationally and helped to establish a strong base for the Pakistan People’s Party around the globe.

In 1986, she rendered everyone speechless when during a television interview she said that despite the oppressive tactics of General Zia, she would not resort to politics of revenge. the tV anchor repeated

his question and asked that despite the fact that Zia hanged her father and kept her in jail, she will not take revenge? She replied she did not believe in revenge and this was the difference between Zia and her. this interview was seen by hundreds and thousands of people. When the next morning we went out for breakfast, she was received by a crowd of people who highly appreciated Shaheed BB’s response from the interview by applauding upon her arrival. on 10 April 1986, when BB landed in Lahore, she asked me to exit first and see the situation regarding police behaviour. the area was surrounded by police and along with some other party leaders, I became a part of the historic welcome procession that reached Minar-e-Pakistan for a jalsa. In the general elections of 1988, the victory of the Pakistan People’s Party was a watershed moment when democracy won against terror and oppression. Shaheed BB became the first woman Prime Minister in the Muslim World, a proud moment for everyone who supported a progressive and democratic Pakistan.

Shaheed BB had clearly decided that she would not resort to any vengeful acts against the widow of General Zia or his family. She instructed her party workers as well to maintain an attitude of respect towards their rivals. She set a unique example for the future political leaders of our country, staying true to her great political stature, by forgiving her rivals. Her legacy is a lesson that verbal or physical abuse, personally maligning opponents or other modes of vengeance should be discouraged by political leaders. they should remember the conduct of Shaheed BB and refrain from stooping low to the level of common ruffians.

As I look back, I recall aspects of BB’s personality that I was fortunate to witness personally. Her generous and empathetic nature is evident from her behaviour with others. She regularly celebrated my birthday until December 2007, the year she passed away, and now only her memories are left behind. In an international conference in Portugal, she was paid tribute in these words, “Amongst all the stars in the sky, you alone are the shining star.” only if Shaheed BB were alive today, the radiance of her generous personality and political brilliance would have lit our country on the world map many years ago. on this occasion of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto’s birthday, let’s remember this great political leader and her legacy of selflessness, respect, and steadfastness on her ideology for her land where the tree of democracy is flourishing today, nourished with the blood of Bhuttos.

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Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

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military, and the Islamists. Parcel from British India needs to manage the floating presence of uS gifts and and the relocation that followed prompted preparation the bigger danger of its ‘own’ advantage in Central dependent on character, a force structure that was in and South Asia. the Balochistan issue is additionally one of the the long run overwhelmed by the military, and the debilitating popularity-based foundations and standards. significant aggravations in the homegrown circle of that segment likewise prompted an awkwardness of Pakistan. Altogether, the ethnic quandary of Balochisforce among Pakistan and India, which keeps on tan has been notorious for ‘kill-and-dump’ tasks. the uS factor and the War on terror battled about 10 forming inside Pakistani governmental issues. over half of the way through its tenure, Imran years causing generally speaking strain and mass disKhan’s Pakistan tehreek-e-Insaf government’s initial dain and a simple guide for fear bunches with a worldwide Islamic plan to proclivities appear to solidapprove their cases. the War ify into qualities that inexhas led to the devastation of orably describe its unusual robot assaults in the ancesstyle of dynamic. now and tral belt of the nation, causThe state needs to perceive again these have handled its ing gigantic interior initiative in humiliating cirthe truth of unique separation of individuals incumstances while on differside Pakistan, and expansion ent events it has obliged the individuals on paper as in savage episodes among public authority to make uwell as in actuality and different ethnic people. turns on professions it has today, Pakistan needs to been unable to clarify. practice. Unfortunately, the control the continuation of the majority of Pakethnic contrasts and viciouspre-imperatives of majority istan’s issues are identified ness to recognize pluralistic with financial and social rule government never practices with adjustment in force goals. thus, they are the public arena and culture, interior to the state and regenuinely existed in in the end prompting politisult from emergencies that Pakistan’s commonwealth, cal soundness. Straightforhave remained unaddressed wardness in the since the making of the which in the end made the popularity-based cycle may country and require political vacuum for ethnic gathering. bring comfort and certainty and financial solutions. othamong individuals who see ers have provincial and In Pakistan, the precise and the Federal Government as a worldwide measurements. domineering specialist or Albeit, various contentions functional popularity -based power. happened occasionally in framework subsequently has the state needs to perthe country however as of ceive the truth of unique inlate these were increased not flourished dividuals on paper as well as after the event of 9/11 occain actuality and practice. unsions. every one of these fortunately, the pre-imperahave significant interior eftives of majority rule fects, as well as local and worldwide effects. throughout some undefined time- government never genuinely existed in Pakistan’s frame, Pakistan is in the way of turning into a commonwealth, which in the end made the vacuum bombed state, and government approaches are mak- for ethnic gathering. In Pakistan, the precise and ing it more fragile still. Its shocking economy, exac- functional popularity -based framework subsequently erbated by a progression of degenerate pioneers, is at has not flourished. the base of large numbers of its interior issues. BeThe writer is a freelance columnist cause of flimsy financial development, the nation

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Monday, 21 June, 2021

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

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

Cutting through difficulties

G7 Summit 2021: More talk than action The G7 didn’t do enough to solve the world’s problems

Dr Omer JaveD

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orIS Johnson went into this weekend’s G7 summit promising to “vaccinate the world”. But by Sunday night it was clear that even the much anticipated– and completely insufficient– pledge to donate one billion covid-19 vaccine doses by the middle of next year would not be met. neither was there any radical announcement on climate change or on cancelling Southern debt. In the words of former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the summit would “go down as an unforgivable moral failure”. … While G7 nations are vaccinating their citizens at a rate of 4.6 million people a day, low-income countries can only manage 63,000. the G7 will have vaccinated almost all of its citizens by the end of the year while, at current rates, low-income countries would be waiting 57 years.’ – Excerpt from the article ‘The change we need will never come from the G7’ by Nick Dearden It has been many months since South Africa and India had put forward a request at the World trade organization (Wto) for removing intellectual property rights (IPrs) on covid-18 vaccines, but the G7 continue to remain divided on throwing their weight at the Wto and seeing this happen, at least till the time the pandemic ended.

What the meetings of the G7 at Cornwall, england, did announce, was making available one billion doses of vaccines, about which Dearden in his same article pointed out ‘on Friday, one billion doses were put on the table. this would only have been sufficient to immunise about 10 percent of the globally unvaccinated population.

By Sunday, this number had fallen to 870 million, of which only about 600 million were genuinely “new”, most of which would not be offered until next year, and some of which seem closer to exports (they will need to be paid for) rather than donations. When we bear in mind that a single factory in Bangladesh could produce between 600 and 800 million doses a year if patents were waived, it becomes clear that this G7 pledge does not even function as a fig leaf.’

Criticising the falling short of the one-billion vaccine commitment by G7 than anywhere near required, a Financial Times (Ft) article ‘G7’s vaccine pledge for poor nations branded inade-

quate by campaigners’ pointed out ‘the G7 commitment was too small a part of the estimated 2.5bn excess shots the group’s governments had already acquired beyond their domestic needs, said Professor Suerie Moon, codirector of the global health centre at the Geneva-based Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies. “While a 1bn-dose donation shows that leaders have finally stopped dithering, its less than half of what these countries could and should commit today,” said Moon, who also pointed to the “poor record for follow-up” on G7 summit deals.’

In this regard, an article ‘Lack of patent waivers would add over $70 billion to cost of vaccinating world: oxfam’ by Jon Queally pointed out ‘“If the best G7 leaders can manage is to donate 1 billion vaccine doses then this summit will have been a failure,” said oxfam’s health policy manager Anna Marriott in statement on Friday. With an estimated 11 billion doses needed to end the pandemic, Marriott said the G7 plan—as nice as it might sound to some on paper—is not going to cut it.’ the strange thing is that the costs of vaccinating are far less than the output lost, not to mention the primary goal of saving human lives.

In this regard, an article ‘the west is passing the opportunity of the century’ in The Economist indicated ‘to get roughly 70 percent of the planet’s population inoculated by April, the imf calculates, would cost just $50 billion. the cumulative economic benefit by 2025, in terms of increased global output, would be $9 trillion, to say nothing of the many lives that would be saved. the cost amounts to just 0.13 percent of the G7’s GDP– a fifth of the amount its members have pledged to spend each year helping other countries. If a group formed to wrestle with big international threats cannot resolve to make such a no-brainer of an investment on humanity’s behalf, what can it do?’ the other thing of utmost importance in the shape of battling the climate change crisis headon was also left hanging more on words than action. A detailed action plan on reducing fossil-fuel usage, and coming good on the commitment of providing $100 billion a year to lowincome countries as climate finance, remained missing during the G7 Summit. In a Guardian published article ‘G7 affirmed goals but failed to provide funds needed to reach them, experts say’ Fiona Harvey pointed out in this regard ‘the G7 summit ended with rich nations reaffirming their goal to limit global heating to 1.5°C, and agreeing to protect and restore 30 percent of the natural world by the end of this decade, but failing to provide the funds experts say will be needed to reach such goals.’

Moreover, she pointed out that ‘the communiqué promised only: “We welcome the commitments already made by some of the G7 to increase climate finance and look forward to new commitments from others well ahead of Cop26.” Malik Amin Aslam, climate minister of Pakistan, said: “the G7 announcement on climate finance is really peanuts in the face of an existential catastrophe. It really comes as a huge disappointment for impacted and vulnerable countries like Pakistan– already compelled to

ramp up their climate expenditures to cope with forced adaptation needs.” Aslam warned of the impact on the Cop26 talks: “At the least, countries responsible for this inescapable crisis need to live up to their stated commitments, otherwise the upcoming climate negotiations could well become an exercise in futility.” Despite committing to an end to financing coal overseas, and phasing out fossil fuel subsidies by 2025, the G7 stopped short of calling a halt to the exploitation of new fossil fuel resources.’

In another Guardian published article, ‘rich countries urged to come up with detailed plans to cut emissions’ by Fiona Harvey, she pointed out ‘the uK row about overseas aid spending– which Johnson is cutting from 0.7% of GDP to 0.5%, with the loss of £4bn to the developing world– also put him in a poor position to browbeat his fellow leaders into stumping up more cash for climate finance. Poor nations were promised $100 billion a year from the rich world to help them cut greenhouse gas emissions and cope with the impacts of climate breakdown, but that longstanding pledge has fallen short by about $20 billion.’ the third important issue that the G7 did not reportedly address adequately was with regard to supporting developing countries in terms of debt moratorium/relief; since many developing countries are facing difficult external debt situations, especially after the amounts they needed to spend on providing Covid-19 vaccines, and providing stimulus to their countries, not to mentions on their balance of payments (BoP) situations due to very high food prices internationally, high level of oil prices, and low overall demand for exports due to pandemiccaused-recession globally. Moreover, there was reportedly no indication of efforts made by the G7 during the Summit, towards quickening of the pace of the release of SDr 500 billion by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to provide much-needed BoP, and external debt repayments-related support to developing countries. nick Dearden in his article pointed out ‘Beyond vaccines, the pandemic has triggered a debt crisis in many countries, which could heighten poverty and inequality for a generation. yet the G7 offered nothing new to change this situation, in particular taking no action against the banks and hedge funds which continue to drain billions of dollars a year from countries that should be spending on healthcare and economic protection. And on the major issue of our times, halting climate change, the summit merely reaffirmed a decade-old target to give developing countries $100bn a year to adapt to climate change– a promise which they have already failed to honour in practice– and made a commitment to phasing out coal, but with no real details.’

The writer holds PhD in Economics degree from the University of Barcelona, and previously worked at International Monetary Fund.Prior to this, he did MSc. in Economics from the University of York (United Kingdom), and worked at the Ministry of Economic Affairs & Statistics (Pakistan), among other places. He is author of Springer published book (2016) ‘The economic impact of International Monetary Fund programmes: institutional quality, macroeconomic stabilization and economic growth’.He tweets @omerjaved7

tHe issues like food crisis, unemployment have been greatly highlighted by the mainstream english television channels like BBC, Cnn especially in the wake of the current CoVID situation. the other day Cnn had highlighted the issue of food insecurities in America caused by the current pandemic whereas BBC has been highlighting the larger unemployment crisis in european countries like the uK. As a matter of fact, countries from the West like the uSA, uK should take these issues seriously and must tackle them all head-on given their characteristics, geological structure, socio-economic status. the recent farmer protests in India had caught the attention of everyone out there. Any crisis in the farming sector should not be allowed to escalate into a bigger issue. By the by, I have been able to see rigorous farming activities going on in my native areas like Korkai, tiruchendur, tuticorin, tirunelveli, nagercoil, Marthandam, Kanyakumari in tamil nadu all thanks to the good and bountiful rainfall this ongoing monsoon. Such rigorous agro activities should be encouraged continuously and they must go on back to back with all backup options like water sources, land, finance in place. Most importantly, agricultural activities, food production and consequent trade activities should be accelerated and even strengthened simultaneously and non-stop. Besides this, the apparent port operations should be fully supported by the regime out there through proper ways like superb infrastructure, reliable tax/tariff system. Finally, all the countries worldwide should give first priority to the farming and food sectors through proper channels like water sources/financial background and strengthening/safeguarding the plantation areas across the globe.

P SEnthil Saravana Durai MuMbai

Expensive medicines InFLAtIon has brought many difficulties in people’s life in the country.

Many people cannot buy good things. the biggest problem that people are facing is prices of medicines which have increased again for the second time in a month, the prices of medicines have increased by five to fifty percent.

However, the price of essential items are already out of reach of a common man, and with recent development, the poor are being deprived of medical treatment by making medicines more expensive. on the other words, the rates of medicines for all diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, blood pressure, hepatitis and cancer has been increased. now these medicines are beyond reach of the poor. the hiked prices of medicines making trouble for middle class people, especially for the poor, cannot buy medicines. So, the government should decrease the rising price of life saving drugs so that the poor should be able to buy medicines and should be treated well.

SaMEEr aSlaM awaran Kulli

Resolution of unity BeFore neslon Mandela and Dr Martin Luther King Jr, whites stated, “A black male standing on a street corner could be arrested for vagrancy, or for attempted rape if accused of looking at a white woman the wrong way and once imprisoned.” one can commonly say that blacks were considered and treated as slaves.

After the sacrificing and toiling of blacks’ leaders like these, had changed the phenomena and brought the world into it’s real shape. their concepts has been adopted and proven by ongoing protests for a black male named George Floyd who was assassinated by a policeman. every individual is saying,” Justice for George Floyd and Black lives matter.”

At no point in the united States’ history the lights of White House went closed but this resolution of unity among people made it happened. the unity of people had made it clear that public has the power to do anything if it stand together for valid reasons.

MEEr Khan Karachi

Virus violence VIoLenCe, it seems, is in sync with the Covid-19 situation. As the coronavirus pandemic is continuing to spread at a faster pace, violence is also on the rise across the globe. recently, un Secretary General Antonio Guterres has called for a global ceasefire, but the violent actors turned a deaf ear to his request and continued their business. For power seekers, virus has done nothing but paved their way to grab more power. In yemen, chaos has begun once again after the Southern transitional Council declared self-rule in southern part of the country. Palestinians are in great distress as Israel started annexing the parts of West Bank. Violence is again uptick in Afghanistan and the nascent Afghan Peace Deal seems to exist in papers alone. In India, Muslims are being persecuted since the outbreak of the pandemic. the world has not yet seen the version of lockdown under which the people of Kashmir are forced to live for almost nine months. It is much disheartening that in these miserable times, better sense has not prevailed and those resentments are still in place as they were present before the virus could unleashed itself. So the International community must play it’s role in protecting the most vulnerable from both virus and violence. ali Shan Gujranwala

Street crime on Friday (June 11), the director of Karachi’s usman Institute of technology (uIt), Dr Zahir Ali Syed, was shot dead by armed robbers. According to media reports, in just one month, at least nine people have been shot dead.

Karachi is witnessing an unprecedented surge in street crimes. no area is safe.

What should residents do? the problem of street crimes is an old one. no government has taken strict action against people who have deprived the city of peace. every person lives in a state of fear. Why are the authorities silent over this matter? Why are they not taking steps to ensure that residents are safe? this issue needs the immediate attention of the authorities. haSan noor uMEr anSari Karachi

Monday, 21 June, 2021

08 WORLD VIEW

Israel: MeeT The new boss, saMe as The old boss This coaliTion includes a PriMe MinisTer who once said: “i have killed loTs of arabs in My life - and There is no ProbleM wiTh ThaT”

MiddLE East EyE

a

RiCHARd SilveRSTein

FTeR 12 years of continuous rule

by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel has welcomed a new government headed by Naftali Bennett, leader of the far-right Yamina party.

The new coalition spans a wide chasm from extreme right to left - a development never before seen in Israeli politics. It also includes the Islamist party, Raam, marking the first time a Palestinian party has sat at the cabinet table in such a government.

Israelis poured into the streets by the tens of thousands to celebrate Netanyahu’s demise, in what the New York Times called a “dance party”. Their joy marks a release of pent-up tensions, built up over months of Black Flag protests against the figure popu-

larly known as the “crime minister”. he is currently on trial, facing three corruption counts; if convicted, he could be jailed, which has only ever happened to one previous Israeli prime minister.

Jewish groups in the diaspora have joined in the celebration, releasing statements of relief and hopefulness at the change in government. But these are marked by a fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of the country’s new leaders.

The leading Israel lobby group in the US, AIPAC, said it “welcomes the new, diverse Israeli government” led by Bennett. The term “diversity” attempts to make a virtue out of the fact that this coalition includes a prime minister who once said: “I have killed lots of Arabs in my life - and there is no problem with that.” It also includes a Palestinian party affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, whose leader, in his first Knesset speech, promised constituents he would regain land Israel expropriated from Palestinians.

The North American Reform Jewish Movement seemed the most divorced from the Israeli reality: “We are hopeful that this new government, unprecedented in the ideological diversity of its members, will … commit to furthering a pluralistic agenda, combat extremism … and be a government

Europe’s debt avalanche is just about to start There are 54 eu bond issues ouTsTanding, coMProMising €143 billion and MaTuriTies ouT To 30 years, by The end of 2026 iT will be close To €1 Trillion

BLOOMBERG

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MARCUS ASHWORTH

he waiting’s over. The european Union has fired the gun on its multiyear bond issuance to fund the €750 billion ($900 billion) pandemic recovery fund that the bloc agreed last summer.

Tuesday saw the launch of a benchmark 10-year deal and it met a rapturous investor reception. The offering was double what was expected, at €20 billion, and offers a yield a few basis points above zero — about 6 or 7 basis points. That’s about 30 basis points more than equivalent German debt.

The order book was for a positively eye-watering €142 billion. A big new beast has arrived in the bond market.

The eU’s sales of €200 billion or more per year will rival the national issuance of europe’s big four sovereign issuers: Germany, France, Italy and Spain. The bonds will reshape european capital markets, not least because a third of them will be green debt, adding hugely to the liquidity of that market and setting an example for national governments and corporates to follow.

Brussels has already done a fair amount of market testing by issuing about €100 billion of bonds to fund its SURe job support program. That injected much-needed cash into the eU while the pandemic recovery fund (known as NextGenerationeU) went through the approval process. The largerscale financing is needed desperately to support europe’s tentative recovery.

The european Commission has been an

established — if infrequent — bond issuer, but the pandemic has altered its mindset on fiscal stimulus and on wealthier northern euro-zone nations helping out their southern neighbors through mutual debt and effective fiscal transfers. It’s very different to the austerity and harsh medicine of last decade’s sovereign debt crisis.

The Commission is the ideal body to roll out coordinated support at scale. There are 54 eU bond issues outstanding, compromising €143 billion and maturities out to 30 years, by the end of 2026 it will be close to €1 trillion. There’s also a possibility that programs get extended and increased if the recovery doesn’t get traction. The european Central Bank can buy up to half of any of these issues, so investors know there’s official support.

While the eU has gone down the popular syndicated sale route, using investment banks to run this inaugural NextGeneration sale, a primary dealer and auction system is also planned. This will help keep funding costs down and provide more regular access to liquidity for dealers.

For supporters of eU integration, it’s clearly a signal of intent that Brussels intends to be treated in the same way as the established major bond-issuing nations. Indeed, it has an eye on becoming the european benchmark on bond prices and yields.

This won’t happen overnight but the preeminent status of German debt is restricted by the lack of free float as most outstanding Bunds are held by central banks and official institutions globally.

As the new eU debt trades at a modest yield premium above Bunds there’s an incentive now for investors to diversify their top-tier holdings. The bonds have an AAA credit rating from Moody’s Investors Service, so they’re perfect collateral. One of the next steps will be to build out a shorter-term bill program for maturities out to two years, which can be used as collateral in derivatives. There’s also the prospect of exchangetraded futures and options referencing eU debt specifically. Better late than never for the eU’s fiscal cavalry to have its capitalraising plans falling into place.

Marcus Ashworth is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering European markets.

for all of Israel’s citizens. We also hope this government will reaffirm the importance of … bipartisan outreach and engagement.”

‘THRIVING DEMOCRACY’? Given that Bennett is known for his incendiary antiPalestinian rhetoric, it’s hard to see how he will be a leader for all Israeli citizens.

Indeed, Israelis this week held the annual Flag March, a far-right “holiday” marked by provocative demonstrations by Israeli extremists in Palestinian neighbourhoods, where chants such as “Death to Arabs” ring out loudly.

Though some political leaders urged that the march be called off amid the recent violence between Jews and Palestinians, the government refused to cancel it; many of those participating were key supporters of far-right parties, such as Bennett’s Yamina.

In light of such a tacit alliance between violent Jewish extremists and their political patrons, it’s a wonder that American Jewish groups can close their eyes to this and see only sunshine and fresh air.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews issued a fulsome welcome to the new government, saying the “unity coalition” comprising “parties of the centre, left, right, and for the first time in almost 50 years, an Israeli Arab political party … is a wonderful demonstra-

tion of Israel’s thriving democracy”.

Whether there is “unity” in an amalgam of so many disparate political parties in the long term remains to be seen. But this government is more an act of desperation - cobbled together as the only hope of removing Netanyahu from power - than a “demonstration of Israel’s thriving democracy”.

CUT FROM THE SAME CLOTH: The most liberal of the groups welcoming the new government, J Street, expressed some reservations, noting: “While we have reason to hope that the new government will be far more moderate and reasonable than its predecessor in many areas, we have no reason to expect that it will end the intolerable, unjust and deteriorating status quo of endless occupation and recurring violence. Naftali Bennett has consistently presented himself as an even more hardline, pro-settlement, antiPalestinian, right-wing alternative.”

This seemed at least a tacit acknowledgement that Bennett’s past views were no more receptive than Netanyahu’s to a twostate solution.

Pointedly, the most left-wing Jewish groups in the US, If Not Now and Jewish Voice for Peace, did not issue statements, suggesting they saw nothing to celebrate in the new government. It is merely a change

of faces, with the same racist, apartheid policies of its predecessor. Bennett is cut from the same cloth as Netanyahu, having served at one time as his chief of staff.

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden was quick to congratulate Bennett; while it took Biden a month to call Netanyahu after his own inauguration, it took him only two hours to call Bennett. While the US realises that the new Israeli government will continue to oppose the Iran nuclear deal and Biden’s anticipated return to it, he wants that opposition to be private rather than public.

Biden understands that Bennett doesn’t differ significantly in political terms from his predecessor, which means the US is unlikely to press for any major agreements or negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. But merely being able to turn down the heat on the US-Israel relationship would bring a welcome respite, as far as Biden is concerned. In his own inaugural speech as prime minister, Bennett made clear that he understood how much Netanyahu had alienated US Democrats, defying former President Barack Obama at every turn and stymying several attempts to negotiate a peace deal with the Palestinians.

Bennett has vowed to work with both Republicans and Democrats - though given the restiveness of progressive Democrats in light of Israel’s latest attack on Gaza, he will find the party increasingly divided.

Richard Silverstein writes the Tikun Olam blog, devoted to exposing the excesses of the Israeli national security state.

When cow dung meets coronavirus The chief of The hindu Mahasabha, an exTreMisT allied wiTh The ruling bJP, hosTed a cow urine-drinking evenT in March This year in new delhi, To ‘sTave off’ The coronavirus COuntER CuRREnts SATyA SAgAR

“C

OW dung, cow urine didn’t work. Groundless argument. Tomorrow I will eat fish”. In mid-May this year, this simple Facebook post about the futility of bovine waste as a cure for Covid-19, was enough to get Kishorechandra Wangkhem, a journalist from Imphal, Manipur arrested for ‘sedition’.

The post upset members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party as it came soon after the demise due to COVID-19 of Manipur BJP president Saikhom Jitendra Singh, a proponent of the cow dung/urine therapy. Based on their complaint the police promptly arrested Wangkhem under the stringent National Security Act, reserved usually for hardened criminals and terrorists.

The incident highlighted the seriousness with which pseudo-science is taken and promoted by the movement called hindutva- a mix of hindu supremacy and rabid nationalism- that has dominated Indian politics over the last couple of decades.

And while complacency has been often blamed for India’s inability to contain the recent deadly second wave of Covid-19, a bigger role may have been played by people in top positions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government spouting a variety of nonsensical claims.

Along with a deeply authoritarian approach one of the Modi regime’s chief hallmarks since coming to power in 2014 has been the championing of a host of spurious theories about everything from climate change to the evolution of species.

The Prime Minister himself claimed in a public forum several years ago that the hindu god Ganesha, known for his elephant head, was an example of advanced plastic surgery in ancient India. The prestigious Indian Science Congress in Mumbai in 2015 saw one presentation claim that aircraft more advanced than today’s versions existed in ‘Vedic’ times!

Such officially endorsed obscurantism has played out in a particularly deadly fashion in the context of Covid-19. In April this year, as pilgrims gathered to take a dip in the Ganges for the Kumbh Mela, Tirath

Singh Rawat, the BJP Chief Minister of Uttarakhand claimed that ‘holy water’ of the river, considered sacred by hindus, would ward off Covid-19.

The religious festival, that stretched over a month and attended by more than nine million, has been dubbed as perhaps the largest superspreader event in the history of the entire pandemic so far. India’s second wave of Covid-19 spiked sharply after those attending the event returned to various parts of the country. Millions of Indians have been hospitalized since then and thousands have died to lack of even basic oxygen support and access to hospital beds. After a relatively mild first wave, which saw the government claim ‘victory’ over Covid, India has set a global record for both the highest number of both infections and deaths on a daily basis over the last month and a half.

The special prize for wild claims however goes to the mantra pushed by almost everyone in the regime, from top leaders to lowly party workers, about the allegedly curative powers of cow dung and urine for a large variety of ailments.

In case of Covid-19 too, from the start of the pandemic, the popular media, especially through the WhatsApp networks, has been flooded with videos and messages on this theme.

In Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Modi, media has reported believers covering their bodies in cow dung and urine in the hope it will boost their immunity against, or help them recover from, the coronavirus. The chief of the hindu Mahasabha, an extremist allied with the ruling BJP, hosted a cow urine-drinking event in March this year in New Delhi, to ‘stave off’ the coronavirus.

Along with pushing dubious therapies and ideas the hindu right wing party and its supporters have also been regularly sniping at modern medical science itself, which they derisively call ‘english medicine’. In early May for example, “Baba” Ramdev – the popular yoga guru turned traditional medicine entrepreneur, who is very close to top BJP leaders, outraged the Indian medical community by claiming tens of thousands died of Covid after taking modern medicines. he also claimed, quite callously, that the hundreds of deaths in India due to oxygen shortages were actually the fault of the people who had died – they didn’t

know “how to breathe properly”. Ramdev apologised after an intervention by the Indian health Minister (worried about strong condemnation by doctors’ associations) but his statements expressed the real sentiments of those running the BJP and its allied organisations.

The pandemic of pseudo-science, supported by both politicians and influential sections of the Indian public, is ironic as Indians take immense pride in being a space and nuclear power. India is also known as a leading nation in knowledge-intensive sectors such as software and pharmaceuticals.

These achievements have been due to early investments in building excellent institutions of science as well as training of good quality scientists. Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Indian Prime Minister was a great votary of the ‘scientific temper’ and modern science, research and education. In recent decades though there has been a severe erosion in the integrity of many top Indian educational institutions and a dumbing down of science-related policies in general.

All this, combined with the rise to power of the hindutva movement, which thrives on half-truths and harks back to a mythical time when everything in ‘India was Great’ – has been deadly for reasoned public debate or understanding on many national issues.

In some ways India’s situation today parallels that of Germany under the Nazi regime, which came to power almost a century ago using a mix of mysticism and national pride, despite the country being home to some of the world’s greatest scientists and thinkers. Apart from supporting the racist discipline of ‘eugenics’, top Nazi leaders like Rudolf hess, hitler’s deputy, promoted a host of pseudo-scientific therapies in the name of alternative medicine.

The Nazi regime was also notorious for carrying out a range of brutal modern medical experiments on prisoners, the differently abled and anyone deemed ‘undesirable’, especially religious groups such as the Jews. While contemporary India is yet to reach this level of depravity, going by the current Indian regime’s intense hatred of minority populations and its fascination for dubious solutions, getting to that lowest point in human history cannot be ruled out with any certainty.

Satya Sagar is a journalist who can be reached at sagarnama@gmail.com.

Monday, 21 June, 2021

buSIneSS 09

lahore

GovT To inTroduce new car FinancinG scheMe under uPcoMinG auTo PolicY

corporate corner

ISLAMABAD

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KaraChI: The curtain raiser event for Pakistan Pavilion in Expo 2020 Dubai was held at a local hotel in Karachi on Sunday, 20th June 2021. Key Pakistan media, Officials from the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan, Trustees from Patrons of Expo 2020, and the Advisory Committee attended the event. The Expo 2020 will be held in Dubai, UAE from October 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022, and has a theme of “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future". PR

GhulAM AbbAS

HE government is going to introduce a new car financing scheme with a lower interest rate of 5 to 6 per cent to facilitate customers who are unable to buy a car after major price hikes during the past few years.

According to an official at the ministry of Industries and Production, the government is interested in facilitating the customers of small cars of 850 cc to 1000 cc with reduced interest rate to facilitate maximum buyers. However, the financing facility would also be extended to cars of above 1000 cc. “The rate being proposed for small cars would be around 5 per cent while 6 per cent is being suggested for cars of more than 1000 cc,” the official said.

“The facility could boost sales in the auto industry which ultimately create business and employment opportunities,” he said, adding that the facility was currently being discussed with stakeholders.

During a recently held meeting on proposed new

NEW AUTO POLICY TO BE FINALISED NEXT MONTH auto policy, it was informed by Federal Minister for Industries and Production, Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar, that the aim to introduce a new policy is to provide affordable small cars i.e. 850 cc-1000 cc, promote localisation in domestically assembled cars, produce exportable surplus of auto-parts of 2-3 wheelers and increase the competition in the local market so that people in Pakistan could enjoy better technology at affordable prices.

Apart from the financing facility, the government has also announced reduction in general sales tax (GST) on locally assembled cars up to 850cc to 12.5 per cent from 17pc in the budget 2021-22 followed by exemption of federal excise duty (FED) and value-added tax to give relief to small car buyers. The small car producing local companies especially the Pak Suzuki Motor Company Ltd (PSMCL) will enjoy the concession.

World Bank approves $442m loan

NEW POLICY FOR HYBRID CARS: According to sources, stakeholders in the auto sector have also agreed to give incentives to hybrid cars in the next policy (2021-26), similar to what has been given to electric cars. Electric vehicles (EV) parts in hybrids are likely to get similar incentives as stipulated in the EV policy.

“The duty relaxation offered for parts of the EVs is being proposed to CKD of hybrid cars too under the new auto policy,” an official at the Engineering Development Board (EDB) said.

Earlier through the EV policy, 1 per cent sales tax for locally made EVs up to 50 kwh and light commercial vehicles up to 150 kwh were introduced. Besides, duty on the import of charging equipment was capped at 1 per cent.

Talking to this scribe, Additional Secretary Ministry of Industries and Production Hamid Atique said that the ministry was trying to cover the tax part of the upcoming auto policy which is to be included in the FY22 budget. “The remaining part of the policy would be finalised during next month,” he said.

Pakistan to halt import of agri commodities LAHORE APP

Lahore: Antiage Hospital inaugurates a fertility clincic for women with gynaecological health issues. PR

Textile, clothing exports soar to $13.7bn in 11MFY21 Pakistan’s exports of textile and clothing sectors posted nearly 19 per cent growth in the 11 months of current fiscal year (11MFY21) compared to the same period a year ago, data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics showed on Saturday. Total exports of textile and clothing were up 18.85pc to $13.748 billion between July and May this year against $11.567bn over the corresponding period in FY20. On a monthly basis, export proceeds posted a growth of 41.14pc on a year-on-year basis to $1.06bn in May 2021. Exports of ready-made garments were up by 14.35pc to $2.706bn in 11MFY21 against $2.367bn over the corresponding months of last year. Knitwear exports were up 32.70pc to $3.414bn against $2.572bn over the corresponding months of last year. Exports of bedwear increased by 24.60pc to $2.472bn this year against 1.984bn in FY20. Similarly, in the value-added leather sector, exports of leather garments up by 9.92pc, leather gloves 19.08pc respectively. Exports of raw leather declined by over 17pc during these months.

In the non-value added sector, exports of cotton cloth posted a paltry growth of 0.97pc in 11MFY21 from a year ago. Similarly, exports of cotton yarn declined by 1.60pc and raw cotton 96.51pc. It clearly indicates that these raw materials were consumed mostly by the value-added sector as the government allowed duty-free import of these products. Exports of cotton carded were up by 3.17pc and yarn other than cotton yarn by 20.24pc during the period under review. MONITORING REPORT

The World Bank has approved a $442 million loan for improving access to water and sanitation services for the most vulnerable rural communities in Punjab, as the lender predicts “sizable increase” in poverty across the country.

The World Bank board of directors approved the Punjab Rural Sustainable Water Supply and Sanitation Project (PRSWSSP) to upgrade water supply and sanitation infrastructure and services for sustainable access to drinking water and safe wastewater management, a handout issued by the local office of the World Bank stated. The project prioritises rural settlements, where water contamination and poor sanitation practices are more prevalent, causing high levels of illness and child stunting.

The loan proceeds will also be utilised to provide wastewater treatment facilities that mitigate risk of fecal contamination of water resources in

heat stressed and water-scarce areas by generating safe effluent to 2,000 villages. The percentage of households that have the World Health Organization (WHO) quality drinking water at point-of-use will be increased to 75pc.

“PRSWSSP will help more than six million rural residents in the poorest districts of Punjab to reduce child stunting and address areas at high risk to droughts and water scarcity,” said World Bank Country Director for Pakistan Najy Benhassine.

PRSWSSP Task Team Leader Farhan Sami said the project will reduce water borne illnesses and ensure service quality and customer care through a financially sustainable public company.

According to the World Bank, the project will cover 16 districts, with 50 per cent of districts from south Punjab, and 25pc each from central and north Punjab. MONITORING REPORT

Pak-Iran freight train service restored after 30 hours CHAGHI: After suspension of 30 hours, the rail services between Pakistan and Iran were restored on Sunday. The Pak-Iran rail service was suspended, when six wagons of a Quetta-bound freight train overturned near Dalbandin tehsil of Chaghi district on Saturday. The freight train was travelling from Iran’s Zahedan city to Quetta when six of its wagons overturned, suspending the Pak-Iran rail service. As per the railway authorities, the track has been restored on an emergency basis and the Quetta-bound freight train has left for its stop. Officials of the Pakistan Railways had said the wagons overturned due to sand dunes covering the tracks. Balochistan’s Chaghi district, particularly Dalbandin, is sandy and dusty.

Trains passing through the area often get stuck when the tracks are covered with sand due to winds. Last week, six tankers of a water supply train got derailed due to sand covering the tracks. AGENCIES

Pakistan is now moving towards halting import of agricultural commodities following effective measures taken by the government, said Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) for Food Security and Research Jamshed Iqbal Cheema.

During a visit to the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) on Saturday, he said Pakistan’s food demand climbed on back of growth in population. “We have streamlined the procurement of wheat and ensured proper returns to farmers for their hard work by increasing wheat support price to Rs1,800 per 40kg from Rs1,400 besides offering subsidy on wheat flour to the end consumer,” he said. He told businessmen that the government will continue to facilitate the common man. Citing figures, he said that wheat flour consumption in Pakistan stood at 108kg per person annually. Though wheat production was in surplus of 1.5 million tonnes this year, the government imported three million tonnes to retain 120-day strategic reserves, Cheema clarified. He announced that a food dashboard was being developed, which would monitor demand and supply of food as well as the storage situation. “Magistrates are being appointed in every market to control price hikes,” he said. He announced that Prime Minister Imran Khan would hold a convention with farmers on June 30 to take their input on policy formulation. He reaffirmed that the government was committed to maintaining a balance in prices of produce for farmers, industry and the end consumers. “There would be no shortage of agricultural raw material in Pakistan for next seven years,” he told the business community. He added that the country was moving towards profitable agriculture and the government would construct warehouses in villages as well as offer interest-free loans for cold storage systems in rural areas. He added that palm trees were also being planted along the coastal line of the country. The country would meet its need for palm oil by planting three million palm trees, he announced. The SAPM added that the government was also focusing on enhancing olive yield and for this purpose, Rs8 billion had been allocated in the next financial year which would be distributed among farmers to produce high-quality olives. “Pakistan will soon become the world’s largest olive producer,” Cheema said. Comprehensive measures are being taken to increase maize production to eight million tonnes from the present 3.2 million tonnes. According to the official, Rs4 billion had also been earmarked for enhancing cotton production and the country was expecting cotton output to stand at nine million bales this year.

Surging inflation complicates India's pandemic recovery NEW DELHI AGENCIES

India's surging inflation is adding to the country's economic woes, presenting challenges for businesses and policymakers alike as analysts warn of risks that could prevent prices of essential goods easing in the near future.

Wholesale price inflation jumped 12.94 percent in May, a near 30-year high, driven by soaring fuel prices, while retail inflation hit a six-month peak of 6.3 percent as food and fuel costs rose, exceeding the central bank's higher band and analysts' estimates, according to official data released this month.

“The risk of inflation turning persistent exists,” Anubhuti Sahay, head of economics research for South Asia at Standard Chartered, says. “[This is] especially because the rise in May's consumer price inflation was driven by a broad-based surge, and if commodity prices stay elevated.”

A major factor driving the spike in inflation is elevated oil prices, which have been hitting multi-year highs recently. India is heavily dependent on oil imports and this has a knock-on effect on the cost of other goods, including an increase in transportation costs.

Fresh lockdown curbs imposed during a deadly second wave of Covid-19 have also affected supply chains, putting upward pres-

sure on prices.

“Inflation pressure may remain high ahead, with upcoming prints looking to be above the May print,” Madhavi Arora, lead economist at Mumbai-based Emkay Global Financial Services, says.

The surge in inflation is posing a challenge for policymakers, with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) instead focusing efforts on supporting economic growth. The country's economy has been battered by the second wave of the coronavirus, which has derailed what looked to be a promising start to a recovery after last year's pandemic-induced recession.

India’s economy contracted 7.3 per

CMYK

cent in the April 2020 to March 2021 financial year, according to data. Meanwhile, the World Bank this month cut its growth forecast for the current financial year to 8.3 per cent from its earlier projection of 10.1 per cent.

The pandemic's second wave prompted authorities to introduce fresh lockdown curbs, with fears of a third wave in the autumn. “India's recovery is being hampered by the largest outbreak of any country since the beginning of the pandemic,” the Washington-based lender said.

Faltering economic growth leaves the RBI with little leeway to raise interest rates to bring inflation under control because it

would raise the cost of borrowing.

But the dilemma for policymakers is that soaring inflation can hamper a pick-up in the economy, particularly as consumer price inflation has breached the RBI's upper threshold of 6 per cent.

“High inflation amid low growth impacts disposable incomes and thus aggregate demand,” Ms Sahay says. “It has the potential to delay the recovery process.”

Many businesses are struggling amid the pandemic's impact and steep inflation is making profitability more challenging. If inflation remains elevated over the coming months, the situation will worsen for many business owners, analysts say.

Monday, 21 June, 2021

10 FOREIGN NEWS

LAHORE

LibyAn guArds Accused of sexuALLy AssAuLting minors CAIRO

W

AP

HeN Libyan security forces rescued her earlier this year, the young Somali woman thought it would be the end of her suffering.

For more than two years, she had been imprisoned and sexually abused by human traffickers notorious for extorting, torturing and assaulting migrants like her trying to reach europe.

Instead, the 17-year-old said, the sexual assaults against her have continued, only now by guards at the government-run center in the Libyan capital Tripoli where they are being kept.

She and four other Somali teenagers undergoing similar abuses are pleading to be released from the Shara al-Zawiya detention center. It is one of a network of centers run

by Libya’s Department for Combating Illegal Immigration -- or DCIM -- which is supported by the european Union in its campaign to build Libya into a bulwark against mainly African migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea. “While it is not the first time I suffer from sexual attacks, this is more painful as it was by the people who should protect us,” the 17-year-old said, speaking to The Associated Press by a smuggled mobile phone.

“You have to offer something in return to go to the bathroom, to call family or to avoid beating,” she said. “It’s like we are being held by traffickers.” The Associated

Press does not identify victims of sexual assault, and the young woman also asked not to be named, fearing reprisals.

Smugglers and traffickers in Libya — many of them members of militias — have long been notorious for brutalizing migrants. But rights groups and UN agencies say abuse also takes place in the official DCIM-run facilities.

“Sexual violence and exploitation are rife in several detention centers (for migrants) across the country,” said Tarik Lamloum, a Libyan activist working with the Belaady Organisation for Human Rights.

The UN refugee agency has documented hundreds of cases of women raped while in either DCIM detention or traffickers’ prisons, with some even being impregnated by guards and giving birth during detention, said Vincent Cochetel, the agency’s special envoy for the Central Mediterranean.

The group of teens are the only migrants being kept at Shara al-Zawiya, a facility where usually migrants stay for only short periods for processing. Human rights organisations say they have been trying to secure their release for weeks.

After their rescue from traffickers in February, the 17-year-old was brought along with eight other young female migrants to Shara al-Zawiya. Four of the others were later released under unclear circumstances.

One night in April, around midnight, she asked a guard to let her go to the bathroom. When she finished, the guard attacked her and grabbed her breasts forcefully, she recalled.

“I was petrified and didn’t know what to do,” she told AP. The guard touched the rest of her body including her intimate parts, then unzipped his pants and tried to strip her clothes in an attempt to rape her, she said.

He continued his assault while she cried, struggled and pleaded for him to get off her.

“He only stopped when he was done on my clothes,” she said. “I was lucky that he was done quickly.”

The guard then ordered her to clean her clothes that had been covered in his semen, she recalled, breaking down in tears.

Terrified, she returned to her cell and told one of the other girls what had happened. She soon learned she was not the only victim. All the girls, aged 16 to 18, had experienced similar or worse abuse by

guards, she said.

A 16-year-old in the same cell told the AP she started coming under sexual harassment a few days after arriving at the center. When she pleaded with a guard to call her family, he gave her a phone and let her out of her cell to call her mother. Once she hung up, he stood behind her and grabbed her breasts, she said. She removed his hands and started to cry. The guard only stopped after realising other employees were at the center, she said. “every day they do this,” she said. “If you resist, you will be beaten or deprived of everything.” The Libyan government has not responded to requests for comment by the AP. At least two of the girls attempted to kill themselves in late May following al-

leged beatings and attempted rapes, according to local rights group Libyan Crime Watch and UN agencies.

One of them, a 15-year-old, was taken to the hospital on May 28 and treated by the international aid group Doctors Without Borders only to be returned to the detention center.

Maya Abu Ata, a spokeswoman for MSF Libya, confirmed that the group’s staff treated the two at its clinic. MSF is the abbreviation for the French name of the group, Medecins Sans Frontieres.

The MSF teams “advocated for their release from detention and lobbied protection actors and different interlocutors, however, these attempts were unsuccessful,” she said.

The UNHCR said it was working with Libyan authorities for the release of the five young women still held at Shara al-Zawiya and their subsequent evacuation from Libya.

The case of the teens in Shara al-Zawiya also renews questions about the eU’s role in the cycle of violence trapping migrants and asylum seekers in Libya. The eU trains, equips and supports the Libyan Coast Guard to intercept people trying to cross the Central Mediterranean to europe. At least 677 people are known to have either died or gone missing taking this route on unseaworthy boats so far this year.

Nearly 13,000 men, women and children have been intercepted by the Libyan Coast Guard and returned to Libyan shores from the start of the year up to June 12, a record number. Most are then placed in DCIM-run centers.

Afghanistan president replaces army chief, two ministers as violence grows

A majestic view of Mount Hua located near the city of Huayin in Shaanxi Province. XINHUA

KABUL REUTERS

Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani has replaced his defence and interior ministers and the army chief of staff amid rising casualties among the security forces in sharply increased fighting with the Taliban. The changes, announced late on Saturday by the presidential palace, come as Afghan security forces battle the Taliban in 28 of 34 provinces in the country, with the hardline group claiming more territory in recent weeks. Bismillah Khan Mohammadi was appointed as caretaker defence minister replacing Asadullah Khalid, who had recently returned to the country after a prolonged illness while Abdul Sattar Mirzakwal was picked as new interior minister replacing Hayatullah Hayat. A senior commander under late antiSoviet resistance hero Ahmad Shah Massoud, Mohammadi has had a long military career and served as interior minister, defence minister and army chief of staff in the government of former president Hamid Karzai. General Wali Mohammad Ahmadzai was appointed as the new chief of army staff, replacing General Yasin Zia, the palace said. On Friday, 24 members of Afghan special forces soldiers were killed and dozens more wounded during a fight to retake a district captured by the Taliban in northern Faryab province, security officials said. The Taliban has staged a months-long campaign to expand its influence across the country as the United States has begun withdrawing troops from May 1 and closed some bases and handed them over to the Afghan government. Since the United States announced plans in April to pull out all of its troops by September 11, at least 30 districts have been seized by the Taliban.

A security official speaking on condition of anonymity said there have been extremely high casualties among Afghan security forces, civilians as well as the Taliban in recent weeks as intense fighting rages on. No further details were immediately available.

Cheers and quiet reflection as US crowds mark Juneteenth ATLANTA/CHICAGO REUTERS

Marching bands sparked loud cheers and quieter reflections about racial justice from crowds gathered on Saturday to mark Juneteenth as a new US federal holiday commemorating the end of the legal enslavement of Black Americans.

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday signed a bill making Juneteenth the 11th federally recognised holiday, just over a year after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis ignited nationwide protests for racial justice and for ending police brutality.

"Juneteenth is a day of profound weight and profound power," Biden tweeted on Saturday.

Juneteenth, or June 19th, marks the day in 1865 when a Union general informed a group of enslaved people in Texas that they had been made free two years earlier by President Abraham Lincoln's emancipation Proclamation during the Civil War. "This particular Juneteenth is special because last year we were in the George Floyd protests, and this year we received some resolution," said Andrea Johnson of Atlanta, watching a parade under rainy skies near the historic ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.

Outside the church where Martin

Luther King, Jr. preached and led protests for voting rights, equal access to public services, and social and economic justice, boisterous crowds cheered marching bands and their dancers, who competed with dramatic dips and twirls and were followed by Jeeps adorned with "Black Lives Matter" signs.

Many onlookers were joyful but some said declaring a national holiday might be a hollow victory for Blacks, many of whom still suffer racial injustice in the United States that can be remedied only through more substantial efforts by the federal government.

"There are mixed feelings for me," said Jermaine Washington, a marching

band director who lives in Stone Mountain, Georgia, just 20 miles northeast of Atlanta.

"Oftentimes we see these types of events as a win when it's just pacification for the Black community instead of making sure there's an equal education or equitable housing," Washington said as he herded his young musicians at the Atlanta procession.

Stone Mountain, a tiny village that is holding its first-ever Juneteenth celebration this year, stands in the shadow of a nine-story high bas-relief of Confederate figures carved into a sprawling rock face, the largest monument to the proslavery legacy of the US South.

Around the United States, concerts,

rallies, art displays and lots of food were among events planned for Juneteenth.

Atlanta and its metro area have been celebrating Juneteenth for years. Richard Rose, president of the Atlanta chapter of the NAACP, said this year's designation of Juneteenth as a federal holiday resonates in the city often called the "cradle of the civil rights movement." "While we celebrate, what we have to remember is that we must fight for our rights - in the ballot box, in the schools. And we have to stand up, city-to-city, across this nation," Rose said.

Across the country, many events will take place in-person, unlike last year, as the United States emerges from the coronavirus pandemic and more Americans get vaccinated.

Chicago's "March For Us" has a mile-long route in the city's business district known as the Loop.

"We celebrate Independence Day, so we would be remiss if we don't celebrate the day that people who were worth three-fifths of the person finally became free and started this journey towards equality," said "March for Us" organizer Ashley Munson.

Munson said that while strides have been made, recent incidents of police brutality toward Black people and legislation in several US states that curtails voting rights show that much work still needs to be done.

Monday, 21 June, 2021

SPORTS 11

LAHORE

MarquEz taKEs GErMan MotoGP for fIrst WIn sIncE 2019 SACHSENRING

M

AFP/APP

ARC Marquez banished 18 months of struggles on Sunday as he dominated in the rain at the Sachsenring to win the German MotoGP. The six-time world champion, who returned this season after crashing in the opening race last year, escaped early and stayed clear of in-form Portuguese Miguel Oliveira and championship leader Fabio Quartararo.

Marquez started on the second row of the grid but burst through at the start and was battling for the lead with fellow Spaniard Aleix Espargaro of Aprilla when rain started to fall.

While other riders grew more cautious,

Marquez reacted by attacking harder.

"The victory was a low possibly, but when I saw a few drops on laps four and five I thought: 'this is my race'," he said.

"When more drops fall, I pushed more.

I take a risk. Then the second race started with Oliveira."

Catalonia GP winner Oliveira emerged from the pack to give chase but was more than a second back.

The laps followed a consistent pattern.

Marquez, who is still recovering from the complicated break to his right arm, gained time turning left and lost time on right-handers. But he managed to preserve a cushion of more than a second.

"It was a little cat and mouse all race," said Oliveira. "He was faster in some sectors, I was faster in others. We battled at a

distance."

Marquez held on for what was clearly an emotional victory.

"It was hard to concentrate because of all the memories and all the sensations of the past year," said Marquez, pausing to avoid breaking down and to maintain the delighted grin on his face.

It was his 11th straight victory at the Sachsenring, which like him was off the MotoGP circuit last season, but it was the first for him and the Honda team since Valencia in November 2019.

"We did it!" he said. "We will do it again. We are in a complicated situation but we will try to keep this level."

Quartararo, meanwhile, increased his lead in the championship on a track that does not suit his Yamaha in contrast to

Assen, home of the Dutch MotoGP next weekend. "This podium is gold," said Quartararo. "All weekend we have been struggling. Now I'm looking forward to Assen, one of my favourite tracks."

Quartararo now holds a 22-point edge over compatriot Johann Zarco who was

Halep withdraws from Bad Homburg, raising doubts over Wimbledon

DeChambeau ignores boo boys, bludgeons way into US Open contention SAN DIEGO REUTERS

There is no subtlety to Bryson DeChambeau's game plan as he seeks to defend his US Open crown.

With rare exceptions, the ferocious-swinging DeChambeau bashes his drives as far as he possibly can, knowing that as long as he stays in-bounds he should be okay.

He pushed a couple of drives on Saturday so far right that the ball sailed over the high rough and landed outside the gallery ropes in trampled-down grass that afforded him an almost perfect lie.

"When I miss it, because I hit it pretty far, I'm going to miss it off line quite a bit," DeChambeau said after shooting a bogey-free three-under-par 68 to move within two shots of leaders Louis Oosthuizen, Russell

Hamilton dispels ‘myth’ over Mercedes chassis swap

Henley and Mackenzie Hughes.

"So that plays kind of into my advantage a little bit more because where the people are walking, it's trampled down and you get some good lies."

DeChambeau arrived at Torrey Pines embroiled in a feud with fellow American alpha-male Brooks Koepka, who backtracked in the third round, shooting 71 to fall five shots behind.

DeChambeau, tracked every step of his round by a local police officer assigned to keep him safe all week, faced no major heckling, but he could not steer totally clear of the controversy either.

It was fairly quiet as he negotiated the far reaches of the course around the 11th and 12th holes, where crowds were thin, but by time he got to the 13th green there were plenty of spectators, invariably young men clutching a can of beer, only too happy to make their

support or otherwise all too clear. "Brooksie" some screeched. "Miss it," someone shouted as DeChambeau putted a couple of holes later.

"Get in the water," yelled another as the player avoided the pond at the last.

But DeChambeau also had his supporters, who yelled such things as "back-to-back" and he won another fan by slinging his ball into the grandstand at the final hole, which a dextrous young man caught for a nice souvenir. DeChambeau knows the only way to win over fans is by refusing to take any bait.

"People think that it annoys me," he said.

"If anything, it just creates a great atmosphere for golf. At first, I didn't really know how to handle it.

"You're kind of thrown into a situation but now I enjoy it. You've got to embrace it. There's going to be team Bryson, team Brooks out there. Hey, keep it up."

'Bubbling' Germany back on track at Euro 2020, says Mueller

PARIS

MUNICH

REUTERS

Seven-times Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton dispelled the “myth” surrounding a chassis swap with Mercedes team mate Valtteri Bottas after qualifying for Sunday’s French Grand Prix. Hamilton and Bottas had swapped chassis for this weekend’s race at the Paul Ricard circuit as part of a planned rotation, Mercedes said in the build-up. As a result, the Briton has been driving the chassis used by Bottas in the last four races, including a nightmare last round in Baku, while the Finn has the chassis that has carried Hamilton to three wins from six races. Mercedes said both chassis were identical, but the swap, coinciding with an upswing in form for Bottas and greater struggles for Hamilton, has led to speculation and conspiracy theories. “I saw you coming up with some myth so I was happy to be able to prove you wrong,” Hamilton told Sky Sports F1 commentator and former racer Paul di Resta in the post-qualifying interviews. “The quality of our engineers’ work, (our) cars are exactly the same.” Hamilton qualified second on Saturday, behind Red Bull pole-sitter Max Verstappen but ahead of Bottas in third. The fired-up Finn, who headed into the weekend with speculation surrounding his Mercedes future, had led Hamilton through all three practice sessions.

AFP

Thomas Mueller said confidence is now sky high in the Germany camp after getting their Euro 2020 campaign back on track with a 4-2 thumping of holders Portugal on Saturday. "We are allowed to feel a little euphoria," said Mueller after Germany moved second in Group F, level on three points with Portugal and a point behind leaders France.

"It's just fun playing in this atmosphere. The cauldron is bubbling."

Germany left-back Robin Gosens produced a man-of-the-match performance in Munich, heading home the hosts' fourth goal and weighing in with two assists.

"This feels unreal, an unbelievable evening on all levels for me. You can't ask for more than that," said Gosens, who came off in the second half with the German fans chanting his name.

"That was passionate, a huge game from us. We threw everything into it.

"There was real pressure. If we hadn't taken the three points, it would have been a different story."

Cristiano Ronaldo put Portugal ahead, but the Germans roared back with four unanswered goals as Kai Havertz and Gosens hit the net after own goals

by Ruben Dias and Raphael Guerreiro.

Diogo Jota grabbed Portugal's second goal, but Germany deserved their win to bounce back after

AFTER 4-2 WIN IN MUNICH, GERMANS ARE SECOND IN GROUP F, LEVEL ON THREE POINTS WITH PORTUGAL AND A POINT BEHIND FRANCE their opening defeat by France.

Germany will be sure of reaching the knock-out stage if they beat Hungary at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday. "Now we have the three points, we are well in the tournament and have it in our own hands," added Mueller. "We mustn't get carried away and become arrogant -- but we must believe in our quality." But Germany have injury concerns as Mats Hummels (knee), Ilkay Gundogan (calf) and Gosens (groin) all had to be substituted.

After struggling in last Tuesday's 1-0 loss to France, Kai Havertz pitched in with a goal after forcing Dias into putting the ball in his own net for the equaliser.

"We played them well. It was important not to throw everything out the window after the France game," said Havertz.

"Hungary will be a tough opponent who we can't underestimate, they are very strong defensively. "That will be another tough one."

PARIS AFP

Simona Halep said she was pulling out of next week's Bad Homburg tournament due to a persistent calf problem, putting her defence of her Wimbledon title in doubt. The Romanian, 29, said in a video message on her Twitter account that "my calf is not ready for a competition" at the grasscourt event in Germany. She was also ruled out of the French Open with the same problem. The world number three sustained the injury in her second-round match at the Rome Open on May 12. Halep won the Wimbledon title in 2019 and remains the holder as the grasscourt Grand Slam tournament was cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. This year's tournament begins on June 28.

I feel as good as I have all season, says England's Kane LONDON REUTERS

England’s struggling striker Harry Kane insists he has no fitness problems despite a difficult start to the Euro 2020 campaign in which manager Gareth Southgate has twice taken off his talisman when he has shown signs of flagging. The England captain was replaced by Marcus Rashford in Friday’s goalless Group D draw against Scotland at Wembley because Southgate wanted more energy in attack but Kane has assured fans he is not suffering from any injury. “Gareth is within his rights to make the changes he thinks are best for the team,” Kane, who managed only 19 touches in the Scotland game, was quoted as saying by The Guardian. “What we’ve learned over past tournaments is about trying to peak at the right time. The best time to be peaking is in the knockout stages and hopefully kick on from there.” England have had a muted start to the Euros after scraping a 1-0 win in their opener over Croatia, who beat England in the 2018 World Cup semi-finals in Russia, and failing to break down a dogged Scotland side in front of the home fans at Wembley.

Syed Usman Qaiser, Head of Marketing & Brand Management, Jubilee Life Insurance presenting the Jubilee Insurance Safe Hand of the Match award to Hassan Khan after Karachi Kings' win against Quetta Gladiators in HBL PSL Season 6. PRESS RELEASE

Laboured Spain proving a tough watch for home fans SEVILLE REUTERS

Spain manager Luis Enrique enjoys punishing himself with ultra-marathons in the Sahara desert and cycle rides up the craggy mountain roads of Asturias.

Watching his team’s laboured progress so far at Euro 2020 is becoming a feat of endurance for the country’s soccer fans too.

Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Poland, just like their opening 0-0 stalemate with Sweden, showed up a worrying lack of spontaneity in a Spain side that appears more concerned with not giving the ball away than

actually risking doing anything creative with it. As against Sweden when they attempted 917 passes and enjoyed 85% possession -the highest numbers seen at a European Championship since 1980 -- they dominated the ball against Poland, but had little to show for their toil. With Villarreal’s striker Gerard Moreno, scorer of 30 goal for his club last season, added to the starting lineup, Spain initially looked as though they had more cutting edge. It was Moreno’s shot that was turned in by Alvaro Morata in the 25th minute to give Spain the lead and Moreno should have added a second goal before halftime. Spain were rocked by Robert

Lewandowski’s towering headed equaliser in the 54th minute but were given an immediate chance to reclaim the lead, only for Moreno to smack a penalty against the post and Morata to make a hash of the rebound.

After that Spain looked timid in attack and ran out of ideas -- and their frustrated fans in Seville could only hark back to the days when the wizardry of the likes of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and David Silva could be relied upon to unlock defences.

INSPIRATION NEEDED: On current evidence this Spain team cannot even be relied upon to escape Group E. With two points they are third behind leaders Sweden (four

eighth on his Pramac Ducati.

South African Brad Binder was fourth on a KTM. The factory Ducatis of Italian Francesco Bagnaia and Australian Jack Miller were next and remain fourth and third in the standings.

points) and Slovakia (three).

If they fail to find some inspiration for their clash with Slovakia next week and do not win, Spain’s first ‘home’ tournament since the 1982 World Cup faces an ignominious end. It is the first time since 1996 that Spain have failed to win at least one of their opening two games at a Euros.

And make no mistake, having watched Spain’s two games so far, Slovakia will not be quaking in their boots.

“We are not seeing the Spain we are used to, where is the physicality or leadership, like a Carles Puyol, Andres Iniesta, Xavi, when things went wrong they stepped it up,”

former Germany striker Juergen Klinsmann, summarising for the BBC, said.

“Now when it goes wrong, they are looking at each other and pushing away the responsibility -- like the penalty.”

Luis Enrique has options in the squad such as Liverpool’s Thiago and Paris St Germain’s Pablo Sarabia and jet-heeled winger Adama Traore, who has not played a minute so far, but he is a stubborn individual and is unlikely to change the system.

But the coach clearly expects more from his players.

“I thought we’d be able to impose ourselves more -- but we couldn’t,” he said. “A result often covers up flaws in a performance. When the result isn’t positive, it calls for even closer analysis. It hasn’t left us with the best feeling.”

Monday, 21 June, 2021

PRAyeR tImINgs

NEWS

FAJR SUNRISE

ZUHR

ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

3:19

12:04

3:44

4:57

7:11

8:50

PiLot Project of chiLLi farMing coMPLeted under cPec: aSiM Bajwa ISLAMABAD

c

APP

HINA-Pakistan Economic Corridor Authority Chairman Lt Gen (r) Asim Saleem Bajwa on Sunday said the pilot project of Chilli farms in the country had been completed with cooperation of the Chinese agricultural experts.

“Pilot project of Chilli Farm with100 acres is completed,” he said in his tweet, adding that in the next phase, as many as 3000 acres of land would be brought under chili cultivation.

He said the Pak-China Condiment alliance had been formed with the Chinese partners CMEC and Sichuan Litong Food Group.

Asim said this project would also help boosting exports of spices from the country.

He said this project would enhance yield, improve seed quality, skill develop-

ment, farm labour, and processing.

According to official sources the project chili farming is expected to produce

more than 8,000 tons of dried chilies with a net income of more than 100,000 rupees per acre for local farmers.

Based on this, it will further develop downstream deep processing industries and create more employment opportunities.

The sources added that in the first phase of Chili Contract Farming Project, China-Pakistan Agricultural Cooperation Pilot Zone is to be set up in five years, while in its Phase II, it is expected to grow 30,000 acres of chilli and build pigment extracting plant, with an industrial output value of US $ 200 million.

While in the third phase, a China-Pakistan food industrial park would be established in 5 to 10 years, to promote the condiment industry in both countries.

As per agricultural cooperation under the mega project of CPEC, a plan of 20 projects is being implemented to modernize the agriculture sector in Pakistan, including new seeds to increase the crop yield, upgrading of irrigation system, promotion of agri-based industry for value addition and setting up global chain network.

RAWALPINDI: An eye-catching view of sunset. PPI

Sri Lanka investigates troops over ‘humiliation’ of Muslims Sri Lanka’s military launched an investigation on Sunday after social media posts showed soldiers forcing minority Muslims to kneel in the streets as a punishment for flouting lockdown rules.

Armed troops ordered Muslim civilians to raise their hands in the air while kneeling on a road in the town of Eravur, about 300 kilometres east of the capital, Colombo.

Local residents said they considered the order to be degrading and humiliating, while officials acknowledged that troops had no power to mete out such punishments. The victims were on their way to two restaurants to buy food. “An initial Military Police investigation has already commenced after certain photos went viral depicting an alleged harassment in the Eravur area,” the army said in a statement. It said the officer in charge had been removed and the soldiers involved ordered to leave the town. “The army will adopt the strictest disciplinary action against all errant army personnel,” the military added, in a rare display of willingness to investigate its own. Sri Lanka is under a month-long lockdown to contain a third wave of coronavirus infections. The number of deaths from the virus has increased more than fourfold to 2,531 since the start of the wave in mid-April. The military, which is facing allegations of war crimes in a decades-long Tamil separatist war that ended in 2009, has been deployed to help police and health authorities enforce virus restrictions. Successive governments have denied that troops killed around 40,000 civilians in the final stages of the separatist war, which claimed more than 100,000 lives in total between 1972 and 2009. AFP

Taliban say committed to peace process, want ‘genuine Islamic system’ KABUL ReuteRs

The Taliban said on Sunday they were committed to peace talks, adding they wanted a “genuine Islamic system” in Afghanistan that would make provisions for women’s rights in line with cultural traditions and religious rules.

The statement came amid slow progress in the talks between the hardline group and Afghan government representatives in Qatar and as violence rises dramatically around the country ahead of the withdrawal of foreign forces

by September 11.

Officials have raised concerns over the stalling negotiations and have said the Taliban has not yet submitted a written peace proposal that could be used as

a starting point for substantive talks.

“We understand that the world and Afghans have queries and questions about the form of the system to be established following the withdrawal of foreign troops,” said Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the head of the Taliban’s political office, in the statement, adding the issues were best addressed during negotiations in Doha.

“A genuine Islamic system is the best means for the solution of all issues of the Afghans,” he said. “Our very participation in the negotiations and its support on our part indicates openly that we believe in resolving issues through (mutual) understanding.” He added that women and minorities would be protected and diplomats and NGO workers would be able to work securely.

“We take it on ourselves as a commitment to accommodate all rights of citizens of our country, whether they are male or female, in the light of the rules of the glorious religion of Islam and the noble traditions of the Afghan society,” he said, adding that ‘facilities would be provided’ for women to work and be educated.

It was not clear whether the Taliban would allow women to carry out public roles and whether workplaces and schools would be segregated by gender. The group’s spokesman did not immediately respond to the request for comment.

In May, US intelligence analysts released an assessment that the Taliban “would roll back much” of the progress made in Afghan women’s rights if the group regained national power.

ISLAMABAD: A majestic view of Faisal Mosque in the federal capital. ONLINe

Pakistan part of solution for Afghanistan, not problem: UN envoy ISLAMABAD tLtP

The United Nations’ Special Envoy for Afghanistan Thomas Nicholson has said that Pakistan is not part of the problem, rather it is part of the solution for a peaceful and settled Afghanistan.

Talking to a private television channel, the envoy went on to state that Afghanistan too, in the long run, is the solution for Pakistan owing to the broader connectivity it can provide to Central Asia.

Nicholson said that Pakistan and Afghanistan share a long history and have a long border, but unfortunately there is “a high level of mistrust” between the leadership of both countries.

“What happens in Afghanistan will have an impact on what happens in Pakistan. An insecure, violent, unsettled Afghanistan will have spillover effects on Pakistan,” he said.

He said he hears “very encouraging signals”, however, not just recently, but also recently, when it comes to relationship-building between the two na-

tions. “We have seen attempts. We have seen a visit by Prime Minister Imran Khan to Kabul, contact at the highest level with the Chief of Army Staff Gen Bajwa, together with others, visiting Kabul to talk and try to find agreements,” he said.

Nicholson noted that sometimes, following such attempts, there is “a followup, spill over, and unfortunate comments being made”.

He said that one could focus on those comments but that would block the process.

“We can [instead] focus with a strategic and statesman-like manner on what has to be

done and what the situation calls for.”

The special envoy said if Pakistan and Afghanistan can do that, then there is hope.

“And then certainly, Pakistan is part of the solution, not the problem.”

“I also happen to think that Afghanistan is part of the solution for Pakistan,” said Nicholson, citing connectivity, trade, and energy from Central Asia.

“You remember the old slogan from Nokia — ‘connecting people’. We could actually say ‘Afghanistan: connecting people’, because that’s the way it should be, because

it is where it is,” the envoy said. He added: “But it just so happens, as long as civil war continues, this will not happen.”

He said the day civil war ends, “it will happen and then you will see all these or some of these connectivity networks, digital connectivity, transit trade. The link between South Asia and Central Asia and Afghanistan will really play the role it can. It will help the Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asian economies. The perception of Afghanistan will be very very different from what it is today,” Nicholson said.

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