Issuu

Tuesday, 8 June, 2021 I 27 Shawwal, 1442 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XI No 338 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition

51 killed, 100 injured as express services collide in Ghotki g

PM Imran announces 'comprehensive investigation' into fault lines

KARACHI

STAFF REPORT

N express train barreled into another that had derailed in Ghotki district of Sindh before dawn Monday, killing at least 51 people. More than 100 were injured, and rescuers and villagers worked throughout the day to pull survivors and the dead from the crumpled cars. The incident took place at 3:30 am when Sargodha-bound Millat Express derailed and the Sir Syed Express train hit it soon afterwards, said Ghotki Deputy Commissioner Usman Abdullah. However, it was not immediately clear what caused the derailment and the subsequent collision. “The Millat Express train left Daharki station at 03:28 am. Information was received at 03:43 am that the train had

derailed at 03:38 am,” a Pakistan Railways statement said. “Meanwhile, the Sir Syed Express train passed through Raiti at 03:38 am. As the coaches of the derailed train were infringing the down track, the driver tried to apply emergency brakes but the locomotive hit the infringing coaches at 03:38 am,” it added. As a result of this accident, six coaches of Millat Express were derailed and five coaches overturned, while two coaches of the Sir Syed Express train were derailed and three overturned, the statement said. Abdullah told Reuters it was hard to know how many people were still trapped in the train. “There are about six to eight bogies [carriages] that are totally smashed […] there is a sleeper train, AC [air conditioned] class, as well as economy class, in which there were between 47 to 50 people on this side and around 50 to 60 people on

coronavirus in

pakistan

CONFIRMED CASES:

933,630

LAST UPDATED AT 08:04 AM ON JUNE 7, 2021

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

NEW CASES:

1,490

RECOVERED:

DEATHS:

864,931 21,323 SINDH:

PUNJAB:

323,828

342,498

KP:

BALOCHISTAN:

134,558 AJK/GB: 19,519 / 5,642

25,819 ISLAMABAD:

81,766

the other train,” he said. “Right now the challenge for us is to quickly rescue those passengers who are still trapped in the wreckage.” Pakistan Railways chairman Habibur Rehman Gilani said in a television programme that the segment of the railway tracks where the crash took place was old and needed replacing. He, however, did not elaborate. “The track has got issues on several points, the coaches are old, some as old as 40 years,” railway official Khalid Latif told a news station. “I’ve told high-ups several times ‘please do something about it’,” he said. Aijaz Ahmed, the driver of the Sir Syed Express, said that on seeing the derailed train, he tried his best to avoid the crash by braking but failed. Railway officials said Ahmed was slightly injured, and villagers pulled him from the train’s engine after the crash. Ghotki Senior Superintendent of Police Umar Tufail said he expected the toll to shoot up as there were still mangled train compartments that rescuers had not been able to access despite the passage of hours. The death toll rose after the recovery of 11 more bodies, Ghotki SSP Umer Tufail said. He shared the list of 34 deceased passengers, including men, women and children, who have been identified. “I still fear the toll can still rise as we are tracing a few policemen of the train who are missing,” he said. He said there were up to 25 people in one compartment yet to be accessed. “Shocked by the horrific train accident at Ghotki early this morning leaving 30 passengers dead,” Prime Minister Imran Khan tweeted. “I have asked Railway Minister to reach site [and] ensure medical assistance to injured [and] support for families of the dead,” he said, announcing a “comprehensive investigation” into safety fault lines in railways.

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NEC okays Rs2.1tr development outlay for next fiscal year g

Rs900bn PSDP approved; GDP growth projected at 4.8pc ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The National Economic Council has approved the total development outlay worth Rs2.1 trillion for the next financial year, including Public Sector Development Programme of Rs900 billion. The NEC, which met on Monday with Prime Minister Imran Khan in the chair, approved the macroeconomic framework for the next fiscal year's annual plan. The development outlay includes Rs244 billion for transport and communications, Rs118 billion for energy, Rs91 billion for water resources, Rs113 billion for social sector, Rs100 billion for regional equalisation, Rs31 billion for science & technology, Rs68 billion for SDGs and Rs17 billion for the production sector. The NEC also approved the GDP growth projections for the next financial year as 4.8 percent with sectoral growth targets of 3.5 percent for agriculture, 6.5 percent for the industrial sector, and

Afghan troops suffer ‘shockingly high’ casualties as violence mounts KABUL AGENCIES

At least 150 Afghan troops have been killed or injured in the last 24 hours in a surge of attacks by Taliban militants as foreign forces withdraw, senior government officials said on Monday. Fighting is now raging in 26 of the country’s 34 provinces, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Casualties were “shockingly high”, one added. The government says clashes over territory have increased as the United States pushes on with an operation to withdraw all its remaining troops by September 11. The Taliban seized Shahrak district of western Ghor province on Monday and forced Afghan troops to retreat to nearby villages after a heavy firefight, local officials said. A powerful car bomb targeting a police headquarters in the Khas Balkh district of Balkh province killed at least four people and wounded 50 more including civilians on Sunday, officials said.

4.7 percent for the services sector. The NEC was informed that the focus of PSDP will be on infrastructure improvement, water resources development, social sector improvement, regional equalization, skill development, promotion of science & technology, and IT, as well as climate change mitigation measures. The meeting was informed that the PSDP would cater to the government’s plans to increase focus on lagging areas and regions. For this purpose, sufficient allocations have been made for projects of South Balochistan, various districts of Sindh, as well as for Gilgit Baltistan. Allocations have also been made for infrastructure projects of South Punjab. Similarly, an allocation of Rs54 billion has been made for the newly merged districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In the social sectors, the Higher Education Commission has been allocated Rs42 billion.

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MORE INSIDE

Third polio vaccination drive of the year launched STORY ON BACK PAGE

FM urges Punjab CM to ensure officials at south Punjab secretariat STORY ON PAGE 03

On the same day, Taliban fighters stormed the Qaisar district of northern Faryab province, killing and wounding dozens of Afghan security forces, a police official said. Government troops have launched an operation to recapture a strategic district of Nerkh of Wardak province that lies less than an hour’s drive from the capital Kabul, a defence ministry official said. “In the past 24 hours, there

were unfortunately 157 casualties among forces,” one senior official said on condition of anonymity because they were allowed to speak to media. Political talks between the government and the Taliban have largely stalled as Washington pulls its troops out 20 years after the US bombing forced the Taliban from power. Both sides have accused the other of provoking and failing to halt attacks against civilians.

Pakistan warns India against any illegal action of further division of Jammu & Kashmir STORY ON BACK PAGE

PM urges UK to play role to unhook Pakistan from FATF grey list STORY ON PAGE 02

Tuesday, 8 June, 2021

ISLAMABAD

NEWS

Coronavirus kiLLs 58, infeCTs 1,490: nCoC ISLAMABAD

APP

HE total caseload of active Covid19 cases reached to 47,376 on Monday with 1,490 new infections, the National Command and Operation Centre said. The body, in its daily update, said 1,820 more people completely recovered from the contagious disease during the last 24 hours. 48 patients died of the disease during the last 24 hours. Of them, 55 were under treatment in hospitals and three in home quarantine, the NCOC said. Most of the deaths occurred in the Punjab followed by Sindh. Out of the total 58 poeple who died on Sunday, 29 were on ventilators. 3,205 Covid-infected patients were under treatment in critical care units across

the country. Meanwhile, the national positivity rate inched down to 3.02 percent. The positivity rate is the percentage of actual infections appearing in every 100 tests performed to identify infected individuals. The maximum ventilators were occupied in four major cities including Peshawar 26 percent, Lahore 28 percent, Bahawalpur 42 percent and Multan 53 percent. The maximum Oxygen beds were also occupied in four cities: Abbottabad 32 percent, Peshawar 29 percent, Karachi 32 percent and Multan 30 percent. 401 ventilators were occupied elsewhere in the country while no Covid-positive person was on ventilator in Balochistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and GilgitBaltistan. 49,285 tests were conducted across the country on Sunday, including 14,369 in

Sindh, 21,546 in Punjab, 7,628 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 3,366 in Islamabad, 1,326 in Balochistan, 325 in GB, and 725 in AJK. Around 864,931 people have recovered from the disease so far across Pakistan making it a significant count with over 90 percent recovery ratio of the affected patients. Since the outbreak in February last year, a total of 933,630 cases of coronavirus have been detected that also include the dead, recovered and under treatment patients. 21,323 deaths have been recorded. 5,136 died in Sindh, 10,314 in Punjab, 4,158 in KP, 765 in Islamabad, 289 in Balochistan, 107 in GB and 554 in AJK. A total of 13,572,884 samples have been tested. 639 hospitals are equipped with Covid-related facilities. Some 3,475 patients were admitted to hospitals nationwide for Covid treatement.

Top HospiTaLs regisTer deCLine in new Coronavirus infeCTions PESHAWAR STAFF REPORT Two largest public hospitals in Peshawar on Monday said the number of new Covidinfected patients was observing a steady decline. In Khyber Teaching Hospital, only 57 out of 106 beds reserved for coronavirus patients were under occupation. The KTH administration said 25 ventilators were reserved for the critical Covid-19 patients. However, only 16 patients were on ventilators and in intensive care units. At the high dependency unit of the facility, the hospital said only 17 patients were under treatment while 24 were on low oxygen supply units. During the last 24 hours, the administration said three coronavirus patients succumbed to the disease. Similarly, at the Lady Reading Hospital, 123 out of 517 beds were occupied while 8 patients were in ICU. According to a hospital spokesman, 108 people were being treated at the HDUs while only 7 were at low oxygen supply units.

exams for grades 1-8 to be held from July 18-30, announces Murad raas NEWS DESK The schedule for exams of grades 1-8 has been announced to take place from July 18-30, according to Punjab Education Minister Murad Raas. Report cards will be issued by July 10, as per the notification. The minister took to Twitter to share the schedule for the School-Based Assessments as educational institutions in most parts of the country started reopening Monday. All schools in the country have reopened except for primary classes in Sindh, as Covid-19 cases decline after a deadly third wave. “Please follow SOPs issued by the government,” read the notification. Schools, colleges and universities have started holding inperson classes with strict SOPs in place to keep the pandemic in check. The National Command and Operation Centre has allowed authorities to resume physical education in districts where the positivity ratio is less than 5 percent from May 24 in the first phase, while those with a higher prevalence of the virus were scheduled to open from June 7. The Sindh government, however, had decided to extend lockdown restrictions due to the higher positivity rate in the province and kept schools closed for another two weeks.

former Bisp boss declared proclaimed offender in graft case ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

An accountability court in Islamabad on Monday declared former Benazir Income Support Programme chief and Pakistan People’s Party leader Farzana Raja proclaimed offender and issued her arrest warrants in connection with purported corruption in issuing advertisements without adhering to relevant laws. Raja headed the programme from 2008 to 2013 during the government of her party. She is accused of embezzling Rs1.5 billion from its funds. These funds were embezzled on the pretext of issuing advertisements, according to the National Accountability Bureau. During the hearing, accountability judge Syed Asghar Ali ordered the authorities to block her identity card and place her name on the Exit Control List. Raja would be separated from the case and the court would set a new date for her indictment, the judge said. The court summoned the NAB investigating officer in the case and adjourned the hearing until June 14. In the reference, the dirty money watchdog has claimed that BISP awarded contracts to advertising agencies in the years 2009-10 and 2010-11 in violation of the Public Procurement Rules, 2004. It further alleged that Rs1.657 billion was awarded to one advertising agency namely M/s Midas (Private) Limited. The competent authority authorised an inquiry on May 23, 2014, which was subsequently upgraded into an investigation. It further said that the evidence collected during the investigation has established that Raja and others being public office holders, by misusing their respective authorities, pre-qualified advertising agencies in the year 2009 and awarded the media campaign of the BISP in violation of the PPR, 2004 as well as PID guidelines and released media payments against the alleged exaggerated fake bills submitted by the suspects and committed the offense of corruption and corrupt practices.

GILGIT: A beautiful view of Attabad Lake in Gilgit-Baltistan. INP

PM urges UK to play role to unhook Pakistan from FATF grey list ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Prime Minister Imran Khan has urged the United Kingdom to play role to remove the country from the grey list of Financial Action Task Force. The premier said this while talking to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson over telephone on Monday. Khan apprised Johnson of the progress made by Pakistan to strengthen its anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism framework. He urged that FATF members must recognise Pakistan's achievements in complying with FATF benchmarks. He called for forging stronger partnership between Pakistan and the United Kingdom, especially in the

domains of trade and investments. The Prime Minister thanked his UK counterpart for his thoughtful video message for the World Environment Day event held in Islamabad on Saturday last. The two leaders agreed on the importance of highlevel exchanges between the two countries. They exchanged views on the current trajectory of bilateral relations, the Afghan peace process, the Covid-19 Pandemic and climate change. PM Imran lauded PM Johnson's efforts in effectively combating Covid-19 pandemic in the UK. He also briefed his British counterpart on measures taken by Pakistan to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic while saving lives, securing livelihoods, and stimulating the economy. PM Imran impressed upon the UK to

Govt to facilitate low-income groups to own houses: PM ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Prime Minister Imran Khan inaugurated a mobile unit in the federal capital on Monday to facilitate the people in getting information about loans for the lowcost housing programme. Appreciating the mobile unit initiative of the National Bank of Pakistan, the prime minister said it is the foremost priority of the government to extend every possible facilitation to the low-income groups so that they could have their own houses. He emphasised on the banks to simplify the loan procedures for houses with the aim to ensure facilitation to the people. In partnership with NBP and Naya Pakistan Housing Authority, the mobile unit will serve as a one window for the loans being provided under the Prime Minister's Housing Scheme. Initially, the mobile unit will provide services in Rawalpindi, Islamabad and the adjacent

areas. Later, such mobile units will be established across the country. The initiative will also help reduce burden on the banks during Covid-19 situation. Earlier last month, Prime Minister Khan inaugurated the distribution ceremony of low-cost apartments among the citizens of Peshawar. Addressing the participants of the ceremony, the PM said that under the project, 2,056 family apartments will be distributed among registered workers of the province through the process of balloting. The premier said his government is committed to facilitating the lower segments of society in accordance with the model of Riyasat-e-Madina, a welfare state. "The previous governments did not pay attention to the needs of the poor masses. As against that, the PTI is the first government which is focussing on the welfare of the oppressed and neglected people through the provision of health cards and housing facilities," the premier had said.

revisit the decision of placing Pakistan on the Red List of travel ban countries. The Pakistanii premier reiterated his country's support for an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process. He reiterated his longstanding stance that there is no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan and that a negotiated political solution is the only way forward. Underscoring the importance of a responsible withdrawal, the prime minister apprised his British counterpart of Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to support the Afghan peace process, as part of a shared responsibility. The two sides agreed to continue working together to further strengthen relations and advance the common objectives of regional and global peace and stability.

LHC bins contempt petition against Buzdar LAHORE INP

The Lahore High Court rejected as non-maintainable a petition seeking to initiate contempt proceedings against Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar. Justice Ayesha A Malik heard the petition on Monday filed by Faisalabad-based Mehmood. The petitioner said Dr Zubair Farooq, an ex-PCS, was hired for the audit of local government funds in “violation of merit”. Farooq possesses a fake degree, the petitioner claimed. He was absent from duty for seven months and was living abroad, he alleged. The petitioner further said a complaint was filed with the finance department but it has not been addressed as yet. Wondering why the petition nominates the Punjab chief minister as a respondent, the court disposed of the request.

Tuesday, 8 June, 2021

ISLAMABAD

FM uRGes Punjab CM to ensuRe oFFiCials at south Punjab seCRetaRiat

NEWS DESK

oREiGN Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has urged the Punjab chief minister to ensure the presence of officials at the south Punjab secretariat, further stating their should be an institution designated to investigate their conduct. Addressing a ceremony in Multan to energise the Nishtar Hospital through solar power, Qureshi asked Buzdar to “silently give the duty to a responsible institution to come and investigate the appointments you have made in the south Punjab secretariat, whether Bahawalpur’s or Multan’s, […] and how many of those officers are consistently

serving their time in Multan and Bahawalpur, how many days they are physically present in the cities and aware of [the affairs of] the cities.” The minister said that it was his duty as Multan’s representative to bring the chief minister’s attention to the issue, adding that the presence of the officers and their authorisation to address issues of local people were required if the prime minister and chief minister believed in the policy of devolution of power and setting up secretariats and appointing officers. “if they are not present here and they are not authorised [to make decisions] then how will people’s problems be solved? This is something to ponder upon. i will request the

representatives of south Punjab to think on this issue and pay attention to it.” Qureshi said that he would personally request south Punjab’s secretaries to “please spend some time here […] we are ready to serve you in every way; if we ask you to do anything unfair then don’t do it but at least pay attention to the legitimate issues of the people.” The foreign minister expressed his support and well wishes for Chief Minister Buzdar’s tenure. “We have the honour that a son of south Punjab has been given this honour by God; the party (PTi) has trusted you that you are our chief minister and hopefully you complete your tenure in a respectful way and

serve your whole time. “We are with you with with all our heart and spirit. We are not among the elements that will conspire and pull [your] legs. We want to see you strong and successful,” Qureshi said, stressing, however, that the issues he was highlighting were problems related to the masses and not someone’s personal issue. “it (resolution of issues) is the need of the region,” said Qureshi, adding that the PTi had conceptualised a south Punjab province in its mandate keeping that need in mind. Qureshi also questioned how much of the Rs4 billion grant which had been set aside for the south Punjab secretariat had actually been spent with 11 months of the

NEWS

current financial year having passed. “This is an innocent question and this region wants answers for it,” he said. in a meeting in March, Chief Minister Buzdar had expressed his indignation over the performance of the south Punjab secretariat and directed the secretaries of its different departments to resolve problems of the region’s people and expedite execution of projects. The secretaries were told their departments would have to perform now and that any inefficiency on their part wouldn’t be tolerated at all. They were also warned of strict action for showing any negligence in this regard. The foreign minister during today’s ceremony also provided various updates on the progress of development and infrastructure projects in Multan. He said Pakistan’s focus had shifted from thermal to renewable energy and elaborated on the potential and benefits of hydel and solar energy. “Pakistan has the capacity to generate 50,000 megawatts of electricity,” he said of the country’s hydroelectricity potential.

8 killed aFteR PassenGeR van Falls into Ravine in kP ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

A passenger van plunged into a ravine in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa late on Sunday, claiming eight lives while injuring at least three others, a government official said. The incident happened when the van tumbled off the road near the Phulda area of Mansehra district, Mansehra Deputy Commissioner Qasim Ali Khan said. Two women and three children were among the killed, said the official, adding that initial investigation showed that the accident happened when the van driver lost control over the vehicle while negotiating a sharp turn due to overspeeding. Following the incident, rescue teams and local volunteers reached the site and retrieved bodies and the injured, and shifted them to a nearby hospital where several of the injured are in critical condition, police told media. The ill-fated van was carrying the passengers from Mansehra to the neighbouring Lassan Nawab town when it met the accident. KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan expressed sorrow and grief over the loss of precious lives and directed the district administration to provide the best medical aid to the injured.

ISLAMABAD: Citizens enjoy lunch at a restaurant in Islamabad. INP

ECP to be given practical demonstrations on EVM, I-voting mechanism: Fawad ISLAMABAD APP

Minister for information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain on Monday said that the departments concerned would soon give practical demonstrations and briefings to the Election Commission of Pakistan on the electronic voting machines as well as the internet-voting mechanism to ensure transparency in elections and give overseas Pakistanis their right to vote. “By the grace of Allah Almighty, the upcoming elections of 2023 will be held under a new mechanism, which the Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaf government has presented to the ECP and the Parliament,” the minister said while talking to media persons after a meeting between a government delegation and the ECP officials on electoral reforms. Accompanied by Advisor to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Dr Babar Awan, Minister for Science and Technology Senator Shibli Faraz and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Accountability and interior Barrister Mirza Shahzad Akbar, Chaudhry said that the meeting deliberated on four points including the Electoral Reforms Bill, EVM, Biometrics and i-voting. After the demonstrations and briefings, he said, the ECP could appoint its own experts for further examination of the EVM and i-voting mechanism, if it deemed appropriate by it. However, the government would extend all cooperation to the ECP in that regard, he added. Fawad said that the government had

presented the electoral reforms bill in the parliament in october last with the introduction of 49 amendments in the existing election process. “We want legislation on these amendments in consultation with opposition parties so that we can lead to such elections that will be acceptable to all,” he said. Highlighting the importance of the EVM in fast and accurate compiling of the election results, the minister said it was a general observation that rigging allegations were mostly levelled during a certain time, between the polling-end and

result-announcement. “our effort is to end these allegations with the introduction of EVMs.” He expressed happiness that the ECP had welcomed the use of EVMs in elections as the commission believed that the usage of modern technology was a “positive step” towards making the election process transparent. “it (ECP) wants to move on it.” Commenting on the i-voting, the minister said that giving the right to vote to

overseas Pakistanis was one of the top agendas of the PTi government. With this system, he said, around eight to nine million overseas Pakistanis would be able to exercise their right to vote, who were playing a vital role in strengthening the national economy. “Accordingly, we have presented a comprehensive report to the ECP. Besides, the ECP has received a report on i-voting from an independent consultant.” He added that all technologies with regard to the EVM were in hand and all manufacturers were busy in the production of the EVMs.

The minister said the ECP had regretted a fake post appearing on its social media account, saying that it was due to some misunderstanding and mistake of an internal department. Earlier, Chaudhry on Saturday said that the opposition parties should support the government in the election and judicial reforms initiatives, and expressed the ruling party’s willingness to initiate negotiations, urging opposition Leader in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif to

name a focal person for the purpose. Talking to media persons in Lahore, Fawad said that the electronic voting system is the remedy to the election rigging claims often made by the political parties, adding that Electronic Voting Machines can be tried in the upcoming Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections. The minister said the government wants to improve working relations with the opposition, adding that the government is making sincere efforts to work with the opposition so that constructive discussions could start on election reforms in the country. Fawad dispelled the impression that the ECP has raised any objection to the use of EVM technology and said that it is the government that gives rules and regulations while the ECP is supposed to adopt the technology and give feedback on its pros and cons. He said that a ruling party’s delegation would meet some ECP officials on Wednesday and share policy guidelines of the government on elections reforms. He said the EVMs can be used in some of the constituencies during the AJK elections, adding that he would soon give a demonstration of EVM at Lahore Press Club and National Press Club, besides the bar councils in Rawalpindi, islamabad, Multan and Lahore, where elections are held annually. Talking about the upcoming budget, Fawad said that the passage of the federal and provincial budgets would be smooth sailing for the PTi government, adding that all the allied political parties have assured the government of their support and all are on one page. The information minister said that the country’s economy is stable and improving despite the adverse economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, adding that the economies of the neighbouring countries have faltered significantly during the pandemic.

18 MissinG as PassenGeR van Falls into RiveR ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

At least 18 people were missing after a passenger van careened off a road and plunged into a river in the Upper Kohistan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Monday, a rescue official said. A search and rescue operation for the missing passengers is underway, Muhamad Hamza, an emergency official of emergency rescue service Rescue 1122 in Upper Kohistan, said. He said professional divers of the rescue service are taking part in the rescue activities, adding that local volunteers are also participating to retrieve the missing people. The emergency teams are facing difficulties to carry out the operation due to the difficult terrain of the area, police said.

Rail traffic affected after Ghotki accident KARACHI INP

Express operations were suspended at several stations on Monday after two express trains collided in Sukkur, killing at least 38 passengers and hurting more than 100. Khyber Mail, which was on its way to Peshawar, was stopped at Ranipur Riyasat railway station while Lahore-bound Green Line Express was stopped at Gambit station in Sukkur. Bahauddin Zakaria Express that runs between Karachi and Multan was stopped at Ghotki, Sir Syed Express at Panu Aqil, Fareed Express and Shah Hussain Express at Rohri station. Rehman Baba Express was stopped at Rahim Yar Khan while Lahore-bound Shah Hussain Express was stopped at Dera Nawab Sahib station in Ahmadpur East district. Karachibound Awam Express was stopped at Liaquatpur station in Rahim Yar Khan.

Tuesday, 8 June, 2021

ISLAMABAD

NEWS

Christians rejeCt Census 2017 results LAHORE

STAFF REPORT

HE Christian religious and political leadership has expressed serious reservations over the much-delayed results of the sixth Population and Housing Census-2017 pertaining to the population of minority communities. According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) report on minority population, released on May 18, Christians make up 1.27 per cent of the country’s total population of 207.68 million. Voicing their concerns over the census results, released after three years of the official report, senior church leaders, politicians and community leaders said they were “disappointed” by the figures relating to Pakistani Christians which showed that their population has declined over almost two decades. According to official estimates from the 1998 census, Christians made up 1.59 per cent of the total population (132 million at that time) whereas the Hindu population was reported to be 1.60 per cent. The 2017 census shows that Hindus now comprise 1.73 per cent of Pakistan's population, making them the biggest minority group in the country. Participating in an online discussion hosted by Christian media advocacy platform KrossKonnection, the president bishop of the largest Protestant denomination – the Church of Pakistan, Bishop Dr Azad Marshall said he was “shocked and disappointed” by the census results of the Christian population. “I had voiced my concerns over the transparency of the census exercise when it was being conducted in 2016, and had also offered the church’s complete support but unfortunately the then government did not pay heed to our suggestions.” “We believe that the figures pertaining to the Christian population have been grossly underreported in the 2017 census. Several factors may have contributed to the inaccu-

RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL LEADERS SAY SHARP DECLINE IN CHRISTIAN POPULATION OVER TWO DECADES SHOWS INACCURACY OF ENUMERATION DATA

racy of the data, including ignoring Christians living in small pockets across the country, incomplete filling of the census forms as a large number of our community members are not educated enough, general ignorance of our people towards the importance of obtaining national identity cards and registering the birth of their children with NADRA etc. However, we can also not rule out hidden agendas behind the shockingly low numbers of the Christian population,” he said. Bishop Marshall said the census results would have a direct impact on the political and social standing of Pakistani Christians. “We are taking this issue very seriously and the Church of Pakistan will do everything within its means to ensure that Christians across the country are properly enumerated and registered in government databases before the next official census,” he said.

He added that a mass awareness campaign will be planned in consultation and collaboration with other mainline church denominations and political and social activists to register Christians living in the country. “This is an important community issue and we believe that all Christians, irrespective of their religious and political affiliations, should come together and contribute to make this campaign successful,” he said. Taking part in the discussion, Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Shunila Ruth said she believed that the census data relating to Christians was inaccurate. “I was an opposition member of the Punjab Assembly when the census exercise was conducted and even then I had objected to the manner in which this campaign was being conducted,” she said, adding that withholding of data relating to minorities for

three years had made the whole exercise more suspicious. “How is it possible that of all the other minorities, only the Christian population has shown a decline over the last two decades? Have Christian mothers stopped giving birth?” she asked. Ms Ruth said that during the census data collection she had received several complaints from Christians that they were not properly guided during the filling of their forms. “The enumerators also failed to highlight the religion section of the form to the people. Other than this, I believe that illiteracy in our people has also contributed to the inaccuracy of data. Moreover, Christians generally do not know the importance of having CNICs and registering themselves in the voters list,” she added. Ruth, who is also the president of the minority wing of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-

e-Insaf, said it was imperative that all Christian religious and political leaderships should forge unity in their ranks and gather on one platform to address challenges facing the community. “Our numbers will have a direct bearing on our political representation in the legislatures. Moreover, a large number of our people are left out of the government’s welfare and employment schemes because they don’t have their official documentation,” she added. Also speaking on the occasion, Member of the National Commission for Minorities Albert David said that Christians should carry out their own census in 4-5 districts to check the authenticity of the data collected by the government. “If the figures do not match the government numbers, we can then challenge the census results in the courts and demand a fresh census for minorities,” he said. He endorsed Bishop Marshall and Shunila Ruth’s suggestions for collaboration between Christian religious, political and community leaderships to achieve this task before the next census. Commenting on the issue, researcher and journalist Asif Aqeel said that it was quite possible that the census drive had not covered the entire Christian population. “Illiteracy in our community is also a factor but we have to keep in mind that a large number of Christians have also migrated to other countries in wake of terrorist attacks on the community and other reasons,” he said. Aqeel added that the census results would affect the political representation of Christians, therefore political activists would have to form a strategy in this regard. “We also cannot ignore the fact that there’s a huge Hindu population in Sindh and they are veryorganised unlike Christians, a majority of whom are settled in Punjab,” he said. Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) has posted the final results of the 6th Population and Housing Census 2017 on its website, according to which the country’s total population stands at 207.68 million, with an annual growth rate of 2.4 per cent.

Ghotki train accident: Fauji Fertilizer plays leading role in rescue operation GHOtkI PR

The Fauji Fertilizer Company (FFC) responded sharply for the call of humanitarian assistance in a train accident in Ghotki and it was the first one to dispatch rescue teams from its Mirpur Mathelo Plant. In this horrific train accident, FFC like always was at the forefront to assist the civil administration, PDMA and Army teams. As an immediate and emergency response, the company provided well-equipped medical teams, headed by qualified doctors, para medical staff,

ambulances, medical apparatus and necessary medicines. In order to save maximum survivors, relief and rescue teams alongwith technical experts and requisite equipment, comprising cranes and iron cutting machines, were also dispatched to the site within no time to assist the civil and military authorities. Operation and efforts continued till the last person was rescued. Apart from medical assistance, FFC also provided food and water for over 700 person well within time. The company is wholeheartedly supporting the cause of rescue operation and shared utmost grief with bereaved families who lost their loved ones in the accident.

Producing Dervish at University SHAZIA ANWER CHEEMA All is set for establishing Research Hubs for promotion of Sufism, science, and technology all over Punjab, and first of its kind is already inaugurated in Lahore. The name of Centre is after Moroccan Sufi Abu al-Hasan ash-Shadhili who is also known as Sheikh al-Shadhili. He was the founder of the Shadhili Sufi order. In the subcontinent, popular Sufi Silsalas (orders) are Chishti Order, Naqshbandi Order, and Qadiriyya Order. While Shadhili Order has been popular in the West and Egypt. Available areas of work of this centre include research on Islam, Sufism, religious thought, interfaith harmony, and modern sci-

ences like science and technology. The center will be linked with shelter homes, child protection bureaus, prisons, particularly women and juvenile jails, schools, colleges, universities, public, private, and religious educational institutions. The centre would provide access to international libraries like Jstor, Oxford, and Cambridge. This is pleasant news that such 380 degrees centre would be operational in Lahore offering course and degrees to masters and PhD students. Teaching religious thoughts interfaith harmony, theology, the competitive study of religions can be found in several universities of Punjab but this centre will also offer degrees in Sufism. For my understanding can Sufism be taught in a semester system, being divided into module or credit hours? I surf around and find few universities having Sufism Departments, mainly Islamic studies and Sufism. While looking for a course outline I find out that only the theoretical background of Sufism is being taught. The prominent books in Sufism tradition and important figures introduction has been given. So for my knowledge is concern, Sufism is a journey that sometimes finds a destination and most of the

time this journey is endless because truth is not simple to examine if found. Sufi goes through the process of Kashf (unveiling) in this journey. Kashf defines the state of experiencing an individual divine disclosure of truth after ascending through spiritual struggles, and unveiling what has not been seen through simple practicing of religion. Kashf is etymologically linked to Mukashafa (disclosure). Disclosure is knowledge of things unseen behind the veils. The veil is blurriness between the accepted truth and the real truth. Sufi believes that whatever truth we know around us is approximate truth while the truth is hidden and only purified hearts can find it. There is no fixed rule or process to find truth in Sufism. Different Sufis had explained different stages and processes. Truth is found after going through stages (Manazal) and stations (Paraho or Astana), different schools of thought have marked different kinds of Manazal. Ishq (love) is the first requirement for the exploration of truth and Ishq needs total submission to beloved. Total submission is a state where nothing is shared with no one except with the beloved. Ishq is a prerequisite for the Islamic doctrine

of Tawhid (Monotheism) but Tawhid does not only means believing in one God rather total submission to one God without sharing anything with anyone but just the God. Most important and acceptable stages starting from Tawba (Repentance), it goes through different stations of the inner voyage including the Wara' (Watchfulness), Zuhd (Renunciation), Faqr (Poverty), Ṣabr (Patience), Tawakkul (Trust), Riḍā (Satisfaction), Comparison to Ḥāl (Spiritual State) and Qualifications (Wasf--- Maqqm--Station). How can mentioned stages of Sufism be taught and attain in a span of two, three or even five years? If yes, then how? How one can learn in a classroom setting Tawba(Repentance) and how stages and components of repentance could be examined afterward? To my understanding, Sufism is the training of a lifetime and no institution can make one a Sufi. Secondly for adhering to Sufism, one does not need a controlled and contrived setting. My concern is that we are far away from the good old days where acceptance level was equal to being humane. Millions have been spent to make us what we are today, intolerant, obsessive, and impul-

sive and tons of knowledge has been poured into our brains to make us anything but unlike a Sufi during the last forty-plus years. Who is going to tie the bell now by claiming that Sufism is a better institution? Who will debate about Treqat, and Shareyat? Who will put his/her head under the sward of wahtatulshahood and wahtatulwajood? Even historically, Sufism is considered an Ajmiideology and always parallel and sometimes crossing to another Islamic sect. I have no doubt, we need Sufism to simmer down but I am on square one again; how? If by opening a university or academy, as an academic myself, I am sure that Sufism cannot be taught in modules and in prescribed time with a defined outline. South Asian society is always considered the land of Sufis and Dervishes. This is another story of how it has been changed systematically over the last few decades. In my humble opinion, we are far away from the point of becoming Sufis asFaqr and Dervish have been replaced with imposition and impatience. If somehow it could be reversed and in my lifetime, I will be the luckiest person. The writer heads the DND Thought Centre and writes for national and international media outlets. She can be reached through email at shaziaanwer@yahoo.com and Twitter at @ShaziaAnwerCh.

Tuesday, 8 June, 2021

ISLAMABAD

NEWS

ChiNA BloCKS SEVERAl CRyPtoCuRRENCy-RElAtED SoCiAl MEDiA ACCouNtS AMiD CRACKDowN ShaNGhai

AGENCIES

SLEW of crypto-related accounts in China’s Twitter-like Weibo platform were blocked over the weekend, as Beijing stepped up a crackdown on bitcoin trading and mining. More actions are expected, including linking illegal crypto activities in China more directly with the country’s criminal law, according to analysts and a financial regulator. Last month, China’s State Council, or cabinet,

NEC okays Rs2.1tr development outlay for next fiscal year coNtiNuEd from paGE 01 The meeting was informed that with the operationalisation of the Public Private Partnership Authority, a number of PPP projects are also being expeditiously processed for implementation. These include Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway and Sialkot-Kharian Motorway, which are at an advanced stage. While other major projects such as Karachi Circular Railway, Karachi Port TrustPIPRI Freight Corridor, Kharian – Rawalpindi Motorway, Balkasar – Mianwali Road, Quetta – Karachi - Chaman Highway are also likely to be launched during the year. The government has, for the first time ever made an allocation of Rs61 billion in PSDP for financing the viability gap of PPP projects, to make sure that such projects can be successfully implemented. Addressing the meeting, the prime minister emphasised on increasing the pace of implementation of development projects to ensure that the gains made through stabilisation of the economy could be translated into economic growth resulting in the well-being of the people of Pakistan. The chief ministers of all the provinces and other members of the NEC participated in the meeting.

Khushhali Microfinance Bank joins SBP’s Raast Payment System Karachi PRESS RELEASE

Khushhali Microfinance Bank (KMBL) is pleased to announce it’s joining the State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) Raast Instant Digital Payment system. Under this collaboration, Khushhali Microfinance Bank will enable end-to-end digital transactions for government payments. Under this partnership, Khushhali Microfinance Bank can process bulk government payments instantly, including salaries and pensions, dividend disbursements, mutual fund payments, Business-to-Business (B2B) batch payments, and pay-roll payments for private entities. Khushhali Microfinance Bank will receive bulk payments from various institutions, to be disbursed to recipients via Raast’s digital platform.

Goldman Sachs partners with Visa for corporate payments NEW YorK AGENCIES

Goldman Sachs Group Inc’s commercial and corporate banking clients can now use Visa Inc’s networks to make cross-border payments and move money globally, the companies said on Monday. Goldman Sachs’ clients can use Visa B2B Connect, a corporate payments network that allows financial institutions to process highvalue, cross-border payments in 97 markets. Launched in 2019, the service allows transactions directly between the bank from which they originate to the beneficiary bank, helping streamline the corporate payments process. The bank’s clients can also use Visa Direct Payouts, for lower value, cross-border funds delivery in real-time to businesses and consumers, eliminating complexities often associated with businesses having to manage multiple networks. “There is an immediate need for modernization of global money movement to help businesses around the world simplify and enhance how they pay and get paid across borders,” said Alan Koenigsberg, global head of new payment flows, Visa Business Solutions.

vowed to crack down on bitcoin mining and trading, escalating a campaign against cryptocurrencies days after three industry bodies banned crypto-related financial and payment services. Over the weekend, access to several of widely followed crypto-related Weibo accounts was denied, with a message saying each account “violates laws and rules.” “It’s a Judgment Day for crypto KOL,” wrote a Weibo bitcoin commentator, or key opinion leader (KOL), who calls herself “Woman Dr. bitcoin mini.” Her main account was also blocked on Saturday. “The government makes it clear that no Chinese

version of Elon Musk can exist in the Chinese crypto market,” said NYU Law School adjunct professor Winston Ma, referring to the Tesla founder and cryptocurrency enthusiast. Ma, author of the book “The Digital War,” also expects China’s supreme court to publish a judicial interpretation soon that may link crypto mining and trading businesses with China’s body of criminal law. The view was echoed by a financial regulator, who said that such an interpretation would address the legal ambiguity that has failed to clearly identify bitcoin trading businesses as “illegal operations.” All the rules

against cryptocurrencies so far in China have been published by administrative bodies. The Weibo freeze comes as Chinese media have stepped up reporting against crypto trading. The official Xinhua News Agency has published articles that exposed a series of crypto-related scams. State broadcaster CCTV has said cryptocurrency is a lightly regulated asset often used in black market trade, money laundering, arms smuggling, gambling and drug dealings. The stepped-up crackdown also comes as China’s central bank is accelerating testing of its own digital currency.

Supermarket groups Carrefour and Tesco to end purchasing alliance pariS AGENCIES

French supermarket group Carrefour and its British peer Tesco said on Monday they would not extend a purchasing alliance heralded originally as a potential way to trim costs. The companies said in a joint statement that “they have decided not to extend their purchasing alliance beyond the three-year operational framework agreed in 2018”, without giving further details. Two sources familiar with the matter said Britain’s exit from the European Union did not trigger the end of the deal, with one adding that the context had however made things “more complex”. One of the sources added that alliances were regularly reviewed, and that the decision “was part of that game”. The alliance formally ends on Dec. 31, and the groups said that they would now focus on opportunities independently. The purchasing agreement aimed to allow Carrefour

and Tesco to cut prices, by demanding better terms from food suppliers such Nestle, Procter & Gamble or Unilever, and expand ranges of their own-label products. Supermarket groups have been looking for ways to counter rising online competition, including from U.S. giant Amazon which has teamed up with some firms for delivery partnerships, and from cut-price rivals such as Aldi and Lidl. Analysts at Shore Capital said in a note that the end of the alliance suggested there was no major benefit to the groups from the partnership. “At the time of the announcement of the CarrefourTesco Alliance, we questioned whether or not we would ever be able to identify any benefit…in either groups’ financial statements, and we think the answer is clear,” the analysts said. In December 2020, France’s antitrust authority also imposed stricter conditions on the purchasing alliance, saying it “risked weakening” small suppliers of private labels. Tesco and Carrefour had notably to exclude fruits and vegetables of French and European origin from the

purchasing alliance on private label products. One of the sources familiar with the alliance said the partnership was active, with joint buying on some fresh foods, packaged produce and non-food products. The companies gave no financial details of the partnership in their latest financial reports. Carrefour boss Alexandre Bompard said last week the company, which faces stiff competition on its home turf, was not looking for any further consolidation opportunities. Its potential takeover by Canadian rival Couche-Tard unravelled earlier this year following French government opposition. Tesco was seen at the time as a potential fit for a fuller merger with Carrefour, according to bankers and analysts. Carrefour has since agreed to buy Brazil’s thirdbiggest food retailer Grupo BIG, and the company also posted strong first quarter results in April. In contrast, Tesco reported in April a 20% drop in full-year pretax profit as the cost of adapting the business for the pandemic wiped out the benefit of “exceptionally strong” grocery sales.

51 killed, 100 injured as express services collide in Ghotki coNtiNuEd from paGE 01 Minister for Railways Azam Swati told The Associated Press that so far 35 people had died. “I am on my way to the Ghotki district where the tragic train accident happened today,” he said. Swati said engineers and experts were trying to determine what caused the collision. He said all aspects will be examined, including the possibility of sabotage. “We are not sure about the cause of the train accident at this stage,” he said. Taking notice of the incident, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah expressed grief over the lives lost. Speaking to the Sukkur Division Commissioner Shafique Ahmed Mahesar over the phone, he directed him to mobilise the district administration. “Machinery should be arranged to rescue passengers that are still stuck,” Shah directed Mahesar. Arrangements should also be made at nearby hospitals to treat those that have been injured, he said. The chief minister also directed the official to

arrange temporary accommodation and food for the passengers. “An information system should be set up so that citizens can get accurate information,” he said. According to railway officials, about 1,100 passengers were on board the two trains, and arrangements were being made to help the surviving passengers. Some of the passengers were travelling by the Millat Express train to attend a wedding party but it was unclear whether they were among the dead or injured, reports said. Television footage showed ambulances transporting injured passengers to hospitals. According to television stations, heavy machinery had not reached the scene about four hours after the pre-dawn crash. Officials at Pakistan Railways said they had ordered an investigation and rescue work was still in progress. Authorities said Pakistan Amry troops had also arrived at the scene of the accident to participate in the rescue work. MAJOR TRAIN ACCIDENTS: Train accidents are not infrequent, and successive governments have paid little

attention to improving the poorly maintained signal system and ageing tracks. Data from Pakistan Railways shows there were 757 train accidents between 2012 and 2017 — a staggering average of about 125 incidents a year. A train travelling between Karachi and Rawalpindi caught fire in 2019, killing 74. Before that, a train collision in Karachi had killed 21 passengers in 2016. In February 2020, a train crashed into a bus carrying passengers at a railway crossing in the district of Rohri in Sindh, killing 19 people and injuring 28 others. Five months later, in July, a passenger train crashed into a bus carrying Sikh pilgrims in Sheikhupura, killing 20 people, including seven women. In 1990, a packed passenger ploughed into a standing freight train in Sukkur, killing 210 people in the worst rail disaster in the country’s history. Between 2013 and 2019, 150 people died in such incidents, according to media reports. Casualty figures are often high because trains are packed with far greater numbers of passengers than they were designed for.

Palestinian teen bears scar of eviction battle in East Jerusalem aGENciES Jana Kiswani, a 16-year-old Palestinian, was entering her home in the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah when an Israeli police officer shot her in the back with a sponge-tipped bullet, her family said. Her spine fractured, the teen bears testimony to the tensions and violence surrounding an Israeli court-ordered eviction of eight Palestinian families from homes claimed by Jewish settlers. Last month, the Sheikh Jarrah dispute helped to trigger 11 days of intense fighting between Israel and Gaza’s ruling Hamas group, and frequent protests and confrontations with Israeli police in the neighbourhood have kept tensions high. Clashes were under way in Sheikh Jarrah on May 18 when Kiswani was shot. She said she was obeying police orders to go inside when the police officer fired. “I didn’t do anything. I didn’t pick up a rock, or even say a word to him or argue with him or anything, he had no right to shoot me,” Kiswani told Reuters. “If it’s not safe in my own home, where is it safe?” Asked about Kiswani’s shooting, an Israeli police spokesperson did not comment directly on the incident but said some events that day were under investigation. Israel’s

Kan public broadcaster said the police officer who fired at her was suspended. CCTV footage from the teenager’s home showed her falling to the ground in the courtyard and a stun grenade exploding as her family rushed to her aid. The family said the long-term effect of her injuries was still unclear. The girl is confined to bed, taking painkillers and sitting up, and will begin physiotherapy soon. In October, an Israeli district court ruled in favour of Jewish settler claims that the land on which the eight families are living used to belong to Jews, based on documents from the 19th century. The families have asked Israel’s Supreme Court to review the case, with a decision pending on whether it would hear the appeal. Kiswani’s family is not among the group currently facing eviction. Israel describes the Sheikh Jarrah controversy as a property dispute playing out in the court system and says police are keeping the peace in the face of sometimes violent protests in the neighbourhood. Israel captured East Jerusalem in a 1967 war, later annexing it in a move not recognised by the international community. It considers all of Jerusalem its capital. Palestinians want East Jerusalem to be the capital of a state they seek to establish in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Dawlance announces 4-year PCB cards warranty on inverter ACs Karachi PRESS RELEASE

Dawlance is offering a 4-year warranty on PCB cards installed in their inverter air conditioners. Dawlance also offers a 12-year warranty on its AC compressors, making it the only brand in Pakistan to provide the longest warranty period. The PCB card and compressor is an essential and expensive component responsible for the efficient functioning of an air conditioner. Therefore, Dawlance installs the most dependable PCB cards and compressors in its products, promising up to 60pc conservation of energy resulting in lesser environmental damage as well as significant cost reduction in consumers’ electricity bills.

Tuesday, 8 June, 2021

06 COMMENT

What is wrong with dunking cookies in tea?

The budget debate How to work within IMF parameters?

He budget debate has already begun albeit outside National assembly with PML-N’s prebudget seminar followed by sparring between Sindh CM Murad ali Shah and Federal Minister asad Umar. With the government promising that there would be no new taxes, no price increase and no burden on anyone in the forthcoming budget, many would wait for the budget document with baited breath. The government’s claim that the GDP this year has risen to 3.9 pc has been challenged by the PML-N. One expects that the issue, along with many others, would be argued seriously this time through facts, figures and well-prepared analyses by speakers from the treasury benches and the opposition. any recourse to point scoring and shouting matches would disappoint the common man. It is yet to be seen how the PTI government reconciles the agreements signed with the IMF with promises made to the common man. One of the undertakings requires Pakistan to bring down budget deficit from 7.4 percent to 5 and half percent. Normally deficit tends to soar by the end of the financial year and the target to reduce it by one and a half per cent may not be achievable. Petrol prices continues to increase but the PM has promised not to pass it over to consumers. Similarly, he has rejected the proposal to raise the electricity tariff. How long can the government stand by its words? The FBR hopes to raise the tax collection to Rs4,700b. But the target agreed with the IMF in the Budget Strategy Paper is Rs 5,963 which can be achieved only by raising new taxes worth Rs 700-800 billion. The PM has agreed to provide development funds to KP and Punjab ruled by the PTI. There is a perception that this is meant to ensure the loyalty of the party lawmakers. Sindh government has meanwhile complained that it has been deprived of its share of development funds as the federal government is prejudiced against Sindh. Federal Minister asad Umar has maintained that the Center would directly spend on Sindh development projects as the PPP government is likely to misuse the funds for personal gains. The federal government’s stand violates the spirit of provincial autonomy and is likely to encourage parochial tendencies.

And similar FAQs

HASAN AFTAB SAEED

ea drinkers can be divided into two categories: those who dip biscuits (or similar items) in their tea and those who do not. Now, I am not aware of any law in any country of the world that makes cookiedunking a cognizable offence. But then there is no such law against listening to Rahat Fateh ali Khan, Munni Begum or aziz Mian either – at any rate none that I am aware of. That the law does not prohibit something is a very poor reason to do it. The strongest argument in support of cookiedunking that I am aware of is this: ‘One has the tea; one has the cookie; so why the hell not?’ a little thought will suffice to show how dangerous this line of reasoning can be. So much for arguments that support the practice! But are there any sound arguments against cookie-dunking? Let me start by acknowledging that there are no health harms of the practice over and above those associated with consuming undipped cookies. Other risks are there though. I happen to know a man – fiancé and soon to be bridegroom of a well-known lady – who was unceremoniously shown the door and the impending wedding called off after he succumbed to the temptation of dipping cookies in his tea during a visit to the in-laws. Not that this is

Pakistan Railways a shambles Ghotki tragedy reminder of outdated infrastructure and incompetent management

train derailment is in itself a major accident requiring a thorough investigation into what went wrong. However, a train on another track crashing into the bogies of that very derailed train should be treated as criminal negligence and heads should roll. Such a tragedy took place yesterday in Ghotki, killing at least 40 people, with more than 100 injured, many in critical condition. Therefore, not only did one train jump off its track due to substandard infrastructure, apparently there is no communication system in place by Pakistan Railways to inform other trains about debris on their track so that they stop in time to avoid further loss of lives. This incident further displays how Pakistan Railways is a badly run heavy loss-making government institution that is rife with corruption and responsible for multiple avoidable major accidents each year. every time such a tragedy takes place, the response from the government, both past and present, consists of hollow sympathy and condolences to the deceased’s families, empty promises of a ‘detailed inquiry’ that never takes place and announcement of monetary compensation prematurely, as the rescue operation is ongoing and bodies are still being recovered, which is an obvious attempt to balance out whatever critical coverage and social media backlash is bound to arise. When he wasn’t lambasting the opposition and making false predictions about the next big political development in the country, former Railways Minister and current Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed would boast about how much work was being done to turnaround Pakistan Railways. He should perhaps now be asked what revolutionary reforms were introduced during his tenure and why the Railway infrastructure plan announced by him and financed by the Chinese under CPeC, was not finalized and executed during his tenure. Instead, after the accident yesterday, he was busy praising the Rangers and armed forces for their rescue efforts, stating that these were the only two institutions in the country that did any actual work. While their contribution to the response is welcome and commendable, it does go to show the severe lack of capabilities and equipment that plagues civilian run disaster management institutions in the country. as an opposition leader, Imran Khan used to demand resignations from the government whenever a train accident took place, citing examples of accountability in european countries. Since coming to power, those standards have gone out the window and Pakistan Railways remains a shambles with no progress on upgrading its debilitated tracks and trains nor the inept system under which they are being run.

SANiA AriF

month ago, the european Parliament passed a resolution on the blasphemy laws in Pakistan, focusing especially on the case of Shagufta Kausar and Shafqat emmanuel. The two were accused of blasphemy, and sentenced to death, over allegedly sending text messages. Neither can read or write. Rights activists have long noted that Pakistan’s blasphemy laws have been open to abuse, with both non-Muslims and Muslims being targeted by them. However, the discrimination against religious minorities has been observed to be systematic. and for many observers Christians are common targets of this discrimination, with many believing that this is because they are the largest minority in Pakistan. activists say that a persistent, apparently without reason, discrimination has turned into persecution against Christians. There are a lot of incidents, where Christians have been targeted over numerous allegations-mostly baseless. “More than 90 per cent of the country’s Christians reside in Punjab. and 60 per cent live in villages, and in most cases are more indigenous to their areas than Muslims. Blasphemy and desecration of the Quran are used against them, but the latter is used against them collectively, followed by organised destruction of property,” notes analyst Khaled ahmed. Incidents like now proven false allegation of blasphemy against asia Bibi, burning of Joseph Colony in Lahore, a couple thrown in a kiln in Sheikhupura and the list goes on. Sometimes, even supporting the Christian accused can end your life, as showcased by the murder of former Punjab Governor Salman Taseer in 2011. Taseer’s murder was followed by the killing of the then minorities minister Shahbaz Bhatti. Both Bhatti and Taseer had defended asia Bibi and questioned the blasphemy laws. according to Human Rights Watch (HRW) 2020 report, militant attacks targeting minorities and Leas killed dozens of people in Pakistan last year. The report further criticised the Pakistani government for not amending the blasphemy law. “The Pakistani government did not amend or repeal blasphemy law provi-

Editor Joint Editor

Umar Aziz Executive Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

An intelligent man can present arguments to justify his position (or refute his opponent’s) on an issue, although it is also unfortunately true that a man devoid of intelligence is unlikely to appreciate those reasons. But discussions on good and bad taste do not even go that far; because while a man with a discriminating taste spontaneously knows that something is in bad taste, he cannot quite put his finger on the reason.

The misuse of blasphemy laws continues unchecked

Arif Nizami

Managing Editor

ment knows that while ankle socks have a legitimate role to play in sports and casual wear, they do not belong anywhere in the vicinity of the formal suit. Why? aesthetics! When it comes to aesthetics, there is no way one can show why something is in good or in bad taste. You will find many who agree with you on a question on aesthetics, but that is not because you make a strong case for your stance but because they already share your aesthetic sense. as for those who do not share that aesthetic, you cannot employ some rational argument to even get the discussion rolling. For no such arguments exist! This is the reason why rational debates (hard that they no doubt are) are simpler than debates on aesthetics and taste. an intelligent man can present arguments to justify his position (or refute his opponent’s) on an issue, although it is also unfortunately true that a man devoid of intelligence is unlikely to appreciate those reasons. But discussions on good and bad taste do not even go that far; because while a man with a discriminating taste spontaneously knows that something is in bad taste, he cannot quite put his finger on the reason. How do some people manage to acquire good taste in the first place (and others do not) is largely a mystery. In summary then, what is wrong with dunking cookies in tea? To answer the question (and many others of its ilk), I am afraid I can do no better than quote the legendary Louis armstrong: If you have to ask, you will never know. The author is a connoisseur of music, literature, and food (but not drinks). He can be reached at www.facebook.com/hasanaftabsaeed

Persecution of Pakistani Christians continues unabated

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Yousaf Nizami Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

the reason why cookies must never be dunked in tea. The achilles heel of utilitarian arguments is that it is not at all easy to know how to decide (and how long after the fact) whether, on balance, a certain act is beneficial or otherwise. Besides, one could argue that by the simple act of dunking a cookie in tea, the man was saved from a lifetime of untold misery. I am afraid this line of argument leads to nowhere. Of course, the issue of cookie-dunking is only one manifestation of a broader question. Namely, how to decide if something – anything – is in good or in bad taste? Popularity, or lack thereof, is not going to be much help either. Jay Leno consistently had better ratings than David Letterman, and Honey Singh arguably has more fans than has Madan Mohan. What does that prove, except that the average public taste leaves a lot to be desired? How do you propose to prove to somebody that appreciating Ghalib’s poetry is a sign of good taste? Or that appreciating Wasi Shah’s (for example) not so much? There is simply no way of doing that. and yet, people of taste know that these are not even issues to be debated. The dilemma then is this: There are those with whom you have a common basis for discussion, but you do not need to prove anything to them. On the other hand, it is impossible to have any discussion with those who need to be shown the error of their ways. as another example, consider wearing of ankle socks with formal shoes – something increasingly considered ‘cool’ at weddings and other formal occasions. Unlike the case with the practice of wearing no socks at all with closed in shoes (another emerging trend) there is not even a utilitarian objection against ankle socks. and yet, a man of sound judg-

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sions that have provided a pretext for violence against religious minorities and have left them vulnerable to arbitrary arrest and prosecution. The death penalty is mandatory for blasphemy, and 40 people remained on death row as of late 2020,” the report said. In its report for first quarter of 2021, United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has painted the similar picture. The institution has once again designation Pakistan as a “country of particular concern” due to its worsening religious freedom conditions for Christians and other religious minorities. The repot has cited a “sharp rise in targeted killings, blasphemy cases, forced conversions, and hate speech targeting religious minorities”. although, Federal Minister for Religious affairs and Interfaith Harmony Noor-ul-Haq Qadri claimed in april that minorities enjoy complete freedom in Pakistan, USCIRF disagree with his statement. In its report, the body further said that the first three months of 2021 have proved to be challenging for Christians in Pakistan, despite the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTO) led government’s claim. another organisation, International Christian Concern (ICC) recorded, “at least 25 incidents of persecution against Pakistan’s Christian population between January 1 and March 31, 2021.” The ICC also criticised Prime Minster Imran Khan’s wish blasphemy laws to be passed globally. Khan’s plan has been welcomed by a majority of Muslims; however, many in the West criticised it. ICC shows apprehensions that this call came, while Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP), a far-right Islamist

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organisation, protesting across the country for expulsion of French ambassador from the country. The organisation believes that this far-right ideology can ultimately target Christians in Pakistan. The TLP had protested nationwide when asia Bibi was set free by the Supreme Court in 2018. as per ICC, two Christian nurses were charged with blasphemy for allegedly scratching a sticker from Quran in a Civil Hospital. The Muslim coworker accused both nurses of vandalising a wall in the hospital with Quranic verses. Meanwhile, in January a Christian cleric, Pastor Raja Warris was charged with blasphemy charges over a Facebook post. although Warris later removed the said post and apologised, however, police still filed blasphemy charges against him for “deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings.” “The plight of Christians in Pakistan illustrates some of the reasons why the West should care about Christian persecution. Firstly, Christians in Pakistan are an impoverished minority, part of the Dalit or untouchable caste. If we claim to care about minorities, especially poor minorities, we cannot justify ignoring the plight of the 245 million Christians who face extreme persecution for their faith,” notes commentator Breda O’Brien. experts note that Pakistan’s political leadership and many public figures have claimed that there is ‘freedom for minorities’ in the country, but that is not the case. Critics argue that in such cases hypocrisy is most evident in the country. They point to the fact that if Muslims are targeted in any other country, the country’s representatives talk about Islamophobia, but if similar incident happens to minorities in Pakistan, they choose to downplay it.

Sometimes, even supporting the Christian accused can end your life, as showcased by the murder of former Punjab Governor Salman Taseer in 2011. Taseer’s murder was followed by the killing of the then minorities minister Shahbaz Bhatti. Both Bhatti and Taseer had defended Asia Bibi and questioned the blasphemy laws.

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The writer is a freelance columnist

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Tuesday, 8 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

Malala a Pride for Pakistan

A rare chance to chart a new course toward peace There has never been an Israeli government representing the entire political spectrum from the extreme left to the extreme right

Dr Alon Ben Meir

ow that the arduous wrangling between eight starkly ideologically different parties—including the Islamist Arab party Ra’am—has ended and a new coalition government will soon be sworn in, a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict should top the agenda of the new government. However, due to the parties’ profound ideological differences, they agreed to not tackle issues over which they have significant disagreement, especially the IsraeliPalestinian conflict (IPC). This is the worst possible decision particularly because the new government represents the whole political spectrum from left to right. Since Israel has moved significantly to the right, if this government refuses to deal with the IPC, which coalition government will? As we have witnessed in the past, the left and left-of-center parties could not form a government on their own capable of tackling the conflict, and the right and right-of-center parties largely oppose a peace agreement based on a two-state solution. This explains the decades-long sad and deteriorating impasse between Israelis and Palestinians. The question is, will Israel’s political leaders, including Yamina’s and Jewish Home’s Bennett and Lieberman, rise to the occasion and acknowledge that the conflict with the Palestinians will not go away, and if they wait four more years it will only get worse unless they address it head-on? The new government does not need to decide now about negotiating a peace agreement, because this will not happen given the profound distrust, hatred, and animosity between the two sides. The new government should focus on reconciliation, through building trust on both government-to-government and people-to-people levels during the four-year tenure, and substantially and mutually improve the relationship with the Palestinians. They have to agree in principle only that there will be a two-state solution down the road, and the purpose of the reconciliation process is to pave the way in that direction. In fact, even if they don’t achieve a peace agree-

ment, any process of reconciliation in and of itself is positive, as it will create a more peaceful and conducive atmosphere to negotiate a peace accord at a later day. This process should include Hamas. In order to prevent a future deadly conflagration between Israel and Hamas, a 15–20-year long-term ceasefire should be established. In fact, Hamas has been seeking that for many years, and Egypt has now taken the lead, with the strong support of the Biden administration. Mediating such an agreement on which to build a more cooperative relationship between Israel and Hamas would lead to easing the blockade and eventually lifting it altogether once Hamas recognizes Israel. While the Biden administration can play a pivotal role in advancing the peace process, it must not channel the promised reconstruction aid in Gaza through the Palestinian Authority, but instead through a monitoring commission composed of the donor countries. That said, just as Egypt is negotiating with Hamas to establish a long-term ceasefire, the US should involve Hamas in the reconstruction efforts. Like it or not, Hamas officially represents the Palestinians in Gaza and enjoys tremendous sway in the West Bank as well. However, involving Hamas should be conditional upon Hamas moderating its position by ending its poisonous narrative against Israel, fully adhering to the ceasefire agreement, and renouncing the use of force to achieve a political objective. If Hamas meets these conditions consistently, the US should declassify it as a terrorist organization which would provide Hamas with a huge incentive to behave responsibly as a legitimate governing authority. Other than providing immediate humanitarian aid to the tens of thousands of Palestinians that have been displaced during the war, tying major reconstruction to a long-term ceasefire is critical. Without doing so, should Hamas provoke or threaten Israel in the future, Israel will not hesitate to level everything standing again. Moreover, involving Hamas will incentivize it not only to adhere to these pre-conditions, but also to prevent any violation of the ceasefire by renegade jihadists in Gaza. Since the new Israeli prime minister will certainly be invited to the White House, President Biden should “read him his rights.” Biden ought to make it abundantly clear that the US will not, under any circumstances, support anything but a two-state solution. Moreover, it will never tolerate annexation of another inch

of Palestinian territory in the West Bank, and it will fully support a process of reconciliation. Biden can certainly make a strong case because Democrats in the House and the Senate are becoming extremely critical of Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians, with prominent Democrats saying the US shouldn’t be selling arms to Israel, which has never been expressed by any congressmember before. Finally, the new Israeli government must immediately focus on the unprecedented violence between Israeli Jews and Palestinians in Israel proper which erupted in the wake of the disturbances on Temple Mount and the subsequent Israel-Hamas war. Years of discrimination against Israeli Arabs has finally come to a boil. Furthermore, Netanyahu’s violation of Palestinians’ human rights in the West Bank and Gaza further enraged Israeli Arabs, as they have affinity towards their brethren and feel their suffering under occupation or blockade. The Israeli Arabs can play a significant role to ameliorate the IsraelPalestinian relationship in general, or become a fifth column. Now that there will be an Arab party supportive of or in the government, it could usher in a new period of rapprochement between Israeli Jews and Arab. The new Israeli government must make every effort to end the discrimination against Israel’s Arab citizens, especially in the areas of education, job opportunities, and development of their towns and villages. These measures are absolutely crucial, especially in time of violent conflict in the West Bank and Gaza. Otherwise, another rampage of violence will destroy the social fabric between the two sides, which is a recipe for disaster for all Israelis, Jewish and Arab alike. Any Israeli government that ignores this ominous development will do so at its peril. Israel and the Palestinians have missed many opportunities to make peace. After more than seven decades, the situation is ever more intractable and deadly. The new Israeli government must seize this perhaps once-in-a-generation opportunity, show statesmanship, and demonstrate to the whole world that Israel is ready to make peace by taking concrete measures to that end.

The new Israeli government must make every effort to end the discrimination against Israel’s Arab citizens, especially in the areas of education, job opportunities, and development of their towns and villages.

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

SIR, As a Pakistani expatriate settled in Malaysia, it makes me proud to witness the immense appreciation young Malay Muslim girls, adorning a Hijab, have for Malala Yusufzai. They associate with her and look upon her as a role model. She is amongst few girls of her age, like Greta Thunberg from Sweden, who can make their country proud, and project Pakistan as a tolerant Muslim country. Malala, at the age of 15 years, was a victim of a brutal attack for defying extremist Taliban, who consider female education a taboo, in a country where girls go to universities both within the country and even abroad. She is a recipient of the Nobel Prize for her role in promoting female literacy and her commitment, despite threats to her family. She has the distinction to address the UN, apart from being invited by Obama to White House. Few within Pakistan enjoy such credibility in a world, haunted by Islamophobia and bias. Perhaps her success invites a slanderous and malicious orchestrated campaign in Pakistan, following her appearance on the cover of Vogue magazine. One fails to understand the mindset of such individuals who have no issue when females from India win international acclaim, but go berserk when a Pakistani girl achieves this on her merit, given the opportunity that fate offered her. In the interview she rightly questions how Ehsanullah Ehsan who accepted responsibility managed to escape from detention with his family to a foreign safe haven. Maybe, that has precipitated the slander over the casual remarks of this 23 years old Oxford graduate about marriage, which she quickly elaborates that she was scolded for by her mother, just like any traditional family, and adds “I didn’t realize that you’re not the same person all the time”. Salman m SElEngor

Covid-19 SOPs BALOCHISTAN is a province where the majority live but there is no any follower of SOPs. As well as they are not ready to follow the SOPs.Due to this irresponsibility day by day lots of people are death. COVID-19 take place in 2019 and now it is 2021 but during these years I don’t see any person who follows SOPs.Covid-19 don’t let,s to breath. I request to all the fellow beings to take of themselves as well as other because COVID-19 is increasing day by day Daniyal anwar Kolahoo Tump

Water dispute among provinces WATER shortages in Pakistan are not a new thing, but our politicians exploit this issue for personal gains and popularity. The solution to the water and power shortfall in the country was to build dams. Unfortunately, instead of going for this solution, which would provide water for irrigation and cheap electricity, our politicians opposed the most feasible dam project namely the Karabagh dam. Politicians from KPK and Sindh twisted facts to make the KBD project controversial. This was the biggest disloyalty to the country. Resultantly, we face shortages in dry months and severe flooding in the monsoons. The same politicians who always prevented and sabotaged the KBD and other dam projects fight over water distribution, again unnecessarily politicizing the issue. It is ironic that those who created roadblocks in the way of constructing dams accuse each other of not letting their province have its share of water. Yet again, every province is accusing others of stealing their share of water. The reality is that our politicians failed to discharge their duties in terms of building dams. They instead opposed the projects and now are fighting over something that simply does not exist. They must understand that while each province is given its share under the agreement by all provinces in 1992, there is not enough to meet the demand. Therefore, every province suffers in terms of getting water. Unfortunately, the politicians are still not understanding the gravity of the issue and busy with allegations and counter-allegations creating a divide among provinces. They must realize that until they all forge unity and support the construction of dams we will be facing even worst water shortages. It is about time they shun their petty politics and work for the country. raja ShafaTullah iSlamabaD

Vaccine issues Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said on Sunday that Prime Minister Imran Khan himself was handling the matter of Saudi Arabia and some other countries in the Middle East not accepting the vaccination certificate of the Chinese-manufactured Sinopharm vaccine. The minister, who was speaking to the media in Islamabad, told reporters that the prime minister had informed the cabinet that he was in talks with leaders of the respective countries on the matter. Saudi Arabia is among the few countries that do not recognise vaccination certificates of Chinese vaccines despite the fact that the World Health Organisation has now registered at least two Chinese-manufactured vaccines — Sinopharm and Sinovac. According to media reports, the vaccines recommended by the Kingdom for use are Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna and Johnson and Johnson. Earlier this week, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar had announced that citizens intending to go for Haj this year, those working abroad on work visas issued by countries that did not recognise vaccination certificates of Chinese vaccines and students planning to go to educational institutions in such countries within a month would be given priority for the administration of Pfizer as its stock was limited. The minister had also warned that countries not accepting vaccination certificates of Chinese vaccines would turn out to be a problem for the entire world if a decision was not taken on the issue at the global level. “If every country makes it mandatory for visitors to be inoculated by their choice of vaccine [brands], the entire world would suffer,” he had said, adding that Chinese Covid-19 vaccines were the most exported brands in the world at present. Expressing similar views on Sunday, the interior minister asserted that “Sinopharm is a very good vaccine.” He further said that Pakistan fared better than other countries in the region in terms of vaccination and particularly compared the situation in Pakistan with that in India, where he said one would come across boards saying “no vaccination for seven days”. Sohail ali Khan iSlamabaD

Tuesday, 8 June, 2021

08 WORLD VIEW

IS there a plaCe fOr a US MIlItary baSe In Central aSIa?

carnegie

TEMuR uMAROv

S President Joe Biden has promised there will be no U.S. troops left in Afghanistan by the twentieth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks this year. But Washington is determined to keep supporting the Afghan government in its fight against the Taliban, and this is unlikely to be achievable without the establishment of U.S. military bases in Afghanistan’s neighboring countries. The U.S. military command’s preferred option reportedly would be Central Asia. This is certainly the most obvious option: U.S. troops were, after all, based in the region from 2001 to 2014. Since then, however, much has changed. Most importantly, the U.S. relationships with Central Asia’s two main external partners — Russia and China — have sharply deteriorated, and they will clearly not welcome a U.S. return to the region. Washington, therefore, will have to prove to the Central Asian states that the financial and political benefits of cooperating with it would outweigh the inevitable losses that the host countries would sustain as a result of Moscow and Beijing’s displeasure. That won’t be easy, because during the last decade, people in Central Asia have conclusively stopped believing that the United States is prepared to act as a counterbalance to Russia and China in the region. IN SEARCH OF ALLIES: There was a time when the young, newly independent countries of Central Asia put a high value on any U.S. attention, and when the United States was actively promoting the principles of democracy and a market economy in the region. Now Afghanistan is one of the few issues upon which Washington still cooperates with the Central Asian nations. Afghanistan borders six other nations, none of which currently house any U.S. bases or can be described as close U.S. allies: Iran, Pakistan, China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. Iran and China can be ruled out straight away, and Pakistan is too dependent on China now to embark on such a step. It’s unlikely that Turkmenistan has any intention of departing from its isolationist course, and nor does Kazakhstan fit the bill, not just because of its distance from Afghanistan, but also because of its close ties to Russia. That only leaves two options: Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. leaks in U.S. media suggest that the Pentagon is indeed eyeing those two countries as potential candidates for new bases. Although it has not been mentioned in U.S. publications, another potential candidate is Kyrgyzstan, given its proximity to Afghanistan. TAJIKISTAN: At first glance, it’s hard to imagine U.S. troops in Tajikistan: a member of the Collective Security Treaty organization (CSTo) that already hosts a Russian military base on its territory. Yet this hasn’t stopped President Emomali Rahmon from allowing China to build a border post on the border with Afghanistan, and — according to rumors — letting India take over the Farkhor

air base. The Tajik economy, however, depends heavily on remittances from Tajik nationals working in Russia (22 percent of GDP in 2020, and usually over 30 percent before the pandemic), and Chinese loans (52 percent of all external borrowing and more than 20 percent of GDP). In addition, of all the countries in Central Asia, Tajikistan has the frostiest relations with the United States: Rahmon is the only regional leader who has never made an official visit to the United States. Tajikistan does, however, have some experience of military cooperation with the Americans. After 9/11, U.S. air force planes were given permission to refuel at the Ayni air base near the capital Dushanbe. Today, Tajik special forces undergo training in the United States, and border guards study at centers built using U.S. funding. In spring 2021, Washington embarked on a path of rapprochement with Dushanbe on Afghanistan. In March, online trilateral talks were held among Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and the United States. Then, Secretary of State Antony Blinken held an online meeting with his Central Asian counterparts in the C5+1 format, focusing on Afghanistan. And at the start of May, Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, visited Tajikistan. The U.S. interest in Tajikistan has not gone unnoticed in Moscow. At the end of April, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone to Rahmon, and discussed strengthening bilateral relations. This was followed by three CSTo events in Dushanbe, which led to agreements on creating a unified regional air defense system for the two countries and strengthening parts of the Tajik-Afghan border, and a promise to restart regular flights between Moscow and Dushanbe. In addition, Rahmon was the only foreign leader invited to the Victory Day parade on May 9 in Moscow. Right now — with Rahmon preparing to hand over power to his son, the economy in crisis following the pandemic, and concerns over Afghanistan’s future after the U.S. withdrawal — the Tajik regime is in desperate need of Russian support. KYRGYZSTAN: like Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan is heavily dependent on China and Russia. Remittances from migrant workers in Russia make up about a third of GDP, and Kyrgyzstan’s debt to China is bigger than a quarter of GDP. Kyrgyzstan is also part of the CSTo—and a member of the Eurasian Economic Union—and is home to a Russian military base. For a long time, Kyrgyzstan was considered the main U.S. ally in the region, and an oasis of democracy in Central Asia. The U.S. base there lasted longer than all the others in the region: from 2001 to 2014, despite two revolutions and repeated attempts by Moscow to get it closed. It was only in 2013 that President Almazbek Atambayev revoked the agreement with Washington on the leasing of the transit center at Manas airport. Since then, relations between Kyrgyzstan and the United States have not improved. In 2015, Atambayev ended a cooperation agreement with the United States after Washington conferred its Human Rights Defender Award on the Kyrgyz activist Azimjon Askarov (he died last year in a Kyrgyz jail). It’s difficult for the United States to build a long-term relationship with Kyrgyzstan, since the constant warring of the country’s political elites leads to unpredictable consequences and even coups d’état. This instability would also make it hard for Washington to guarantee the security of its troops if it were able to open a base there. UZBEKISTAN: Uzbekistan is far less dependent on Russia and China than its neighbors, is not currently part of the CSTo, and does not have any foreign military bases on its territory. Since Shavkat Mirziyoyev came to power in 2016, relations with Russia have become noticeably warmer, albeit as part of a broader trend of im-

proving external ties. Back in 2001, then president Islam Karimov leased the Karshi-Khanabad air base to the Americans. But in May 2005, after Washington strongly condemned the brutal suppression of protests in Andijan in which hundreds of Uzbeks were killed, the Uzbek government demanded the withdrawal of U.S. troops. From 2013 to 2016, Tashkent was home to the office of the NATo liaison officer in Central Asia. Since Mirziyoyev came to power in 2016, military ties between Uzbekistan and the United States have been rekindled. In 2018, the Uzbek leader visited Washington, where he signed the first ever military cooperation plan with the United States. Since then, the number of joint military exercises has increased, and Uzbek officers now have the chance to train in the United States and NATo countries. In 2018, Uzbekistan initiated a new format for ending the conflict in Afghanistan: a conference in Tashkent of over twenty countries and organizations. Uzbekistan is preparing to host a similar event this year. Washington encourages Uzbekistan’s active position on Afghanistan, and in May 2020, Washington, Tashkent, and Kabul held their first trilateral dialogue. But the issue of hosting U.S. troops in Uzbekistan will inevitably be met with resistance from Moscow and Beijing, and it’s doubtful that Tashkent is prepared to pay that price. Moscow is already vocal in its criticism of many of Tashkent’s initiatives, believing that Washington is behind them and that their ultimate aim is to weaken Central Asia’s links with Russia. There is also likely to be major resistance from Uzbek society, given the outrage elicited by recent rumors of a Russian military base opening in the country: a U.S. base would be even less popular. PROSPECTS: Even if a U.S. military base does eventually open in Central Asia, it won’t change the balance of power on the ground. There are no interests that require Washington to have a long-term policy on the region. Moscow and Beijing, on the other hand, have no choice but to closely follow regional developments, since their own security depends on them. Furthermore, China is not just an important economic partner now, but is actively moving to institutionalize its relations with the Central Asian states. May 11 saw the second C+C5 meeting among the foreign ministers of China plus the Central Asian nations take place in Xi’an. The Chinese foreign minister, speaking on behalf of all of the countries, warned Washington of the need for the “responsible and orderly withdrawal of foreign troops” from Afghanistan. Chinese criticism of the United States for interfering in other countries’ internal affairs is likely to become routine now, as it already is from Russia. At the end of April, for example, Beijing accused Washington of interfering in Kyrgyzstan’s domestic affairs by financing local NGos and media. China and Russia are also apprehensive of increased U.S. activity in the region because they are convinced that a U.S. base there would be used against them. Beijing believes that Washington plans to destabilize the situation in Xinjiang, while Moscow suspects that the United States will keep sowing chaos around Russia’s borders. Russia and China will continue to fight against the U.S. presence—and will do so together and more actively than before. In none of the three countries in Central Asia where the United States could in theory open a military base do the potential advantages for the host country outweigh the risks. In all likelihood, none of them will agree to house a base. This reflects both the United States’ declining role in the region, and the intensifying rivalry between the global powers. It appears that Washington will have to look for other solutions, such as moving some of its troops to the Middle East and using an aircraft carrier for patrols.

Media and sedition: On Supreme Court relief to journalists The Supreme Court’s rulings on cases of sedition give hope the law will be re-examined Hindu It has long been recognised that strident criticism of government will not amount to an attempt to excite disaffection and disloyalty towards government. Yet, the archaic and colonial view that an intemperate attack on an incumbent ruler should be met with fierce prosecution for sedition prevails among many in power even today. In a significant judgment, the Supreme Court has quashed a criminal case registered in Himachal Pradesh against journalist Vinod Dua by invoking the narroweddown meaning of what constitutes an offence under Section 124A of the IPC, the provision for sedition, set out in Kedar Nath Singh (1962). Every journalist, the Court has ruled, is entitled to the protection of that judgment, which said “comments, however strongly worded, expressing disapprobation of actions of the Government, without exciting those feelings which generate the inclination to cause public disorder by acts of violence, would not be penal”. The law on sedition has come a long way from the formulation of British-era judges Comer Petheram and Arthur Strachey that “feelings of disaffection” towards the government connote “absence of affection... hatred, enmity, dislike, hostility... and every form of ill-will towards the government” to the more rational reading that only a pernicious tendency to create public disorder would be an offence. Yet, it appears that every generation needs a judicial iteration of this principle, and that is because of two reasons: that Section 124A remains on the statute book and that powerful political figures and their minions are unable to take criticism in their stride. Enacted to put down journalistic criticism of the colonial administration from an increasingly vocal press, Section 124A is essentially a provision which seeks to protect the government’s institutional vanity from disapprobation using the interests of public order and security of the state as a fig leaf. It has often been criticised for being vague and “overbroad”. Its use of terms such as “bringing (government) into hatred or contempt” and “disloyalty and all feelings of enmity” continues to help the police to invoke it whenever there is either strong criticism or critical depiction of unresponsive or insensitive rulers. The explanation that disapproval of government actions or measures with a view to altering them by lawful means will not amount to an offence is not enough to restrain the authorities from prosecution. The mischief lies in the latitude given to the police by an insecure political leadership to come down on the government’s adversaries. It is unfortunate that the Bench did not go into the aspect of political motivation behind the police registering FIRs without checking if the required ingredient of incitement to violence is present. The Court’s verdict brightens the hope that the section’s validity will be re-examined. For now, it is a blow for free speech and media freedom.

The G7 is the west’s last chance to lead THIS WEEK’S SUMMIT MUST TAKE BOLD INITIATIVES ON COVID AND CLIMATE

Financial Times

GIDEON RACHMAN

NTERNATIoNAl summits come and go, amid flurries of staged photos and unread communiqués. But the G7 meeting in Cornwall later this week could be a rare such event that actually matters — for the individual countries involved, for the western alliance and for the wider world. For Boris Johnson, who is hosting the meeting, it is a chance to counteract any lingering impression that he is a cynical lightweight, and to demonstrate that he can steer a major international meeting. The UK prime minister also needs to show that “Global Britain” is more than a slogan. For Joe Biden, on his first trip overseas as US president, it is an opportunity to demonstrate that America is back. Biden has made it clear that he intends to rally the world’s democracies in pushing back against Russia and China. The US president will have a bilateral meeting with

Johnson, followed by three summit meetings with democratic allies — first the G7, then Nato, then an EU-US summit — before proceeding on to a meeting with Vladimir Putin in Geneva. He aims to carry a unified message from America and its democratic allies into that encounter with the Russian president. The G7 summit will also send an indirect message to China. The propaganda line pumped out from Beijing is that the west is in inexorable decline. A successful G7 summit could reinvigorate the idea that the west can provide global leadership in alliance with fellow democracies in Asia and around the world. It is the G7’s identity as a club of democracies that gives it renewed significance in an era of rising tension between China and the west. The core seven countries — the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Canada — first met in the 1970s. At the end of the cold war, Russia was invited to join the group, turning the club into the G8. But the Russian Federation was booted out again after its annexation of Crimea in 2014. The great challenge to the relevance of the G7 is the declining share of the world economy represented by those seven core nations. As Renata Dwan of Chatham House, a UK think-tank, points out, in the 1970s the G7 nations accounted for some 80 per cent of world gross domestic product. That is now down to about 40 per cent. When the global financial crisis struck the world in 2008, a larger

group of countries than the G7 was needed to steer the world economy off the rocks. To deal with that emergency, the Bush administration convened the first ever G20 summit — which included the original G7, plus rising economic powers such as Brazil, India and, above all, China. The success of the G20 in organising international action to avert a global depression seemed to confirm that the G7’s moment had passed. There was even speculation that the group might never meet again. As US president, Donald Trump derided the group as outdated. It is the Biden administration’s renewed determination to push back against Moscow and Beijing that has provided the G7 with a renewed reason to exist. But the fact that the G7 no longer represents most of the global economy — and is skewed towards the EuroAtlantic region — remains a problem. To compensate, the group have invited four guests to the summit: Australia, India, South Africa and South Korea. The fact that three of these guests are Asian countries underlines the group’s role in pushing back against Beijing. Nonetheless, several of the core issues placed on the G7 summit agenda — the pandemic, climate and trade — ultimately require Chinese co-operation. They are global issues that cannot be fixed without the participation of the world’s most populous nation and secondlargest economy. The G7’s approach to this dilemma seems to be to try

to provide a practical and moral lead that creates momentum for a global agreement. A headline-grabbing example is the deal already reached on a global minimum corporate tax rate, which should be signed off at this week’s G7 meeting and then taken to the G20 summit later this year. The key question in Cornwall will be whether the G7 can find other practical initiatives that go beyond feel-good slogans about vaccinating the world, net-zero emissions and “free and fair trade”. on Covid-19, an obvious step would be to sharply increase funding for Covax, the global vaccination programme. The US and the UK will also be under pressure to start donating more vaccines to the developing world, before they have achieved near-complete vaccination at home. In domestic political terms, that could be difficult. But if the G7 dodges the challenge, China is well placed to become the engine of the global vaccination drive. Since China is now the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, it would be futile for the G7 to go it alone on climate. But the group could advance the global agenda ahead of the CoP26 summit in November by agreeing on some eye-catching joint initiatives — ending subsidies for the coal industry, for example. A global pandemic provides a hugely challenging backdrop for the G7 summit. But a world crisis also provides a unique chance to show leadership. The G7 should take the opportunity — it may not come again.

Tuesday, 8 June, 2021

ISLAMABAD CORPORATE CORNER

KARACHI: The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has certified Byco’s Oil Spill Response (OSR) team for achieving Level II & III professional training and certification. PRESS RELEASE

KARACHI: Digital health and insur-tech services provider BIMA Mobile will be utilising Jazz’s cloud solutions to help build a more stable and reliable infrastructures for organisations to deploy solutions in a more secured environment as per an agreement signed between BIMA Mobile Pakistan CEO, Murtaza Khalil Hassan, and Jazz Chief Business Officer, Syed Ali Naseer. PR

KARACHI: Silkbank has announced that it will soon be launching WhatsApp banking solutions for its customers in collaboration with the global cloud communications provider, Infobip. Signing ceremony was attended by senior management from both organisations. PR

GovT MULLING NEw TAx REGIME FoR PSx: TARIN

NEWS DESK

INISTER for Finance and Revenue Shaukat Tarin has said that the government is considering a new tax regime for the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), which is in accordance with the changing economic environment. The finance minister said this while holding a meeting with PSX Managing Director and CEO Farrukh H Khan on Monday to review proposals for the

federal budget 2021-22 (FY22). The finance minister said the government is strongly committed to strengthening the financial markets and is ready to adopt measures that could mobilise capital to more productive sectors. The PSX MD gave a detailed presentation on the huge impact of stock markets on wealth creation and mobilisation of capital. He said that a broad-based capital market helps achieve important economic and social objectives like increasing the number of tax payers, optimising sav-

BUSINESS 09

ings and investment rates, and reducing wealth inequalities. Tax measures are an important policy tool to increase investments and savings in the economy and to stay competitive with other markets, he said. The managing director submitted proposals to align rates of capital gain tax on disposal of securities in line with regional practices, rationalisation of tax rates for companies listed on the stock exchange, enhanced tax credit for listed small and medium enterprises, unlocking the potential of pri-

vate funds and many other suggestions that will help broadening the tax base/ revenue collection. The finance minister appreciated the recommendations from the MD. He welcomed the proposals and assured that these will be given due consideration in the upcoming budget. Adviser to PM on Austerity and Institutional Reforms Dr Ishrat Hussain, SAPM on Finance and Revenue Dr Waqar Masood, chairman Federal Board of Revenue and secretary finance were also present during the meeting.

Forbes lauds Pakistan for reviving economy as world economies grapple with pandemic COUNTRY'S PUBLIC DEBT TO GDP REMAINED UNCHANGED IN 2020, SAYS IMF iSLaMaBaD APP

American business magazine Forbes has lauded the government’s efforts to to stabilise and grow Pakistan’s economy, saying that its economy is expected to grow at 4 per cent in FY21, even as big economies of the world are finding it difficult to navigate through the coronavirus pandemic. “Even giants like the United States and India have had difficulty dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. Donald Trump, Dwayne Johnson, and Ellen DeGeneres have all been infected by this virus. In this situation, Pakistan has succeeded in reviving its economy, which is expected to grow by nearly 4pc in 2021, exceeding initial projections,” the magazine says. According to the report, the services sector, which is forecasted to grow

by 4.43pc in FY21, is responsible for the majority of the growth. This is certainly remarkable for a country like Pakistan which is becoming successful in expanding its services sector. The agricultural sector’s predicted growth is 2.77pc, while that of the industrial sector is 3.57pc, it adds. The report quoted State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor, Reza Baqir, as having said the unexpected growth in GDP was due to an accommodating monetary and fiscal policy. The central bank reduced its policy rate by 625 basis points to 7pc and released a stimulus amounting to 5pc of GDP. In addition, the governor said that the government was able to control the coronavirus situation reporting 12 new cases per million, compared to 62 new cases per million reported globally. Pakistan reported the highest traded volumes on the Pakistan Stock Ex-

change (PSE) at 1.56 billion shares and 2.21 billion shares respectively on May 26 and May 27. Investors are optimistic because of the populist budget proposal and improved growth forecasts. The report further points out that the IMF’s world economic outlook numbers Pakistan’s public debt to GDP remained broadly unchanged in 2020 over the previous year, as reported in Bloomberg. This statistic for most emerging countries increased by 10pc during the coronavirus pandemic. Baqir explained that this was caused by a “prudent fiscal and aggressive monetary policy.” Meanwhile, the country’s recently reported a CPI of 11%, up from 6% a few months ago. The country expects inflation to range between 7% and 9%, with experts predicting that it will be closer to the higher end. The recent high inflation was caused by a small number

of products such as energy and food. Because of supply-side factors, Baqir described these factors as “one-time,” but officials are prepared to respond quickly to demand-side pressures if they arise, the reports quotes Reza Baqir. Baqir further stated that the government was successful in converting a $19 billion current account deficit into a $900 million surplus, as well as more than doubling the country’s foreign reserves from $7.2 billion to $16 billion. He added that these objectives were met not through borrowing, but through “high-quality measures”. Talking about the measures taken by the government to check coronavirus, the report says last year, the country saw a surge in cases during Eid, but the government was quick to move this time, imposing partial lockdowns, closing non-essential enterprises, and prohibiting domestic tourism, which helped the country avoid a spike in cases.

Google to change global advertising practices PariS

Mastercard unveils new carbon calculator tool for banks in M.E.A and Pakistan KARACHI: Amidst the growing trend toward eco-conscious spending and consumption among people who want to pursue more sustainable choices and practices, Mastercard has released its Mastercard Carbon Calculator for the Middle East & Africa and Pakistan. Developed in collaboration with the Swedish fintech Doconomy, the Mastercard Carbon Calculator is a feature that provides access to insights and data about environmental impact. It enables consumers to receive a snapshot of the carbon emissions generated by their purchases across spending categories. Banks and financial institutions can easily adopt and customize the feature for eco-conscious consumers, by seamlessly integrating the Carbon Calculator into their mobile apps through new APIs that are now available on Mastercard Developers. PR

Highnoon Laboratories Ltd. celebrates 10 successful years of Patient Facilitation Programme

AGENCIES

Google said it would make changes to its global advertising business to ensure it did not abuse its dominance, bowing to antitrust pressure for the first time in a landmark settlement with French authorities. The deal with the French competition watchdog could help rebalance the power over advertising in favour of publishers, which held sway over the business in the pre-internet era but lost control with the rapid rise of Google and Facebook. The settlement, which was announced on Monday and also saw Google fined 220 million euros ($268 million), is the first time the U.S. tech giant has agreed to make changes to its huge advertising business, which brings in the bulk of its revenue. “The decision to sanction Google is of particular significance because it’s the first decision in the world

PACRA upgrades highest asset manager rating of AM1 to NITL

EFU Life wins People’s Choice Award at Global SummerHack 2021

Karachi

LAHORE: EFU Life participated in SummerHack 2021 – a global insurance Design Thinking ideathon organised by Cookhouse Labs, in collaboration with InsurLab Germany and msg global. Based on the challenges faced by customers due to the pandemic, this year's theme was "New Times, New Experience" and the participating teams were asked to prepare a blueprint for a product or service idea. The global teams raced against the clock to develop new solutions to the theme, and winners were acknowledged based on their creativity, innovativeness, and business plan feasibility. The teams’ proposed innovative solution was called ‘Bread Protects’ and aimed at tackling the ‘Access to Insurance’ challenge to cater to the underserved population segment. The solution was awarded the title of ‘People’s Choice (APAC & EMEA)’. EFU Life was the only company to represent Pakistan at this global event. PRESS RELEASE

PRESS RELEASE

LAHORE: Among many other CSR initiatives that the company has taken in the couple of decades, Highnoon’s Patient Facilitation Programme (PFP) has been one of the most successful ones. PFP was conceived for helping the community get better healthcare avenues. Highnoon has been actively working as an ally of healthcare professionals to serve patient needs via this programme, not only for Thalassemia patients but also for patients of various other illnesses.PR

focusing on the complex algorithmic auction processes on which the online ad business relies,” said France’s antitrust chief Isabelle de Silva. The watchdog found that Google’s ad management platform for large publishers – Google Ad Manager – favoured the company’s own online ad marketplace – Google AdX – where publishers sell space to advertisers in real-time. Ad Manager provided AdX with strategic data such as the winning bidding prices, while AdX also enjoyed privileged access to requests made by advertisers via Google’s ad services, the authority said. AdX, in turn, exchanged data more smoothly with Ad Manager than it did with other advertising management platforms, the watchdog added. Such platforms are crucial for publishers to manage and sell advertising space. Under the terms of the settlement, Google made commitments to improve the way Ad Manager serv-

PACRA has upgraded Asset Manager Rating of National Investment Trust Limited from AM2++ to AM1 after considering the company’s consistently better funds’ performance among peers, fund slate diversification, materialization of digital initiatives and a strong equity base and financial profile. In December 2020, VIS had assigned AM1 rating to NITL. The rating also takes comfort from an experienced management team, structured investment decision making process, strong control environment and satisfactory governance framework. PACRA stated that NITL remained profitable in the first half of financial year 2021 and posted the highest profits in industry and had the largest equity base at the end of December 2020.

ices worked with rival ad servers and ad space sales platforms, the French watchdog said. Some changes would be implemented by the first quarter of 2022, it said, adding that Google would not appeal the decision. Google also said it had agreed to make it easier for publishers to use its data and tools. “We will be testing and developing these changes over the coming months before rolling them out more broadly, including some globally,” the company added. ‘RIGHTLY SANCTIONED’ Many publishers globally have been infuriated over ad practices employed by the tech giants, whose success relies on the trove of data it has amassed over the years. Most of Google’s sales come from search and YouTube ads. But last year about $23 billion was tied to helping publishers sell ads, drawing antitrust scrutiny to the connections between Google’s businesses, plus calls from some critics to break up the sprawling company.

Meezan Bank, Sindh govt launch free Covid -19 vaccinations for workers, their families

KARACHI: Meezan Bank has launched a free COVID-19 vaccination drive for its employees and their family members in collaboration with the government of Sindh. The vaccination camp kicked off on June 2, at the Bank’s Head Office in Karachi under the leadership of Meezan Bank Founding President and CEO, Irfan Siddiqui, along with the bank’s senior management team. The drive was personally overseen by the Karachi Commissioner Navid Ahmed Shaikh along with his team. PRESS RELEASE

Tuesday, 8 June, 2021

10 FOREIGN NEWS

ISLAMABAD

AMAzon founder Jeff Bezos to fly to sPACe next Month SEATTLE

AGENCIES

MAzON’S billionaire founder Jeff Bezos said on Monday he and his brother Mark will fly on the first crewed space flight from his rocket company Blue Origin next month. “Ever since I was five years old, I’ve dreamed of traveling to space. On July 20th, I will take that journey with my brother,” Bezos, who is one of the richest people in the world, said in an Instagram post. Bezos, who is due to step down as Amazon’s chief on July 5, will join the winner of an auction for a seat on the first space flight from Blue Origin. Bezos, fellow billionaires Elon Musk and Richard Branson have been investing billions of dollars on their rocket startups, but Bezos will be the first of the three to actually travel into space on a rocket developed by his own company. The Blue Origin spacecraft, which is set to carry Bezos and others, has undergone 15 test flights, none of which had any passengers onboard. Blue Origin closed the first round of the auction last month and said it had re-

ceived more than 5,200 bidders from 136 countries, without disclosing the highest bid from the round. The current highest bid stood at $2.8 million in the ongoing second round of auction, according to Blue Origin’s website. Its New Shepard rocket-and-capsule combo is designed to autonomously fly six passengers more than 62 miles (100 kilometres) above Earth into suborbital space, high enough to experience a few minutes of weightlessness and see the curvature of the planet before the pressurised capsule returns to earth under parachutes. The capsule features six observation windows and are nearly three times as tall as those on a Boeing 747 jetliner and the largest ever used in space, Blue Origin said. Bezos’s rocket startup is targeting July 20 for its first suborbital sightseeing trip, a landmark moment in a competition to usher in a new era of private commercial space travel. The startup was planning to charge passengers at least $200,000 for the ride, based on an appraisal of rival plans from Branson’s Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc. and other considerations, Reuters reported in 2018, but its thinking may have changed. Global insurers as still in the early stages when it comes to covering liabilities surrounding space travel. Life insurers do not ask about space tourism or exclude it from their coverage. “You will sign this waiver of liability and provided there’s no gross negligence or willful misconduct, if you don’t survive, unfortunately, there’s probably no financial recovery,” said Richard Parker of Assure Space, a unit of insurer AmTrust Financial.

Iran cleric who founded Hezbollah dies of Covid-19 TEHRAN AGENCIES

Ali Akbar Mohtashamipour, a cleric who as Iran's ambassador to Syria helped found Hezbollah and lost his right hand to a book bombing reportedly carried out by Israel, died on Monday of the coronavirus. He was 74. A close ally of Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Mohtashamipour formed alliances with Muslim groups across the Mideast in the 1970s. After the Islamic Revolution, he helped found the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard in Iran and as ambassador to Syria, brought the force into the region to help form Hezbollah. In his later years, he slowly joined the cause of reformists in Iran, hoping to change the Islamic Republic's theocracy from the inside. He backed the opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mahdi Karroubi in Iran's Green Movement protests that followed the disputed 2009 re-election of thenPresident Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. "If the whole people become aware, avoid violent measures and continue their civil confrontation with that, they will win,” Mohtashamipour said at the time, though Ahmadinejad would ultimately remain in office. "No power can stand up to peoples will." Mohtashamipour died at a hospital in northern Tehran after contracting the virus, the state-run IRNA news agency reported. The cleric, who wore a black turban, had been living in the city of Najaf, Iraq, over the last 10 years after the disputed election in Iran. Iran's current Supreme Leader Ayatollah

Ali Khamenei praised Mohtashamipour for his revolutionary services, while President Hassan Rouhani said the cleric devoted his life to promote Islamic movement and realisation of the revolutions ideals. Hard-line judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi, now considered the leading candidate in Iran's presidential election next week, also offered condolences to Mohtashamipour's family. "The deceased was one of the holy warriors on the way to the liberation of Jerusalem and one of the pioneers in the fight against the usurping zionist regime,” Raisi said, according to IRNA. THE FOUNDATION OF HEZBOLLAH: Born in Tehran in 1947, Mohtashamipour met Ayatollah Khomeini as the cleric remained in exile in Najaf after being expelled from Iran by Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. In the 1970s, he crisscrossed the Mideast speaking to different groups at the time, helping form an alliance between the future Islamic Republic and the Palestinian Liberation Organization as it battled Israel. Once arrested by Iraq, Mohtashamipour found his way to Ayatollah Khomeini's residence in exile outside of Paris. They returned triumphant to Iran amid the 1979 Islamic Revolution. In 1982, Ayatollah Khomeini deployed Mohtashamipour to Syria, then under the rule of dictator Hafez Assad. While ostensibly a diplomat, Mohtashamipour oversaw the millions that poured in to fund the Guard's operations in the region. Lebanon, then dominated by Syria, which deployed tens of thousands of troops there, found itself invaded by Israel in 1982 as Israel pursued the PLO in Lebanon. Iran-

Indian PM Modi announces free Covid-19 vaccines for all adults NEW DELHI AGENCIES

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday that the Indian federal government would provide Covid-19 vaccines free of charge to all adults from later this month in an effort to turn the tide of a pandemic that has killed hundreds of thousands in India. Modi said in a televised address that the federal government would take over the task of vaccination from state governments. "It has been decided that from June 21, all adults over the age of 18 will be vaccinated free," he said. Under the earlier policy, the federal government gave free vaccines to the elderly and frontline workers, and left state governments and private hospitals to administer doses for a fee to people in the 18-45 age group.

ian support flowed into the Shia communities occupied by Israel. That helped create a new group called Hezbollah, The US blames Hezbollah for the 1983 bombing of the US Embassy in Beirut that killed 63 people, as well as the later bombing of the US Marine barracks in the Lebanese capital that killed 241 US troops and another attack that killed 58 French paratroopers. Hezbollah and Iran have denied being involved. “The court finds that it is beyond question that Hezbollah and its agents received massive material and technical support from the Iranian government,” wrote US District Judge Royce Lamberth in 2003.

Lamberth's opinion, quoting a US Navy intelligence official, directly named Mohtashamipour as being told by Tehran to reach out to the nascent Hezbollah to “instigate attacks against the multinational coalition in Lebanon, and to take a spectacular action against the United States Marines. An IRNA obituary of Mohtashamipour only described him as "one of the founders of Hezbollah in Lebanon” and blamed Israel for the bombing that wounded him. It did not discuss the US allegations about his involvement in the suicide bombings targeting Americans. At the time of the assassination attempt on him, Israel's Mossad intelligence agency

had received approval from then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir to pursue Mohtashamipour, according to "Rise and Kill First,” a book on Israeli assassinations by journalist Ronen Bergman. They chose to send a bomb hidden inside a book described as a magnificent volume in English about Shia holy places in Iran and Iraq on Valentine's Day in 1984, Bergman wrote. The bomb exploded when Mohtashamipour opened the book, tearing away his right hand and two fingers on his left hand. But he survived, later becoming Iran's interior minister and serving as a hardline lawmaker in parliament before joining reformists in 2009.

No ‘Biden bounce’ to US image in France, Germany: poll WASHINGTON AGENCIES

The United States’ reputation as the leading global power has suffered in France and Germany because of Washington’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic that has killed nearly 600,000 Americans, a poll showed on Monday. On the eve of President Joe Biden’s trip to Europe, the survey by the German Marshall Fund and the Bertelsmann Foundation said he had not won back the standing of the United States as it was before Covid-19 struck. China’s reputation had risen slightly. According to US research papers released on March 26, the United States under Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump could have avoided nearly 400,000 deaths with a more effective strategy. “The first three months of the Biden administration have not affected French and German views of US influence in the world,” the study of views in 11 countries said. “These numbers are in line with the results of the

2020 survey, which had fallen by about 10 points from the pre-pandemic numbers, to the advantage of China.” That compares with the perception within the United States that US influence abroad has risen, the

survey found. Biden embarks on his first European tour as president on Wednesday to attend G7, NATO and European Union summits. He faces the challenge of repairing transatlantic ties damaged by Trump, whose withdrawal from international agreements and sharp criticism of NATO undermined European faith in Washington. Only 51 percent of Germans see the United States as a reliable partner, rising to 60 percent in France, 67 percent in Britain and 76 percent in Poland. Fewer than a quarter of Turks trust the United States. Most Americans regard the European Union as a reliable partner, the study said. A majority of respondents surveyed still think that the United States should be involved in the defence and security of Europe, except in Sweden, where views are divided, and Turkey. Conducted online between March 29 and April 13, the survey sampled 1,000 adults in each of the 11 countries — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Tuesday, 8 June, 2021

ISLAMABAD

Djokovic, NaDal bEat italiaN tEENs to REach FRENch opEN quaRtER-FiNals

PARIS

AGENCIES

OR two sets and more than two hours at the French Open on Monday, Novak Djokovic found himself being outplayed by a 19-year-old opponent from Italy making his Grand Slam debut. And yet, to hear Djokovic tell it afterward, he had the kid right where he wanted him. Which turned out to be true. Rafael Nadal also faced an Italian who's just 19 in the fourth round — and also took a bit of time to get going. Nadal's trouble lasted all of eight games and less than 45 minutes Monday before he took control, ran his Roland Garros streak to 35 consecutive sets and joined Djokovic in reaching a record 15th quarter-final at the clay-court major tournament. After dropping a pair of tiebreakers, Djokovic suddenly went from a big deficit to his best ten-

nis. He grabbed 13 games in a row before Lorenzo Musetti stopped playing because of lower back pain and cramps while trailing 6-7 (7), 6-7 (2), 6-1, 6-0, 4-0. “I like to play young guys in best-of-five, because I feel even if they are leading a set or two sets to love, as it was the case today, I still like my chances,” said the topseeded Djokovic, who is 34, “because I feel like I’m physically fit and I know how to wear my opponent down.” Nadal, who turned 35 last week, trailed 5-3 early on against the 18th-seeded Jannik Sinner, who served for the first set at 5-4. “I was playing a very good player with a big future," Nadal said. But 13-time French Open champion Nadal took eight games in a row and, after a blip in the second set, resumed his excellent play and closed his 7-5, 6-3, 6-0 win on a 10-game run. Musetti, a talented Italian so good at the outset with his one-handed backhand and tremendous touch, is hardly used to this best-of-five-set format at the majors and he took a medical timeout after the fourth. “It didn’t make sense to keep playing. I couldn’t win any points or stay in the rallies. It was hard for me to move,” Musetti said. “I was at my limit.” Djokovic wound up 9 for 9 on his break-point chances and with a 53-30 edge in winners. How shocking was it just to see Musetti take a pair of sets against Djokovic, who is seeking his second French Open championship and 19th Grand Slam trophy overall? “Even for me," Musetti acknowledged afterward, "it was a little surprising.” The top-seeded Djokovic never has been beaten at Roland Garros by someone ranked as low as the No. 76 Musetti. Djokovic’s only previous loss against a teen at the French Open came back in 2006 against a guy named Nadal. And Djokovic entered the day 14-0 in the fourth round at the place. Plus, consider Djokovic’s recent form: He was 10-0 in Grand Slam matches in 2021 and hadn’t ceded more than four games in any set in Paris — let alone an entire set — while dropping a total of just 23 games until Monday. Eventually, Djokovic earned his fifth career comeback from two sets down by limiting his mis-

takes and making Musetti look like what he is: Someone with plenty of promise but not much experience. Djokovic's 49th major quarterfinal will come against another Italian, No. 9 seed Matteo Berrettini, who advanced without needing to swing his racket once Monday. That’s because the man Berrettini was supposed to face, 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer, withdrew Sunday in order to let his surgically repaired right knee and the rest of his 39-year-old body recover with an eye to Wimbledon, which starts June 28. Just as Nadal vs Sinner was a rematch from last year in Paris — Sinner also served for the first set in that one before losing in three — Nadal will play No. 10 seed Diego Schwartzman next in a reprise of a 2020 semifinal. Schwartzman saved seven set points in the opening set Monday on the way to eliminating Jan-Lennard Struff 76 (9), 6-4, 7-5. In women’s play, 17-year-old American Coco Gauff became the youngest player since 2006 to reach the women’s quarterfinals at any Grand Slam tournament by overwhelming No. 25 seed Ons Jabeur 6-3, 61 in under an hour. Gauff now meets Barbora Krejcikova, who reached her first major quarterfinal with a 6-2, 6-0 victory over Sloane Stephens, the 2017 US Open champion and 2018 French Open runner-up. Maria Sakkari, who is seeded 17th, beat No. 4 Sofia Kenin, last year's runner-up, 6-1, 6-3. Gauff, Krejcikova and Sakkari are three of the six women making their Grand Slam quarterfinal debuts. On an afternoon that began with the sun shining, before clouds intervened, Djokovic’s two-handed backhand, his best shot, was off. Way off. By the second game of the third set, he already had accumulated two dozen unforced errors off that wing alone. And while Djokovic is normally adept at tiebreakers — he made no errors at all in the three tiebreakers of his 2019 Wimbledon final win against Federer — Musetti was on-target and so good in that high-pressure, high-stakes environment. Musetti is now 100 in tour-level tiebreakers for his nascent career.

Mayweather barely breaks sweat in ‘training session’ with YouTuber Paul MIAMI AGENCIES

Floyd Mayweather predictably dominated YouTube star Logan Paul on Sunday in an eight-round exhibition fight in Miami before admitting it could have been his final performance. Mayweather, who weighed in at 155 lbs with his opponent tipping the scales at 189.5 lbs, produced a slick performance much to the delight of the crowd at Hard Rock Stadium in Florida, although the fight was deemed a draw. Intermittent rain throughout the evening failed to put a damper on the 44-year-old Mayweather’s first performance since beating Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa in December 2018. With the likes of former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield watching on from ringside, the 26-year-old Paul lasted eight rounds against Mayweather, who barely broke a sweat. This was declared an exhibition, rather than a licensed bout, which meant there were no judges and the only way to triumph was to stop or knock out the opponent within the eight three-minute rounds. While Mayweather outclassed Paul and delivered a number of punishing blows, he failed to land a knockout punch and without any judges to keep score, the bout was called a draw. Mayweather had ended his boxing career in 2017 with a record of 50-0 after beating UFC star Conor McGregor in Las Vegas. Paul was taking part in his third

fight after two encounters against fellow YouTuber KSI. Mayweather claimed afterwards this could be his final appearance, saying “I wanted to give people a show and he was fighting to survive. “This was like a training session, really. Just going the distance was a win for him. He can grapple and was good at holding. When a guy that size is holding you, it’s hard to get him off you. If they are happy with grappling and holding for eight rounds, that’s good for them,” he said. “I had fun, he did too. It was cool. When the money

comes, we will see who the winner is. “Will I make a comeback? Absolutely not. I have retired from the sport of boxing. I probably won’t do an exhibition again either.” Paul, who tried to wear down Mayweather with his extra weight, did well to last eight rounds and enjoyed some moderate success but his opponent’s experience and boxing know-how was too much. “I am going into the Hall of Fame, I have nothing to prove,” said Mayweather. “I hope the fans were pleased. I have been in this sport for so long, I was letting people see I can come out at the age of 44 and bring almost 30,000 to the stadium and bring good pay-per-view numbers. “I am not going to perform like I was 19, it’s all about growth and aging. I can’t fight like when I fought people like Gatti and people like that. It’s sad Manny Pacquiao is coming out to fight again. “I could have pressed really hard but it was fun. His whole goal was to survive and that was a win for him. If he’s happy, so be it. In the history books I will always be the greatest. “If he would have fought more, it wouldn’t have lasted eight rounds.” Paul enjoyed being in the ring with one of the best of all time, even if he was on the wrong end of too many heavy shots. “He was slower than I thought, father time is catching up with him perhaps,” said Paul. “I knew if it went the distance I won technically but I hit him with a good shot in the first round but surviving against Floyd Mayweather is something and I am happy.”

SPORTS 11 England suspends Robinson over racist tweets LONDON AGENCIES

Ollie Robinson will miss next week’s second Test against New Zealand at Edgbaston after being suspended from all international cricket pending an investigation into racist and sexist Twitter messages, the England and Wales Cricket Board announced Sunday. Sussex quick Robinson made an impressive on-field England debut in the drawn first Test at Lord’s concluded Sunday. But his efforts with bat and ball were overshadowed by the re-emergence of racist and sexist social media messages the 27-yearold had posted as a teenager in 2012 and 2013. “England and Sussex bowler Ollie Robinson has been suspended from all international cricket pending the outcome of a disciplinary investigation following historic tweets he posted in 2012 and 2013,” said an ECB statement. “He will not be available for selection for the second Test against New Zealand starting at Edgbaston on Thursday. Robinson will leave the England camp immediately and return to his county,” it added. The paceman led England’s attack with 4-75 in the first innings at Lord’s and followed up with 3-26 in the second while in between making a useful 42 with the bat. But he found himself making an unreserved apology after stumps on Wednesday, his first day in Test cricket, for tweets that included comments suggesting Muslim people were linked to terrorism, and derogatory remarks about women and people of Asian heritage. His messages re-emerged on after both teams lined up before play on Wednesday for a ‘Moment of Unity’ designed to show their opposition to discrimination, with England wearing T-shirts stating ‘Cricket is a game for everyone’. Robinson, in a statement issued after play on Wednesday, said he was “embarrassed” and “ashamed” by the posts. “I want to make it clear that I’m not racist and I’m not sexist,” he added. England captain Joe Root speaking after stumps on Sunday but before Robinson’s suspension had been announced, said of the tweets: “I couldn’t believe them, personally.” Root, however, added Robinson had shown a “lot of remorse” that was “very genuine”. ‘EXCEPTIONAL DEBUT’: Turning to Robinson’s first match as a Test cricketer, on the field at Lord’s, the skipper said: “He has had an exceptional debut...He’s showed high levels of skill and he’s definitely got the game that can be successful in Test cricket.” Root, however, insisted: “In regards to the stuff that’s happened off the field, it’s not acceptable within our game. We all know that.” As for suggestions that the ECB should have investigated Robinson’s social media history prior to his England debut, Root said: “We can look back about how this could have been handled better, but the fact is it shouldn’t have happened. “And if we continue to keep trying to better the game right now, then in years to come this shouldn’t be an issue. “We’ve got to move forward from this, learn from this and do everything we can to make sure it doesn’t happen again.” Robinson has a separate employment contract with Sussex so he is free to play, if selected, for the south coast county during his international suspension.

Ice vests, coconut water as HBL PSL feels heat in UAE ABU DHABI AGENCIES

The HBL Pakistan Super League cricketers will have to contend with soaring temperatures and empty stadiums when the Covidhit T20 competition resumes far from home in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. With day-time temperatures hitting 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), some players will wear ice vests on the field, while bowlers have been told to drink coconut water, a natural coolant. The T20 cricket league was halted in Pakistan in March after seven players and support staff tested positive for Covid-19, and restart efforts stalled as the country was hit by a third wave of the virus. The HBL PSL will now be completed in the intense heat of the Gulf summer but, with the earliest games starting at 5:00 pm, PCB CEO Wasim Khan said the conditions weren’t “unplayable”. “There will be ice vests, packs, ice col-

lars, regular drink intervals to make sure that players are kept safe and healthy,” said Khan. “But it’s not in a position which is unplayable. It’s 38-40 degrees but by five o’clock in the evening it cools down a little bit.” The United Arab Emirates will also host the remainder of the suspended Indian Premier League in September and October, while India is considering moving the October-November T20 World Cup to the sheikhdom. After exploring the possibility of resuming in the UAE, the Pakistan Cricket Board almost canned the PSL’s sixth edition entirely because of visa problems for players and camera crews travelling from Pakistan, India and South Africa. All three countries are all on the UAE’s “red list”, with direct scheduled flights banned and compulsory quarantine for passengers arriving on charters. ‘VERY TOUGH QUARANTINE’: “It’s tough to organise these matches under Covid […] bringing crew and players from around the world and then following the stringent

protocols,” said former all-rounder Wasim Akram, president of defending champions Karachi Kings. “Everybody has done a great job, and we are now about to start.” Still, he added, the compulsory quarantine was draining. “No matter how good the hotel is, this quarantine is very tough,” he said in a video message. With a global cricket calendar badly affected by the coronavirus pandemic, several big names will miss the rest of the tournament including big-hitting West Indian Chris Gayle, and South African fast bowler Dale Steyn. New Zealand’s Martin Guptill, however — whose 147 Twenty20 international sixes are a world record — will be in action, alongside Australian Usman Khawaja and West Indian Andre Russell. Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan, second in the world T20 rankings, is also taking part. Pakistan are used to playing in the UAE, which effectively became a home venue for a decade from 2009 because of security is-

CMYK

sues after the visiting Sri Lanka team was attacked in Lahore. But they haven’t played there at this time of the year, when the searing heat is accompanied by sapping humidity.

“It will be tough,” said captain Babar Azam, who plays for the Kings. “Players are professionals, and once they enter the field their focus will be on the game,” he added. The final is scheduled for June 24.

Tuesday, 8 June, 2021

PRAyeR TiMings

NEWS

FAJR SUNRISE

ZUHR

ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

3:14

12:07

5:07

4:57

7:17

9:00

Third polio vaccinaTion drive of The year launched

LAHORE: A health worker administers polio vaccine drops to a child on Monday during the campaign in Lahore. sTAFF PHOTO

ISLAMABAD

sTAFF RePORT

HE Ministry of National Health Services resumed on Monday the nationwide anti-polio drive, its third this year, to vaccinate 33.6 million children under the age of five. About 223,000 polio workers will visit homes while adhering to strict Covid-19 protocols, including wearing a mask, using a hand sanitiser, and maintaining a safe distance during the vaccination drive, a statement from the ministry said. “To make this campaign successful, co-

operate with frontline health workers,” Dr. Shahzad Baig, a coordinator for the End Polio Programme, an offshoot of the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme, said. Prime Minister Imran Khan Monday, expressing his satisfaction over polio eradication drive and sharp decline in new poliovirus cases, stressed that with well-coordinated efforts of the federal and provincial governments, Pakistan could be made a polio-free country. The prime minister, congratulating the provincial governments and the partners for the polio eradication campaign, noted that surfacing of a single case throughout the

country in this year, was a greater success. However, he said, their mission was to make Pakistan a complete polio free country. The prime minister was chairing a meeting of the National Task Force on Polio Eradication. The meeting was attended by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Shah Farman, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Muhammad, Khallid Khursheed, PM’s Special Assistants Dr Shahbaz Gil, Pakistan Army Engineer-in-Chief Lieutenant General Moazzam Ijaz, provincial chief secretaries

and representatives of the ministry of health and global partners, PM office media wing said in a press release. The meeting was apprised that due to effective strategy of the federal and provincial governments, only one polio case had been reported from Balochistan during this year. Due to coronavirus pandemic, the polio immunization campaign had been slow. The prime minister said during coronavirus pandemic, the government saved human lives along with securing their livelihood, which was acknowledged by the world. With such spirit, they would have to defeat polio, he added. It was told that in different districts of Punjab, Sindh and KP provinces, traces of poliovirus were found. Due to issues of access, security and non cooperation of parents, every year, large number of children were deprived from polio drops. The meeting was further apprised that information and technology was being utilized along with geographical information system and tracking. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation polio supervision board president chief Dr Chris Elias lauded the prime minister and the government for achieving a significant milestone in the polio eradication campaign. The provincial chief ministers apprised the meeting about the measures taken in their respective provinces with regard to polio eradication drive. The prime minister also expressed his gratitude to global partners including World Health Organization, Rotary International and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for extending technical and financial support to the country. Earlier, the prime minister launched the national polio drive by administering polio drops to a kid. Pakistan is one of the two polio-endemic countries in the world along with Afghanistan. Health officials said the PPEP campaign

Pakistan warns India against any illegal action of further division of Jammu & Kashmir ISLAMABAD MiAn ABRAR

Pakistan on Monday warned India against any illegal action of 'further division, bifurcation and demographic changes' in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, saying that 'no new instrument of occupation shall have any legal effect'. A strong-worded statement of Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued here said that India’s unilateral and illegal actions in IIOJK remain violative of international law and the relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions. "We have noted with serious concern reports indicating that India might be plotting further division, bifurcation and demographic changes in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) to perpetuate its illegal occupation. No new instrument of occupation shall have any legal effect, " said a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry. The statement comes in wake of rumours

of another vicious plan being hatched in New Delhi to further divide IIOJK following the illegal annexation of Jammu and Kashmir and declaring it as a union territory in blatant violation of the United Nations Security Council resolutions and Geneva Conventions. Successive media reports had referred to plans of further division of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir as few pro-India Kashmiri politicians and Lt. governor of the puppet regime in Jammu and Kashmir are present in New Delhi for a few days. "India cannot change the disputed status of IIOJK, as enshrined in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, nor can it force Kashmiris and Pakistan to accept illegal outcomes," the statement noted. The statement said that IIOJK is an internationally recognized disputed territory and Pakistan will continue to resolutely oppose Indian attempts to change the demographic structure and final status of IIOJK. "We urge India to halt and reverse its un-

China welcomes PM Imran’s appreciation of President Xi’s letter BEIJING APP

China on Monday welcomed positive comments of Prime Minister Imran Khan on President Xi Jinping’s congratulatory message on World Environment Day and reaffirmed its resolve to work together to build a clean and beautiful world. “We take note of Prime Minister Khan’s positive response to President Xi’s words. China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners. We are ready to work with Pakistani side to forge close cooperation and enhance global environment governance to build a clean and beautiful world,” Chinese Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Wang Wenbin said during his regular message. In a tweet, Prime Minister Imran thanked the Chinese president for his “strong message” on World Environment Day hosted by Pakistan on June 5. “I thank President Xi’s strong message on World Environment Day 2021 hosted by Pakistan reflecting our commitment to counter environment degradation. We laud President Xi’s

leadership in combating climate change and biodiversity loss and his offer to step up cooperation on ecosystem restoration,” the premier said. Wang Wenbin in today’s press briefing said President Xi appreciated that PM Imran was giving priority to environment governance and stressed that China was ready to work with Pakistan and the wider international community within the framework of United Nations (UN) to build a community of human and nature and to build a beautiful and clean world. He said that Xi’s congratulatory letter showed that China had taken a major responsibility in building a global community of shared future. “As I said, China and Pakistan are all weather strategic cooperative partners. We are ready to work with Pakistani side to forge close cooperation and enhance global environmental governance to build a clean and beautiful world,” he added. Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, Nong Rong read out President Xi’s message at World Environment Day event held at Convention Center.

lawful and destabilizing actions, ensure full compliance with the UN Security Council resolutions, and refrain from any further steps that might imperil the regional peace and security in South Asia," the statement said and added that Pakistan calls upon the international community, including the United Nations, world parliaments, international human rights and humanitarian organizations and global media to take immediate cognizance of the situation. "India must be stopped from any further illegal action in the occupied territory. For its part, Pakistan remains firm in its commitment to provide all possible support to the people of IIOJK for realization of their inalienable right to self-determination," says the statement. It added that Pakistan also reaffirms its commitment to a peaceful solution of the Jammu & Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.

has been highly successful this year, with only two polio cases reported, a sizeable drop from the 84 cases documented in 2020. Last month, Minister of State for Health Dr Faisal Sultan said that despite the “complex challenges” posed by the pandemic,” authorities were “optimistic about controlling polio before the end of 2022.” He cited recent epidemiological data which showed a drop in polio cases, adding: “Decreased detection of viruses in sewage samples indicates the program is on track. Polio is a highly infectious disease mainly affecting children under the age of five years. It invades the nervous system and can cause paralysis or even death. While there is no cure for polio, vaccination is the most effective way to protect children from the disease. In a separate statement released on Monday, the PPEP encouraged parents to immunise all children under five against the disease. “Each time a child under the age of five is vaccinated, their protection against the virus is increased. Repeated immunisations have protected millions of children from polio, allowing almost all countries in the world to become polio-free,” it said. The government’s efforts to rid the country of polio have lately suffered setbacks due to attacks on vaccinators and police personnel guarding them. The deadly violence is also cited as a factor for the upsurge in new cases that had dropped to only 12 cases in 2018. Strict security measures had been taken for the campaign and personnel of Balochistan Levies force, police and Frontier Corps would move with all teams of vaccinations. In traditionally conservative parts of the country, many see the vaccine as a Westernled conspiracy to sterilise children. To deal with the situation, religious scholars, tribal elders and other people who have influence in their areas would motivate parents to get their children vaccinated.

World reacts to Ghotki train crash ISLAMABAD sTAFF RePORT

Members of the international community on Monday extended condolences to Pakistan over the loss of lives in the train accident. “We are deeply saddened to receive the news that as a result of a train crash in Ghotki district of Sindh province in Pakistan today more than 30 people have lost their lives and many others were injured,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The accident occurred when Millat Express, a passenger train plying Karachi to Sargodha, derailed and fell across the track. Within minutes, another passenger train, Sir Syed Express, which was en route to Karachi from Lahore, crashed into the first train’s fallen carriages, leaving a mangled wreck. The accident, the latest in a series of

train accidents that have raised serious questions about the safety of rail travel in the country, killed at least 32 passengers and injured 80 others. “We wish Allah’s mercy upon those who have lost their lives in this tragic accident, speedy recovery to those who were injured, and convey our condolences to the friendly Government and the brotherly people of Pakistan,” the statement said. “We were saddened to hear of the #trainaccident in Ghotki district this morning,” the US mission tweeted. “We express our deep condolences to the victims’ families, and we wish a speedy recovery for those who were injured.” UK Deputy High Commissioner Mike Nithavrianakis said his “thoughts and prayers are with all those affected”. The diplomat said he had visited Ghotki and Daharki in March and “remember the warmth of the welcome” he received there.

CIA scrambles for new approach in Afghanistan WASHINGTON Agencies

The rapid U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan is creating intense pressure on the C.I.A. to find new ways to gather intelligence and carry out counterterrorism strikes in the country, but the agency has few good options. The C.I.A., which has been at the heart of the 20-year American presence in Afghanistan, will soon lose bases in the country from where it has run combat missions and drone strikes while closely monitoring the Taliban and other groups such as Al Qaeda and the Islamic State. The agency’s analysts are warning of the ever-growing risks of a Taliban takeover. United States officials are in lastminute efforts to secure bases close to Afghanistan for future operations. But the complexity of the continuing conflict has led to thorny diplomatic negotiations as the military pushes to have all forces out by early to mid-July, well before President Biden’s deadline of Sept. 11, according to American officials and regional experts. One focus has been Pakistan. The

C.I.A. used a base there for years to launch drone strikes against militants in the country’s western mountains, but was kicked out of the facility in 2011, when U.S. relations with Pakistan unraveled. Any deal now would have to work around the uncomfortable reality that Pakistan’s government has long supported the Taliban. In discussions between American and Pakistani officials, the Pakistanis have demanded a variety of restrictions in exchange for the use of a base in the country, and they have effectively required that they sign off on any targets that either the C.I.A. or the military would want to hit inside Afghanistan, according to three Americans familiar with the discussions. Diplomats are also exploring the option of regaining access to bases in former Soviet republics that were used for the Afghanistan war, although they expect that President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia would fiercely oppose this. Recent C.I.A. and military intelligence reports on Afghanistan have been increasingly pessimistic. They have highlighted gains by the Taliban and other militant groups in the south and east, and warned that Kabul could fall to the Tal-

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

iban within years and return to becoming a safe haven for militants bent on striking the West, according to several people familiar with the assessments. As a result, U.S. officials see the need for a long-term intelligence-gathering presence — in addition to military and C.I.A. counterterrorism operations — in Afghanistan long after the deadline that Mr. Biden has set for troops to leave the country. But the scramble for bases illustrates how U.S. officials still lack a longterm plan to address security in a country where they have spent trillions of dollars and lost more than 2,400 troops over nearly two decades. William J. Burns, the C.I.A. director, has acknowledged the challenge the agency faces. “When the time comes for the U.S. military to withdraw, the U.S. government’s ability to collect and act on threats will diminish,” he told senators in April. “That is simply a fact.” Mr. Burns made an unannounced visit in recent weeks to Islamabad, Pakistan, to meet with the chief of the Pakistani military and the head of the directorate of Inter-Services Intelligence, the country’s military intelligence agency.