Epaper – May 24-2022 ISB

01 FRONT PAGE (24-5-2022) Lahore & Islamabad_Layout 1 5/24/2022 2:07 AM Page 1

Tuesday, 24 May, 2022 I 22 Shawwal, 1443 I Rs 15.00 Vol XII No 324 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition

Govt contemplates strateGy to deal with lonG march g

pm to AnnouncE futurE LinE of Action AftEr ALLiEs mEEting tomorrow

ISLAMABAD

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Saleem Jadoon

hE pmL-n-led coalition government monday held detailed talks to help deal with the pti long march scheduled for may 25 and decided to employ all resources at hand after weighing up all options.

According to sources, the coalition partners held flurry of meetings at different levels and rejected imran Khan’s demand for early elections. the sources informed that the coalition partners have also decided to take tough measures for stabilizing the national economy and improving governance. during these meetings, the allies reaffirmed the resolve not to yield to any pressure, saying that neither assemblies will

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22,000 LEAs officiALs to bE dEpLoyEd in isLAmAbAd

be dissolved, not snap polls will be announced. the sources went on to say that the pmL-n government and its allies have decided that the current setup will complete its tenure till August 2023 and the general elections would be held at the stipulated time next year. the insiders detailed that the allies were of the view that the Election commission of pakistan (Ecp) has already announced date for the next general elections and it is not possible to hold polls early. the sources claimed that prime minister shehbaz sharif will announce future line of action after important meeting with allies on wednesday. it is important to mention here that former prime minister and pti chairman imran Khan announced long march on islamabad on

wednesday (may 25). the sources added that the coalition partners also decided that pti’s long march will be handled in a democratic way and they will not be allowed to hold a rally on srinagar highway in islamabad. meanwhile, interior minister rana sanaullah warned that the government will not let the pti long march become successful saying that the ‘slayer’ of the economy is now out to stop the country’s march towards economic recovery. talking to the media on monday, the interior minister cautioned whoever crossed the boundaries of decency, the law would teach him how to remain within the limits of civilization. he said that there were evilness and wickedness about the personality and in the language of imran Khan, believing that he could not remain peaceful. “we will not let them bring the groups of goons and indulge in riots. if imran niazi tries to become the gravedigger of democracy, then the law will deal with him,” rana sana warned. Lashing out at the pti chief and former prime minister, the interior minister dubbed him a liar. he said that in 2014, the pti was indulged in 126 cases of public disorder. they attacked the parliament and other government buildings, he added.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

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Tuesday, 24 May, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

NEWS

PM Shehbaz SayS ‘INDIa’S eFFortS to SILeNce voIceS crItIcaL oF rIghtS abuSeS FutILe’

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nEwS dESk

RIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday strongly condemned India’s move to implicate prominent Hurriyat leader Muhammad Yasin Malik.

The premier said that the Kashmiri activist was being convicted in a “fake terrorism case” in an Indian court. He added that Yasin was a “symbol of unparalleled bravery, freedom and a prisoner of conscience,” who was being punished for

“rejecting Indian tactics and failed attempts to woo Kashmiris.”

Taking to his official Twitter account, PM Shehbaz stated that the Modi government’s efforts to “silence the voices critical of India’s blatant human rights abuses” were futile.

He urged the international community, especially the United Nations Human Rights Council, to take note of India’s extra-judicial and retaliatory measures.

He vowed that Pakistan will vigorously take up Yasin’s cause to all international and

PML-N dissident Jalil Sharaqpuri decides to resign

iSLAmABAd

INP

Miftah Ismail leaves for Doha to hold final talks with IMF inP Finance Minister Miftah Ismail on Monday claimed the nation is paying the price of wrong policies and agreements signed by the previous government with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Talking to the media persons in Karachi before leaving for Doha for talks with IMF, he said tough conditions of withdrawing subsidies and imposing tax on petroleum products is the result of agreements of the previous government with IMF. Miftah Ismail said as per agreements of the previous government, the diesel price is to be increased by 150 rupees per litre and petrol by 100 rupees per litre but the present government does not want to carry it forward as it will result in a heavy financial burden on the masses. He said Imran Khan has always created impediments in the path of development of the country. He said Imran Khan’s 2014 sit-in caused the postponement of the Chinese president’s visit to Pakistan and today IMF team that was due in Islamabad for talks has declined to visit because of Imran Khan’s sit-ins.

did not allow his funeral to be held, Delhi is afraid of Yasin Malik.

“Thousands of martyrs, including Ashraf Sahrai Shaheed and his Shaheed sahibzada, are milestones of Kashmir Referendum Movement,” he maintained.

The premier furthered that the plethora of Kashmiri martyrs is the evidence of the tyranny and barbarism of the illegally occupied territory and state-sanctioned terrorism.

The PM condemned India’s “black laws” and stated that their judicial system is

News Desk

PPP stalwart Yousaf Raza Gillani on Monday became leader of the House in the Senate with the commencement of first session of the upper house under the incumbent coalition government.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appointed Gillani for the slot leader of the House in the Senate as he was leader of the Opposition in the Senate during the PTI government. Senator Dr Shehzad Waseem, who was leader of the House during the PTI government, has become leader of the Opposition in the upper house and the Senate chairman has

issued a notification in this regard.

It is to be recalled that former premier Gillani had contested for the slot of Senate chairman against Sadiq Sanjrani but his seven votes were discarded by the then chairman. Gillani is currently fighting his case against the result of the election of the Senate chairman in the superior courts.

Senate is in its 20th parliamentary year and its 318th session is taking place in a tense political situation, and it is likely that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is the leader of the House in both houses of Parliament, would make his maiden appearance during its upcoming session.

The ongoing session of the

National Assembly will also resume today and it has been indicated that a resolution of condemnation against PTI Chairman Imran Khan for using obnoxious language against Maryam Nawaz in his Multan rally would be tabled in the two houses separately by women lawmakers.

Imran Khan’s reckless language in public meetings will also figure in discussions. The National Assembly will likely adopt the resolution without much resistance in the absence of PTI members as it had already passed a resolution against him and President Alvi separately for flouting the Constitution.

It has been indicated that the PTI

Pakistani literature in English seems to have received a bolster with the appearance of two recent publications in the language viz. Straggling Through Fire (An Anthology of Proemistry) and A Tale and Twenty One Poems authored respectively by Dr Ghulam Murtaza Aatir, a seasoned university professor of English, and M.A.Q (aka Muhammad Ahmad Qasmi), a 21-yearold literary prodigy tracing his genealogy to late Maulana Jafar Qasmi, an eminent scholar, mystic, broadcaster, and linguist, hailing from the historic town of Chiniot, and his son late Qazi Mudassir Hasan Qasmi, a scholar of Arabic and a histrionic genius.

Innovation or inventiveness is the common hallmark of the two books.

Straggling Through Fire is purported to be an anthology of ‘proemistry’, a seemingly nife terminology coined by its author to describe and denominate a new brand of poetry —– a dexterous mix of prose and verse, at places impinging upon the vast, uncharted terrain of prose poetry.

It would be pertinent here to quote famous literary historian and critic David Daiches (1912-2005), from his seminal work titled The Present Age (1963) with a view to examining and exploring the form and texture of this curious genre of poetry. He refers to the revolt against the Victorian Romantic poetic tradition from the Imagists ‘in favour of a poetic practice and a critical theory which exalted cerebral complexity, allusive suggestion, and precision of the individual image.

The poet was no longer the sweet singer whose function was to render in mellifluous verse and a more or less conventional romantic imagery a self-indulgent personal emotion; he was the explorer of experience who used language in order to build up rich patterns of meaning which, however impressive their immediate impact, required repeated close attention before they communicated themselves fully to the reader. A core of burning paradox was preferred to a gloss of surface

may resist the resolution as its members will be present in the House. A heated discussion couldn’t be ruled out in the upper house on the occasion, the sources said.

The two houses will also discuss the political and economic situation prevailing in the country. The NA session will be conducted by acting Speaker Zahid Akram Khan Durrani in the absence of Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, who is on an official foreign trip, the sources added.

The Senate Secretariat didn’t issue an agenda for the first day of the sitting, while the NA Secretariat issued its agenda a day earlier.

Committee on Energy to devise plan for load-shedding during summer months AhmAd AhmAdAni A high-level meeting has decided to constitute a cabinet sub-committee on energy under the chairmanship of Minister for Power Khurram Dastgir Khan to prepare a viable plan within ten days for load-shedding during the coming summer months.

According to sources, the high level meeting was held on May 10, 2022 under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to analyze in detail the state of affairs of power sector and various cabinet members and officials of power division attended the meeting.

In this high-level meeting it was decided to constitute a cabinet sub-committee on energy under the chairmanship of Minister for Power to prepare a viable plan for load-shedding during the coming summer months and submit the plan within ten days

mainly to strike a balance in the load-shedding duration in the urban and rural areas of the country.

“Cabinet Division has been directed to notify the cabinet sub-committee on energy,” said sources. They added that this cabinet sub-committee on energy has been also tasked to present a new power policy in consultation with the provincial governments, with the objectives of greater reliance on renewable energy, use of provincial power generation potential, reducing red tapism in approval processes and use of off-grid innovative solution for Balochistan, within two weeks.

Sharing details of the decisions of the high-level meeting, the sources said that all power distribution companies (DISCOs) have been directed to comprehensively enhance their service delivery to the consumers. Similarly, it was decided that a ministerial

Of ‘proems’ and poems SyEd AfSAR SAjid

contrary to international requirements of justice. He lamented that it is an “indisputable historical fact” that no nation can be “enslaved by state terrorism, black laws and punishments.”

Shehbaz lauded the “brave Kashmiris” for their unparalleled struggles and great sacrifices for the cause of freedom.

“The international community should resolve the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of Kashmiris,” he said.

Gillani becomes leader of house in Senate

LAhORE Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)’s Jalil Ahmed Sharaqpuri on Monday decided to resign as the member of Punjab Assembly. He will announce his resignation and formally join Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). As per sources privy to the matter, Sharaqpuri will announce his resignation in a press conference with the PTI leadership and submit it to Speaker Punjab Assembly Pervaiz Elahi. Sharaqpuri was elected from Sheikhupura (PP-139) on PML-N’s ticket. It is pertinent to mention that PML-N’s Faisal Niazi has also submitted his resignation as the member of the Punjab Assembly. He will officially join PTI soon.

human rights bodies, including the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

The premier upheld that similar to the illegal measures of August 5, 2019, the case against Yasin Malik is illegal and unlawful.

“By occupying Jammu and Kashmir illegally, India is pursuing a deliberate plan to overthrow the real leadership representing the Kashmiris,” he criticised.

Shehbaz added that much like India’s fear of late veteran Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Gilani’s burial, who was a martyr and symbol of independence for Kashmir, as it

beauty. It was not the function of poetry to pander to the languid dreams of a pampered sensibility, to revel in the sweetness of a cultivated nostalgia or the sad plangency of controlled self-pity’.

The aforesaid critical dictum could be conveniently though gainfully stretched to the appraisal of the content, form and stylistics of Ghulam Murtaza Aatir’s brainchild ‘proemistry’ which is anthologised in his present work Straggling Through Fire. The author seems to have laboriously but adroitly elaborated the pattern, structure and thematic formulations of his subject in a ‘proem’ titled ‘What is a Proem?’ The second stanza broadly indexes the contours of the newly crafted/adopted genre: ‘When a baby looks at its mother/Being snatched and dragged/By arms now, by legs then,/By hair here, by breasts there,/And it has got one hundred and one questions in its eyes/Unanswered,/It shrieks!!!/The look that is burdened/With one hundred and one unanswered questions/Is a proem./The shriek that is a response/To one hundred and one unanswered questions/Is a proem.’

The substance of these ‘proems’ is contemporaneity —- both in its multeity as well as diversity. The tone of the omniscient speaker here, is often ironic, intended to discover/uncover the sham camouflaging the existentialistic realities of life such as hypocrisy, untruth, deceit, impiety, snobbery, avarice, vanity, vulgarity, misrule, poverty, hunger, disease, exploitation, war hysteria, corruption, crime, anarchy, obscurantism, bigotry, terrorism, injustice et al.

Dr. Patricia Hopkins Lattin’s (Ex-Professor of English, City University of New York) opinion of the author of the book is quite convincing when she proclaims that ‘A passionate voice writes of the spiritual confusion of one caught between cultures, languages, and religions. The poet skilfully moves back and forth between the physical and the metaphysical to show us a world seemingly ruled only by the laws of the jungle.’

Another literary elite Prof. Dr. Asif Khan’s (IUB) viewpoint about the contents of the book is equally pertinent that reads: ‘Almost Aesopian in their satirical and moral intent, these proems are a mixture of odd parts: stark reality and wild imagination, tradition and adventure, prose and poetry. Readable and startling.’ Dr. Safeer Awan’s averment that ‘The creative spectrum of Murtaza defies easy interpretation in the given models of (sic.) critique’ is

committee on conservation will be established to consider and recommend measures to be taken for conservation of energy, water and food while the committee will present its first report within a month’s time. Furthermore, the committee will be notified by the cabinet division and will be provided secretarial support by the power division while the committee may include provincial representation and may co-opt any member/expert for technical guidance.

As per sources, the secretary power division while briefing the high level meeting on state of affairs of power sector has also asked to release Rs100 billion as additional supplementary grant to maintain the supply chain of coal and to pay imported coal-based IPPs against their overdue payables for timely procurement of the coal inventory. equally valid in the context of the subject text.

All said, the book looks like a trend-setter for its eerie newness, brisk colloquial style, and grave text; one hopes that it will not only delight but also bemuse the discreet adult readers and students of literary studies, in equal measure.

A Tale & Twenty-one Proems is Muahmmmad Ahmad Qasmi’s maiden literary venture. He is a budding creative youth and a prodigious descendant of Maulana Jafar Qasmi (grandfather) and Qazi Mudassir Hasan Qasmi (father), both hailing from the historic town of Chiniot. Muhammad Ahmad Qasmi is only 21 yet his precocity makes him appear as a mature young individual with a sparkling creative urge.

The solitary ‘tale’ in the book is narrated in a first person monologue predicting the plight of a would-be lover with a narcissistic frame of mind. It may also be termed as a reverie reverberating in his sub-conscious.

Elusive of translation, it can be described as a vision arising from a perennial conflict of binaries such as love and hate, light and shade, courage and timidity, hope and disgust. The dreamgirl in the tale personifies the protagonist’s unrealised embryonic yearnings seeking maturation in the workaday world of harsh, unpalatable actualities.

‘Twenty-one poems’ are an auxiliary, as it were, to the inconsequential prose narrative. The young poet is amazingly original in thought, content and form.

The ubiquitous persona in these poems seems to be intently self-conscious yet fully alive to the calamitous dilemma of existence, both diurnal and nocturnal. The speaker is proud of his ‘bloodline’, and rightfully so. His soft but emphatic tone speaks for his native gentility.

The publication as a whole bears ample testimony to the authorial skills of its ‘maker’. The writer’s apt choice of words and idiomatic usage of the language coupled with the artistic felicity of his pen tend to forebode a bright future for him as an adept story teller and a meritorious poet. Observation, experience, and study will groom his style in the days to come. By the bye, the writer would do well to thoroughly revise the manuscript and rectify some conspicuous typographical errors inherent in it, in the next edition of the book.

Tuesday, 24 May, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

NEWS

harD work key to uNLock true PoteNtIaL oF Pak-chINa tIeS: bILawaL

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nEwS dESk

OREIGN Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that the “harder” Pakistan and China work, the more both countries can “unlock the true economic potential of the Islamabad-Beijing relationship”.

In an interview with China’s state-run broadcaster CGTN on Monday, Bilawal said: “We feel that the harder we work, the more we can unlock the true economic potential of the Pakistan-China relationship.”

He emphasised that the ties with Beijing are the “cornerstone” of Pakistan’s foreign policy.

Bilawal, who was on an official visit to China from May 21 to 22, said that all the coalition partners in the current government attach great importance to the

country’s relationship with China.

He labelled China’s proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) a “truly inspirational” project, adding that “it has enormous economic potential globally.”

“The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship cooperation program under the BRI, “has contributed immensely” to the economic cooperation between Pakistan and China and created economic opportunities for both Pakistani businesses and Chinese investors,” he was quoted as saying by CTGN. The foreign minister highlighted that the Shehbaz Sharif-led government “is very keen” to enhance ties with China in building CPEC. Commenting on China’s dynamic zero-Covid approach, the country’s top diplomat said it shows that Beijing “attaches utmost importance” to the people’s lives and health.

CJP Bandial makes it to Time’s ‘100 Most Influential People’ of 2022 AgEnciES Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial was on Monday named among the 100 Most Influential People of 2022

by Time magazine.

CJP Bandial’s profile for the list, penned by senior lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan and placed in the leaders’ category, noted that he “is widely respected for his personal integrity, as he, the Columbiaand Cambridge-educated jurist, bears the heavy mantle of not just delivering justice but also being seen to do so”.

The seasoned lawyer described the persona of Pakistan’s top judge in the context of the recent political turmoil that saw the ouster of prime minister Imran Khan through a no-trust vote as well as subsequent developments involving the crucial role of the Supreme Court, headed by Justice Bandial himself, in containing the constitutional and political crisis.

“Pakistan, a nation of more than 220 million, is too big to fail yet too unpredictable to ignore. With a fragile economy in a hostile neighbourhood, the country was already walking a tightrope before the ouster of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government by a unified opposition backed by the army,” explains Ahsan about the top judge.

He elucidated that CJP Bandial, “the polite and understated chief justice of Pakistan and antidote to the rising temperatures”, entered the scene when

another crisis was impending with the world markets already wreaking havoc on the national economy and civilmilitary relations again under strain.

“In early April, the Supreme Court of Pakistan, led by Bandial, overturned Prime Minister Khan’s move to dissolve Parliament, declaring it unconstitutional.

“As other institutions lock horns in a battle for advantage ahead of impending elections, the court turned up as the final arbiter, says the politician in acknowledgment of the CJP’s decisions.”

Born in Lahore on Sept 17, 1958, Justice Bandial received elementary and secondary education from different schools in Kohat, Rawalpindi, Peshawar and Lahore. He secured a bachelor’s degree in economics from Columbia University, followed by a Law Tripos degree from Cambridge and qualified as a barrister-at-law from the prestigious Lincoln’s Inn in London.

In 1983, he was enrolled as an advocate of the Lahore High Court (LHC) and a few years later, as an advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

In his law practice in Lahore, Justice Bandial dealt mostly with commercial, banking, tax and property matters.

Justice Bandial also handled international commercial disputes after 1993, right up until his elevation.

Justice Bandial also appeared in arbitration matters before the Supreme Court and various international arbitral

Sino-Pak scholars proposed cPec Digital transformation centre iSLAmABAd staff RePoRt

Chinese and Pakistani scholars have proposed teh establishment of a CPEC Digital Transformation Center (DTC). Researchers from Xi’an Jiao Tong University, Xi’an, China, University of Peshawar, Islamia College University, Peshawar, and Chinese University of Political Science and Law, Beijing, China, concluded in the study that Pakistan needs to transform CPEC digitalization by setting up CPEC Digitalization and Transformation Center (DTC) at the CPECA office to attract more investors and businesses. Pakistan can take advantage of CPEC funding, and Chinese and foreign investments by transparently managing through ICT applications in government, private, and public-private partnerships initiatives, the study stated. After finalizing the infrastructure component, the second phase of CPEC is attracting investors and technological transformation, and the installation of industrial, technical, and agricultural technologies for the envisioned development of Pakistan, the study explored. Scholars from Chinese and Pakistani varsities believe that the “Digitalization and Transformation Center (DTC) could be benefited from strategic decisions, efficient implementation, system platforms, governing culture, and behavior”. Therefore, DTC is a concept that will synchronize the needs of Pakistan with the current situation. However, Pakistan needs to build its apps and databases with the help of China and other techno experts.

Cooperation and collaboration between partners and government officials should not be underestimated, the study suggested.

tribunals in London and Paris.

Justice Bandial was elevated as a judge of the LHC on Dec 4, 2004. He was one of the judges who declined to retake their oath under the Provisional Constitution Order (PCO) of Nov 2007, when Gen Pervez Musharraf proclaimed a state of emergency on Nov 3, 2007.

However, he was restored as a judge as a result of a lawyers’ movement for the revival of the judiciary.

Justice Bandial then served as chief justice of the LHC for two years until his elevation as judge of the apex court in

June 2014.

During his career in the superior judiciary, Justice Bandial has rendered a number of important judgements on issues of public and private law. These include pronouncements on civil and commercial disputes, constitutional rights and public interest matters.

Justice Bandial also taught contract law and torts law at the Punjab University Law College, Lahore until 1987 and remained a member of its graduate studies committee while serving as the LHC judge.

03

PtI requests formal permission for sit-in on Srinagar highway islamabad: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) sought from the Islamabad district commissioner formal permission to hold a sit-in on Srinagar Highway on May 25. The party wrote on Monday an application to Irfan Nawaz Memon, requesting him to allow the party to stage the demonstration on the — provides quick access through the Islamabad — on the day of the long march.

The application requested the administration to provide security and also take measures for the security of participants. The party assured the deputy commissioner that participants of the rally would remain peaceful during the tenure of the demonstration. The application was moved a day after defiant former prime minister Imran Khan called for his supporters to march peacefully on Islamabad on May 25 (Wednesday), to press for fresh elections. Since his ouster in April, Khan has addressed mega rallies in several cities as he mobilises for a grand show of strength in the capital. In his speech, Khan urged authorities not to oppose the march, which will gain strength outside of Islamabad before heading to the city centre. There, he says his supporters will remain until Parliament is dissolved and new elections are called.

Thousands have come to his rallies in the past. Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah Khan warned PTI supporters not to cause trouble during the march, and accused the party chairman of misleading the youth — a font of his popularity — for political gain. staff RePoRt

Ihc forms larger bench to hear cheema plea against removal as Punjab governor The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday formed a larger bench on petition against removal of Omar Sarfraz Cheema from the post of Punjab Governor. The bench will be headed by IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah.

Justice Amir Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani are also part of the bench. It is to be noted here that the court had dismissed the objections of the Registrar’s Office at the request of Omar Sarfraz Cheema. The court has also directed to set the case before a larger bench tomorrow. It has been pleaded in the petition to reinstate Omar Sarfraz Cheema as Punjab Governor by declaring the notification of dismissal illegal. News Desk

‘Muslim middle powers can no longer be dictated by West’ AnAdOLu AgEncy The policies of “Muslim middle powers” can no longer be dictated by Western nations, while these nations should focus on connectivity, boosting their economies, and coming together for “mutual interests,” said Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed.

Calling Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan a “lion of Asia” who has a “vision and will,” Mushahid Hussain Sayed told Anadolu Agency: “We have what I call ‘Muslim middle powers’ emerging like Pakistan, Turkey, Iran, and Saudi Arabia… and these are important elements who are playing a role for stability.”

“Their policies can no longer be dictated by people sitting in London, Washington or New York or Brussels,” said Sayed, who was visiting Istanbul for a meeting on Palestine with lawmakers from several other countries.

Citing the “role” of Turkey and Pakistan in Azerbaijan’s second NagornoKarabakh war which started on Sept 27, 2020 and lasted 44 days to recapture its territory from Armenia, Sayed called for greater cooperation on regional connectivity, the economy, defence, and issues of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Palestine, and Kashmir.

‘Relations between tuRkey and Pakistan not dePendent on ResPective goveRnments’ Sayed, who also chairs the Senate’s Defence Committee, said Turkey and Pakistan enjoyed “a rather unique relationship”.

“It predates the existence of even

Pakistan,” he noted.

Recalling the help extended by South Asian Muslims during Turkey’s war of liberation, he said “this relationship, irrespective of any government in Turkey or in Pakistan, is always a strong bond.”

“It’s now strengthened through mutual interests. The mutual interests are linked with our worldview,” he said.

Sayed said the two countries “have similar positions on the issue of Palestine, Kashmir, and the TRNC.” “This relationship has been reinforced by our cooperation in the fields of economy, defence, diplomacy, and in the field of regional connectivity, and that is extremely important,” he said, citing the resumption of the Istanbul-TehranIslamabad (ITI) freight train as one example.

“When Azerbaijan was fighting the Armenian aggression and occupation of

the homeland, Pakistan and Turkey were two countries which rose to the occasion,” he said, adding “because of this move,” the flags of Turkey and Pakistan were raised in Azerbaijan when they celebrated the Nagorno-Karabakh victory.

Sayed said Pakistan was the first country to send a delegation of parliamentarians to “express solidarity” with Turkey after the failed coup by the Fetullah terrorist organisation in July 2016.

“I, myself, in my speech at the Asian Parliamentary Assembly in Cambodia, said that President Erdogan is ‘the lion of Asia’,” he recalled. “I meant it because he is a man who has vision, like (former Malaysian Prime Minister) Dr Mahathir Mohamad.”

Sayed said Erdogan is “a man who takes positions on issues, and he has shown the vision and will to do that”.

Acknowledging that progress in bilateral relations between Turkey and Pakistan faced “bureaucratic obstacles,” Sayed, however, said, “there are no limits to Pakistan-Turkey collaboration.”

He said the two countries should sign a free trade agreement “and we should cut through the bureaucratic red tape”.

“It’s not a decision for bureaucrats. It is a political decision,” he asserted.

Sayed said Istanbul and Turkey are “the favoured destinations of Pakistanis when they go abroad because of love, esteem, and respect.”

“Two big anniversaries are coming up and we are celebrating them together,” he said, referring to the 75th anniversary of the founding of Pakistan in 2022 and the centenary of the founding of the Republic of Turkiye in 2023.

“We will be there with our Turkish brethren to celebrate the historic anniversary because Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had said that when Mustafa Kemal Ataturk died in October 1938, that this is a day of mourning for the Muslims of India,” said Sayed, a renowned political commentator.

“That is how high in esteem the father of our nation held the father of the Turkish nation.” ‘element of Racism in ukRaine waR’ Commenting on Russia’s war on Ukraine, the Pakistani senator said Pakistan and Turkiye “have broadly similar positions on the issue of the Ukraine war.”

“Of course, nobody can endorse any invasion of any foreign country. But there’s a context to that. And Pakistan, therefore, abstained on that issue because basically, we see it as a European war,” said Sayed.

“We are also concerned! I, as a Pakistani, and as a person who has links with the media, believe that there are, unfortunately, a lot of double standards in the Western media’s coverage of the Ukraine war, because there is an element of racism — as if the lives of Europeans in Ukraine are perhaps more precious than the lives of non-Europeans, be they Kashmiris or Palestinians or Afghans or Syrians or Iraqis,” he said. “That needs to be put on the record.”

Sayed said there is the “context of the NATO expansion” around the Ukraine war.

“We wish that it should not become a part of another new Cold War,” he said.

Tuesday, 24 May, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

04 NEWS

rains expected to continue until tuesday in lahore LAHORe Staff RepoRt

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Monday forecasted the persistent rain spell will continue until Tuesday as gusty winds followed by drizzling turned the weather pleasant. The temperature in Lahore was recorded at 29 degrees. The weather agency said Lahore may receive strong winds and heavy rains. Monday’s rain also improved the air pollution and the air quality index reading was recorded at 55 points. A westerly wave is currently present over the upper parts of the country and is likely to strengthen from tonight. Heavy rains with gusty winds are expected in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit Baltistan, Kashmir, Islamabad and upper Punjab as well. Hot and dry weather is expected in other parts of the country with dust raising and gusty winds in central and southern parts.

lHC grants bail to Imran riaz khan in sedition cases News Desk The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday accepted journalist Imran Riaz Khan’s petition for protective bail, according to a news outlet. Several cases have been lodged against journalists including Khan, Arshad Sharif and Sabir Shakir for allegedly spreading hate against army and state institutions. Subsequently, Khan filed two petitions with the LHC. Justice Tariq Nadeem and Justice Chaudhry Abdul Aziz separately heard the petitions. The former granted the journalist protective bail of four days while the latter granted it till May 31. Meanwhile, the IHC barred provincial authorities from remanding Sharif, Sami Ibrahim and Moeed Pirzada in their custody without the court’s permission. The court issued notices to the interior secretary, Islamabad Inspector General of Police Dr Akbar Nasir Khan and Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon to submit their responses. The latter two were also instructed to ensure that custody of the journalists was not handed over to a province without the court’s permission. Furthermore, the IHC summoned details of cases filed against journalists across the country and sought the opinion of the Islamabad High Court Journalists Association (IHCJA) and the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists. IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah was presiding over a hearing for petitions filed by the trio of journalists in order to obtain protective bails. The hearing was subsequently adjourned to May 30.

ECP dE-nOtIfIEs dEfECtInG PUnjaB lawMakErs Of PtI IsLAMABAD/LAHORe

t

Staff RepoRt

HE Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) formally de-notified 25 lawmakers in the Punjab Assembly of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) who had defected and voted for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Hamza Shehbaz in the election for the office of Punjab chief minister on April 16.

The development came shortly after PTI approached the top electoral body to issue a notification of the latter’s decision to de-seat dissident legislators on charges of crossing the floor under Article 63-A of the Constitution.

Article 63-A provides that MPs who defect could lose their seats if they then vote against their party, but the government aims to find out whether that also applies before they cast their votes.

It reads that an MP can be disqualified on grounds of defection if they “vote or abstains from voting in the House contrary to any direction issued by the parliamentary party to which he belongs, in relation to the election of the prime minister or chief minister; or a vote of confidence or a vote of no-confidence; or a

money bill (budget) or a Constitution (amendment) bill”.

With these 25 lawmakers no longer members of the assembly, Shehbaz, who won for the chief minister with the help of the dissident legislators, has lost his majority in the Punjab Assembly, raising questions about the status of his government.

Shehbaz got 197 votes in the chief minister’s election but is now left with the support of 172 members in the house.

A candidate requires the support of at least 186 lawmakers in the 371-member House to be elected as the chief minister.

The letter submitted Monday was authored by Faisal Chaudhry, counsel for the PTI, to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja.

In his letter, Chaudhry said Shahbaz has lost his majority after the de-seating of the defecting lawmakers and called on the commission to prevent him from acting as the chief minister.

He further asked the CEC to denotify the lawmakers in light of its decision on May 20. On Sunday, the party filed a petition in the Lahore High Court (LHC) for ensuring the immediate de-seating of Punjab Assembly lawmakers disqualified by the election agency and the oath-tak-

ing of new members. The application was submitted to the chief justice by Azhar Siddique, a second counsel for PTI, who also shared details of the events that occurred at the Punjab Assembly.

He argued in his plea that dissident PTI lawmakers have no right to attend the Punjab Assembly’s proceedings after being disqualified and de-seated by the

Ombudsman stresses timely payment of deceased employees’ dues LAHORe Staff RepoRt

Punjab Ombudsman retired Maj. Azam Suleman Khan has directed the government to depute efficient and responsible officials to guide and assist the heirs of deceased employees for saving them from avoidable tribulations in receiving emoluments.

Any negligence in paying dues to the heirs of deceased employees and non-settlement of such matters, year after year, is sheer maladministration, he noted.

He issued this directive in the case of one Iqra Sharif of Sheikhupura who complained about the non-payment of dues of her late sister that included financial assistance, a funeral grant, four months’ salary and group insurance for six years.

The ombudsman termed the delay as serious mismanagement by the Sheikhupura education department, which is punishable under Section 2 (2) of the Office of the Ombudsman of Punjab Act, 1997.

After the involvement of the ombudsman office, the district education authority Sheikhupura paid long-awaited dues to the applicant.

Acting on the complaint, two junior clerks, Ghulam Abbas and Mohammad Sajid, were sentenced along with the forfeit of one year increment, and transferred. Similarly, Waheed Ahmad, a senior clerk of deputy district education office Ferozewala, was also sentenced to forfeiture of one year increment.

In addition, a joint case has been sent to the school education department secretary for departmental action against two BPS-19 and three BPS-18 officers under the PEEDA Act, 2006.

In another case, the provincial ombudsman’s office interacted to help release the pension of one Naseem Bibi, widow of Constable Muhammad Mushtaq who was posted in Lahore.

The police have also forfeited one year of service of Mushtaq Ahmas, an assistant sub-inspector, for keeping pending the said family pension case for ten months.

Experts foresee new wave of inflation as rupee crosses 200 to the dollar IsLAMABAD Xinhua

Experts are foreseeing a new wave of inflation after the US dollar touched an all-time high against the rupee by zooming past 200.

According to the Forex Association of Pakistan, the dollar traded at Rs200.60 on Monday, continuing its upward trend after crossing the 200 mark on Thursday.

The experts believed that multiple factors including the government’s failure to secure a bailout package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), subsidy on fuel, surging imports, and falling exports are the main causes of the depreciation of the local currency against the dollar.

In a conversation with Xinhua, Syed Shujaat Ahmed, an economist with an Islamabad-based think-tank Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), said that Pakistan has a debt-driven economy with a huge problem of trade deficit. “Pakistan’s imports are way more than its exports. The rising dollar rate means more inflation as many

election commission. “The court should ensure oath of new members on reserved seats that fell vacant after PTI lawmakers got de-seated,” he said.

Siddique said that the chief justice asked them to submit the plea on Monday as per the procedure. “The plea will be taken up by the court tomorrow,” he had said.

major necessities ranging from essential edibles to fuel and even raw materials for exports are imported from other countries. With a surging exchange rate their prices in local markets will surge,” he added.

According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, total exports during the first eight months of the fiscal year of 2022 accounted for $28.855 billion, whereas

it imported goods and services worth $62.131 billion during the same period.

He added that the purchasing power of the people is already getting weaker due to inflation caused by evolving regional situations, pandemic, and other factors. The price hike in basic commodities due to the devaluation of the local currency will further aggravate the situation.

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Sajid Amin Javed, deputy executive director with the SDPI, believes that the devaluation of the currency may also give an excuse to local middlemen to hike the prices of essential edibles for the public.

“There is a practice in the country that when the dollar rate increases, a rise in prices is witnessed, even the sectors which are not directly affected by it. It may happen this time with the dollar crossing the mark of Rs200.”

Pakistan is also facing a serious challenge in its foreign exchange reserves, which fell by $115 million at the end of April, due to surging external debt payments and a higher current account deficit, official figures from the central bank showed.

Javed added that the situation of the local currency would get better after the country is able to secure a deal with the IMF, and then other money lending agencies including the ADB (Asian Development Bank) and the World Bank, and friendly countries may also step in to help overcome the country’s current account deficit and foreign exchange reserves challenge.

BOI facilitates MoU signing between Optima Integration Group and others News Desk Board of Investment (BOI) has facilitated MoU signing between Optima Integration Group, China Optima Integration Group, China and Asia Pak Investments. A statement of the Prime Minister office of the BOI issued here on Monday said, Pakistan in spirit to enhance Business to Business (B2B) Agricultural Cooperation between Pakistan and China signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Monday, May 23,2022 under the auspices of Board of Investment (BoI). Federal Minister Board of Investment, Chaudhry Salik Hussain was the chief guest of the event and Secretary BOI Ms. Fareena Mazhar also participated in the ceremony. The signatories included Mr. Sam Siu, Chairman, Optima Integration Group and Mr. Eusha Saleem Bajwa, CEO, Sino Pak Optima Technologies (SPOT). Federal Minister BOI appreciated the interest of Chinese side in Agriculture & Livestock sector of Pakistan particularly, Fish & Seafood industry. The Minister informed the participating parties about the establishment of Pakistan-China Business and Investment Forum (PCBIF) which is the result of joint efforts of Board of Investment (BOI), Chinese Embassy and All-Pakistan Chinese Enterprises’ Association (APCEA) and comprises of leading Pakistani and Chinese companies. The project between the signing parties will comprise setting up an endto-end supply chain for seafood export (79 species of fish are approved by General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC) for export from Pakistan to China), to be produced in Pakistan and transported to China for consumption there.

Tuesday, 24 May, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

NEWS

Toll rises to five as two more poliovirus cases detected IsLAmABAd staff RepoRt

Two more cases of polio disease have reported in a village of district Vehari in Punjab on Monday, taking the number of reported polio cases so far in 2022 to five.

According to health officials, polio virus has been found in two real brothers: six-year-old Habib and four-year-old Shahzeb, residents of Village WB/101 in Vehari District of Punjab. Muhammad Akram, father of the children alleged that the health department teams have stopped them from disclosing names of polio-hit children to anybody.

“The polio teams have trying to conceal polio cases in the region,” he further alleged.

It is to be noted that three cases of the crippling disease have already been reported in North Waziristan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – two in the month of April and one in the ongoing May. The children mother informed that they had been immunizing their kids against polio since they were infants.

“One of my children has been completely infected while the other one is being infected by the crippling disease,” she said. The parents appealed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz to help them and order for the free medical treatment of their kids.

The first poliovirus case of the current year 2022 reported in a 15-monthold boy in North Waziristan on April 22 after a lull of about 15 months across the country.

On April 29, a two-year-old girl was paralyzed by the wild poliovirus in the second case confirmed in Pakistan this year. The child had an onset of paralysis on April 14.

The new type-1 Wild Poliovirus (WPV1) was confirmed from North Waziristan on April 29, 2022 by the National Institute of Health in Islamabad.

Then again on May 15, the poliovirus was detected in a one-year-old child from North Waziristan.

The rising polio cases across the country have raised alarm bells among the health experts who believe that the wild virus is now active. Health Minister Abdul Qadir Patel maintained that the non-eradication of poliovirus in Pakistan is a dilemma, asserting that in order to save the children from lifelong paralysis the parents should get their children vaccinated.

In the backdrop of emerging polio cases, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif convened an emergency meeting of the National Task Force for Anti-Polio on April 25.

In his tweet, the premier expressed his deep concern over the emergence of polio case.

NATIONAL ANTI-POLIO DRIVE KICKS OFF: A five-day anti-polio campaign was launched across the country on Monday. During the campaign, approximately 43.3 million children under the age of five years will be administered anti-polio vaccine.

A supplementary dose of Vitamin A drops will also be administered to children aged 6 months to five years. Around 340,000 frontline workers will take part in the campaign to administer vaccines to the children at their doorsteps.

Inaugurating the campaign, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif assured that the government would take all measures to eradicate the crippling disease from the country.

He directed the federal and provincial governments and district management to address the challenge of persistently missed children, refusals and fake finger marking during the campaign.

Earlier, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa and Co-Chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Bill Gates held a telephone conversation.

During a telephonic conversation with COAS Bajwa, Bill Gates appreciated Pakistan’s success against COVID19 despite resource constraints. He also appreciated Pakistan Army for supporting the national polio drive, ensuring proper reach and coverage.

Across China: Pakistan’s national bird thriving again in Shanxi BEIJING XiNhua

Every morning when Yang Jianguo walks out of his home, the morning has barely broken and only the sound of insects and birds can be heard in the deep mountains. For the past six years, the 60year-old wakes up early every morning and carries a bag full of corn to feed his “little friends,” chukars, rain or shine.

The grey-coloured creature, distinguished by its coral beak and claws, is smaller than a chicken. During Yang’s childhood, chukars could be seen everywhere on the farmlands and hillsides of Qiwan village, Pinglu County, north China’s Shanxi Province.

Yang’s passion for chukars originated from a chance encounter six years ago. A group of photographers came to Pinglu County to take pictures of birds.

During a chat, they learned that Yang had seen chukars before and then asked him to lead the way.

As Yang recalled, the birds were common in Pinglu in the 1950s and 1960s.

However, due to the lack of targeted protection, their population declined significantly. After several days of searching, they finally found two chukars in a valley.

Before leaving, the photographers told Yang that this bird was the national bird of Pakistan, and left him some money so that he could take care of the birds and help them settle down here again.

“Keeping my promise is one thing, and on the other hand, I also hope to protect these small animals from the bottom of my heart,” Yang said.

It was not easy to feed chukars because they are naturally timid and sensitive. After nearly a month of squatting and observing, he found several chukars in a mountain col.

The next day, Yang began to spread food in the place where chukars appeared, but they disappeared for a long time. Yet Yang persisted, and one morning a few months later, he saw three

chukars eating the food he had left the day before. Afraid of frightening them, he lay behind a mound to observe.

“Although I had seen them before, it was the first time for me to see them so closely. Their small and cute appearance immediately captivated me,” Yang said.

Gradually, Yang started to hide behind big stones to observe and record the chirping sound with his mobile phone after feeding. As the chukars became familiar with him, every time Yang played the chirping sound, the birds would come out to eat.

It took Yang half a year to gain the chukars’ trust. Every morning and afternoon, he fed them twice a day.

From the few chukars discovered at the beginning, to more than 30 of them foraging every day, Yang felt happy to see the continuous population growth. Through the publicity of photographers, more bird enthusiasts are coming to shoot. Yang has become a bird guide, and the photographers always call him “Uncle Bird.” In order not to disturb the birds, Yang built a simple black “photo studio” near the foraging points, and he also built 78 cement steps out of his own pocket. “Providing help to photographers can better promote animal protection, so that more people will know about them, fall in love with them, and protect them,” Yang said.

With the conversion of hillside land to forests in recent years, the local environment has been improving, and the populations of wild animals such as herons and golden pheasants have also been increasing. Pinglu is now one of the go-to sites for wildlife photographers domestically. In Qiwan village, benefitted by the “bird-watching economy,” many villagers are now engaged in running agritainment or homestays.

“I received 1,500 yuan (about 220 U.S. dollars) for returning 0.2 hectares of farmland to forest. Adding my income from agritainment and farming, I can earn an extra 10,000 yuan annually,” Yang said.

05

Self-exiled AfghAn journAliStS AwAit internAtionAl help

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NEws dEsk

HE self-exiled 40 Afghan journalists, including eight women, who left Kabul after Taliban taken over last year have been awaiting help from international organisations to settle them in different countries.

Talking to Anadolu Agency, some of the journalists said that they were promised to be taken to some European countries but have been now left in the lurch in Pakistan “We are constrained to live in hostels and rented houses in Islamabad and running out of savings, time, and options”, they regretted.

“Some of us got help from an American NGO, Too Young to Wed, and even after coming to Pakistan, we had a meeting with their local representative and explained to him that we cannot survive here for a long time as we do not have any source of income here, but still we are on a waiting list,” said Shabnum Popalzai, an Afghan lady journalist.

Another journalist Azita Nizami said that self-exiled Afghan journalists cannot go back, adding that that is not even an option for them.

Nizami claimed that she had received a direct threat from Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid last year in October, while she was interviewing him for local radio.

“He was annoyed with my presence on the set. Before I could start the interview, he told me that he knows about my participation in the demonstration related to freedom of expression and he told me that ‘I should not have done that,’” she said.

Hades Pardes, a journalist who has also arrived from Kabul, is trying to network these self-exiled journalists to reach out to international organisations for help.

“We have all faced these problems. The main issue is we cannot apply for citizenship status in Pakistan also, as we cannot work as journalists here. We were scattered. Many people have moved out of Afghanistan and settled in the West by claiming they were journalists.

That’s why we all came together and created this platform,” said Pardes.

Najibullah Faizi, a senior journalist, said that they were forced to leave Kabul after receiving repeated threats.

All of these journalists moved to Islamabad in March after waiting in Kabul for six months. They say that their wait is getting longer as the organisations now look reluctant to talk about their issue.

Popalzai said since they cannot practice their profession while waiting in Pakistan, the government agencies keep an eye on them.

A lady journalist told Anadolu Agency that she kept her identity as a journalist secret and has chosen a different name on her passport.

“I have a different name on my passport.

That’s why I was able to cross the border and enter Pakistan,” she told Anadolu Agency.

Behishte Shaheed, who was working with Kabul-based Noor TV, said she had escaped from Afghanistan after receiving threats on Facebook Messenger.

Imran Khan seeks Donald Lu’s sacking for his ‘sheer arrogance, bad manners’ coNTINUEd from pAGE 01 Anderson said the US had “rubbished” the notion that it was involved in a regime change in Pakistan and asked Imran if he “genuinely” believed his claim of there being a foreign conspiracy to topple his government, the PTI chairman responded that the US embassy was calling and meeting disgruntled PTI members even before the meeting between Lu and Pakistan’s then ambassador to the US. “What were they meeting [US officials] for? They were the first ones to jump ship and they were the ones who then offered million dollars each to buy my other MNAs who jumped ship later on,” he said.

“Why would the US embassy be interested in our party backbenchers?” Imran argued.

Anderson closed the interview with a ques-

tion on whether Imran would run as a prime minister again, to which Khan predicted that the PTI would become the “biggest party in Pakistan’s history”, saying the people are so incensed and feel insulted that these criminals have been foisted over us.

“There is anger in Pakistan … there is antiAmericanism”.

Referring to prior examples of alleged USbacked regime changes in Iran and South American countries, Imran said resentment increased against the US when unpopular governments were brought to power.

“Unfortunately, yes, there is anti-Americanism right now in Pakistan,” he added.

During the interview, Anderson asked the former prime minister about his visit to Russia coinciding with the announcement of the Kremlin’s Ukraine’s invasion, adding that “the

optics didn’t and don’t look good, do they?”

“They didn’t but let me explain to you.

This visit was planned a long time back and all stakeholders in Pakistan were onboard. The military wanted Russian hardware, we wanted oil. There was a gas pipeline which was being negotiated for the past six years before my government came in … how would I have known that the day I land in Moscow, President [Vladimir] Putin would decide to go into Ukraine?” Imran responded.

Pressed on whether he regretted the trip, Imran said he would have regretted it if he had known about the invasion beforehand and still chosen to go ahead.

“I do not believe in military solutions. I have opposed all military ways of achieving political ends but I wasn’t supposed to know [that Russia would announce war].”

Govt contemplates strategy to deal with Long March coNTINUEd from pAGE 01 Rana Sana rued that Shalwars (trousers) were hanged on the walls of the judiciary and the PTI activists dug the graves. He said that no one trusted the U-turn-happy Imran Niazi as he had lied even in 2014.

Earlier, the coalition government had hinted that it was ready to walk away from power and take its case to the people if not allowed to freely rule the country and complete the remaining constitutional term.

The threat to leave the government came from Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah against the backdrop of an ongoing stalemate between the PML-N-led coalition government and the powerful stakeholders of the country.

“If we are stopped from working, our hands and feet are tied and reservations are expressed on our performance then those responsible should take the burden. Why should we take the responsibility when we are not responsible for destroying the economy,” the interior minister told the media.

ZARDARI, FAZL VOW TO DEAL WITH MARCH: Former President and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Asif Ali Zardari on Monday met JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman where both the two leaders vowed to foil Imran Khan’s ambitions he wants to achieve through Islamabad long march.

Both Asif Zardari and Fazlur Rehman discussed political developments in the country and termed long march call a failed attempt by Imran Khan to push the country into anarchy in the country. The JUI-F chief declared that they would give a head-on response to every tactic of the PTI chairman at every platform.

Asif Zardari went on to say that Pakistan is grappling with a severe economic crisis and it seems teh PTI chief wants to prolong it. Both the leaders agreed that they would not allow Imran Khan’s ambitions to succeed and the coalition government will steer the country out of the ongoing crisis.

NAWAZ FOR KEEPING ZARDARI IN LOOP IN EVERY DECISION: On the other hand, PML-N supremo and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday said that allies should be taken in full confidence on the PTI’s long march, asking the party leadership to keep Asif Ali Zardari in loop in every decision.

Sharing details about the development, PML-N insiders informed that a consultative meeting of PML-N was held in which the prevailing political situation, PTI’s long march and early elections were discussed. Nawaz Sharif attended the meeting through video link from London, they added.

During the meeting, Nawaz Sharif advised that if the government does not get IMF public relief package then big decisions should be

taken. Taking a dig at Imran Khan, Nawaz said the noise of the long march was made to affect negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

SECURITY PLAN: The federal government has devised a strict security plan to deal with the PTI marchers during Islamabad’s long march on May 25.

Under the strict security plan, 22,000 security officials will be deployed, whereas, the Islamabad administration summoned additional contingents from other provinces.

More than 2,000 Frontier Constabulary personnel were summoned by the Islamabad administration, whereas, the authorities sought the deployment of 8,000 Punjab Constabulary officials and 2,000 Anti-Riot personnel to deal with the PTI protesters.

The Sindh government has been asked to send 2,000 police officials to the federal capital. 500 women cops were also deployed and 4,000 Rangers personnel were also summoned.

According to sources, 100 prison vans will be summoned to Islamabad from other provinces. The contingents of the security personnel were summoned along with the complete command system from all provinces.

The Islamabad administration also forwarded the recommendations to the interior ministry after holding consultations with the police officials.

Iranian aircraft reaches Pakistan to join forest firefighting operation QUETTA News Desk

Iranian firefighting airplane has reached Pakistan to join the efforts to extinguish forest fire raging since days in Koh-i-Suleman range in Shirani district of Balochistan.

Spokesperson for Iranian Quetta consulate informed on Monday that Ilyushin 76, is the “biggest firefighter aircraft” in the world, would land at Rawalpindi’s Nur Khan Airbase today, adding that it would remain in Pakistan till the fire has been extinguished.

The fire has now turned into a raging in-

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ferno and has forced residents of nearby villages to move to safer locations. It has also posed potential threat to the life of different species of animals and birds in mountain range.

The army, provincial and federal disaster management authorities and other departments are struggling to douse the fire. Three people have lost their lives so far while three others have been badly injured. According to Forest Officer Ateeq Karar, the fire has been raging in an area spanning 20 kilometres in Shara Gulghai and 15km in Toorghardana.

Zhob Divisional Commissioner Bashir Ahmed Bazai also confirmed to the media that

the fire has spread over a radius of 25-35 km.

The fire in Shirani forest broke out after the area was struck by lightning a week ago and has since engulfed forest in the mountain range, home to the world’s largest pine nuts (chilghoza) forest and connecting Balochistan, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.

Meanwhile, Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo said that the provincial government has stepped up efforts to douse the fire. In a statement, he said all resources are being utilised and the federal government was also fully cooperating on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s instructions.

06-07 Comments - 24th May 2022_Layout 1 5/23/2022 11:13 PM Page 1

Tuesday, 24 May, 2022

06 COMMENT

The Divine decree, free will and supplication

An unfeeling IMF And an optimistic Finance Minister

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He PML-N led alliance had reiterated that it could resolve the economic problems including withdrawal of the huge subsidy on petroleum products if its government was allowed to finish the remainder of the NA’s tenure. The government argued that an enormous hike in petrol prices would raise the cost of all consumer goods and make it unpopular. The ruling alliance proposed enforcement of palliative measures to reduce the impact of the withdrawal of subsidies. With the establishment unwilling to concede the alliance’s demand, there are reports of differences between the two becoming sharper. The sudden return of former Finance Minister Hafeez sheikh, the security protocol provided to him and no explanation given about the purpose of his arrival have added to prevailing misunderstandings. The coalition government is consequently reluctant to take tough economic decisions, including ending fuel subsidy which the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has linked with the revival of the loan programme.

Finance Minister Miftah Ismail’s statement adds to the gravity of the situation. A day before flying to Doha he said he was going to convey to the IMF that fuel and energy subsidies which were introduced by the previous PTI government could not be reversed as the nation cannot endure it. The delay in ending subsidies is already leading to negative consequences for the economy. The PsX benchmark shed over 500 points as finance minister left for talks with the IMF while the dollar marched on to Rs201 in interbank trade. The longer the decision on fuel subsidies is delayed the greater the loss to the economy. one simply fails to understand the Finance Minister’s optimism. Two weeks after the PML-N led alliance came to power, it was agreed between IMF Pakistan’s Mission Chief Nathan Porter and Finance Minister Miftah Ismail “that prompt action is needed to reverse the unfunded subsidies which have slowed discussions for the 7th Review.” And now the Finance Minister wants to tell IMF that Pakistan cannot endure the end to subsidies and intends to ask the Fund to give him a break. Is he hoping that recent talks between secretary Blinken and FM Bhutto-Zardari might have brought about a change of heart in IMF? Miftah Ismail has also said the country will hear “good news” soon and he would not return without a deal. While keeping our reservations to ourselves, we would wish him Godspeed.

Not mutually contradictory at all

HaSan aFTab SaEED

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oes man possess free will to choose his course of action? Does God know all along everything that is ever going to happen? If so, why pray to God, or worry about choosing the best option? What is taqdeer (the Divine decree)? Is it etched in stone? Can one change the future? of what use are prayers and one’s own volition, if the answer to this is in the negative? even if supplications were effective, what would be their point? surely, man – with his limited wisdom – cannot hope to improve upon an All-wise God’s plan for him. Again, what kind of sense does it make to tell an All-knowing God about one’s needs and desires? Is an omniscient God not already aware of all one’s wants and troubles?

What with very few theists ending up giving a good account of themselves when asked these, and similar, questions; the atheists have become accustomed to presenting these questions as conclusive evidence against the coherence and reasonableness of the theistic narrative. In what follows, I propose to take up these questions and try to answer them unambiguously from the Quranic perspective. While I do so, I propose to demonstrate that these answers by no means contradict each other.

No way can God’s plan be improved any more than He can be informed about something He does not already know. The point of the supplication is not that at all. The point is asking God for help. By doing that, man reminds himself that it is God who is ultimately in-charge. And that automatically makes for a much better conduct on his own part – it should, at any rate. When, for example, on taking the driving wheel I pray for a safe trip, I remind myself that driving carefully on my part constitutes a necessary condition for that, even if it is not a sufficient condition on account of countless other variables out of my control. Whether I end up having a safe trip or otherwise, my prayer is therefore not in vain.

What is true of praying for a safe trip is true of

Let them speak The League needs to walk and talk on press freedom

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He shoe is on the other foot. Not snugly, because the instances haven’t been as stark, but the other foot it is. Journalists that had hitherto before been seen to almost be cheering the abductions and alleged manhandling by the state of other journalists, are now facing some of such behaviour themselves. Don’t get us wrong; they aren’t being physically attacked and whisked over to the ‘northern areas’, the by-now gold standard euphemism with which to describe deep state safehouses.

No, there are only FIRs being registered against them, in an all too familiar pattern. especially when one checks the nature of the charges against them.

This is crass behaviour, regardless of who does it and who is subjected to it. state institutions that can be threatened by program anchors and YouTubers need more introspection into their fragility. If sami ebrahim, who gets out of breath while climbing the stairs of the Islamabad High Court, can intimidate a nuclear-powered nation, then perhaps we need a hard reset.

In the marketplace for ideas, all views, beliefs and analyses are to be allowed, even if one disagrees with them.

To state the obvious: what is illegal in law, like incitement to violence, for instance, or something that is completely slanderous, can be dealt with by the law itself, that too, at its own time and pace. Criminal defamation, the sort that has been facilitated by the likes of PeCA, is also hopefully going to see an end soon enough.

Which brings us to the PML-N. Not many had high expectations from the previous government on the issue of press freedom; even their supporters seemed giddy at the prospect of seeing journalists critical of the government being targeted.

There were, however, different expectations from the current dispensation. Yes, we know how the media cookie crumbles in Pakistan and the extent to which the political dispensation would have been involved in this spate of FIRs, but the PDM is the government. officially, the buck stops there. They have to not only make sure these journalists are not harmed, they should also be seen to be making sure these journalists aren’t harmed.

A commitment to free news media should be above party and ideological lines.

Sabina babar

I

NDIAN army’s land warfare doctrine has focused on enhancing capacities to cater to multifront threats. According to the doctrine, India would timely ensure the augmentation of forces on eastern and western fronts while guaranteeing effective deterrence. India is focusing on enhancing strategic mobility by quick mobilization of integrated groups. India’s army is restructuring its force along the eastern and western fronts. The rebalancing and realignment of Indian troops can be identified by the recent shift of 6 divisions from the eastern border of Pakistan to the western border with China. In his interview in 2021, col Ajai sukla mentioned that Before India China stood off, the total number of divisions facing China was 12, and 25 divisions were installed at the India-Pakistan border.

Keeping above details in view and their alignment with the recent decision, the ratio has now changed with the addition of 4 divisions on the western border in 2021 and 6 in 2022. According to the above calculation, now the total number of divisions is 22 divisions on the western front with China and 15 divisions on the eastern border with Pakistan.

For decades, India has been talking about the two-front war, and they are now building a posture to counter both China and Pakistan. This rearrangement of the Indian army from the Line of Control (LoC) to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) has implications for China and Pakistan.

Pakistan is exposed to this dispute in a cross-cutting way. The conflict escalation between China and India is detrimental to Pakistan as it would further reinforce Pakistan’s unpredictability in terms of India’s strategic behavior. Reinstalling troops from the border could be a bluff by India, as BJP’s government has always used security situations as a tool in their electoral discourse. An example of the 2016 surgical strikes of Uri was used as political fodder to serve the

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The Quranic God is not a philosophical idea or the first cause (or prime mover) of the universe who retired (so to speak) after creating immutable laws of the universe. He is a Living, personal God who listens to man, answers his prayers, and is constantly involved in the running of the world.

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

Implications for the regional stability

Arif Nizami (Late)

M. A. Niazi

of Allah, Umar?’ he asked. To which, Umar replied, ‘Yes, we are fleeing from the decree of Allah to the decree of Allah. If you had camels and they went down into a valley which had two sides, one of which was fertile and the other barren – which would you choose?

Is it not that if you grazed them on the fertile side, then that grazing would be by the decree of Allah, and if you grazed them on the barren side, then that grazing would also be by the decree of Allah?’ soon afterwards, Abdur Rahman ibn Awf (RA), who had not participated in the deliberations on account of being absent because of an errand, returned and said, ‘I have some knowledge regarding this issue. I heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) say that when you hear that a plague is in a land, do not go to it and if it occurs in a land that you are already in, then do not leave it, fleeing from it.’

Umar praised Allah for enabling him to make the correct decision and that was the end of the matter.

There is no fleeing from the Divine decree. But man is supposed to decide upon the best course of action based on the information at his disposal at any given time. God’s plan for man is supreme, but part of that plan is that man plays a role in it too, since it is his test. else, man would merely be an automaton, of which it would be absurd to expect responsibility in this life or the next. Despite his best efforts, man will still often fail, which brings us full circle back to supplication. Far from being three irreconcilable items therefore, the Divine decree, human efforts, and supplication constitute important aspects of the same bigger picture. Do not let any atheist tell you otherwise.

Realignment of Indian troops along the border

Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami

Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

all supplications. It reminds one of God, as well as one’s own duties and limitations – which is the core of all worship. In this perspective, not praying to God (and believing one’s actions to be sufficient) is a form of arrogance. The Quranic God is not a philosophical idea or the first cause (or prime mover) of the universe who retired (so to speak) after creating immutable laws of the universe. He is a Living, personal God who listens to man, answers his prayers, and is constantly involved in the running of the world.

Nobody can change the future either. There is no surprising God, for He knows that future all along. When you avoid a brick by ducking on seeing it coming your way, you do not change the future.

There was always going to be just the one future – that in which the brick was not going to hit you. But your action played an important part in realizing this ‘future’, which constituted the Divine decree. of course, you could still get hit despite trying to avoid it, because as far as results are concerned, your role is not decisive. That would also have been Divine decree.

The relationship between the measures man takes and the Divine decree is best illustrated through the incident reported by Abdullah ibn Abbas (RA), included both in Bukhari and Muslim. Umar ibn Khattab (RA), leading a large body of Muslims, set out on a mission to syria. When he reached sargh however, he was informed that a plague had broken out in syria. There was much consultation, but opinion was divided between pressing on and retreating momentarily. Finally, the elders of Quraysh were asked for their counsel. They were unanimous in their opinion that people must not be exposed to the plague. Umar decided accordingly.

Army commander Abu Ubaydah ibn Jarrah (RA) was none too pleased. ‘Are you fleeing from the decree

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nationalist agenda. similarly, the 2018 Balakot incident was also BJP’s attempt to extract electoral mileage, and the recent Bharamos incident has happened when elections are expected in Gujarat. overall, Indian military and security posture towards Pakistan is linked with its electoral discourse, and this reinforcement should not be considered irrelevant.

There are chances that Indian forces can provoke a clash at LoC if they suffer any setback along the sinoIndia border. This distrust would trigger an action-reaction mode and further weaken the regional stability. The Indian aggression is inbuilt by seeking the role of a regional hegemon, and to acquire this status, it focuses on both fronts. Indeed, the dispute in Kashmir can be understood through the Ladakh standoff. China has control over certain parts of Kashmir region including the Ladakh area and the overlapping sino-India claims in Ladakh area has resulted in a deadly standoff.

During the Ladakh crisis in 2020, both countries reinforced their troops, engaged in skirmishes, and were on the verge of war. In 2021 both announced an agreement to disengage forces but failed to implement it.

India has always receded from border agreements and this Indian military engagement portrays Indian aggressive posture in the region where India is mobilizing its forces to destabilize regional peace.

Although India has traditionally eschewed any participation by third party specifically in its dealings with China, nevertheless the old mantra of “common

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enemies can act as a unifying force “still echoes in Washington and New Delhi’s louder than ever before.

To handle its two fronts, India will increase its security cooperation with the Us. America is still wary of Chinese actions in the indo pacific region and has always remained receptive of keeping India as a counterweight to Chinese growth what Washington termed as expansionism.

India is also likely to anticipate further extending military arrangement with the Us when it would face a well-armed, economically integrated , more technologically advanced and robust China. Recent Us-India security partnership CoMCAsA and BeCA and regional alliances like Quadrilateral security dialogue (Quad) are to reinsure India’s position in the region and this could be the reason for the Indian rearrangement along China’s border as India wants to handle its two-front war due to surety from superpowers. Previously Indian forces were not able to counter China’s advancement along the borders, however, now with security assurances, India could be of the view to handle its security situation. overall sino-India conflict is of concern for Pakistan, as Pakistan is an economic partner of China and any relocation of forces of border skirmishes will affect the security and economic situation of the region.

To handle its two fronts, India will increase its security cooperation with the US. America is still wary of Chinese actions in the Indo Pacific Region and has always remained receptive of keeping India as a counterweight to Chinese growth what Washington termed as expansionism.

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Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

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The writer is working as a Research Officer at the Strategic Vision Institute (SVI), a non-partisan think-tank based in Islamabad.

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

06-07 Comments - 24th May 2022_Layout 1 5/23/2022 11:13 PM Page 2

Tuesday, 24 May, 2022

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

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

Dadu fire

Beware America I only echo the voices of thousands who sounded the alarm before me, but then again it cannot be said enough. America is facing unprecedented social and political peril state hundreds of electoral laws designed to deprive Black and Hispanic Americans of their right to vote through gerrymandering, voter ID laws, and other nefarious schemes that defy democracy.

Racism is consuming America from within, and white supremacy, which has been allowed to run rampant, is poisoning America’s soul.

Dr alon bErn MEir Righting the WRong: since Trump rose to power in 2016, my concerns about the future of America have only been gravely compounded. It never occurred to me that after 240 years of a successful experiment in democracy and the development of solid democratic institutions based on the will of the people, we would face such unimaginable social and political peril.

President Biden has made significant progress in addressing some of these issues that have plagued us, especially in restoring America’s global leadership. That said, the prognosis for the mid-term elections suggests that the Republicans may well take back both the House and the senate, and the possibility that Trump may run again and even win in 2024 should send shivers down the spine of every concerned American.

BeWaRe ameRica: It is not that I want to rehash the past, but what happened to America during Trump’s presidency continues to have horrifying implications as to where America is heading. Was it even conceivable that a thoroughly corrupt racist, who failed to win the popular vote, was impeached twice, lost reelection, conspired to reverse the result of a legitimate and fair election, and instigated an insurrection to seize power, would still unfathomably remain in command of his party? If this is not a terrifying prospect, what is?

To be sure, the Republican party has slipped into a bottomless pit of political sewage. What does it say about the party that chose him? This is a party that has long since lost its moral bearing, a party that put its own interest above that of the nation, and a party that blindly followed an imposter and a liar only because he is shameless, bold, and crude, and served the party’s racist agenda. This is a party whose members seek the endorsement of a charlatan, a party that will stop short of nothing to regain power, including violence that will make the January 6 resurrection look like a mere rehearsal, which could lead to civil war.

The shortcomings of the Republican party are numerous, but it suffices to mention only a few to demonstrate how dangerous the party has become to the future of this nation.

BigotRy Runs Rampant: The Republican party is a bigoted party that embraces white supremacy, and being the minority party, it is terrified of the prospect that people of color will replace white America. Thus, bent on recapturing power, the party is enacting in every Republican

caRnage of ameRicans By gun violence: The Republican party refuses to pass gun control laws regardless of how many Americans are shot to death. Gun violence is destroying our youth, decimating families, and literally robbing this country of its future. Yet, knowing all this, the Republican party refuses to do anything to stem the tide of violence. Gun violence is now the number one cause of death for all children and teens between 1-19 years of age.

More than 120 Americans are killed every day by firearms. How many more mass shootings must we endure before the Republican party comes to its senses? At a minimum, we must move to ban assault weapons and implement universal background checks. The recent racially-motivated shooting in Buffalo where 10 innocent people were shot to death should shock the conscience of any decent American. Yet Republicans seem to be numb to this American tragedy; even when 20 children—six and sevenyear-olds—were gunned down in their school in 2012, Republicans still refused to act.

Defying climate change to ouR peRil: Another catastrophic failure of the Republican party is its refusal to acknowledge that climate change is real. The plethora of scientific evidence is indisputable and overwhelming, and denying climate change, which is already upon us, is tragic. As a result, we are now witnessing massive fires, hurricanes, an unprecedented rise in sea levels, droughts, and the destruction of coral reefs. Moreover, climate-related migration is rising due to increased flooding, storms, extreme weather events, and higher temperatures, while precipitating geopolitical instability. erin Pettit, a glaciologist from oregon state University, is alarmed at how fast ice is cracking up in Antarctic. “It was hugely surprising to see things changing that fast,” said Pettit. According to the Washington Post, satellite imagery revealed long, parallel fissures in the frozen expanse. This is a calamity in the making, but the Republican party couldn’t care less.

Denying healthcaRe as a Right: Another vile attitude of the Republican party is its position regarding universal healthcare. The Republican party never understood that healthcare is a human right. everyone has the right to receive the healthcare they need. It is simply inconceivable that the richest country in the world provides no basic access to healthcare, which is central to the wellbeing of society, especially to children whose health directly impacts their mental development.

According to CeoWorld Magazine’s 2021 Health Care Index, the ten countries with the best health care are: south Korea, Taiwan, Denmark, Austria, Japan, Australia, France, spain, Belgium, and the United Kingdom. It is disgraceful that the United states comes in 30th on the Index – behind Mexico, Greece, and ecuador. one of the strongest arguments for universal health care is that it will foster a healthier population overall; a healthy population will be less prone to disease, and hence more productive and competitive, not to speak of the moral obli-

gation that a responsible government must be guided by. usuRping Women’s Right to choose: one more manifestation of the Republican party’s moral bottom is its treatment of women, especially denying them the right to abortion. Here we have white haired reactionary Republican men, controlling red states from governor’s mansions or legislative bodies, deciding what women can or cannot do with their bodies. How dare they? For 50 years they have been trying to reverse the landmark law Roe v.

Wade ruling, and the supreme Court, with a majority of conservative justices, is now poised to do just that.

This conservative-dominated supreme Court is thoroughly politicized and the justices’ assumed impartiality gives in to dogma on hotbutton issues, and lately they have been putting ideology above remaining faithful to the letter and the spirit of the rule of law. The Court, which is tasked to uphold the sacred right of every American, is becoming an instrument in the hands of the Republican party, which has manipulated the nomination and confirmation process in recent years to ensure as many conservatives on the Court as possible. The overturning of Roe v. Wade will not be the end of the conservative assault on women’s rights but only the beginning. We can be sure that laws limiting access to contraception, prohibiting same sex marriage, and denying the rights of the LGBTQ+ community will be next.

Trump’s grip on the Republican Party is a sad testament to the spinelessness of its leadership, the majority of whom still subscribe to his false claim that the 2020 election was stolen; in recent primaries, those who backed his claim were predominantly rewarded. The unfortunate fact of the matter is that even if Trump is not the Republican nominee in 2024, whoever is will in all likelihood be aligned with Trumpism and even transcend it by their extremely twisted conservatism, which rivals even the most backward extremists such as the Taliban.

A victory for Trumpism in 2024 will mean that this country will continue to see its democratic institutions and processes attacked and gradually eroded; toxic white supremacy will thrive and anti-immigration policies will be the order of the day; environmental deregulation will continue apace, and economic inequality will keep soaring to new and unprecedented heights.

America’s global leadership will evaporate and spell the end of the country as we know it.

Trumpism is literally poison that will destroy this country from within if it is permitted to grow.

If the Republican party in its current ideological makeup ends up in control of both Congress and the presidency, it will be to America’s everlasting shame. It will be a confession that we have lost faith in our Constitution and in this Republic. The noble principle of electing a government of the people, by the people, and for the people will tragically vanish.

I am only adding my voice to the thousands who preceded me. No one can say we were not warned. Beware America; time is running out.

If we do not act now, it will be us who wrote the obituary of the American dream.

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

THe lack of rescue and fire-fighting facilities is mostly ignored until a tragedy strikes. on Tuesday, in a devastating inferno in Dadu, sindh several children including adults were burnt to death and around two dozen men and women suffered severe burns. According to reports, the fire was triggered in a village about 30 kilometres from the town of Mehar in district Dadu. While the fire was raging, it consumed house after house, with over 50 homes eventually turning to ashes. That is more than 50 families that saw their belongings perish in front of their eyes. some saw worse: their children burning to death. Apart from the human cost of the fire, hundreds of animals- domesticated and otherwise- have also become charred corpses. And all this happened just because there were no fire-fighting services nearby. Most village dwellings in our rural areas do not have concrete houses, so a spark in one kitchen can quickly turn into a raging inferno and engulf dozens of houses in minutes.

In such situations, the early arrival of a fire brigade, as well as rescue services, can control the spread of fire. In fact, there have long been demands that sindh initiates an 1122-like service but not much has happened on that till now, despite the sindh government having announced it would work on one. This is why the fire that started around 9 pm on Monday raged for more than 12 hours and no fire tender reached the village till the next morning. No amount of consolation now can alleviate the pain of parents who collected the charred bodies of their children. There is also the loss of property, food grain stock and cattle without which many families will not be able to survive. The district and local administration were either unable or unwilling to help.

Fires are not a rare occurrence, especially in big cities in the country. even there, the fire-fighting services are in desperate need of equipment training and support from the government. In the rural areas, the fires mostly go unreported unless there is a huge loss of life. The absence of an effective and functioning local government system has a lot to do with this lack of preparedness of local administration. But let this be said: the sindh government cannot gloss over such tragic incidents. It is fully responsible for not being able to furnish all districts and Tehsils with fire and rescue services.

No amount of financial compensation to the grieving families will bring their children back. Year after year, the people of this country are put through unimaginable horror, just because the Federal and Provincial governments cannot get their act together. From freezing to death in Murree to burning to death in Mehar how much more can Pakistani citizens be asked to bear? The PPP talks a good game about democracy, justice, and fair play when it comes to governing sindh it turns a blind eye to injustice-as in the case of Nazim Jokhio-and sheer incompetence and disregard for human life-as in the burnt bodies of Mehar.

IMRAN ALI BANGWAR KANDHKOT

Exploiting travellers eARLIeR this month, I was travelling from sukkur to Karachi via a wellmaintained and air-conditioned van, which was a relief because most vans or buses are in deplorable conditions. During the journey, we stopped at a hotel near Hala for a while, so that the passengers can buy food and water.

Like others, I went to one of the shops and took some eatables. When I went to the cashier to pay for my items, he charged me almost double the original amount. I refused to pay the high amount and urged the shopkeeper to show me the rate list.

To my surprise, the shopkeeper said that many reputable individuals come to his shop and never argue about prices. Therefore, I can either take the items at his given rate or leave. Unfortunately, all other passengers stood as mere bystanders ignoring the unlawful conduct of the shopkeeper.

Having little choice, I purchased the items and left. This experience made me acknowledge the lawlessness in society and the inability of people to correct others’ unjust practices. This also reveals that retailers near bus stands exploit passengers and illicitly earn higher profits.

Considering that we already have a poor transportation system and unlike myself, most people cannot afford air-conditioned vans, these looting sellers are further adding to the miseries of the travellers. In addition to the drivers’ misconduct and unsafe driving, passengers are also forced to either arrange for their own food and water or travel without it.

The relevant authorities should consider these issues and address them effectively. Besides reforming the transport system, shops and restaurants on the highways and bus stands must be given fixed price lists, which they should adhere to.

NAZIR AHMED KUBAR SUKKUR

Shortage of nurses DesPITe being considered the backbone of hospitals, nursing staff seldom receives recognition or appreciation for their work. They are faced with dire conditions such as long working hours, stressful environments, complex patient conditions, and lack of support and resources.

Increased dissatisfaction amongst the nursing staff stems from the unmet needs. Poor wages reduce their ability to fulfil basic requirements, which is why they resort to switching professions or migrating abroad.

Also, unsafe conditions i.e., an imbalance in nurse-patient ratio induces anxiety and stress among the nurses. often the female nursing staff are subjected to harassment or abuse at work. They receive little acknowledgement from surgeons and other staff, which causes them to feel alienated. opportunities for professional growth and training sessions are seldom offered.

A shortage of nursing staff will put a severe strain on the healthcare department; therefore, relevant authorities and hospital management must take the initiative to improve working conditions for nurses. Their salaries must be raised to ensure staff dedication and strict policies should be enforced to ensure safe and secure working conditions for all staff members. Also, nurses should be engaged in the decision-making process and be offered non-monetary rewards to recognise their hard work and foster a sense of connection among them. Without taking measures to create a cooperative and cordial environment, the hospitals will remain unable to halt the turnover of nurses.

MADRIKA MIRZA KANJIANI KARACHI

08 WORLD VIEW 24th May 22_Layout 1 5/23/2022 10:23 PM Page 1

Tuesday, 24 May, 2022

08 WORLD VIEW

WhaT does ‘Global debT’ mean and hoW hiGh is iT noW? World economic Forum victoria MaSterSon

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oRRoWING was already surging before the pandemic – but CoVID-19 and now the war in Ukraine have pushed global debt to new highs. Countries need to work together to tackle this debt mountain in order to safeguard global stability and prosperity, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warns. “In the end, the impact will be most sharply felt by those households that can least afford it,” it adds. So what is global debt and why does it matter?

Global debt is borrowing by governments, businesses and people, and it’s at dangerously high levels. In 2021, global debt reached a record $303 trillion, according to

TO MEET DEBT PAYMENTS, AT LEAST 100 COUNTRIES WILL HAVE TO REDUCE SPENDING ON ESSENTIAL SERVICES, THE IMF ESTIMATES the Institute of International Finance, a global financial industry association. This is a further jump from record global debt in 2020 of $226 trillion, as reported by the IMF in its Global Debt Database. This was the biggest one-year debt surge since the Second World War, according to the IMF. CoVID-19 caused high spending on measures to protect jobs, lives and livelihoods. “Now the war in Ukraine is adding risks to unprecedented levels of public borrowing,” the IMF warns in a blog. The current debt wave is the world’s fourth since 1970, the World bank says.

The global hunger crisis is here

Project Syndicate Seta tutundjian

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lobal food prices are soaring. The United Nations Food and agriculture organisation’s Food Price Index, which covers a basket of basic food commodities (cereals, meat, dairy, vegetable oils, and sugar), reached an all-time high of 159.7 in March, up from 141.1 the previous month. While it declined slightly in april, to 158.5, ongoing developments, not least Russia’s war in Ukraine, are set to keep driving prices to new highs, with devastating implications for global hunger.

The CoVID-19 pandemic exposed the fragility and dysfunctionality of the world’s food systems, with movement restrictions and supply-chain disruptions driving up prices, damaging rural livelihoods, and exacerbating food insecurity, especially for the poor. Now, the war in Ukraine is compounding these challenges, because both sides are major exporters of food, fuel, and fertiliser.

Moreover, climate change poses an even larger threat to global food security. already, extreme weather like heatwaves, floods, and prolonged droughts has triggered shocks to agricultural production and food availability. as temperatures rise, these shocks will become increasingly frequent and powerful. If global warming crosses the 1.5°C threshold (relative to Earth’s pre-industrial temperature), they are likely to become catastrophic. as the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report shows, avoiding the threshold will require immediate and drastic action. but mitigation is only part of the challenge. large-scale investments in adaptation will also be needed to protect vulnerable communities from the warming that is already locked in.

Even under the most optimistic mitigation scenario, global warming is expected to hit the 1.5°C threshold in a decade, before receding. This will result in shifts in climatic zones, rising sea levels, and disruptions to the water cycle that increase the frequency and intensity of extreme weather. beyond raising economic and health risks, the resulting disruptions to food and water supplies are likely to drive social and political upheaval, fueling a vicious cycle of poverty, hunger, instability, and even conflict, accompanied by sharp rise in migration. a more resilient, sustainable and equitable food system must be a pillar of any climate mitigation or adaptation agenda. but the barriers to building such a system should not be underestimated, especially for countries and regions where soil is poor, land has little agricultural value, other natural resources, such as water, are

limited or degraded, and socioeconomic conditions are difficult.

Given the low productivity of their agricultural land, such marginal environments are unable to support the sustainable production of sufficient food to meet local people’s nutritional needs. In fact, while marginal environments are home to less than 25 per cent, of the global population, an estimated 1.7 billion people, they account for 70 per cent, of the world’s poor and most of its malnourished.

Poverty and hunger can lead farmers to overuse fragile environmental resources in order to ensure their short-term survival, even at the cost of long-term depletion of their lands and impoverishment of their households and communities. Those living in remote areas with minimal infrastructure, few alternative economic opportunities, and limited market access are particularly likely to make such choices.

Given this, countries with significant marginal lands rely on food imports, in some cases for more than 80 per cent of their needs. but pandemic- and war-related disruptions, together with the price increases they have fueled, have shown just how vulnerable such countries are. according to the Fao’s State of Food and agriculture 2021 report, an additional 161 million people were affected by hunger in 2020, compared with 2019. and the World Food Programme is now cautioning that the combination of conflict, CoVID, the climate crisis, and rising costs has pushed 44 million people in 38 countries to the edge of famine.

With countries struggling to secure enough food to meet their populations’ nutritional needs, many are now reevaluating their food dependencies and seeking to expand local production. but unless sustainability is taken into account, efforts to increase short-term resilience by shortening supply chains could undermine medium-and long-term resilience by further depleting agricultural resources like soil and water.

Sustainability isn’t cheap. Efficient production amid biophysical and climate constraints requires investment in costly technologies. but poor governance structures, limited growth prospects, and high debts pose major challenges for many countries. The pandemic has placed massive strain on public budgets, and debt crises loom for many governments, as loans taken out to address the pandemic come due.

Poor and vulnerable countries cannot be expected to address the myriad interconnected challenges they face, from pollution and biodiversity loss to hunger and poverty, without help. To bolster longterm food and nutritional security, we must look beyond country-level solutions to regional and international ones that consider the needs of communities living in marginal environments. otherwise, there will be no escaping destabilising cycles of hunger, migration, and violence.

Seta Tutundjian, founder and CEO of Thriving Solutions, is a member of the High-Level Expert Group to assess the need for the International Platform for Food Systems Science and a co-leader of the global Food is Never Waste initiative.

WHY DoES Global DEbT MaTTER? Emerging and developing economies have been the worst hit by previous debt crises, World bank research shows. To meet debt payments, at least 100 countries will have to reduce spending on health, education and social protection, the IMF estimates. If countries default on their debts, it can cause panic on financial markets and economic slowdowns. For businesses, meeting repayments on high levels of debt can mean less money is available to invest in jobs and expansion. Insolvency is also a risk for busi-

nesses that are unable to pay back their loans. For households, high levels of debt can force them to cut some areas of spending, such as food or fuel. low-income households are most at risk, the IMF says.

What do experts say about global debt?

When low-income countries get into debt distress, it’s associated with “protracted recessions, high inflation and fewer resources going to essential sectors like health, education and social safety nets, with a disproportionate impact on the poor”, the World bank says. Debt distress is when a country is unable to fulfil its financial obligations, such as

repayments due on its debt. The IMF and World bank believe 60% of low-income countries are at or near this point. at a time when the war in Ukraine is disrupting food supplies and pushing food prices higher, countries that “strain to pay their creditors will also struggle to help their poorest citizens”, al Jazeera reports. as food and fuel prices soar, governments may need to give more grants to households in need to help them cover costs, particularly in low-income countries, the IMF says.

In 2021, the countries with the highest global debt levels compared to GDP were Japan (257%), Sudan (210%), Greece (207%), Eritrea (175%) and Cape Verde (161%), according to data published by Visual Capitalist.

Rising prices mean inflation is spiking, so central banks are increasing interest rates to try and contain this. Rising interest rates in turn mean higher loan repayments.

The most highly indebted governments, households and firms will be hardest hit by significant interest rate rises, so countries have to be careful to strike the “right balance”, the IMF warns.

Victoria Masterson is a Senior Writer, Formative Content.

The future is post-Western

al jazeera Yannick Giovanni MarShall

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E need a global cultural revolution. a bringing to a sudden end this half-millennia long faith healing show where a perspiring West preaches humanistic values and economic prosperity while cutting holes in the pockets of an entranced colonised world.

We need not only an end to the world order set up by Western hegemony but an end to the appreciation of the West. We need the rage we feel after looking out at the charred remains of our earth under centuries of Western rule to mature into an act. The act of putting the West aside.

There must be an ushering in of a new day on earth where pulling our bodies, our lives, our lands back from the hammer-pry of colonialism is not deliberately misreported as “clashes” where white racists who deliberately hunt and deliberately kill black elders in communities deliberately ruined by white racists are not immediately comfort-blanketed with reports of being “troubled”.

Where our chanting to be allowed to live – and the inevitable procession of mourners come down upon by apartheid’s police forces – are no longer deliberately misframed as culture wars or intractable conflicts. This current chapter of Western-run human history must be flung shut.

We should have been more desperate for a post-Western world. a world where it is odd for white-skinned refugees to have every type of door flung open for them at the sight of their Primark shopping bags while it is routine for darker-skinned refugees to be forcefed toilet water in the american borderlands or sold on libyan slave auction blocks. odd, reporters openly calling for guerrilla resistance against oppression in Ukraine while the killing of black people whether by drone strikes in Yemen or by an american in a grocery store must be responded to with pacifism. odd. Not hypocritical. Unintelligible.

Dark-skinned refugees horsewhipped by american border agents in cowboy hats.

Shot at by Europeans while on unseaworthy crafts sutured together with Hadiths and Psalms. Pointed at to explain resurgent Nazi sentiment. ordered to let white people board first during evacuations. Referred to as crime waves and invaders while flaxenhaired refugees benefit from Fortune 500 company fundraisers, airbnb programmes and win singing contests. odd. Not hypocritical. Unintelligible.

It must be accepted now that the West, however mythologised, be it american-led “democracy” or classical “Western” political ideas, has proven that it does not have the necessary intellectual or political infrastructure to put down its perpetually rising

Nazism. It has proven inadequate to the task of not harming the vast majority of humanity.

Its ideas and institutions have proven incapable of destroying and ridding itself of colonial racism – if it is to be accepted that the project of the West is something other than the project of colonial racism.

The apologists will bring you locke and Rousseau and protest that the West brought you life, liberty and the social contract. They are careful not to reveal that in the atlantic ocean of the fine print, sharks were learning to trail the slave ships, waiting like yelping dogs for the feast of live africans dumped over the starboard side. They will say we brought you the telegraph and the railway but will not mention the jokes they made at the indentured South asians they sent to be mauled by lions in East africa as they laid the tracks. Nor their hunting of families in Tasmania, nor the women abused at the Kamiti concentration camp accused, like the american “negress”, of subverting the aims of the settler state. They will say one-day delivery but say nothing about the suicide-prevention nets and the urine in driver’s bottles to keep up the pace.

Whatever it takes to leave racism and thus hatred of the vast majority of people on the earth behind, the Western world does not possess and will never possess. That alone disqualifies it from continuing any further. and if we are wrong, if a non-racist enlightenment is indeed, for real this time, just around the corner, if it only takes a bit more patience as the liberal has promised since hansom cabs and the French Revolution then let us jump the gun. They are not the only ones allowed to be too hasty. let us rid ourselves of association with the West, even if it is in error. become too rushed, too reckless in our leaving it. Commit oversights. Forget to include the West in the vision of the future as if it were a slave in their declarations and charters and constitutions. let us be dogs no longer satisfied to chase after the mechanical rabbit. Hang tomorrow. arrest patience.

White supremacists are not the only ones who get to make the world. The wretched of the earth can seize the reins and are free to crash the horse.

The West is kept in the breast pocket of every one-man race riot the colony provides with an aR-15. In a locket of every in-training genocidaire assisted by the algorithms of tech profiteers who look the other way as convincingly as the port cities of the triangular trade. Nudged along by a hate group accepted as a political party and the television personalities of a white nationalist media empire more impactful than all of the early 20th century lynch mob-inciting US newspapers combined.

Wherever there is a group touting Western civilisation and values an ethnic slur is not far behind. an unfairly graded black student, a pogrom-preparing fascist club is not far behind. If that group praises the West as the champion of women’s rights, it will also lead the charge to end those rights. Where it celebrates Western humanism it will be the first to dehumanise. Values its secularism it will crusade. Western cosmopolitanism? Inclusivity? It will volunteer as border minutemen. Where it celebrates Western rationality and scientific advancement it will cling to biological determinism and the racial classificatory charts of the 1700s. “The West” is a Trojan horse for the racist.

The West is trafficked on the dark web

and 8chan, Twitch and sung by all the new Nazi parties. Pounded at the lecterns of celebrity racist professors and top podcast hosts who are carried atop shoulders of incels who blame caricatures of “the blacks” for their perceived lack of desirability instead of the stench of their expired worldview. Well, let there indeed be a “Clash of Civilisations”, or rather a clash of the Western traditionalists who hold that the colonised can be hurt with impunity and the anti-colonial world. The post-Western world. an insurrection of the good equipped not with open arms and listening, but rubbish bins.

It is time for putting aside the West. abandoning the sycophantic enthralment with their architecture, croissants smeared with contraband West african chocolate, and end to lusting after their fashion brands. a devaluing of their political institutions as far as their political institutions have devalued our lives. Smash the crystal wine glasses, case the cello, drop the overvaluation of all things “European” so that its stock market crashes in a way that it can never recover. a cultural revolution is not a sideline cause when occidentophilia excavates mental and economic resources more efficiently than their mining corporations steal raw materials. When it fuels fascism and leads Indigenous libraries to a self-immolation that burns more brightly than a cropdusting of agent orange. When it makes resistance hesitant.

The colonised’s admiration of the West is fatal. It seconds the white supremacists’ supremacism. Confirms for them that they are indeed right pulling our people from evacuation transport because they are superior.

That their innocents’ deaths shall launch a thousand warships and ours a stern comment about how the right is mainstreaming extremist rhetoric. It affirms for the race “massacrist” in training that the West is indeed coveted and they are right to leave us dying in the streets, struggling in cuffs, or warehoused in prisons. It buoys every racist commenter that responds to the dishevelled migrants fleeing from colonial violence with “if we are so bad why are people crossing our borders”. It tells them it is indeed the moral superiority of the West that we are running to. Not the ruins of imperialism. Not the wars they have implanted, cultivated and nurtured.

The forests they’ve set alight.

“Now, comrades, now is the time to decide to change sides … We must abandon our dreams and say farewell to our old beliefs and former friendships. let us not lose time in useless laments or sickening mimicry. let us leave this Europe which never stops talking of man yet massacres him at every one of its street corners, at every corner of the world.”

Now. Now is the time. Now at the junction of the climate’s end and the unlimited takeover attempts their liberal governments grant fascists. When Congolese are killed after Western traffic stops, when the Congo is killed by Western mining corps, it is full passed the time. When their most reputable papers misrepresent the killing and the funeral of a journalist. When our people are killed for existing. It is time.

They cannot quit colonialism. leave this West. let us see if we cannot build a world on mangos and abolition.

Yannick Giovanni Marshall is an academic and scholar of African Studies.

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Tuesday, 24 May, 2022 | karaChi

news

09

SenSitizAtiOn WORkShOP FOR COnduCt OF 7th POPuLAtiOn And hOuSing CenSuS 2022 laHOre

A

Press release

S per recommendations of Census Advisory Committee and the directions of Professor Ahsan Iqbal, Minister PD&SI, PBS has initiated a series of Sensitization Workshops with Chief Secretaries, relevant Secretaries, and functionaries at Provincial levels. These workshops will bring more clarity and ownership of provinces in the process of the census as provinces are important stakeholders and are directly involved in data collection, execution, and monitoring of the Census process.

In this connection, The first stage sensitization workshop of the series in connection with the forthcoming 7th Population and Housing Census 2022, (the first-ever Digital Census in Pakistan) was organized by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics at Avari Hotel, Lahore.

The workshop featured the sensitization of the divisional and district administration of Punjab, as it symbolizes the critical synergetic relationship that will exist between the PBS and provincial, divisional & district administration throughout the gigantic national activity. This workshop aimed to inform participants about completed tasks so far and about future strategies, plans, methods, and tools for successful completion of the Census.

On behalf of Chief Secretary Punjab, Mr. Asad Rehman Gillani, Secretary Local Government & Community Development Department (LG&CD), Punjab was the Chief Guest on the occasion. Dr. Naeem uz Zafar, Chief Statistician along with Mr. Muhammad Sarwar Gondal, Member (Support Services/Resource Management), Mr. Ayazudin, Member Census and Surveys, Dr. Amjad Javaid Sandhu, DG (Admin), Dr. Syed Wasim Abbas Director/Incharge PBS Provincial office, Lahore and Senior Officers from PBS Islamabad, Lahore jointly hosted the event. Secreatry LG&CD, Commissioner Lahore Capt. Muhammad Usman, representatives from Senior Member Board of Revenue, Secretary Population Welfare, Secretary Primary & Secondary Healthcare, and all Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners offices of the Punjab and Director General, Punjab Bureau of Statistics attended the workshop.

Dr. Naeem Uz Zafar, Chief Statistician, PBS welcomed all the distinguished guests and briefly told them the background and importance of census process. He informed that Census is an important national activity and linked with resource allocation to provinces, representation in National / Provincial assemblies and delimitation process. Therefore, it is need of the day to take provinces on board and address their grievances before conduct of Census. He further informed that PBS is planning for Census as per decision of Coun-

cil of Common Interest (CCI) which along with the recommendations for conduct of census was devised by the Census Advisory Committee (CAC) comprising of renowned demographer and experts from all provinces.

CAC advised the involvement of provinces at earlier stage will be helpful in resolving challenges faced in previous census well before time.

Then, Mr. Asad Rehman Gillani, Secretary LG&CD, Punjab, in his inaugural address, shed light on the value of Census and Population data in evidence-based decision making and appreciated the working of the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics towards the ini-

tiation of the first-ever digital census in Pakistan. He also emphasized the cooperation of the Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners for the successful conduct of the Census Operation in line with the instructions of the federal government and PBS. Mr. Muhammad Sarwar Gondal, in his presentation aware the participants about the recommendations of the Census Advisory Committee for the conduct of the 7th Population & Housing Census-2022. Moreover, he included that as per the decision of CCI, PBS is going to conduct Census after five years intervals, for the first time, with the use of the latest tools and technologies

OGDCL sets up free surgical eye camp at Chaknaurang oil field Press release OGDCL under its CSR Program established 03 days Free Surgical Eye Camp at OGDCL CSR Dispensary situated in Chak Naurang & School Screening at various locations in Chak Naurang and surroundings was conducted from 18th to 21st May 2022 in collaboration with Al-Shifa Eye Trust Hospital. In this regard an impressive opening ceremony was arranged at OGDCL CSR Dispensary District Chakwal on 19.05.2022 and Addl. Deputy Commissioner (F&P), Chakwal Mr. Mujahid Abbas inaugurated the eye camp as Chief Guest.

Mr. Iqbal Khan Field Manager, Col. Tariq Usman, General Manager-Al Shifa Eye Trust and Sr. CSR officer Mr. Muhammad Shujah ur Rehman participated in the inaugural ceremony.

Addl. Deputy Commissioner visited the Eye Camp and enquired about the

Mobilink Microfinance Bank continues to be only microfinance bank to secure a ‘Positive Outlook’ by PACRA IslaMaBaD Press release

Pakistan’s largest digital bank, Mobilink Microfinance Bank Limited (MMBL) has added yet another feather to its cap by becoming the only microfinance institution in Pakistan to secure a ‘Positive Outlook’ credit rating from Pakistan Credit Rating Agency (PACRA) as per its latest Credit Rating Assessments issued on April 30, 2022. Moreover, MMBL is also one of the only two banks attaining a Positive Outlook in the overall banking industry- microfinance or commercial. The bank successfully sustained its positive outlook from the previous year and continued to remain outside of the Agency's watchlist, while also maintaining its A/A1 rating for Long-Term /Short-Term credit profile. MMBL’s remarkable success is reflective of customers’ unflinching faith in the institution, reciprocated equally by the bank through the digitalization and diversification of its operations to better facilitate its users.

health of patients whose surgery had been done, the patients showed their complete satisfaction about the overall process.

Thereafter, the ADC visited the Operation Theater established at OGDCL CSR Dispensary by the Expert Team / Doctors of

Al-Shifa Eye Trust and witnessed the live operation / laser Procedure going on. It is further informed to the team that all the expenses incurred at three days Eye Camp including Laser / Phaco Surgery, provision of glasses and medicines will be borne by OGDCL under its CSR program.

According to the data available, 897 patients were screened, 801 were provided medicines, 695 provided with glasses and cataract surgery was conducted over 121 patients. In addition to that 1441 Children were also screened in different schools, performed 166 COVID tests, 133 Lab Screening, 185 special glasses were issued to the needy people and 50 patients were referred to Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, Rawalpindi for further investigation and treatment.

Addl. Deputy Commissioner Mr. Mujahid Abbas appreciated OGDCL efforts under CSR Initiative for the under privilege community of Chak Naurang village.

Ground breaking ceremony of Nova City Phase 1 Peshawar Division held The ground breaking ceremony of Nova City Phase 1 (Peshawar Division), a modern and upgraded way of lifestyle, was held today, following which formal construction of a modern and far-reaching business venture project has begun at site. Nova Group which has projects under way in Islamabad & Lahore has stepped in KPK to provide modern way of living for the local people and provide upgraded lifestyle.

Chairman NOVA specially welcomed the distinguished guests from all walks of life and thanked the people of KP for overwhelming response. He re-iterated the NOVA’s resolve to bring change in real estate sector of Pakistan. He informed the audience about future plans and addition of entertainment, business districts, education, international hospitals and farm houses.

Study being done for feasibility of electricity production on running water. He promised to work day and night to provide state of art upgraded lifestyle cultured in rich heritage of KP. He further announced huge foreign investment is expected in NOVA projects in July by their foreign partners.

The Nova city is ideally located

near Charsadda interchange at M-1 which makes it ideal for living for people of Peshawar , Nowshera, Charsadda, Mardan & Sawabi who will enjoy the modern facilities and be at the a arm’s length to nearest main cities. Speaking on the occasion, Junaid Afzal, Chairman, Nova Group, said that the foundation stone of the city, which has been laid in today, would provide world class residential properties with

modern facilities to the local community.

The grand event was attended by a large number of local and intercity communities with numerous prominent members of Pakistan. Balloting of plots was held and the successful clients were announced which added to the festivities of the grand launch event. At the end of event a big fireworks show was done which was one of biggest and best ever in Pakistan.

by adopting the best international practices with the high aim to fetch improved quality of data. Geotagging of each structure, tablet-based and self-enumeration system will build the trust of stakeholders. He also added that a National Census Coordination Committee (N3C) has been developed at the national level in the House of PBS. While the development of the Provincial Census Coordination Committee (P3C) in provinces is in process. He also shared that to monitor the process, standards, and protocols of the Census a Census Monitoring Committee has also been constituted. Census Support Centers in Census Districts have also been established in almost 90% of the tehsils of Punjab, for which he admired the efforts of the Secretary LG&CD, Divisional and District Administration. He also shared that, a social media team is hired by the PBS to statistically literate the public about the sensitivity of the Census activities through awareness campaigns.

Chief Statistician, Dr. Naeem uz Zafar, in his closing remarks thanked the Provincial, Divisional, and District administration for sparing valuable time and attending this workshop in person from all the corners of Punjab. The cooperation of provincial and district administration at each step was admired and acknowledged by the Chief Statistician with special thanks to Secretary LG&CD for actively working for the successful conduct of this workshop.

Peshawar likely to host PSL 8 matches as massive stadium renovation underway News Desk The Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise, Peshawar Zalmi, and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have taken the initiative to overhaul Peshawar’s Arbab Niaz Stadium to host matches during the next edition of the tournament. PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja emphasized PSL franchises to play their matches in front of the home crowd after witnessing the fan support for Lahore Qalandars at Gadaffi Stadium, Lahore.

Speaking on the matter, Director of Cricketing Affairs, Mohammad Akram revealed that the Zalmi franchise has already put in the request to host PSL 8 matches. “Peshawar Zalmi has requested the PCB to host PSL matches in Peshawar and also asked authorities to complete the construction and renovation of Arbab Niaz Stadium as soon as possible,” he said. Javed Afridi, owner of the Peshawar Zalmi franchise, shared the progress of the stadium’s construction on his social media account.

Free medical & health awareness campaign held Press release Free Medical and Health Awareness Campaign was organised and managed by Team Healers (Raazia Batool, Noor Fatima, Hammad Ali Zahid and Syed Muzahir Abbas Kazmi) students of Business Administration from Foundation University School of Science and Technology.

Team Healers joined hands with Shaigan Pharmaceuticals (PVT) LTD to hold a camp at Tehmina Care Hospital in Tarnol, Islamabad for people belonging to underprivileged communities. More than 100 patients received Free Consultations, Medicines, Sugar testing, Gynaecologist check-ups, Ultrasound scans and Blood Pressure tests. Dr Tehmina Sajjad Khan (Radiologist, Gynecologist) from Tehmina Care Hospital and Dr Shagufta Noreen (Gynaecologist, Ultrasound specialist) from Yousaf Medical Centre with the help of nursing staff provided their services at the medical camp and diagnosed patients suffering from various problems.

A large number of patients upon the consultancy of doctors received free medicines provided by Shaigan Pharmaceuticals (PVT) LTD. which includes ESSO 20, Zybon-D and MYDEX. Punjab Emergency Service Rescue 1122 provided 3 hour-long First Aid Training Session to around 50 people belonging to the community. Dr Shagufta Noreen provided a session on Female Health Awareness, Breast Cancer & Menstrual Health Awareness and family Planning to more than 50 females.

10 Foreign 24 May 2022_Layout 1 5/24/2022 12:41 AM Page 1

Tuesday, 24 May, 2022 | KARACHI

10 FORIGEN NEWS

In Tokyo, BIden says woUld Be wIllIng To Use foRce To defend TaIwan TOKYO

U

ReuteRs

S President Joe Biden said on Monday he would be willing to use force to defend Taiwan, as part of a series of critical comments about China, but an aide said the remark represented no change in American policy on the self-ruled island.

Biden’s comment, made during his first visit to Japan since taking office, and as Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida looked on, appeared to be a departure from the existing US policy of so-called strategic ambiguity on Taiwan.

China considers the island its territory, part of “one China”, and says it is the most sensitive and important issue in its ties with the United States.

When a reporter asked Biden if the United States would defend Taiwan if it were attacked, the president answered: “Yes.” “That’s the commitment we made,” he said, during a joint news conference with the Japanese

leader. “We agree with a one-China policy. We’ve signed on to it and all the intended agreements made from there. But the idea that, that it can be taken by force, just taken by force, is just not, is just not appropriate.”

He added that it was his expectation that such an event would not happen or be attempted.

Following Biden’s comments, a White House official said there were was no change in policy towards Taiwan.

The president’s national security aides shifted in their seats and tilted their heads, studying Biden closely as he responded to the question on Taiwan.

Several looked down as he made what appeared to be an unambiguous commitment to Taiwan’s defence.

Biden made a similar comment about defending Taiwan in October. At that time, a White House spokesperson said Biden was not announcing any change in US policy and one analyst referred to the comment as a “gaffe”.

The United States has long agreed that there is

one China, including Taiwan, but it has adopted its “strategic ambiguity” on the question of whether it would get involved in military conflict over the island.

The remarks came as Biden made tough comments about China’s increasingly assertive posture in the region, saying he hoped Russian President Vladimir Putin would pay a price for his invasion of Ukraine in part to show China what it would face if it were to invade Taiwan.

The comments are likely to both infuriate Beijing and overshadow the centrepiece of Biden’s Japan visit, the launch of an Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, a broad plan providing an economic pillar for US engagement with Asia.

His trip includes meetings with the leaders of Japan, India and Australia, in the “Quad” group of countries. ‘sTrONG JapaN’ Japan’s Kishida emphasised Tokyo’s readiness to take a more robust defence posture, something the United States has long welcomed.

Iran will avenge slain Revolutionary Guards colonel, president says DUBAi ReuteRs

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said on Monday that Tehran will avenge the death of Revolutionary Guards Colonel Hassan Sayad Khodai, who was shot dead by two people on a motorcycle in the capital. “I have agreed for our security forces to seriously follow up on this matter and I have no doubt that revenge for the pure blood of our martyr will be taken,” Raisi said.

The semi-official ISNA news agency said members of an Israeli intelligence service network had been discovered and arrested by the Guards.

The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, which oversees the intelligence agency Mossad, declined to comment on the events in Tehran.

The killing on Sunday only reinforces the Guard’s determination to confront the enemies of Iran and to defend Iran’s security and national interests, Guards spokesman Ramazan Sharif said, quoted by the semi-official Mehr news agency.

“The thugs and terrorist groups affiliated with global oppression and Zionism will face consequences for their actions,” he said. Israeli media said Khodai headed a unit of the Quds Force — the Revolutionary Guards’ overseas arm — planning attacks on Israelis abroad.

Khodai was “one of the defenders of the shrines”, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported, referring to military personnel or advisers who Iran says fight on its behalf to protect Shi’ite sites in Iraq or Syria against groups such as Islamic State.

The killing comes at a time of uncertainty over the revival of Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers after months of stalled talks.

Sanam Vakil, deputy head of the Middle East and North Africa programme at Chatham House, said Khodai’s assassi-

China warns not to underestimate resolve to safeguard sovereignty Agencies

nation was meant to unsettle Tehran as tensions escalate with its arch-enemy Israel over Iran’s nuclear programme.

“Should Israel be responsible for the attack, it is a reminder of Israel’s growing reach and destabilising capacity inside Iran,” Vakil said.

Ram Ben-Barak, a former deputy Mossad chief who now heads the Israeli parliament’s Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee, said Khodai was a familiar name.

“Yes, we know it. I don’t want to get into the details of what happened or who did what. An assassination happened.

Should I say I’m sorry he’s no longer with us? I’m not sorry,” he told public radio station Kan. At least six Iranian scientists and academics have been killed or attacked since 2010, several of them by assailants riding motorcycles, in attacks believed to have targeted Iran’s nuclear programme, which the West says is aimed at producing a bomb.

Iran denies this, saying the programme has peaceful purposes, and has denounced the killings as acts of terrorism carried out by Western intelligence agencies and Mossad. Israel has declined to comment on such accusations.

Russian soldier jailed for life in first war crimes trial of Ukraine war

No one should underestimate China’s “firm resolve, staunch will and strong ability” to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Monday.

Wang made the remarks in a regular press briefing after U.S. President Joe Biden said in Tokyo that the U.S. would “defend Taiwan militarily.”

China expresses strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to Biden’s remarks, Wang said, stressing that the Taiwan region is an inalienable part of Chinese territory.

The spokesperson reiterated that the Taiwan question is purely China’s internal affairs that allow no foreign interference.

“On issues that bear on China’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and other core interests, no one shall expect China to make any compromise or trade-offs,” said Wang, warning the U.S. not to stand on the opposite side of the 1.4 billion Chinese people.

be prudent with its words and actions on the Taiwan question.

The U.S. should avoid sending wrong signals to the “Taiwan independence” separatist forces, lest it should seriously damage China-U.S. relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits, said Wang, mentioning that the Chinese side will take firm actions to safeguard its sovereignty and security interests.

e also urged the U.S. to earnestly abide by the one-China principle and stipulations in the three China-U.S. joint communiques, honor its commitment to not support “Taiwan independence” and

More than 100 million people forcibly displaced: UN

Agencies

geneVA

A Ukrainian court sentenced a Russian soldier to life in prison on Monday for killing an unarmed civilian in the first war crimes trial arising from Russia’s invasion. Vadim Shishimarin, a 21-year-old tank commander, had pleaded guilty to killing 62-year-old Oleksandr Shelipov in the northeastern Ukrainian village of Chupakhivka on Feb. 28, four days after the invasion. Judge Serhiy Agafonov said Shishimarin, carrying out a “criminal order” by a soldier of higher rank, had fired several shots at the victim’s head from an automatic weapon. “Given that the crime committed is a crime against peace, security, humanity and the international legal order … the court does not see the possibility of imposing a (shorter) sentence,” he said. Shishimarin, wearing a blue and grey hooded sweatshirt, watched proceedings silently from a reinforced glass box in the courtroom and showed no emotion as the verdict was read out.

He stood with his head bowed, listening to a translator. Shishmarin’s lawyer, Viktor Ovsyannikov, said he was not surprised by the sentence because there had been “certain pressure from society” and said he would launch a legal appeal. The trial, which began only last week, has huge symbolic significance for Ukraine and an international lawyer told Reuters it could be the first of many. Kyiv has accused Russia of atrocities against civilians during the invasion and said it has identified more than 10,000 possible war crimes.Russia has denied targeting civilians or involvement in war crimes while it carries out what it calls a “special military operation” in Ukraine. The Kremlin did not immediately comment on the verdict. It has previously said that it has no information about the trial and that the absence of a diplomatic mission in Ukraine limits its ability to provide assistance. Bar set ‘very high’ Ukrainian state prosecutors said Shishimarin and four other Russian servicemen stole a car to escape after their column was targeted by Ukrainian forces.

Russia’s war in Ukraine has pushed the number of forcibly displaced people around the world above 100 million for the first time ever, the United Nations said Monday. “The number of people forced to flee conflict, violence, human rights violations and persecution has now crossed the staggering milestone of 100 million for the first time on record, propelled by the war in Ukraine and other deadly conflicts,” said UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.

The “alarming” figure must shake the world into ending the conflicts forcing record numbers to flee their own homes, the UNHCR said in a statement.

UNHCR said the numbers of forcibly displaced people rose towards 90 million by the end of 2021, spurred by violence in Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Myanmar, Nigeria, Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Russia invaded Ukraine on

AFP

February 24 and since then, more than eight million people have been displaced within the country, while more than six million refugees have fled across the borders.

‘Wake-up call’ “One hundred million is a stark figure — sobering and alarming in equal measure. It’s a record that should never have been set,” said UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi.

“This must serve as a wake-up call to resolve and prevent destructive conflicts, end persecution, and address the underlying causes that force innocent people to flee their homes.”

The 100 million figure amounts to more than one percent of the global population, while only 13 countries have a bigger population than the number of forcibly displaced people in the world.

The figures combine refugees, asylum-seekers, as well as more than 50 million people displaced inside their own countries. “The international response to people fleeing war in Ukraine has been overwhelmingly positive,” said

Grandi.

“Compassion is alive and we need a similar mobilisation for all crises around the world. But ultimately, humanitarian aid is a palliative, not a cure.

“To reverse this trend, the only answer is peace and stability so that innocent people are not forced to gamble between acute danger at home or precarious flight and exile.” UNHCR will outline the full data on forced displacement in 2021 in its annual Global Trends Report, due for release on June 16.

‘Never beeN as bad’More than two years on since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, at least 20 countries still deny access to asylum for people fleeing conflict, violence, and persecution based on measures to clamp down on the virus.

Grandi called Friday for those countries to lift any remaining pandemic-related asylum restrictions, saying they contravene a fundamental human right.

“I am worried that measures enacted on the pretext of respond-

ing to Covid-19 are being used as cover to exclude and deny asylum to people fleeing violence and persecution,” he said. A joint report last week by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said around 38 million new internal displacements were reported in 2021. Some of those were by people forced to flee multiple times during the year.

The figure marks the secondhighest annual number of new internal displacements in a decade after 2020, which saw recordbreaking movement due to a string of natural disasters.

Last year, new internal displacements specifically from conflict surged to 14.4 million — marking a 50-percent jump from 2020, the report showed.

“It has never been as bad as this,” NRC chief Jan Egeland told reporters.

Natural disasters continued to account for most new internal displacement, spurring 23.7 million such movements in 2021.

Tuesday, 24 May, 2022 | KARACHI

Shadab, Nawaz back iN PakiStaN Squad for weSt iNdieS odiS

a

AFP

LL-ROUNDERS Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz have returned to Pakistan’s squad for next month’s one-day international series against the West Indies, selectors said on Monday.

Shadab, 23, and the 28-year-old Nawaz were part of Pakistan’s Twenty20 series against the West Indies in December but have since been out of action with injury.

The three-match series against the Windies will be staged in Rawalpindi on June 8, 10 and 12.

The ODIs were initially slated as part of the West Indies’ 2021 tour of Pakistan but were postponed after a spate of Covid cases in the visitors’ camp.

“Nawaz and Shadab are now fully fit, which has allowed us to leave out

News Desk Former Sri Lankan cricketer and the current coach of the country’s women’s team, Hashan Tillakaratne, has expressed his desire to meet Pakistan’s legendary cricketer Javed Miandad during their tour of Pakistan. The Sri Lanka women’s team is scheduled to play three T20Is and as many ODIs against Pakistan, starting from tomorrow. “I would really love to meet Miandad. He helped me a lot in my batting career,” Hashan stated. The Sri Lankan coach also heaped praises on Pakistan and expressed his gratitude for always standing next to Sri Lanka in desperate times.

“Pakistan has always helped us. I consider Pakistan as big brother,” he further added. Talking about his team’s preparations ahead of the T20I series against Pakistan, Tillakaratne said they have some really good players with solid preparation. “We have prepared ourselves strongly for this series which is very important for us. Our players haven’t played cricket for the last two years but some really talented young girls excite us a lot for this series. We look forward to some competitive cricket,” he added.

AFP

Disgraced former captain Salman Butt gets Singapore job LAHORe AFP

Former Test captain Salman Butt, who was banned over a high-profile 2010 spot-fixing scandal, has been appointed to a coaching role with Singapore’s national team, cricket officials said.

The 37-year-old has been named consultant coach and will bring a “wealth of experience” to the side, the Singapore Cricket Association (SCA) said.

His first challenge will be the T20 World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe in July.

The left-handed batsman was part of the team from 2003 to 2010, when a spot-fixing scandal erupted on their tour of England.

Butt, captain at the time, was charged with orchestrating deliberate no-balls from his pace bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif during a Lord’s Test in return for money.

They were all banned for five years and jailed by a United Kingdom court.

Though they completed their bans in 2015, only Amir was able

fuelled by Premier League dynasty, Man city crave champions League legacy LONDON

Asif Afridi and Usman Qadir,” said chief selector Mohammad Wasim in a statement.

“We have given the best chance to the squad to win the series.”

The 16-man squad will assemble in Rawalpindi on June 1 for a training camp although English County Championship players Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Rizwan and Shadab will join later.

The West Indies series is part of the ODI Super League, a qualifying round for the 2023 World Cup in India.

Squad: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan, Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Junior, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shahnawaz Dahani, Zahid Mahmood.

Sri Lanka women’s team head coach eager to meet Javed Miandad

SPORTS 11

to regain his place in the team.

Butt — who before the ban had played 33 Tests, 78 one-day internationals and 24 T20 matches — has since played some domestic cricket.

SCA chief executive Saad Khan Janjua said he hoped Butt’s abilities and experience would inspire the Singapore players ahead of the qualifiers.

“Butt is an accomplished

player with an experience that can push the players to the next level,” Saad was cited as saying in The Straits Times newspaper.

Singapore are not a top international side but have enjoyed some recent success.

They won the 2020 Asian Cricket Council Eastern region T20 tournament after defeating Thailand, Malaysia and Hong Kong.

Manchester City’s latest Premier League title triumph established the champions as a burgeoning dynasty, but Pep Guardiola won’t be satisfied until their domestic bliss becomes the catalyst to conquer Europe. City’s fourth title in five seasons is arguably the greatest achievement of Guardiola’s glittering career as he found a way to hold off Liverpool’s relentless challenge by one point. “The magnitude of our achievement is because of the magnitude of this rival,” said Guardiola. “Never ever I had a rival like Liverpool in my career as a football player or manager.” But even Jurgen Klopp’s men, in the midst of one of the best seasons in their history, were unable to surpass City, leaving them with just one Premier League title in 32 years. Lauding his players’ remarkable staying power, Guardiola said: “You cannot be here over the last five years if you don’t have that resilience. “We have the desire to win. To win titles, especially the Premier League, is not just how good we are with the ball.”

Nothing resembled that resilience more than the manner of City’s latest title triumph. Losing 2-0 to Aston Villa with 15 minutes to go, City rallied in remarkable fashion to score three times in five minutes. Yet, while Guardiola celebrates the ninth major prize of his sixyear City reign, Klopp will be planning to add another chapter to Liverpool’s rich Champions League history.

Liverpool face Real Madrid in the Champions League final on May 28 and Guardiola would dearly love to swap places with Klopp in Paris. Since winning the second of his two Champions League crowns with Barcelona on 2011, Guardiola’s relationship with Europe’s elite club competition has been scarred by one agonising failure after another. This season was no different as City crashed to a devastating semi-final exit against Real Madrid, blowing a 5-3 aggregate lead in the final seconds of normal time before losing in the extra period. That heartache at the Bernabeu came a year after City’s limp loss to Chelsea in their first-ever Champions League final.

HAAlAnd tHe perfect fit? With that in mind, Guardiola knows City cannot afford to stand still if they are to finally triumph in Europe and keep Liverpool at bay in the Premier League. A £51.5 million ($63 million) swoop for Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland earlier in May was the opening salvo in their bid to achieve those two targets. Haaland scored a remarkable 86 goals in 89 games for Dortmund and appears an ideal fit for City. The 21-year-old son of former City defender Alfie Haaland will arrive in time for next season, bringing his elite predatory instincts and physical presence to a City attack lacking both those qualities despite their success. With the Norway international in the fold and Guardiola also looking to upgrade his options at left-back and in central midfield, it would be a major surprise if City were missing from the title race next term. The only threat to City’s dynastic ambitions comes in the shape of Guardiola’s future plans.

Guardiola’s current contract expires in June 2023, by which time he will have spent seven years with City, three seasons longer than he managed Barcelona and four more than his spell with Bayern Munich. The 51year-old revealed amid the title celebrations he is “exhausted” and will not discuss a further extension to his time in Manchester until next season.

Djokovic, Nadal launch French Open bids as Swiatek puts streak on line PARIs AFP

Defending champion Novak Djokovic and 13-time French Open winner Rafael Nadal start their Roland Garros campaigns on a star-studded Monday, while women’s favourite Iga Swiatek begins her quest for a second title in three attempts.

Unseeded Naomi Osaka faces a tough first-round test as she returns to Paris a year on from her dramatic withdrawal after she was fined and threatened with a Grand Slam ban for refusing to honour media commitments. Djokovic plays Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan in the first of 10 night sessions — introduced at Roland Garros last year when a pandemic curfew saw most late matches played in front of empty stands.

It is the world number one’s first Grand Slam match since his highprofile deportation from Australia.

He won his first title of the year at the Italian Open earlier this month.

“I feel I am always in that contention to fight for any Grand Slam trophy,” said Djokovic, who is seeded to meet Nadal in the quarterfinals and Spanish teenage sensation

Carlos Alcaraz in the last four.

Djokovic’s last match at a major was his loss to Daniil Medvedev in last year’s US Open final, a defeat which denied the Serb a calendar Grand Slam.

Nadal has yet to win a title on his beloved clay this season, but played down concerns over the chronic foot issue that resurfaced in Rome.

“There is nothing to recover,” said Nadal who faces Austalia’s Jordan Thompson. “What happened in Rome is something that happened very often in my practices.”

“I was suffering after that for a couple of days, but I feel better.

That’s why I’m here.”

Nadal began the year with a 20match winning run, capturing a second Australian Open title to claim a record 21st Grand Slam and move ahead of Djokovic and Roger Federer. The 35-year-old’s record at the French Open stands at a staggering 105 wins and just three losses since his 2005 titlewinning debut.

Djokovic has been responsible for two of those defeats. One came in the bruising semi-final 12 months ago, the most recent clash of the

pair’s epic 58-match rivalry.

All eyes on swiAtek, osAkA: Swiatek, the 2020 French Open champion, takes on Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko in round one.

The 20-year-old from Poland has swept aside all-comers and transformed herself into the player to beat in women’s tennis since the shock retirement of world number one Ashleigh Barty.

Swiatek has won her past five tournaments and is unbeaten in 28 matches dating back to Dubai in February. Her winning streak is the longest on the WTA tour since Serena Williams won 34 matches in a row in 2013.

“I’m aware that this streak is something that may be coming to an end soon, so I don’t want to be like heartbroken when it’s going to happen,” said Swiatek.

Japanese superstar Osaka admitted she was “worried” over her return to the French Open, fearing she had “offended” people when she controversially quit the 2021 tournament.

Osaka, a former world number one and four-time major winner, then took a break from the sport, revealing she had been suffering bouts

of depression.

“I’m not going to lie. Like when I first came here, I was very worried,” the 24-year-old said last week.

“I was just kind of worried that there were people that I offended some way and I would just kind of

bump into them.”

She opens against American 27th seed Amanda Anisimova, a semi-finalist in 2019.

Anisimova knocked Osaka out of the Australian Open in the third round this year.

Reigning women’s champion Barbora Krejcikova will play France’s Diane Parry in round. The Czech world number two has been sidelined by arm injury since late February and is yet to play on clay this year.

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PTI requests ECP to stop Hamza Shehbaz from working as Punjab CM News Desk

agencies

HIEF of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Monday called Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss military cooperation, and other issues. According to the Saudi foreign ministry, during the call, the two leaders reviewed cooperation and relations between the two countries in the military field. The army chief also enquired about the health of the Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, while the crown prince expressed his thanks for the “sincere feelings.” It is worth mentioning that Saudi Arabia’s king, 86, left the hospital on May 16 following a colonoscopy. Saudi TV ran a video clip showing the monarch walking slowly using a cane as he left King Faisal Specialist Hospital in the city of Jeddah, where he was admitted on the evening of May 7.

Fawad Chaudhry warns govt against using force to stop PTI’s ‘Azadi March’ News Desk PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry Monday warned the government against using force to stop the “Azadi March” as the party prepares to head to Islamabad to seek early elections and send the coalition government packing. In a press conference flanked by party leaders, the former information minister told the government that it could arrest PTI leaders and workers if it wanted, but it would not be in its favour.

PTI Chairman Imran Khan had announced yesterday that his party’s muchanticipated Islamabad long march would begin on May 25 and he will meet his workers and supporters at 3pm at the Srinagar Highway.

The PTI chairman also told the workers that he would be leading the march from Khyber Pakhtunkwa to Islamabad himself.

Laying out the plan for the march in his presser today, Chaudhry said Khan would leave Peshawar in the morning on

Eight die as jeep plunges into gorge in Abbottabad ABBOTTABAD news Desk

May 25 and while leading a rally from the KP capital, he would reach Islamabad on the same day.

He noted that the call to march towards Islamabad was restricted to people in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkwa, while workers in Karachi would hold protests in their city.

The ex-information minister also said that the PTI chairman would also announce the next action plan on June 3, indicating that the march could extend.

The PTI leader further told the government that it could not stop “hundreds of thousands of people” from marching to Islamabad.

“Women, children, ex-servicemen, doctors, and bureaucrats will be part of our march. Retired generals will also be part of our long march,” claimed Fawad.

The former federal minister said there are “responsible” officers in the administration who have informed PTI that they are being “pressurised”. He claimed that several officers would resign, but would not play their part in stopping the march.

Moving on, the ex-information minister said the country was facing “embarrassment” due to the Sharif family and the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).

But he also told the PML-N to hold an inter-party consultation and quit the coalition government claiming that PPP Cochairman Asif Ali Zardari had the upper

hand and due to him, “Pakistan was suffering”.

Berating the government, he said that India had recently slashed the price of petroleum products after it imported cheap oil from Russia.

“We were about to enter the same deal, but we weren’t allowed to sign it.”

Praising the ousted government’s accomplishments, Chaudhry said during their term, the country witnessed a GDP growth of 6% and increased employment opportunities.

He claimed that the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have made it clear to the coalition government of their intentions. The statement comes amid reports that Riyadh has linked its support to Islamabad with the revival of the stalled International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) programme.

“Their countries’ intelligence agencies have told them that the people of Pakistan do not stand with the current government,” he said.

The ex-information minister said with every passing day, economic and political crises were deepening.

“Till the political situation does not settle, the economic turmoil will continue.” He went on to say that if the incumbent government remains in power for the next two to three months, there is a fear of Pakistan defaulting.

PTI LONG MARCH

Asad says people to make history on May 25

As many many, eight persons died and several others sustained injuries when a passenger jeep carrying tourists fell into a gorge in Abbottabad area of KP Province on Monday. According to health and rescue officials, the ill-fated jeep was on the way to Abbottabad from Murree. The driver, however, lost control of the steering while negotiating a difficult turn and the jeep plunged into a deep ravine in Khaira Gali. As a result, six persons died on the spot while several others got injured in the accident. Residents of the area and rescue teams launched an operation after the accident. However, due to deepening of the gorge, rescue operations were facing difficulties. The injured were rushed to Murree Hospital by the rescue teams with the help of locals, where two other injured persons breathed their last, taking the toll to eight. According to the initial police report, the dead and injured included women.

Parvez Elahi evades no-trust owing to baffling directions by PML-N News Desk The Pakistan Muslim League-N’s (PML-N) baffling directions to lawmakers helped the speaker of the Punjab Assembly avoid a no-confidence motion pending against him on Sunday. On Sunday morning, at 9:30am, a parliamentary meeting of the PML-N was held at 90 Shahrah-e-Quaid-iAzam in Lahore. Around 197 members of the provincial assembly (MPAs) reached the venue on time, say those in the PML-N who were privy to the developments. During the meeting, Hamza Shehbaz, the chief minister of Punjab, and Attaullah Tarar, the deputy secretary-general of PML-N, told the members that Elahi had called goons from Gujrat to capture the assembly building. Later, Tarar, Muhammad Ahmed, Awais Leghari and Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Murtaza Hassan left for the Punjab assembly to stage a protest. As time went by, the confused MPAs waiting at 90 Shahrah-e-Quaid-i-Azam began to ask their leadership when they will go to the assembly to vote against the speaker. No clear answer was given. Finally, at around 12:20pm, directions were issued to the gathered MPAs to reach the assembly hall, along with those who moved the no-confidence motion on April 8.

When the men and women reached the assembly, they were stunned to find out that the session had ended and the resolution against the Punjab assembly speaker had been rejected due to the absence of the movers. A source within the PML-N says that soon after the session, trolling of the six MPAs, who had originally moved the no-trust move against Elahi, began on social media. During which, PML-N’s MPA Samiullah Khan was called a “traitor” for abandoning his political party. Khan’s wife and a PML-N leader, Azma Bukhari, tweeted that it was “a pity” and she was heartbroken at the allegations of “traitor” against her husband.

Govt decides to restore weekly off on Saturdays IsLAMABAD TLTP

Sino-Pak relations to remain unshakable in face of global changes: China ISLAMABAD: China on Monday said that no matter how the international landscape may evolve, China-Pakistan relations will remain unshakable. Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs told a regular briefing that the recent visit of Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari who took China as the first destination of his official bilateral visits after assuming his post fully shows that the new government of Pakistan is committed to developing our all-weather strategic cooperative partnership.“China highly appreciates this. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held productive talks with Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and they issued a joint statement,” he said. Wang Wenbin said that the two sides reached important consensus in the following five aspects. “First, both sides agreed that the China-Pakistan friendship has endured for a long time and is full of vitality, the bilateral relations are rock-solid, and the solidarity and cooperation between the two sides has become an important stabilizing factor in a turbulent and changing world,” he said. mian abrar

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Monday wrote a letter to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, requesting him to stop Hamza Shehbaz from working as the Punjab chief minister, according to a news outlet. The letter was filed by PTI’s counsel Faisal Chaudhry following ECP’s decision on May 20 regarding de-seating 25 PTI MPAs for defying party directives and voting for Hamza for the post of the provincial chief executive. “Hamza Shahbaz has lost the majority in the Punjab Assembly after the decision of the election commission,” the letter prayed. “Deciding on the reference, the election commission has terminated the membership of 25 deviant members,” it maintained. It further prayed that the CEC to the commission should de-notify the dissident MPAs. “Notification of Punjab MPAs should be issued according to a new list on five reserved seats,” the letter requested. “The PTI has also sent five names for the reserved seats,” it added. In the letter, the party requested that Batool Janjua, Saira Raza and Fauzia Abbas should be notified on the women’s seats whereas Habkook Gul and Samuel Yaqub to be nominated on minority seats.

News Desk Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Umar on Monday said that people of Pakistan will make history on May 25 as PTI chairman announced Long March to Islamabad on Sunday.

Talking to media persons, Asad Umar said that all the arrangements for the march have been made. “After this day, decisions for Pakistan will not be made behind the closed doors,” he said. He went on to say that decisions regarding Pakistan will not be made by

the illegal money or by conspiracies and after Haqeeqi Azadi March, masses will be prosperous. On the other hand, PTI decided to hold protest at Numaish Chorangi in Karachi while live screening of the footages from Islamabad Long March will be shown there.

President of PTI Karachi Bilal Ghaffar will be leading the protests in Karachi.

Bilal Ghaffar said that 5 long Marches were held in Islamabad in Imran Khan’s government which were not stopped, adding, “masses will not accept the regime change operation in Pakistan”.

The federal government on Monday decided to restore weekly off on Saturday for government employees, which Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had earlier abolished. However, the decision will be approved by a meeting of the cabinet presided over by PM Shehbaz on Tuesday. The premier, via executive order, had directed the government offices to remain open on Saturdays. The decision was faced with severe resistance as the majority of people were against it. Subsequently, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) had decided to observe a six-day working week with revised working hours, issuing a notification to all commercial banks, development finance institutions and microfinance banks. As a result, bankers across the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad had staged protests outside the press clubs and SBP buildings against the government’s decision.

Published by Arif Nizami at Plot No 66-C, 1st Floor, 21st Commercial Street, Phase-II (Extension), DHA Karachi and printed at Ibn-e-Hassan Printing Press, Hockey Stadium, Karachi, for PT Print (Pvt) Limited. Ph: 021-35381208-9. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk