Epaper – May 3-2022 ISB

Tuesday, 3 May, 2022 I 1 Shawal, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 305 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition

IHC bArs FIA, polICe From goIng AFter ptI leAdersHIp

LAHORE

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Staff RepoRt

blasphemy case filed against the top leadership of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) made the party reach out to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday. Party’s senior vice president Fawad Chaudhary approached the court to file a petition, stating the court should take action against all the fraudulent cases being registered against PTI. Responding to the request, the IHC ordered the Interior Secretary to make sure that the party leadership is not harassed until May 9 and up till then, no further inquiry be initiated against them.

The former minister further stated that the court should refrain the state institutions from the illegal harassment of the party activists and furthermore issue instructions to record the cases registered across the country. Any action taken by the police or the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) should be considered illegal by the orders of the high court. The

petition is scheduled to be heard by Chief Justice Athar Minallah.

It merits mention here that a case had been registered against PTI chairman Imran Khan and Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed over the Masjid-e-Nabawi incident. One Qazi Muhammad Tariq has registered the case at the New Airport police station on the matter of desecration of Masjid-e-Nabawi by inappropriate behaviour and chanting of slogans on the premises. In addition, Khan, Rasheed, Chaudhry, Shahbaz Gill, and Murad Saeed have been nominated in the case. As per the lawsuit, a group of headed by Rasheed was sent to Saudi Arabia, adding that the second group from Britain was headed by Sahibzada Jahangir and included Aneel Musarrat, Nabeel Musarrat, Rana Abdul Sattar, Amir Ilyas, Ejaz Haq and Gohar Jilani.

The registered case further stated that the incident that took place in Masjid-e-Nabawi hurt the feelings of

Muslims.

Meanwhile, an application for registration of a case against Khan and Sheikh Rashid has also been submitted at the Margalla police station.

As per the context of the application, the PTI workers in Saudi Arabia have violated the sterility of the Holy site, adding that the whole affair was planned in Pakistan, Sheikh Rashid had pre-planned the Masjid-e-Nabawi incident. A case should be registered against the former Interior Minister, it added. The petition was filed by a citizen named Muhammad Nawaz Bhatti seeking registration of the aforementioned case. Earlier, an FIR has also been lodged against former prime minister Khan and other top leadership of the party in Faisalabad.

According to the report, the charges are brought for involvement in the incident at Masjid-e-Nabwi, where Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and federal ministers were ridiculed by some Pakistani pilgrims.

Separately, the IHC restrained the authorities concerned from arresting Gill upon his return to Pakistan. The court issued the directives while hearing a writ petition filed by the politician seeking protective bail in the same case.The petition stated that Gill had been falsely implicated in several FIRs to "harrass, pressurise, blackmail and humiliate". The petition also stated that Gill was ready to appear before the court to prove his innocence but was prevented from doing so as the current government was bent upon arresting him at any cost.When the IHC CJ took up the petition, Gill's lawyer Advocate Faisal Chaudhry told the court that his client was in the US when the incident occurred. When Justice Minallah asked where Gill was, Chaudhry replied that the PTI leader had left for the US on April 28 and would return on May 4.The lawyer further informed the court that 11 different cases had been registered against Gill and others in several cities, including Faisalabad, Attock, Jhelum, Burewala, Karachi, Jhang and Islamabad."[The petitioners] are being targeted for political revenge," he argued.The hearing was adjourned till 10:30am on May 6.

ConTinuEd on PagE 05

UAE team to arrive in Pakistan today to discuss implementation of decisions made during PM’s visit ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

A team of economic experts from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is scheduled to arrive Tuesday (today) to discuss the implementation of decisions made by the leadership of Pakistan and the oil-rich country.

Earlier during his visit, PM Shehbaz had met Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. They had discussed advancing the longstanding relations between the two nations, and the prospects of propelling cooperation on various fronts. The two sides had reviewed a number of regional and international issues of common concern, according to the Emirates News Agency.

In a series of tweets on Monday, the Prime Minister’s Office said the delegation of economic experts is visiting the country to ensure implementation of the decisions taken during the meeting a day earlier.

Imran reiterates ‘US regime-change conspiracy’ allegations NEwS DESk Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan reiterated his “US regime-change conspiracy” allegations on Monday as he shared a video of a US analyst to ‘corroborate’ his claims.

In a Fox News show, the anchorperson asked analyst Rebecca Grant to give a message to Pakistan, with whom the US government was not “happy”.

In her response, she said Pakistan needed to support Ukraine. “They would also need to end all their agreements with Russia and also should stop seeking any future deals with Russia,” she said, adding that ties with China also needed to be curtailed.

The analyst claimed that ex-PM Imran was voted out of office because of the “anti-American policies” as she urged Pakistan to end the anti-US policies.

The video of the American analyst, who does not hold a position in the government, was being used by

the PTI and supporters as proof of the US involvement in the ouster of Imran Khan.

In a series of tweets, Imran said this video would “remove all doubts

as to why a democratically elected PM and his government were removed”.

Imran claimed that the US wanted a “puppet as PM who will

not allow Pakistan choice of neutrality in a European war”.

Imran also asked a question from the Biden administration regarding their alleged involvement in the regime change in Pakistan and its impact on anti-US sentiments in the country.

The former premier again referred to the ‘threat cable’ and urged the chief justice to form a commission on the issue.

It may be noted here that the National Security Committee which includes heads of the armed forces and government bigwigs did not find evidence of foreign interference in the removal of Imran’s government contrary to the claims made by the PTI. The US had also dismissed Imran’s accusations as baseless.

Similarly, in a TV show last month, former minister and senior PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry had said that the PTI government would have remained in power if their relationship with the establishment had not deteriorated.

During their visit on Tuesday, the team members would also meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Lahore.

The delegation would also interact with the government’s economic team and deliberate on the ways to accelerate the economic activities between the two countries.

The prime minister would also host a dinner reception for the delegation which would also discuss the promotion of economic and trade relations as well as the investment.

The members of the delegation would be apprised of a conducive atmosphere for investment in Pakistan. The discussion on cooperation in the fields of energy, economy, and petroleum industry is also on the agenda.

Last year, Pakistan and the UAE had celebrated 50 years of diplomatic relations. The Gulf country had also decided to roll over a $2 billion loan to Pakistan in April 2021, with the UAE foreign minister affirming commitment to “extend every possible support”.

MORE INSIDE

Imran Khan plans to hold six rallies after Eid sTory on PagE 02

NOTICE The offices of Pakistan Today will remain closed on May 3 and May 4 on account of Eidul Fitr, therefore, the paper will not be published on May 4 and May 5.

We wish our readers a safe Eid.

Tuesday, 3 May, 2022 | K

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Tuesday, 3 May, 2022 | IsLAMABAD

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Rasheed’s nePhew ReManded in cUsTody in sloganeeRing case LAHORe

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STaff RePoRT

DISTRICT and sessions court in Attock on Monday granted twoday physical remand of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MP Sheikh Rashid Shafique to the police in connection with a case involving sloganeering against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his delegation in Medina.

Shafique, nephew of Awami Muslim League (AML) leader Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed, was arrested on Sunday after the Faisalabad police registered a case under the blasphemy laws against former prime minister Imran Khan and top leaders of his

party, among 150, in the wake of the incident.

The first information report (FIR), lodged after midnight in Medina Town police station in Faisalabad, the home town of Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah Khan, nominated some “100 to 150 people” for purportedly violating the sanctity of Masjid al-Nabawi, hurting the sentiments of Muslims across the globe, insulting Islam and violating its code of conduct at one of its holiest places, and hurling abuses and chanting slogans of thieves and traitors.

Shafique was the first suspect arrested in this case on his arrival from Saudi Arabia on Sunday night. He was accused of leading a delegation of PTI party workers from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia to raise political

Business council calls for cementing Pak-UK trade relations

slogans at the holy mosque.

Strict security arrangements were put in place both inside and outside the court. A heavy contingent of police was deployed to prevent public entry into the court’s premises.

During the proceedings, the police requested the court to remand the suspect to its custody for interrogation.

Giving his nod to the request, Judicial Magistrate Jamal Mehmood granted the police a two-day remand of Shafique and directed the police to present him again on the second day of Eid ul-Fitr.

Meanwhile, the judge adjourned the hearing until May 4.

Meanwhile, PTI supporters gathered at the Kutchery Chowk neighbourhood of the

city and protested against Shafique’s arrest.

Party’s top city leadership, including Zulfi

Imran plans to hold six rallies after Eid

ISLAMABAD TLTP

UK-Pakistan Business Council Monday stressed the urgent need for further enhancing bilateral trade coupled with uninterrupted flow of foreign investments for mutual benefits of the two countries. Chairman UKPakistan Business Council Mian Kashif Ashfaq while talking to a delegation led by UK based Pakistani investor Muhammad Arbab Khan, president PakistanBritish Friendship Council North, said that Pakistan has long-standing historic ties with the United Kingdom which need to be further strengthened. He shared a broad economic agenda and priorities of the government that mainly aimed at bringing about economic and fiscal stability leading to economic recovery and growth. He said both countries enjoy excellent economic and multidimensional relationships which will be further cemented in the days to come. He said the government is creating a business-friendly environment to attract foreign investments in different sectors of their areas of mutual interest. He said vast scope of foreign investments exist in Pakistan with epoch making packages of incentives. Mian Kashif Ashfaq emphasised the need for holding a series of result oriented joint meetings with UK-Pakistan investors. He urged the Pakistan exporters to penetrate in the hidden markets of the UK and establish close liaison with British entrepreneurs. He said UPBC will facilitate all UK visiting delegations for exploring investment avenues. He hoped that leader of the UK delegation Muhammad Arbab Khan will work tirelessly with his dedicated team and bring more investments to Pakistan besides help boosting Pak exports to UK. Muhammad Arbab Khan invited Mian Kashif Ashfaq to visit UK and will arrange his one on one meeting with UK investors. He announced he will himself bear all expenses of the Pak delegation till their return including travelling and lodges expenses.

Bilawal, Turkish FM discuss diplomatic relations NewS DeSk Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Monday received a telephone call from Turkish counterpart Mevlüt Çavusoglu, who felicitated him on assuming office as Foreign Minister of Pakistan. The Turkish Foreign Minister also congratulated Bilawal BhuttoZardari on Eidul Fitr. They also discussed further strengthening of close fraternal cooperation between the two countries. FM Bilawal thanked his counterpart Mevlüt Çavusoglu for Turkey's support for Pakistan's stance on the Kashmir issue. They agreed to celebrate the completion of 75 years of diplomatic relations between the two nations. It is pertinent to note that last year Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had called for a solution to the decades-old Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan on the basis of the United Nations resolutions. Addressing the 76th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), he had said in a wide-ranging speech to the 193-member assembly: “We maintain our stance in favour of solving the ongoing problem in Kashmir for 74 years, through dialogue between the parties and within the framework of relevant United Nations resolutions.”

President Erdogan has consistently raised the Kashmir issue at the annual sessions of the UNGA. At the 75th session last year, the Turkish leader said: "The Kashmir conflict, which is also key to the stability and peace in South Asia, is still a burning issue.

Steps taken following the abolition of the special status of [occupied] Jammu and Kashmir further complicated the problem."

Bukhari and his cousin Syed Yawer Abbas Bukhari, also participated.

NewS DeSk PTI Chairman and former premier Imran Khan has announced to hold six public rallies in different cities

after Eidul Fitr, in a bid to mobilise the public and strengthen his stance of ousting his government through “foreign conspiracy” The former premier has time and again claimed that

a “foreign conspiracy” was hatched to topple his government over his refusal to have Pakistan’s foreign policy be influenced by abroad. Since his ouster, he has held public rallies in three major cities of the country.

His first anti-government roadshow on April 13 in the centre of his party’s political power, Peshawar, saw a big turnout where Imran announced his plan to continue protesting against the newly-installed government until fresh elections were held.

He termed the newly formed set up an “imported government” and lashed out at Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, saying the “decisive moment” had come for the people to decide if they wanted “slavery or liberty”.

In his second power show on April 16 at the packed-to-capacity Bagh-e-Jinnah, Karachi, the former premier called the PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif as the mastermind of the “international conspiracy” and predicted his return to the country.

He said it would be a test of the judicial system that had opened its doors at midnight for his ouster.

His third address at Minar-e-Pakistan, Lahore on April 21 was no less than the previous power shows where a large number of people converged to listen to the speech of their leader. During his address, he indicated that his next stop would be in the federal capital as he urged his supporters and party workers to “wait for my call.” Now, the PTI chief plans to hold the first power show in his hometown of Mianwali on May 6. The second rally will be organised in Jhelum on May 10 while the third in Attock on May 12. Imran plans to address the fourth public gathering in Sialkot on May 14. The fifth rally of the PTI will be held in Faisalabad on May 15 and the last in Chakwal on May 19.

UBG proposes steps for growth-oriented, business-friendly environment ISLAMABAD TLTP

United Business Group (UBG) of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry has submitted a set of 40 export-oriented proposals to the federal government to accelerate the pace of trade activities and restore the confidence of foreign and local investors with a basket of incentives.

Chairing the maiden online core committee meeting on Monday, UBG Chairman Shahzad Ali Malik informed the participants that all proposals before submission were thrashed out threadbare and a team of top-class business experts further polished and gave final shape.

He said all proposals were mainly aimed at ensuring a growth-oriented and business-friendly environment to boost the economic activities in the aftermath of coronavirus pandemic impact, prevailing political turmoil and economic upheaval grappling the country. He said Pakistan is passing through crucial times since its inception due to deadly pandemic, Russian-Ukraine war, political chaotic condition and at this uncertain time, business community has come forward with a clear vision to stamp out the quagmire of prevailing critical crisis.

The UBG with consultation of all stakeholders tailored such viable proposals which will ultimately help the government to revive the economy through the upcoming budget, he added. Shahzad Ali Malik said the private sector wanted to supplement the new government's efforts, focusing on the economic revival of the country, adding that joint proposals would help make the budget business-friendly, which would finally result in a robust export-led growth.

He urged the new government to focus on ease of doing business which would attract the much-needed investment to trigger economic growth in the country.

He hoped that die hard and dynamic Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif who had also been most successful Chief Minister of the largest province and most popular President of Lahore chamber, a pioneer trade body of the Indo-Pak is highly appreciative of the contribution of the traders and the business community towards strengthening the economy and promoting tax culture regime, he added.

He said UBG fully supports bringing the identified millions of non-tax payers into the tax net to lessen burden on existing tax payers, broaden tax base and promote tax culture in the country. He said the next budget should also feature a balanced tax collection

approach and the government must adopt a strategy for documentation of the economy. However, it should not be so cumbersome that it results in the suffering of the business community.

He said the prime minister had to focus on enhancing business relations with other countries as no country in the current era could progress on its own. He also underlined the need for enhancing exports, reducing imports, and also giving incentives to the expats to lure investment in Pakistan.

Malik said earlier budget proposals were fully endorsed by founder chairman UBG Iftikhar Ali Malik and UBG patron-in-Chief SM Muneer.

KARACHI

Tuesday, 3 May, 2022 | IsLAMABAD

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PaKisTan To MaKe eveRy eFFoRT To FighT TeRRoRisM: sPeaKeR ISLAMABAD

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MoniToRing RePoRT

AKISTAN will make every effort to fight terrorism and bring the perpetrators of Tuesday’s terrorist attack which killed three Chinese teachers to justice, National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said.

He made the remarks during a visit to the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad, when he expressed condolences to the Chinese side over the loss of lives in the attack, saying that the National Assembly strongly condemns it.

On Tuesday, an explosion ripped through a shuttle passenger van of the Confucius Institute at the University of Karachi, leaving three Chinese teachers

dead, and one Chinese teacher injured and causing several Pakistani casualties.

Pakistan will spare no effort to arrest the perpetrators of this terrorist attack

and ensure the safety of Chinese citizens and institutions in the country, he said, adding that Chinese friends from afar have made important contributions to Pakistan-China friendship, and are very respected guests of the Pakistani people.

He stressed Pakistan does not allow such incidents to damage the PakistanChina friendship, which is a model of state-to-state relations.

Pang Chunxue, charge d’affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan, thanked Ashraf for his visit, noting that China strongly condemns the terrorist attack and has asked the Pakistani side to investigate the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice.

China will work with Pakistan to combat terrorism and further promote bilateral ties, she added.

03

covid-19 daily report: 40 new cases, one death ISLAMABAD

Shehbaz orders Punjab govt to establish trust to run PKLI LAHORe STaff RePoRT

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday chaired a meeting to review the affairs of the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute (PKLI) in Lahore.

He was briefed about the administrative affairs of the institute. He was told that last year, the institute performed 290 kidney and 190 liver transplants.

Only 17 percent of patients among them could get benefit from the free treatment facility of the institute, he was informed.

Apart from this, the prime minister was apprised of the progress on the hospital’s nursing university project.

Sharif lamented over authorities’ negligence in the completion of the project. He expressed dissatisfaction over the facilities being provided to the patients at the institute.

He directed the hospital to provide international standard facilities to its patients, besides asking the authorities to provide free treatment facility to at least 50 percent of its poor patients.

He said the purpose of the PKLI was to provide free transplant facilities to the poor segment of society.

Sharif ordered the Punjab chief secretary to prepare a strategy regarding making the PKLI financially autonomous and present a report in this regard after three days.

He also directed to make the PKLI a trust. He ordered for swift completion of the nursing university project. He suggested outsourcing the hygiene system of the institute in order to maintain high standards of cleanliness.

The meeting was attended by Khawaja Salman Rafique, Khawaja Imran Nazir, chief secretary, Punjab health secretary, concerned authorities and PKLI officials.

Meanwhile, the Punjab government has decided to establish a trust to run the institute. All expenditures of the institute would be borne through trust.

The provincial health department has given a briefing to Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz in this regard.

The CM was told that a four-star hotel or a modern commercial market

security steps for chinese to be reviewed after eid ISLAMABAD TLTP

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will review a security plan for Chinese nationals working in Pakistan soon after Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations in the country, media reports said. Three Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver were killed when a female suicide bomber detonated herself near a Chinese language learning center at the University of Karachi last week. According to security officials, the attack, which was claimed by the separatist Baloch Liberation Army, was launched to specifically target the Chinese nationals. In view of potential threats being faced

by China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and other joint ventures between the two countries, the premier would assess all the mechanisms earlier devised for ensuring the security of the Chinese nationals and the new plan being devised by the planning and interior ministries. The security plan would be presented to PM Shehbaz in the first week after Eid. The PM had asked the planning minister, Ahsan Iqbal, to meet the country heads of Chinese companies operating in Pakistan to get their input on the matter as well. Iqbal is also expected to visit Gwadar after Eid to examine security arrangements and see if the Chinese nationals working over there have any complaints.

In addition, PM Shehbaz has directed the interior ministry to engage provinces, especially the Balochistan government, for the provision of security in Gwadar and submit a report in the first week after Eid. The Gilgit-Baltistan region will also set up a “provincial foreigners security cell, with requisite staff and logistics,” which will have information on all Chinese nationals visiting the area. Chinese workers in Pakistan have also been targeted by militant groups in the past. In July 2021, 10 Chinese nationals were killed after an explosion on their bus in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. The Chinese authorities have not only condemned such incidents but also asked Pakistan to take stern action against their perpetrators.

STaff RePoRT

Pakistan registered 40 new Covid-19 cases on Sunday, the ministry of health said on Monday. The overall tally of the infected people climbed to 1,528,518 across the country after adding the fresh cases, according to the data released by the ministry. A total of 30,372 people have died of Covid-19 in Pakistan, with one more death recorded on Sunday, according to the ministry’s statistics. On Saturday, 16,165 tests were conducted throughout Pakistan while the positivity ratio stood at 0.25 percent. There are 111 patients who are in critical condition.

china FM extends eid greetings BeIJING STaff RePoRT

would be made on Bedian Road near the institute. The income generated by the hotel or commercial market would be given to the PKLI to run its affairs pertaining to its administrative and treatment facilities at the institute.

Besides trust income, the Punjab government would also provide funds to the institute.

After establishing a trust, the government could save on the budget being allocated for the transplant centre.

Chinese Foreign Ministry wished Muslims across the world marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan a happy Eid ul-Fitr, a spokesperson said. “Eid Mubarak!

On this day of Eid ul-Fitr, I wish all our Muslim brothers and sisters around the world, a peaceful and joyful Eid,” Wang Wenbin said in a video message published on Monday. In Pakistan, the Eid ul-Fitr will be celebrated on Tuesday as per announcement of the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee. However, the festival is being celebrated in Saudi Arabia, UAE and other Arab countries and the United Kingdom today.

Chinese aid illuminates houses, helps fishermen in Gwadar ISLAMABAD Xinhua

Abdul Khaliq, a labourer from Gwadar district of Balochistan, used to suffer in hot weather and have his pre-dawn fastbreaking meals in darkness due to power outages during the holy month of Ramadan.

“Power outages are a suffering during other months too, but during Ramadan, it is at their worst. Rich people of the district have other arrangements like solar panels to face the situation, but poor labourers like me had no choice, but to keep on suffering,” Khaliq told Xinhua.

This year, during Ramadan, Khaliq met a pleasant surprise when one morning, staff from the district administration came to his doorstep to install a solar panel gifted by the Chinese government.

During a ceremony held in Gwadar in July last, the Chinese government signed with Islamabad a Memorandum of Understanding to donate 3,000 sets of solar systems to the people in an effort to address climate change.

“It was a complete set, not only the solar panel but also fans and bulbs and wires. I did not have to pay a single penny for it, and the installation teams quickly fixed the most valuable gift I have ever received from someone at my house,” the 42-year-old said.

The Chinese aid not only lit up thousands of houses but also strengthens the bond of Pakistan-China friendship in people’s hearts.

Athar Abbas Raja, assistant commissioner of Gwadar, under whose supervision units of solar panels are being installed, told Xinhua that they held a survey in the district and distributed the aid to the most underprivileged people.

“There are some people who were living in a bad condition, and could not buy the solar panels on their own, so with the support of China, we brought ease to their lives. The process is still underway, over 1,000 panels have already been installed and the remaining will be installed after the Eid al-Fitr holidays next month,” Raja said.

Talking about the electricity shortage in Gwadar, Raja said electricity in Gwadar is being bought from Iran and due to long transmission lines, there are power outages and people particularly the poor suffer a lot.

The solar panel units were a muchneeded solution to the people of Gwadar and they are joyous to receive them before the peak of summer when the electricity problem is at its worst, he added.

The official said Chinese companies have also been taking beneficial initiatives for the people of Gwadar who have got employment opportunities under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) program, and are hopeful that with the industrialisation process in the second phase of CPEC, their living standards will further improve as the Chinese people have successfully eliminated abject poverty in their own country and they know how to

uplift the socio-economic structure.

“Not only solar panels, but the Chinese have also facilitated local fishermen’s work in a big way by providing them with the state-of-the-art nets, and hundreds of local fishermen got benefit from it,” Raja said.

Hameed Ullah, a leader of local fishermen from Gwadar, said many of the local fishermen have received costly nets which will help them in deep-sea fishing and make more money for their families.

“The nets are so big and good. My own net was getting old and I was saving money to buy a new one which had to cost me over 50,000 rupees (about 270 U.S. dollars), which was a big money for me,” he said.

“I am overwhelmed that I just got the gift from the Chinese when I wanted it

the most. Other fishermen are so happy too. With new nets, some are planning to engage their unemployed son or brother into the business and increase their family income.”

The experts believe that the Chinese help and generation of economic and business opportunities for locals are gradually transforming the lives of people.

Shakeel Ahmad Ramay, CEO of the Asian Institute of Eco-civilisation Research and Development, said the recent Chinese assistance to locals is an excellent example of boosting socioeconomic development through bilateral cooperation, and it will help the Pakistani people not only overcome challenges of daily life, including hot weather, but also help create business opportunities.

Tuesday, 3 May, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

04 NEWS

ExtREmE hEat impactinG millions acRoss pakistan, india: Wmo GENEVA

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TLTP

ITH extreme heat gripping large parts of India and Pakistan, the two countries are working to roll out life-saving health action plans to combat the heatwave, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said in a recent report.

The extreme heat is impacting hundreds of millions of people in one of the most densely populated parts of the world, threatening to damage whole ecosystems.

Working closely with health and disaster management agencies, the national meteorological and hydrological departments in both countries, plan to roll out heat health action plans, which have been successful in saving lives in the past few years, said the UN weather agency in a statement.

Extreme heat has multiple and cascading impacts not just on human health, but also on ecosystems, agriculture, water and energy supplies and key sectors of the economy.

WMO reiterated its commitment to “ensuring that multi-hazard early warning services reach the most vulnerable”.

Both India and Pakistan have successful heat-health early warning systems and action plans already in place, including those specially tailored for urban areas.

They reduce heat mortality and lessen the social impacts of extreme heat, including

lost work productivity. Important lessons have been learned from the past and these are now being shared among all partners of the WMO co-sponsored Global Heat Health Information Network, to enhance capacity in the hard-hit region, WMO advanced.

The India Meteorological Department said that maximum temperatures reached 43-46°C in widespread areas, on 28 April, and that this intense heat will continue until 2 May. Similar temperatures have also been seen in Pakistan, with daytime temperatures likely to be between 5°C and 8°C above normal in large swathes of the country, said the Pakistan Meteorological Department.

They also warned that in the mountainous regions of Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the unusual heat levels would accelerate snow and ice melt, with the possibility of triggering glacial lake floods - or flash floods in vulnerable areas.

Air quality has also deteriorated, and large swathes of land are at risk of fire outbreaks.

According to the WMO, “it is premature to attribute the extreme heat in India and Pakistan solely to climate change”, however, the agency continues “it is consistent with what we expect in a changing climate”. Furthermore, heatwaves are more frequent and more intense and starting earlier than in the past.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), in its recent Sixth Assessment Report, also said that heatwaves and

humid heat stress would be more intense and frequent in South Asia this century. The current heatwave was triggered by a high-pressure system and follows an extended period of above average temperatures.

India recorded its warmest March on record, with an average maximum temperature of 33.1 ºC, or 1.86 °C above the longterm average. Pakistan also recorded its warmest March for at least the past 60

years, with a number of stations breaking March records. In the pre-monsoon period, both India and Pakistan regularly experience excessively high temperatures, especially during May.

Crude oil falls 3pc over demand concerns NEWS DESK

Gold dips to Rs111,200 per 10gm NEWS DESK Spot gold price fell sharply on Monday and touched its weakest level since mid-February amid a strong US dollar and firm treasury bond yields. As of 1330 hours GMT, gold in the international market was available at $1,862.20 per ounce, shedding $34.50 (1.82 percent). Out of the $34.50 per ounce decrease, $5.60 was due to strengthening of the US dollar and -$28.90 was due to predominant sellers, according to Kitco Gold Index. The price of 10 grams of 24-carat yellow metal in Pakistan, meanwhile, decreased to Rs111,200 after shedding Rs1,100. Gold price in the local market settled at Rs113,300 on Saturday last.

Gold kicked off the new week on a weaker note and inched back closer to its lowest level since February 17 touched last Thursday. The downtick was sponsored by the underlying strong bullish sentiment surrounding the US dollar, which tends to undermine the dollar-denominated commodity. In fact, the USD stood tall near the multi-year high amid growing acceptance that the Fed would adopt a more aggressive policy response to combat stubbornly high inflation.

The inflationary situation remained supportive of elevated US Treasury bond yields, which continued boosting the greenback and further contributed to driving flows away from the non-yielding yellow metal. From a technical perspective, the emergence of fresh selling at higher levels and acceptance below the $1,900 mark favours bearish traders. Gold could fall towards intermediate support near the $1,850-$1,848 zone en-route the very important 200day SMA, near the $1,834 area. On the flip side, the $1,900 round figure now seems to act as an immediate strong resistance ahead of the $1,906-$1,907 region and Friday's swing high, around the $1,920 zone. Sustained strength beyond could trigger a short-covering move towards the $1,940 region, above which the recovery momentum could get extended to the $1,962 resistance.

Crude oil prices fell over three percent on Monday amid continued Covid-19 lockdowns in China and reports about sparing a few European nations from an embargo on buying Russian oil.

As of 1320 hours GMT, Brent, the international benchmark for two-thirds of the world's oil, shed $3.37 (-3.15 percent) to reach 103.77 a barrel. The West Texas Intermediate (WTI), the main oil benchmark for North America, decreased to $101.07 a barrel, down by $3.62 (-3.62 percent). Both benchmarks are set to close the week higher, with WTI on track for a fifth straight month of advances.

The price for Opec basket was recorded at $105.33 a barrel without any change. The OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of Saharan Blend, Girassol, Djeno, Zafiro, Rabi Light, Iran Heavy, Basra Light, Kuwait Export, Es Sider, Bonny Light, Arab Light, Murban and Merey.

Arab Light was available at $110.04 a barrel with a decrease of 0.48 percent and the price of Russian Sokol slipped

to $95.31 a barrel with a 0.55 percent decrease. Oil prices declined in recent weeks amid concerns about the demand outlook and coordinated efforts by the US and the International Energy Agency to improve supply.

China, the world’s second-largest economy and biggest crude importer, is experiencing a wave of Covid-19 infections and has introduced strict move-

ment curbs in major cities such as Shanghai and Beijing as part of its “zero-Covid” strategy. There are currently no signs that the country is willing to ease movement restrictions that are slowing its economic growth momentum and piling pressure on already strained global supply chains.

The European Commission may spare Hungary and Slovakia from an

embargo on buying Russian oil, now under preparation, wary of how dependent the two countries are on Russian crude. The commission is expected to finalise on Tuesday work on a sixth package of EU sanctions against Russia over its actions in Ukraine, which would include a ban on buying Russian oil, exports of which are a major source of Moscow's revenue.

Hungary, heavily dependent on Russian oil, has repeatedly said it would not sign up to sanctions involving energy.

Slovakia is also one of the EU countries most reliant on Russian fossil fuels. To keep the 27-nation bloc united, the commission might offer Slovakia and Hungary an exemption or a long transition period. The oil embargo is likely to be phased, most likely only taking full effect from the start of next year, officials said.

Europe is the destination for nearly half of Russia's crude and petroleum product exports — providing Moscow with a huge source of revenue that countries including Latvia and Poland say must be cut, to stop funding its military action in Ukraine.

Bitcoin rises to $38,795 ISLAMABAD TLTP

The cryptocurrency market snapped a three-day losing streak on Monday, with market capitalisation gaining 1.6 percent

to reach $1.83 trillion.

As of 1340 hours GMT, the largest cryptocurrency Bitcoin’s (BTC) price surged 1.9 percent to $38,795. With this increase in price, the market capitalisation of the biggest crypto has reached

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$738.2 billion. Bitcoin has shed 1.7 percent of its value during the last seven days.

Ether (ETH), the world’s secondlargest cryptocurrency by market capitalisation, increased 1.7 percent to $2,820.

With this increase in price, the market capitalisation of ETH has reached $340 billion. ETH has been 3.5 percent down in the past seven days.

Similarly, XRP price went up by 3.4 percent to reach $0.615. The market capitalisation of XRP stands at $29.5 billion with this increase. XRP has shed 12.1 percent of its value during the last seven days.

On the other hand, Cardano (ADA) price inched down by 0.1 percent to reach $0.776. Its market capitalisation has reached $25.1 billion with this decrease. ADA has shed 11.8 percent of its value in the past seven days.

Similarly, Dogecoin (DOGE) price shed 1.3 percent to $0.130. With this decrease in price, the market capitalisation of DOGE has reached $17.4 billion.

DOGE has shed 0.2 percent during the last seven days.

On the other hand, Avalanche (AVAX) price dipped 2.4 percent to $57.49. With this decrease in price, the market capitalisation of AVAX has reached $15.6 billion. AVAX has shed 19.1 percent of its value during the last seven days.

Meanwhile, Eric Schmidt, a former Google CEO whose net worth is $22.8 billion, has revealed that he has put “a little bit” of money into cryptocurrency. He added that he finds Web3’s economics “interesting,” noting that the platforms and the use patterns are interesting.

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt talked about cryptocurrency investing and Web3 in an interview with CNBC last week. Regarding his own crypto investment, he revealed that he has invested “a little bit” of money into cryptocurrency, without naming any coins specifically. He further clarified that he’s just getting started investing in crypto.

Tuesday, 3 May, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

NEWS

SrI LAnkA exTendS CredIT LIne wITH IndIA AS CHInA voICeS SuPPorT ColoMBo

S

ReuteRs

RI Lanka has extended a credit line with India by $200 million in order to procure emergency fuel stocks, the country's power and energy minister said on Monday, as China said it supported efforts for the island nation to restructure its debt.

Colombo was also in talks with New Delhi over extending the credit line by an additional $500 million, minister Kanchana Wijesekera told a news conference, with four fuel shipments due to arrive in May. Hit hard by the pandemic and short of revenue after Gotabaya Rajapaksa's government imposed steep tax cuts, the island nation is now also critically short of foreign exchange and has approached the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for an emergency bailout.

Rampant inflation and shortages of imported food, fuel and medicines has led to weeks of sporadically violent protests.

Sri Lanka has used $400 million, on multiple shipments in April, of the $500 million credit line extended by India earlier this year, Wijesekera said. Two fuel shipments will be paid for from the remaining funds in May. "The Indian credit line was extended by $200 million recently and this will be

05

utilised for four shipments in May. Talks are continuing for a further $500 million with India so in total the credit line will be $1.2 billion," Wijesekera said.

However, Sri Lanka is still facing payment challenges for fuel imports with the state-run Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) owing $235 million for shipments already received, while about $500 million more will be needed to pay for letters of credit maturing over the next six weeks, he added.

Sri Lanka will also need dollars to pay for crude oil shipments to supplement imports from India.

"We have made procurement plans till June but we still need to resolve how to find sufficient amounts of foreign exchange to make payments," Wijesekera said.

Beijing's ambassador Qi Zhenhong told Sri Lankan Finance Minister Ali Sabry at a meeting on Monday that China - one of the island's largest bilateral lenders having extended about $6.5 billion in loans - supports its decision to work with the IMF to restructure its debt.

"Ambassador Zhenhong also assured Minister Ali Sabry that as a major shareholder of the IMF, China is willing to play an active role in encouraging the IMF to positively consider Sri Lanka's position and to reach an agreement as soon as possible," Sri Lanka's finance ministry said in a statement.

World's first NFT museum in Seattle aims to 'pull back the curtain' on blockchain art Seattle

IHC bars FIA, police from going after PTI leadership

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Continued froM page 01

The world's first permanent NFT art museum has opened in Seattle, aiming to "pull back the curtain" on blockchain-based digital art.

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are a type of digital asset that has exploded in popularity recently, with NFT artworks selling for millions of dollars. NFTs exist on a blockchain, a record of transactions kept on networked computers.

The museum opened its doors on January 14, and has been providing an outlet for artists, creators, and collectors to display their NFTs in a physical setting while aiming to educate the public about this fairly new market for digital art.

"We really realized the impact of being able to look at this type of art in a way where you actually slow down, you see all the details," said Jennifer Wong, a co-founder and curator at Seattle NFT Museum.

Local digital artist Maksim Surguy attended the opening of the museum's 'Climate Conversation' exhibition on April 16, which features his designs that are sold as NFTs online but can also be printed in physical form.

The former Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad’s nephew was arrested by the government as soon as his plane landed at New Islamabad International Airport. Meanwhile, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan hinted that former prime minister Khan could be arrested in a case relating to sloganeering against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his delegation. Sanaullah said that the incident relating to the harassment of PMLN leaders at the holy mosque was preplanned and about 100-150 people were involved in the incident. The minister further said that the Saudi government has decided to take action against the people involved in the incident, adding that some people will be deported from the Kingdom.

Celebrating Eid, remembering lessons Blawal Mir Ah! Eidul Fitr has arrived and we have started celebrating the festive occasion with traditional zeal and fervour, have we not? After all, this is the time for people to come together and celebrate with one another.

The three-day festive occasion – which marks the end of the holy month of Ramazan – brings us many beautiful moments to relish. In the first day, we get up early, take bath, put on new clothes and fragrance, and offer Eid prayer. We, then, meet and greet our neighbours, send text messages and make phone calls to our friends, relatives and colleagues living away, and plan meet ups with them, besides hosting some at home. Most of us, indeed all of us also remember our loved ones, who have passed away, recall the moments spent with them during the previous such festivals and visit their graves to offer fateha.

Then as we reach home, we don’t wait to have our bowls full of either seviyan or sheer khurma at home. Unarguably, eating one of these foods is something we cannot do without and cannot get enough of. It assumes a central position during the festival.

Eidi is another part of the three-day

foods and gatherings with our loved ones. But, apart from celebrating the festival in the traditional way, we must also remember the lessons of patience we learn during fasting and praying in the holy month of Ramazan. We must continue following the resolve of stopping ourselves from getting angry and being rude and dishonest, and complying with all the rules that our religion has set for us.

We only need to maintain our willpower that we so recently put into use with such success in Ramazan. It is all in our mind, if we programme it to only do good and stay positive for one month, it will remain so.

This is the mission that we should follow so that there could be less intolerance and violence among the people. We as Muslims believe that Ramazan teaches us self-discipline, self-control, sacrifice, and empathy for the less fortunate. It also encourages generosity and compulsory charity. Similarly we should also use Eid as an occasion to reflect upon ourselves and instil compassion for the less fortunate to make society a better place to live in. festival that increases our excitement. All of us love to get new, crispy and clean currency notes from our parents, grandpar-

ents, uncles and aunts. It is something we get a lot of when we are very young, but as we grow older, the number of people

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giving us eidi decreases.

Remembering lessons: On this Eid too, we will enjoy these moments,

The writer is a member of staff. He can be reached at bmir68@gmail.com.

Twitter: @blawal_mir.

06-07 Comments - 3rd May 2022_Layout 1 5/2/2022 7:41 PM Page 1

Tuesday, 3 May, 2022

06 COMMENT

The great deception

PM’s Saudi Arabia visit Need to promote self-reliance

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eWLY elected PM shahbaz sharif made his first foreign visit to saudi Arabia which was spread over three days. relations with saudi Arabia are important for Pakistan because the kingdom hosts some 2.7 million Pakistanis, more than any other country. remittances from expat workers to Pakistan are projected to reach $32 billion this year. What is more, Pakistan eyes investments from saudi Arabia. shahbaz sharif’s visit was aimed at renewing the bonds that weakened under the PTi government due to, among other things, former foreign minister Qureshi’s impolitic remarks regarding creating an alliance other than oiC. ironically, a day earlier Turkish President erdogan too had concluded a two day visit to the kingdom to mend frayed ties with the saudi government. in a joint statement Pakistan and saudi Arabia agreed to continue exchanging support and coordination in international organisations and forums. regarding the Kashmir issue, saudi Arabia welcomed the statements of Pakistan showing keenness to find a solution to all disputes with india, including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. The joint statement stressed the importance of dialogue between Pakistan and india to resolve the outstanding issues to ensure peace and stability in the region. on its part islamabad appreciated the continued strong support of the Kingdom to Pakistan.

There were no dramatic announcements of financial support by saudi Arabia. The saudi government however agreed to discuss extending the term of $3bn loan. it also affirmed its continuous support to Pakistan and its economy, including a discussion of augmenting $3bn deposit with the central bank through term extension or otherwise, exploring options to further enhance the financing of petroleum products and supporting the economic structural reforms for the benefit of Pakistan and its people.

Hopefully the discussions on Pakistan’s requirements will start apace. There is however a need on the part of the allied government to realize that the county’s economy cannot be run on loans for long. it is time the government concentrated on activating and expanding the CPeC export zones. There is also a need to further improve the ease of doing business and create a large pool of skilled manpower to encourage investments not only from the Gulf but also from the Us and eU. Unless Pakistan turns into a big exporter of high value goods and services there would be no end to its economic woes.

When ‘rational’ thought becomes a fraud

hasan aftaB saeeD

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onsider a spotlight targeting a plane in a dark space. The light forms an illuminated circle of a certain radius. imagine that whatever lies inside the conical space between the source of light and the illuminated circle on the plane is visible, while everything outside the illuminated space remains pitch dark. Creative souls use their powers of abstraction to draw conclusions about the reality of the space from the available visual data, which they keep sharing with their less-creative fellows. These conclusions are constantly refined by testing them against more detailed visual observations. Whatever lies outside the illuminated zone is (rightly) considered outside the scope of the whole activity because it is not amenable to observation. so far, so good. With the passage of time, however, some of them gradually start insisting that just because they cannot possibly have tangible evidence for what lies outside the illuminated space; there must be nothing outside it. As more time passes an increasing number from among their audience starts accepting their position.

The illuminated space in the above analogy is the empirical domain, abstraction of reality from particular observations is what the physicists do, and the dark region outside the illuminated domain is the meta-physical (literally after- or beyond-physical) do-

Lesser loadshedding

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He larger metro areas, which had been seeing an elevated amount of electricity loadshedding, seem to be getting some relief on that front. recent statements by both the prime minister and the federal energy minister promised as much by around this date.

Though this is a good development, it would serve us well to figure out how, exactly, the government is managing this load. Are any industrial or agricultural sectors facing more loadshedding, so as to shield these cities from it? Have we run the numbers, then, on how much it will cost, in terms of agricultural and industrial productivity and other costs, to pass on this relief to a specific demographic of the citizens?

Yes, a specific demographic, because the above debate isn’t about weighing the tradeoff between businesses and homes, but businesses and homes in a particular location.

The Pakistani news media’s three-city model gives a disproportionately higher voice to the citizens of Lahore, Karachi and islamabad. Additional media might lend some voice to other large cities, but second and third-tier towns are largely unrepresented, what to speak of the rural areas. it is the aforementioned three cities that are being catered to a lot of the times, so the bad press is kept at bay.

Truth be told, there is always a significant amount of loadshedding in April. By this time of the year, demand has spiked, but the flow of the rivers, and the consequential generation of the hydel power plants, isn’t enough to keep pace. That is a consequence of the curious mix of hydel and thermal energy of our power profile.

This does not mean to imply in the slightest that we need to incorporate more of thermal, just that the governments need to make their purchases in time, as opposed to (allegedly) the previous dispensation. And also, that we need to look seriously into other forms of renewable energy as well. The economics of solar energy, for instance, have gone beyond wonky environmental circles, and landed squarely in the province of ‘just makes sense.’

Maheen Mustafa

A

FTer a wait of months and a lot of twists and turns, an additional session court sentenced Usman Mirza and his 4 accomplices in couple harassment case in islamabad last month. The case emerged on social media in July last year through a video in which Mirza and his friends were seen harassing and thrashing a couple in a room. The female victim later told the court that she was “threatened with gang rape if she didn’t have sex with her friend while they filmed it” and “they forced her to dance naked in front of them.”

The video went viral following which islamabad police registered a case against them and arrested Mirza and seven others.

The case even got the attention of the then Prime Minister imran Khan who ordered speedy justice, saying, “the police should use all their energies to bring all the accused to justice and share the report with the PM office.” Under extreme pressure from government and civil society, the hearing of the case started in court. everyone was hoping that with the premier following the case, the victims will get quick justice. However, that is not what transpired. in January earlier this year, the female victim suddenly refused to pursue the case against Mirza and his friends under her “free will”. she admitted an affidavit in the court deciding not to pursue the case. she told the court that “police itself created this case, neither i have recognised any accused nor have i signed any papers.” she further said that she didn’t know any of the accused and no one tried to assault her sexually. This obviously caused an uproar on social media as activists and masses expressed concern that the accused will be released from the jail.

Human rights activist shamila Ghyas Ahmed says, “Blackmailing has been going on since the case became public. Usman Mirza even boasted in a Tik-

Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor

Yousaf Nizami Umar Aziz

Joint Editor

Joint Editor

Executive Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

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

State should show some urgency to address the problem

Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami

M. A. Niazi

Science no-doubt reigns supreme in the empirical domain, but with its overwhelming influence on the average man’s life, it is rather easy to apply it outside its valid domain.

Sexual violence against women remains rampant

Good, but at what cost?

Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

main. Positive claims regarding nothing being outside the illuminated space amount to positively refuting any metaphysical reality even though metaphysics is, by definition, outside the scientific domain. By giving a verdict outside the domain of empirical verifiability, the knowledge-system oversteps the very boundary it set for itself in the beginning. dismissing out of hand the possibility of anything outside the purely physical and rejecting the need and scope of any possible source of knowledge barring empirical knowledge is merely the beginning. Having rid themselves of the metaphysical from the outside world, humanism, and its cousins scientism and secularism, now feel obliged to get rid of it from human psychology as well. This reduces man – including his mind – to merely being a collection of atoms, and therefore subject only to the physical laws that govern inanimate objects of the universe. By declaring man just another object, they ignore the subjective side of man altogether – the side that sets man apart from anything else in the world. Just consider the intellectual contortion this brand of epistemology necessitates: Man, on the one hand, is merely matter at the mercy of outside forces; but on the other hand, he is capable enough to independently figure out all there is to figure out. it would be quite a joke, were its consequences not so grave. science no-doubt reigns supreme in the empirical domain, but with its overwhelming influence on the average man’s life, it is rather easy to apply it outside its valid domain. Also, what is not appreciated enough is that all rational thought, whether inductive or deductive, is based on a priori axioms that provide the framework or the context in which all subsequent knowledge is placed. in a way, knowledge is all about context making: to know is to place things (objects) in their proper contexts.

For the monotheist, the idea of God is not something that can be placed in a context. instead, it pro-

vides the context in which subsequent facts are placed. The idea of the one Transcendent God then for him is an a priori idea. And by no means is he unique in allowing a priori knowledge in his scheme of reality. in fact, no scheme of reality is possible without such knowledge. so it is that the rationalist cannot help placing everything in a-priori contexts of time, space, matter, and invariable association. These are ideas which the subjective mind applies on the universe to make sense of it. it does not prove them; he accepts them as concepts that are antecedent to any data that is subsequently presented to the senses. The so-called rationalist’s demand for God to be ‘demonstrated’ is therefore not only absurd but smacks of inconsistency as well because he cannot possibly demonstrate his own a priori ideas on the standards he expects from the theist. rationality, when it becomes rationalization, is oft-times a fraud. For rationality is the handmaiden of ambition, not its master. it is purpose-driven, not purpose-free, as many seem to imagine. it is always driven by some agenda, and in a direction that helps that agenda. The problem with the so-called ‘free enquiry’, then, is that it is anything but free.

There major groups are involved here. Those who are the perpetrators of this deception. They are beyond hope as they are intelligent enough to know what is going on and are happy with the success of the project. Then there are those armchair science enthusiasts who unconsciously become carriers of this empiricism-only epistemology. They are the real victims of the very propaganda that they unwittingly help peddle and spread around. Finally, there are those theists who are overawed by the propaganda and do not know how to respond to it. if this essay ends up helping even one individual from the last two groups, the author will consider his effort to have been worthwhile.

I

Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

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Tok video that he’ll be out soon and thanked police officials for helping him.”

Journalist salman Masood noted, Usman Mirza’s case is proof of how difficult it is to get justice in a system that is rotten, easy to manipulate, and where the powerful always escape accountability.”

This uproar resulted in something positive as police and state became the complainant in this case.

And thus, it reached its ultimate result. experts warn that even though the case was eventually resolved, it exposed the weakness of our justice system and how easy it is to manipulate it.

There are countless examples where the powerful escape legal punishment or even if they are penalised, they enjoy a life of luxury in prison. A major example of this is the shahrukh Jatoi case who was found leading a comfortable life in a hospital room despite being sent to jail by the supreme Court. observers also maintain that the case highlights the menace of sexual assault in our society and how powerful can easily evade any kind of consequences.

According to Human rights Ministry report, as many as 14,456 women were assaulted in the country in last four years. 4,326 cases of rape reported in the year 2018 followed by 4,377 rape cases in 2019, 3,887 cases in 2020 and 1,866 cases in 2021. But the gravest part of this report is that it mentioned that only 4 per cent of total rape cases result in the conviction.

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

Analysts reiterate that a large number of cases are not reported, and even those are not handled by the police properly. After reaching the court, the pressure tactics and other manners result in an abysmally low conviction rate. rights activists maintain that there needs to be proper policing, a pressurefree environment and robust security for the victims. Furthermore, they insist that society needed to be taught there is no shame in reporting such cases, which is the only way to get justice and to tackle this menace.

“Pietist women have become empowered to pitch an unprecedented offensive against feminists and they are supported by a government that promotes peak piety as its policy and is reinforced by a misogynist media that glorifies women’s domestication,” noted Afiya s Zia, the author of ‘Faith and Feminism in Pakistan’.

“The right-wing is ideologically clear in that the source of women’s security lies in the family and domestic sphere and that their organised political party with its gender apartheid agenda is the pathway to achieving this goal,” noted Afiya s Zia, the author of ‘Faith and Feminism in Pakistan’ A progressive counternarrative is needed that ensures women’s security based on their own selves and not what their gender identity signifies to families and societies.

Rights activists maintain that there needs to be proper policing, a pressure-free environment and robust security for the victims.

Furthermore, they insist that society needed to be taught there is no shame in reporting such cases, which is the only way to get justice and to tackle this menace.

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Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

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Maheen Mustafa is a freelance journalist

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

06-07 Comments - 3rd May 2022_Layout 1 5/2/2022 7:41 PM Page 2

Tuesday, 3 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

Scarcity of colleges edUCATion is the most salient need which depicts the real image of society. one without education is like a bird without wings, a body without soul and a flower without beauty. Women are the most prominent part of our society. institutions play an essential role in the flowering of education.

For a long time, the residents of Kohi Goth (UC 14) Malir, have been highlighting sensitive issues but i want to grab the attention of relevant authorities regarding the aforementioned hypersensitive problem.

The scarcity of girls’ colleges in Kohi Goth has become a grave threat to all girls. After completion of their secondary education, they confront numerous impediments. some of them do not have permission to get out and most of them are unable to bear the expenditures of education. 20% of girls are enough able to go out in order to achieve education and 80% of girls are deprived of educational rights. The government of sindh and the Higher education Commission (HeC) is requested to establish a girl college in Kohi Goth district Malir, Karachi.

MUHEEM ABDUL NABI KARACHI

Clean River Ravi

Afghan-China relations Roots, Roads and Thereafter

Dr rajkuMar singh

T

HoUsAnds of years ago, during the reign of Han dynasty, the second imperial dynasty of China, both China and Afghanistan came closer in ways more than one and at the time, established Chinese control over some parts of northern Afghanistan. even at the time Afghanistan became essential for Chinese wellness because it covered a significant part of a series of trade routes, popularly known as ‘silk road’ which intertwined their way through europe, Central Asia, Persia to China to facilitate exchanges of trade, commerce, culture, and knowledge approximately between 130 BC and 1453 Ad. This road was mainly famous for silk textile industry of which China was exclusive supplier and it covered, for almost one-and half millennium, the major regions of the world.

Later, to protect the road the Han dynasty set-up the Protectorate of Western regions for the smooth running of trade and other supplies through Central Asia. The period is also known for spread of Buddhism in China and in the 2nd BC the first Buddhist reached China and converted the first Chinese to Buddhism. since then several Chinese monks and Buddhists visited each other’s country and Buddhist sites of Afghanistan like Balkh and Buddhas of Bamyan became attracted many Chinese visitors. in line, in 605 Ad, emissaries from Afghanistan arrived the capital of the country to have a greater rights to trade with China and it continued during the reign of Tang dynasty established in 618 Ad when several cities of Afghanistan and its surroundings became its protectorates. it was the powerful dynasty of China and according to indian historian K.P.s. Menon the Chinese performed well by sending a large army of one lakh who passed up to the Pamirs from Kashgar and crossed Afghanistan to occupied Hunza Valley under the Tang General Gao Xianzhi.

gol: The Tang dynasty which ruled China from 618 to 907 Ad, except between 690 and 705, cleared many of the obstacles pending in the way of silk road and pave the routes to reach in West and extreme Western part of the globe by using military means and expand country’s power and influence. in the 7th and first half of the 8th century, the Tang dynasty achieved its zenith of power and extended well in the West than other dynasties, spanning from north Vietnam in the south, to a point north of Kashmir bordering Persia in the West, to northern Korea in the north- east. in this period, Herat in Western Afghanistan remained under Protectorate General who was also given the power to handle local crises without waiting for an order from above.

Many Chinese still have faith that this phase was the golden period of Chinese history when trade flourished along the silk road between Afghanistan and China. it involved mainly trade of fruit and tea via caravans through Xinjiang and the Wakhan Corridor on the border between the two countries. especially for Buddhist monks this silk road proved a convenient medium for transmission of Buddhism to China in early years and in afterwards. Likewise, the Mongol empire of China which spanned a large part of territory, was established after a long war with Jurchen rulers of Jin dynasty in Manchuria and north China. The war between them started in 1211, lasted over 23 years, and ended with the defeat of Jin dynasty by the Mongols in 1234. As such the Mongol empire of the 13th and 14th centuries were the largest collection of land empire in history from Mongolia in east Asia to parts of eastern europe which emerged as a result of the unification of several nomadic tribes in the Mongol homeland under the leadership of Genghis Khan who ruled between 11621227 and connected the east with the West, and the Pacific to the Mediterranean.

In succeeding decades and years, both remained conscious and alert towards each other but the Qing dynasty of China refused to intervene when Durrani Emperor attacked Badak Mountain and in afterwards, especially after the fall of Surtansha regime.

At the time both emperors avoided conflicts and carefully maintained peace without any wish to establish and develop official relationships.

Relations undeR tang and Mon-

indus river basin in the south. on the other hand, in its 24th year of Qianlong, in 1759, the army of Qing defeated the Junggar forces after years of bitter fighting, put down the large and small Hezhuo rebellion, and completed the unification of the north and south of Tianshan and once again power extended to the Pamirs, while the powerful durrani empire of Afghanistan was also reaching the Pamirs. in fact, the durrani empire after coming to power before and after 1751, launched another expedition and returned back Badak Mountain and Hindu Kush to other tribal regimes in the north, surrendered and extended their ruling power to the southwestern Pamirs, and by the time Badak surrendered to the durrani empire, the Qing army also reached to the Pamirs in 1759 and they both encountered first in the region. As the Qing dynasty reached Badak Mountain, it posed a threat and tension to the Central Asia and Turkistan along with various Muslim leaders, although China’s relations with Afghanistan was cold and normal, the Muslim rulers of the region asked durrani ruler to protect the area from an attack by “non-believers”.

afghan Relations undeR Qing dynasty: earlier to the emergence of tension between China and Afghan, in July 1747, Pashtu tribe chief Ahmed shadu Lanni, established the famous durrani empire of Afghanistan which became the predecessor of the modern Afghan nation-state as he conquered vast areas of territories including Khorasan in the west, Kashmir in the east, the Amu darya in the north, and

Maintenance of woRking Relations: However, due to reasons of their own, both the Qing empire of China and durrani empire of Afghanistan were not in a position to carry over the tension of imminent war between the two and as a solution, Ahmad shah of Afghanistan sent a letter to Qing court and demanded a withdrawal from the Muslim territories. His mood also changed a year later when in 1763 he sent an envoy with gift of four splendid horses to the emperor but the messenger failed to make a good impression because he refused to bow to the emperor, as per Chinese tradition as a mark of respect. With this development the Qing court viewed Afghan as troublemaker and discouraged Ahmad shas from sending more envoys in future. At the time both emperors avoided conflicts and carefully maintained peace without any wish to establish and develop official relationships. in succeeding decades and years, both remained conscious and alert towards each other but the Qing dynasty of China refused to intervene when durrani emperor attacked Badak Mountain and in afterwards, especially after the fall of surtansha regime, Kabul replaced Qing dynasty in power and influence in the region Central Asia. After the death of Ahmad shah, the founder, and the invasion of russia and Britain, eventually it became a British sphere of influence in 1878.

The writer is head of the political science department of the B.N.Mandal University, Madhepura, Bihar, India and can be reached at rajkumarsinghpg@gmail.com

i am Muqadas, a resident of Lahore. i am writing to you in order to highlight the declining situation of the river ravi. The city of Lahore is getting polluted water from the ravi river. The residents are being blamed for this. They pollute the river with muck, dirt, and garbage. The river water is filled with waste materials, plastic bacteria, and chemicals.

Plants that depend on this polluted water may wither and die, and new plants may not grow in that region. Polluted water also causes many diseases. People who are living near the river face all these problems. it is not in good condition for consumption. The public has been trying for a water treatment plant. still, the authorities have not responded to the continual requests. Therefore, i request you to highlight the issue in your newspaper and generate public interest. The government should also show interest in this issue and do something to clean the river.

MUQADAS HAROON LAHORE

Quest for quality education THere exist a few core necessities for having exalted prosperity, huge development, significant progress and mammoth growth of any society and nation. of these prerequisite requirements, education is the most important. it provides human beings with knowledge, skill, experience and intellectual capacity to cope with looming avalanches of challenges and difficulties. developed nations are centred on quality education and those that do have succeeded in reaping tremendous and significant standing in the comity of the nations. The Muslims at one time and other minorities also saw success in the world because they possessed the best, sound and quality education.

Pakistan is hugely encumbered by myriad challenges which encompass socio-political, economic, cultural, and diplomatic problems. Unfortunately, all these daunting challenges are severely impeding the path leading toward the development, growth and progress of the country, both on a national and international front. not surprisingly, these obstructive challenges can be tackled provided that a pragmatic approach be adopted.

Furthermore, one vital factor that can help in surmounting over all these challenges is an effective, sound and better education system which is the dire need of the hour. regrettably, hitherto our prehensile rulers have miserably failed to provide quality education ambiance to the masses—teeming with “retrogressive and conservative celebration”. our literacy rate is 58% as per the statistics of the government of Pakistan. This is way behind than that of the developed countries. even in so many countries in south Asia, we are lingering behind disproportionately. Moreover, our neighbour country india possesses a 74% literacy rate while sri Lanka stands at 90%. Pakistan, unfortunately, ranks at the world’s second-highest number of outof-school children with approximately 22.8 million in the age bracket of five to 16 years old. All these above-mentioned ingredients/factors highlight the deplorable and deteriorating condition of the education system in our country particularly.

To conclude, there is a pressing and desperate need for a strong and effective education system to impart quality and better education to the citizens of Pakistan and the government should ensure its shouldered responsibilities by also augmenting the budget for education. Teachers play a vital and significant role in moulding any education system. specific and particular attention must be provided to the teachers on their training vocation. in this way, we will be able to equip our succeeding generations with the required skills to subdue all the problems and challenges. Moreover, by education, we will be able to overcome our ignorance—which can have baleful and negative repercussions on individuals and societies.

USAMA MUGHAL SINDH

Sectarianism i want to draw your attention to an extremely unfortunate issue of sectarianism in our country. As Muslims, we preach tolerance but act with vengeance, a dichotomy exists between our actions and what we say.

Between the 1980s till 2021, thousands of shia Muslims have been killed in sectarian violence in Pakistan. Fortunately, there is a downward trend in mass or targeted killings of shia Muslims during the last few years in Pakistan, however, the level of tolerance towards the religious beliefs of others and conflicting issues have reduced to a great extent, which is not only causing hatred against each other but leading to killings of innocent shia Muslims. The main reasons for this conflict could be, but are not limited to, lack of education, external interference, foreign funding for religious groups etc. in my opinion as a student, we need to encourage dialogues between religious groups, regulation the curriculum and propagate freedom of expression. i must urge the government and people in power to act upon the law against sectarianism to stop this cruelty. We need to unlearn the hate that we have been taught against those who are different from us.

ISHMAL ZAHRA LAHORE

08 WORLD VIEW 3rd May 22_Layout 1 5/2/2022 7:12 PM Page 1

Tuesday, 3 May, 2022

08 WORLD VIEW

‘IndIa or HIndIa?’ HINDI CHAUVINISM HANGS LIKE AN IMPERIALIST SPECTRE OVER REST OF INDIA

outlook Magazine GarGa Chatterjee

F

IRst things first. Hindi is not the national language of India. the Union of India was not founded on the basis of any particular language, except maybe English, which formed the only strain of common communication and co-ordination—via the British-built rails and post-office—and connected producers of anti-British narratives in antiBritish struggles from Bengal to Peshawar and Punjab to tamil Nadu. the Gujarat high court, in a historic judgment in 2012, termed Hindi as a foreign language as far as Gujarat and Gujaratis are concerned.

But in 2022, another Gujarati—Union home minister Amit shah—demanded that Hindi, a “foreign” language for non-Hindi people, be used by non-Hindi people instead of English, the only language that is taught in all classes of all schools in all states of the Indian Union. this led to protests in tamil Nadu by DMK, in Karnataka by the Congress and JD(s), in Maharashtra by shiv sena, in West Bengal by trinamool Congress (tMC), in Kerala by CPI(M), with even the tamil Nadu BJP unit rejecting the idea. this shows the depth of the fault line. Given that the Union government’s language department comes under the home ministry that is tasked to look after internal security issues, viewing India’s diversity and non-Hindi identities as internal security threats is deeply embedded in its structure. this leads non-Hindi-speaking people to ask the question: is this India or Hindia? this question was the source of bitter tension even in the Constituent Assembly, what with R.s. Dhulekar, an elected member from UP, stating that those who do not know Hindi have no right to be in the committee.

And it has remained the most enduring question facing the Republic.

one look at the map will show that the Indian Union represents those territories acquired by the British in south Asia since their victory in Palashi in 1757, using mercenaries from the present-day Hindi-belt, which was divided into two dominions in 1947 by an act of the British Parliament. thus, what is now the Union of India, is a legacy of British imperial conquests, treaties, legislations and whim. What holds it together is a question that will evoke different responses, based on whether one is from a Hindispeaking state or elsewhere. since the natiionalism of dark-skinned lands once ruled by Whites is modelled on European nationalism, language undeniably plays a central role in the development of a sense of nationhood (jatisotta), nation (jati) and nationalism (jatiotabad).

In a multi-lingual subcontinent whose major chunk is one state (rashtra)—the Indian Union— straightforward imposition of a European-style national imagination led to development of two different strains of the idea. one of them—with subscribers from Gandhi to Nehru, Patel to savarkar and Golwalkar to Modi—has always tried to pigeonhole the subcontinent’s plurality into a monolingual box, with Hindi providing the language element deemed essential for achieving nationhood. In this model, the Indian Union is a nation-in-making, whose completion is tied with the conversion of a numerical majority of non-Hindi peoples into Hindi speakers—with the core being provided by the Hindi-belt—whose percentage of India’s total population is ever-increasing, due to fertility rates that are much higher than the rest.

For example, in 2013, the total Fertility Rate (tFR; roughly, the average number of children born to a woman) of Bihar was 3.4—similar to Pakistan, Ghana, Zimbabwe and Yemen—while that of neighbouring West Bengal was 1.6—similar to the UK, Australia, the Netherlands and sweden.

In the alternative model, the Indian Union is a multinational super state, where major constituent nations have their linguistic homelands in the form of states (rajya); and where federal unity is embodied in the Constitution as a Union of states, Hindi and non-Hindi.

However, Hindi (and Urdu—linguistically the same language) people being the single largest bloc wielding control over the largest number of seats in Parliament— albeit not a majority—have, from the onset, ensured that the phenomenon of Hindi imperialism is nurtured. this has stymied the all-round development of non-Hindi states, with the agenda being pushed by capitalists originating in Gujarat and Rajasthan, and later from Delhi. one can see this even in the pre-1947 period, when the Congress leader from Gujarat, M.K. Gandhi, funded by Bengal-based capitalist from Rajasthan, G.D. Birla, began pushing Hindi in non-Hindi states with missionary zeal. since these capitalists are outsiders in all markets barring that of their states of origin, they seem to have developed a tacit system of employing mostly Hindispeaking people in industrial and commercial operations in non-Hindi states. this may have sprung from an aspiration of controlling the market in the long run, but the resultant denial of opportunities to sons of the soil and concomitant demographic changes, naturally lead to discontent, often expressed robustly. though the Nehrushastri Congress was forced to backtrack on imposition of Hindi in non-Hindi states in the face of historic antiHindi protests of 1965 spearheaded by tamil Nadu, steady Hindification of all aspects of the Union government continued to be pushed, steadily squeezing out nonHindi people from a lot of employment opportunities. thus, Hindi people have enjoyed the advantage of writing national-level competitive exams for higher education and for jobs at all levels, in their mother tongue— including for IIt, Army, NDA, BsF, etc.—which has been denied to non-Hindi people, relegating them to secondclass citizenship in what is putatively their own rashtra.

With the pre-Partition Congress consensus now having broken, the Hindi lobby that once used to power the Congress is now the engine of the BJP, with CBsE, NEEt, Bollywood etc., as its newer fuels. on its part, the BJP has compromised on the beef question in Meghalaya, backtracked on population control as its Hindi vote-bank is the largest population expander, but is steadfast on its Hindi-imposition agenda.

this new Hindi-style governance was there for all to see during the Covid pandemic period, when a Hindispeaking IAs delivered Covid updates exclusively in Hindi to 1.3 billion people, most of whom are non-Hindispeaking and don’t know any language other than their mother tongue. For example, according to the last census (2011), 86 per cent of West Bengal is Bangla speaking, of which 83 per cent knows only Bangla. Yet, this has not stopped the Union government from having Amitabh Bachchan delivering mandatory Covid warning messages in Hindi before every phone call; or erecting signboards written only in Hindi along national highways and railway stations. In fact, anything that is controlled by the Union government in West Bengal—train tickets, in-flight security instructions, CIsF frisking instructions, BsF orders to inhabitants of border areas, forms, apps, publications, websites, income tax return filing systems, post office and bank forms, AtM—has only Hindi legends.

Increasingly, PsUs, BsF, MEA, post offices, banks, etc., are deploying Hindi staff in non-Hindi states—who not only do not know the local language, but also have the audacity to question the citizenship of their customers for not knowing Hindi.

Almost every day in West Bengal, there are incidents reported in the press where employees of Union government departments—be it Railways, BsF or banks—insult Bengalis by calling them Bangladeshis for not knowing Hindi and speaking in Bangla in Bengal. What is common to most is that the instigators are found quoting the lie that Hindi is the Rashtra Bhasha to conflate Indian citizenship with Hindi proficiency. this isn’t an emotive identity issue anymore. since 2018, finance commissions have been punishing nonHindi states for successful population control, while rewarding Hindi-states for their failure to do so, by using the 2011 Census as base instead of the mandated practice of using the 1971 Census. And with population-based redistribution of seats looming large in 2026, the Union of India is at a crossroads. Either it becomes a Hindi-majoritarian empire with non-Hindi people as second-class citizens, or major non-Hindi states unite with their diversity to force Hindi-controlled Delhi into a compromise—where parliamentary seat redistribution can only happen if major subjects are transferred from the Union and Concurrent lists to the state list.

Unity in diversity has silent but obvious pre-conditions—equality and dignity. Either Hindi is denied special status at the Union level; or all of tamil, Bangla, Marathi, telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, odia, Assamese, Punjabi have the exact same legal status and rights as Hindi, in the Union of India.

Garga Chatterjee is a language activist and general secretary of Bangla Pokkho, a Bengali rights group.

The endless struggle between presidents and the press A NEW STUDY FOCUSES ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE WHITE HOUSE AND THE MEDIA IN THE YEARS SINCE WOODROW WILSON, BUT IT GIVES SHORT SHRIFT TO THE 19TH CENTURY

Washington Monthly Lindsay M. Chervinsky

M

ost presidents complain in private, and sometimes in public, about media coverage of their administration, but they begrudgingly accept it as the cost of doing business.

A few presidents, like theodore Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy, developed mutually beneficial relationships and even friendships with reporters that led to positive coverage. Conversely, some presidents, like Woodrow Wilson, Richard Nixon, and Donald trump, proclaimed that reporters were the enemies of the people.

In his new book, Clash: Presidents and the Press in times of Crisis, Jon Marshall, a journalism professor at Northwestern University, examines presidents’ often combative relationship with the media. While Marshall’s tour through presidential history is highly informative about key episodes, a longer lens would have better situated his argument about a president’s treatment of the press as the natural by-product of increasing innovation and levels of hostility.

After two short chapters on 19th-century presidents, Marshall’s study begins in earnest with Woodrow Wilson—the pinched academic who notoriously detested journalists, and the first president to boost the White House’s press management by appointing an official press secretary and holding press conferences. After America’sentry into World War I, Wilson took a more prosecutorial approach, establishing ominous precedents, questioning the patriotism of dissenting journalists, and invoking national security concerns to censor the media.

Ironically, his war on journalists led to legal rulings that contributed to journalists’ defense during future administrations, including restrictions on spying on civilian mail and phone calls.

Franklin D. Roosevelt avoided Wilson’s mistakes. He famously mastered the medium with his friendly, accessible fireside chats but kept them infrequent enough to ensure that they’d be special events. FDR also built a capable, professional White House communications team that understood deadlines, feeding reporters information

and suggesting story lines about the president, the first lady, their aides, and cabinet secretaries. Finally, they compiled newsreels and distributed them to movie theaters across the country.

When war broke out in Europe, FDR capitalized on his goodwill with the press. A friendly press corps touted the president’s Lend-Lease programs and cheered the war effort. After Pearl Harbor was attacked and the administration adopted wartime measures, FDR persuaded reporters to voluntarily follow censorship guidelines like Wilson’s mandatory crackdowns.

A few decades later, Nixon harkened to the Wilson model by casting journalists as enemies. the famously paranoid president believed that the “left-wing” press was out to get him, regardless of the positive coverage he received, which far surpassed his predecessors.’

Nixon’s contempt for the media was well known even before revelations about an enemies list that included prominent journalists became public. Nixon had masterminded Vice President spiro Agnew’s famed speech denouncing the national media as “nattering nabobs of negativism” and arguing that it didn’t represent the views of the American people, Nixon’s “silent majority.”

During Watergate, Nixon found an opening with the press. He capitalized on the expanded use of live television to assure the American people of his innocence. Most journalists were ready to believe that the Watergate break-in originated in the oval office. (Nixon’s famous “I am not a crook” line came in November 1972 at Disney World for a meeting of newspaper editors. the New York times reported that he acquitted himself nicely.) As the scandal metastasized, Nixon’s cover-up expanded. He explicitly used executive branch officials to lie for his political purposes.

Nixon’s California successor, Ronald Reagan, distrusted the press no less but knew how to package his message. the former actor worked the camera, and he was so likable that reporters stopped covering his falsehoods because readers complained that the press was being mean to the Gipper. the Reagan White House learned from Nixon’s downfall—not to stop engaging in illegal activity but to hide it better. Like Nixon’s staff, the Reagan White House engaged in a massive cover-up of the 1986 IranContra affair. still, they were able to retain a circle of secrecy around the presidency such that the press could never prove the full extent of Reagan’s involvement.

Marshall also dives into how Reagan benefited from the gutting of the Federal Communications Commission’s fairness doctrine, which required broadcasters to air contrasting views of controversial matters. Without a need to

offer “equal time,” broadcast moguls like Rupert Murdoch and right-wing gasbags like Rush Limbaugh had free rein.

But the full force of the new right-wing media wouldn’t be felt until Bill Clinton took office. Every news story became a scandal, fueled by, as the particularly maligned First Lady Hillary Clinton put it, a “vast right-wing conspiracy” to take down the Clintons. the press turned its sights on a president years before his election with a new level of scrutiny. these efforts were amplified by the mainstream media, eager to show that it was equally tough on Democratic presidents after Watergate and Iran-Contra.

Clash culminates with several chapters on the trump administration, noting that while trump’s media relations echoed his predecessors, he didn’t even feign interest in the truth. As a liar, he outdid the presidents before him on sheer volume alone. trump’s verbal attacks on journalists laid the predicate for physical violence. At least 24 journalists were physically attacked in 2018. His spread of disinformation included promoting disproven medical theories as CoVID-19 spread. Finally, his Big Lie led to the January 6 attack on the U.s Capitol.

Marshall positions trump as the culmination of technological innovations and rising animus driving relations between presidents and the press. He provides ample evidence but would have benefited from a robust examination of presidential-press ties before the 20th century.

Marshall leaves out thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson. the early-19th-century parties created dueling press establishments that rivaled the partisan ferocity of sean Hannity and Alex Jones.

Jefferson was one of the first American politicians to harness the media. As secretary of state under George Washington, Jefferson helped fund an opposition paper and cultivated ties with Democratic-Republican newspapers that were instrumental to the decisive Democratic-Republican win in 1800.

Jackson took the party newspaper structure and ran with it. His administration represented the high point of providing insider access in exchange for preferential coverage. Francis Blair, the editor of the Washington Globe, lived across the street from the White House and was one of Jackson’s closest advisers, often hosting the president in his home, crafting policy, and selling it to the public.

A century later, theodore Roosevelt never missed an opportunity to invite journalists and photographers along as he toured factories, visited natural wonders, or delivered speeches on trust-busting and conservation, even taking journalists’ questions while he received his morning shave. the comradery ensured that tR got his message out before

it could be belittled or even analyzed by opponents.

Marshall devotes only two short chapters to pre-20thcentury presidents. He examines the Alien and sedition Acts passed during John Adams’s presidency before moving on to Abraham Lincoln’s relationship with the Black press during the Civil War. In the Lincoln chapter, Marshall argues that the Black press was responsible for pushing Lincoln to support emancipation with little evidentiary support. to be sure, abolitionists advocated for emancipation, but there is no evidence that those articles or speeches changed Lincoln’s mind. Instead, once military conditions convinced Lincoln of the necessity of emancipation, the inverse occurred—he relied on Black and abolitionist papers to cultivate public support for his policies. Marshall barely addresses Lincoln’s attacks on habeas corpus and other civil rights, which were fueled by concerns of rapid intelligence and were a critical part of the Civil War. Clash isn’t really about presidents and the press in moments of crisis. Instead, it’s a book about the presidents, the press, and key developments in that relationship that led to our current standoff. Marshall excels when he explains the role of technology in providing new challenges and opportunities for presidents and the media alike and when he describes turning points in the relationship and draws parallels between presidential tactics. His chapters on obama and trump reveal the importance of social media to the 21st-century presidency. there is much to learn from those 20th-century stories.

But Clash would have been even richer had Marshall also dug deeper into the 19th century.

Lindsay M. Chervinsky, Ph.D. is a presidential historian and Scholar in Residence at the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies at Iona College and the author of The Cabinet: George Washington and the Creation of an American Institution.

Clash: Presidents and the Press in Times of Crisis

by Jon Marshall, University of Nebraska Press, 424 pp.

Tuesday, 3 May, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

Revenue collectIon suRges by 28.6Pc In 10 Months t APP

HE Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) collected net revenues of Rs4,858 billion during the first ten months of the current fiscal year (July-April 2021-22), showing growth of 28.6 per cent over the collection of Rs3,778 billion during the corresponding period of last year.

According to provisions figures shared by the board here on Saturday, the collection during July-April (2021-22) also exceeded the target set for the period by Rs239 billion.

The net collection for the month of April, 2022 stood at Rs480 billion representing an increase of 24.9 per cent over Rs384 billion collected in April, 2021.

On the other hand, the gross collections increased from Rs3,981 billion during JulyApril (2020-21) to Rs5,122 billion in current financial year July, showing an increase of 28.7 per cent.

Likewise, the amount of refunds disbursed during April, 2022 was Rs34.6 billion while in April, 2021 the refunds disbursed were Rs.19.6 billion, registering an increase of 76.2 per cent.

Similarly, refunds worth Rs264 billion have been disbursed from July-April (20212022) compared to Rs203 billion paid last year, showing an increase of 30.1 per cent.

It is pertinent to mention that even though FBR had agreed to a target of Rs6100

KP govt refuses to play any part in talks with IMF Aziz Buneri The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has refused to play its part in fulfilling any of the promises made by the federal government in negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Provincial finance minister Taimur Khan Jhagra said that the province will not be bound to comply by any commitment between the federal government and the IMF regarding the province. Jhagra said that KP government will also not accept any cut in funds by the federal government. The minister said that the federal coalition government did not take KP government into confidence regarding the recent talks with the IMF. He said that if the federal government had granted any assurance to IMF from KP side, then the provincial government is not bound to fulfill this role. In addition the minister said that the federal government will not be allowed to take back surplus funds of the province. He said, “The people of the province have exclusive right on KP’s funds. The center government cannot withdraw these funds under provincial autonomy after the 18th amendment.”

billion with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the same was never made a target of FBR. Now FBR would need Rs484.5 billion per month to achieve the initial target of Rs5,829 billion and Rs621 billion each in May and June to achieve the revised target of Rs6100 billion.

The incumbent government is fully determined to collect Rs6100 billion in this fiscal year, said FBR statement.

The ongoing unprecedented and constant growth trajectory in revenue collection has been achieved despite massive tax relief given by the government on various essential items to common man.

For the first time ever in the country’s history, Sales Tax on all POL products has been reduced to zero which cost FBR Rs45 billion in April, 2022. Likewise, the revenue impact of Sales Tax exemptions provided to fertilizers, pesticides, tractors, vehicles, and oil & ghee comes to Rs18 billion per month.

Similarly, zero rating on pharmaceutical products has cost FBR Rs10 billion in Sales Tax during the month of April, 2022.

Thus, in aggregate these relief measures have impacted revenue collection by approximately Rs73 billion during the month of April, 2022.

Furthermore, the political uncertainty and import compression also negatively impacted revenue collection during April.

It is worth sharing that FBR has intro-

duced a number of innovative interventions both at policy and operational level with a view to maximize revenue potential through digitization, transparency, and taxpayers’ facilitation.

This has not only resulted in ensuring the ease of doing business but also translated in a healthy and steady growth in rev-

enue collection.

Likewise, the incumbent top leadership of FBR has launched a new culture of clean taxation with a clear focus on collecting only the fair tax and not holding up refunds which are due to be paid.

This has not only fast tracked the process of bridging the trust deficit be-

NEWS

09

tween FBR and Taxpayers but also ensured the much-needed cash liquidity for business community. That’s precisely why FBR continues to surpass its assigned revenue targets despite challenges and price stabilization measures adopted by the government, the statement added.

Experts hope IMF programme restoration to help revive economy iSLAMABAD TLTP

The restoration of Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which had come to standstill at the tenure-end of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, has rejuvenated the hope for economic revival of the incumbent government's rigorous efforts.

The revival would have a positive impact on the economy with enhanced balance of payment position and increasing foreign exchange reserves at a time when the country has been facing big economic challenges including widening of current account deficit, depleting foreign exchange reserves, Currency depreciation and upward inflationary trend, which currently stands at double-digit.

Economic experts believe that the EFF programme could lead to economic stability provided the structural reforms advised by the IMF are fully implemented. "The 7th EFF review is expected to bring about economic stability in the country. However, there had been and is dire need to implement the structural reforms in letter and spirit to stabilise the economy and take it forward to growth," Economist and former member Economic Advisory Council (EAC) Sakib Sherani said.

He also highlighted the importance of devising long-

term policies, enhancing revenues and promoting exports to help sustainable economic growth. The finance team of Pakistan, led by Finance Minister Miftah Ismail spent busy routine in Washington held several meetings with the IMF officials during the second last week of April 2022 to put the detailed process on track and complete the much-awaited 7th review of EFF, which had detracted due to fund's concerns over some of the previous government decisions.

"Based on the constructive discussions with the author-

ities in Washington, the IMF expects to field a mission to Pakistan in May to resume discussions over policies for completing the 7th EFF review," said IMF in a statement issued at the conclusion of meetings with Pakistan.

The fund has also been requested to enhance the funding available to Pakistan from existing $6 billion and extend the EFF arrangement through June 2023 as a signal of their commitment to address existing challenges and achieve the program objectives.

Miftah told reporters in Washington that the fund was requested, which it agreed, to extend this program for another year. The talks focused on the subsidies that were provided by the previous government and IMF considered these unsustainable. The fund has also been showing concerns over the widening current account deficit.

Economic experts are of the view that there was a need to devise long-term policies to mitigate the dependence of the country on foreign debt, however they consider the current IMF programme imperative to bolster the country's economy.

"We can bring economic stability with the help of external debt, however there is a need to devise long-term policies for sustainable economic growth," said former State Minister for Finance, Salman Shah. He however feared that the IMF program would stir inflation and lead to price-hike in petroleum and other products.

China’s auto industry faces severe disruptions from Covid: Fitch SHAnGHAi TLTP

China’s auto market faces substantial risks in 2Q22 amid production halts and supply-chain disruptions from Covid-19 control measures, said Fitch Ratings in a new report.

A recovery in major auto and parts manufacturing hubs such as Shanghai and Jilin would be critical for easing the sector’s operational difficulties in the next one-two months, said Fitch report titled “China Auto Watch - 1Q22: Strict Covid-19 Measures Add to Risks of Falling Sales”.

The automobile industry in north-east and eastern China has been severely disrupted since mid-March due to strict quarantine restrictions. Shanghai’s total lockdown, which started end-March, has paralysed the local auto sector, pressuring the auto value chain in the Yangtze River Delta and nationwide. Wholesale deliveries of passenger vehicles (PV) slumped 50% yoy in the first three weeks of April, according to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).

Manufacturers’ near-term challenges remain, despite the partial resumption of production from midApril, including worker immobility, component shortages and logistical hurdles. Automakers outside of the current epicentres also face risks in production and supply-chain disruptions if the lockdowns spread, with uncertainty in scale and duration of the restrictions.

Retail car sales bore the larger brunt of the Covid19 controls, with volume dropping 11% yoy in March, due to limits on customer visits, temporary closures of dealer stores and tight vehicle supply of pandemic-affected brands.

Fitch expects the Covid-19 impact to last longer for China’s auto retailing than manufacturing given the more rigid restrictions against offline service sectors.

Experience from the 2020 pandemic showed that part of the car demand was delayed rather than lost; however, wider-ranging controls this year could weigh on the already weak consumer sentiment. CPCA recently lowered its forecast on 2022 PV retail unit sales growth to 0% from around 5% previously.

Tuesday, 3 May, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

10 FOREIGN NEWS

ISrAeL demAndS ApoLogy After ruSSIA SAyS HItLer HAd JewISH rootS JERUSALEM Agencies

I

SRAEL lambasted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday for claiming that Adolf Hitler had Jewish origins, saying it was an “unforgivable” falsehood that debased the horrors of the Nazi Holocaust.

In a signal of sharply deteriorating relations with Moscow, the Israeli foreign ministry summoned the Russian ambassador and demanded an apology.

“Such lies are intended to accuse the Jews themselves of the most horrific crimes in history that were committed against them,” Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said in a statement.

“The use of the Holocaust of the Jewish people for political purposes must stop immediately,” he added.

Lavrov made the assertion on Italian television on Sunday when he was asked why Russia said it needed to “denazify” Ukraine if the country’s own president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, was himself Jewish.

“When they say ‘What sort of nazification is this if

we are Jews’, well I think that Hitler also had Jewish origins, so it means nothing,” Lavrov told Rete 4 channel, speaking through an Italian interpreter.

“For a long time now we’ve been hearing the wise Jewish people say that the biggest anti-Semites are the Jews themselves,” he added.

Dani Dayan, chairman of Yad Vashem, Israel’s memorial to the six million Jews killed in the Holocaust, said the Russian minister’s remarks were “an insult and a severe blow to the victims of the real Nazism”.

Speaking on Kan radio, Dayan said Lavrov was spreading “an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory with no basis in fact”.

The identity of one of Hitler’s grandfathers is not known but there has been some speculation, never backed up by any evidence, that he might have been a Jew. There was no immediate response for comment from the Russian embassy to Israel or from Lavrov in Moscow.

Kyiv condemned Lavrov’s words, saying his “heinous remarks” were offensive to Zelenskiy, to Israel, Ukraine and Jews.

“More broadly, they demonstrate that today’s Russia is full of hatred towards other nations,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter.

Israeli Foreign Ministry Yair Lapid, whose grandfather died in the Holocaust, said that accusing Jews of being anti-Semites was “the basest level of racism”. He also dismissed Lavrov’s assertion that pro-Nazi elements held sway over the Ukrainian government and military.

“The Ukrainians aren’t Nazis. Only the Nazis were Nazis and only they dealt with the systematic destruction of the Jewish people,” Lapid told the YNet news website.

A German government spokesperson said the idea Hitler had Jewish heritage was “absurd” propaganda.

Israel has expressed repeated support for Ukraine following the Russian invasion in February. But wary of straining relations with Russia, a powerbroker in neighbouring Syria, it initially avoided direct criticism of Moscow and has not enforced formal sanctions on Russian oligarchs.

However, relations have grown more strained, with Lapid last month accusing Russia of committing war

crimes in Ukraine.

However, the Ukrainian president has also run into flak in Israel by looking to draw analogies between the conflict in his country and World War Two. In an address to the Israeli parliament in March, Zelenskiy compared the Russian offensive in Ukraine to Nazi Germany’s plan to murder all Jews within its reach during World War Two. Yad Vashem called his comments “irresponsible,” saying they trivialised the historical facts of the Holocaust.

Setback for Shanghai’s COVID battle as Beijing ramps up mass testing SHANGHAI/BEIJING

Qantas bets on non-stop Sydney-London flights with Airbus order SYDNEY ReuteRs

Qantas Airways will fly non-stop from Sydney to London after ordering a dozen special Airbus jets, charging higher fares in a multi-billion dollar bet that fliers will pay a premium to save four hours on the popular route. To be launched late in 2025, the flights will use A350-1000 planes, specially configured with extra premium seating and reduced overall capacity, to ferry up to 238 passengers in a 20-hour trip — the world’s longest direct commercial flight. Announcing plans for the service on Monday, the loss-making carrier said a strong recovery in the domestic market and signs of an improvement in international flying after the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic had given it the confidence to make a major investment on its future.

Qantas forecasts a return to profit in the financial year starting this July. The order from the European aircraft maker also includes 40 narrowbody A321XLR and A220 jets to start the replacement of Qantas’ ageing domestic fleet, with deliveries spread over a decade. The airline did not disclose the value of the Airbus deal, but analysts at Barrenjoey estimated in a client note it would cost at least A$6 billion ($4.23 billion). “Since the start of the calendar year, we have seen huge increases in demand,” Qantas Chief Executive Alan Joyce told reporters at Sydney Airport, where an Airbus A350-1000 test plane flown from France emblazoned with the Qantas logo and “Our Spirit flies further” was parked in a hangar as a backdrop for the announcement. Qantas shares surged as much as 5.5 percent on Monday to the highest level since November after it also said debt levels had fallen to pre-Covid levels faster than the market’s expectations.

Agencies

China’s commercial capital of Shanghai was dealt a blow on Monday as authorities reported 58 new COVID-19 cases outside areas under strict lockdown, while Beijing pressed on with testing millions of people on a May Day holiday few were celebrating.

Tough coronavirus curbs in Shanghai have stirred rare public anger, with millions of the city’s 25 million people stuck indoors for more than a month, some sealed inside fenced-off residential compounds and many struggling for daily necessities.

While Shanghai officials said the situation is improving, images on social media have unnerved the public at a time when hospitals and mortuaries in the city are overwhelmed.

On Monday, authorities said they were investigating five officials after videos showed a local care home transferring an elderly person in a body bag to a mortuary. The person was later found to be still alive.

Shanghai residents breathed a sigh of relief over the weekend at news that no cases had been confirmed outside areas under lockdown for two days, but disappointment came on Monday with the report of the 58 new infections among people who are allowed to move more freely around the city.

Authorities did not comment on the new cases at a media briefing but members of the public weighed in online.

“They announced that they stamped out cases at the community level too early,” one person commented on the Weibo platform.

Still, many people also took heart

from data that showed encouraging trends, with 32 new deaths on Sunday, down from 38 a day earlier, and 6,804 new local cases, down from 7,189.

“There is hope for May,” said another Weibo user.

Despite the drop in cases, more fences were erected at some residential blocks in Shanghai on Monday, although authorities said employees of companies the government has put on a production priority list could apply for a pass if the building they lived in had no cases for seven days.

The coronavirus first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019 and for two years authorities managed to keep outbreaks largely under control with lockdowns and travel bans.

But the fast-spreading Omicron variant has tested China’s “zero-COVID” policy this year, an important one for President Xi Jinping who is expected to secure a precedent-breaking third leadership term in the autumn.

China’s COVID policy is increasingly out of step with the rest of the world, where many governments have eased restrictions, or thrown them off altogether, in a bid to “live with COVID” even though infections are spreading.

New Zealand, which had some of the toughest curbs, finally opened its border on Monday, welcoming thousands of visitors for the first time since the start of the pandemic.

China has given no hint of deviating from its policy despite a mounting toll on

the world’s second-largest economy, and ripples of disruption through global supply chains.

Beijing, with dozens of daily infections in an outbreak in its second week, has not locked down, instead relying, at least for now, on mass testing to locate and isolate infections.

Home to 22 million, the capital tightened COVID curbs over the five-day Labour Day holiday that runs through Wednesday, traditionally one the busiest tourist seasons.

Twelve Beijing districts, including the largest one Chaoyang which is home to nightlife and embassies, will carry out a further three rounds of COVID-19 tests between May 3 and 5, a local official said on Monday. Chaoyang district accounts for the biggest share of infections in Beijing’s outbreak.

The capital’s restaurants are closed for dining in and some apartment blocks are sealed shut. The streets are quiet and the residents who do venture out have to show negative coronavirus tests to enter most public venues.

Authorities are tracking down close contacts of confirmed cases, warning them to stay at home and contact authorities.

China reported 7,822 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, down from 8,329 new cases a day earlier, the National Health Commission said on Monday.

All of China’s 32 new deaths were in Shanghai, taking the country’s overall death toll since the virus emerged to 5,092.

India, the only country with a comparable population to China’s 1.4 billion people, has officially recorded more than half a million deaths, though some health experts believe its toll is even higher.

Delhi driver grows garden on autorickshaw roof to beat the heat NEW DELHI AFP

Yellow and green autorickshaws are ubiquitous on New Delhi’s roads but Mahendra Kumar’s vehicle stands out — it has a garden on its roof aimed at keeping passengers cool during the searing summer season.

Kumar says the thick patch of green keeps the vehicle cool even when temperatures are touching 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit) in the Indian capital, enough to melt the tar on roads.

Kumar, 48, has grown over 20 varieties of shrubs, crops and flowers, attracting commuters and passers-by who stop to click selfies and photos of the unique “moving garden”.

“Around two years ago I had this idea during the peak of the summer season. I thought if I can grow some plants on the roof, it will keep my auto cool and give relief from the heat to my passengers,” Kumar told

AFP. Kumar also installed two mini coolers and fans inside.

“It is now like a natural AC (air conditioner). My passengers are so happy after the ride that they don’t mind paying me an extra 10-20 bucks ($0.13-.26),” said the father of three. Delhi’s 20 million residents have been sweltering in an early summer heatwave that has hit India, from Himachal Pradesh in the north to Odisha in the east.

Temperatures last week crossed 45 degrees Celsius in parts of the Delhi region — several degrees higher than normal.

Forecasters say the heatwave conditions would abate in the next three or four days but warned it would rise again thereafter.

Heatwaves have killed over 6,500 people in India since 2010, and scientists say climate change is making them harsher and more frequent across South Asia.

Kumar said he was doing his “own small bit” for the environment by planting lettuce,

tomatoes and millets on his autorickshaw.

Preparing the roof for sowing was simple: Kumar first put a mat followed by a thick sack on which he sprinkled some soil.

He got grass from the roadside and seeds from friends and acquaintances and within days, the seeds sprouted into green shoots.

“It does not require much effort at all. I just water the plants using a bottle twice a day,” he said.

Kumar’s initiative is an inspiration for his fellow drivers who have been asking him for tricks and tips.

Passer-by Naima Jamal was also mighty impressed with Kumar’s clean and green auto that runs on compressed natural gas, which is less polluting than petrol or diesel.

“It’s a great idea,” Jamal, a housewife, told AFP. “Delhi has become a concrete jungle, there is hardly any greenery.

“We need more such autorickshaws on the roads — they are pleasing to the eyes and the soul.”

Tuesday, 3 May, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

SPORTS 11

CaiRns opens up on pain BRought By matCh-fixing tRials AUckLAND

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AFP

EW Zealand cricket great Chris Cairns feels he can talk candidly about the pain of match-fixing allegations brought against him now that he has survived multiple health scares.

The former allrounder spoke publicly for the first time Monday about the court battles to clear his name spanning 2012 to 2015.

Interviewed on a podcast hosted by media company NZME, Cairns said the high-profile trials had consumed his life and that he had harboured “anger and animosity” after having his credibility scrutinised and his career effectively shredded — even though he was never found guilty.

The 51-year-old’s attitude has changed since suffering a heart attack last August that placed him on life support.

He subsequently became paralysed from the waist down after suffering a stroke during one of four open-heart surgeries.

In February, he revealed he had been diagnosed with bowel cancer.

Canberra-based Cairns told the podcast the health battles carried a silver lining — helping cleanse his mind of the dark feelings that had hounded him since 2015.

“I harboured a lot of anger and frustration, but I carried that silently. I dug my hole in Australia and got on with life … but I was angry,” he said.

“But now, after the last seven months, it’s so far down my thinking. It’s not a priority. It seems like another time, another place.

“Maybe during that time it (the match-fixing trials) built up the steel in me that allowed me to survive what I went through – because it was about survival at that time. I was on my own, cast as the villain, that was my role.

“Building that resilience up, who’s to say that wasn’t a contributing factor in helping me fight.”

In March 2012, Cairns successfully sued former Indian Premier League commissioner Lalit Modi for libel, after Modi alleged on Twitter that the New Zealander had been involved in match-fixing in 2008. cairns won cosTs and damages: The Metropolitan Police later announced charges of perjury and perverting the course of justice against Cairns, stemming from the Modi libel trial.

It put him under the international blow torch for eight weeks at London’s High Court, late in 2015.

He would ultimately be acquitted.

Despite losing all cricket-related work in the wake of a trial he described as “horrendous”, Cairns

says he doesn’t regret taking action against Modi.

“No, you have to stand up for what you believe. Lalit did his thing by firing that (tweet) off,” Cairns said. “He was the most influential name in the game of cricket and the unintended consequence of that set things in motion. If you had asked me that question in July of last year, I know there would be a different response.”

Father-of-five Cairns said he bears no grudges against former international teammates Brendon McCullum and Lou Vincent, who were among those to testify against him.

The son of another former international allrounder, Lance Cairns, he is ranked seventh among New Zealand Test wicket-takers (218) and 13th among run-scorers (3,320).

‘Not supportive’ of banning Russian and Belarusian players from Wimbledon: Murray AgeNcies Andy Murray is “not supportive” of the plan to ban Russian and Belarusian players from Wimbledon following the invasion of Ukraine – but says there is no “right answer” to the situation.

Wimbledon officials said a directive from the government had left them “with no viable alternative” but to prevent players from Russia and Belarus from participating at this year’s Grand Slam, which starts on June 27.

The government is understood to have asked sporting bodies to request written confirmation of players’ neutrality if they are to compete.

Murray, who is donating all of his prize money this season to humanitarian relief in Ukraine, said the guidance from the government “was not helpful”.

Speaking ahead of his first-round match with Dominic Thiem at the Madrid Open on Monday, the 34-yearold said: “I’m not supportive of players getting banned. The guidance from the government was not helpful.

“My understanding of the guidance was that Russians and Belarusians can play if they sign a declaration that they’re against the war and against the Russian regime.

“I’m not sure how comfortable I would feel if something happened to one of the players or their families (as a result). I don’t think there’s a right answer.

“I have spoken to some of the Russian players. I’ve spoken to some of the Ukrainian players. I feel really bad for the players who aren’t allowed to play and I get that it will seem unfair to them.

“But I also know some of the people who work at Wimbledon, and I know how difficult a position they were in. I feel for everyone, feel for the players that can’t play, and I don’t support one

side or the other.”

The ban has been criticised by many players, with Andrey Rublev calling the decision “complete discrimination”, Novak Djokovic branding it “crazy” and Victoria Azarenka believing it makes “no sense”.

Now, Rafael Nadal has described it as “very unfair”.

Nadal said: “I think it’s very unfair (on) my Russian tennis mates, my colleagues. It’s not their fault what’s happening in this moment with the war.”

The governing bodies of men’s and

women’s professional tennis, the ATP and WTA, are against the ban and could decide to remove ranking points from Wimbledon this year.

Nadal added: “The 2,000 points whenever we go to the Grand Slams are really important and we have to go to those tournaments. We will have to see the measures that we take.

“At the end of the day, what happens in our game, it doesn’t have any importance when we can see so many people dying and suffering and seeing the bad situation they are having in Ukraine.”

Djokovic – who like Murray and Nadal is playing in Madrid this week – added: “I still stand by my position that I don’t support the decision. I think it’s just not fair, it’s not right, but it is what it is.

“They are entitled to make the decision and now I guess it’s on the player council, the tour management, to really decide along with the players what is the best solution in this situation, whether they keep the points, protect the points, take away 50 per cent of the points, or whatever.

“I really doubt that there won’t be any points. Probably the more realistic option is to protect the points from the Russian and Belarusian players that are not playing.”

Bagnaia holds off Quartararo to win Spanish MotoGP MADRiD AFP

Italian Francesco Bagnaia ended a barren run by outpacing championship leader Fabio Quartararo to win the Spanish MotoGP at Jerez on Sunday.

Spaniards Aleix Espargaro and Marc Marquez took the next two places as Spaniard Alex Rins, who started the race level on points atop the standings, failed to score. Bagnaia won six times last season as he finished second to Quartararo in the championship, but this season had finished no better than fifth.

“This is one of the most grateful wins because it comes after a long wait,” he said.

At the start, he shot away on his factory Ducati and stayed ahead the rest of the way.

“The best start I ever did in a race,” he said. “Today we have finally found what we were reaching for.”

He said he was still battling shoulder pain but had managed it by limiting his time on track in practice and qualifying.

“It was important not to test my shoulder too much this weekend so I didn’t ride many laps,” he said.

Only Yamaha’s Quartararo could keep pace, but after pressing in the early laps, spent the rest of the race hanging on before finishing just over a quarter of a second behind.

“He was too fast today,” said Quartararo. “It was not a battle because we did not overtake, but it was intense and we enjoyed it.”

“You fight all the race to try to win and at the end, you do not succeed. But

I know very well that these are very good points to take, I was at the limit, I could not do better.

“It’s good to fight with a rider like him because I’m improving my riding.”

The battle, and the overtaking, were several seconds behind as Australian Jack Miller, on another Ducati, tried to hold off the ever-aggressive Marquez, with two more Spaniards, Espargaro, on an Aprilia, lurking.

They provided breathless entertainment for a crowd of more than 60,000, the first time spectators have been permitted at the Andalusian circuit since the last pre-Covid race in 2019.

“Jerez is one of the most iconic tracks,” said Espargaro. “When I saw the hillsides black with people this morning it made me feel good.”

‘This is my corner’: Marquez overtook, but later lost control on a corner, only saving himself from another crash by elbowing down on the tarmac, while the Australian misjudged his braking.

“It has been very difficult mentally,” said Espargaro who pounced. “I was much quicker than Jack and Marc and I couldn’t overtake them. So I wait for a mistake. Jack missed the brakes and Marc lost the front, so I thought ‘this is my corner’.”

He pulled away to finish third, almost 11 seconds behind Bagnaia.

“I was very emotional on the podium, because it came to my mind that when I was 11 or 12 I was in this place but I’ve never been on the podium.”

Quartararo pulled clear at the top of the standings, with Espargaro second.

“Very happy I’m just seven points from Fabio,” said Espargaro.

Enea Bastianini, who was eighth on a Gresini-Ducati, moved into a tie with Rins, who was 19th, for third. Bagnaia climbed to fifth, 23 points behind Quartararo.

“I lost a lot of points at the start but the championship is very long,” Bagnaia said.

The next race is Quartararo’s home grand prix at Le Mans on May 15.

In Moto2, Japanese rider Ai Ogura, 21, led from start to finish to take his first

victory in senior motorcycle racing.

Spaniard Aron Canet finished 2.5 seconds behind despite riding with a protective cast on his left arm. He underwent surgery last Monday after breaking the arm in a crash in the Portuguese Grand Prix the day before.

In Moto3, Spaniard Izan Guevara started on pole, quickly lost his lead but pounced on the final corner to take victory ahead of Gasgas team-mate and fellow Spaniard Sergio Garcia.

Garcia opened a 20-point lead over Italian Dennis Foggia who was 18th.

Jon Rahm holds on to claim one-shot victory News Desk Jon Rahm carded a two-under 69 in the final round to secure a one-shot victory in the Mexico Open at Vidanta Vallarta. The 27-year-old Spaniard held off late charges from American duo Tony Finau and Brandon Wu to finFinau and Wu closed with eightunder 63s but had to settle for second place alongside compatriot Kurt Kitayama after Rahm held firm under pressure in the closing stages. World No 2 Rahm started the day with a two-shot cushion over Kitayama and Cameron Champ but five successive pars to open his round saw his advantage halved by early birdies from the American pair. The Spaniard, who was playing steady, risk-free golf out in front, produced a couple of superb iron shots to notch back-to-back birdies at the sixth and seventh, although these were matched by Kitayama and Champ.

The wheels fell off for Champ at the eighth, though, as he pushed his tee shot right to the water’s edge, from where he hacked out and then hooked his third left of the green on his way to a triple-bogey seven.

Kitayama faltered when he found water off the 10th tee for the third day in a row, leading to a bogey, which Rahm matched after missing from inside six feet for only the second time this week. Meanwhile, Wu, who had eagled the sixth, was making rapid progress up the leaderboard and he joined Rahm in the lead on 16 under when he rolled in a 25-foot putt at the 16th for his sixth birdie of the day. Kitayama then made it a three-way tie for the lead with a birdie at the par-five 12 – where Rahm could only make a par – despite a wayward third shot.

Finau also put himself in the mix when he followed up an eagle at the 14th, holing a 56-foot putt from off the front of the green, with a birdie at the next to get to 15 under, but he then missed birdie chances at the next two holes. Wu failed to add another birdie over the final two holes but his eightunder 63 – the competitive course record – set the clubhouse target of 16 under for those in behind.

His score and total was quickly matched by Finau as he birdied the last – playing the final six holes in six under – to secure his first top-10 finish of the season. The wind was now blowing strongly to further trouble the later starters, but Rahm had the answer at the 14th as he drained a welcome birdie putt to retake the outright lead on 17 under, as Kitayama bogeyed the hole after pulling his second shot left to slip two behind. Rahm then parred the 15th,16th and 17th – missing a decent birdie chance at the latter after an excellent tee shot – before securing the victory with another steady par at the last after driving into the left rough. “It was a pretty stressful weekend all the way to the end,” said Rahm, whose previous win came back at the 2021 US Open. “I didn’t think having a par-five [18th] where a fade off the tee was required I would be stressing this much, but I got it done at the end.

Tuesday, 3 May, 2022

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MQM-P suggests five naMes for sindh governor’s Post

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News Desk

QM-P has suggested five names for the post of Sindh governor, party sources said Monday. Sources privy to the matter said that the names have been sent to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for approval. The five party members suggested by MQM-P for the post include Nasreen Jaleel, Amir Khan, Amir Chishti, Waseem Akhtar, and Kishwar Zehra.

Sources further stated that the party will review the names in case the prime minister raises an objection.

The office of the Sindh governor fell vacant on April 12 as PTI leader Imran Ismail tendered his resignation, hours before Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took oath as the 23rd premier of Pakistan.

However, President Arif Alvi accepted the resignation almost a week later.

“In terms of Article 101 (4) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the President has been pleased to accept the resignation tendered by Mr Imran Ismail from the office of Governor of the Province of Sindh, with effect from 17 April 2022,” the notification issued by Cabinet Secretariat read.

Speaker of Sindh Assembly Agha Siraj Durani had been directed to perform the functions of the governor of Sindh till the appointment of a new incumbent for the post.

Moreover, according to the notification, Durani has been directed to perform the functions of the governor of Sindh till the appointment of a new incumbent.

On the other hand, the PPP nominated

its leader Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood as Punjab governor, sources said Friday, as the coalition government’s cabinet in the Centre will reportedly be finalised this week.

Sources further said that the PPP leadership has informed Mehmood — who has experience of being Punjab’s governor in the past too — of the decision.

Mehmood, who was earlier part of PML-F, decided to part ways with the party after then-president Asif Ali Zardari appointed him as Punjab governor in December 2012 — and he served till June 2013.

The JUI-F has demanded to make the governor of Balochistan or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from their party, while the governor of Punjab will be from PPP and the governor of Sindh from MQM-P, sources had said.

PM Shehbaz extends Eid greetings to Qatari emir APP

hamza orders provision of free medicines at public hospitals LAHORe Staff RepoRt

Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz on Monday directed the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department to ensure the provision of free medicines at public hospitals. While chairing a meeting of the provincial health department in Lahore, the chief minister announced the Sehat healthcare card programme, introduced by the government of Imran Khan, would continue in Punjab. He asked the department officials to ensure that the best healthcare facilities were provided to the people at all province’s hospitals. He said that ordinary people should be given complete respect at hospitals. Shehbaz also gave instructions for ensuring compliance with the standard operating procedures (SoPs) devised with respect to the dengue virus. He also urged the concerned officials to make sure 100 per cent transparent purchase of medicines. Shehbaz also announced that he would visit hospitals in days to come to monitor the working of the staff.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday called Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani and extended greetings on the occasion of Eidul Fitr.

The prime minister also conveyed his best wishes to the brotherly people of Qatar.

The emir of Qatar warmly reciprocated the greetings and extended best wishes to the people of Pakistan.

Both the leaders expressed satisfaction over the excellent state of bilateral relations and resolved to carry forward the robust political and economic cooperation that exists between the two countries.

The two leaders agreed to maintain close contact and work together on all issues of common interest.

The prime minister invited the Qatar ruler to visit Pakistan at an early date. The emir also extended an invitation to PM Shehbaz to visit Qatar.

Earlier this month, PM Shehbaz held a meeting with the ambassador of the State of Qatar Sheikh Saoud Abdulrahman Al-Thani and discussed matters of mutual interest.

The ambassador conveyed the message of felicitations from the Qatari leadership on his election as prime minister of Pakistan.

Recalling the long-standing and fraternal ties between the two countries, he reaffirmed Qatar’s desire to further deepen and broaden bilateral relations with Pakistan.

The prime minister thanked the Qatari Ambas-

sador for the messages of felicitations from the Qatari leadership. He underscored the importance Pakistan attached to its relationship with Qatar and reiterated his resolve to work towards further expansion of mutual cooperation in diverse fields.

April inflation clocks in at 13.37pc, highest in over two years News Desk The inflation rate in April skyrocketed to 13.4% – the highest pace since January 2020, putting the new government in a tight spot at a time when it had already committed with the International Monetary Fund to raise fuel prices to revive the stalled $6 billion (now $8 billion) bailout package.

The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics has reported that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) measured inflation rate has cloaked in at 13.4%. The pace of prices’ increase accelerated due to a surge in the rates of food and transport commodity groups.

It was the highest rate since January 2020 when the inflation was recorded at 13.7%.

The April reading has beaten the expectations of the Ministry of Finance that predicted the 12.5% inflation rate just two days ago. The fresh reading had also made the decision-making for the new government difficult because of its politically-sensitive nature.

In case it goes for an increase in the prices of petrol and high speed diesel as promised with the IMF to secure a lifeline for the country, it would face a severe backlash.

The IMF has asked Pakistan to immediately withdraw subsidy on petrol, which would result into roughly Rs29.6 per liter increase and also half the diesel subsidy in the first phase, which is currently estimated at over Rs73 per liter.

However, Prime Minister Shehbaz has again de-

cided to keep the prices unchanged, for now, and was ready to pay Rs51 billion subsidy for just fist fortnight of this month. Although the government has not increased the petrol prices, it was still expensive by 39% last month compared to the same month a year ago.

Pakistan has also sought the $7.4 billion bailout package from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its de-

tails were being finalised. Finance Minister Miftah Ismail stayed back in the kingdom to finalise the package.

The CPI-based inflation rate jumped 12.2% in urban areas and 15.1% in villages and towns, according to the PBS. It remained in double digit due to an increase in the prices of food items, which had been taxed by the last government. The pace of food inflation accelerated

to 15.6% in cities and 17.7% in villages and towns last month, according to the PBS. The prices of both nonperishable and perishable food products increased significantly last month. The food group saw over 17% increase in prices in April compared to the same month a year ago. Prices of perishable food items increased nearly 30%, according to the PBS. Non-food inflation increased 10.2% in urban areas and 12.8% in rural areas, according to the national data collecting agency. Core inflation – calculated after excluding food and energy goods – jumped 9.1% in urban areas and 10.9% in rural areas. The banks are lending the government to at a rate that is nearly 3% higher than the policy rate and 4% of the inflation rate.

The prices of tomatoes — an essential kitchen item — were higher by 125% last month compared to a year ago, followed by 62% increase in the rates of onions, and over 60% of various types of ghee and cooking oil, according to the PBS. The prices of pulses increased over 40%, fruits 30%, meat one-fourth and vegetables by onefifth, according to the PBS. The constant double-digit inflation in the country has eroded the people’s purchasing power and a recent report by the World Bank said that poor families had spent half of their earnings on buying food.

Average inflation during the first ten months (JulyApril) remained in double digit and shot over 11% — far higher than the government’s target of 8% and the initial projection made by the SBP.

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