Epaper – October 17 LHR 2021

CMYk

17 October, 2021 I 10 Rabi-ul-Awwal, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 109 I 12 Pages I Lahore Edition

GOvt jacKs up petrOleuM prIces by rs 12.44 per lItre g

PETROL PRICES INCREASING ACROSS THE GLOBE, SAyS TARIN AS PRICE HITS RECORD HIGH IN PAKISTAN isLaMabaD

t

AhmAd AhmAdAni

HE federal government on Saturday raised the price of petrol

by Rs10.49 per litre and that of high speed diesel (HSD) by Rs12.44 per litre with immediate effect ostensibly to pass on the impact of higher international market.

According to a notification issued by the Finance Ministry, the new price of petrol, effective from Oct 16, is Rs137.79 per litre while high speed diesel will sell for Rs134.48.

Similarly, the prices of kerosene and light diesel oil (LDO) were increased by Rs10.95 and Rs8.84 per litre respectively.

The new price of kerosene is Rs110.26 per litre and that of LDO is Rs108.35 per

GlObal rates, nOt IMF reasOn behInd petrOleuM prIce hIKe: haMMad azhar MoNitoriNg report Federal Minister for Energy Hammad Azhar on Saturday said the increase in petrol prices in Pakistan stems from the demand-supply crisis in the international market, “not because of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)”. “Increasing the prices of petroleum products is a most difficult task for the government,” he said. He said that the incumbent government has reduced the petroleum levy from 30 per cent to 5.5pc. Speaking on a local TV channel, the energy minister said that the price hike was

approved on the recommendation of Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) and that he was unaware of whether the increase may be more or less than the proposed price. “The Ministry of Finance will know about the actual numbers,” he added. Article continues after this advertisement he minister explained that the price of petrol has gone up globally, and that “the price of petrol is even higher in countries where there is more poverty than Pakistan.” “The government’s capacity to provide relief in the prices of petroleum products is dwindling,” he added.

litre.

“In the current scenario, the government has absorbed the pressure and provided maximum relief to the consumers by keeping Petroleum Levy and sales tax to minimum. Therefore, prices worked out by OGRA have been approved,” the finance ministry’s notification stated.

Article continues after this advertisement The notification stated that oil prices in the international market had risen around $85 a barrel which was the highest since October 2018.

“Importantly, entire energy chain prices have witnessed a strong surge in the past couple of months due to higher demand for energy inputs and supply bottlenecks,” it further stated.

It is pertinent to mention here that the government had raised the price of petrol by Rs4 per litre at the start of the month as well.

The masses have already been bearing a heavy brunt of significant hike in daily use items, life saving medicines, electricity etc. whereas this massive hike in POL prices would add to the common man’s problems.

Meanwhile, speaking with Profit, industry experts said that the government could have avoided passing on a massive hike in the prices of petrol and diesel if it had decided to suspend the

10 per cent custom duty which was imposed in their per litre prices.

“The hike could have been postponed for the remaining fifteen days of the current month if the government had suspended custom duty on their prices,” they said. They added that the custom duties were imposed to use the amount in the up-gradation of oil refineries and it was expected that the collected amount would be provided to refineries from the next year.

The government would now earn more revenue through GST collection from October 16, till the end of the month on the sale of petrol and diesel compared to the revenue collection collected in rupees on account of GST from October 1 till October 15.

The government has been earning a major chunk, roughly 25pc, of total revenue generation from the oil sector.

Custom duty, IFEM, petroleum levy,

Maryam Nawaz urges people to send Imran Khan packing g

RIDING ANTI-GOVERNMENT wAVE, MARyAM HIT OUT AT KHAN'S INTEGRITy MiaN abrar

The PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz Saturday played on the anti-government emotions due to the extraordinary rise in petroleum prices, saying that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s PTI has been topped the list in Pandora Papers.

“The nation was told Imran Khan’s name isn’t included in the list .. have you ever heard that the leader of a pack of thieves was an honest person. It’s time now for the people of Pakistan to send Imran Khan home?” she remarked while addressing a rally of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).

Flanked by PML-N leaders Marriyum Aurangzeb and Rana Sanaullah, Maryam spoke while PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman arrived at the venue later.

The rally, held at the Dhobi Ghat ground, was announced a while back by the Opposition alliance, with another to follow on October 31 in Dera Ismail Khan.

Maryam spoke of PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif, who is in London and has been de-

clared an absconder by Pakistani courts, saying that Sharif has “left everything in the hands of God”. “when a person leaves their matters to God […] no matter how powerful one is, or how they say they are on ‘one page’ [with others] historic defeat, historic humiliation, historic disgrace becomes the fate of the oppressive,” she said. “So tell me now. Has God not made Nawaz Sharif’s opponents a warning to all?”

A grim-faced Maryam at one point asked the organisers to turn down the music. She said that Nawaz Sharif’s opponents had suffered exemplary defeat as she hit out at the PTI-led government for the hike in prices of utilities and petroleum products.

Maryam said in Nawaz’s tenure [as PM],

CONFIRMED CASES: cOrOnavIrus In

1,263,664

paKIstan SINDH:

sugar was Rs50 per kg, and now after three years, it had crossed Rs120 per kg while electricity prices had shot up from Rs10-11 per unit to Rs25 per unit.

“There was a man named Imran Khan, who used to say when flour becomes expensive, when sugar prices rise, when rates of electricity and petrol rise, know that your prime minister is a thief,” Maryam said.

“So who is the thief now?” she asked a charged crowd.

Maryam also criticised the government for the dengue outbreak, particularly in Punjab.

“The entire world is facing coronavirus, but now because of their [government’s] incompetence, people are dying of dengue,” she said. “There is no one here like Shehbaz Sharif who used to visit hospitals,” Maryam added.

LAST UPDATED AT 7:19 AM ON OCTOBER 16, 2021

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

NEW CASES:

28 1,004

437,572

ISLAMABAD:

1,208,438

465,175

PUNJAB:

DEATHS: 28,252

KP:

176,650

BALOCHISTAN:

AJK/GB:

RECOVERED:

33,114

106,402

34,385 / 10,366

STORY ON PAGE 02

dealer’s commission, and OMC’s margin are charged on the sale of petrol and diesel.

Meanwhile, justifying the record increase of petroleum prices in Pakistan, Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin on Saturday said prices were increasing globally and not just in the country.

Speaking to the media in washington alongside Finance Secretary yousuf Khan, Governor SBP Dr. Raza Baqir, and Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States Dr Asad Majeed Khan, Tarin said that the present government’s structural reform measures have been appreciated, improving the country’s economy.

“Comprehensive measures are being taken to improve the track and trace of Pakistan’s tobacco, cement, sugar, and beverages industries. we will increase the tax to GDP ratio to 20pc in the next four to five years,” Tarin said.

Kamal set to face no-confidence motion on October 20 News Desk The no-confidence motion against Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Alyani is likely to be put to a vote in the Balochistan Assembly on October 20, a news outlet reported on Saturday. According to the report, Balochistan Governor Syed Zahorr Ahmed Agha has summoned a session of the provincial assembly on October 20 and it is expected that the no-confidence motion, which was submitted by some disgruntled members of the ruling Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) to the assembly secretariat on October 12, would be tabled in the session.

The reports further stated that the spokesman for the Balochistan government, Liaquat Shahwani, claimed that the dissident BAP members were being manipulated by the Pakistan Democratic Movement. Like the Senate elections, the PDM would suffer “an indirect defeat” in the Balochistan Assembly, Shahwani said, adding that “no government would last more than two and a half years if a precedent is set”. The disgruntled members from BAP and other political parties, who had submitted the motion, include Zahoor Ahmed Buledi, Jan Muhammad Jamali, Abdul Rehman Khetran, Akbar Askani, Muhammad Khan Lehri, Sikandar Umrani, Lala Rashid, Mahjabeen Sheran, and Bushra Rind of the BAP, Asad Baloch and his wife Bibi Mastoor of the Balochistan National Party-Awami, and Naseebullah Marri of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

MORE INSIDE

Hasina warns India against ‘incidents’ that could affect Hindus in BD STORY ON PAGE 03 Pakistan, US and China to participate in Russia-hosted meeting on Afghanistan STORY ON PAGE 03 Imran asks nation to ‘fully participate’ in Eid Milad un-Nabi celebrations STORY ON PAGE 03

02

Sunday, 17 October, 2021 | LAHORE

NEWS

PSX SNaPS four-weeK loSINg StreaK

t

mONItORINg RepORt

HE Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) ended a volatile week in green after four weeks as clarity on talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) officials and rising international oil prices helped the benchmark KSE-100 index gain 344 points, or 0.8 per cent, during the outgoing week to settle at 44,821.53 points.

As per a local media report that spoke with financial analysts, the market was driven largely by the news flow relating to the IMF’s review regarding the $6 billion loan programme.

The Pakistani rupee depreciated rupee dropped to an all-time low of Rs171.20 against the US dollar during the week while investor expectations about weak quarterly financial results also left a negative impact on trading activity at the bourse.

The trend reversed towards the end of the week after Shaukat Tarin assured the

nation that the government would resume the IMF’s Extended Fund Facility, as well as Prime Minister Imran Khan’s statement allaying any rumours of a military-political divide strengthened investors’ sentiment.

Moreover, a jump in international crude oil prices — which touched a fresh threeyear high, climbing above $85 a barrel on forecasts of a supply deficit — also fuelled bullish trading at the local bourse and investors took a cue from the rise and made fresh investments in oil stocks, which lent support to the benchmark KSE-100 index.

During the week under review, average volumes clocked in at 342 million shares (up by 29% week-on-week), meanwhile average value traded settled at $71 million (up by 20% week-on-week).

Sector-wise positive contributions came from commercial banks (+393 points), oil and gas exploration companies (+136 points), fertiliser (+123 points), cement (+98 points), and pharmaceutical (+28 points), whereas negative contributions came from

technology and communication (-342 points), and food and personal care products (-50 points).

Scrip-wise major gainers were HBL (+153 points), Pakistan Petroleum (+87 points), UBL (+67 points), Lucky Cement

(+59 points) and Oil and Gas Development Company (+42 points). On the flip side, major losers were TRG Pakistan (-260 points), Systems Limited (-70 points) and Pakistan Tobacco Company (-27 points).

A report from Arif Habib Limited said, “As we get closer to resuming the IMF programme and receiving a $1 billion tranche, we expect the market to perform well in-tandem.”

“Whereas recent bouts of selling at the index has once again opened up valuations, we advise investors to cherry-pick blue-chip stocks with a long term focus,” it said, adding, however, key short term risks include regional volatility and the ensuing security concerns, together with rupee depreciation.

“The KSE-100 is currently trading at a PER of 5.2x (2021) compared to AsiaPacific regional average of 14.7x while offering a dividend yield of 8.1% versus 2.2% offered by the region,” the brokerage house stated.

Rs3.61bn package for LoC residents approved NewS DeSK The federal government has decided to release Rs3.61 billion for the rehabilitation and protection of citizens living around the Line of Control (LoC) to ensure their protection from Indian military strikes and firing, a news outlet reported on Saturday.

According to the report, the government has planned to built over 773 protective bunkers in addition to the construction of 178km of roads.

The report further said that the amount of money

given to the families of martyrs has been increased from Rs0.3 million to Rs1 million, including Rs3,000 per month for the children of martyrs, and Rs0.25 million to Rs0.3 million for severely injured persons.

The amount disbursed to completely disabled persons has also been increased from Rs0.25 million to Rs0.8 million and compensation for minor injuries has been increased to Rs50,000.

Moreover, the news outlet reported that approximately 185 people were martyred and over 875 were injured as a result of Indian aggression

across the Line of Control in Azad Kashmir during the last five years.

The report added that the civilian population living along the LoC was badly affected as a result of unprovoked firing by India and 2,130 houses and shops, 393 livestock and 58 vehicles were damaged.

It said that 64 people were martyred in Kotli district, 36 were martyred and 171 injured in Poonch district, 27 were martyred and 91 injured in Neelam while 25 people were martyred and 99 injured in Haveli.

Strong tsunami can be triggered along Sindh-Makran coast any time, warns PMD KARACHI Monitoring rePort

Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) Director General Muhammad Riaz on Thursday warned that the SindhMakran coast is prone to multiple natural hazards, including cyclones, monsoon depressions and a tsunami, which can be triggered anytime and can cause unprecedented damage in the coastal belt.

Speaking at a workshop on “mitigating tsunami risk” at a hotel in Karachi, the PMD director said: “The

Makran Subduction Zone, which is within 50 kilometres from the SindhMakran coast, is like a nuclear weapon present in the sea. It can explode anytime. May be in 10-20 years or maybe tomorrow, who knows? An earthquake of magnitude 8 or above can trigger strong tsunami, which can generate waves as high as 10-15 metres and cause unprecedented damage along the Sindh-Makran coast.”

The PMD chief maintained that the Sindh-Makran coast had already faced devastation in 1945 when a strong tsunami was caused by an earthquake in

the Makran Subduction Zone that killed over 4,000 people in the coastal areas of Makran. He added that the active fault was gaining energy and could result in another powerful tsunami, the time frame for which could not be predicted.

“A subduction zone is like a trench in the sea. The Makran Subduction Zone is around 30 to 50 kilometres away from the Makran coast. If a tsunami is triggered it can hit the coast in five to 30 minutes, which leaves very little time for the coastal community to react,” Riaz explained, adding that in this situation, it is imperative to conduct drills and

create awareness among the people about how they should react in case of a tsunami warning.

He maintained that in view of the threat of tsunami at the Sindh-Makran coast, the PMD had established the National Seismic Monitoring and Tsunami Early Warning Centre, Karachi, which was keeping an eye on the seismic activities in the sea.

To a query, he said Gwadar and Makran coast were the most vulnerable areas in case of a tsunami is generated in the Arabian Sea but waves of a strong tsunami could also reach Karachi within 20-30 minutes. Calling for keeping the threat of tsunami in mind while starting new residential, commercial and other projects in the coastal areas of Pakistan, the PMD chief said buildings should be constructed in such a manner that they are able to withstand earthquakes and tsunami.

Govt trying to curb inflation through export diversification: Farrukh Habib FAISALABAD APP

State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib has said that the government is trying to control the inflation on a sustainable basis and in this connection, longterm policies are being implemented to enhance the export with diversification. Talking to the media persons after attending an event on Saturday, the minister said that the government is focusing on new and traditional markets so as to give a quantum jump to the exports.

He said the government is trying its level best to minimise the impact of global inflation on poor people by trimming down duties and other taxes.

He said that although the coronavirus pandemic wreaked havoc on the economy of the entire world including Pakistan due to rise in prices of various commodities especially oil products, yet Pakistan’s economy has witnessed growth due to prudent policies of the government. He said that petroleum prices suddenly jumped from $35 to $85 per barrel and it is impossible for the economy of the third world country to bear the

increase. He said the rise in oil prices has affected all developed countries, therefore, the government has to take steps for rationalising the price gap and some increase is made in the prices of oil products.

However, the government reduced the sales tax on petrol in addition to decreasing petroleum levy to save people from inflation crunch at maximum extent, he added. He said the price of coal has increased from $50 per tonne to $250 per tonne while the price of edible oil has risen from $500 per tonne to $1200-1300 per tonne in the international market.

At the same time, the charges for container shipping were also increased from $2,000 to $10,000, he added. He said the talks are also underway with the owners of ghee mills to bring down the prices of ghee for which the government is also ready for appropriate reduction in taxes and levies.

He said the government would issue Ehsas cards to 12 million poor families in the form of ration cards from November this year and the card holder would be entitled to get direct subsidy on flour, sugar, pulses and ghee.

Newage Cables hosts nationwide dealers’ event LAHORe Pr

Pakistan's largest cable manufacturer, Newage Cables (Private) Limited hosted a nationwide dealers’ event at a local hotel, attended by their dealers from all corners of the country. The event was to mark the inclusion of dealers in the Fall Season scheme and to congratulate the business target achievers. Addressing the attendees, Mr Amir Azam, Director Newage Cables shared the journey of the company and praised all the dealers who made the journey possible and successful. At the occasion a lucky draw was also arranged with amazing prizes to win that includesCar, Motorcycles, Refrigerator and much more, to encourage the dealers present. The management pinned their company's successes to its dealers’ network and termed them as the real asset for their company.

Maryam Nawaz urges people to send Imran Khan packing CONtINueD FROm pAge 01 ‘PDM will hold govt accountable’ Speaking on the occasion, PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said the Opposition alliance aims to make Pakistan a peaceful country. “The PDM will hold you [the government] accountable,” he said, adding that the Opposition has challenged “dictators and their followers” before. The JUI-F chief questioned the PTI-led government over its move to drop a “petrol bomb” on the nation, asking what the fault of the common man was that they had to do such a thing. “Today, the survival of states depends on the economy,” Fazl said, adding that an economic war has once again begun around the world. The government has “destroyed” the economy of Pakistan, he said. The PDM chief stated that the Parliament, which represents the people, has been rendered “unstable”. “What role will the parliament play when the people of Pakistan are forced to commit suicide?” he asked. Shedding light on Pakistan’s foreign relations with other countries, he said that Pakistan has “infuriated China” while the US and Europe also did not help and Afghanistan cannot help. “Iran is on India’s side, and our neighbouring country [India] is threatening our very existence,” he added. “How long will you [Imran Khan] do politics by calling everybody else a thief?”

The PDM chief termed PM Imran Khan’s promise to provide one million job a “foolish act.” According to local PML-N sources, party supremo Nawaz Sharif also planned to address the gathering from London via video link. The PML-N’s official spokesperson did not confirm the participation PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif. On her way to the gathering, Maryam shared videos on Twitter showing throngs of supporters welcoming her. “Love of Nawaz Sharif,” she tweeted along with a video that showed party loyalists surrounding and entourage of vehicles.

‘Decisive rally’: Maryam also criticised the government over the hike in petrol prices while talking to the media in Lahore today before setting out for Faisalabad’s rally. According to a notification issued by the Finance Division, the new price of petrol, effective from October 16 (today), was set at Rs137.79 per litre while high-speed diesel would sell for Rs134.48. The PML-N vice president termed the price hike a “calamity” that had fallen on the people like a “lightning bolt”.

Sunday, 17 October, 2021 | LAHORE

NEWS

03

HaSINa warNS INdIa agaINSt ‘INCIdeNtS’ tHat Could affeCt HINduS IN Bd DHAKA

B

AgencieS

ANGLADESH Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina vowed to hunt down those who vandalised some Hindu temples during Durga Puja celebrations.

Three people were killed and several others injured during clashes between Muslims and the police at Hajiganj subdistrict in Chandpur, bordering Cumilla, on Wednesday, while a fourth person succumbed to his wounds later. In a virtual

interaction with members of the Hindu community to mark Durga Puja, Hasina warned, “Nobody will be spared. It doesn’t matter which religion they belong to. They will be hunted down and punished.”

However, Hasina also used the occasion to urge India to remain vigilant against escalation of any communal violence. We expect that nothing happens there (in India), which could influence any situation in Bangladesh affecting our Hindu community here,” Hasina said.

The Telegraph quoted Hasina as saying, “You all know that those who came to power

in our country after 1975 used religion to divide people… The rise of global terrorism also has had its impact on our country.

Countering this is not only our responsibility, and neighbouring countries like India should also remain vigilant…

India did help us in the liberation war (of 1971) and we will remain ever grateful for the support… But they (India) have to be aware that such incidents should not take place there which would have an impact on Bangladesh, and the Hindus in our country face attacks.” “Some people are religiously blind and they always want to create

communal conflicts. These people belong not only to the Muslim community, but belong to other religious faiths as well,” The Independent quoted Hasina as saying.

The ‘advice’ by Hasina to India comes amid reports of growing wariness in Bangladesh over contentious measures by the Narendra Modi government such as the revocation of Article 370 and passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

Pakistan, US and China to participate in Russia-hosted meeting on Afghanistan mOSCOw AfP

Russia will host the Pakistan, United States and China next week for talks on Afghanistan, the Kremlin’s envoy in Kabul told news agencies.

News agencies cited Zamir Kabulov as

saying the meeting would take place on Tuesday and the countries “will try to work out a common position on the changing situation in Afghanistan.”

He added the Taliban had confirmed their attendance at a separate session of talks next Wednesday but had yet to announce the members of their delegation.

Kabulov also maintained he did not expect any major breakthrough at talks with the Afghan faction. “We do not expect any breakthroughs,” the RIA news agency cited Kabulov as saying. “We understand that this is a long process.” Moscow hosted an international conference on Afghanistan in March at which Russia, the United States,

Imran asks nation to ‘fully participate’ in Eid Milad un-Nabi celebrations ISLAmABAD StAff rePort

Prime Minister Imran Khan asked the nation to celebrate the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H.), falling on October 19, in a befitting manner.

In a video message his office issued in connection with the forthcoming festival, the prime minister said: “As you all know, this is a special month when our Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H.) was born. This is a month of blessings.”

“Allah gave Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H.) the title of Rahmat-ul lil-Alameen […] and he brought together the entire humanity,” he added.

“Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H.) is a great leader in the recorded history of the world. The great quality of a leader is that he brings together people and refrains from spreading hate.” “So I want all Pakistanis to fully participate in the celebrations of 12 Rabi ul-Awwal,” he said adding the celebrations of this year should be unprecedented in the history of Pakistan.

“My message to the people is that everybody should

take part in the celebrations [arranged to celebrate the festival],” the prime minister said.

TiGHT secUriTy, cOviD MeasUres: Stringent security measures have been taken to avoid any untoward incident on the occasion. People will only be allowed to enter a procession after body research by police personnel deployed at different routes.

Meanwhile, to reduce chances of Covid-19 transmission during the celebrations, the National Command and Operation Centre earlier this week issued standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the occasion.

The body suggested that the size of the congregations should be determined on the basis of local safety regulations under the guidance of health authorities. A direct link and channels of communication between event organisers, health and local authorities, religious leaders and relevant stakeholders should be established. It was decided that all individuals with Covid-19 symptoms, contacts of positive cases during their period of quarantine and those with a high risk of mortality should be prohibited from attending religious events and processions.

PSX set to launch new trading system acquired from Shenzhen Stock Exchange mIAN ABRAR The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) is going to launch this month a new trading system acquired from the Shenzhen Stock Exchange (SZSE), the bourse’s chief executive has said. The SZSE is one of China’s three stock exchanges — along with Shanghai Stock Exchange, and China Financial Futures Exchange — that hold a 40 percent stake in the PSX, reported Arab News.

The PSX signed a $5 million contract with SZSE in November 2019 for the acquisition of Trading and Surveillance System to improve its operational and technological level. It was first scheduled to be implemented in March 2021.

“We expect to launch within the month of October.

There were certain requirements that our stakeholders had requested to accommodate in the trading system which now have been implemented,” PSX chief executive Farrukh H Khan told Arab News earlier this week.

The system is expected to make the PSX more transparent and attractive. “The system will vastly improve the capabilities of our trading and abilities to introduce new products like options,” Khan said.

“We’ll have a proper surveillance system and the robustness of the much better system.”

The bourse’s benchmark KSE 100 index dropped

25.61 percent in April 2020 and touched the year’s lowest 27,228.80 level. The index recouped some of the losses in later months.

Pakistan’s bourse was declared Asia’s best stock market and the world’s fourth best performing market in 2020 by Market Currents, a New York-based financial markets research firm.

However, last month Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) downgraded PSX from its Emerging Market Index (EMI) to Frontier Markets Index (FMI), following a continuous drop in share prices of its listed companies.

In 2017, benchmark KSE 100 had peaked to 53,000 points level with market capitalization of $100 billion. However, market capitalization has dropped over the years to $45 billion including 17 percent decline in the last four months.

“This (downgrading) was mainly due to the size of the market capitalization which has declined,” Khan said. “Rising oil prices, which doubled in recent days, Afghanistan’s situation, interest rate hike and rupee remained under pressure and MSCI reclassification generally has created negative impacts in the equity market.”

“Pakistan’s stock market has given an average 19 percent return in dollar terms during the last 20 years,” Khan concluded.

China and Pakistan released a joint statement calling on the then-warring Afghan sides to reach a peace deal and curb violence.

Since then, the United States and its allies have withdrawn their troops after 20 years on the ground, the Taliban seized power and the previous government collapsed. Russia is now worried about the

potential for fallout in the wider region and the possibility of Islamist militants infiltrating the former Soviet republics of Central Asia, which Moscow views as its southern defensive buffer.

Since the Taliban takeover, Moscow has held military exercises in Tajikistan and bolstered hardware at its military base there.

04 NEWS 17th October 2021_Layout 1 10/16/2021 11:14 PM Page 1

Sunday, 17 October, 2021 | LAHORE

04 NEWS

Women’s character Will be ‘irrelevant’ in rape cases probe: says Dr Farogh laW ISLAMABAD

Minister says Jit to probe rape cases purely on the basis of Merit

F

stAff RepoRt

EDERAL Minister for Law and Justice Farogh Naseem has said that under the new anti-rape law, women’s character will not be relevant during the investigation and the entire focus will be on the merit of the case.

Addressing a ceremony in Karachi on Saturday, Naseem said the anti-rape laws introduced by Ministry of Law and Justice were being praised by the United States and the United Kingdom.

“We did not reinvent the wheel but with the help of experts adjusted [rape laws] as per our own setting,” he added.

Explaining the purpose of new laws, the minister said usually women’s character becomes central in the rape case probe instead of the facts and merit of the case.

He added that under the new legislation,

women’s character will no longer be relevant in rape probe. “[People] start cross-questioning women’s character whenever they accuses someone of rape,” he added.

To make the process of investigation more efficient and transparent, he said, the concept of joint investigation team (JIT) was being introduced to probe rape cases. He said police officials at low level “spoil” the investigation process, adding that from now on, officials from other departments including Pakistan Administrative Services (PAS) will also be made part of the investigating team.

Earlier in December 2020, President Dr Arif Alvi approved the government’s ‘stringent and holistic’ Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Ordinance, 2020, to help expedite cases of sexual abuse against women and children. Under this ordinance, special courts will be set up across the country to expedite trials and cases of rape at the earliest.

The courts will deal with rape cases within

four months. Moreover, the ordinance maintained that the prime minister will look over the establishment of anti-rape crisis cells, authorised to conduct medico-legal examinations within six hours of the incident.

The ordinance also included establishing of a sex offenders’ registry at the national level with the help of National Database & Registration Authority (Nadra). It also prohibited the identification of rape victims and made it a punishable offense.

According to a statement issued by the law ministry, the Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Ordinance, 2020 and the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 introduced the concept of chemical castration mainly as a “form of rehabilitation”. “The two state of the art pieces of legislation are in line with the Constitutional guarantees of Pakistan, as also the International treaties,” it read. These laws provide mechanisms to curb sexual abuse crimes against women and children.

us offers payments, relocation to family India invites Yusuf to proposed of afghans killed in botched drone attack meeting on Afghanistan: report WASHINGTON ReuteRs

The Pentagon has offered unspecified condolence payments to the family of 10 civilians who were killed in a botched US drone attack in Afghanistan in August during the final days before American troops withdrew from the country.

The US Defense Department said it made a commitment that included offering “ex-gratia condolence payments”, in addition to working with the US State Department in support of the family members who were interested in relocation to the United States.

Colin Kahl, the US Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, held a virtual meeting on Thursday with Steven Kwon, the founder and president of Nutrition & Education International, the aid organisation that employed Zemari Ahmadi, who was killed in the August 29 drone

attack, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said late on Friday. Ahmadi and others who were killed in the strike were innocent victims who bore no blame and were not affiliated with Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K) or threats to US forces, Kirby said.

The drone strike in Kabul killed as many as 10 civilians, including seven children. The Pentagon had said earlier that the August 29 strike targeted an Islamic State suicide bomber who posed an imminent threat to US-led troops at the airport as they completed the last stages of their withdrawal from Afghanistan. However, reports had emerged almost immediately that the drone strike in a neighbourhood west of Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport had killed civilians including children.

Video from the scene showed the wreckage of a car strewn around the courtyard of a building. The Pentagon later said the strike was a “tragic mistake”.

NeWS DeSk India has proposed to host an in-person meet of the regional National Security Advisors, including Pakistan, on Afghanistan in Delhi in November, WION reported.

Many countries in the region and key stakeholders like Russia and Pakistan have been invited. The meet was to take place earlier this year, but it could not materialise. Pakistan’s National Security Advisor Dr Moeed Yusuf also received the invitation last week.

If his attendance is confirmed, then this will be Yusuf’s first official visit to Delhi. Both Yusuf and his Indian counterpart, Ajit Doval were in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, earlier this year for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) NSA meet but no bilateral meeting took place.

Two dates have been proposed for the in-person meet — November 10 and 11 — for the meeting.

The proposal to host the meeting comes even as the situation in Afghanistan remains precarious and with the onset of winters, worries have mounted over the deterioration of the humanitarian situation.

Last week marked two months since the fall of Kabul to the Taliban militants. The Taliban leadership have visited Qatar, Turkey and Uzbekistan hoping to get recognition and legitimacy for the newly formed government, but so far, no such indication has been given by the global community. In the following week, Russia will be hosting Moscow format of talks involving Taliban, Pakistan, China and India.

In response to a WION question on Thursday, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi confirmed India’s presence at the

Moscow talks.

“We have received an invitation for the Moscow format meeting on Afghanistan on October 20. We will be participating in it. I don’t have final confirmation of who will be attending, but it’s likely that we will be attended at the Joint Secretary level.”

India Prime Minister Narendra Modi also raised the Afghanistan situation at the special SCO meet and during his address to the United Nations General Assembly in September and also at the G20 virtual meet hosted by Italy this month.

At the SCO CSTO outreach summit, Modi said the “transition of power in Afghanistan is not inclusive, and it has happened without negotiation”, essentially listing out New Delhi’s red lines.

Food for thought to end hunger LAHORe Agencies

Rizq, a Lahore-based startup, along with a consortium of NGOs and private companies, has arranged food packs for families in Afghanistan who are in dire need of aid.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Musa Aamir, 27, co-founder of Rizq, said: “Bags of rations are being sent to Afghanistan that will be helping almost 2,000 Afghan families with essential household items and dry food.” Highlighting the importance of food on World Food Day, observed on October 16, he said: “We want to highlight this horrible ratio of food wastage which is happening in our third world countries. Almost 36 million tons are wasted every year in Pakistan. And that is about 40 percent of the food.”

“And in a country like Pakistan which is food insecure and fighting malnourishment, this is nothing less than a crime,” Aamir said.

According to the 2020 Global Hunger Index, Pakistan ranks 88 out of the 107 countries. With a score of 24.6, it has a level of hunger that is serious.

“We started this as our university project in which we were collecting leftover food from weddings and restaurants and after repacking it, we distributed that amongst the needy people. Later on, we continued and today we have expanded to 23 cities in Pakistan. And also helping our neighbouring countries,” said Aamir.

Last month, Rizq saved more than 50,000 kilograms (110,230 pounds) of excess food, feeding over 150,000 people. “This is not just about food distribution. We have created platforms where donors, NGOs, and the people who need our help can come together.

Every month, we release a report of food wastage to highlight the importance of food and to tell people

CMYK

how they can help others who are sleeping hungry at night,” he said, explaining how the group expanded.

SuStainable Development Goal 2: Rizq is the only organisation in Pakistan working on Sustainable Development Goal number 2 to help people all over the world. One of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations in 2015, Sustainable Development Goal 2 aims to achieve “zero hunger”. “As of today, we have prepared more than 9.2 million meals and saved 800,000 kilograms (1.7 million pounds) of food with the help of almost 4,000 donors, 70 partner companies, and 30 NGO partners. Our next goal is to help our brothers and sisters in conflict zones, including Yemen and Syria,” said Aamir.

In 2018, a Global Food Security report prepared by the US National Intelligence Council said: “Declining food security will almost certainly contribute to social disruptions and political instability.”

FooD reGulationS: Salman Sufi, who runs a foundation aiming at women empowerment, said: “Keeping in mind the issue of food shortage, we have started a new venture called The Pasticceria which is an all-women-led initiative, and we do not waste any food. The food is only prepared on pre-orders and also in front of customers so they get to know what ingredients are being used and no extra orders or precooked food would be left as it creates food wastage.”

The Food Authority in northeastern Punjab province first launched its policy in 2018, in which all the rules and regulations regarding food were detailed.

Umer Tanveer Butt, chairman of the authority, said: “Most of the food wastage happens at weddings and restaurants which offer buffet and high teas with so many dishes. We have regulated them to take prereservations so they can cook the food according to the need of their customers.”

Sunday, 17 October, 2021 | LAHORE

PAkISTAn SeT TO HARveST BASMATI BuMPeR CROP THIS YeAR

P

APP

UNJAB Minister for Agriculture Syed Hussain Jahania Gardezi has said that Pakistan is set to harvest record Basmati crop this year due to extraordinary efforts by the agriculture ministry and the farming community.

“Pakistani Basmati rice is popular all over the world for its unique aroma and quality. Pakistan is one of the leading rice exporting countries in the world. This year, the paddy crop has been planted on more than 5.3 million acres. With the farmer friendly policies of the government and the hard work of the farmers, we will be able to achieve record yields which will increase the income of the farmers and strengthen the national economy,” said the minister while addressing a seminar on paddy crops in Kabirwala in collaboration with a private rice company.

He said that Basmati varieties are the hallmark of Punjab. “The long green variety of rice has been developed and will soon be made available to farmers for

normal cultivation. This year, better paddy production will bring prosperity to the farmers as rice exports are expected

Sindh education dept proposes easing teachers’ recruitment exam policy

to increase to 3 billion,” he said.

The Provincial Minister further said that the agriculture sector is one of the

top priorities of the government and therefore under the Prime Minister’s Agricultural Emergency Program, implementation of projects worth about Rs. 300 billion has been initiated from the current financial year.

He said that a huge amount of Rs. 4 billion was being spent in Punjab for increasing paddy production per acre under which approved varieties of seeds and modern agricultural machinery were being provided to paddy farmers on subsidy rate.

The Minister said that the present government, in line with the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan, will make the agricultural sector so active and developed that our agriculture will be able to achieve a prominent position in the local and international market in line with international requirements.

On the occasion, the Agriculture Minister appealed to the farmers to refrain from setting fire to the paddy fields after harvesting the paddy. Do this because this illegal practice increases environmental pollution, which in turn increases public health problems.

NADRA allows women to change surname after marriage

KARACHI Agencies

The Sindh Education Department has proposed easing the teachers’ recruitment exam policy after not even 1% of the candidates who appeared in last month’s recruitment test were able to pass it. Out of 162,000 candidates who appeared in the teachers’ recruitment test conducted in Sindh last month, only 1,250 managed to pass. The test was conducted by the Sukkur IBA Testing Service in partnership with the provincial government.

As per former education minister Saeed Ghani, the school education department received 500,000 applications for the recruitment of 46,500 primary school teachers (PSTs), junior elementary school teachers (JESTs), SLTs, and other staffers. In the proposal sent to the Sindh cabinet, the education department has proposed abolishing the 45% passing marks rule for female candidates and lowering it to 40%. If the candidates fail to pass the exam despite the move, then they will be given further exemption, the proposal said, adding that once the cabinet approves it, the process of hiring teachers would begin. It is pertinent to mention that the education department has not proposed exemptions for male candidates, and their passing marks will remain at 55%.

News DesK The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has allowed women the choice to mention the name of their husbands in their computerised national identity cards (CNIC) or continue with their father’s name, according to a news outlet.

NADRA Chairman Tariq Malik said that steps have been taken to increase women’s registration to empower and protect their rights, adding that the authority has reduced the existing registration gap between women and men from 14 percent to 10 percent in 100 days, besides establishing an inclusive registration unit to increase women

registration.

“The unit is reviewing all policies to enhance women registration, whether it is linked with awareness or outreach,” he said.

“Within few months, approximately 40 million households have validated their family members through dedicated service 8009. The CNIC is just not a plastic card. It not only protects the rights of women but also empowers them to benefit from the government policies and steps,” he added. The NADRA chairman warned that corruption in the authority would not be tolerated, adding that 262 employees have been charged with malpractices, while 107 employees have been sacked.

NEWS

05

COMSATS’ Workshop Highlights Remedies for Mental Health Issues in Youth IsLAMABAD PR

To highlight the significance of mental health in youth and to observe this year’s mental health day, the Commission of Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS) and its Centre of Excellence, COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI) jointly organized a Workshop on “Engaging University Faculty for Mental Health Wellbeing of Youth” at the Islamabad Campus of the later. On behalf of the two organizations, COMSATS Telehealth Desk and Departments of Psychology and Health Informatics Department at CUI arranged the hybrid workshop.

The event is also in the backdrop of efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) – 3 and 4 regarding quality education through healthy minds and bodies. Federal Secretary to Ministry of Science and Technology, Dr. Akhtar Nazir, who is also the incumbent Executive Director COMSATS, lauded this initiative

by COMSATS Secretariat Telehealth Desk and CUI. “Mental health is one of the most underserved fields of health sciences in developing world. Debates and deliberations about it are crucial in view of the far-reaching implications of mental health that affect society through physical health, their social, economic and civic impact”, opined Dr. Akhtar Nazir. In the light of key global stats on mental health in youth that he found alarming, Dr. Nazir considered it important to give this field of medical science due importance for ensuring healthier societies. While speaking at the closing ceremony, Prof. Dr. Tabassum Afzal, Rector COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), considered the subject event very timely owing to increasing stress and other mental health related issues since the advent of COVID-19. Considering cultural and societal norms an important factor in dealing with mental illnesses, Prof. Afzal cited examples of stress management from the early Islamic history and life of Prophet Muhammad (SAW). He urged the faculty to take initiatives for the wellbeing of youth’s mental health. He also acknowledged the longstanding COMSATS – CUI relationship and suggesting furthering of cooperation between the two organizations. Earlier, the technical sessions were opened by the Registrar CUI, Dr. Sajjad A. Madani, who highlighted a number of challenges arising for youth from the information age. He especially highlighted the mental wellbeing challenges transpiring from the social media that have deep social and psychological impact. He hoped that the current event will help highlight relevant challenges.

New NAB ordinance does not apply on public office holders, rules court News DesK An accountability court in Islamabad on Saturday ruled that the National Accountability (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021 does not apply on public office holders, according to Geo News.

According to the news outlet, the court further ruled that it is prima facie established that PPP cochairman Asif Ali Zardari was involved in the Rs8 billion suspicious transactions case.

In its written verdict relating to the rejection of Zardari’s acquittal plea in the corruption reference, the accountability court said that it is an irrefutable fact that Zardari was a public office holder. “The new NAB ordinance does not apply on the public office holders,” read the verdict. Earlier on Thursday, the court had rejected the petition filed by Zardari seeking acquittal in the case.

During the hearing, Zardari had personally appeared before the court and his lawyer Farooq H Naek

CMYK

had requested the judge to take a decision on the acquittal plea of his client, saying that the transaction was a private matter and it did not fall in the jurisdiction of the new NAB ordinance.

He had pointed out that there there was no allegation of misuse of powers or receiving illegal money against his client in the reference.

However, the court had dismissed the acquittal plea: Last week, President Dr Arif Alvi had signed an ordinance to curtail the jurisdiction of the anti-corruption watchdog by excluding key government entities from the ambit of investigations and enabling the president to reappoint the agency’s chief or extend their tenure.

06-07 Comments 17th October 2021_Layout 1 10/16/2021 8:40 PM Page 1

Sunday, 17 October, 2021

06 COMMENT

The question of whodunit

IMF prevails And the common man suffers

W

Can DNA evidence be accepted if there is contamination?

HILE Pakistan’s economic team was still in Washington holding talks with the IMF, hikes in bother power and petroleum prices were announced. It appears that Pakistan’s negotiators failed to convince the Fund, which they had hoped to do, that Pakistan deserved concessions for having been badly hit by the third wave of the coronavirus. The team also failed to persuade the IMF of the feasibility of its alternate measures to reduce circular debt without tariff increases.

Earlier the IMF staff had considered Pakistan’s power sector circular debt management plan to be ‘unbankable’ without sufficient tariff increases. Was it the weakness of Pakistan’s stand or lack of a supportive gesture from the Biden Administration that led to the failure of Pakistan’s mission?

The people of Pakistan have been administered a virtual electric shock by the raising of the base power tariff by Rs1.39 per unit on Saturday. After power rate hikes in January, February and earlier this month this is the fourth power tariff rise in a year. As usual the ruling PTI has blamed the previous government for agreements with independent power producers (IPPs), forcing the country to rely on imported fuels for power generation and also creating the issue of capacity or compulsory payments. The government however conveniently forgets its fumbling the business of LNG imports by purchasing the most expensive LNG ever to be imported by the country. The latest price hike will have a devastating impact on 46 percent of the consumers, the bulk of whom belong to lower middle class.

The big price increase in petroleum products has for the first time taken the price of all the four major petroleum products above Rs100 per litre. The hike will raise the prices of everything whether produced in fields or factories or imported from abroad. The price of petroleum products is no doubt on the rise globally. But the decline in the value or the rupee on account of the government’s policies has made petroleum imports even more costly.

The rise in power charges and hike in petroleum prices will have political fallout. Even some of the diehard followers of Prime Minister Khan are already having second thoughts about his promises about the rise of the rupee and good days coming.

RABiA AHMeD

F

ORENSIC medicine, which is the application of medical science to criminal investigation, is a fascinating field, and one of its most vital aspects is employing DNA to identify those involved in crime, particularly in cases of assault and death. It is a technology that has been in use since 1986, and then, in that first case it was responsible for proving that someone had not committed a murder.

The first time DNA evidence led to a conviction was in 1987 in the UK, and in the USA In 1992 two other DNA analyses led to a conviction and an exoneration. This technology is now used throughout the world, and some countries have set up databases so that when a crime is committed the DNA samples recovered from the scene can be compared with samples belonging to known offenders existing on the database, while a search is conducted for other persons potentially involved.

The rules, such as those of sanitization surrounding the collection of these samples are vital, and stringent.

In other words, success greatly depends upon the care with which this technology is used. The same applies to many other things. It can be dangerous for example to eat food or medicines that have been improperly stored, and plants sicken or die if housed under inap-

Taliban not in control

T

HE suicide blast in a Kandahar Shia mosque which killed at least 41 congregants at the Friday prayers has not had anyone claim responsibility, as the Islamic State-Khorasan did for a similar blast the week before in Kunduz, at which 55 died. However, the blast made a number of things clear. First, the Taliban have not got to grips with governing. Though they are known to have sectarian proclivities, either they have failed to understand that the very essence of governance is to ensure the protection of all, no matter their sectarian background, or they have failed to establish the sort of control needed to prevent such outrages. That the blast occurred in Kandahar is significant, for that is supposed to be the Taliban heartland. The previous blast took place in Kunduz, which has a significant Tajik population, and borders Tajikistan. Kubduz has been pro-Taliban in the past, but the blast in Kandahar is more worrisome from the Taliban point of view. Afghanistan is already on the verge of economic collapse, but the Taliban never claimed to be good economic managers. On the other hand, their old reputation as being good at establishing law and order is now in danger.

Their neighbours are naturally concerned. Russia is hosting a conference which is being attended by Pakistan, the USA and China, as well as India and Iran. Afghanistan is also going to attend, which would mark the first time for more than two decades that the Taliban will be attending an international conference as the Afghan government. Though they have not been recognized as such, their presence at the conference shows that they are on their way. It is also noteworthy that Pakistan is choosing not to make an issue of India’s attendance.

This alone may indicate how seriously Pakistan is taking developments in Afghanistan. Apart from the need to establish peace in the country, the Taliban also have to show due regard for human rights, and establish an inclusive government. If not, what with the impending economic crisis, a flood of refugees might land on the borders of neighboring countries, including Pakistan.

MUSTAFA ABDULLAH BALOCH

“M

y return heralds for the people of Pakistan, the turn of the wheel from dictatorship to democracy, from exploitation to empowerment, from violence to peace.” were the words of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto before landing in her homeland on 18 October 2007. The fearless, iconic and visionary leader of Pakistan was about to start the second chapter of her political uggle but the then dictator was uncomfortable on her return and did not provide her adequate security. Her humongous welcome was turned into a devastating sight after the terror outfits targeted her motorcade.

No matter how many years may have passed. but the grief of the Karsaz attack has not faded away. The ‘Daughter Of The East’, dressed in patriotic green and white, landed in Karachi after eight long years of exile. Her return stimulated a sense of hope amongst the people of Pakistan. Almost one million people were on the streets of Karachi to receive the brave lady, she challenged the dictator who considered himself irreplaceable. “Bibi aegi rozgaar laegi” was a very popular phrase amongst the mazdoors (labourers) with immense hope shining in their eyes.

The scene of her return was quite an emotional one, similar to that of her return on 10th of April, 1986 in Lahore. It was a déjà vu for all those who had witnessed the scenes of her reception earlier in Lahore. Despite fear looming large of terrorism Karachi was showing a festive air on her arrival, having a hope for a peaceful and better Pakistan. No danger or threat could ever stop the brave Benazir Bhutto as she never stepped back from her commitment. She was of the believe that Pakistan and terrorism could not go together.

The optics of her return were quite emotional, and she was seen happy but with teary eyes. It was definitely tough for a leader of her stature to stay away from her country for such a long time. Clearly

Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor

Yousaf Nizami Umar Aziz

Joint Editor

Joint Editor

Executive Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

The writer is a freelance columnist. Read more by her at http://rabia-ahmed.blogspot.com/

Today is the 14th anniversary of the Karsaz attack

Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami

M. A. Niazi

Science is an invaluable asset. It is also worth understanding that certain guidelines that were gifted to us are powerful reminders of the principles behind matters involved, so they should not and do not forbid better and newer methods. However, if there is a great chance that the methods are implemented incorrectly, as they very often are in Pakistan, should such methods be admissible? Or should we first ensure that attitudes towards guidelines first undergo a sea change?

Remembering Karsaz

The blast at Kandahar shows that neighbours are right to worry

Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

propriate conditions, as do animals and humans. There have been innumerable cases where surgery has gone badly wrong because of ineptitude, carelessness, or inattention to hygiene. We still have surgery, despite this, because if it provides the only chance of recovery, not having it would greatly increase the odds against survival.

So, coming back to Pakistan and the use of DNA as evidence here, the case of gang-rape at the Mazar-eQuaid immediately comes to mind. In this re-trial of the case registered in 2008, the judge in his verdict stated that: ‘the evidentiary value of a DNA test is not acceptable in a case falling under the penal provisions of zina punishable under the Hudood laws, which had its own “standard of proof.”

In short, DNA evidence was not accepted in this retrial of the three accused men accused of the crime.

It is important to reiterate that The Hudood Ordinance does not accept DNA evidence, while Pakistan’s other legal stream, the PPC (Pakistan Penal Code), which is a colonial legacy, does accept such evidence.

An observation made in the verdict in this case was most interesting. It said that ‘The court pointed out that the clothes of the victim produced in court as evidence were not sealed.’

And that is probably one of the crucial points when assessing whether or not DNA evidence should be taken into account in Pakistan.

While DNA evidence is invaluable in determining responsibility in criminal cases, it can only be so when and if such evidence is obtained and stored in con-

formity with the guidelines. Even when the guidelines are followed it can still point, in a few cases, towards the wrong person. If those guidelines are not adhered to, that evidence would definitely be unacceptable.

This is the reason why some people wonder if using the Pfizer covid vaccine in Pakistan is a desirable option, given its stringent storage requirements of extremely low temperatures, since it is an unfortunate tendency in this country to ignore guidelines, a tendency fostered by ignorance, and in the case of storage requirements by Pakistan’s regular power breakdowns.

In the case of the evidence produced in this Mazar case, the clothes the victim wore at the time the incident took place were produced in court in a bag that was not sealed. Which means, that even if DNA samples were taken at the time, they stood a great chance of being contaminated by conditions if the bag was not sealed to make it impervious to them. It also means that these samples– clothes, with or without DNA evidence, could easily have been tampered with at any stage. So, even without the stipulations made by the Hudood Ordinance which were legally binding on the judge, it is worth considering whether or not to accept such evidence.

Science is an invaluable asset. It is also worth understanding that certain guidelines that were gifted to us are powerful reminders of the principles behind matters involved, so they should not and do not forbid better and newer methods. However, if there is a great chance that the methods are implemented incorrectly, as they very often are in Pakistan, should such methods be admissible? Or should we first ensure that attitudes towards guidelines first undergo a sea change?

I

Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

I

she was an extraordinary leader with ultimate valour and matchless personality; a real crowd puller. Before her return she expressed her concerns while addressing a press conference in Dubai, when she observed “The internal situation is very dangerous and there is tension and danger on our frontiers. My heart hurts seeing poor people without bread, clothing and shelter.”

I still recall the October 18 event as I accompanied my father who led a rally towards Shahrah-e-Faisal to welcome SMBB. Slogans of “Welcome Bibi” were raised all around with a sense of relief and celebration in the atmosphere. SMBB was waving and smiling towards the people while on the truck; the rally was moving slowly as the road was jampacked. Nobody could imagine that a peaceful procession would turn into a devastating nightmare; with around 180 people losing their lives and 500 being injured.

The twin deadly blasts that shook the nation was a cowardly attack by the terrorists but the brave lady reached out the next day to the grieving families for condolence and also visited hospitals to inquire about the health of injured victims.

The Karsaz attack did not take apart her courage but rather she went all out campaigning vigorously for the 2008 general elections. She reached out to each and every corner of Pakistan and gathered massive public support. Despite threats she remained committed to restore democracy in Pakistan, her connection with the public was phenomenal, almost all her rallies were huge.

Musharraf started to feel the heat as he became unpopular with each passing day. It was written on the wall that SMBB would win 2008 general elections and become Prime Minister for the third time.

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

Despite all the obstacles and threats she dared to face the hostile dictator. In 2007 her children were young and needed her most but she decided to return to her homeland for the sake of democracy. There are few leaders in history who have sacrificed their lives for their country, SMBB is one of them. She was indeed a resilient leader; and when Musharraf imposed emergency on 3 November 2007, she immediately returned back from Dubai and faced the challenge.

Even 14 years after heart-wrenching Karsaz attack the grief is still there and wounds are still green.

Later, in Rawalpindi, the magnificent leader was martyred by the same terror group to which today Prime Minister Imran Khan wants to give amnesty. It’s appalling to see that Khan is anxious to reconcile with those terror groups who are responsible for multiple attacks in Pakistan, including the Karsaz one.

Today Bilawal Bhutto is the torchbearer of his mother’s vision; each year on the same day he pays homage to the martyrs of the Karsaz attack. Therefore, before even thinking about giving amnesty to the terror groups, Imran Khan should seek permission from Bilawal Bhutto whose mother was victim of terrorism, the people of Pakistan who lost their leader and the families of 180 martyrs of the Karsaz attack.

However, Musharraf, who said that politics of Benazir Bhutto is over, is himself living in obscurity whereas SMBB is still living in the hearts of millions. Hence proved that history only remembers the brave!

Today Bilawal Bhutto is the torchbearer of his mother’s vision; each year on the same day he pays homage to the martyrs of the Karsaz attack. Therefore, before even thinking about giving amnesty to the terror groups, Imran Khan should seek permission from Bilawal Bhutto whose mother was victim of terrorism, the people of Pakistan who lost their leader and the families of 180 martyrs of the Karsaz attack

I

Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

I

The writer is a columnist and member PPP and tweets @MustafaBaloch_

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

06-07 Comments 17th October 2021_Layout 1 10/16/2021 8:40 PM Page 2

Sunday, 17 October, 2021

COMMENT 07 Editor’s mail send your letters to: Letters to Editor, Pakistan Today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan. e-mail: letters@pakistantoday.com.pk Letters should be addressed to Pakistan Today exclusively

Future of B.A/ ADP students at stake

Disengagement is not an option The world must come together for Afghanistan and its long-suffering people

Candid Corner RAOOF HASAn “To be, or not to be, that is the question: Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune Or to take arms against a sea of troubles And by opposing, end them.”

Shakespeare: “Hamlet”

T

HE evolving dynamics in Afghanistan present no easy solution to the world.

The country will either settle down gradually leading the way to an inclusive dispensation, or lapse into a serious humanitarian crisis owing to economic fragility. While the world will shoulder responsibility for the latter, it is Afghanistan’s neighbours and the regional countries which will have to bear the brunt of the fallout.

The ongoing debate is whether to engage with the Taliban to help them move on, or punish them for ousting the US and NATO forces and assuming control of Afghanistan. The regional countries have adopted a rational policy of remaining engaged with the Taliban, urging them to gradually come round to showing a higher level of sensitivity towards the cherished ideals of human rights, rights of women, and the formation of a government with representation from all Afghan stakeholders. We may still be a fair distance from the coveted ideals, but the signs are that we are gradually moving in that direction.

Some initial indicators of a change are visible in the hitherto stubborn Western approach led by the relatively irreconcilable USA, still smarting under the weight of an ignominious retreat from Afghanistan as a consequence of surrender by the entire Afghan military which was equipped with the most sophisticated weapons and extensively trained in the modern-day warfare. This is principally owed to the cowardly escape of the Afghan leadership in the face of the lightning Taliban advance. The last stronghold of Panjshir also fell, thus dismantling whatever hope there may have been for a much-trumpeted resistance movement to take shape.

As part of the reconciliatory effort, a British delegation has visited Afghanistan for a detailed interaction with the Taliban leadership. The feedback is considerably positive with encouraging chances of further progress. The USA has also held face-to-face parleys with senior Taliban leadership in Doha over two days. It is understood that it has offered humanitarian assistance to the government, the modalities of which are being sorted out. The Taliban have also interacted with over ten European countries.

Additionally, the European Union has commit-

ted assistance of €1.2 billion to Afghanistan.

A high-level Afghan delegation has also visited Turkey for talks with the government. It is reported that the Turkish side has urged “more flexibility” regarding release of Afghanistan’s frozen foreign accounts. In yet another development, while talking to the Group of 20 most powerful economies, Turkish President Recep Erdogan pleaded for keeping the channels of dialogue open with the Taliban to “patiently and gradually steer” them towards establishing a more inclusive government.

These are all positive indicators. It is hoped that things will continue to improve at a quick pace and frozen assets will be transferred to Afghanistan to avert the prospect of a meltdown which will have a harrowing impact on the neighbouring countries in the shape of an enhanced terror threat, an unmanageable refugee crisis and economic migration. This has to be averted, which will happen only if Afghanistan is not abandoned.

Pakistan’s approach all along has been extremely pragmatic. It has remained engaged with the Taliban in a bid to persuade them to keep moving towards fulfilling the promises which their leaders have made from time to time regarding respect for human rights, girls’ education and inclusivity.

This effort has been effectively supported by other regional countries. A three-country delegation involving China, Russia and Pakistan has also visited Kabul to talk to the Taliban leadership to help avert an economic crisis in the country and enhance prospects of trade connectivity. It is also routinely dispatching truckloads of humanitarian assistance for the Afghan people.

Pakistan is extremely sensitive to the prospect of a terrorist threat. It has suffered immensely in the past at the hands of this scourge and was able to defeat it at a huge cost in terms of human lives and economic setback. It would definitely not want these terrorist groups to reemerge. Other regional countries and the rest of the world also appear cognisant of this danger.

As a matter of fact, a key component of the USTaliban deal of February 2020 was that the latter would not allow the use of Afghan soil for any terrorist activity. It is, therefore, imperative that the world engage with the Taliban to ensure that Afghanistan does not again become a hotbed of terror, thus threatening the peace of the region and the world.

If Afghanistan suffers, it is the people who will have to bear the brunt. Pakistan would not want that to happen as it will always stand with the Afghan people and help ensure their continued welfare. This is possible only if Pakistan and the rest of the world opt to engage the Taliban in preference to abandoning them which would plunge the country into an irretrievable crisis including the onset of terrorist activities emanating from groups like IS-K, TTP, Daesh and other such demonic entities

By refusing to engage, the West will also precipitate an economic crisis and weaken the Taliban government, thus making the country susceptible to re-emergence of terror. This not being an option, the world does not really have an alternative but to work with the Taliban government to help it along. A lapse at this juncture can spell a massive disaster in times to come.

The priority focus of Pakistan and the regional countries is the advent of peace in Afghanistan. That requires close cooperation among them and the world on the one hand, and the Afghan government on the other. There is a need for enhanced and accelerated delivery of economic assistance to Afghanistan so that it could provide relief to the people who, for over 40 years, have borne the ravages of ceaseless war. They are desperate for peace to return in their midst.

Another challenge which is looming is to accord formal recognition to the Taliban government. The countries which continue to engage with the Taliban have, in a way, already recognised the new government. Some embassies also remain functional in Kabul.

But this has also to be done formally which cannot be delayed indefinitely. Since the regional countries have followed a collective strategy, it is time for them to deliberate it in all its varying facets.

If possible, they should also take other countries on board to move together in that direction. But if the western world may appear to be unwilling, which is a likely scenario, the regional countries will have to take the plunge as that would increase the level of persuasion which they can exercise to secure positive results on other fronts.

Afghanistan, the region and the world stand at the crossroads. It would be futile to remain stuck in a past which brought nothing but war and destruction. There is a need to pick up whatever pieces remain and put them together to raise the edifice of a peaceful Afghanistan. While the principal responsibility for this would rest with the government there, the world also has a role to play. It cannot be a role to cause division. It has to be one to heal the wounds and help the people and communities come together for building a future that would be free of conflict and terror. What the world does today will determine the future of Afghanistan, the larger region and the world.

After a military disaster, we cannot afford to enact a tragedy of Shakespearian proportions.

“To be or not to be” is not the question any longer. There is no cause for confusion. The world must come together for Afghanistan and its long-suffering people.

After a military disaster, we cannot afford to enact a tragedy of Shakespearian proportions. “To be or not to be” is not the question any longer. There is no cause for confusion. The world must come together for Afghanistan and its long-suffering people

The writer is a political and security strategist, and heads the Regional Peace Institute – an Islamabad-based think tank.

Email: raoofhasan@hotmail.com. Twitter: @RaoofHasan

ONLINE education system and the contemporanous Pakistani social setup, compatible or incompatible ?

Every societal setup has its own pros and cons .What’s applicable in one civilisation may not necessarily be applicable in others as the environmental and social settings vary considerably .The social order of the monetarily sound and developed Western nation-states has been synchronized with online education system but has our social setup been preconditioned with it? Can we see the preconditions and prerequisites of such a scheme in Pakistan at present ? Obviously for an overwhelmingly small yet immensly privelleged class, linked with high budgeted academic institutions (even international ones) it is suitable . But what about the restthe majority ? The management of Punjab University, Lahore , one of the lagest and oldest varsities of Pakistan is yet to make a declaration about the future of the pupils .Hearsays and rumours have been circulating that online examination would be conducted for all the ADP/B.A candidates which seemingly would result in a mess as the students as well as the administrative officials aren’t that equipped with such technological skills as to enable them to make the process happen smoothly and flawlessly .

This has resulted in bewilderment and perplexity among the baccalurate students .It would be much better to postpone the examination till the end of the pandemic and then conduct it on the traditional pattern . The second apt option is to promote the students to the next stage on the basis of ther past(intermediate) result percentage . Otherwise we may see a tremendously large amount of students failing miserably just because of the newly introduced system as they may not be able to appropriately deal with it . The pupils have never had experienced such a channel before . We are lagging far behind in terms of resources , skills and experience when it comes to online examination.

MuHAMMAd AHMAd QASMI (M.A.Q) Chiniot

Lessons from 2020 2020 was the worst year which we all experienced. It was tough and full of uncertainties. We lost many living legends, faced many troubles and difficulties.

Everyone says goodbye to the departed year with many good and bad memories and welcomes new year with many many hopes and expectations. However, this is not an event to celebrate and party but to learn something from it. Amidst last year many of us lost their loved ones, relatives and friends. But look we are alive even after sustaining many losses and deprivations. It is proof that time and life stops for nothing. Neither time breaked for anyone nor life paused for someone.

Last year, everyone committed many sins and mistakes willingly or unwillingly. But we can’t undo them. One mistake once done can’t be reversed but wisdom is to learn from that and strive not to make that mistake again. Doing a mistake is not a big mistake but not learning any lesson from it, is the biggest mistake. So, promise yourself to be something better than your old version. Try to make your 2021 better than 2020. Don’t waste even a single moment of the new year. Utilize your time for achieving your goals and targets.

At the commencement of every new year, we set news plans and goals.

We hope that the new year will bring many improvements in us. But an alteration in the calendar can’t change your life unless you yourself want to change yourself. Change doesn’t come from only gossiping about it but you have to work for it.

I wish this year brings prosperity and happiness to every individual who is seeking it. May this year pass quietly and peacefully!

Muzaffar Khoso suKKur

Vandalising sacred places ACCORDING to the constitution of Pakistan, every individual has equal rights to live one’s own life in accordance with the law of the state whether one is a muslim or a non-muslim. Similarly, minorities, being citizens of Pakistan, have the same rights as others have. But it is sad to state that condition is conversely adverse in the land of pure; where they people are treated as second class citizens; where minorities have been become soft targets either in the form of forced conversions or vandalizing their sacred places whether in the name of religion or personal enmity by extremist minded people. Though, demolishing holy places of other religions also lie in the ambit of blasphemous law. The recent incident of setting fire to a shrine (demolished in 1997 too by another mob) of a Hindu saint by mobs in Karak, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, is also an intolerable and condemnable act.

However, no law has been passed to fight this peril out-and-out from our society. No serious action is taken against those ill-minded people who are involved in these ill-planned acts. Hence, it’s a dire need of hour for the ruling government as well as concerned authorities of the state to take pragmatic measures for overcoming this cruelty, and look into this matter for the protection of the vulnerable as well as marginalized sections of the society and its sacred places.

KaMlesh Bansari. sujawal

Unpaid teachers THE schools in the Sindh have been closed since after the first case reported in the country of coronavirus. But there are many teachers like me who are working in private schools, and are still waiting for their salaries. The school’s management has declined to pay the salaries for the month of March and giving the excuses like- the students didn’t pay them the fees of the month of March and will release the salaries the moment they think they are in a position to do so. Through the column of your esteemed newspaper, I want the education department authorities to look into the issue and all the private schools teachers should be paid on time. raBia Khan Karachi

08 WORLD VIEW 17th October 21_Layout 1 10/16/2021 10:43 PM Page 1

Sunday, 17 October, 2021

08 WORLD VIEW

THe IncreDIble sHrInkIng Dollar FOOD PRICES ARE UP 3.4% FROM THIS TIME LAST YEAR. GAS PRICES ARE UP 41%. DIAPER PRICES ARE UP 14%. FRESH FRUITS ARE UP 5.4%. AND DONUTS ARE UP NEARLY 3%. WAGES, MEANWHILE, ADJUSTED FOR INFLATION, ARE DOWN 1.2%

AmericAn consequences

$

spent his entire life in an academic ivory tower nor in a Washington, D.C.-based think tank… Rather, powell had some real-world experience on Wall street as an investment banker.

And in 2018, i applauded him for resisting the temptation to print more money – despite the former president’s insistence that he do so. (in fact, it was in an interview with me, on-site at the White House, in which then-president trump first slammed powell for failing to act like other Central Banks around the world.)

TRIsh REgAn

12.95 for an order of kids’ pancakes?! Recently, i was out to breakfast with my family at a local diner, when i was shocked to see some of the inflated prices on the menu. this same set of silver-dollar pancakes cost $6.95 when i visited this place three months ago. this was a brand-new menu, complete with inflated prices. And this diner isn’t the only place in town raising prices… everywhere you go now, you should expect to pay more. i’ve warned of this since last summer… And now all the data is piling up – the Federal Reserve’s measurement of inflation just posted its highest increase in 30 years.

Meanwhile, according to the Consumer price index, prices on consumer products have risen more than 5% for the past four months straight. And i anticipate, judging by the 8.3% increase in producer prices, they’ll soon go even higher. But $12.95 for kids’ pancakes? inflation can really feel like a punch in the gut… especially when it was supposed to be only “transitory.” And yet, higher prices are somehow transitioning into next year. At least, that’s what the head of the Federal Reserve told a panel hosted by the european Central Bank late last month…

As Jerome powell spoke about the challenges ahead, he informed his listeners that he, too, was “frustrated”… it’s frustrating to see the bottlenecks and supply-chain problems not getting better – in fact, the margins are apparently getting a little bit worse… We see that continuing into next year probably, and holding up inflation longer than we thought. Unfortunately, powell and his team seem to be realizing the effects of all their money printing just a bit too late… inflation is here, and it’s not going away anytime soon. the question now is, how do we prevent it from squashing the little growth America has seen? As this country experienced in the 1970s, inflation can have extremely detrimental consequences… Not only does it cause prices to spike, but inflation also erodes purchasing power, decreases the value of cash and investments, and can cause interest rates to rise.

THE FED’S SHADOW PLAY: i remember when powell was appointed chairman of the Federal Reserve. i had high hopes because he was someone who hadn’t

HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED… While the Fed’s intervention in the spring of 2020 during the height of the pandemic was understandable, the continued meddling from the Fed has since become problematic. We now risk too much money in our system, too much printing, and therefore, too much inflation. since president Biden took office, powell seems to have drunk the Kool-Aid and somehow believes the Fed is capable of controlling our financial future. the central bank’s balance sheet has now soared to more than $6 trillion.

And he’s suddenly “frustrated” when he realizes all this money printing is leading not to greater levels of employment and more robust economic fundamentals, but instead a mass increase in inflation. Food prices are up 3.4% from this time last year. Gas prices are up 41%. Diaper prices are up 14%. Fresh fruits are up 5.4%. And donuts are up nearly 3%. Wages, meanwhile, adjusted for inflation, are down 1.2%. And judging by all the recent headlines about supply chains, it’s clear prices are only going to tick higher…

SUPPLY-CHAIN WORRIES: i spoke with my contractor recently about adding some built-in shelves in one of our bedrooms. He had just given me an estimate a couple of months ago. But when i called him this week to give the green light on the project, he told me he needed to revisit the numbers. “everything is more expensive,” he explained. the pandemic, labor shortages (more on that in a minute), surging prices of raw materials, and transportation backups have come together to create a perfect inflation storm… According to the Washington post, today the cost of shipping a container from China to Los Angeles is quadruple what it cost in January of this year. the other day, American Consequences contributor scott Garliss told me about something that happened to a friend of his that speaks volumes about our current predicament… One of the guys i bike with in the mornings owns a roofing company that does residential and commercial work in D.C. and Virginia. they’re incredibly busy and have lots of work potential with jobs they’re bidding on. this morning, he told me they had a strange event take place last week. it seems one of their main suppliers held a global

conference call with all of its customers and the supplier said not only was it no longer guaranteeing dates on orders already signed, but that the prices on those same orders were no longer guaranteed anymore either!

Apparently, the biggest issue is the lack of raw materials needed to make the items they need. think about that… if prices can no longer be guaranteed, how can anyone really do business?

My contractor needing to revisit pricing for some built-in bookshelves is one thing… But companies performing large-scale commercial work is another. if we can’t have confidence in global supply chains – and if we can’t have confidence in pricing – how do we plan for the future? How do businesses function? it’s a major problem that we’re just beginning to see the effects of…

OVERTAXED AND UNDERWORKED: Meanwhile, it’s not just raw materials that are causing angst in the economy… it’s labor as well. Recently, i spoke with one business owner in the food-supply industry who told me that while it’s possible to hedge some of the materials’ costs… there’s no hedging labor: When we raise wages, and then the factory down the street raises wages, we raise again. But how long can we do this? When does it stop? Higher wages, of course, mean one of two things: either lower profits… or higher prices for the goods being made.

Businesses are facing this challenge as they seek workers. some Americans are making an educated choice to exit the labor force. the pandemic, perhaps, has taught them that they don’t need as much. they’re happy to get by with one less vacation, or fewer nights out… Or in many cases, the plethora of government-aid programs has made it more attractive to just stay home.

Whatever the reason, it’s clear that businesses are finding it more and more challenging to find workers. they’re raising wages, but the money has to come from somewhere. And then there are taxes… Washington desperately wants to tax businesses more. And on the Democratic side of the aisle, there is little-to-no appreciation for what that might mean for businesses themselves. indeed, White House press secretary Jen psaki showed her economic naiveté when she claimed in a press briefing in late september that it would be “unfair and absurd” for companies to raise costs on consumers in response to the Biden administration raising the corporate tax rate. And it seems president Biden shares that sentiment … in a CNN town hall over the summer, he had no sympathy for a small-business owner that was struggling to find servers at his local restaurant. the answer, according to Biden, was to simply “pay more for wages.” But realistically, how can a business pay more without reducing its profitability?

DAILY PRICE HIKES: the real danger here is that

we’re entering an environment where businesses will not be able to function as normal or successful. take scott’s story… How can a roofing company provide a customer with a quote and a completion date if it has no idea when the materials will even be made available or what they’ll cost?

Americans have never quite experienced hyperinflation, so there’s little appreciation for how bad this could really be. sure, people remember the 1970s, and those were lousy years… But to really understand the disaster that inflation represents, you need to examine the economies of Latin America.

A friend of mine worked for an American investment bank in Rio de Janeiro in the 1990s. i was stunned when she explained to me how they used to pay her every day. Not once a week or bi-monthly like most institutions – a daily paycheck. they had to because the currency was soaring… And by the next day, your paycheck could be worth less. it’s hard to imagine, but between January and March of 1990, hyperinflation took hold in Brazil. Monthly inflation rates were in the 70% to 80% range. For the next 10 years, Brazil grappled with high-double-digit monthly inflation and hyperinflation (defined as more than 50% for a month). Restaurants would change their prices daily (if not by the hour), and menus were never printed but rather written on chalkboards in order to account for the constant rise in prices. to this day, Brazilians will tell you their biggest economic fear is not a recession, but rather inflation. they’ll take an economic downturn any day over escalating prices that make it difficult for the economy to function.

ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES: Now, the U.s. has never experienced inflation to that degree… And i don’t believe we’re at risk for seeing anything quite like the south American genre of hyperinflation. the U.s. dollar still reigns as the world’s reserve currency… that’s huge. so while this country shouldn’t see insane inflation like Brazil, we’re experiencing rising prices.

And even though it’s not of the south American variety, it takes its toll.

Higher prices are here, and their effect on supply chains, labor, and thus the overall economy is still a real unknown. My biggest worry is a repeat of 1970s-style inflation – one in which economic activity is suppressed in part thanks to this lack of clarity on prices. earnings would suffer, and prices would continue to go up – not an ideal combination. And if we wind up with more taxes as the cherry on top, then we’re looking at real economic consequences. Now in theory, at some point, the price gouging should subside. if no one’s buying those $13 silver-dollar pancakes, then the prices should come down, right? But i’ll leave you with one last question: When was the last time your local restaurant slashed prices?

Hunger Index latest reminder FEEDING CHILDREN ANY ANIMAL-SOURCED FOOD IS LINKED WITH 11% REDUCTION IN STUNTING; FEEDING THEM BOTH MEAT AND DAIRY WITH A 16% REDUCTION IN UNDERWEIGHT

Print

D

IVICA PETRIKOVA And ARVInd KUMAR

Family Health survey (NFHs 2019-20) released for 22 indian states indicate that in the past five years, more than half of the states experienced an increase in child stunting (children too short for age) and more than two third increase in child underweight (children too thin for age). in the last two years, indian children’s nutrition outcomes have been further negatively affected by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

espite achieving rapid economic growth over the last few decades, india is home to one third of all malnourished children in the world. the latest rankings of the Global Hunger index yet again reveal how india lags behind its poorer neighbours, including pakistan and Bangladesh, on multiple child nutrition indicators. india has been ranked 101 out of 116 countries on the index.

Malnourishment in early childhood has long-lasting negative impact on health and education. it also has economic implications for both, the children affected and their communities. therefore, india urgently needs solutions for eliminating child malnourishment.

Our recent research suggests that feeding young indian children more animal-sourced and vitamin A-rich food would help reduce their malnutrition rates. Livestock ownership and participation in the integrated Child Development services (iCDs) programme could be instrumental in encouraging such dietary changes.

INFANT FEEDING AND NUTRITION OUTCOMES: the World Health Organization (WHO) advises that children should be exclusively breastfed until six months of age and after that receive alongside milk solid, semisolid or mushy food of sufficient variety. Research has previously shown that ‘weaning’ children (in other words, starting them on solids) timely at six months is important for good nutrition outcomes. Diverse diet in early age has also been found to have a positive effect on children’s nutrition status. But many indian families do not follow these two practices when feeding their young children.

Around 23 per cent of indian children between six months and two years are not weaned at all, and 80 per cent do not consume a diet sufficiently diverse, according to the WHO. Feeding all children from six months of age a varied diet would therefore certainly help lower their malnutrition rates.

RECENT RISE IN CHILD MALNOURISHMENT: After witnessing reduction in child malnourishment in the last twenty years, the trend in india seems to be reversing. Data from the latest round of the National

IMPORTANCE OF ANIMAL-SOURCED FOOD: in addition, all complementary food is not equally beneficial for children. Our study examines the relationship between specific types of weaning foods and nutrition outcomes and finds that feeding children fruits and veg-

etables rich in vitamin A (such as carrots, tomatoes, spinach, and mangoes) and animal-sourced foods (fish and meat, eggs, and dairy products) has a particularly positive effect. Feeding children any animal-sourced food is linked with an 11 per cent reduction in stunting while feeding them both meat and dairy with a 16 per cent reduction in underweight. Unfortunately, the consumption of animal-sourced foods is low among indian toddlers. in the NFHs 2015-2016 sample of more than 50,000 children aged between six months and two years, only 28 per cent children ate any dairy products, 14 per cent any eggs, and 10 per cent any meat or fish the day before the survey.

ENCOURAGING BETTER NUTRITION PRACTICES: Our study further analyses if owning cattle and poultry, or participating in iCDs has any impact on children’s diets and nutrition.

We find that owning poultry, unlike owning cattle, encourages good child feeding practices. this is most evident at the village level. in villages where many families own chicken, toddlers are on average five times more likely to eat meat and have 20 per cent to 30 per cent lower rates of stunting than toddlers in villages with low chicken ownership. poultry ownership is prevalent particularly in North-eastern india (Meghalaya, sikkim, Manipur, Arunachal pradesh etc.) while relatively uncommon in northern states such as punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar pradesh. Families that raise their own chicken naturally have easier access to both eggs and poultry meat.

But it is also likely that in villages with higher poultry ownership, eating animal-sourced food is generally

more common and accepted than in villages with low poultry ownership.

We also find that children who participate in the iCDs eat more fruits, vegetables, and animal-sourced food than non-participating children. However, the better feeding practices are not reflected by significantly better nutrition outcomes. it is clear from our study that wealthier households in india can afford to feed their children better food than poorer households. But interestingly, we find that most of the inappropriate practice in child-feeding cuts across socio-economic lines, with 75 per cent of even the wealthiest households in the country not feeding their toddlers a sufficiently diverse diet. Greater recognition of the importance of starting children on solids on time, with diverse diets that include fruits, vegetables, and animal-sourced food, would thus definitely aid in reducing their malnutrition rates.

High child malnutrition rates in india are caused by a multitude of factors. A key one, as our research shows, is the scarcity of fruits, vegetables, particularly animalsourced foods in young children’s complementary diets.

Better parental and public awareness of appropriate complementary feeding practices, raised through the dense national network of iCDs anganwadi centres as well as through other nutrition policies and programmes, could help address the problem of indian child malnourishment Dr. Ivica Petrikova (@IvicaPetricova) is Assistant Professor, Department of Politics & IR, Royal Holloway University of London.

Arvind Kumar (@arvind_kumar__), PhD Scholar, Department of Politics & IR, Royal Holloway University of London.

Sunday, 17 October, 2021 | LAHORE

buSinESS 09

RS588 billion tax imPoSed on SugaR millS: Shahzad akbaR

a

News DesK

DVISER to Prime Minister on Interior and Accountability Barrister Shahzad Akbar has said that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has completed a five-year tax audit of 69 sugar mills and that they had been slapped with a tax of about Rs588 billion as well as a fine of Rs42 billion for cartelisation.

Addressing a news conference here on Saturday, the adviser pointed out that 10 of these mills have taken stays from different high courts against the tax audit.

He said the audit has contributed to doubling the tax revenue from sugar mills during the last fiscal year (FY21).

He said that he would submit an answer in the National Assembly (NA) as well on the question raised by fellow members on the sugar commission. He said these inquiries against sugar mills were held on merit by competent officers and there was no political involvement.

Article continues After this Advertisement: Akbar said that a track and trace system will be installed in sugar mills before the next crushing season in order to determine their actual production and avoid tax evasion.

Commenting on last year’s fuel crisis, he said that an inquiry was also conducted into the shortage of petroleum products last year and a fine was imposed on the oil marketing companies involved in the shortage of petroleum products. The adviser said that 2,000 illegal petrol stations have been shut down, which resulted in an increase in the sale of Pakistan State Oil (PSO), the state-owned oil marketing company. The federal cabinet has given open permission to the FIA for recovery in this matter, he said.

Akbar reiterated, “Transparent inquiry into the scandal is required for fair accountability.” He claimed that the prices of petroleum products are linked with the international market.

Talking about the Broadsheet inquiry commission

2.4m doses of Pfizer vaccine arrive in Pakistan IslaMaBaD INP

Pakistan received 2.4 million more doses of Pfizer vaccine via the COVAX, a global distribution programme, on Saturday. The United States Embassy in Islamabad said in a Twitter statement that 2.4 million doses of the American vaccine have arrived in Pakistan this morning as part of the 9.6 million shots, scheduled to arrive this month. Last month, the US shipped 6.6 million doses of Pfizer vaccine to Pakistan. “The US has shipped another tranche of Pfizer vaccines to Pakistan. The 6.6 million doses will arrive in time to assist the Pakistani government inoculate young and at-risk Pakistanis and mitigate the fourth Covid-19 wave,” the embassy had tweeted. It said this donation brings the total number of Covid-19 vaccines donated by the US to Pakistan to 15.8 million.

The US is the single largest contributor supporting COVAX efforts toward global Covid-19 vaccine access, added the embassy.

Sindh education dept proposes easing teachers’ recruitment exam policy KaraCHI Web Desk

The Sindh Education Department has proposed easing the teachers’ recruitment exam policy after not even 1% of the candidates who appeared in last month’s recruitment test were able to pass it. Out of 162,000 candidates who appeared in the teachers’ recruitment test conducted in Sindh last month, only 1,250 managed to pass. The test was conducted by the Sukkur IBA Testing Service in partnership with the provincial government. As per former education minister Saeed Ghani, the school education department received 500,000 applications for the recruitment of 46,500 primary school teachers (PSTs), junior elementary school teachers (JESTs), SLTs, and other staffers. In the proposal sent to the Sindh cabinet, the education department has proposed abolishing the 45% passing marks rule for female candidates and lowering it to 40%. If the candidates fail to pass the exam despite the move, then they will be given further exemption, the proposal said, adding that once the cabinet approves it, the process of hiring teachers would begin. It is pertinent to mention that the education department has not proposed exemptions for male candidates, and their passing marks will remain at 55%.

headed by Justice (retd) Azmat Saeed, he said the government paid Rs40 billion to the Broadsheet. He said that from 2009 to 2018 the then government did not fight the case properly. The commission is now investigating the matter, he added.

The government has launched a crackdown on sugar mills over the price of the commodity.

On Friday last, the prime minister had ordered action against millers and hoarders over the hike in the price of sugar.

Chairing a review meeting on the selling price and hoarding of sugar, the premier had also ordered ensuring the implementation of the track and trace system of mills to ascertain the production volume of the commodity.

“The government will take strict action against profiteers, who are enemies of the poor masses,” PM Imran had remarked.

Strong tsunami can be triggered along Sindh-Makran coast any time, warns PMD A TSUNAMI CAN BE TRIGGERED ANYTIME AND CAN CAUSE UNPRECEDENTED DAMAGE ALONG THE COASTAL BELT OF SINDH AND BALOCHISTAN, SAYS PMD CHIEF KaraCHI MoNItorINg rePort

Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) Director General Muhammad Riaz on Thursday warned that the Sindh-Makran coast is prone to multiple natural hazards, including cyclones, monsoon depressions and a tsunami, which can be triggered anytime and can cause unprecedented damage in the coastal belt.

Speaking at a workshop on “mitigating tsunami risk” at a hotel in Karachi, the PMD director said: “The Makran Subduction Zone, which is

within 50 kilometres from the SindhMakran coast, is like a nuclear weapon present in the sea. It can explode anytime. May be in 10-20 years or maybe tomorrow, who knows? An earthquake of magnitude 8 or above can trigger strong tsunami, which can generate waves as high as 10-15 metres and cause unprecedented damage along the Sindh-Makran coast.”

The PMD chief maintained that the Sindh-Makran coast had already faced devastation in 1945 when a strong tsunami was caused by an earthquake in the Makran Subduction Zone that killed over 4,000 people in the coastal areas of

Makran. He added that the active fault was gaining energy and could result in another powerful tsunami, the time frame for which could not be predicted.

“A subduction zone is like a trench in the sea. The Makran Subduction Zone is around 30 to 50 kilometres away from the Makran coast. If a tsunami is triggered it can hit the coast in five to 30 minutes, which leaves very little time for the coastal community to react,” Riaz explained, adding that in this situation, it is imperative to conduct drills and create awareness among the people about how they should react in case of a tsunami warning.

He maintained that in view of the threat of tsunami at the Sindh-Makran coast, the PMD had established the National Seismic Monitoring and Tsunami Early Warning Centre, Karachi, which was keeping an eye on the seismic activities in the sea.

To a query, he said Gwadar and Makran coast were the most vulnerable areas in case of a tsunami is generated in the Arabian Sea but waves of a strong tsunami could also reach Karachi within 20-30 minutes.

Calling for keeping the threat of tsunami in mind while starting new residential, commercial and other projects in the coastal areas of Pakistan, the PMD chief said buildings should be constructed in such a manner that they are able to withstand earthquakes and tsunami.

IGP encourages children of policemen getting distinction in exams Press release A ceremony was held at Police Line Headquarters to encourage children of policemen and 37 children and police officials including IGP Islamabad Qazi Jamilur Rehman, DIG (Headquarters) Kamran Adil AIG (Establishment) Naveed Atif, AIG (General) Irfan Tariq, SSP (Headquarters) Muhammad Omer Khan and others participated in the ceremony.

The IGP said that education is vital for success in life as it polishes the skills to groom and ensure a bright future.

The IGP said that only way to steer country out of present crisis and challenges is education and hard work. The efforts of young generation can ensure the prosperity of the nation, he maintained.

He said “I am feeling very much happy to meet with you and congratulate you on your remarkable success bringing good name for you and your families too”. He said that heads of your families give less time to you due to their tough duty hours but it is re-

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Islamabad Qazi Jameelur Rehman met with children of policemen getting distinction in exams of various levels and advised them to work hard for success in life.

ally appreciable for getting nice marks in your classes. All credit goes to your parents and teachers who made possible for them to get remarkable success. He said that youth is our real asset and their hard

work and commitment can guarantee the prosperity and bright future of the nation.

Later, IGP distributed shields among the students and prayed for their bright future.

Aiwan-e-Sadr recognised as world’s first presidency to go green IslaMaBaD staff rePort

The Aiwan-e-Sadr Friday achieved a unique distinction as it was awarded an international certification of ISO 50001 EnMS, making it the world’s first President Secretariat running on clean energy.

President Arif Alvi, after assuming office in 2018, had envisioned a Green Presidency Initiative to curtail President’s Secretariat energy usage and shift it to renewable energy sources. While describing the monetary benefits of going green, the president said savings from energy conservation and clean energy generation are equivalent to

3,154,750 KWh. The initiative equates to a 3,144 tons reduction of Greenhouse Gases and plantation of 142,909 mature trees. The Aiwan-e-Sadr also got GBC SEED Platinum as the building is now fully powered by an in-house 1-MW Solar System.

The ISO 50001 EnMS certificate was awarded to Project Director Shahid Shaukat

by Abdur Razzaq Lakhani of SGS and the GBC SEED Platinum certificate by Rashid Bashir of Green Building Council.

Addressing the ceremony, Arif Alvi said the Presidency’s initiative should also be replicated across the country considering the importance of energy conservation across the world. He thanked the private sector

companies who supported the initiative under their Corporate Social Responsibility.

President Alvi said it was always wise to prevent carbon emission as the world, including Pakistan, was under pressure regarding the availability of water and other natural resources. Through this initiative, the Greenhouse Gas production has been reduced at the building from 102 tons in 2018 to 2028 tons this year.

Also citing the Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) teachings on conservation of water and wastage of resources, the president called for inculcating habits in youths to conserve energy. The president said while launching the initiative that he never thought of getting

such recognition. He asked the youth to be conscious of the global needs, considering the sensitivity of the situation.

Exemplifying Barcelona, the president also called for utilising the roofs of buildings for green purposes like plantation or solar panels. He said the Aiwan-e-Sadr’s going green would help prevent 3,144 tons of carbon emission which equals 325 trucks.

The president, who earlier distributed appreciation certificates among the representatives of collaborating companies, also called for discouraging the habits of flood irrigation in agriculture and wastage of food and lauded the incumbent government’s policy of vertical buildings.

He said a Miywaki Forest was also being developed in the presidency with the private sector’s support. The president said in order to address food security, it was essential to stop fighting against the people.

He said the trillions of dollars spent in Afghanistan could have helped end hunger, had it been used otherwise.

Executive Director of Association of Energy Engineers Bill Kent, in his virtual address, congratulated President Arif Alvi and his team on achieving the milestone of making Aiwan-e-Sadr the first-ever presidency in the world which had been awarded ISO-50001 Energy Management System certification.

Sunday, 17 October, 2021 | LAHORE

10 FOREIGN NEWS

‘US lIeS’ AboUT WUhAN lAb ‘Are moTIvATed by geopolITIcS’: SAyS reporT

U

XINHuA

S lies about China’s Wuhan lab are motivated not by science but geopolitics, and the purpose of this torrent of lies is to ‘demonise China and the Chinese people’, and to scapegoat them for a disease that has killed over

one million Americans, the World Socialist Web Site said in an article.

Titled “The Wuhan lab libel: The Washington Post teaches America to hate,” the article lashed out at The Post’s new editorial, which revived the discredited claim that Covid-19 is a biologically engineered virus created in China by the world’s leading coro-

navirus researchers.

There is not a word in this editorial that has not been repeatedly disproven by scientists, international bodies and even the US government itself, the article pointed out. In February, the World Health Organisation (WHO) inquiry into the origins of Covid-19 declared the lab leak narrative “highly

unlikely” and stated it was not worth further research, it said, adding that The Post simply ignores these conclusions.

Calling The Post an organ of American imperialism, the article said that what appears on its pages is carefully reviewed and coordinated with the US intelligence agencies, if not directly written by them.

Afghan Taliban to announce secondary school for girls: Unicef deputy chief THe ASSOcIATeD PreSS A senior UN official said on Friday the Taliban told him they will announce “very soon” that all Afghan girls will be allowed to attend secondary schools.

Unicef Deputy Executive Director Omar Abdi, who visited Kabul last week, told reporters at UN headquarters that five of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces — Balkh, Jawzjan and Samangan in the northwest, Kunduz in the northeast and Urozgan in the southwest — are already allowing girls to attend secondary school. He said the Taliban’s education minister told him they are working on “a framework” to allow all girls to continue their schooling beyond the sixth grade, which should be published “between a month and two”.

“As I speak to you today, millions of girls of secondary school age are missing out on education for the 27th consecutive day,” Abdi said. “We are urging them not to wait. Any day that we wait — it’s a day lost for those girls that are out of school.”

During the Taliban’s previous rule of Afghanistan from 1996-2001, they denied girls and women the right to educa-

tion and barred them from working and public life. Since their August 15 takeover of Afghanistan as US and Nato forces were in the final stages of their chaotic withdrawal from the country after 20 years, the Taliban have come under increasing international pressure to ensure women’s rights to education and work.

Abdi said that in every meeting he pressed the Taliban “to let girls resume their learning”, calling it “critical for the girls themselves and for the country as a whole”. When the Taliban were ousted from power in 2001 by a US-led coalition for harbouring Osama bin Laden, only one million Afghan children were in school at all levels, he said.

Over the past 20 years, that figure rose to almost 10m children at all levels, including 4m girls, Abdi said, and in the last decade, the number of schools tripled from 6,000 to 18,000.

“Education gains of the past two decades must be strengthened and not rolled back,” he said.

But the deputy chief of the United Nations Children’s Fund said despite this progress, 4.2m Afghan children are out of school including 2.6m girls.

IS group claims responsibility for Kandahar mosque bombing KABUL: The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a deadly suicide bombing on a Shi’ite mosque in southern Afghanistan that killed 47 people and wounded scores more. In a statement posted late Friday on social media, the IS group said two of the group’s members shot and killed security guards manning the entrance of the Fatimiya mosque in Kandahar province.

One detonated his explosives at the entrance of the mosque and the other inside. IS group’s news agency Amaq in a statement gave the names of the attackers as Anas al-Khurasani and Abu Ali al-Baluchi, both Afghan nationals. The attack came a week after a bombing claimed by the local Islamic State group affiliate killed 46 people at a Shiite mosque in northern Afghanistan, raising fears that the IS group — an enemy of both the Taliban and the West — is expanding its foothold in Afghanistan. Friday’s attack was the deadliest to strike Afghanistan since the dramatic US exit from the country, which allowed the Taliban to seize control of the Afghan capital. It was also the first major attack by the group in the country’s south. The IS group carries out frequent attacks in its eastern stronghold, but recently has shown signs of expansion, with attacks in the north and Kabul. The AssociATed Press

If all girls are allowed to attend secondary school, Abdi said, efforts must still be made to overcome resistance from conservatives to allowing them to get a secondary education. “The authorities that I’ve met said that when they put in place the framework that they are working on, it will convince more parents to send their girls to school” because it will address concerns in conservative societies about separating girls and boys and female teachers, he said. “So, that has to be seen,”

Abdi said. While in Kabul, the Unicef deputy chief said he also visited a children’s hospital “and was shocked to see how packed it was with malnourished children, some of them babies”.

Abdi said the health system and social services are on the verge of collapse, medical supplies are running dangerously low, outbreaks of measles and watery diarrhoea are increasing, and polio and Covid-19 remain serious concerns.

NASA to launch first space probe to study Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids WASHINGTON reuTers

NASA is set on today to launch a first-of-its-kind mission, dubbed Lucy, to study Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids, two large clusters of space rocks that scientists believe are remnants of primordial material that formed the solar system’s outer planets. The space probe, packed inside a special cargo capsule, is due for liftoff from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 5:34 am EDT (0934 GMT), carried aloft by an Atlas V rocket from United Launch Alliance (UAL), a joint venture of Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp. If all goes according to plan, Lucy will be hurled into space on a 12year expedition to study a record number of asteroids. It will be the first to explore the Trojans, thousands of rocky objects orbiting the sun in two swarms — one ahead of the path of giant gas planet Jupiter and one behind it. The largest known Trojan asteroids, named for the warriors of Greek mythology, are believed to measure as much as 225 kilometers (140 miles) in diameter.Scientists hope Lucy’s close-up fly-by of seven Trojans will yield new clues to how the solar system’s planets came to be formed some 4.5 billion years ago and what shaped their present configuration. Believed to be rich in carbon compounds, the asteroids may even provide new insights into the origin of organic materials and life on Earth, NASA said. “The Trojan asteroids are leftovers from the early days of our solar system, effectively the fossils of planet formation,” principal mission investigator Harold Levison of the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado, was quoted by NASA as saying. No other single science mission has been designed to visit as many different objects independently orbiting the sun in the history of space exploration, NASA said. As well as the Trojans, Lucy will do a fly-by of an asteroid in the solar system’s main asteroid belt, called Donald Johanson in honour of the lead discoverer of the fossilized human ancestor known as Lucy, from which the NASA mission takes its name. The Lucy fossil, unearthed in Ethiopia in 1974, was in turn named for the Beatles hit “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.” Lucy the asteroid probe will make spaceflight history in another way. Following a route that circles back to Earth three times for gravitational assists, it will be the first spacecraft ever to return to Earth’s vicinity from the outer solar system, according to NASA. The probe will use rocket thrusters to maneuver in space and two rounded solar arrays, each the width of a school bus, to recharge batteries that will power the instruments contained in the much smaller central body of the spacecraft.

Police declare murder of UK MP a terrorist incident LONDON reuTers

British lawmaker David Amess was stabbed to death in an Essex church on Friday by an assailant who lunged at him as he met voters, in what police said was a terrorist attack. Amess, 69, from Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party, was knifed repeatedly in the attack at about midday in the Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea, east of London.

The Metropolitan Police, whose counter-terrorism unit are leading the investigation of the incident, said in a statement early on Saturday that they declared the fatal stabbing as a terrorist incident. The early investigation has revealed a “potential motivation linked to Islamist extremism,” the police added. A 25-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder, and detectives said specialist counter-terrorism officers were leading the initial investigation. “As part of the investigation, officers are currently carrying out searches at two addresses in the London area and these are ongoing,” the police said, adding that it is believed that the suspect in custody acted alone.

Politicians described the attack as an assault on democracy. “David was a man who believed passion-

ately in this country and in its future and we have lost today a fine public servant and a much loved friend and colleague,” said Johnson, who rushed back to London from the west of England after the news broke.

Armed police swooped on the church and paramedics fought in vain to save the lawmaker’s life on the floor of the church, where a sign says: “All are welcome here: where old friends meet and strangers feel at home”. “Tragically, he died at the scene,” Essex Police Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington told reporters.

He said police at the time of the incident did not believe there was any immediate threat to anyone else.

He gave no other details about the killing, the second fatal attack on a British lawmaker in their constituency in the last five years, which has prompted questions about the safety of politicians.

Broadcaster Sky News said the arrested man was understood to be a British national of Somali heritage.

Long-serving LAwmAKer: Colleagues from across parliament expressed their shock and paid tribute to Amess, one of Britain’s longest-serving lawmakers, for his commitment to his constituents, with whom he held regular meetings on the first and third Friday of the month. Flags on all British government buildings will be flown at half-staff in tribute.

Amess, married with five children, was first elected to parliament to represent the town of Basildon in 1983, and then nearby Southend West in 1997. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth for his public service in 2015. His website listed his main interests as “animal welfare and pro-life issues”. He was popular with lawmakers and known for his active contributions to debates – often about issues relating to his Essex constituency or animal rights. Bob Hazel, secretary of a local residents’ group, said Amess regularly chatted with commuters on the train from London.

“He wouldn’t be stuck behind a book or a newspaper, he would be talking to people and he was that sort of person. He was really approachable and he’s going to be very, very much missed,” Hazel told Reuters.

‘AttAcK on DemocrAcy’: The knife attack at a meeting with constituents has echoes of a 2010 incident when Labour lawmaker Stephen Timms survived a stabbing in his constituency office, and the 2016 fatal shooting of Labour’s Jo Cox just days before the Brexit referendum. Cox’s husband, Brendan, called the attack on Amess “as cowardly as it gets”, while her sister, Kim Leadbeater, who earlier this year was elected as a member of parliament for the same area Cox represented, said it showed the “massive risks” lawmakers had to take.

US Capitol Police officer charged with telling rioter to destroy evidence WASHINGTON reuTers

Federal prosecutors on Friday accused a US Capitol Police officer of obstructing a probe into the Jan. 6 attack on the government building by urging a participant to destroy Facebook posts showing him inside, warning that he could be prosecuted.

In a six-page indictment, prosecutors said that Michael Riley, a Capitol Police officer for more than 25 years,

had become a Facebook friend with the suspect identified as “Person 1” on January 1 and then direct messaged the individual on January 7.

“Hey (Person 1), I’m a capitol police officer who agrees with your political stance,” Riley said in the message.

“Take down the part about being in the building they are currently investigating and everyone who was in the building is going to be charged.”

Hundreds of supporters of former Republican President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol building on January

6 in a failed attempt to overturn his election defeat. Four people died in the violence, more than 100 police officers were injured and four officers in the crowd that day later died of suicide.

Prosecutors say Riley exchanged “dozens more” direct messages with the riot suspect on January 7, including one in which he wrote “I’m glad you got out of there unscathed. We had over 50 officers hurt, some pretty bad.”

Each of the two obstruction charges Riley faces carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, though judges

often impose sentences below the maximum.

At a brief court hearing on Friday, federal Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey agreed to Riley’s release on bail, ordering him not to leave the continental United States without court approval and to report weekly by phone to pre-trial services.

Riley, who did not immediately enter a plea, also must not possess guns or other weapons, the judge said.

A lawyer for Riley did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Sunday, 17 October, 2021 | LAHORE

SPORTS 11

T20 World CuP: BaBar aZaM deFendS ChangeS In Squad

P

NEWs DEsk

AKISTAN cricket team captain Babar Azam on Saturday defended the changes in T20 World Cup squad and said that some players were not in form during the National T20 Cup.

“Some players were not in a fine touch during the domestic tournament. Changes were made to the squad since some players were not able to perform well,” he said in a virtual press conference from UAE. He welcomed the inclusion of left-handed batsman Fakhar

Zaman, all-rounder Shoaib Malik and Haider Ali. He said the players have benefited from the experience of playing in the National T20 Cup. “Shoaib Malik is an experienced player who is also considered among the fit members of our squad,” he said.

“However, we have to make a plan on including him in the playing XI squad.”

“However, captaining the team in a mega event is a challenging role for me,” he acknowledged.

He said when Pakistan won the T20 World Cup in 2009, it was a moment of pride for him. “We

will try our best to recapture that moment again,” he said.

Speaking about conditions in the UAE, he said the team members have played a lot of cricket here. However, he emphasised the importance of the team playing impressive cricket in all three departments of the game.

T20 Cricket World Cup — six to watch DUBAI AFP

Sania Mirza plans to ‘disappear’ to escape ‘toxicity’ on Pakistan-India match day WEB DEsk Tennis star Sania Mirza, the wife of former Pakistan cricket captain and all-rounder Shoaib Malik, is planning to “disappear” from social media on the day Pakistan faces India in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Sharing a reel on her Instagram account, the star player wrote: “Me disappearing from social media and toxicity on India vs Pakistan match day.” “Bye Bye,” Mirza captioned the reel. The qualifying rounds for the T20 World Cup are starting from tomorrow, October 17. The main rounds will kick off next Saturday, October 23. Pakistan is set to lock horns with arch-rival India in a high-voltage clash at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on October 24.

‘Today was just not my day’: Zverev regrets shock defeat to Fritz

BERLING ReuteRs

Olympic champion Alexander Zverev admitted he blew the chance to win the Indian Wells tournament after Friday’s shock quarter-final defeat by American Taylor Fritz and said he just wants to return home. Zverev, who was aiming to win his third ATP Masters 1000 title of the season, lost 4-6 6-3 76(3) after Fritz fought back from 2-5 down in the final set and saved two match points to stun the German in the California desert.

Fritz will face Nikoloz Basilashvili in the semi-finals after the Georgian knocked out second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4 2-6 6-4 earlier on Friday. “Today was just not really my day, to be honest. I was close to winning, but the level of tennis was just not quite there for me,” world number four Zverev told reporters. “Today mentally is not easy for me. My next tournament is (in) Vienna.

Hoping I can deal with it well there, but right now I just want to go home. “It was a very long season. I have played well. But this one hurts because I knew that after Stefanos lost this morning, I was kind of the favourite to win this tournament, but my tennis wasn’t there yet.” Zverev entered the match well drilled and in strong form after winning 20 of his last 21 matches on hard courts.

The seventh T20 World Cup gets underway in Oman and the UAE at the weekend with the world’s best players queueing up to take the title and the headlines.

But while the world has already heard of the likes of Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli and Babar Azam, there are sure to be new global superstars unleashed on the world. AFP Sport picks out six who are likely to play a major role.

Ishan Kishan: Indian ‘Master’ India has had its share of Little Masters and in the five foot six inch (1.68m) Kishan, they may have uncovered another. On his international T20 debut against England in March, the diminutive left-hander cracked a sparkling 56 from 32 balls, outscoring his skipper Virat Kohli who watched approvingly from the other end.

The 23-year-old had a slump in form during the IPL and was temporarily benched by Mumbai but returned to hammer 50 not out against Rajasthan and 84 from 32 balls against Hyderabad, the perfect warm-up for the World Cup. Haider Ali: Pakistan plunderer Three months ago, it looked as if big-hitting Haider would miss out on the World Cup, having been sent home from the UAE after breaching Covid-19 restrictions and withdrawn from Pakistan’s squad to tour England and West Indies.

But the 21-year-old middle-order batter’s form in National T20 Cup, including three unbeaten half-centuries, earned him a reprieve. An unbeaten 91 off 53 balls for Northern against Babar Azam’s Central Punjab last month may have helped — it never hurts to impress the skipper.

Tymal Mills: English speedster After four and a half years out of international cricket, Mills, one of the best ‘death’ bowlers in the game, has been recalled to the England team for the T20 World Cup. A back injury when he was 22 meant that the Sussex fast bowler turned away from first-class cricket, and the lure of a Test cap, to focus purely on T20. Now 29, Mills, who consistently tops 90mph (145kph) starred in the Blast and the Hundred in 2021, earning a call-up to replace another injured speedster Jofra Archer.

Glenn Phillips: 800 press-ups T20 crowds love to see sixes which is perhaps why they have taken a shine to Phillips, the Kiwi batter born in South Africa. The 24-year-old big-hitter, who likes to put in 800 press-ups a day, has been clearing the ropes this year in the Blast, the Hundred, the CPL and most recently the IPL where he played for Rajasthan.

A wicketkeeper by inclination, Phillips has also reinvented himself as an off-spinner and will be one of the fielders to watch around the boundary.

Tabraiz Shamsi: Protean guard South Africa’s quest for a first World Cup title has traditionally rested with their batsmen — this time around it may be Shamsi who is the key. A left-arm wrist-spinner with ample variations and a good googly, Shamsi only came into his own with the retirement of

Imran Tahir in 2019.

Still, not a household name at the age of 31, Shamsi is the highest-ranked T20I bowler in the world, having already taken a world-leading 28 wickets this year and a career economy rate of under seven runs per over.

Hazratullah Zazai: Afghanistan hope With the world’s eyes focussed on Afghanistan for all the wrong reasons, the pressure is on Zazai to show the ebullient brilliance of their cricketers. The 23-yearold is pure box office.

Three years ago he etched his way into the history books by hitting Abdullah Mazari for six sixes in an over in a domestic T20 match, reaching his 50 in just 12 balls.

In 2019, he replicated that brand of hitting as he belted a record 16 sixes in an unbeaten 162 off 62 balls against Ireland in just his fifth T20I.

PCB Hall of Fame honours Fazal Mahmood, Abdul Qadir this year LAHORE News Desk

Former captains Fazal Mahmood and Abdul Qadir have been inducted into the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Hall of Fame posthumously.

According to a statement issued by PCB on Saturday, the two stalwarts have joined Hanif Mohammad, Imran Khan, Javed Miandad, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Zaheer Abbas, who were the initial inductees to the PCB Hall of Fame by virtue of being part of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket Hall of Fame.

Mahmood and Qadir were inducted following a “transparent voting process”, according to the PCB. The PCB cricket committee — which includes Saleem Yousuf (chair), Ali Naqvi, Umar Gul, Urooj Mumtaz and Wasim Akram — was involved in finalising the short-list comprising players who were retired from international cricket for at least five years, the statement added.

Subsequently, a 13-person independent voting panel — comprising three ICC Cricket Hall of Famers, four former Pakistan captains and six respected members of the print and electronic media — was constituted to take part in the voting process, which was overseen by an internal auditor who also confirmed the results in favour of the inductees. The formal inductions of all the eight PCB Hall of Famers will take place during the ongoing season.

Reacting to the development, PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja said: “It is befitting that Fazal Mahmood and Abdul Qadir, legends from two different eras, be voted by their peers and admirers into the PCB Hall of Fame for 2021.”

“This is a testament to their enormous popularity and is also a recognition of their services to this great game,” he added. “Mahmood’s heroics in the early days introduced Pakistan cricket to the world as a force to be reckoned with and later inspired the next generations of fast bowlers,” he said, adding that the wily, crafty and magical Abdul Qadir revived and reignited the slowly vanishing art of wrist-spin bowling.

“Fazal Mahmood and Abdul Qadir are all-time greats and truly outstanding ambassadors for Pakistan and global cricket. This is just a small token of our appreciation and gratitude towards their contributions.”

FAZAl MAHMood Fazal Mahmood, considered the first superstar of Pakistan cricket, was born on February 18, 1927 in Lahore

and took 139 wickets in 34 Tests from 1952 to 1962, including five wickets in an innings 13 times and 10 wickets or more in a match four times. However, his first-class career had commenced eight years earlier when he represented Northern India in the Ranji Trophy. By the time he hung his boots after the 1963-64 season, he had grabbed 466 wickets in 112 matches.

In Pakistan’s debut Test series in 1952 in India, Mahmood took 20 wickets, including 12 wickets in the Lucknow Test, which Pakistan won by an innings and 43 runs.

In the return series in 1954-55, Fazal took 15 wickets in four Tests, while in the 1960-61 series he picked up nine wickets in five Tests.

In 1955, Mahmood became the first Pakistani crick-

eter to be named in Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year, a year after his performances had helped Pakistan draw their first series against England. Fazal claimed 20 wickets in the four-Test series, including match figures of 12 for 99 at The Oval that earned AH Kardar’s side a 24-run victory.

Fazal’s varied swing and a mixture of leg-cutters were too much to handle for the West Indies as the maestro picked up 20 wickets in the 1957-58 series in the

Caribbean and then followed up by 21 wickets in three Tests in the 1958-59 series at home.

Fazal was bestowed with the President’s Pride of Performance Award — the highest national literary award of Pakistan — in 1958. In 2012, he was posthumously awarded the Hilal-e-Imtiaz — the second-highest civilian award — in recognition of his services to Pakistan cricket, seven years after his passing on 30 May 2005.

Abdul QAdIr Abdul Qadir, boasting a bouncy, enthusiastic run-up with a left elbow high and flicking the ball from hand to hand, took 236 wickets (five wickets in an innings 15 times and 10 wickets in a match five-time) and scored 1,029 runs in 67 Tests from 1977 to 1990. He also demonstrated that leg-spin could be highly effective in one-day cricket by claiming 132 wickets and scoring 641 runs in 104 ODIs from 1983 to 1993. In 209 first-class matches from 1975-76 to 1995-96, he captured 960 wickets and scored 3,740 runs, including two centuries.

Born on September 15, 1955 in Lahore, Qadir made his Test debut against England in 1977 and in only his second match in Hyderabad, took six for 44, with the Wisden Cricketers Almanack describing him as “the most notable discovery of his type for some time”.

In the 1987 Test series against the same opposition at Lahore, Qadir took nine for 56, which still stands as the best bowling performance by a Pakistan bowler.

One of Qadir’s memorable bowling spells was in the 1986 Faisalabad Test against the mighty West Indies when he claimed six for 16 to spin Viv Richards’ side out for a paltry 53 that handed Pakistan a 186 runs victory. In 10 Tests against the West Indies, he picked up 42 wickets.

Qadir also featured in the 1983 and 1987 World Cups, taking 24 wickets in nine matches, including five for 44 against Sri Lanka at Headingley.

Qadir passed on September 6, 2019, with Wisden Cricketers Alamack, in its tribute, writing: “The legendary Pakistani leg-spinner Abdul Qadir was one of the finest exponents of his art, with his skills and magical tricks inspiring generations to come.”

In 1988, Qadir received the President’s Pride of Performance Award, while in 2020, he was conferred with the Sitara-e-Imtiaz — the third-highest civilian award in Pakistan. In 2008, Qadir was one of the subjects of a Wisden Cricketers Alamack feature on five great players who were never a cricketer of the year.

Sunday, 17 October, 2021

pRayeR timiNgs

NEWS

FAJR SUNRISE

ZUHR

ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

4:46

11:48

3:50

6:07

5:28

6:49

OppOsitiOn castigates gOvernment as petrOl prices hit all-time high KARACHI

p

staff RepoRt

AKISTAN Peoples Party chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Saturday lashed out at the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government for “bringing a tsunami of inflation” by increasing the prices of virtually every commodity.

Responding to the recent surge in the prices of petroleum products by over Rs12 a litre, bringing it to its highest point in almost a decade, Bilawal said the people were paying the cost of the government’s incompetency.

The PPP Chairman asserted that only a people-friendly government of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) could save the country from the tsunami of inflation. He

labelled Prime Minister Imran Khan antipeople.

Meanwhile, senior PPP leaders Sherry Rehman and Nayyar Bukhari have also criticized the government for unleashing a reign of inflation by raising prices of the petroleum products. The hike in electricity and petroleum prices showed Prime Minister Imran Khan was an enemy of the public, he declared.

A notification issued by the Finance Division Saturday morning said the new price of petrol, effective from October 16 was Rs137.79 a litre while that of highspeed diesel stood at Rs134.48.

The prices of kerosene and light diesel oil were increased by Rs10.95 and Rs8.84 per litre, respectively — reaching Rs110.26 and Rs108.35 per litre, respectively.

The increase was announced a day afte oil prices settled at a three-year high above $85 a barrel, boosted by forecasts of a supply deficit in the next few months as the easing of coronavirus-related travel restrictions spurs demand.

Brent crude futures settled up 86 cents, or 1 percent, at$84.86 a barrel.

Front-month prices, which touched their highest level since October 2018 at $85.10, hit a weekly rise of 3 percent, its sixth straight weekly gain. Demand has picked up with the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, with a further boost from power generators who have been turning away from expensive gas and coal to fuel oil and diesel.

PML-N TABLES RESOLUTION: Meanwhile, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) tabled a resolu-

tion in Punjab Assembly protesting the latest hike.

The PML-N members of the House rejected the increase in prices, saying the government had developed a routine to increase the cost of petrol every 15 days.

The resolution further demanded the authorities to withdraw the increase.

On the other hand, PML-N leader Shehbaz Sharif blasted the latest hike in petrol prices, calling it “utterly shameful” and saying it would “push people to the brink of starvation”. “No words to describe the extreme cruelty this selected PTI regime has inflicted on the people in the form of yet another increase in the prices of items of daily use,” he tweeted.

“These latest hikes along with petrol bomb will push people to the brink of starvation. Utterly shameful!”

PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz lashed out at the price increase, calling it a “calamity” that had fallen on the people like a “lightning bolt”. “When petrol and diesel become expensive then your electricity, wheat, bread, vegetables and everything become expensive,” she explained. PML-N central spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said the incompetent government was not worried at all about the problems of the people.

She also predicted the cost of gas, flour, sugar, medicine, milk and other basic commodities will further increase.

The poverty-stricken people were unable to manage their livelihood due to the rising inflation, she added.

Aurangzeb was of the view the time had come to send the government of Prime Minister Khan packing.PML-N Punjab President Rana Sanaullah Khan urged the nation to take to the streets to protest rising inflation. He also demanded Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) to hold a long march. Meanwhile, PSP Chairman Syed Mustafa Kamal criticised the federal government for raising the price of petroleum products, which he said was akin to forcing the common man up against the wall.

“This has been repeated so many times that it now sounds strange even to say that the government does not [care for the common man],” he said while delivering a media talk in Karachi.

Iran, Pakistan agree to cooperate on marine industry: says report TEHRAN News Desk

Iranian and Pakistani military commanders have agreed to cooperate in manufacturing military vessels and submarine maintenance.

In a visit to Pakistan Navy’s shipyards in the port city of Karachi on Friday, Mohammad Hossein Baqeri, visiting Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, was briefed on the process of building warships, boats and submarines, Tasnim news agency reported on Saturday.

The military officials of the two neighbors agreed to work together on the construction and maintenance

of ships and submarines, according to the report.

The two sides also agreed to share experiences in various naval fields to fight against drug trafficking and terrorism, as well as exchange students.

According to a similar report by the official IRNA news agency, the military officials of Iran and Pakistan also stressed for regional cooperation for ensuring the security in the region. In the meantime, Baqeri drew upon the importance of maritime security at the common sea borders by conducting joint exercises.

Heading a high-ranking military delegation, Baqeri arrived in Pakistani capital of Islamabad on Wednesday for talks on promotion of ties.

taliban pledge to step up security at mosques after Friday’s attack KABUL ReuteRs

Taliban authorities pledged to step up security at Shia mosques after the second Daesh attack in a week on worshippers killed more than 40 people in the Afghan city of Kandahar on Friday. Daesh claimed responsibility for the attack on the Fatima mosque in Kandahar which saw a group of suicide bombers shoot their way into the mosque before blowing themselves up among the worshippers. A health official said the casualty toll from the attack stood at 41 dead and 70 wounded but the toll could still rise further. “Some of the wounded are in a critical condition and we are trying to transfer them to Kabul,” he said. The head of Kandahar police said units would be assigned to protect the Shia mosques which have so far been guarded by local volunteer forces with special permission to carry weapons. “Unfortunately they could not protect this area and in future we will assign special security guards for the protection of mosques and Madrasas,” he said in a statement posted on Twitter by a Taliban spokesman. The attack on the Fatima mosque, the largest Shia mosque in Kandahar, also known as the Imam Bargah mosque, came a week after a similar attack on a mosque in the northern city of Kunduz, which killed as many as 80 people.

pakistan eyes 20 pc tax to gDp ratio in five years: tarin NEws DEsK Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin on Saturday said that comprehensive steps are being taken to bring improvement in the economy. Briefing the media persons at Embassy of Pakistan in Washington, he said “our target is to enhance tax to GDP ratio to twenty percent in the next four to five years”. Tarin said that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will validate data and statistics on power, gas tariffs and tax collection. “We are here to finalise our matters with the IMF,” he said. “We have told the IMF to validate the data we have shared with them.” The minister said that the government’s structural reforms are being appreciated. He said the common man will be provided relief through targeted subsidy. Expressing satisfaction over the inflows of remittances, Tarin said that that 2.7 billion dollars were received during the last month. During the first quarter of current fiscal year, remittances increased by 12.5 percent to reach eight billion dollars. The minister revealed that he would be elected as senator from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said he has been appointed as an adviser. The government has been unable to elect Tarin as a member of the Parliament within the stipulated time of six months, which expired on Saturday. Now there is no other option but to appoint Tarin as adviser to PM on finance and revenue.

China embarks on longest-ever crewed mission for space station construction THE MISSION WILL TEST KEY TECHNOLOGIES FOR ASSEMBLY AND CONSTRUCTION OF CHINA'S SPACE STATION sTAff REpoRT Three Chinese astronauts aboard the Shenzhou-13 spaceship Saturday entered China’s space station core module Tianhe, starting the country’s longest-ever crewed mission for space station construction.

The three astronauts are Zhai Zhigang, the commander and China’s first spacewalker, Wang Yaping, the first female on board China’s space station, and Ye Guangfu, a newcomer to space, who were given a send-off from the Jiuquan Satellite

Launch Center in northwest China on Oct. 15, 2021.

They will stay in orbit for six months, setting a new record for China’s crewed space mission duration. The current threemonth record was kept by the Shenzhou-12 crew from June to September this year.

The Shenzhou-13 spaceship, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China’s Gobi Desert at 12:23 a.m.

(Beijing Time) on Saturday, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

About 582 seconds after the launch, Shenzhou-13 separated from the rocket and entered its designated orbit. The crew members are in good shape and the launch is a complete success, the CMSA declared.

It is the 21st flight mission since the country’s manned space program was approved and initiated, and the second crewed mission for China’s space station project.

At 6:56 a.m., the spaceship completed the orbital status setting after entering the orbit and conducted a fast automated rendezvous and docking with the radial port of

the Tianhe core module, forming a complex together with the cargo crafts Tianzhou-2 and Tianzhou-3. The whole process took approximately 6.5 hours. After a series of preparations, Zhai Zhigang opened the hatch of Tianhe. At 9:58 a.m., Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu entered the core module one by one.

TASKS IN ORBIT: The mission will test key technologies for assembly and construction of China’s space station, such as module transfer supported by the robotic arm and manual remote operation, according to Lin

Xiqiang, deputy director of the CMSA, earlier at a press conference held at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.

The astronauts will perform two or three extravehicular activities (EVAs) during the mission to install the dual-arm connector, the device to link the big and small mechanical arms, as well as the suspension device, Lin said.

Wang Yaping will be the first Chinese female astronaut to participate in the EVAs. The mission will further verify the health, living and working support technologies for astronauts’ six-month stay in orbit, he said. The astronauts will also carry out sci-tech experiments and applications in fields such as space medicine and microgravity physics, as well as diversified public science education activities, he said.

The mission will achieve a comprehensive assessment of the functional performance of various project systems for carrying out space station tasks and the compatibility between systems, he added.

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