Epaper – October 18 LHR 2021

Monday, 18 October, 2021 I 11 Rabi-ul-Awwal, 1443 I Rs 40.00 I Vol XII No 110 I 48 Pages I Lahore Edition

‘We are not on another planet,’ FaWad Ch responds to CritiCism on petrol priCe hike

PDM smells blood, vows to send Imran Khan packing g

Shehbaz Sharif, Maulana fazl agree on freSh anti-govt deMonStrationS

ISLAMABAD staff report

ISLAMABAD

F

staff report

ederal Minister for information fawad chaudhry said on Sunday that if petroleum and gas prices increase around the world, they will also increase in Pakistan. responding to the outrage regarding the recent increase in petroleum and gas prices, the minister stated that the propaganda about the rise in prices is as if “we are on a

separate planet from earth”. “the whole country cannot run on subsidies,” fawad said, emphasising that the prices will reduce in Pakistan once they reduce around the world. “today the prices are high, tomorrow when they will decrease, they will subsequently decrease in Pakistan too,” he maintained. fawad encouraged people to “face difficulties together as a “nation”, claiming that economic difficulties are temporary. the minister said that the industry,

Coronavirus in

pakistan

CONFIRMED CASES:

1,264,384

LAST UPDATED AT 9:10 AM ON OCTOBER 17, 2021

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

NEW CASES:

17

720

RECOVERED:

DEATHS:

1,209,878 28,269 SINDH:

PUNJAB:

465,486

437,793

KPK:

BALOCHISTAN:

176,774 AJK/GB:

33,120 ISLAMABAD:

34,397 / 10,369

106,445

agriculture and construction sectors are making “historic profits” and that the private sector should increase salaries of the working class. “an increase in salaries is the way to break the hike in prices,” he stated. fawad’s remarks came a day after the ruling Pakistan tehreek-e-insaf made major increases in the prices of two petroleum products –petrol and high-Speed diesel (hSd) – which are widely used by the public. the hSd went up by rs12.44 per litre and petrol by rs10.49 per litre.

President of Pakistan Muslim leaguenawaz (PMl-n) and leader of the opposition in the national assembly Shahbaz Sharif on Sunday had a telephonic conversation with Pakistan democratic Movement (PdM) chief Maulana fazlur rehman and announced that the opposition will start a campaign against the rising inflation in the country.

Sources in the opposition alliance have revealed that during the phone call, Shehbaz Sharif and Maulana fazlur rehman agreed to mobilise public through countrywide rallies under a fullfledged anti-government campaign against what they called ‘the worst inflation in Pakistan’s history’. “both the politicians agreed that it was time for all the opposition leaders to come out of their homes and join hands to oust imran khan-led regime by mobilising people in across the country,” a source said. later, Maulana fazlur rehman spoke to media while announcing that within

the next two weeks, the opposition will hold countrywide protests against the growing inflation. “as soon as we are done with the celebrations of the eid Milad un nabi (Saww), we will start a full-fledged campaign against inflation,” he said while speaking to the media after holding an information meeting with party members in islamabad. “we appeal to the entire nation to fully participate in the protests and rallies,” he said while giving details of how the government incurred debts and increased inflation in the country. taking to its official twitter account, the PMl-n confirmed that Shahbaz and fazl criticised the government’s policies during the phone call and have decided to launch a full-fledged campaign against “the worst inflation in the country’s history”.the two leaders agreed to join anti-government protests of other opposition parties. during the phone call, Shahbaz told fazl that leaders need to get out of their homes to “save the nation from inflation, unemployment, and the ongoing economic catastrophe across the country”.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 03

Talks with IMF moving forward positively, says Finance Ministry g

govt SayS negotiationS would continue until SucceSS of talkS ISLAMABAD staff report

the ministry of finance on Sunday, rejecting the news regarding failure of talks between Pakistan and the international Monetary fund (iMf), said there was not any deadlock with the iMf. according to a statement, negotiations between Pakistan and the iMf are moving forward positively. the statement, while mentioning that no timeline was set for at stage for conclusion of the talks, added that secretary finance division is leading the talks in wasington d.c.

while technical teams of both sides are continuing detailed discussions in virtual format after the exchange of relevant data sets.

Similarly, finance Ministry Spokesman Muzammil aslam also released a statement saying that there was no truth in news about the deadlock, adding that the talks would resume from Monday and would continue uninterrupted as per schedule. “Minister for finance Shaukat tarin and State bank of Pakistan (SbP) governor reza baqir were attending meetings in new york while the secretary finance and his team were also engaged for talks in wash-

ington dc as per schedule,” he said. aslam said that the date for ending talks was not fixed and the negotiation would continue till success of the talks. earlier, local media reports had claimed that Pakistan and the iMf had once again failed to reach a staff-level agreement at the scheduled time because of differences over the macroeconomic framework and deepening uncertainty over the future roadmap of the economy. reports said the two could not agree on the quantum of additional taxes and the roadmap for fiscal stability of the power sector. it may

CONTINUED ON PAGE 03

IN TODAY S ISSUE

MORE INSIDE

ATTENTION

China surprises US with hyper-sonic missile test STORY ON PAGE 03

PPP to continue anti-govt campaign

be recalled that finance Minister Shaukat tarin had flown to washington to meet with iMf managing director kristalina georgieva and uS assistant Secretary of State for South and central asia donald lu to conduct the talks.

Pakistan had shared some statistics with the iMf on power and gas tariffs and tax collection and “they are validating the numbers we shared with them and will get back to us”, tarin had said while addressing a news conference in washington at what had ben reported as ‘the conclusion of his visit’.

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irfan.farooq@pakistantoday.com.pk

02

Monday, 18 October, 2021 | LAHORE

NEWS

Shah MahMOOd QureShI SayS InflatIOn IS due tO pOlIcIeS Of fOrMer rulerS

f

stAff RepoRt

OREIGN Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Sunday responded to the criticism of the Opposition parties regarding the rising inflation in the country and said that the situation has occurred because of the previous government.

“Inflation in the country is a gift from former rulers,” Qureshi said while addressing a corner meeting in Multan.

Taking a jibe at the PML-N, the foreign minister added that those who chanted the slogan of honouring the vote violated the honour of the voters.

He said that for the last 30 years, PPP and PML-N

looted the national exchequer, while the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) is a “gang of looters.”

“How can they talk about accountability when they are thieves themselves?” the federal minister questioned.

Qureshi went on to say that the PDM has been “following the formula of making noise” but it is ignoring the fact that this inflation was a gift given by the former rulers.

He said that economic hardships were temporary as the government was trying its best to strengthen country’s economy.

The foreign minister stated the government was well aware of difficulties and problems of the masses.

“Poverty alleviation is top priority of the incumbent government,” he mentioned.

Ehsas Programme, Health Card Scheme and some other policies of the incumbent government would surely help reduce poverty and provide maximum relief to the poor people, said Qureshi.

The country was heading towards industrial development which would surely help in providing more jobs to the unemployed persons besides strengthening the national economy, added Qureshi.

The incumbent government, however, committed to hold looters accountable, whether they belong to any political party or group. Qureshi observed

K-P Governor House opens doors to public ahead of Eid Miladun Nabi stAff RepoRt On the directive of KhyberPakhtunkhwa (K-P) government, the Governor House Peshawar has been opened for the public ahead of Eid Miladun Nabi (SAWW).

The families and female students of colleges and universities can visit the governor house from 10am to 4pm till 12th Rabiul Awwal (Tuesday).

The facility of lunch is also being provided to the visiting families and students.

Similarly, Tilawat and Hamd-o-Nath were presented on this occasion.

The K-P government has decided to hold ‘Seerat Conference’ in the provincial capital tomorrow (Monday)

where a large number of Ulema, religious scholars, government officials and the general public will attend the

Study finds no evidence of ‘forced religious conversion’ in Sindh Agencies There is no evidence suggesting that non-Muslims, including underage girls, have been forcibly converted to Islam in Sindh, shows a groundbreaking study by Institute of Policy Studies’ (IPS) researcher Sufi Ghulam Hussain based on his ten years of episodical fieldwork, interviews with a cross-section of Sindhi society and statistical analysis of data acquired from seminaries and courts across the province. The study which was also consulted and by the parliamentary committee formed on the controversial ‘anti-forced conversion bill’ rejected last week is based on exclusive IPS datasets.

The extensive and exhaustive fieldwork consisted of 200 in-depth interviews with a cross-section of Muslim and non-Muslim population, content analysis of over 400 audio recordings, along with review of 19 NGO reports.

The quantitative sample comprised 6,055 cases of converts documented and collected during 2008 to 2020.

Some 32 families, 24 couples (of whom females were mostly neo-converts), 16 males, 24 leaders of the Hindu community, 22 religious clerics, 21 civil society activists, eight lawyers, two police officers and two magistrates were interviewed by the lead researcher Ghulam Hussain. The key hypothesis was to investigate whether non-Muslim girls below the age of 18 are forcibly converted to Islam. Analysis of data shows that of the total recorded cases of conversion involving freewill marriages in this study, only a fraction was minor. “Given the prevalence of marriages below 18 years in rural Sindh, this is not unexpected”, said Ghulam Hussain. None of the cases verified by this research proved to be forcible conversion whereby ‘force’ means coercion, blackmail, deception or the threat to kill a person or his/her parents. Contradictory to the commonly propagated perception, it was found that coercion is often used by parents and the community of the converting individual to revert such a person. This is in the form of political pressure, influencing the local administration and state institutions, social media campaigning, NGO activism, invoking caste or community honor, appealing to patriarchal ego, mobilizing separatist elements, and even torture. The study shows that religious conversions occur at Sindh’s main seminaries and religious sites that take care of legal requirements and relevant documentation, including through courts. During the course of research, of converts registered with prominent religious seminaries/centers were obtained.

conference.

Faithful will celebrate Miladun Nabi (PBUH) on upcoming Tuesday across

the country with religious and traditional zeal, renewing the pledge to transform their lives in line with the Islamic principles and disseminate teachings of Allah Almighty’s last Messenger (PBUH) across the globe.

The day will dawn with a 31 and 21 gun-salute in the federal and provincial capitals respectively to pay homage to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

Special prayers will be offered in mosques for peace, progress and prosperity of the country.

Prime Minister Imran Khan in a special message for 12 Rabiul Awwal has asked the entire nation including the media and minorities to fully participate in Eid Miladun Nabi (PBUH) celebrations.

that the corrupt persons would have to face indiscriminate accountability process. The foreign minister said that economic diplomacy was launched to attract foreign investment.

Instructions have been issued to diplomatic missions abroad to bring the investors to Pakistan from across the globe.“Pakistan is an attractive country for investment. The more foreign investment we have, the more employment opportunities there will be,” stated FM Qureshi.

Merciless killing of innocent Kashmiris in IIOJK continues sRinAgAR Agencies

In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K), the killing spree unleashed by Modi-led fascist Indian government continues unabated in the territory as two more youth fell to the bullets of Indian troops, today. According to details, the troops have martyred four innocent Kashmiri youth within 24 hours. The troops martyred two youth during a so-called cordon and search operation at Drangal in Pampore area of Pulwama district. In similar operations, one youth each was killed by the troops in Wahibugh area of the same district and in Bemina area of Srinagar, last evening.

Air quality in Lahore ‘unhealthy’, smog returns after transition in weather news Desk According to the latest statistics by IQAir, Lahore’s air quality has reached to 164 US AQI, with main pollutant reaching at PM 2.5.

It is to note that PM2.5 concentration in Lahore air is currently 8 times above the WHO annual air quality guideline value.

Lahore suffers from high levels of air pollution, with the city regularly ranking at the top of IQAir AirVisual’s live pollution rankings of major global cities. However, pollution only rose to the top of the public’s consciousness in early 2017, when actionable air quality data was published for the first time in Pakistan. In the absence of publicly available government data, a network of citizen-operated sensors began to monitor fine particulate matter, also known as PM2.5, and report data in real-time. The data laid bare Lahore’s high levels of air pollution, shocking the public and becoming a media talking point.

The resulting publicity led to a public interest petition to review the government’s response to the smog crisis, which was heard at Lahore’s High Court in November 2017. The court ordered authorities to prepare an updated smog response action plan, and publish daily pollution updates until able to publish hourly updates, as the non-government monitors do.

Following the court order, the Punjab Environment Protection Council approved a Smog Action Plan and adopted an Air Quality Index (AQI) classification system in 2017. However, the AQI has been criticized by air quality advocates as being too lax and underreporting the severity of the pollution. While the U.S. AQI deems a PM2.5 concentration of 60 micrograms per cubic meter in the air as “Unhealthy”, Punjab’s AQI reads as “Satisfactory”, with the advice: “May cause minor breathing discomfort to sensitive people.”

Because of this discrepancy, in November 2019, three children asked a court to declare the Punjab AQI “illegal and unreasonable.”

Air quality in Lahore usually worsens during the winter season from October to February when farmers in the wider Punjab province set light to the remnants of crops, producing smoke that adds to smog. At the same time, weather changes mean pollutants remain trapped in the air for longer.

In November 2019, during the heart of Pakistan’s “smog season”, Lahore regularly came second only to Delhi – and sometimes overtook the Indian city – as the world’s most polluted city on IQAir AirVisual’s live rankings of major global cities.

In 2018, Lahore ranked 10 in IQAir AirVisual’s 2018 World Air Quality Report. Neighbouring city Faisalabad’s air pollution ranked number 3, while air pollution in Islamabad came in significantly lower at number 239. Karachi air pollution was the lowest among the four cities at number 318.

Overall, Pakistan air pollution caused the country to be ranked as the second most polluted in the world with an annual PM2.5 average of 74.3 µg/m³.

Air pollution in Lahore is caused by a combination of vehicle and industrial emissions, smoke from brick kilns, the burning of crop residue and general waste, and dust from construction sites. Other factors of air pollution include large scale losses of trees to build new

roads and buildings.

Winter air pollution is worse due to temperature inversion, which results in a layer of warm air that is prevented from rising trapping air pollutants.

Real-time air quality data must first be made available to everyone with greater granularity. When people know how much pollution they are breathing, they can better take measures to protect themselves and be enabled to mobilise efforts around tackling air pollution.

Reducing industrial and vehicular emissions is also critical to improving the air quality. Prime Minister Imran Khan has told his cabinet that tackling air pollution is a priority, and authorities have taken measures to reduce pollution from brick kilns. Under the Punjab Green Development Program (PGDP) project, there are plans to do more, including establishing 10 air quality monitoring stations in Lahore.

Monday, 18 October, 2021 | LAHORE

NEWS

InelIgIble taxpayerS Manage tO avaIl tax aMneSty ScheMe isLAmABAD

t

shAhzAd PArAchA

HE Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Intelligence and Investigation (I&I) Inland Revenue (IR) has revealed that 13,401 taxpayers filed 37,469 Voluntary Tax Compliance Scheme (VTCS) returns whereas most of them were ineligible for the scheme.

The I&I-IR has highlighted a number of discrepancies such as the majority of taxpayers not obtaining sales tax return

numbers.

Sources said that these taxpayers have inflicted a whopping Rs4 billion loss to the FBR by availing VTCS. The Ministry of Finance had introduced VTCS scheme through Income Tax (Amendment) Act, 2016, in which two types of assessment had been given in order to document and trace the activity of an individual trader.

The government had defined the trader as an individual or an AOP buying goods or merchandise and selling the same without further processing and providing

business related after sales services by doing repair jobs.

In the first assessment, the government had offered traders to pay 1 per cent tax in 2015 on up to Rs50 million rupees working capital if the person has not filed income tax return during any of the previous ten tax years before December 31, 2015.

In 2016, the taxpayer was bound to declare turnover which should not be less than three times the working capital declared in tax year 2015 and pay tax according to slab rates which ranges from 0.2pc to 0.1pc of the turnover.

Furthermore, the taxpayers were also bound to pay at least 25pc more tax than paid in the immediately preceding year under the scheme in 2017 as well as 2018.

In the second assessment, the taxpayer who has NTN but filed a return during any previous ten tax years had to be assessed in further two categories with regard to paying 25pc higher tax in 2015 comparable to tax year 2014.

The taxpayers were also eligible for turnover tax according to slab rates under VTCS scheme besides being entitled to take credit of imputable income for the

Aziz buneri

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has directed all autonomous bodies in the province to close their bank accounts, urging them to open joint accounts in state-owned banks.

The government has clarified that all accounts must be laps-able by June 30, 2022, otherwise development projects funds will not be issued.

According to sources, the principal accounting officers of all administrative departments have been authorised to open accounts of their autonomous

monitoRing RepoRt

bodies so that the government transfer funds for all development projects to the same account and in case of nonutilisation by June 30, the funds can be withdrawn.

Currently, several autonomous institutions transfer funds to their accounts instead of utilising them efficiently; however, the government is given the impression that the money is untilised due to which the KP finance department remains in the dark regarding the actual situation.

According to sources, many autonomous institutions have billions of ‘untilised’ funds at present.

talks with IMf moving forward positively, says finance Ministry continueD fRom pAge 01 “This year, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) would achieve a tax collection target of Rs5.8 trillion,” Tarin had told the media, adding that in the next fiscal year, the tax-to-GDP ratio would be increased to 13.75 per cent of the GDP. It may be mentioned here that Pakistan will have to complete 12 reviews for completing of 36 months Extended Fund arrangement, making it imperative for Islamabad to finalise the Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies (MEFP) under intense scrutiny. In July 2019, Pakistan and the IMF had signed a 39-month EFF for $6 billion but the programme remained largely off track, resulting in disbursements of only $2 billion in two years. The successful conclusion of the talks would facilitate immediate disbursement of $1 billion by the IMF. Tarin has expressed hope that top-level negotiations between Pakistan and the Fund would be successful and that the stalled loan programme would be put back on track.

“I believe that the progress we have made to date is really encouraging and as we say, God willing, I see this happening now in this visit,” he had said in an interview at the United States Institute of Peace on October 14. Tarin said acknowledged that there were some problems in the power sector, including excess capacity, for which the government had to pay, adding that the performance of distribution and generation companies were also areas that needed further attention. However, he said all this was being successfully negotiated with the IMF.

pdM smells blood, vows to send Imran Khan packing continueD fRom pAge 01 ‘After increasing inflation, talks with IMF also failed’ Earlier in the day, criticising the PTI-led government, Shahbaz said that with the the country already battling inflation, negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have also failed. “After the failure of the talks with the IMF, the government should revert the hike in prices,” Shahbaz demanded. He questioned the government’s monetary policy and said: “Despite accepting all the conditions laid down by the IMF, talks with the body still failed. What sort of a strategy is this?” He said that the PTI government’s “three years of blind obedience to the IMF” could reap no benefits because the people continued to suffer the whole while. Shahbaz said that the government “deceived the masses and also tricked the IMF”. “This government has been seeing to the economic murder of people for the last three years,” he said in the statement, adding that the government should explain why it had to increase the prices of electricity, gas, petrol, flour, and sugar. Shahbaz said that when the PML-N government, led by Nawaz Sharif, completed the IMF’s programme in 2015, “Imran Niazi continued to criticise him”.

“Imran Niazi used to chant slogans that he would rather commit suicide than going to the IMF,” Shahbaz recalled.

purpose of wealth statement from 2016 to 2018.

Sources claim that there were loopholes in a single page returns prepared by tax department as well as PRAL due to which ineligible people availed the amnesty scheme.

In addition, the majority of traders have not filed returns from 2016 to 2018 despite the fact they are bound to file.

Sources said that there were some ambiguities also in VTCS announced by former Finance minister Ishaq Dar such as a trader having working capital of Rs500 million can file 10 different returns under names of related persons.

They said that senior officials of FBR consider this a dead horse matter due to which the bureau chairman has yet to take any action.

This scribe requested FBR spokesperson Asad Tahir Jappa for comment but no reply was received till the filing of this story.

china surprises uS with hypersonic missile test: says report

Autonomous bodies urged to open joint accounts in state-owned banks pesHAwAR

03

Malala urges world to stand with Afghan women demanding right to education monitoRing RepoRt Education activist and Nobel Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai on Sunday said that people should support Afghan women in their struggle for the “right to learn”.

Taking to Twitter, she said that the world must stand with the Afghan women who are raising their voice for the right to an education.

Malala, who is also the co-founder of the Malala Fund that advocates women’s education, urged the people to sign the letter she wrote in association with Women & Children Legal Research Foundation Director Zarqa Yaftali and Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission Chairperson Shaharzad Akbar.

The letter, according to Malala, has been written to call on the Taliban-led Afghan government, G20, and the international Muslim leadership to “take action” for the right of Afghan girls and women to education.

Malala has linked her post to the letter she requests people sign.

“Afghan women are speaking out for themselves and demanding their right to learn.

We must stand with them. Sign the open letter @ZarqaYaftali, @ShaharzadAkbar, and I wrote

calling on Taliban, G20, and Muslim leaders to take action and #LetAfghanGirlsLearn,” wrote Malala. On September 18, Afghanistan’s new rulers ordered male teachers and boys aged 13 and over back to secondary schools, picking up an academic year already cut short by violence and the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there was no mention of women teachers or girl pupils. The Taliban later said older girls can return to secondary schools, which were already mostly split by gender, but only once security and stricter segregation under their interpretation of Islamic law could be ensured.

Taliban to announce plans for girls’ education ‘soon’ Meanwhile, the Taliban will announce a framework that allows girls to attend school in Afghanistan “soon,” a senior United Nations official said, after four weeks in which Afghan boys have been allowed a secondary education but girls have not.

“The de facto minister of education told us that they are working on a framework, which they will announce soon, that will allow all girls to go to secondary school, and we are expecting that to happen very soon,” UNICEF deputy executive director Omar Abdi said at the United Nations in New York on Friday.

China tested a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile in August, showing a capability that caught US intelligence by surprise, the Financial Times reported, citing five unnamed sources. The report late on Saturday said the Chinese military launched a rocket carrying a hypersonic glide vehicle that flew through low-orbit space, circling the globe before cruising towards its target, which it missed by about two dozen miles. “The test showed that China had made astounding progress on hypersonic weapons and was far more advanced than US officials realised,” the report said, citing people briefed on the intelligence.

China’s ministry of defence did not immediately respond to a faxed request for comment from Reuters on Sunday. The United States and Russia are also developing hypersonic missiles, and last month North Korea said it had test-fired a newly-developed hypersonic missile. At a 2019 parade, China showcased advancing weaponry including its hypersonic missile, known as the DF-17. Ballistic missiles fly into outer space before returning on steep trajectories at higher speeds. Hypersonic weapons are difficult to defend against because they fly towards targets at lower altitudes but can achieve more than five times the speed of sound – or about 6,200 km per hour (3,850 mph).

India strangulating journalism in occupied Jammu & Kashmir: says report Agencies Journalists are facing Indian state repression in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K) as India has snatched every right, including right to freedom of press, in the territory. A report released by Kashmir Media Service (KMS) has said that Modi-led fascist Indian regime had totally criminalized journalism in Jammu and Kashmir territory, adding that harassment and threats to the IIOJ&K journalists by Indian forces had increased manifold since 5 Aug 2019 when New Delhi repealed Kashmir’s special status and imposed military siege in the territory. It deplored that journalists faced killings, murder attempts, arrests, threats, victimization on daily basis in the territory as many journalists had been arrested, beaten, harassed and even investigated under draconian laws since revocation of Article 370 in IIOJ&K. The report said that harassment, raids and questioning of journalists had become a norm in the occupied territory and India had made journalism almost impossible in the territory after introducing so-called media policy in 2020.

Corporate sector requests deadline extension for switching to digital payments isLAmABAD ghulAm AbbAs

As the grace period for switching over to digital payments under the amended tax laws is going to expire by November 1, 2021, the corporate sector has requested the government to extend the time of conversion to at least six months as they are not ready for the new regime.

According to a letter sent to the Ministry of Finance, the steel industry has requested an increase in the grace period of 40 days to six months for making the switch. According to the industry, the grace period is too short and the minimum compliance time should be extended to six months, without any further extension in time. “We believe that the current digital infrastructure available in Pakistan in terms of hardware and software need more time, better and efficient resources like upgraded technology, human resource, and adaptability from the transactional originators as well as a user-friendly environment regime at both ends in order to translate the fruit of digital economies for all stakeholders, the letter said.

“At the moment all companies, as defined under Section 80(2)(b) of the Ordinance, are liable to use digital mode for payment to their vendors from business bank accounts on transactions exceeding Rs250,000 failing which non-digital transactions will not be entertained as valid expenses. In this respect, a grace period

of 40 days has been allowed by FBR for switching to digital mode of payment up to October 31, 2021. However, the grace period is too short and the minimum compliance time should be extended to 6 months, without any further extension in time,” the letter added. According to the industry, Pakistan’s economy and local industry are facing a severe economic crisis both nationally and on the international front. The government is taking appropriate measures to stabilise the economic conditions, and is developing basic infrastructure on digital mode, but the timeline is not feasible to roll out a new payment model.

“We recommend that keeping in view of future challenges and technological advancements where world economies are moving crypto currencies and cytological models in block chain technology, we need to create mass awareness campaigns, create enabling environments, level playing field across the board and then set time lines for these digital change management measures in line with digital economies,” it added. It may be mentioned here that in September, FBR had announced to allow corporate taxpayers a grace period of 40 days to switch over to the digital mode of payments w.e.f. November 1, 2021, under the Tax Laws (3rd Amendment) Ordinance, 2021. FBR had introduced significant changes to the Ordinance, with a view to document the economy, capture the supply chains, and broaden the tax base.

04 NEWS 18th October 2021_Layout 1 10/17/2021 11:53 PM Page 1

Monday, 18 October, 2021 | LAHORE

04 NEWS

PDM DoinG Politics of lonG MarcHes, sit ins: Minister ISLAMABAD

M

app

INISTER of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib on Sunday said despite the politics of conspiracies, sitins and long marches by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government did not create any hurdles to stop them.

Talking to a news channel, he said PDM was a bunch of unemployed politicians who shut down power looms in Faisalabad during

their respective tenures, making a large number of workers jobless, while the PTI restored the power looms and created employment opportunities. He said although the government was trying level best to minimise the impact of global inflation on poor people, which was directly affecting prices of various commodities especially oil products, yet Pakistan’s economy had witnessed growth due to prudent policies.

He said petrol prices suddenly jumped from $35 to $85 per barrel and it was impossible for the government to bear the increase.

“However, we are trying to control the

BZU teacher honoured with doctor of Philosophy degree

inflation on a sustainable basis and in this connection, long term policies are being implemented to enhance the export with diversification,” he said. He said the price of coal had increased from $50 per tonne to $250 while the price of edible oil had risen from $500 per tonne to $1,200-1,300 at the international market. At the same time, the charges for container shipping were also increased from $2,000 dollars to $8,000 to $10,000 dollars, he added.

Replying to a question, he said despite all these odds, the government tried its level best to provide every possible relief to the

Pakistan, China agree to cooperate in higher education research ISLAMABAD Mian abrar

MULTAN: Bahauddin Zakariaya University (BZU) teacher Riffat Iqbal was honoured to obtain Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree from the University of Karachi. Dr Riffat Iqbal, an Assistant Professor at Department of Philosophy BZU, completed her doctorate degree recently. Her doctoral dissertation was on ‘Alasdair Maclntyre’s Ethical Thought’. In alliance with Maclntyre, Dr Riffat strongly believed that philosophy had vital role in society and people should pursue rationality to address their issues. In this respect, Dr Riffat successfully applied the concept of “Self” given by British-American philosopher Alasdair Maclntyre in his widely acclaimed work “After Virtue” to the issue of identity crisis in Pakistan. Currently, Dr Riffat is working on political thought of Maclntyre and its application on political problems of Pakistan. Throughout her career, Dr Riffat won laurels in field of education. She got First Division in Matric, Intermediate, Bachelor and secured gold medals in M.A and MPhil Philosophy. She started her career as professional teacher since 2007. Her research work got published in various national and international journals. Besides this, she used to appear as an active participant in national and international conferences. Dr Riffat is also member of different constitutional committees.

She also enjoyed opportunity to avail trainings at global level. She is senior-most teacher, assisting Dean Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and imparting another important responsibility as Superintendent Fatima Hall Girls Hostel, BZU. app

House fire kills seven of family in Muzaffargarh MULTAN: Police were investigating after a fire overnight in a Muzaffargarh neighbourhood killed seven family members, a rescue official said Sunday. The fire ignited at a house in the Alipur tehsil, said rescue service chief Dr Hussain Mian. He said firefighters retrieved the charred bodies of a 65-year-old man, two women ages 35 and 19, three boys ages 3, 10 and 12 and a 2-month-old infant. Mian said the bodies have been sent for autopsy and forensic examination. Police said the cause of the fire was being investigated and investigators want to know why none of the family members woke up when the fire erupted. ap

Pakistan and China have agreed to establish China-Pakistan Higher Education Research Institute.

The agreement was made on Saturday during the 4th Exchange Mechanism Conference of CPEC Consortium of Universities held in China’s capital, Beijing.

The Institute will further facilitate the high-end higher education research in both countries focusing on mutual priority areas of scientific, economic, agricultural, educational and socio-economic development under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The Annual Development Reports of 2019-20 was also presented on the occasion by the respective Chinese and Pakistani Secretariats of the Consortium. Goals and targets for future cooperation were also outlined.

Shafqat Mahmood, Minister for Federal Education and Profession Training, Du Yubo, President, China Association of Higher Education, Prof.

Qiu Shuiping, Secretary of the CPC Committee and Chair of the University Council, Peking University, Dr. Shaista Sohail, Executive Director, Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, Mr.

Nong Rong, Ambassador of China Pakistan and Moinul Haque, Ambassador of Pakistan to China, attended the conference along with other dignitaries.

The CPEC Consortium of Universities was established in 2017 with 19 (10 Pakistani and 9 Chinese) universities.

Currently, the membership of the Consortium stands at 83 (61 Pakistani and 22 Chinese) universities. The Consortium’s rapid progress marks a renewed beginning of educational cooperation leading to industrial, business, infrastructural, cultural and socio-economic cooperation between the two brotherly

getting direct subsidies, he said and added that from November, health cards would also be issued which would also provide up to Rs1 million for treatment. Habib said the farmers had witnessed bumper sugarcane crops and that would help reduce sugar prices in the country. About the increase in power tariff, he said the government was forced to increase electricity prices as previous governments had set such a trap for the people where we had to pay electricity price whether we purchase it or not.

masses. In this connection, talks were also underway with the owners of production units to bring down the prices of ghee for which the government was also ready for an appropriate reduction in taxes and levies.

The minister said the government would soon introduce a food support programme, Ehsaas cards, to 12 million families that would directly subsidise food items.

Similarly, farmers were being provided Kissan cards to get maximum food production and to meet agricultural needs by

countries of China and Pakistan.

The successful completion of the 4th Exchange Mechanism Conference is especially significant not only because it was held under the challenging times of the global COVID-19 pandemic, but also because it was held in a year when both countries are celebrating the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties.

The Conference was held simultaneously through online and on-site modes at Peking University, Beijing and National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad.

Govt defends historic petrol price rise ISLAMABAD: A day after the government raised the petrol price by over Rs10 a litre and the rate of diesel by over Rs12, its ministers Sunday defended the move, pointing to the historic global surge in oil prices which increased the pressure on the inflation-hit consumers. A Finance Division notification issued early Saturday set the price of petrol at Rs137.79 per litre while that of high-speed diesel at Rs134.48, ostensibly its highest point since the country’s birth 74 years ago. “The government has absorbed the pressure and provided maximum relief to the consumers by keeping petroleum levy and the sales tax to [a] minimum,” the Ministry of Finance said, seeking to defend its decision. Hit by a nationwide wave of condemnation of the move, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry said the country “couldn’t be run on subsidies”. In a statement, Chaudhry said the petroleum prices were increased due to a surge in its cost in the international market. “The oil prices in Pakistan are linked with [their] international counterparts […] the cost will lessen when its price in the international market will decrease,” he said. “These economic hardships are temporary,” he said.

“The government is being criticised over the oil price hike as if we live on a different planet [than the rest of the world],” said the minister. Oil prices settled at a three-year high above $85 a barrel on Friday, hours before they followed suit in Pakistan, boosted by forecasts of a supply deficit in the next few months as the easing of coronavirus-related travel restrictions spurs demand. Staff report

Falling temperatures fail to arrest spread of dengue fever ISLAMABAD Staff report

A record number of dengue fever cases have been reported in Islamabad despite the fact that recent monsoon rains have brought the temperatures down, a worrisome scenario for the government and for the public amid the ongoing pandemic, reported local media.

Islamabad District Health Officer Dr Zaeem Zia said that in the last 24 hours, 152 new cases emerged in the capital, taking the tally to 1,801. Earlier, on October 13, the city had reported 125 cases, according to the official data. Zia emphasised that 84 cases were reported from the rural areas and 68 reported from the urban areas.

The spread of the disease is heavily related to human activity. The insects thrive in human habitation, laying their eggs in used tyres, flower pots, tree holes and any water-filled container. As climate change alters monsoon and rain patterns in many countries, this creates damp and warm conditions that, along with rapid urbanisation, help the Aedes mosquitoes flourish.

Meanwhile, keeping in view of the alarming spike in dengue fever cases, the Punjab health department in collaboration with the district administrations has begun

fumigation and an awareness campaign in the province. According to government officials, despite various challenges posed by Covid-19, the government has been making all-out efforts and taking adequate measures to stem the further spread of the dengue virus. Earlier on Saturday, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Maryam Nawaz criticised the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government for

CMYK

what she declared was its mishandling of the dengue outbreak.

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

EPIDEMIC: In 1970, only nine countries faced severe dengue outbreaks. But the

disease, which is spread by mosquitoes that can only survive in warm temperatures, is now seen in more than 100 countries. There are thought to be 390 million infections each year.

According to Thais Dos Santos, an expert adviser on the surveillance and control of arboviral diseases for the Pan American Health Organisation, dengue was reaching new areas as temperatures rise. “The hotter the climate, the better the mosquito is at breeding, but it is now coming up higher and higher to cities like Bogotá and Mexico City that are well above sea level, cities traditionally believed to be safe from the Aedes mosquito.” In 2011, a major outbreak of dengue fever — potentially lethal disease spread by mosquito bites — infected 20,000 and killed more than 300 people.

Subsequently, in 2019, rising temperatures across Asia and the Americas contributed to multiple severe outbreaks of dengue fever globally, making it the worst year on record for the disease.

Other Asian countries, including Bangladesh, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos, also had outbreaks, with a particularly severe situation in the Philippines, where thousands of people died of the disease, including hundreds of children.

Monday, 18 October, 2021 | LAHORE

NEWS

SaNia NiShTar LauNCheS ehSaaS’ daTa exChaNge PLaTfOrm

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App

N the occasion of World Poverty Day, the government’s point-person on poverty alleviation, Sania Nishtar, launched the National Data Exchange Platform (NDEP) for the Ehsaas’ National Socioeconomic Registry 2021.

The registry is one of the six pillars of One Window Ehsaas. With the Ehsaas National Socioeconomic Registry 2021 survey almost complete, the NDEP will facilitate data sharing and data access services for all executing agencies stewarded by the Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division (PASSD).

Later, this service will also be extended to provinces and other government agencies implementing Ehsaas programmes.

“Ehsaas NDEP will be a game-changer in transforming social protection and poverty reduction programmes in the country, SAPM on Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection Sania Nishtar said while talking to reporters on the launch of NDEP. In the past, she alleged that there was no way of one government agency knowing what support an individual or a family

was getting from another government agency. “Some families with connections and influence were getting multiple benefits and other more deserving ones were getting none,” she said.

However, with Ehsaas NDEP in place, Sania said: “The executing agencies in the ecosystem of Ehsaas will be able to see what benefits an individual or a household is getting by simply punching in the com-

Less than 1,000 Covid cases for second day in a row: NCOC ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Pakistan recorded less than 1,000 new cases of Covid-19 for a second consecutive day over the past 24 hours, the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) said on Sunday. The NCOC, a department leading campaign against the pandemic, said with the 720 new cases, the number of overall confirmed cases has risen to 1.2 million. Over the past 24 hours, 1,440 patients have recovered from Covid-19, bringing the total number of recoveries to 1.2 million, said the NCOC. Another 17 deaths were recorded during the period, taking the death toll to 28,269, according to the NCOC, adding that 1,958 patients are in critical condition. Sindh is the worst-affected province by the pandemic with 465,486 infections, followed by Punjab which has reported 437,793 cases. According to government officials, the vaccination process is in full swing in Pakistan. The government has administered 93 million doses of vaccines so far, and has fully vaccinated 34 million people, said the NCOC.

puterised national identity number of an individual.”

More importantly, she added the benefits that each family and individual is receiving from each organisation will also be visible to all agencies across Ehsaas programmes.

The PM’s aide also congratulated the teams working on the national socio-economic survey and technology.

This data integration of the Ehsaas survey will also facilitate the adoption of the Ehsaas One Window targeting policy that Prime Minister Imran Khan approved in the last quarter, according to a statement.

“It will ultimately save programme cost, reduce redundancy, optimize beneficiary targeting, and will also enable efficient and effective policy decisions, planning and implementation,” it read.

Data sharing will be safeguarded through the cognitive API architecture approach. There will be two-way data sharing; agencies with whom data will be shared will also be required to update the registry with their own information.

The NDEP will also be connected to the databases of other federal agencies enabling real-time beneficiary information validation.

Hence, the same data exchange platform will underpin the rollout of the forthcoming Ehsaas targeted commodity subsidies programme in collaboration with the USC and the NBP. Through this national scale data-sharing platform, the executing agencies of Ehsaas will be able to access data from the unified registry in real-time to validate beneficiary information.

Government floats tender for 123km long ‘Tourism Expressway’ NewS DeSk The government of Punjab has floated a tender for a 123km long tourism expressway, with the project expected to cost more than Rs4 billion and attain completion within 30 months. The expressway will stretch from Pindori Chowk in Kalar Syedan, enabling travellers to journey all the way to Lower Topa in Murree.

Upon completion, the road is set to be touted as the new ‘tourism corridor’ between Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Galiyat. Five major roads from Azad Kashmir, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, GB and other cities will be connected to the expressway. The work order for the project is slated to be issued in the first week of November.

MNA Sadaqat Ali Abbasi, who proposed the project, told The Express Tribune that the construction of the tourism expressway will create new employment opportunities in four mountainous tehsils of the Rawalpindi district. He added that all properties along the road will be commercialised, and that the realisation of the project will make the construction of four-to-eight storeys high earthquake-proof commercial plazas possible.

The lawmaker said educational institutions, industrial zones, modern parks, and picnic points will also be built along the highway.

Abbasi shared that the road will be the longest one in the Potohar region, and the government is planning to plant 0.25 million saplings of fruit-bearing and flowering trees along the entire route.

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Tourists stuck at Babusar Top after massive snowfall NewS DeSk Hundreds of tourists and multiple vehicles were stranded in icy-cold weather after a snowfall at the Babusar Top in Gilgit Baltistan. According to the police, rescue teams have reached the site and an operation to relocate tourists to a safer location is underway. It will, however, take time to rescue cars stuck on the roads. Last week, Pakistan witnessed its first snowfall in the northern areas signaling the arrival of winters. Snow was reported in Battagram and Mansehra towns, parts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Punjab’s Nathiagali. In Naran, more than two inches of snow was recorded after which the MNJ Road, linking Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with Gilgit-Baltistan, was blocked at Babusar Top and adjoining localities. The road was cleared after a few days. The Met Office has forecast dry weather across the country in the next 24 hours.

Policeman injured in Karachi factory fire ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

A policeman was injured after a fire erupted in a firecrackers factory in Karachi Sunday afternoon, media reported. The cop, along with his team, arrived at the site after the fire was reported to the police station, and was helping firefighters to put out the big fire when he got injured, the reports said. Several cars parked outside the factory were burnt in the fire, which was feared to spread to other factories in the neighbourhood if the blaze was not extinguished in time, according to the reports.a

Shaan Shahid defends Imran Khan over petrol prices hike StAff RepoRt The surge in Petroleum prices triggered a twitter spat between showbiz stars as top Pakistani actor Shaan Shahid took to task fellow actors Aijaz Aslam and Fahad Mustafa for trolling Prime Minister Imran Khan defending the hike in prices of Petroleum products.

It may be mentioned that federal government jacked up prices of petroleum products by Rs9 to Rs12 per litre in the wake of the post-Covid economic recovery worldwide.

The Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin reassured that petrol prices had hiked in Pakistan only because they had surged globally but actors Aijaz Aslam and Fahad Mustafa weren’t convinced. Now, Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Fawad Chaudhry, along with actor Shaan Shahid are reinstating the same for those trolling Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Aslam had tweeted, “There’s a race between petrol, dollar and pound. Petrol is trying to catch the dollar and dollar is running to match the pound… Tabdeeli is in full swing.” In response, a user argued, “Someone reading any good newspaper would [be able to tell you] that petrol prices are rising internationally, stop [this] cheap political point scoring.” However, Aslam maintained that “everyone is aware of the facts but there are numerous other factors making life miserable for a common man, think from their

perspective too.”

While Mustafa shared a sarcastic post reading, “If he wanted he could’ve increased Rs20 but he chose to increase only Rs10.49.

Now that’s what you call a leader!” In response, when a user a commented, “Dear Sir, ab thora sa ghabra len?” Fahad re-tweeted and wrote, “Thora nahi, ab khul ke ghabrayen.” When another netizen tweeted, “Fahad woke up today and chose violence,” the Load Wedding star quipped, “Violence requires fire but it appears we can’t even afford that now.”

But Shahid, who understood that being a net importer of petroleum products, Pakistan was bound to be directly impacted by the soaring oil prices globally, silenced a troll who had shared an old Imran Khan quote, “When electricity and petrol prices rise, understand that your prime minister is a thief.” The Waar actor wrote, “The prices of crude oil per barrel has gone up… the rise is global.”

While responding to the outrage, the minister stated that the propaganda about the rise in prices is as if we are on a separate planet. “The whole country cannot run on subsidies,” Chaudhry said, emphasising that the prices will reduce in Pakistan once they reduce around the world. “Today the prices are high, tomorrow when they will decrease, they will subsequently decrease in Pakistan too,” he maintained. Fawad encouraged people to “face difficulties together as a “nation”, claiming that economic difficulties are

temporary.

On Friday, the world oil prices exceeded $85 a barrel that was the highest rate since

CMYk

October 2018. The government announced the increase in fuel price in a statement issued by the Finance Division. Accordingly, petrol

– which is used in cars and motorbikes – will now be sold at Rs137.79 per litre against the earlier price of Rs127.30 per litre.

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Monday, 18 October, 2021

06 COMMENT

Balochistan’s flight of Bad Governance

It’s not just covid-19 A plethora of other diseases are threatening

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HERE has been enough improvement on the covid-19 front for the national Command and Operation Centre to relax a number of restrictions, such as on wedding halls and cinemas, which involve large gatherings. However, those relaxations will only work if there is a corresponding insistence on social distancing, masking and vaccinations. the managements of such establishments must ensure that admission is given only to those who can prove they have been vaccinated, and must police both social distancing and masking. as a symbol of changing priorities, the conversion of the Lahore Expo Centre into a dengue hospital may be appropriate, from a covid-19 vaccination centre. But the government strategy of hoping that the dengue vector, the aedes aegypti mosquito, will die out over the winter is about as wrongheaded as the forlorn hope last year that the summer heat would kill off the coronavirus. Matters have been made worse by the fact that the winter has not really started yet, which means the government has to deal with the vector at once. there has been enough of a change in the weather for smog to have begun. that will bring its own crop of respiratory diseases. On top of all this, typhoid is raising its head, making it pressingly urgent to examine the water supply. the pity is that all of these are recurring problems, and a modicum of forethought would have enabled the government to avoid any of these challenges becoming a crisis, which all are becoming. the government should not allow the almost mandatory bout of selfcongratulation over its successes in handling the covid-19 pandemic cover its ostrich-like behaviour over the other public health challenges that have cropped up. the meeting by Lahore Mayor Lt Col (retd) Mubasher may help diagnose the issue. His inaugural meeting was devoted to dengue. not only is the MCL responsible for mosquito spraying, but water supply is also the responsibility of local councils. the Pti should remember that many basic public health measures, which are usually enough to prevent many seasonal diseases, have to be taken by the local councils which the Pti is penalising for belonging to the PML(n). the Pti must not forget that disease knows no party distinctions.

The province faced many challenges even before the revolt against the CM Qamber ali

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ROM the recent protest that marked the old dying negotiations FOR basic facilities in Gwadar are shifting the waves of a new government. Law and order in the province has also decayed because of the recent protest for the 11-year-old Ramiz Baloch from Buleda District kech. sit-ins and protests were in clusters against law and order situation, and there were Mdcat protests in Panjgur and Quetta in august and september. the opposition’s submission of a no-confidence motion and the Finance Minister’s resignation elicits bad governance of the province.

However, chief Minister Jam kamal aliani is confident of not having to step down, and he thinks that the opposition members are against him because of their personal interests. Meanwhile, formers finance minister, Zahoor ahmed Buledi claimed on a talk show that he stepped down with 14 party members of the BaP and 24 opposition members on his side for the resignation of the CM for bad governance.

Buledi in a late night hour tweeted his resignation from the provincial government though he had a prominent position in Jam kamal’s government. His remarks highlighted the lost constitutional legitimacy in the province by the opposition members’ submission of a no-confidence motion against the Chief Minister. Buledi’s resignation also imputed the failure of the government by its discriminating against the opposition. truly it is said, “ History repeats itself, first as tragedy and then as farce.” to every extent, the problem of bad governance has a long history of “reconciliation” dialogues. But where does the reform begin? the certainty of magical politics in Balochistan always arrives by new flags at midnight. “Roti, Kapra, Makan” are not slogans for popular support but are meant to polarise the coalitions of the elite when new waves turn direction. it embellishes an illusion to the developing province that appears on the media by accentuating the most beautiful “cricket ground” rather than focusing on people’s suffering from malnutrition, basic health care, education, food insecurity and bad governance.

Jam kamal’s argument polished the rusted annual development plan to show as incorrect the accusation that he was refusing to accept the funds through the Finance Ministry. it is sad to accept that Pakistan’s development plans have declined due to the growing economy and to bring government expenditure back under control through competitive global markets and the suspending of the iMF programme last year.

BaP’s members who are in a polarised state and forcing the CM’s lack of accountability must look at the three-dimensional situation of economic inflation in the first place. On the other hand, Habib akram, a journalist, claimed on a tV discussion programme that such plans have created chaos inthe development process. to undermine development proceedings; they were slowing due to the economic situation.

GSP-plus review

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Deliverables will have to be met

F Pakistan wants the Generalised system of Preferences Plus (GsP Plus) scheme status given to it by the European Union to go beyond 2023, up to 2034, it will not only have to submit a fresh application, but also show progress on a number of areas where it has signed conventions. there are 32 conventions on which it will have to present an action plan which the European Union will consider, with the European Parliament, the European Council and the European Commission all having to sign off on the granting of the application. Far from being a formality, Pakistan should expect india to lobby as fiercely against the extension as it did against the original grant. Even apart from the fact that the EU itself has enhanced its own monitoring, india will be on the prowl, ready to pounce on any Pakistani shortcoming it can point a finger at. the GsP Plus status is not to be sneered at, or lightly dismissed. the EU received €3 billion of exports from Pakistan in the first half of the year, up 11 percent. While there were exports before GsP Plus, and if the status is revoked, their volume would go down considerably.

However, rather than seeking to address EU concerns, the government has been pussyfooting around the case of tehrik Labbaik Pakistan chief saad Rizvi, who was arrested for demanding the expulsion of the French ambassador, the arrest leading to widespread protests and police-mob clashes. Mr Rizvi was detained under MPO, but the failure of the government to prepare a case against him led to his release. the tLP is preparing to renew its demand, even though the French ambassador is a sensitive point for the EU, France being one of its leading members. the whole GsP Plus enterprise depends both on Pakistan exhibiting correct behaviour as well as beginning preparations right now, not in 2024, when the preferences actually expire. the government should bring the exporters, who are major stakeholders, on board, and take them into confidence on what it is doing, as well as seeking necessary input.

moazzam ishaQ

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akistan have made four changes to their 15-man squad for the upcoming World t20 owing to various reasons. that means over a quarter of the original team has been changed at the 11th hour, which isn’t something a serious contender would do before any major sports tournament. Of course, the new regime under Ramiz Raja taking charge was always going to have its impact, even if the chief selector, Mohammed Wasim, is the same.

Let’s make no mistake, this Pakistani squad has the potential to go all the way in this tournament. this is especially true given last month’s pullouts of new

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atives to political turmoil, there is a total sum of ignorance of the popular constituencies.

From the beginning of the CPEC project that portrayed Gwadar as the jewel and the oyster of the Belt and Road initiative; from investment, employment and connectivity— there is only a persisting file of “Gwadar fishermen problem” on the table for years in need of a signature but, it malfunctions from a legitimacy consent. the confusions are eruptive and the waves of turmoil in the geo-economic narrative make it difficult to collect the pieces for peace in the province. there is another news that Pakistan and China have decided to shift the centre of the CPEC from Gwadar to karachi due to security reasons. some senior politicians have claimed that it is disinformation. there is still no point to note that of a reciprocal altruism. Balochistan’s long crisis of insurgency was positively declining through social mobilization and acceptable developing policy measures taken from sister provinces which could eradicate the long issue. Unfortunately, shifting of the centre of the CPEC means more urbanization in karachi with pollution and clustering of population. although, a decline of the rural-urban, coreperiphery, divide is possible.

May it be mistakenly a disinformation too.

From the corners of the crisis, solutions emerge which are not skeptical but persuasive.

Firstly, the only solution to the mass mobilized protests is to listen to the demands and politically accept their legal rights through the Constitution.

By this i mean a competitive legal order to structure a good government. secondly, shifting the centre of CPEC to karachi, if true and anot just disinformation, will further alienate the province and expand karachi with further pollution. thirdly, MDCat protests, fishermen problems, health facilities and economic uncertainty were the peaceful demands that the public had been making for years and a serious non-violent solution through peace theory is only the way forward for the province to successfully transition. a final approach that Balochistan needs is that the current uncertainty in governance and law and order must be prioritised. By this, i mean meritocratic principles of institutional accountability.

Balochistan’s long crisis of insurgency was positively declining through social mobilization and acceptable developing policy measures taken from sister provinces which could eradicate the long issue. Unfortunately, shifting of the centre of the CPEC means more urbanization in Karachi with pollution and clustering of population.

The writer can qamberali667@gmail.com

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Pakistan’s revised T20 World Cup squad is a mixed bag

Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami

Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

However, it is claimed that the opposition was under authoritarian control of Jam kamal where he used force its to its constituencies. the interesting articulation of his silence about the protests unfold the truth that he is not interested in Opposition matters and protesting people. a tweet of Zahoor Buledi also affirmed the pivot of the naB proceedings in the province which persists in causing ambiguity. such political engineering to pressure politicians during lawlessness is shadowed when oppositions suffer from bad governance which is a positive reality of the institutional accountability debate. as for naB, the question is bot so much as “accountability” but “who will guard the guards”. as in democracy, the majority has the consent; politicising and naB’s institutional accountability leaves a vacuum for determination. nevertheless; the Finance Minister’s resignation may be due to bad governance shown by the illegal killing of Ramiz. But, it is not certain that parties in Balochistan have arrived with flags overnight. the uncertain politics in Balochistan is not new. it is rooted in the very existence of the machine politicians who change parties with self-prioritizing consent and move towards the waves of formation of new government. While in power, there is only a lack of confidence to bring reforms because of the traditional approaches of their entities of politicking the poor masses.

On such prospects, polarization in a political party is inevitable, which Jam kamal’s government is facing today. there is a low figure of political parties in Balochistan that have a brief ideological agenda, neither is it necessary to formulate one. However, there is need of a comprehensive reform that can avoid the creation of mid-night parties that have ruralized the province with a psychotic house of cards. to make the province move towards development and prosperity, Prime Minister imran khan announced a Rs 600 billion package for southern Balochistan. Unfortunately, the Pti government failed to answer for the transparency of the multi-billion projects in the senate committee. From each narrative of dialogues, the situation in Balochistan has only led to neglecting the province.

Who calls for accountability? they are the intellectuals that have stepped down from a position; that has always been unprecedented in the Balochistan assembly. Whether from administrative actions to situations of law and order, or socio-economic imper-

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Zealand and England, and how Pakistan always seems to thrive in adversity. However, the cricketing decisions taken in the lead-up to the World Cup, from changing the coaches, to now making last minute replacements in the squad, aren’t going to bolster the confidence of the players that do eventually take to the field. the four changes made to the squad have seen sarfaraz ahmed, shoaib Malik, Fakhar Zaman and Haider ali come in for azam khan, sohaib Maqsood, khushdil shah and Mohammad Hasnain. as you can see four batters are replacing three batters and a bowler, which means that Wasim either got the basic composition of the squad wrong the first time, or this time around. shoaib Malik has come in for the injured sohaib Maqsood, who had come into decent form in the ongoing national t20, but unfortunately has felt pain in his lower back. His inclusion along with sarfaraz ahmed’s will provide experience to the squad, while Haider ali has been billed as the next big thing for a couple of years now, and now is his time to show some evidence. Meanwhile, Fakhar Zaman has done incredibly well in ODis for the past four years now, but has struggled internationally in the shortest format, even more so now that he is unlikely to play up top with Babar azam and Mohammed Rizwan occupying those spots. another opener who has had to sit out, and hasn’t even made the shortlist is sharjeel khan. He should have been included in the squad, based on his performance in the national t20. His ban has also been lifted and his stats have also improved as compared to others. Perhaps he has not been considered due to his tainted past.

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another player who has been needlessly overlooked is Mohammad amir. He performs very well under pressure, whether that’s the pressure of a match situation — such as a contest against india for example –or other forms of turmoil that he faces. amir would have brought much needed experience to the bowling attack as well. Because, even with the addition of sarfaraz ahmed and shoaib Malik, most of the squad is constituted of young cricketers, which may turn out to be a bad idea. sarfaraz has been facing a stiff task of dislodging Mohammed Rizwan from the starting 11, given that Rizwan has been the star performer for Pakistan across formats over the last two seasons. However, sarfaraz’s leadership skills and experience will be very valuable in the tournament, especially given that t20 is his specialty. shoaib Malik’s presence can also boost the middle order, given how that particular facet of Pakistan cricket has been struggling for a while.

But for that Pakistan would need shoaib Malik to be somewhere near his best form, and deliver when it matters. He is suited to the conditions in the UaE, which might work in his favour.

Even so, one can’t help but feel that Pakistan’s t20 squad is still a mixed bag. it has potential, yes, but could have done with the addition of players like sharjeel khan and Mohammad amir. if they have been neglected owing to Ramiz Raja’s stance on zero tolerance to fixing, then one can’t challenge the decision.

The writer is a social media influencer and freelance journalist. He writes about entertainment, politics, and cricket. He can be followed on Twitter at @moazzamishaq

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

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Monday, 18 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

Solidarity needed WE are well aware that the second deadly wave of the virus has hit our country due to which the government has closed all educational institutions. But people are still not taking this virus seriously, but also the country’s famous and big political parties are ignoring the virus and holding rallies, which is a tragic thought. Crowds are making it easier for the virus to spread and become stronger.

On the contrary, it is clear because the virus is gaining momentum in our country day by day and the number of patients and deaths is increasing day by day. if this virus continues to grow in this way, it will be a great loss to our country because our health system is already very weak. Of course, according to the world media, the medicine of the virus has been made, but our economic situation is so weak that we cannot pay for the medicine immediately. so we have only one way and that is to follow the sOPs which can help to reduce this virus. Rather, it is the responsibility of both the government and the opposition to ensure sOPs and show solidarity in this critical situation.

Hunzla KaKar zHob

Flu vaccine

Geopolitical reality and major powers The shape of things to come

Dr muhammaD akram zaheer

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HE current geopolitical reality imposes new challenges and opportunities to resolve conflicts of interest through international cooperation, while maintaining a strategic vision or calling into question the balance of power.

However, uncertainty is constant, as are circumstances and actors. in this constant concern for improvement, we cannot fail to evoke two kinds of strategic ideas. First from a real political point of view (the enemy of my enemy is my friend), which facilitates the formation of alliances. second, by following a strategic and confrontational approach (the success or achievement of my opponent’s goals affects my accomplishment), it is therefore important that the opponent does not achieve his goals. Despite the complexity of the strategic environment, it has been observed that countries are increasingly interconnected and interdependent due to the global nature of the threats and the common aspects of their development. Currently, there are very competitive regional blocs, where robotics, electronics, communications, biotechnology, as well as their military capabilities and levels of interoperability are measured. all this, marked by a common aspect: defending their interests. in this context, everything indicates that in the 21st century the following aspects will mark geopolitics: the impact of an economy in a market that has neither flag nor nationality, technology as a certain variable, hostility to alternative cooperation, sustainable development within the framework of a supra-national policy of environmental protection, and the promotion of democracy with security as a key element of development and welfare.

Regarding these aspects, it described a free market as the most important economic model in the world, with the exception of certain activities considered appropriate for the state, such as laws, public order, rehabilitation or national defense, and so on. in this sense, when we refer to the free market, we consider that these economic activities and transactions depend exclusively on the free initiative of individuals. this interaction creates an environment in which individuals are free to achieve their goals and maximize their profits without state intervention. However, there are contradictions between these activities, which one way or another, the state should control, and which should be an independent initiative. therefore, the production of wealth without any control, through the exploitation of the resources necessary for the life and development of a state, is complex and controversial from a nationalist and conservative point of view. in this regard, a look back at Peru at the beginning of the 20th century shows that the influx of foreign capital introduced an economic export policy which benefited a particular group. However, this situation has not made it possible to increase national

power and capacity, as these power groups have a rudimentary idea of what homeland and state mean. in many cases, these ideas are not just in one’s imagination. there is a question, how can we estimate the power of a state? to answer this question, econometric models make it easier to determine national strength and capacity for which a state owner considers the number of square kilometers as the basic variable. that is, the larger the area, the greater the power. the other aspect is related to technological development. in this regard, in the field of cyberspace, the absence of an international regulatory framework facilitates the understanding of the threats to which states and the people in them, are exposed. this situation leads to activities involving identity theft, financial crime or the handling of weapons of mass destruction. these scenarios allow us to analyze how an increase in technology and mechanization can have a fundamental impact on global production models, as well as on production costs and labour costs. Under this approach, countries that dominate the technology will set standards in electricity generation and national potential. the third aspect explains how animosity between two states resolves regional disputes by force of arms. Moreover, if the two states fail to implement this concept of war, they have their own consequences, but through the interests of third parties. at present, however, international cooperation and various organizations, such as the United nations (Un) are setting the tone for dialogue and building new spaces for trade.

the fourth aspect of sustainable development, as the basis for the development of new generations, is the commitment not only to the people of the country but also to the people of the world. the country that depends on the export of raw materials, finds it necessary to set the goals and objectives of public and private institutions to achieve sustainable economic, political, social and environmental development. a responsible country is therefore a country recognized and integrated into the international community. and the new perspective on politics takes multilateral relations of interest and global security to a new level. Likewise, strategic planning in which countries make internal national goals at all levels of government and adapt to international contexts facilitates the development of a state. On the other hand, the possibility for states to join supranational organizations and foreign trade opportunities builds national capacity and strength.

Furthermore, it is important to remember that in the international context, states are not friends, but have common interests where the instruments of national power complement each other for weight and negotiating capacity. therefore, one must understand the method of studying geopolitics that allows important pieces of a state to be strategically transferred to the Grand international Council, which is a notional body of great powers.

Furthermore, it is important to remember that in the international context, states are not friends, but have common interests where the instruments of national power complement each other for weight and negotiating capacity.

The writer has a PhD in Political Science and can be reached at akramzaheer86@yahoo.com

tHE unavailability of flu vaccine in the market is another failure of the government machinery to ensure its timely presence for the vulnerable people , especially the aged population to safeguard against the infection in the winter months. Doctors advise to get a shot as early as October to be on the safer side . the month of December has set in and there are no signs of the vaccine availability in the pharmacies . One wonders if the concerned government officials and the regulatory authorities are working . i think not . Had they been working and competent , the medicine prices would not have shot up many folds in the recent months .

Rather they have gone a step further that certain important medicines , like flu vaccine , have disappeared altogether. What a performance and governance by the concerned authorities !

Engr riaz bHutta laHorE

Cutting through difficulties tHE issues like food crisis, unemployment have been greatly highlighted by the mainstream English television channels like BBC, Cnn especially in the wake of the current COViD situation. the other day Cnn had highlighted the issue of food insecurities in america caused by the current pandemic whereas BBC has been highlighting the larger unemployment crisis in European countries like the Uk. as a matter of fact, countries from the West like the Usa, Uk should take these issues seriously and must tackle them all head-on given their characteristics, geological structure, socio-economic status. the recent farmer protests in india had caught the attention of everyone out there. any crisis in the farming sector should not be allowed to escalate into a bigger issue. By the by, i have been able to see rigorous farming activities going on in my native areas like korkai, tiruchendur, tuticorin, tirunelveli, nagercoil, Marthandam, kanyakumari in tamil nadu all thanks to the good and bountiful rainfall this ongoing monsoon. such rigorous agro activities should be encouraged continuously and they must go on back to back with all backup options like water sources, land, finance in place.

Most importantly, agricultural activities, food production and consequent trade activities should be accelerated and even strengthened simultaneously and non-stop. Besides this, the apparent port operations should be fully supported by the regime out there through proper ways like superb infrastructure, reliable tax/tariff system.

Finally, all the countries worldwide should give first priority to the farming and food sectors through proper channels like water sources/financial background and strengthening/safeguarding the plantation areas across the globe.

P SEntHil Saravana Durai MuMbai

Kashmir conundrum tHE war that we are in the middle of is not a war between Pakistan and india. it is a war being fought in kashmir which has expanded itself into another war between two states. kashmir is the real theatre of unspeakable violence that can push us into violence and nuclear war at any moment. to prevent this from happening, atrocities in kashmir have to be addressed and resolved. that can only be done if kashmiris are given a chance to freely and fearlessly tell the world what they are fighting for and what they really want. kashmir is the most militarized zone in the world, with an estimated half a million indian soldiers posted there to counter what the army itself admits is now just a handful of jihadists for them the real enemy is kashmiri people. thousands have been disappeared and tortured that label the valley like a network of small scale abu Ghraibs. the abrogation of kashmir’s special status was the front burner of BJP and Rss kitchen, to reignite their flagging passions, all they need to do is to pick the villain from their gallery and unleash the dogs of war. For them there are several villains, Pakistani and kashmiris Jihadists and 200 million indian Muslims who are always accused of being Pakistani lovers and anti-national traitors. Home Minister amit shah demonstrated the siege only existed in people’s imagination saying that telephone lines in the valley were only used by terrorists, normal life has not been affected, people are doing their necessary works.

Further said, those who feel that life has been affected are once whose survival depends on terrorism. it is hard to work out who exactly indian government sees as terrorists. Why should they want to be a part of india?

For what reason? if freedom is what they want, freedom is what they should have. kashmir may not defeat india, but it will consume it and in many ways it already has.

SHafi aHMED KHowaja jati Sujawal

08 WORLD VIEW 18th October 21_Layout 1 10/17/2021 9:22 PM Page 1

Monday, 18 October, 2021

08 WORLD VIEW

In MoDI’s ‘new InDIa,’ GanDhI Is out, hIs assassIn Is In

Haaretz

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Swati CHaturvedi

AHATMA gandhi, ‘Father of the nation,’ pioneer of non-violence to protest powerful oppression, and india’s best known calling card to the world, truly has no place left in narendra Modi’s self-described “new india.” gandhi would have faced an avalanche of slurs accusing him of being “anti-national,” (ie unpatriotic, sliding towards traitorous), “sickular” (a corruption of secular, and now, in this Hindu nationalist era, a term of abuse) and an “urban naxal” – an attempt to tar any media or intellectual anti-Modi dissent with the same brush as the ongoing rural Maoist insurgency in the country’s north east, it’s a phrase which has no meaning but which the government officials are fond of using. Of course, gandhi would also have been told to “go to Pakistan.”

The Mahatma might have faced jail time for advocating “love jihad” (an imaginary crime, much in favor with the government these days, based on the unfounded myth that Muslim men attract Hindu women by pretending to be Hindu and then force them to convert to islam). gandhi would have been bundled into jail for being a “Maoist” and a “naxalite”: with his penchant for standing with the weakest and the most oppressed, he would have stood with the people of india’s tribal areas, who are fast being dispossessed of their land and rich minerals by billionaire cronies of the Modi government.

His solidarity might have gotten gandhi shot by the security forces in an “encounter” - an indian euphemism for a staged death, where people are shot in cold blood and then a pretense is made that they tried to evade custody or attack the police. gandhi would have fasted for days on end if he’d seen how frighteningly routine

MODI’S HINDU NATIONALISTS HAVE TURNED GANDHI’S KILLER INTO A HERO OF INDIA, FEEDING VIGILANTE VIOLENCE AGAINST MUSLIMS, REDEFINING ‘PATRIOTISM’ AS BLIND OBEDIENCE AND TARRING ANTI-MODI DISSENT AS TERRORISM lynching in the name of god has become, where helpless Muslims and Dalits (the lowest caste in india’s caste system) are lynched because they’re accused of killing cows, in a slow orgiastic ritual of mob violence filmed by the culprits. gandhi, a pious man, died with “Hey ram” as his last cry, when he was assassinated by nathuram godse on 30th January, 1948.

He would never, ever have imagined that those words would become a call to violence, that before they were beaten to death, those victims would be forced to chant “Jai Shree ram,” “Victory to Lord ram,” or that when Muslims were targeted in last year’s Delhi riots, the mob told them if they wanted to stay in india, they had to chant the same words. if he was alive, gandhi would have protested the weaponization of his beloved Lord ram into a tool to oppress Muslims and Dalits, and he would have been repelled by the vigilantes who, in the name of protecting the holy status of cows and to end the eating of beef, take a particularly sadistic delight in forcing Muslims to chant Hindu religious slogans.

Cow vigilantes came to prominence as part of india’s violent polity during Modi’s first term as prime minister. Since then, from 2014 onwards and during the seven years of his first and now second term, violence over the ownership and eating of cows has become such a norm that it is barely reported anymore.

The first of this wave of lynchings was reported in September 2015, when a village mob attacked the home of 52 year-old Mohammed Akhlaq and killed him, because they suspected him of slaughtering a cow. incredibly, after his murder, the meat found in Akhlaq’s freezer was sent for a forensics

test, as if to justify the mob’s crime. The meat was found to be mutton, and not beef.

Muslims were the target of 51 percent of the violence centered on the issue of cows and 86 percent of the 28 indians killed in 63 violent incidents, according to an indiaSpend analysis of the English-language media.

Dalits and Muslims work in the slaughterhouse and leather industries. Their livelihood has been effectively criminalized and these workers, the poorest of the poor, repeatedly face mob attacks with no redress. gandhi would have been shocked by the glorified ‘afterlife’ of his assassin. godse had close links with the founder of Hindutva, the self-styled ‘Veer’ (‘Brave’) Savarkar.

Savarkar showed less bravery when, agitating for independence, he was imprisoned by the British colonial rulers and begged to be released, offering fulsome letters of apology.

Every year since Modi came to power, pro-government, pro-Hindutva social media has glorified godse on gandhi’s birthday, 2nd October, a concerted campaign that ensures their hand-picked hashtag trends to the top of Twitter. in 2020 and again this year it was the Hindi phrase “Long live nathuram godse,” in 2019 “May godse be immortal.”

The BJP proudly claims Hindutva as its ideology, and has hung a giant portrait of Savarkar (charged as a co-conspirator in gandhi’s killing) opposite the portrait of gandhi in the new Delhi parliament building.

The mothership of india’s Hindu nationalist groups, is the rashtriya Swamsevak Sangh (rSS), a paramilitary organization founded in 1925 which claims to be a Hindu cultural body, inspired by Savarkar’s rightwing nationalism and which forbids women to be members.

GANDHI WOULD ALSO HAVE BEEN TOLD TO “GO TO PAKISTAN”

Modi grew up in the rSS and was a pracharak (preacher) of theirs; much of the BJP are rSS members, from the elite leadership (Modi, Amit Shah, the home affairs minister and Defense Minister rajnath Singh and the rank-and-file of the party). The rSS now claims to have a cadre of six million volunteers. it has been banned officially four times: Once by the British government and three times by the indian government, including a ban in 1948 following godse’s assassination of gandhi, on account of his links with the rSS. it was most recently banned in 1992 when a Hindu mob destroyed the historic Babri masjid, a mosque in Ayodhya, on whose site Modi recently dedicated the foundations of a new Hindu temple. Those days are long gone: nowadays, the rSS and its acolytes are key players in india’s most powerful political sanctums. One of Modi’s own MPs, Pragya Thakur, herself on bail as a suspect in the bombing of Muslim pilgrims, is a keen godse fan.

Modi’s crudest instrumentalization of the Mahatma appears in photo sessions where he poses with his trade mark spinning wheel to make khadi, homespun cloth, all the while unraveling the india of gandhi’s visions. All this, too, would have astonished and horrified gandhi.

Bearing in mind Modi’s well-known obsession with his image and his messaging on social media, the fact that BJP officials laud gandhi’s killer and push those messages out to millions of indians is no accident. gandhi’s insistence on non-violence and on the protection of india’s Muslim minority makes him a political liability. Modi has never publicly expressed any disapproval of the annual glorification of his murderer. Likewise, he has never offered an unequivocal condemna-

SAVARKAR SHOWED LESS BRAVERY WHEN, AGITATING FOR INDEPENDENCE, HE WAS IMPRISONED BY THE BRITISH COLONIAL RULERS AND BEGGED TO BE RELEASED, OFFERING FULSOME LETTERS OF APOLOGY tion of the Hindu vigilantes lynching Muslims.

Modi only engages with Mahatma gandhi abroad, when it is unavoidable, where he loves to bow dramatically before the numerous gandhi statues that dot the world. He cites gandhi in his speeches, but only abroad. in this, at least, Modi offers a rare measure of transparency: His hypocrisy is clear for all to see.

Swati Chaturvedi is an award-winning print and broadcast journalist. She regularly contributes investigative stories and analysis to NDTV.com and Gulf News, and is a frequent political commentator on television.

She is the author of “I am a Troll: Inside the BJP’s Secret Digital Army” (2016).

Islamophobia in Germany: ‘I am not even seen as a person’ FOR YEARS, GERMAN MUSLIM WOMEN HAVE BEEN FIGHTING AGAINST SYSTEMATIC ATTEMPTS BY GOVERNMENT TO DICTATE WHAT THEY CAN AND CANNOT WEAR IN PUBLIC AND IN THE WORKPLACE GERMANY AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES HOLD STARK PREJUDICES ABOUT HOW MUSLIM WOMEN ARE TREATED WITHIN THEIR CULTURE AND RELIGION

Middle east eye

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HebH Jamal

uring the recent german election, polling station assistants in the western town of Bergheim initially refused to allow a 21-yearold Muslim woman wearing a hijab and a protective mask to cast her ballot.

According to reports, the poll workers cited a ban on face coverings for not allowing her to vote, saying voters must be identifiable. The woman was eventually allowed to vote after complaining to city officials, as this was a clear violation of her rights and a blatant display of islamophobia. in light of this incident, many are now wondering whether other Muslim women were turned away at polling sites - and more broadly, how pervasive is gendered islamophobia within german society?

For years, german Muslim women have been fighting against systematic attempts by government to dictate what they can and cannot wear in public and in the workplace. This past July, the European union’s highest court ruled that businesses can ban employees from wearing religious clothing or symbols, including headscarves, under the premise of presenting neutrality. The case was launched by two german Muslim women suspended by their employers for wearing the headscarf.

The hyper-politicisation of the Muslim female identity, where political personalities and the media debate their right to careers and social inclusion, overflows into direct anti-Muslim racism within their everyday lives.

FREQUENT DISCRIMINATION: Muslim girls at school experience discrimination frequently. “i experi-

ence anti-Muslim racism so often that sometimes i don’t even realise it,” rabia, a 16-year-old german Muslim girl, told Middle East Eye. “i have a schoolteacher that reduces me to my headscarf, insisting that my parents force me to wear it, even though i explained to him several times that is not the case. “in school, i am not even seen as a person; they don’t bother to learn my name. Teachers address me with Fatima only, because there is another Muslim girl in my class with that name. My name is rabia; my name should be remembered.”

Another young Muslim woman, 19-year-old nazanin, told MEE: “in ninth grade, on a school trip, a german woman threw a bottle at me and started yelling racial slurs. i was only 14. My teachers did nothing to stop her. Although i graduated now, the racism has only gotten worse.”

Within germany’s public school systems, data has shown an alarming amount of discrimination against young Muslim students, specifically girls, leading to a climate of low expectations and discouragement. A survey found that german teachers were more likely to recommend non-ethnic-german children to lower school forms than ethnic german pupils, shaping their career and higher educational paths. “My grades suffered because my educator made me believe my upbringing made me a slow thinker,” Ahlam, 19, told MEE. “By nature, i stuttered, so he made me feel ashamed for participating in class. My grades only got worse.”

ISLAMOPHOBIC ENCOUNTERS: The anti-Muslim discrimination that women feel in public institutions is reflective of germany’s general attitude towards the hijab. As a visible marker of Muslim identity, it is seen as antithetical to german culture and society.

The decision to wear the hijab, and to become visibly Muslim, changes the status of Muslim women, making them automatically “othered”. A number of Muslim women, ranging from children to adults, told MEE that

they constantly encounter islamophobia due to their decision to look visibly Muslim. “i was walking home one day when a man held his umbrella like a gun to my face,” said 17-year-old Sema.

“He imitated a gun going off, then called me a terrorist while he and his friend laughed. i couldn’t defend myself; i just kept walking.”

Bushra, 21, was out shopping when another female customer accused her of shoplifting. “i was forced to take off my hijab to prove i wasn’t hiding anything under there,” she told MEE. “i was asked what my nationality is, even though i held my german iD card in my hand.

When the police let me leave, i only wanted to ask the lady who accused me: why?” Latifa, 25, recalled: “i applied in a supermarket as they were urgently looking for temporary workers at the beginning of [the Covid-19 pandemic]. i was told i could not work there with the hijab because the supermarket was ‘neutral.’”

On the first day of an internship, 21-year-old iman said she was told to remove her hijab, “or otherwise i will end up as a cleaning lady. i wasn’t able to continue the internship because of my decision to follow my religion.” Similarly, 28-year-old Shazia said she was denied a position as a nursery teacher: “i was told white germans will not feel comfortable sending their kids to a nursery with someone that is dressed the way i am.”

SEARCHING FOR EQUALITY: in a study published by the institute for the Study of Labour in Bonn, 1,500 identical CVs were sent to german firms - except some used the name Meryem Ozturk, and others Sandra Bauer. in 18.8 percent of cases, Bauer was invited for an interview, while Ozturk was invited in just 13.5 percent of cases. When the photo of Ozturk showed her in a headscarf, she was invited in just 4.2 percent of cases. researchers noted that these results suggest that a woman who wears a headscarf would have to send 4.5 times as many applications to receive the same number of

callbacks as an applicant with a german-sounding name. germany and other western countries hold stark prejudices about how Muslim women are treated within their culture and religion. A common stereotype is that Muslim women from migrant backgrounds are less likely to enter the job market because of cultural differences, such as being housewives and raising children. it is not considered, however, that it is much harder for Muslim women to integrate into the job market because of discriminatory practices, such as those upheld by german neutrality laws.

Such discrimination can discourage women from participating in the labour market, and even from attaining an education. Some young Muslim women choose careers based not just on interest, but also on the potential obstacles they may have to overcome because of their hijab. “i haven’t entered the job market yet, but i have to constantly change my preferences because of discrimination in the workplace,” 16-year-old Mariam told MEE. At the same time, 25-year-old Medine said she avoids some jobs altogether: “i consciously do not apply anywhere where i have direct customer contact, to avoid the obstacles of neutrality.”

A Muslim woman is thus not judged by her qualifications, but by whether she is “german” enough to work.

Zulal, 27, told MEE that whenever she applies for a job and gets an interview, her qualifications receive “maybe five minutes of conversation”, while her headscarf sparks 15 minutes of discussion.

Most Muslim women in germany just want to be treated equitably. As Sophie, 29, put it: “Life in this society is hard, stressful and psychologically painful. At the same time, i am grateful for parts of society that react more openly and do not see and treat you like a secondclass person just because you are visibly Muslim.”

Hebh Jamal is an advocate against education inequality, Islamophobia, and the occupation of Palestine.

Monday, 18 October, 2021 | LAHORE

BUSINESS 09 CORPORATE CORNER

ALI TArEEN MOvEs LHc AGAINsT FBr NOTIcE OvEr FOrEIGN AssETs

A

Former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, along with former MNA Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, inaugurates the booking of the high rise building "Gulberg Marina" at Gulberg Green.CEOs Chaudhry Gulfraz and Chaudhry Tariq are also present‫۔‬

High-rise “Gulberg Marina” Launched in Gulberg Green isLAMABAD PR

Another beautiful chapter in the artistic and architectural history of the capital was added when a unique high-rise project of Rawalpindi Islamabad was inaugurated in the E-block of Gulberg Green, Islamabad yesterday evening. The booking of "Gulberg Marina" was inaugurated in the presence of many important personalities including former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. Speaking at the event, the General Manager of Gulberg Marina, Ziafat Abbasi, said that buyers will be able to pay in easy instalments of four years with 20% reservation while the project will be completed in three years. "The project has a total of 26 floors, including the ground floor, two floors for parking, three floors for shops, two floors for corporate offices, six floors for semi-furnished apartments and six fully furnished apartments. The project includes two passenger lifts, a cargo lift, two accelerators and two capsule lifts." he further tells. CEO, Gulrag Marina, Chaudhry Muhammad Gul Faraz, while expressing his views, said that he is happy that "Arif Consultant Engineers" has designed this project and provided us with accurate and complete safety features as per our requirements. ‫ ۔‬Speaking on the occasion, Faisal Iqbal Awan, CEO, Miskan 13 (Pvt) Ltd., said that Rafa Medical College and Rafa International Hospital are going to be built near Gulberg Marina. Islamabad's largest project of 7,000 apartments is underway just one kilometre from Gulberg Marinas. "In that sense, Gulberg Marina would be a profitable investment," Awan added.

Over 2000 cops to perform duties in Islamabad on Eid Miladul Nabi isLAMABAD PR

Over 2000 personnel of Capital police would perform duties on the occasion of Eid-Milad-UN Nabi to be observed across the country on October 19 (Tuesday).

Islamabad Police have chalked out a comprehensive security plan for main procession of 12th Rabi ul Awal and strict patrolling would be ensured during processions and other religious gatherings in the city. The security plan was formally reviewed in a meeting here on Sunday presided over by DIG Operations Afzal Ahmed Kausar on the special directions of IGP Islamabad Qazi Jamil ur Rehman. SSP (Operations), all Zonal SPs and other senior officials of Islamabad police attended the meeting. Islamabad police including Rangers and personnel of other law enforcement agencies would perform patrolling and security duties on the occasion and main procession starting from Sector G-7 would be completely cordoned off through heavy deployment. Procession would start from sector G-7 (Sitara Market) and to culminate near shrine of Hazrat Sakhi Mehmud at Aabpara market after passing through various routes. The monitoring of processions would be ensured through drone cameras and CCTV cameras. The video footage of the processions would also be made from the front and backside of the process All SPs, SDPOs, SHOs and other police officials would visit the routes of procession and ensure effective coordination among the security personnel performing duties.

Police officials would guide the cops and boost their morale in accomplishing duties in a responsible manner.

The teams of CTF, police commandoes would perform security duties on the occasion while special teams of Rangers, CID and Special Branch police would assist in smooth performance of their duties. The police officers including SPs would also visit various police posts lying in the route of procession, check security duties and brief cops as how to ensure effective security. The route of procession has been divided into four various sectors and four SPs, DSPs and Inspectors would lead security duties and monitor the security arrangements in various sectors.

Close liaison would be maintained with organizers of procession and other gatherings in the city. Cooperation of organizers would be ensured with the police and law enforcing officials. Walk through gates would be installed at all the entry points of procession and metal detectors would be used for checking of participants.

news Desk

LI Tareen, son of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PIT) leader Jahangir Tareen, moved the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Saturday, challenging the notice issued to him by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) for not declaring the foreign assets worth over £30 million.

In his petition, Tareen contended that the notice had been issued without lawful authority, in disregard of the provisions of the Foreign Assets (Declaration and Repatriation) Act 2018 Act, the procedure laid down in the Assets Declaration (Procedure and Conditions) Rules 2019 and the Constitution.

He said that on October 1, 2021 the commissioner land revenue issued a show-cause notice to him, stating that the petitioner had committed misrepresentation and that if the petitioner failed to furnish an acceptable explanation with evidence and proof, the declaration will be declared void.

The petitioner further contended that the notice to him had purportedly been issued on the basis of the information re-

ceived on December 31, 2017 through CRS regarding accounts in the legal ownership of the petitioner’s father.

Through the notice, he said, the commissioner claimed to be in possession of “definite information that the assets referred to therein are, in fact, in the beneficial” ownership of the petitioner’s father. “This not only incorrect but is in violation of the petitioner’s due process rights…” he added. The petitioner stressed that he had declared his foreign assets in his wealth statement on July 14, 2018.

Later, the FBR deputy commissioner land revenue sent several notices including, the one on July 18, 2019 to petitioner’s father to explain his position regarding the foreign asset

declared by the petitioner.

On behalf of the petitioner’s father, replies were sent on August 2, 2019, August 17, 2020 and October 7, 2020, explaining that those foreign assets were owned and sourced by the petitioner and had been declared through the declarations f i l e d under the 2018 Act, Ali Tareen further said in his petition.

H o w e v e r, he added, “in complete disregard to the submissions of petitioner’s father and in utter disregard to the provisions of the 2018 Act, the respondent deputy commissioner land revenue passed an amendment of assessment order under section 122 (1) of the 2001 Ordinance dated October

7,2020”. Under the amendment of assessment order, the petitioner said, “the undisputedly same foreign assets declared by the petitioner under the 2018 Act, on which the due tax has already been paid, have been treated as unexplained assets of the petitioner’s father”.

“Consequently, respondent Deputy Commissioner Land Revenue also issued a demand notice to petitioner’ s father dated October 28,2020 under section 137 (2) of the 2001 Ordinance,” he said, adding that the petitioner challenged the order in court which issued notices to the respondents and restrained them from taking any coercive measures against the petitioners regarding the demand notice.

Tareen prayed to the LHC to declare that the notice dated October 1, 2021 had been issued contrary to the Foreign Assets Act 2018 and Assets Declaration Rules 2019 and set aside.

He also prayed to the court to declare that the notice was not based on any definite information regarding the creation of the subject assets through sources of any person other than the petitioner.

Hindu group urges India to regulate platforms, cryptocurrency MUMBAi Agencies

A powerful right-wing Hindu group linked to India’s ruling party has called for curbs on streaming platforms and cryptocurrencies, saying regulation was essential.

“There is a need to regularise these things for the larger good of the society,” said Mohan Bhagwat, head of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the ideological parent of Prime Minister

Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party.

Streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon’s Prime Video have faced lawsuits and police investigations, mostly in BJP-ruled states, for content deemed inflammatory and offensive to the country’s majority Hindu population.

Netflix, Amazon and Walt Disney Co, another major streaming platform in India, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Bitcoin and

India’s Association of Blockchain & Crypto Entrepreneurs could not immediately be reached.

Article continues After this Advertisement: “A currency like bitcoin – I don’t know which country controls it or which rules govern it,” Bhagwat said in a speech to followers marking the Hindu festival of Dussehra on Friday. “The government should do it. It has to do it.”

Modi’s government often looks to the Hindu group for policy guidance,

but has refrained from regulating streaming platforms. Movies and TV shows, however, must go through a censor board.

The government prepared but did not submit a bill to parliament earlier this year that would have banned trading and holding cryptocurrencies.

Local media has reported the government was looking to tax cryptocurrency trades and the exchanges, traders and lawyers that support them in the country.

Justice Baqar jeers at favoritism in assigning cases, calls it ‘bad for judiciary’ news Desk Justice Maqbool Baqar of the Supreme Court on Saturday observed that assigning cases of sensitive nature to specific judges to the exclusion of others would have an adverse bearing on impartiality and independence of judiciary, and may tarnish its integrity in the eyes of the public.

He expressed these views during his keynote address at a conference on ‘The final frontier of judicial independence is the independence of an individual judge from undue pressure from his peers and from unnecessary and unwarranted control of his institution’.

A large number of Sindh High Court judges and lawyers were also present at the event.

Addressing the function, Justice Baqar said that the judiciary had an important role to play among the state institutions.

Justice Baqar said, “It would be devastating if the tenure of office of a judge is in reality made dependent on the acceptability of his judgments by those wielding power and the prospects of further elevation of a judge are jeopardised by the reason of his judgment not being well received by certain quarters.”

He stressed that the judiciary must be able to adjudicate on matters without any duress from those wielding power, adding that suppressing differences of

opinion in the benches shakes the foundations of the justice system. Doing so, he added, undermined public confidence in the judiciary. Justice Baqar noted that excluding specific individual judges, “who have independent and impartial views”, during the constitution of benches entrusted to decide on sensitive cases would damage the sanctity of the judiciary.

He pointed out that the UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers has argued for a mechanism of objective allocation of cases that “protects judges from interference from within the judiciary”. The SC judge said that only an independent judiciary could be free from all kinds of pressure. “The judge should also be free from pressure from the government, political groups and any other judge.

“Each member of the bench may have a different view. A judge should decide according to his own thinking. The judiciary has a specific and constitutional role to play in preventing unconstitutional measures, from peace to the economy.”

Further, he said that deciding the tenure of judges on the basis of likes and dislikes would be devastating for the institution.

“It will deal a blow to the entire institution of the judiciary if the prospects of elevation of a judge are jeopardised when the reasoning of judgements are not liked by certain quarters.” “Justice

cannot be delivered blindly,” he asserted, adding that if the administration or the government goes beyond its powers, the judiciary plays a decisive role between the state and the citizen.

“An independent judiciary plays a necessary role to protect the lives and property of the people. Therefore, maintaining and protecting its independence is essential for the nation,” he said, adding that provision of justice was only possible when the people, in general, have confidence and trust in the judiciary.

“The judiciary also has an important role to play in upholding the Constitution and enforcing it. If the common man has trouble and distress, he also looks to the judiciary,” he added.

It is due to the independence of the judiciary that the basic rights of a citizen are ensured and protected. “If there is a dispute between the citizen and the state, it is the judiciary that resolves it. Therefore, independence of the judge directly translates into the independence of the judiciary,” Justice Baqar added. Addressing the function, Barrister Salahuddin Ahmed, the president of Sindh High Court Bar Association, said that Justice Baqar had given several important decisions in the Supreme Court. “We pay tribute to Justice Baqar for his historic decisions. Along with the independence of the judiciary, the independence of the judge is also important.

Lahore transporters hike fares up to 20pc following oil price hike Monitoring report Following the government;s decision to increase petrol prices on Saturday, intercity transporters in Lahore have hiked tickets in response as well by 15 to 20 per cent, various local media sources reported on Sunday.

According to the details, the fares of Lahore to Karachi by bus have been jacked up by Rs200 to Rs3,800 while Lahore to Peshawar commute will cost passengers Rs1,600 after a hike of Rs100. Similarly, Lahore to Faisalabad fares have been increased by Rs100 and now stand at Rs730 a seat whereas the bus fare for people travelling to Multan from the provincial capital have been jacked to Rs1,230. Other fares to have seen hikes are, Lahore to Khanewal now at Rs1,100 and Lahore to Hyderabad now at Rs3,600. The 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 litre.

Monday, 18 October, 2021 | LAHORE

10 FOREIGN NEWS

TUrkey can play acTive role in renovaTing, reSToring afgHaniSTan: Taliban fM ANKARA

T

AnAdolu Agency

URKEY can play “an active role in investing, realising some projects, renovating and restoring Afghanistan,” with the resources it possesses, according to the country’s acting foreign minister.

In an exclusive interview with Anadolu Agency, Amir Khan Muttaqi said the official recognition of his government and international aid held great importance to the recovery of the country’s economy.

Muttaqi led a Taliban delegation on an official visit to Turkey on Thursday to discuss bilateral issues and cooperation on the future of Afghanistan.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and Muttaqi had a meeting where they discussed issues related to the official recog-

nition of the Taliban and assets belonging to Afghanistan that were blocked by the US. Muttaqi said the freezing of reserves by the US after the Taliban’s takeover, violated international law and human rights.

He stressed money blocked by the US was sent from other states for the development of Afghanistan.

“The real question is, why was this money blocked? What did the citizens of Afghanistan do?,” he asked rhetorically. “On the other hand, the US and other countries say that humanitarian aid should be given to Afghanistan and human rights should be respected. But, they leave the Afghan people with a population of about 40 million without basic necessities.”

Muttaqi said these issues were brought to the forefront by Turkish authorities at the news conference on Wednesday.

“As we have said in our meetings in re-

cent days, in meetings with the US and European Union delegations in Doha, and in our meetings in Turkey, such states have been established in the world, some of which have been achieved by force, coup or elections in which one person or family is dominant. Why are these recognised but the government in Afghanistan remains to be a de facto state?,” he said.

Muttaqi said this was the usurpation of the rights of Afghans and said the situation had a negative effect on the economy of Afghanistan.

He noted that humanitarian aid sent from around the world have been distributed and the US and the EU promised aid in prior meetings with delegations.

Noting that the EU promised more than $1 billion in humanitarian aid and the amount of aid was decided at the Geneva Conference, Muttaqi said, “This reveals the

cooperation of the countries of the world with us. The relations with us are getting better day by day. It has a positive impact on the field,” he said.

Muttaqi argued that security was ensured in the country with the Taliban administration regarding the Da’ish/ISIS terror group threat and there was no threat in that sense.

“They are carrying out attacks on mosques and streets. You will agree that it is not an easy task to ensure the safety of all mosques and streets. They do not own any place in Afghanistan. In this way, international pressure is being exerted on the Afghan government. This propaganda also works both ways for Da’ish/ISIS,” he said.

“The fact that the new state in Afghanistan is not officially recognised is beneficial to Da’ish/ISIS. The countries of the world, on the one hand, say control the Afghan people so they do not emigrate. On

the other hand, they do not officially recognise the government and give morale to Da’ish/ISIS. This is in the interest of neither Afghanistan nor the world,” he said.

Turkey and the new administration in Afghanistan held their first high-level contact after the Taliban took power on Aug. 15.

The Taliban captured Kabul, forcing the president and other top officials to leave the country. They have formed an interim government headed by Hasan Akhund.

World powers have called on the group to form an inclusive government that is representative of the country’s ethnic diversity.

Erdogan says talks underway with US to buy F-16s ISTANBUL AFP

Up to 17 US missionaries and family kidnapped in Haiti: media PORT-AU-PRINCE ReuteRs

As many as 17 American Christian missionaries and their families, including children, were kidnapped early Sunday by gang members in Haiti’s capital of Port-auPrince, US media reported. The kidnapping happened after the missionaries left an orphanage in the crisis-engulfed Caribbean nation, the New York Times and CNN said. The Washington Post reported that an audio from the Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries said “men, women and children” associated with the group were being held by an armed gang. “The mission field director and the American embassy are working to see what can be done,” the audio was quoted as saying.

“Pray that the gang members will come to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.” The victims included 14 adults and three minors, CNN said, citing an unnamed source in Haiti’s security forces. They were traveling to Titanyen after visiting the orphanage in the Croix des Bouquets area, CNN said. The Times, citing local officials, said the missionaries were taken from a bus headed to the airport to drop off some members of the group before continuing to another destination in Haiti.

The US State Department is aware of the reports, a spokesperson told Reuters but did not offer details.

“The welfare and safety of US citizens abroad is one of the highest priorities of the Department of State,” the spokesperson said in an email. The US Embassy in Haiti did not respond to a request for comment outside business hours. A spokeswoman for the Haitian police said she was seeking information on the issue.

Christian Aid Ministries did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A surge in gang violence has displaced thousands and hampered economic activity in the poorest country in the Americas. Violence spiralled after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July and an earthquake in August that killed over 2,000 people.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday said Turkey was in talks with the United States to buy F-16 fighters after it was kicked off the F-35 programme for purchasing a Russian missile defence system.

Washington excluded Ankara from NATO’s F-35 stealth fighter jet programme in 2019 after Turkey purchased Russian S-400 defence air systems in defiance of warnings from its Western allies.

The acquisition has imperilled Turkish-US relations and blocked Turkey’s plans to purchase about 100 of the F-35 fighters.

Turkey is now seeking compensation for its ouster from the US-led programme, including for a $1.4 billion payment it had made before its removal.

Turkey’s purchase of F-16 jets from America is “of course linked to the F-35s issue”, Erdogan told

reporters at an Istanbul airport before embarking on an Africa tour. He said the US had offered Turkey in return to sell F-16s to upgrade its air force fleet.

“We have said we’ll take whatever step is needed

to meet our country’s defence needs,” Erdogan said, adding that Turkey was working to modernise its warplane fleet.

Any such sale by the Americans however would need to be approved by Congress — where antiTurkey sentiments are on the rise.

Last month, Erdogan said Turkey still planned to buy a second batch of S-400 missile defence systems from Russia.

The US warned Turkey of further risks to bilateral ties if it bought more weapons from Russia.

Erdogan on Sunday said Washington needed to compensate Turkey for its $1.4 billion payment.

“We raised this issue in our talks. We attach importance to dialogue for a solution to this problem,” he said. “We are working to further develop our fleet from the modernisation of the F-16s in our possession to new additional F-16 purchases,” the Turkish leader said.

‘Why can’t we study?’: Afghanistan girls still barred from school KABUL AFP

Afghan teenager Amena saw dozens of classmates killed when her girls’ school was targeted by an Islamic State bomb attack in May, but she was determined to continue her education.

Now, like most secondary school girls in the country, she is banned from lessons altogether after the Taliban’s hardline government excluded them from returning to class one month ago.

“I wanted to study, see my friends and have a bright future, but now I am not allowed,” 16-year-old Amena told AFP at her home in western Kabul. “This situation makes me feel awful. Since the Taliban arrived, I am very sad and angry.”

On September 18, Afghanistan’s new rulers ordered male teachers and boys aged 13 and over back to secondary schools, picking up an academic year already cut short by violence and the Covid-19 pandemic. However, there was no mention of women teachers or girl pupils. The Taliban later said older girls can return to secondary schools, which were already mostly split by gender, but only once security and stricter segregation under their interpretation of Islamic law could be ensured. Reports have emerged of girls going back to a few high schools — such as in Kunduz province where the Taliban promoted the return with a stage-managed rally.

The de facto Taliban education minister told the

UN children’s body that a framework to allow all girls to go to secondary school will be announced soon, a senior UNICEF executive said Friday.

But for now, the vast majority are barred from lessons across the country of about 39 million people, including in the capital Kabul.

Primary schools, meanwhile, have reopened for all children and women can go to private universities, though with tough restrictions on their clothes and movement.

‘NO HOPE’: Amena lives just a short walk from her Sayed Al-Shuhada High School, where 85 people — mainly young girls — perished in the May bomb attack.

“Innocent girls were killed,” Amena said, her eyes welling up. “I saw with my own eyes the dying and wounded girls. However, I still wanted to go to school again.” Amena would be in Grade 10 studying her favourite subjects such as biology but instead is stuck inside with a handful of books doing “nothing special”.

The teenager said she dreamt of becoming a journalist, but now has “no hope in Afghanistan”.

Her siblings help her at home, and occasionally she gets lessons from a psychologist who comes to see her younger sister, still traumatised by the school attack.

“They say: ‘Study if you cannot go to school — study at home so that you may become someone in the future.'” “My brother brings home storybooks and I read them,” Amena said.

“And I always watch the news.” But she does not

understand why boys are allowed to study and girls are not.

“Half of the society is made up of girls and the other half is made up of boys. There is no difference between them,” she said.

“Why can’t we study? Are we not part of society?

Why should only boys have a future?”

RECENT PROGRESS: After US-led forces ousted the Taliban in 2001, progress was made in girls’ education.

The number of schools tripled and female literacy nearly doubled to 30 percent, but the change was largely limited to the cities. “Afghan women have made great achievements in the past 20 years,” said Nasrin Hasani, a 21-year-old teacher at a Kabul secondary school who now helps out with primary pupils.

But the current situation has “lowered both our and the students’ morale”, she said, questioning the Taliban’s reasoning. “As far as we all know, the religion of Islam has never hindered the education and work of women.”

Hasani said she has not experienced any direct threats from the Taliban.

But Amnesty International reported that one high school teacher received death threats and was summoned for prosecution because she used to teach the co-educational sport.

Hasani said she was clinging to hope that the Taliban will be “a little different” from their 1996-2001 regime when women were not even allowed out of their homes unchaperoned.

Iran court upholds jail term for UK-Iran aid worker, lawyer says DUBAI ReuteRs

An Iran appeals court has upheld a one-year prison term for British-Iran aid worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe on security offences, her lawyer was quoted by an Iran news website as saying late Saturday.

“The appeals court has approved the lower court’s verdict without holding a hearing,” attorney Hojjat Kermani told the Emtedad website.

In April, an Iran court sentenced Zaghari-Ratcliffe to a new term in jail on charges of propaganda against Iran’s ruling system, just a month after she finished a prior five-year sentence. However, that sentence has not yet started.

Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a project manager with the Thomson Reuters Foundation, was arrested at a Tehran airport in April 2016 and later convicted of plotting to overthrow the clerical establishment.

There was no immediate official comment from Iran’s judiciary on the appeals court decision.

Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s family and the foundation have denied the charges. The foundation is a charity that operates independently of media firm Thomson Reuters and its news subsidiary Reuters.

Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who served out

most of her first sentence in Tehran’s Evin prison, was released in March 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic and kept under house arrest. In March 2021, she was released from house arrest but she was summoned to court again on the new charge.

British lawmaker Tulip Siddiq said she had spoken to Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s husband Richard.

“Nazanin has lost her latest appeal and her sentence of 1 year plus 1 year travel ban is upheld with no court hearing. She could now be returned to prison at any time,” Siddiq said in a tweet,

urging Prime Minister Boris Johnson to intervene.

The detentions of dozens of dual nationals and foreigners have complicated ties between Iran and several European countries including Germany, France and Britain, all parties to Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with six world powers. “Iran’s decision to proceed with these baseless charges against Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is an appalling continuation of the cruel ordeal she is going through,” British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said in a statement.

“Instead of threatening to return Nazanin to prison, Iran must release her permanently.” The court decision came as indirect talks between Iran and the United States to revive the nuclear deal have stalled after the election of hardline cleric Ebrahim Raisi as president.

Monday, 18 October, 2021 | LAHORE

SPORTS 11

BABAr AzAm To CoNSulT ShoAIB mAlIK Before every mATCh IN T20 World CuP

P

NeWS DeSk

AKISTAN cricket team captain Babar Azam says he plans to to consult Shoaib Malik for the T20 World Cup matches.

“He is experienced and has all

the knowledge of international cricket, especially T20 cricket,” Azam said at a press conference.

“Shoaib Malik’s inclusion in the team surely is a big boost for the team. His experience will help us a great deal,” he said, adding that Malik and other senior players will

T20 World Cup opener against Pakistan ‘just another game’ for India: Kohli DUBAI Agencies

be consulted before finalising a strategy for each match.

Azam said Mohammad Rizwan had emerged as a true batsman.

“He has become a linchpin in Pakistan batting lineup. I am looking forward to establishing a partnership with him in an effort to give a solid foundation to the team’s

total,” he added.

He believes he is lucky to be leading the Pakistan team. “I am leading the team in my first ever T20 World Cup, which is a big responsibility for me. I am in form and have been scoring runs,” he said.

He wants Pakistan to repeat its 2009 performance when the team

won the title in England. “We want to repeat that performance. Winning [the] T20 World Cup in 2009 was big news for Pakistan,” he added.

On changes made ahead of the team’s departure to Dubai, Babar said some of the players were not in their best form. “In the absence of the scheduled series against New

Zealand and England, we organized National T20 to see the selected players’ form. Some of them were in the best form. That is why we made some changes in the team,” Babar said.

It is pertient to note that Babar Azam will be playing his first-ever T20 World Cup.

T20 World Cup: Oman off to flying start with 10-wicket triumph over Papua New Guinea DUBAI Monitoring report

India captain Virat Kohli played down the “hype” surrounding the high-profile upcoming T20 World Cup opening match against Pakistan, saying it’s “just another match for us” despite the ridiculously high demand for tickets.

India have never lost to their neighbours in either ODI or T20 World Cup games and Pakistan skipper Babar Azam said they are confident of beating the arch-rivals on October 24. Kohli however, when asked about the match, did not take the bait to make tall claims. “I honestly never felt so,” Kohli said when asked if it feels different whenever India meets its neighbour. “I have just approached this game as another game of cricket and I know there is a lot of hype around this game, more so with ticket sales and demands of tickets,” he added. On a lighter note, Kohli said he has refused a lot of friends who have asked for tickets. “[…] Right now, the value of those tickets are ridiculously high and that’s all I know, my friends are demanding tickets right left and centre and I am saying, ‘no’.” Kohli believes one needs to be professional and play the game in the right spirit as they would do with every match. “Apart from that, I don’t think we can make anything extra out of this game and for us, it’s a game of cricket that has to be played in the right spirit, in the way we know we can,” he said.

“Yes, the environment you can say is different from the outside and from fans’ point of view, definitely more excitement in the air but from a players’ point of view, we try to stay as professional as we can and always approach the game in the most normal way possible,” the Indian captain said.

Oman were off to a flying start in the Twenty20 World Cup on Sunday with a 10-wicket rout of debutants Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea were dismissed for 131 in 13.4 overs.

PaPua New GuiNea’s iNNiNGs: Oman skipper Zeeshan Maqsood won the toss and elected to bowl against Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea in response set a 130-run target for Oman to chase. The side was dismissed for 129-9 at the end of 20 overs with Oman skipper Zeeshan Maqsood coming away with the bulk of the haul — four wickets in exchange for 20 runs. Kaleemullah and Bilal Khan picked up two wickets apiece. Papua New Guinea’s top scorer was skipper Assad Vala, who made 56 runs off 43 deliveries. He was caught out off Kaleemullah’s ball taken comfortably by Jatinder Singh.

The only other remarkable performances were by Charles Amini (37 off 26) and Sese Bau (133 off 13). skiPPers’ commeNts ahead of match: Oman had the home advantage in just their second T20 World Cup and Maqsood believed the spinners in the team could do the trick at Al Amerat ground.

“The pitch looks dry and we have spin bowlers with us,” Maqsood said at the toss of the first round match.

“We have prepared really well and are looking to give our best and qualify for the next round.”

Scotland shock Bangladesh with six-run win at T20 World Cup

Sohail Amir wins gold at All Pakistan Triathlon ISLAMABAD App

All Pakistan Triathlon-2021 competition was held at Bahawalpur where Sohail Amir won the gold medal in the open category by completing the contest in 1 hour 15 minutes, said the InterServices Public Relations (ISPR). According to the military’s media wing, Amir also clinched the title of “Best Athlete”. Muhammad Bilal and Amir Abbas achieved second and third positions, respectively. As many as 552 triathletes representing all provinces of the country, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and GilgitBaltistan (GB) enthusiastically participated in this grand event. People from different government departments, the military, students of various colleges and universities, athletes from the Pakistan Triathlon Federation and Athletics Federation of Pakistan were also part of this event. The competition comprised three sports events, which included 300m swimming followed by 20 kilometres cycling and 10km cross country running in the end.

Bahawalpur Corps Commander Lt Gen Khalid Zia was the chief guest. Olympian Shahbaz Senior was the special guest of honour. The corps commander distributed medals and prizes among the winners.

A large number of notable dignitaries including Olympian Arshad Nadeem, hockey coach Khwaja Junaid, mountaineer Saima Baig, Olympian boxer Asghar Changezi attended the ceremony.

StAff RepoRt Chris Greaves starred with bat and ball as Scotland shocked Bangladesh with a six-run win on the opening day of the Twenty20 World Cup on Sunday.

Greaves’ 28-ball 45 guided Scotland to 140-9 and he then took two key wickets with his leg spin to keep down Bangladesh to 134-7 in the second first-round match of the day in Muscat. Pace bowler Brad Wheal returned figures of 3-24 as world number six Bangladesh suffered an

early setback in their fight to make the Super 12 stage.

Earlier, Bangladesh spinners Mahedi Hasan and Shakib Al Hasan claimed five wickets between them but Chris Greaves helped Scotland post 140-9 in their Twenty20 World Cup clash on Sunday.

The spin duo justified their captain’s decision of bowling first by taking regular wickets but Greaves gave Scotland crucial runs with his late cameo of 45 in Muscat. Scotland tried to rebuild after losing skipper Kyle Coetzer for nought but Mahedi soon struck twice in an over to send back Matthew Cross, for 11, and opener George Munsey, for 29. Shakib joined forces with another double strike and his wicket of Michael Leask for nought got him past Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga as the leading wicket-taker in T20 internationals.

Shakib, who is the only player to achieve a T20 double of 1000 runs and 100 wickets, returned figures of 2-17 while Mahedi was the wrecker-in-chief with 3-19.

Greaves, batting at number seven, hit back with four fours and two sixes in his 28-ball knock as Scotland plundered 53 runs from the last 30 deliveries.

Fowler takes lead in Las Vegas, eyes end to drought WASHINGtoN AFp

Rickie Fowler, aiming to put a season of struggle behind him, fired a nine-under-par 63 to grab a two-stroke lead over Rory McIlroy in the CJ Cup in Las Vegas.

Fowler notched his best round in three years, firing nine birdies without a bogey at the Summit Club, which is hosting the tournament usually held in South Korea because of the coronavirus pandemic. Fowler won the most recent of his five US PGA Tour titles at the 2019 Phoenix Open. Last season he failed to qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs for the first time in his 11-year career and he came into the week ranked 128th in the world.

He will have his work cut out for him on Sunday with low scores abounding at the Summit, where McIlroy

capped his bogey-free 10-under par 62 with a 21-foot eagle at the 18th. He was looking forward to the challenge.

“I haven’t been there a lot the last couple of years, so it’s nice to be back in that position,” Fowler said. “It’s been a long time coming. It’s been a long road, tough times. We’re not done.” Northern Ireland’s McIlroy was nine off the pace at the start of the round but raced up the leaderboard with five birdies in a row from the third through the seventh holes.

He added a birdies at the ninth, 12th and 14th before his final flourish. “I think on a course like this you’re going to have stretches where you’re going to play good golf and hit good shots and maybe just not hole the putts,” McIlroy said. “I played an eight-hole stretch yesterday in even par, I made eight pars in row. It was nice to finish with a birdie last night.

Britain’s Norrie ready to create history at Indian Wells LoNdoN: Cameron Norrie faces a tough challenge as he looks to become the first British man to win the Indian Wells tournament in California but the 26-year-old said he is feeling confident ahead of Sunday’s final against Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili. Norrie defeated Grigor Dimitrov 6-2 6-4 at the semi-final on Saturday to advance to his first ATP Masters 1000 final. The Briton, currently ranked 26th in the world, is set to break into the top 20 for the first time when rankings are updated on Monday. Britain’s Andy Murray, Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski have all previously played in the men’s finals at Indian Wells but finished runner-up. “It’s going to be difficult, but I’m feeling good physically and looking forward to getting out there,” Norrie told reporters. “I’m not really going to think about that too much. I think it’s very special, especially looking at the other names, Greg, Tim and Andy, all British tennis icons and legends. To be added to that list is extremely special for me. “The last two days have been the biggest matches of my career, so I’m going to go out there and it’s going to be the biggest match of my career again. Feeling all the nerves and all the pressure, it’s definitely great to experience that.” Norrie described Basilashvili, who beat Taylor Fritz 7-6(5) 6-3 in the second semi-final, as “super dangerous”. “He’s an incredibly tough player, especially when he’s this confident,” Norrie said. “He hits the ball big off both sides. He moves well. He’s a great athlete.” Sunday’s match will be Norrie’s sixth showpiece match of the year. He won his first ATP singles title at Mexico’s Los Cabos Open in July. reuters

Monday, 18 October, 2021

pRAyeR timings

NEWS

FAJR SUNRISE

ZUHR

ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

4:46

11:48

3:50

6:07

5:28

6:49

PPP to continue anti-govt camPaign until Pm Khan's ouster PPP CHAIRMAN SAYS COUNTDOWN FOR PTI GOVERNMENT'S END HAS BEGUN KArACHI

P

stAff RepoRt

PP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Sunday said that the PPP will continue its anti-government campaign until Prime Minister Imran Khan is ousted.

Addressing a rally at Karachi’s Baghe-Jinnah in commemoration of those martyred in 2007 in the twin terror attacks in the city’s Karsaz area, Bilawal said that the countdown to the government’s end has begun.

He was accompanied by several other PPP leaders including Sindh Chief

Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, PPP Sindh chapter president Nisar Khuhro and Bilawal’s sister Aseefa BhuttoZardari. Bilawal criticised the incumbent PTI government and said that the masses are suffering from historic inflation which has been unprecedented in the country’s history. Recalling how PM Khan had earlier said that growing inflation indicates that the premier is a thief, Bilawal said: “Pakistan has never seen a bigger thief in power than the current PM. This is the Naya Pakistan of Imran Khan where inflation is skyrocketing.”

He said that PM Khan “snatched employment opportunities from the people of Pakistan and took a U-turn on all his

promises.” “Whatever task Imran Khan undertook saw destruction instead of the promised tabdeeli (change),” he said.

The PPP chairman also criticised the government’s anti-encroachment drive as well as the introduction of the Single National Curriculum.

Bilawal went on to say that Imran Khan wants to turn the entire country into his [Corona Relief] “Tiger Force.”

‘PPP will bring people-friendly rule’ Expressing confidence in his party, Bilawal said that the people of Pakistan are aware that the next government will be formed by the PPP. “While PPP does not promise an economic turnaround, we can promise a peo-

ple-friendly rule,” he said. “Peoplefriendly decisions will be taken when people choose their own leaders.”

‘Benazir returned to Pakistan despite threats to life’ During his speech, Bilawal recalled the sacrifices rendered by his late mother — Shaheed Benazir Bhutto — and said that she was a brave woman who returned to Pakistan despite the threats to her life. “Shaheed Benazir had returned to Pakistan to rid this country of dictatorship,” Bilawal said, adding that bomb blasts on PPP rallies could not dampen the spirits of the jiyalas (loyalists),” said Bilawal. ‘Imran Khan takes wrong decisions’: Murad Ali Shah Prior to Bilawal, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah delivered a speech and talked about the growing inflation in the country. “PM Imran Khan takes wrong decision irrespective of who he consults,” said CM Shah.

He said that the incumbent government had made tall claims about its performance but failed to deliver, adding that Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari will rid the poor masses from the current government. Following CM Shah, PPP Sindh chapter president Nisar Khuhro also addressed the rally.

The PPP recalled that in 2007, following Benazir Bhutto’s arrival in Karachi, twin explosions took place on Karsaz, which claimed the lives of 177 party workers and injured more than 630.

“The PPP is the successor to all those who laid down their lives for the nation and for democracy,” the statement quoted Bilawal as saying.

Bilawal was also quoted as “saluting” all those individuals and as vowing that the party jiyalas (loyalists) will only breathe easy after they “put an end to the puppet drama” in the country.

Strict security measures were taken on the occasion to avoid any untoward incidents. As many as 4,111 police officers and personnel had been deployed in and around Bagh-e-Jinnah to ensure foolproof security of the party leaders and public. In addition to this, 102 women police officials had also been deployed at the meeting venue, said the authorities.

As many as 31 superintendents of police (SPs) and senior superintendents of police (SSPs) monitored the security situa-

Makkah’s Grand Mosque drops social distancing MAKKAH Agencies

The Grand Mosque in the Muslim holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia operated at full capacity Sunday, with worshippers praying shoulder-to-shoulder for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Workers removed floor markings that guide people to social distance in and around the Grand Mosque, which is built around the Kaaba, the black cubic structure towards which Muslims around the world pray.

“This is in line with the decision to ease precautionary measures and to allow pilgrims and visitors to the Grand Mosque at full capacity,” reported the official Saudi Press Agency.

Pictures and footage on Sunday morning showed people praying side by side, making straight rows of worshippers that are formations revered in performing

Muslim prayers, for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold last year. While social distancing measures were lifted, the authorities said visitors must be fully vaccinated against coronavirus and must continue to wear masks on mosque grounds. Also, the Kaaba remained cordoned off and out of reach.

Saudi Arabia announced in August it will begin accepting vaccinated foreigners wanting to make the umrah pilgrimage. The umrah can be undertaken at any time and usually draws millions from around the globe, as does the annual hajj, which abled-bodied Muslims who have the means must perform at least once in their lifetime. In July, only around 60,000 inoculated residents were allowed to take part in a vastly scaled down form of the annual hajj.

The COVID-19 pandemic hugely disrupted both Muslim pilgrimages, which are usually key revenue earners for the kingdom that rake in a combined $12 bil-

lion annually. Hosting the pilgrimages is a matter of prestige for Saudi rulers, for whom the custodianship of Islam’s holiest sites is their most powerful source of political legitimacy. The once-reclusive kingdom began issuing tourist visas permitting foreign visitors to undertake more than just the pilgrimages for the first time in 2019 as part of an ambitious push to revamp its global image and diversify income.

Between September 2019 and March 2020, it issued 400,000 of them—only for the pandemic to crush that momentum as borders were closed. But the kingdom is slowly opening up, and has started welcoming vaccinated foreign tourists since August 1.

Saudi Arabia also announced that fully-inoculated sports fans will from Sunday be allowed to attend events at all stadiums and other sports facilities, reported SPA. It has also said that masks in most open spaces are no longer mandatory.

‘imran Khan is lucky to have got such incompetent and useless opposition’: sheikh rasheed StAff report Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid said on Sunday that Prime Minister Imran Khan was not going anywhere and will complete his five-year term in the office. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, the interior minister said that the misunderstanding that Imran will be ousted should be cleared as he was here to stay. The minister criticised the opposition, saying the opposition leadership was digging its own grave. “The opposition has been saying since December last year that Imran is going to lose power, but it should clear any misunderstanding that it has about Imran Khan,” Rashid said, adding that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government will complete its term. “Imran Khan is lucky to have got such incompetent and useless opposition,” the interior minister claimed. The remarks by Sheikh Rashid came amid a standoff between PM Imran Khan and army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa over the appointment of a new ISI chief. In a notification issued on October 6, the ISPR had appointed Gen Nadeem Anjum as the chief of the premier spy agency, but the PM’s Office did not issue a notification over certain reservations. Talks between the two sides are underway; however, there hasn’t been any headway till now. Rashid also criticised Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz for bashing the state institutions, including the chief of the premier intelligence agency. He said it was “foolish” to call out the chief of an institution the way Maryam did, adding that the army shouldn’t be discussed in public places. According to Rashid, “Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s departure to London [for medical treatment] was planned.” He said that Nawaz was shedding “crocodile tears” while sitting in London. Speaking about the hike in petrol prices, Rashid said there was no doubt that Pakistan had a high inflation rate but the government was facing these challenges with strong resolve. He claimed that the Pakistani rupee went into a nosedive against the US dollar due to the situation in Afghanistan. He said the global spike in oil prices also resulted in the price hike in Pakistan, but the PTI was making all-out efforts to control inflation.

Pakistan opens air route to facilitate Afghanistan transit trade StAff report Pakistan has opened its air trade route for the first time to commercial cargo destined to landlocked Afghanistan to help its war-torn neighbour’s Taliban government deal with a deepening economic crisis, VoA reported.

“Islamabad International Airport is now opened for high-value Afghan transit trade,” Mohammad Sadiq, Pakistan’s special representative for Afghanistan, tweeted.

Sadiq said a chartered aircraft brought “various industrial inputs” to Islamabad on Friday and the Afghan transit cargo was then loaded into containers before being transported by road to Kabul through the north-

western Torkham crossing on the Afghan border. “I congratulate Pakistan Customs for arranging [the] first-ever plane-to-truck transfer of international cargo via Pakistan.

It shows Pakistan’s commitment to a geoeconomics led foreign policy,” the envoy tweeted.

In a later tweet, Sadiq also rejected as propaganda reported allegations that trucks transporting Afghan exports to Pakistan, mainly fresh fruits, were being blocked by Pakistani authorities from crossing the border. The envoy tweeted what he said was a picture of the Torkham terminal showing no fruit trucks were waiting on the Afghan side.

TRADE TREATY

A bilateral transit treaty, enacted in 1965 and renegotiated in 2010 with the United States mediating, grants Kabul the right to conduct duty-free international trade through Pakistan airports, seaports and overland routes. In turn, Islamabad is allowed to use the designated Afghan transit corridor to trade with Central Asian countries.

But strained political ties with the previous Kabul government had discouraged Islamabad from allowing the transit of any goods through its air trade route until now.

Kabul’s close security cooperation with Pakistan’s archrival India was also a source of mutual distrust. The tensions largely stemmed from allegations by Afghanistan

that the Taliban had been using sanctuaries in Pakistan from which to direct insurgent attacks against the Afghan government and US-led coalition troops for almost 20 years, charges denied by Islamabad.

The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August prompted Washington to freeze nearly $10 billion in Afghan assets, mostly deposited in the US Federal Reserve.

The restriction has raised the prospects of an economic meltdown in the povertystricken country where the United Nations says about 1 million Afghan children are at risk of starvation and at least 18 million more people need urgent humanitarian aid, citing years of conflict and a prolonged

drought. UN officials warn the approaching winter is only going to make matters worse.

HUMANITARIAN CRISISL The US and other countries have vowed to scale up humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan. But they have refused to grant the Taliban government legitimacy until they see the Islamist group keep its promises to protect the human rights of all Afghans, including women, and fight international terrorism.

For its part, Pakistan has sent dozens of truckloads of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, including food and medicines, nearly every day since the Taliban took over Kabul. Islamabad last month eliminated the sales tax on fruits imported from Afghanistan to encourage Afghan traders and farmers.

The move, officials say, has led to an increase in Afghan exports to Pakistan. Islamabad has also withdrawn a ban on exports of poultry products to the neighbouring country, hoping it would reduce the price of poultry there and ensure a supply of fresh chicken as well eggs to the general population.

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