Epaper – October 24 LHR 2021

CMYK

24 October, 2021 I 17 Rabi-ul-Awwal, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 115 I 12 Pages I Lahore Edition

no deal with us on use of airsPaCe for afghanistan military oPs: foreign offiCe ISLAMABAD

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staff report

HE Foreign Office Saturday denied press reports suggesting Islamabad has struck a deal to allow the United States to use its airspace for military and intelligence operations in Afghanistan.

It was responding to a CNN report which, citing sources, claimed the administration of President Joe Biden, in a classified briefing on Friday morning, told members of Congress it is nearing a formalised agreement with Islamabad to give Washington access to Pakistan’s airspace to conduct counter-terrorism operations in the war-ravaged nation.

The meeting was told Pakistan has expressed a desire to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in exchange for assistance with its own

counter-terrorism efforts and help in managing the relationship with India.

But the negotiations are ongoing, the report cites another source as saying, and the terms of the agreement, which has not been finalised, could still change.

“No such understanding is in place,” Foreign Office spokesperson Asim Iftikhar said in a statement.

“Pakistan and the US have longstanding cooperation on regional security and counterterrorism and the two sides remain engaged in regular consultations.”

The briefing comes as the White House is still trying to ensure that it can carry out strikes against Islamic State-Khorasan and other adversaries in Afghanistan now that there is no longer a US presence on the ground for the first time in two decades after the NATO withdrawal from the country in August.

The US military currently uses Pakistan’s airspace to reach Afghanistan as part of ongoing intelligence-gathering efforts, but there is no formal agreement in place to ensure continued access to a critical piece of airspace necessary for the US to reach Afghanistan.

The air corridor through Pakistan to Afghanistan may become even more critical if and when the US resumes flights into Kabul to fly out American nationals and others who remain in the country.

The third source said that an agreement was discussed when US officials visited Pakistan, but it’s not yet clear what Pakistan wants or how much the US would be willing to give in return.

With no formal agreement currently in place, the US runs the risk of Pakistan refusing entry to its military aircraft and drones en route to Afghanistan.

A Pentagon spokesman said the Defense Department does not comment on closed briefings

due to security classifications. CNN has reached out to the National Security Council, State Department and Pakistan embassy in Washington for comment.

UZBEKISTAN, TAJIKISTAN ‘LONG SHOT’ OPTIONS: At the same time, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan are emerging as the top options for possible locations to establish a US military presence to conduct socalled over-the-horizon operations in Afghanistan, the sources said, but both would run into severe opposition from Russia President Vladimir Putin and some local politicians.

“Both are long shots,” one source said, calling them “likely pipe dreams due to needing Putin’s blessing.”

Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman visited Uzbekistan earlier this month where she discussed “the way forward in Afghanistan” with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, according to a readout of the meeting.

Currently, the US conducts its over-the-horizon operations from bases in the Middle East, forcing drones to fly from distant bases, such as those in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, around Iran and through Pakistan air space before reaching Afghanistan.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 03

Pakistan succumbs to IMF pressure, Afghan situation to directly impact Pakistan: accepts new conditions: report Pakistan’s talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have not failed as the country has accepted most of the Fund’s new conditions.

According to the report, Islamabad will have to comply with the IMF’s news conditions, including increase in tax revenue, and ensure the implementation of a privatisation programme to secure the IMF loan programme.

“The IMF suggested that we review our economic targets and comply with conditions related to the power sector reforms,” the news outlet quoted its sources in the ministry of finance as saying.

The report said that the Fund has rejected the ministry ’s plan and its board will pronounce the final decision regarding the resumption of Pakistan’s loan programme.

However, the Ministry of Finance has said that Pakistan has accepted most of the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) new conditions and any reports suggesting that talks have failed are ‘premature’ at this stage.

Finance Ministry Spokesperson Muzzammil Aslam said in a tweet on Saturday that Pakistan will have to ensure the implementation of a privatisation programme to secure the IMF loan programme.

The spokesperson said dialogue with the IMF team is still underway, adding that a formal announcement on it will be issued as soon as talks conclude.

He said Pakistan will have to comply with the IMF’s new conditions if it wants the loan programme to be restored. “The IMF suggested that we review our economic targets and comply with conditions related to the power sector reforms,” he added.

The government will have to take measures to increase tax revenue, he said, adding that the IMF has rejected the ministry ’s plan and imposed conditions that would see an increase in interest rates and fixing the market rate of the dollar. The IMF board will make the final announcement regarding the loan program, added the spokesperson.

The statement came after local media reported that Pakistan and the IMF have

CONFIRMED CASES: Coronavirus in

1,267,945

Pakistan SINDH:

failed to finalise the Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies (MEFP) that would have concluded the Sixth Review under a $6 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF).

The government had found itself in a very tough situation with respect to the international money lender ’s demands.

There are risks attached for Pakistan either with or without the IMF loans.

Earlier on Monday, it was reported that a deadlock had persisted between Pakistan and the IMF as the global lender had put forward harsh conditions for the release of stalled loan, asking Islamabad to undo unnecessary tax holiday facility and raise the tax collection to Rs6,000 billion.

It was also reported that the talks between the IMF and Pakistan were not going in a smooth way as the Fund had asked for the abolition of unnecessary tax holidays and imposed a condition to raise tax revenue to Rs6 trillion.

The technical teams of both sides had failed to build consensus on gas and electricity prices. agencies

LAST UPDATED AT 7:38 AM ON OCT 23, 2021

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

15

NEW CASES:

552

438,818

ISLAMABAD:

1,215,505

467,142

PUNJAB:

DEATHS: 28,359

KP:

177,349

BALOCHISTAN:

AJK/GB:

RECOVERED:

33,171

106,655

34,428/10,382

says Fawad Chaudhry

DUBAI: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry has said that any situation in Afghanistan has a direct impact on Pakistan. Addressing a news conference in Dubai on Saturday, the information minister said that Pakistan is making efforts for peace in Afghanistan as the former wants stability in the neighbouring country. On the issue of recognition of the Taliban regime, Fawad said that Pakistan is taking regional countries along on the issue. Pakistan will not recognise the Afghan government unilaterally, the minister added. About the issue of price hike and inflation in the country, he said that outbreak of coronavirus raised worldwide commodity prices. He said that the rupee depreciated due to smuggling of dollars to Afghanistan. He said a record production of wheat and sugarcane has been registered this year and Rs1,100 billion added to the national economy in the field of agriculture. The minister said that the textile industry is also booming and it has booked orders till 2023. He said that record investment is also coming in the construction sector which created 300,000 new jobs. He added that foreign remittances have reached a new record which has boosted the foreign reserves of the country. The minister said that the current government has responded best to the pandemic. He said that coronavirus has hit the world’s five largest economies. Fawad said that giving the right to vote to Pakistanis abroad is a priority of the present government. agencies

02 NEWS Govt decides to raise specialized riot police iSLaMaBaD AhmAd AhmAdAni

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EDERAL cabinet has approved raising of a specialized Riot Police Force ostensibly to handle the protest demonstrations and directed the interior division to approach Planning & Development Division for funding and Finance division for creation of posts.

According to sources, the federal cabinet has taken note of the presentation made by Inspector General of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Police on raising of specialized Riot Police Force and approved the concept in principle with the directions that the purchase of equipment and training be taken up with planning & development division for funding through Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) and the finance division be approached for creation of posts.

The cabinet further directed the Interior Division to create a specialized cell in ICT Police to sternly check the illegal occupation of lands by the Qabza mafia. In order to strengthen the hands of the Police in this regard, the interior division shall also explore whether any legislation is required or not.

The Inspector General of ICT Police, in a presentation to the cabinet regarding raising of a specialized Riot Police Force, highlighted that ICT Police had been

working on the basis of manpower sanctioned in 2005. The population and other demographics had changed significantly. The Prime Minister had already approved creation of 3386 posts in 2019 spread over four phases. So far, only phase-I has been completed with the creation of only 437 x posts and the remaining phases remain unfunded.

Maintenance of law & order in Islamabad in the present era required use of technology for optimal results. ICT Police had already taken certain measures in this regard. The federal cabinet in its meeting held on 17-08-2021 had decided as under: “Present the summary regarding raising of the specialized Riot Police Force in the next cabinet meeting.”

“Accordingly, this proposal had been prepared after consulting the Turkish trained officers of Punjab Police and School of Public Disorder Management, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Police,” said sources.

As per details, approximately Rs 1829 million is estimated as cost of 16 drone units, video analytic software (VAS), artificial intelligence (AI) based 100 cameras, equipment, and manpower.

The Interior Division in its recommendation said that the decision taken by the Prime Minister in 2019 may be fully implemented by providing funding for phase-II and phase-III.

Sunday, 24 October, 2021 | LAHORE

GO & PAPCO sign White Oil Pipeline Multigrade Project Throughput Agreement, Celebrates 900 Retail Outlets

Adamjee Life and Sehat Kahani collaborate to provide free Consultation to Customers

Pr Pakistan’s fastest growing oil marketing company, Gas & Oil Pakistan Ltd. (GO) signed a White Oil Pipeline Multigrade Project Throughput Agreement with Pak Arab Pipeline Company (PAPCO). GO is also celebrating 900 retail outlets, the largest network in the private sector, and continues to forge ahead with its ambitious plan.

Highlighting the company’s strong commitment to the people, Mr. Khalid Riaz, CEO, GO and Zeeshan Tayyeb, COO, GO explained, “The project will now enable transport of petrol in addition to diesel through the White Oil Pipeline. Once fully implemented, all upcountry movement of petrol and diesel will be through the pipeline which will not only reduce transportations costs and improve road safety for the general public but will also have a positive impact on the environment by reducing pollution, traffic and carbon footprint. GO continues to hold on to its position of Pakistan’s fastest growing OMC. GO’s core foundation is built on serving the needs of customers in every corner of Pakistan. After completing one of the largest storage networks in the country, the speed at which we are expanding our retail network is a testament to our commitment to Pakistan.

Karachi PR

Adamjee Life Assurance Co. has entered into a partnership with Sehat Kahani; Pakistan’s fastest growing telemedicine platform to provide healthcare (OPD) services to all Adamjee life customers.

Through this collaboration, Adamjee Life customers will be able to have realtime access to certified doctors 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, free of charge, via Sehat Kahani's established telemedicine solution.

Mr. Jalal Meghani, Deputy Managing Director, Adamjee Life shared his views, stating, “Partnering with Sehat Kahani is a testament of Adamjee Life’s commitment to care for the well-being of its customers. We also have a strong resolve to work towards

developing a sustainable and robust healthcare infrastructure in Pakistan through the adoption of technology. Since we are in the still in the midst of the pandemic, this platform mitigates the exposure of patients who are sick or at-risk due to other conditions, as well as protect the healthcare workers and community at large.”

Dr. Sara Saeed Khurram & Dr. Iffat Zafar Aga, the co-founders and CEO & COO of Sehat Kahani respectively issued a combined statement on this partnership stating, “We take this as our national duty to step-up in the time of crisis where access to primary health is otherwise compromised. This application is not only helping the patients by providing them a safe and effective solution but has also helped easing the burden on healthcare facilities by 550,000+ patients to date.

Sunday, 24 October, 2021 | LAHORE

NEWS

RevivaL oF ancient SiLK Road to StRengthen RegionaL connectivity: oFFiciaL uNITed NATIONS

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StAFF RePoRt

HE China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the revival of the ancient Silk Road will strengthen infrastructure connectivity and develop a shared future for the peoples of the region, the permanent representative of Pakistan to the United Nations said.

In his remarks at a virtual briefing on the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) and the UN Global Sustainable Transport Conference, Munir Akram commended the Chinese government for successfully convening these two important meetings.

Akram said that the development of ecological civilization, proposed by the Chinese president, “could guide us on a path of sustainable development” which

benefits both man and nature.

Developed countries should “follow the footprints of China, to ensure predictable adequate and concessional finances for developing countries to meet climate goals,” said Akram.

“Pakistan has embarked upon various infrastructure development programs to enhance regional connectivity, improve the efficiency of transport and trade, logistics. Our vision is to provide safe, reliable, affordable, and modern means of communications, which effectively supports the economy, and acts as a catalyst for the socio-economic growth of the country,” he said.

“The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is one of

the largest rail and road connectivity projects in the world. We’ll be opening the Gwadar Port, and its use for transit trade with Central Asia and China,” said Akram.

The projects for the ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor will serve the prosperity and progress of the entire region.

“We are heartened by the possibility of restoration of peace in Afghanistan, which will increase the level of connectivity of these adjacent regions of Asia,” said the veteran diplomat.

The briefing was co-hosted by the UN permanent mission of China, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, and Conservation of Biological Diversity Secretariat.

Two soldiers, terrorist killed in N Waziristan clash ISLAmABAd StAFF RePoRt

Two soldiers and a terrorist were killed during an exchange of fire between security forces and terrorists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, an army statement said late Friday. The security forces conducted an operation in

US announces killing of senior al-Qaeda leader in drone strike

the North Waziristan district of the province on receiving a tip-off regarding the presence of terrorists in the area, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in the statement.

“During intense exchange of fire, a terrorist got killed. Weapon and ammunition also recovered from the killed terrorist,” the statement added.

Banned TLP March: Interior Minister reviews law & order situation in Lahore

WASHINGTON AFP

A senior al-Qaeda leader was killed in a US drone strike in Syria, the Pentagon said late Friday. The strike comes two days after a base in southern Syria, used by the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group, was assaulted.

“A US airstrike today in northwest Syria killed senior al-Qaeda leader Abdul Hamid al-Matar,” said Central Command spokesman Army Major John Rigsbee in a statement. There were no known casualties from the strike, he said, adding it was conducted using an MQ-9 aircraft. “The removal of this al-Qaeda senior leader will disrupt the terrorist organisation’s ability to further plot and carry out global attacks,” he said. At the end of September, the Pentagon killed Salim Abu-Ahmad, another senior Al-Qaeda commander in Syria, in an airstrike near Idlib in the country’s northwest.

He had been responsible for “planning, funding, and approving trans-regional AlQaeda attacks,” according to Centcom.

“Al-Qaeda continues to present a threat to America and our allies. Al-Qaeda uses Syria as a safe haven to rebuild, coordinate with external affiliates, and plan external operations,” Rigsbee said. The ongoing war in Syria has created a complex battlefield involving foreign armies, militias and militants.

The war has killed around half a million people since starting in 2011 with a brutal crackdown on anti-government protests.

The military did not reveal the name of the group against whom the operation was conducted. A surge in terrorist attacks on security forces has recently been witnessed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, with terrorists carrying out small but frequent attacks on security forces. The security forces have also intensified operations against militants to restore peace in the country.

LAHOre StAFF RePoRt

On the direction of Prime Minister Imran Khan, Federal Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad chaired a meeting to review law and order situation at Punjab Safe

City Authority (PSCA) Headquarter, according to a handout issued by PSCA media centre here Saturday.

The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Pir Noor ul Haq Qadri, Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Ali Amin Gandapur, Senator Ejaz Chaudhry, Provincial Law Minister Raja Basharat, Provincial Minister Chaudhry Zaheer-ud-Din, Punjab Chief Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal, Punjab IGP Rao Sardar Ali Khan, Additional Chief Secretary Home and Commissioner Lahore.

The meeting reviewed the overall law and order situation in the country, and Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) briefed the ministers on current law and order situation, as well as the strategy of law enforcement agencies.

The Interior Minister assessed various aspects of the protest of a banned organization and sought suggestions of all the departments concerned regarding future line of action. The meeting also considered the matters pertaining to dialogue with the banned organization, and it was agreed that all possible measures would put in order to maintain peace in the country.

PML-N MPA Nishat Daha passes away KHANeWAL StAFF RePoRt

Pakistan Muslim League (N) MPA Nishat Ahmed Khan Daha passed away here on Saturday.

According to family sources, he was ill for the past few months. Nishat Ahmed Khan Daha was a senior politician . He remained winner in elections

2008, 2013 and 2018.

In 2008, he won elections on PPP ticket.

However, in Elections 2013 and 2018, he secured victory on PML-N ticket. However, Nishat Daha, remained more close to PTI after his differences with PML-N. He held various meetings with CM Punjab Usman Buzdar and expressed confidence in policies of PTI government.

No deal with US on use of airspace for Afghanistan military ops: Foreign Office CONTINued frOm pAGe 01 The lengthy flight limits the time drones can loiter over Afghanistan gathering intelligence, and the Biden administration has been looking for closer, more effective options.

The commander of US Central Command, Gen Frank McKenzie, told lawmakers last month that he still has “the ability to look into Afghanistan,” but it is “limited.” McKenzie also said he was not confident in the US’ ability to prevent ISIS and al Qaeda from using Afghanistan as a launchpad for terrorist activity in the future.

“The US maintains ongoing ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) capabilities as needed to support the over-the-horizon and counterterrorism mission requirements,” a defence official told CNN. That includes not only

drones but also signals intelligence and cyber capabilities to monitor the situation in Afghanistan.

BIDEN PROMISED COUNTERTERROR CAPABILITY: President Joe Biden said in July, weeks before the evacuation from Afghanistan and the fall of Kabul to the Taliban, that the US would maintain its ability to operate in the country, even if US troops were no longer on the ground.

“We are developing a counterterrorism over-the-horizon capability that will allow us to keep our eyes firmly fixed on any direct threats to the United States in the region, and act quickly and decisively if needed,” he said on July 8.

But lawmakers have questioned the White House’s ability to fulfil that promise. The Pentagon has repeatedly said the US can continue to fight terrorism in the region

through over-the-horizon capabilities, but the Defense Department has not said where those capabilities will be headquartered in the region. “They’re building the plane as they fly it,” one Senate aide told CNN of what Pentagon officials have shared about over-thehorizon plans. On Thursday, Sen Jim Inhofe, Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the US is “in a worse place to understand and track the terrorist threats coming from Afghanistan,” following a classified briefing on Afghanistan.

The briefing included a discussion of over-the-horizon capabilities, according to a Senate Armed Services Committee aide.

Inhofe said in a statement that the briefing “confirmed” that the US “is now less safe than before Biden’s disastrous decision to unconditionally and entirely withdraw from Afghanistan.”

03

First ever Pakistan, Morocco joint drill concludes ISLAmABAd StAFF RePoRt

A joint counter-terrorism drill between the special forces of Pakistan and Morocco has concluded, the InterServices Public Relations (ISPR) said on Saturday. The Pakistan-Morocco Bilateral Joint Exercise 2021, the first-ever between the two militaries, was held at the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC) in Pabbi town of Nowshera District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

During the exercise, the two forces practiced various drills including cordon and search, compound clearance, close quarter battle, fast roping, rappelling and combat medics, said the ISPR press release. The training was aimed at sharing mutual experience in the counter-terror domain, rehearsing and adopting best practices and enhancing cooperation between the two militaries.

‘Like my kids’: Karachi man cares for 2,000 plants, trees every day KArACHI AnAdolu Agency

Blighted by the vagaries of unplanned urbanisation and unchecked industrialisation, Karachi is among the most polluted metropolises in South Asia. Already home to some 20 million people, the port city has little space left for the thousands turning up here every year in the hopes for a better future. Still, though, construction of more residential and commercial spaces — of every size and design imaginable — continues unabated in every nook and corner of Karachi, driven as much by the unceasing demand as the ruthless greed for profit of real estate developers. This relentless cycle has turned the coastal city, once known for its temperate climate and breezy evenings, into a concrete jungle gasping for fresh air, where trees and green spaces are reduced to almost a luxury.

However, there are still people striving to give Karachi a greener future, doing what they can in their limited personal capacities. Sabir Gul is one such individual, who has taken it upon himself to care for more than 2,000 plants and trees in a highend neighbourhood in Karachi’s eastern district. A retired gardener in his early 70s, Gul is part of a tree plantation campaign launched four years ago by AlKhidmat Foundation, one of Pakistan’s largest charity organisations. He is caring for plants and trees in Mohammad Ali Society, which has gone from being one of the city’s cleanest and greenest residential towns to a maze of high-rises and glossy buildings in the past two decades.

04 NEWS 24 October 2021_Layout 1 10/24/2021 12:13 AM Page 1

Sunday, 24 October, 2021 | LAHORE

04 NEWS

20 dePttS frOM PuNjab Set tO PartaKe iN dubai exPO 2020 LAHOrE

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shAhAb omer

HE Punjab government has stepped up measures to ensure the participation of 20 departments, including agriculture, construction, livestock, industry and trade and energy, in the Dubai Expo 2020.

A press conference was held at the Directorate General of Public Relations (DGPR) here on Saturday in which Provincial Minister for Industry and Commerce Mian Aslam Iqbal, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister for Information Hassan Khawar, CEO Punjab Board of Investment Dr. Arfa Iqbal and other officers attended.

Addressing the press conference, the provincial minister said that 20 departments including industries and trade, energy, agriculture, construction and

communications and livestock would participate in the Dubai Expo at different times. Iqbal informed that this important event [Dubai Expo] would highlight the country’s soft image and investment opportunities in Punjab. “The Punjab government is sending 25 talented youngsters registered as new startups to the Dubai Expo at its own expense and these talented youngsters will share their ideas at the Dubai Expo. Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar to inaugurate investor portal at Dubai Expo organized by Punjab Board of Investment and Trade.

Pakistan to host international business conference at Dubai Expo and seminars, panel discussions and other events will be held. Dubai Expo to be fruitful in bringing new investment to Punjab,” he added.

Iqbal further added that support was being provided to export oriented SMEs and the positive results of investor friendly

Rasheed returns from UAE to deal with law and order situation in country NEwS DESk Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed returned to Pakistan from UAE on Saturday morning after Prime Minister Imran Khan called him back to deal with the ongoing security situation in the country.

The opposition parties and a banned organisation, TLP, have staged separate protests in multiple cities of the country, resulting in Islamabad, Lahore and

Rawalpindi being partially shut down.

The prime minister urged the interior minister to return to the country to tackle the law and order situation. The minister arrived in Islamabad via the Airblue flight PA-213 from Sharjah.

The interior minister had gone to the UAE to watch the first match of the ICC T20 World Cup between Pakistan and India at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

policies were emerging as per the vision of the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister Punjab. “Billions of rupees in new investments in Punjab’s special economic zones and industrial centers and investments in Punjab’s Special Economic Zones is an alternative to exports. Punjab government takes concrete steps to facilitate business and Punjab is the first province to talk of abolishing NOC for investors. The Dubai Expo will be a useful event in improving the country’s image and promoting investment,” he said. Responding to questions from media, Iqbal informed that rising global prices of petroleum products have also affected Pakistan.

“Expensive input also increases business costs and the government has increased the subsidy price of wheat to the benefit of farmers to the tune of RS 1100 billion. A 20 kg bag of flour costs RS 1,100 in Punjab and RS 1,600 in Sindh

whereas sugar in Punjab is available at the cost of RS 90 per kg while in other provinces it is more than RS 110. Sugar prices fall due to the import of sugar,” he maintained. Iqbal informed that Punjab plays the role of elder brother by purchasing wheat and meeting the needs of Islamabad and other cities.

“The Sindh government should realize its responsibility instead of throwing the rubble of inflation on the federal government as price control is the responsibility of the provincial governments. We had face difficulties during Covid-19 pandemic, however, the government has given special incentives to the textile and construction sector. The effects of rising economic activity reach lower levels and the government is introducing a large program of targeted subsidies for the weaker sections under the Ehsas program,” he concluded.

NCOC daily update: 552 new cases, 15 deaths from Covid-19 ISLAMABAD sTAff rePorT

Pakistan added 552 Covid-19 cases over the last 24 hours, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) said on Saturday.

The number of overall confirmed cases has risen to 1,267,945, according to the NCOC, the department leading the campaign against the pandemic.

Another 15 people lost their lives to

the coronavirus over the last 24 hours in Pakistan, taking the overall death toll to 28,359, according to the NCOC, adding that 1,648 are in critical condition.

Over the last 24 hours, 842 patients recovered from Covid-19, bringing the total number of recoveries to 1,215,505, said the NCOC. Sindh is the worst-affected Punjab by the pandemic with 467,142 infections, followed by Punjab which has reported 438,818 cases.

10 militants, two soldiers killed in raids: police QUETTA The AssociATed Press

Counter-terrorism police killed nine militants in a shootout during a raid in Mastung District of Balochistan early Saturday, they said, and two soldiers and a militant were killed in a raid in the Miran Shah town of North Waziristan overnight.

A raid was conducted in the Mastung, the provincial counterterrorism department said in a statement. Earlier in

the week, a bomb attack killed a police officer and wounded 19 others in the same area. The statement said militants opened fire on police triggering a gun battle that left nine “terrorists” dead. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack but the bombing earlier in the week was claimed by the Tehreek-iTaliban Pakistan.

The statement said the raid also yielded nine Kalashnikov assault rifles, explosives and rocket-propelled grenades.

VavaCars welcomes Khalil Shahab as Country Manager PrESS rELEASE Established in 2019 in Turkey, and 2020 in Pakistan, VavaCars’ vision is to become the most trusted car transaction platform in emerging markets.

With the recent announcement of a successful Series B fundraise of $50 million, the company is committed to expanding in Karachi and growing its footprint across Pakistan.

VavaCars has revolutionized the traditional way consumers buy, sell or exchange cars, in the unstructured and fragmented used car industry. In the last 2 years, the company has built 6 Customer Centres in Karachi, and continues to deliver an enhanced customer experience, inline with its values of trust, transparency and

Carrefour Pakistan’s County Manager, Umer Lodhi received the ‘Best Taxpaying Company’ award from the President of Pakistan, Dr. Arif Alvi, at the inaugural Taxpayer Recognition Awards 2021. Pr

CMYK

convenience. Khalil Shahab is appointed as Country Manager to lead VavaCars acceleration and investment in Pakistan. Khalil was previously the Chief of Staff for a $1 billion fund focused on healthcare investments across emerging markets. He brings an extensive experience spanning various sectors including private equity, realestate development, and operations.

Khalil commented “I am excited to begin my journey with VavaCars and become part of an extraordinary mission to make it easier, simpler, faster for consumers to trade cars in Pakistan. The current team has built a disruptive business model in Karachi already and I look forward to working with them in taking the brand national.”

Syed Zulfiqar Ali Zaidi, Group EVP HR Strategy, Digitalization & Governance, PTCL & Ufone, receiving PSHRM ‘Best Place to Work’ Award on behalf of PTCL and Ufone from Rizwan Masood Member Executive Committee is also present of the occasion. Pr

corporate corner

NCSW Strategic Plan to be launched in October ISLAMABAD Pr

National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW), in collaboration with European Union funded Huqooq-e-Pakistan Project (HeP), is in the process of developing its Strategic Plan to establish the direction and structure of Commission’s future activities, said NCSW Chairperson Nilofar Bakhtiar on Thursday. NCSW Chairperson was speaking at a media consultation held on Thursday. She said that for this purpose, the Commission is holding consultations with stakeholders throughout the country. “These consultations are meant to gather a broad range of opinions to devise a pragmatic Strategic Plan for the Commission,” she said adding that the final document of the Strategic Plan would be launched by the end of October. Presided over by NCSW Chairperson Nilofar Bakhtiar and led by senior expert from HeP Dr. Osama Siddique, the consultations engaged participants on their views on the state of women’s rights in Pakistan and their level of awareness of NCSW’s role, past performance and achievements. The participants also held extensive discussions on NCSW’s functions and mission. Those who spoke on the occasion included Afshan Tehseen, Chairperson NCRC, Shunila Ruth, Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony and chief guest of the event Munazza Hassan, General Secretary Women Parliamentary Caucus. NCSW Chairperson Nilofar Bakhtiar said that the “Commission is committed to representing the diverse voices of women across every district in Pakistan as we work towards realizing gender equality in the public and private spheres.” She said that opinions and recommendations coming out from these consultations would be taken into account while preparing the NCSW’s Strategic Plan and determining next steps for the Commission.

Shell Pakistan announces financial results for Q3 2021 22 October, 2021 Pr The Board of Directors of Shell Pakistan Limited (SPL) announced the third quarter results for the company on 21st October. The company posted a profit after tax of PKR 296 million compared to the profit of PKR 1,812 million made in the same period last year. The nine months of 2021 saw a significant recovery compared to a very tough last year. The encouraging turnaround is mainly driven by improved business performance focusing on strategic priorities such as differentiated fuels and lubricants, cost efficiencies and safety for employees and customers.During this period, the Mobility business successfully launched Shell Recharge, an Electric-Vehicle Charging Station in Karachi, in collaboration with K-Electric Limited, aiming to lead the energy transition and provide the best-in-class customer value proposition in Pakistan. The Lubricants business is expanding its product offering through the diesel engine oil segment, which will help the company grow further. In collaboration with HANDS (Health and Nutrition Development Society), the company organized a Covid-19 vaccination drive through 15 mobile vaccination units in Karachi, Lahore and Multan with the aim to contribute to the Governments efforts and safeguard health and safety of the community. 12,500 individuals were vaccinated that also included community members around fuel stations and terminals.

Sunday, 24 October, 2021 | lahOrE

nEWS

‘ModErn nUTriTionAl WhEAT vAriETiES inTrodUCEd To hElp fighT diSEASES’

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UNJAB Minister for Agriculture Syed Hussain Jahanian Gardezi Saturday said that modern and improved nutritional varieties of wheat have been introduced to remove the deficiency of zinc, boron and iron in the daily diet.

“These modern varieties are not only resistant to diseases but also have high productivity. 68% of the population in Pakistan while one third of the people in the world are deficient in minor nutrients,” said the minister while addressing wheat seminar organized in Khanewal in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture and NGOs (Aghee, Gain and Harvest Plus).

The Agriculture Minister said that the present government is taking steps to alleviate nutrient deficiencies and ensure food security at the national level. Under the Agricultural Emergency Program, mega projects worth Rs. 300 billion are being implemented which will not only increase per acre yield of crops but also help in alleviating nutrient deficiencies.

“The wheat varieties which have been prepared by the Ayub Agriculture Research Institute,Faisalabad not only have good resistance against various diseases but good amount of zinc and iron found in these. He said that wheat crop is cultivated on the largest area in Pakistan.

This crop also contributes to the eco-

nomic stability of the farmers,” he said.

Gardezi said that further increase in yield per acre is essential to make the wheat crop more profitable.

“This year, one million bags of approved varieties of wheat are being provided at a subsidy of Rs. 1200 per bag and seeds of approved varieties of wheat are being sown on a total area of 10 million acres. Exhibition plots, seminars and Farmers’ Day are being organized to introduce modern production technology to the farmers,” he added.

The Minister further said that the National Program for Increasing Wheat Production per Acre with a significant amount of rupees.

“More than Rs. one billion in modern agricultural machinery and other agricultural inputs are being provided on subsidy. Farmers should take advantage of the facilities to reduce the cost per acre of cultivation and increase production and profit per acre”.

The Agriculture Minister further said that farmers should increase the use of machinery in agriculture so as to reduce production cost and cultivate more area and increase production per acre.

Additional Deputy Commissioner General Khanewal Akhtar Hussain Mandhir, Mubarak Ali Sarwar, Munawar Hussain, Qaiser Saeed and others also addressed the wheat seminar. staff rePort

Sikhs for Justice releases new map of Khalistan ISLAMABAD aPP

An organization Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) has released a new map of India showing not just Punjab but Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and several districts of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh as part of Khalistan.

Sikhs for Justice is a US-based Sikh organization that supports the secession of Punjab from India for the creation of Khalistan.

It was founded and primarily headed by lawyer Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. It was banned in India in 2019 as an unlawful association. The ban came after it started campaigns for a Punjab independence referendum in 2019 to carve out a separate Khalistan.

The organization has been fighting a long peaceful legal battle against the Indian government and politicians involved in the 1984 deadly operation against Sikhs since 2011. Sikhs For Justice had filed criminal and human rights cases in the US courts against prominent leaders of the Congress Party (involved in Golden Temple Massacre).

In February 2014, the organization filed human rights violation case against then Indian PM Dr. Manmohan Singh (a Sikh himself) for his role as finance minister of India in the 1990s accusing him of “funding crimes against humanity perpetrated upon the Sikh community in India”. They also submitted a report to United Nations Commission on Human Rights on 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

SFJ started organizing a campaign for ‘Referendum 2020’ for the secession of the Indian Punjab state from India. The campaign was delayed due to the covid-19 pandemic.

Sukhpal Singh Khaira, MLA of Punjab Legislative Assembly and the Leader of Opposition at the time, said, “Sikh Referendum 2020 was a result of consistent policy of bias, discrimination and persecution towards the Sikhs by successive governments in India”.

The new map clearly depicts that the area will be cut off from India and made the Sikh country “Khalistan”.

SFJ has designated areas that would be seceded from India for the establishment of Khalistan.

In Rajasthan, far-flung Bundi and Kota have also been counted as ‘Khalistan.’ It has been

Inflation: PDM holds token demos in Sialkot, Multan & Jhang SIALKOT agencies

The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) Saturday staged demonstrations in Sialkot against rising inflation, growing unemployment and economic devastation.

Addressing the people present at the protest, PML-N leader Khwaja Asif said: “We need transparent elections as this is the only solution to inflation.”

“The government is not representative of the people, it is working for the mafia,” Jamiat Ahle Hadith leader Sajid Mir said, adding that “the opponents of Nawaz Sharif are also remembering (fondly) him now”.

The Opposition alliance also held protests in Multan and Jhang.

PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said that the series of protests would continue.

“Demonstrations will be held in Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Multan, Bhakkar, Mianwali, Sahiwal and Mian Channu tomorrow,” she said, adding that PDM will also hold protests against inflation in Nawabshah, Dadu, Thatta, Sujawal and Mithi.

It is pertinent to mention here that the PDM kicked off its 15-day nationwide protest on Wednesday from Rawalpindi against the continuous rise in the prices of petroleum products and edibles.

Earlier, the Opposition Alliance’s spokesman Hafiz Hamdullah had said committees will be formed at the provincial level to hold the protests.

Committees will be formed in Punjab, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Islamabad to determine the locations of the protests in consultation with the districts, he said.

Hamdullah said that the duration of the demonstrations is two weeks which can be extended over time.

“The PDM leadership and members of the parliament will participate in the protests as much as possible,” the spokesperson had added.

England thrashes West Indies with worst T20 defeat West Indies went down for their lowest total, 55, in a T20 World Cup, while it was also the lowest score by a team that has the full-member ICC status.

The Eoin Morgan-led England decimated the West Indies batting line-up as Kieron Pollard’s men were all out for a scanty 55-run total in the T20 World Cup. West Indies’ lowest total in T20Is is 45, which was coincidentally against the same side — England.

The lowest totals in a T20 World Cup have been scored by the Netherlands — 44 and 39.

After being asked to bat first, Kieron Pollard’s men were all out for a scanty 55-run total. England chased down the target in the 9th over, securing the victory by 6 wickets. Moeen Ali opened the bowling and made an instant impact, first with a sharp running catch to remove Evin Lewis. He then got the wicket of Lendl Simmons who tried going over the top.

Losing both openers inside three overs, Chris Gayle and Shimron Hetmyer up with five boundaries. How-

ever, their threat was immediately nullified by Moeen Ali yet again as he removed Hetmyer.

Moeen Ali, bowling all four of his overs in one spell, returned the figures of 2-17 with a maiden as well.

Pacer Tymal Mills claimed two wickets including Gayle, who was the only batsman to make double figures with his 13, as West Indies crumbled in a poor batting performance.

Struggling at 44 for 6, Adil Rashid was brought into the attack who further piled on the pressure by removing Andre Russel for naught. He then took two more wickets in successive balls in his next over and then wrapped up the innings.

The leg spinner took a total of four wickets and gave away only two runs from his 2.2 overs, his best bowling figures in the T20I format.

England, chasing 55, had a chance to secure an even hefty net run-rate advantage but West Indies bowlers gave them a tough time. staff rePort

CMYK

claimed that these parts will be cut off from India.

The map was released ahead of the organization’s effort to hold a world over the non-binding peaceful referendum to gauge support for creation of Khalistan beginning next week (Oct 31st) in London, at the Queen Elizabeth Centre. The referendum is likely to gather huge support for the just cause and demands of Sikhs of India.

Sikhs have been facing systematic persecutions and continuous exploitation at the hands of successive Indian governments. The movement itself is a big question mark on the secular face of India.

The latest move by the organization fully supported by Sikhs all over the world is a clear sign of the desperation of minorities in India to get out of the hold of highly biased and brutal Hindutva regime.

The demands of Sikhs also exhibit that minorities of India now clearly understand that the future of their coming generations is at serious risk. The world community and international stakeholders and organizations must take appropriate measures to avert the looming human catastrophe for Muslims and minorities in general and Kashmiris in particular.

05

corporate corner JS Bank and Embassy of Spain Unveil A Coffee Table Book Titled ‘A Walk Through Spain’ ISLAMABAD: JS Bank and the Embassy of Spain jointly hosted the unveiling of a pictorial journey in the form of a coffee table book titled “A Walk Through Spain” by Pakistani artist Ammar Zaidi at the Spanish Ambassador’s Residence in Islamabad. The ceremony was attended by leading representatives from the diplomatic corps, federal government, business community and civil society. Capturing the essence of Spain’s historical landscape and beauty, this photobook lays out a breathtaking timeline of the rich multicultural history of the country with the journey being undertaken at the behest of the Spanish Embassy to Pakistan. Speaking at the event, H.E Manuel Durán Giménez-Rico, Spanish Ambassador to Pakistan said, “It is insightful to see how the history of Spain has been depicted.

The author has brilliantly highlighted the intricacies and beauty of Spain’s diverse heritage.

By fostering such avenues of inter-cultural exploration and sharing of experiences, we hope to strengthen the bond between the people of Pakistan and Spain.” Thanking JS Bank for their support, the artist stated, “I reached out to JS Bank in light of their initiatives to support the arts and literary culture in Pakistan. There is no lack of talent in Pakistan and I hope my work inspires other authors to tell their stories, share their journeys and further enrich the literary landscape of our nation.” Imran Haleem Shaikh, Chief Operating Officer – JS Bank, emphasized on the importance of such initiatives, saying, “JS Bank, as an institution dedicated to Pakistan and its people, is delighted to support the work of local artists. It is our hope that this contribution will deepen the ties between Pakistan and Spain and serve to further enhance our nation’s image as a center of arts and learning on a global stage.” JS Bank has continually undertaken efforts to support arts and literature in Pakistan. Over the years, the Bank has identified and nurtured artists, while also celebrating and showcasing their work at international and national platforms such as the Pakistan Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, the Karachi Biennale and more. Pr

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Sunday, 24 October, 2021

06 COMMENT

Roar of Proposed Super Regulator in Media

Storm in a teacup Or beginning of the end?

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EDERAL Planning Minister Asad Umar has called the opposition’s protests against rising prices and high unemployment a storm in the teacup. Ministers and the government’s hired spokesmen continue to transfer the blame for the government’s failed economic policies to the previous government. This was easier to sell for a while after the PTI came to power. But parroting the same excuse after having been in power for three years sounds hollow even to several PTI lawmakers, who have told the party leadership that they can no more face their voters with the explanation. In the national Assembly debate on Friday the opposition held the government’s imprudent fiscal policies responsible for the swelling external debt and the historic decline in the rupee-dollar parity. The SBP Governor was taken to task over his unconscionable statement regarding exchange rate depreciation having benefited overseas Pakistanis. It was asked if it was wise to sacrifice the welfare of 220 million Pakistanis to benefit seven million expatriates.

The government has itself raised the expectations of the common people by telling them not to worry as good times were coming while the fall of the rupee was a temporary affair. Despite the assurances, the plight of the common man has continued to worsen. The opposition’s protests could turn out to be a storm in the teacup if the government had any realistic plan up its sleeve to stem the worsening economic conditions. The PM had little to tell the Punjab Chief Minister beside activating Price Control Committees and cracking down against profiteers and hoarders. The playbook tricks have been tried several times and found to be ineffective. What is exasperating is that promises continue to be made without a follow-up, the latest being a petroleum subsidy for motorcyclists and rickshaw drivers.

It would have been a storm in the teacup if the opposition had remained divided over what to do next. But all the opposition parties are agitating against the government’s failure to bring down prices. Despite their several dissensions they are vying against one another on mobilising the people against the government. Meanwhile the government has alienated its protectors also. The protests on Friday held in all major towns of the country could thus turn out to be the beginning of the government’s end provided the opposition not only builds up anti-government momentum but also maintains it.

muhAmmAd NAveed ChohAN

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T sounds well to have a new legal and regulatory framework to reform any sector of the economy or any institution for general welfare of the public, to respond to technological advancements and compete in the global community. But it gets spoiled, when such measures are taken without following due process as followed in the democratic jurisdictions. In such situations, negative assertions of stakeholders are quite obvious.

Such is the case with the formation of a so-called superregulator in media through PakistanMedia Development Authority (PMDA) Bill 2021 by abrogating multiple laws [like The Press Council Ordinance 2002; The Press, newspaper, news Agencies and Books Registration Ordinance 2002; the Pakistan Electronic Media Ordinance 2002 as amended PEMRA Amendment Act 2007; the Motion Pictures Ordinance 1979 and the newspaper Employees (Condition and Service) Act 1973].

Since the inception of private media in Pakistan, its pivotal role is evident to protect national and strategic interests at various levels. Unveiling mega-corruption scandals in national organizations (like Pakistan Steel Mills, PIA, nICL, and so on.) is deemed a landmark achievement of the media. It immensely contributed to promote the positive image and foreign policy of Pakistan. But in the ongoing situation, there are two main issues in circulation regarding proposed law, the need for such legislation, and the future outlook of the media sector based on this bill. If we examine other jurisdictions, the concept of a super regulator in the media, broadcasting and telecom sector is not new. Countries like the UK, Australia and Canada already have such organizations with more powers and extent of jurisdiction. So, following in the footsteps of these countries, the major need to form this new regulator was felt due to rapid technological

Ali Azmat’s rant Trashing an iconic figure won’t get a has-been any kudos

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Social media in our daily lives

AAdil AhmAd

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n obstacle that has entered the lives of each and every individual living today, old and young, mature and immature, able and unable: social media. Social media has become a terrible norm upon which the determination of your ‘normality’ is made. In the presence of six different types and 100 different social media platforms that exist today, with no cap on amount of usage, motive of usage or extent of usage, a problem exists.

Facebook. 2.2 billion users worldwide, and a name known by so many more. Due to the variety of options associated with this, like surfing different Facebook pages, Facebook messenger, Facebook games and posting pictures and personal information as biographies and stories to ‘connect with friends’ people often indulge in its use. Even though the convenience associated with being able to talk to and share things like whereabouts with people that care, make it seem utopic, its overuse is a very usual phenomenon today which has degrading physical effects like eyesight detriments, chances of epilepsy, and facial slackening, as well as emotional and psychological determinantsd like depression, seizures and adverse reactions from certain responses from viewing certain trigger-provoking content.This makes it much less of the utopia it is made out to be.

Other than that, the very misleading and vague user-unfriendly privacy settings and privacy infringe-

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the Federal Government of Grade 21/22 officers of the Information Group. Such a model is in question, why another traditional bureaucratic setup has been proposed rather than having professionals with new vision to develop media on modern lines. Presence of five ex-officio members (Information Secretary, Interior Secretary, Chairman PTA, Chairman FBR, Chairman Competition Commission of Pakistan) will further strengthen such a typical approach.

Even six appointments of eminent citizens by the Federal government have not been made clear regarding qualification and ‘fit and proper’ criteria. As per law, there is nothing new in terms of operations and enforcement. Section 14 allows the appointing of three full-time executive directors of grade 20 and above from the Information Group officers to head electronic, print, and digital directorates. It shows the new regulator will be a bureaucratic club to promote a certain agenda rather than having specialist minds to develop this sector.

In this situation, it is questionable how conflict of interest will be enforced as mentioned in Section 10.

It will also make it a dubious platform for issuing licenses, registration certificates (as new arrangement) and nOCs as required in Section 19. Under proposed Section 27, Media Complaints Council (MCC) and Advisory Commission for appointments in MCC are highlighted as reformative steps in terms of enforcement by following the Comply and Explain approach.

However, Section 28 allows prosecuting wrongdoers without notice, against the basic principle of law. Even in sections 31 and 40 in terms of punishments no levels or types of punitive arrangements have been suggested and single handedly it dealt with the punishment of up to three/five years as well as fine up to Rs 25 million.

Under section 35 formation of tribunal containing 10 members make it a distinguishing law but it appears more a quasi-judicial platform where only chairman is from legal stream and other members will be appointed by the president on the recommendation of Advisory Commission. As per section 36, it is also pertinent that the tribunal will act as the appellate authority of orders pronounced by MCCs or authority, without the supervision of the superior judiciary. Exclusion of such courts makes this law more debatable. These serious questions compel a rethink of this proposed law regarding the governance, capacity, and jurisdiction of the PMDA. Overall, the new legislation strongly push one to believe there is an attempt to produce something new with the same conventional,and outdated arrangements without any out-of-box solutions.

The writer is an Advocate High Court, and specialized in Corporate and Financial Law from the University of Liverpool, and can be reached at mnav.chohan@gmail.com

Assessing the Negative Effects

nETIME Junoon lead singer Ali Azmat tried to make everyone sympathize with how tough a childhood he had by saying that his generation was brought up on PTV, with Madame noor Jehan appearing in full make-up. When there was uproar at the dragging in of one of Pakistan’s most successful singers, he issued an apology that was no apology, but a restatement of his claim. Mr Azmat does not have the excuse of being a historian of music, in which he might speak about a musical icon however irreverently as he wanted. It is perhaps not surprising that Mr Azmat should pitch into someone who is no more, and thus unable to reply herself, but it is surprising that he should have chosen to attack someone from the same industry. Perhaps he was displaying some of the brashness of the rock music he played, as opposed to the more structured (and better mannered) tradition that noor Jehan represented.

Perhaps Mr Azmat might ponder her longevity. She started her career, as singer and actress, well before Partition, and continued well after. In fact, at the stage where Mr Azmat is in his life, she was still very much active. It was only when she was physically incapable that she stopped singing professionally.

Mr Azmat and his whole generation of rockers did not bring to PTV, or its audience, anything like the impact that noor Jehan had. To mock her is to mock an entire tradition, not just of music, but also of cinema, a field to which Mr Azmat did not contribute. Perhaps Mr Azmat does not want his rant to be taken as a cry for attention by a has-been whose own career is over. Perhaps Mr Azmat might profit from noor Jehan’s own example when, after so many decades of ruling the music industry, she was no longer able to contribute: she maintained a dignified silence. But then, she had a huge body of achievement, which could be left to speak for itself. Even his most diehard fan could not say the same about Mr Azmat.

Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

developments, new mechanisms of information and to protect social values as well as national interests of the country. Scattered, unperforming and numerous regulators are also major reasons to consider this measure. Outdated regulatory frameworks in print, electronic and more importantly, the absence of a digital media regulator, impelled the forming of this powerful organisation. It is also alleged that the failure of self-regulations by the media houses is the major reason to have such a type of regulator.

It seems hasty to form such a watchdog without appropriate input from stakeholders and public consultation, which turned this move suspicious. In the critical perspective, PMDA is an attempt to bring digital media under a regulatory regime to curb fundamental rights, especiallyFreedom of Speech, Expression and Information, embodied under Constitution in Articles 19 and 20. Where such rights have been granted there are certain restrictions as well to create balance.

Unfortunately, due to technical advancements, rapid growth of online platforms, scattered regulatory regimes and weak judicial enforcement in the country could not allow the forming of a balanced approach.

PEMRA, in the absence of any cooperation with other regulators, could not do any solid groundwork to deal with the new phenomena of Over-the-Top (OTT) media services, illegal Web TVs, fake news websites and social media accounts. Mobile and broadband users are on rise in Pakistan and have touched 185 million mobile and 104 million broadband users. The capacity of PEMRA is also in question to deal with more than 114 channels, 258 FM radios, 6 mobile TVs, 12 IPTVs and 4026 Cable TVs. The inder-performance of the Press Council of Pakistan and Audit Bureau of Circulation in dealing with 1672 certified newspapers is a major reason too.

In this situation, it is needed to find whether proposed law will respond to all these issues or is just window dressing. As per the PMDA bill preamble, all sorts of media, whether print, electronic or digital, are going to converge under one roof with the aim to make Pakistan a main global centre in terms of information flow. It has been claimed the PMDA will be an effective as well as transparent regulator to ensure the constitutional rights of all.

Promotion of competition in media and to stimulate national culture globally is the part of the object statement. It has also been planned to ensure ease of doing business in media along with inexpensive and quality services. It has been committed to develop media in a new spectrum with a developmental mindset. But in reality, the planned regulatory governance is not following the right approach. As per Section 6 of the PMDA Bill, the authority will be constituted of 11 members (including Chairman), appointed by

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Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

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ments by the platform as pointed out when 15 privacy and consumer protection organizations filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission about how Facebook manipulates privacy in the spirit of their personal agenda through third party involvement, have led to it becoming more of a detriment in people’s lives. Among this, some using Facebook found their private chats on display for the public. This shows the reliability and the real outcome of the platform.

These are among a multitude of examples that exist today as to how there are multi-pronged problems with social media platforms, going from ethically to as far as physically and psychologically.A second example is Snapchat which has an extremely high percentage of reporting of unacceptable behavior and mass cyberbullying. It also exposes children to the adult world by freely letting anything being uploaded on Snapchat’s staple ‘story’ feature. Alongside Snapchat, Instagram also uses filters to project pictures of ourselves in a much better light. These pictures do not compute with our brain as it is scientifically proven that these filters increase cortisol, the stress hormone, and lead to reductions in happiness and selfworth due to the projection of perfection of others.

The dangers of social media and its overuse range not only to personal problems but have farreaching effects like the lack of productivity and increase in procrastination, communication problems and real-world relationship upkeep decreasing by a fair margin. Furthermore, children lose sight of important things like physical activities and strength-

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

ening of friendships and family bonds. Alongside this, the way society has frailly constructed the world we live in is that having a certain device and being ever-present on these platforms is ‘cool’ and something increasingly worrying is that even children around the age of five and seven may be isolated in certain social groups due to a lack of social media presence. Accompanying this, children and adults alike are often led toward misdirection due to the lack of attentiveness associated with the use of these social media platforms and the mediums of using them, like iPads and iPods.Chaperones could lose sight of children in a crowd due to being engrossed within social media and the excess of this obsession could lead to things like accidentally tripping over or car accidents. Social media addicts people to the extent where they use their devices at all times and fall prey to the aforementioned problems. The immaturity associated with using these platforms and the pull that they generate to make people use them again and again, also makes them vulnerable to strangers accessing personal information about them which leads to monumental potential harm, and the audience of today that uses it is not even fully educated in terms of how to deal with advances from strange people or with offers from the platform.

The immaturity associated with using these platforms and the pull that they generate to make people use them again and again, also make them vulnerable to strangers accessing personal information about them which leads to monumental potential harm, and the audience of today that uses it is not even fully educated in terms of how to deal with advances from strange people or with offers from the platform

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Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

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The simple solution to this is attentiveness and moderation. These two things can help reap the benefits that these social media platforms undoubtedly provide, alongside the priority, safety.

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

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Sunday, 24 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

Child abuse in Pakistan

A moment of reckoning beckons This must be made a test case

Candid Corner RAoof hAsAN “It is perfect. Blurred lines. It is when fact and fiction become indiscernible. Fantasy and reality fade into a colour of grey yarn and you become tangled up in it and cannot escape into the world of black and white you desperately need as proof of the reality of life itself.”

–Scott Hildreth

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n order to earn credibility in any profession, or any kind of undertaking, it is absolutely vital that one lives by its cardinal principles. That will not only elevate personal stature, but also the respect of the profession that one is associated with. But examples of such correctness are scarce, getting more so with time. This speaks of a monumental tragedy that stalks our times and all that we undertake in our pursuits.

Media, the claimant to being the fourth pillar of the state, has been under the scanner for a long time, and for good reasons, too. Principally, it pertains to gross dereliction of responsibility in handling matters which demand an exceptionally professional treatment. Unfortunately, personal likes and dislikes are allowed to distort and demonize the content by giving it an angle or slant that should be absent if reporting were conducted without violating the inherent professional parameters of journalism.

The problem does not end there. Quite often, situations are fashioned which have no relevance with the reality on ground. These are fabrications which serve the premeditated purpose of promoting one kind of narrative or the other which, in turn, is funded by one party or the other. In the recent past, a female journalist has indulged in a similar practice where she gave a free ride to her gravely infected imagination during the course of writing a column.

All kind of journalistic aids including insinuations, innuendos, downright unsubstantiated allegations and suchlike other tools were employed to indulge in character assassination of the First Lady who has no role in politics.

When the journalist was pressed for showing proof of her narrative, she tried to hide behind the veil of her profession, and being a female journalist at that!

This is not the first time this particular journalist has indulged in such a detestable practice.

If one were to review her programmes and columns over the years, one can trace a definitive strand of viciously orchestrated propaganda.

Almost always, her journalistic undertakings are found to be promoting a particular line of argument alone. This is never substantiated with any facts and the illusion thus created keeps gener-

ating false perceptions about the targeted party.

In a situation that she has now created, it is incumbent upon her to come forth with tangible evidence to support her vile allegations contained in her column under review (Bare Ghar Ki Kahani). no journalist anywhere, even in the democratic world, would be able to get away with such wicked parlance contrived for targeting a particular person. Also condemnable is her attempt to wear the apparel of journalism to hide her grave transgression. Such a venomous undertaking is neither condonable, nor it should be.

It is the responsibility of the journalist community to hold her to account. Unfortunately, some of them have also joined the chorus that it falls within the broad domain of ‘journalism’ and, therefore, the individual is not accountable.

That is nothing better than crass blabber. nobody has the right to indulge in character assassination of this kind and nobody should be allowed to get away without having to answer for the allegations that are alleged, or insinuated.

We had a similar incident in the UK recently where one Reham Khan had indulged in levelling baseless allegations against Zulfi Bokhari.

When taken to the court, she not only ended up paying a hefty sum as fine, she also had to make a public apology to the person she had accused of wrongdoing.

Why can’t people in Pakistan, journalists or no journalists, be also held accountable for false and fabricated allegations? Why doesn’t the journalist community ensure that this contemnor of the profession is held to account, which will not only discourage this wicked practice in the future, but also raise the stature of the profession?

My guess is that this would not happen as there are far too many journalists indulging in this nefarious trade and their unions will erringly feel duty bound to defend their crimes rather than have them exposed. But, then, it is also true that this vile practice cannot be allowed to continue unhindered as it damages far too many people through knitting false and contrived narratives about them. The law must take its course which should be made more stringent and effective so that those who transgress their professional limits are punished for their misdemeanours. They cannot be allowed to keep stalking their targeted victims. The law should ensure justice for the victim, not exonerate the offender.

I would strongly recommend that this may be made a test case to stimulate a drive to correct the grey areas. It cannot be that when others do a wrong, they should be punished, but when a ‘journalist’ indulges in doing a similar wrong, he or she is allowed to hide behind the veil of his or her profession. And if such a person takes the position of being a woman, she should not forget that the person she has accused without any substantiating evidence also happens to be a woman. no, she should not be provided an escape this time. She has indulged in this practice far too often in the past. This must end. now is the time.

Journalism is a key profession in the coun-

try, more so in an evolving society where it should generate positivity and professionalism.

But if it is held hostage by the likes of the female author of the column, it is bound to degenerate which, incidentally, it has with time. That makes the corrective task even more essential. First, this process of degeneration has to be stalled by naming and shaming the culprits who have rendered it so, a list which should carry the name of this female journalist in bold letters.

Then the profession has to be put in an orbit that would take it on course to espousing the qualities which are associated with professional journalism. It would be criminally inappropriate to let the culprits escape unscathed as they are bound to continue contaminating the pond, thus paving the way for others to fall into the pit.

The kind of journalism that is being practised in a debased form of what it actually should be. It stinks from a million miles away as do some of those who practice it. But there are also some in the profession, and I know them personally, who are ashamed of being part of this circus which has been hijacked by a bunch of criminals who have no values and who are in it only to sell their souls. They do so for a price. In the process, they defile the name of the entire profession.

I also know instances where, in spite of ample reason, the voice of the media remains muted. For example, has there ever been a critical comment broadcast from any television channel, or made into a news item about one Riaz Malik who once allegedly acknowledged having bribed the journalist community complete with description of gratifications, their value as well as means of transmittal to the alleged recipients? I did not see any initiative whereby the journalist community could have blunted these accusations. Instead, enquiries in this regard were met with stone deaf silence which continues to this day.

This attitude does not render them angels. The opposite would be truer. The journalists named would be considered complicit as alleged.

Here is an opportunity for the journalist community. They should proceed forthwith in singling out the culprits among their ranks to cleanse the profession. It is time to learn and teach the art of sifting fact from fiction. The profession of journalism cannot be diminished owing to the vile conduct of some of its practitioners. It cannot be reduced to becoming an instrument to exact revenge from your political adversaries, that for a pound of flesh. In the event this practice continues, the future of the entire profession will be jeopardised beyond a prospect of remedy. It would also be completely stripped of the respect that is accorded to it, though grudgingly! A moment of reckoning beckons.

Then the profession has to be put in an orbit that would take it on course to espousing the qualities which are associated with professional journalism. It would be criminally inappropriate to let the culprits escape unscathed as they are bound to continue contaminating the pond, thus paving the way for others to fall into the pit

The writer is a political and security strategist, and heads the Regional Peace Institute – an Islamabad-based think tank. Email: raoofhasan@hotmail.com.

Twitter: @RaoofHasan

ARTICLE 25 (1) of the pakistani constitution states that “all citizens are equal before Law and entitled to equal protection of Law” Children also need to be protected but unfortunately children are suffering from child abuse as Child abuse is one of worst issue by which Pakistan is suffering . child abuse is an action of abusing the children when they are at a young age .children are abused sexually and also you say the child Labour one of the abuses on children when at young age they go for work they are beaten and sexually abused that makes their physical contact bad. There are many people who involve the children in bad works like drugs, sexual participation and force them to do bad things .

Furthermore children are very innocent and are most vulnerable, least powerful and they are unable to protect themselves from the abusers.child abusers often know how to emotionally manipulate their intended victims , gaining their trust well in advance of the actual abuse . furthermore there were many children who were raped and killed in these following years , some of the following cases have occurred in workplace the issue is pending and children are unsafe According to the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse (ISPCAn), overall ust41.69 percent respondents were sexually abused in one form or another. Child abuse is become social problem in Pakistan this all because of the poverty , the poor families who send their children for work and are often abused In near 1,780 cases, children were abused by their acquaintances while service providers, such as teachers, shopkeepers and drivers, were involved in 91 such cases. We live in such a sick society where fear of sending the children outside when a children is abused due lack of support from family members, friends and neighbours or the community leads to the isolation of the victim, making him hesitant to share his experience about his abuser.and many of commit suicide Besides other factors responsible for child abuse are socio-economic stresses; unemployment, low selfconfidence and feelings of incompetence, loneliness .more ever ,According to data released by an nGO, eight children were abused every day in Pakistan in one form or the other while 51pc of the victims were girls and 49pc boys and. 2,960 major crimes against children were reported in the four provinces, including Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) in 2020. What is going on in our country is how our society is so sick and in the worst condition of kidnapping the children and abusing them. As the children are the future of the nation and it is a rising issue and media can also play an important role in it by creating awareness and the government needs to establish stronger laws regarding children. If once better laws are made against child abusers children can be protected.

Homer Jan BalocH laHore

Curing corruption CORRUPTIOn is the utilization of public offices, official positions, ranks status, and powers for private benefits. The word corruption is experienced almost everywhere. The most triggering spurs, which encourage corruption, are the paucity of transparency, ineffective accountability, and institutional vulnerabilities. Here, Everything is possible by spending a penny either legal or illegal. Owing to this shortcoming, corruption is continuing despite multiple preventive paces. Its hazardous implications are immense such as it is a big barricade to social, political, and economic development. Furthermore, It imposes its stringency and curse in multiple modes. These corrupt behaviors include bribery, fraud, embezzlement, nepotism, and appropriation of public assets and property for illicit use. It is verified that corruption spread is the yield of great neglect.

Lastly, The wise committee should be arranged to check the outcome of devised policies. Making policies isn’t a big act, but its complete implementation till its requisite results is a tremendous job. However, Plentiful policies are planned, but their fruits can’t be harvested. These are useless and futile in this regard. The useful conclusion can emerge that corruption is a proven fact, corruption hampers the countries from attaining development. Firstly, Owing to massive corruption, many projects do not meet the deadlines timely. muHammad afzal KHairpur mirS

Menace of drugs DRUG addiction is one of the most detrimental dilemmas in Pakistan . It is alarmingly ruining the lives of hundreds of thousands people in Pakistan . It takes the youth towards a dark and egregious future and it kills and destroys their lives awfully . Afghanistan is a neighboring country of Pakistan which rapidly supplies dozens of kinds of drugs to Pakistan.

UnODC gauged that 800000 youth of Pakistan are addicted to drugs. Due to these drugs , the life of every soul is falling into destruction and misery.

Lastly, I would like to plead to the government of Pakistan to stop the drugs so that the future of Pakistan’s youth would be secured .

SHoail raSHid laHore

Tech troubles

TODAy’S world is jamed with technology .The main inventions which are playing an important role to destroy our health’s such as computers, mobiles and social media etc. Which almost every family owns. Originally it was created to make our lives more easier then before but later on researches were carried on and it came up that our physical and mental health suffers because of immoderate usage of technology. Technology appears to create global network bringing people together but infact this technology ends up the importance of real life communication the enjoyment of life even because of this we forget to give time to our relatives,families and friends. In today’s world it’s a habit of almost every people to live in their own world stuking at the device screen even when surrounded with the kith and kins. This technology have ruined the peace of people specially, the most inferior impact of technology is that it reduced the quantity and quality of sleep and today’s generation have become habitual of technology. So we should not fail to think of that this technology have harmful effects too for our health so we should not accustomed to technology. We should take care of our health also. urooJ nadeem HyderaBad

Sunday, 24 October, 2021

08 WORLD VIEW

The faTe of The planeT will be negoTiaTed in glasgow, scoTland HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT COP26, THE HIGH-STAKES CLIMATE CONFERENCE THAT STARTS ON OCTOBER 31

vox

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Umair irfan

LMOST every country in the world signed the 2015 Paris climate agreement, a monumental accord that aimed to limit global warming. But it was forged on a contradiction: every signatory agreed that everyone must do something to address the urgent threat of climate change, but no one at the time pledged to do enough.In the years since the agreement, the emissions that trap heat in earth’s atmosphere have continued to rise.

The Paris Agreement aimed to limit global warming this century to less than 2 degrees Celsius, compared to temperatures before the industrial revolution, with a more optimistic goal of staying below 1.5°C. Both of these goals would require rapid and radical shifts away from fossil fuels — and eventually, zeroing out emissions of greenhouse gases entirely.

Signatories did agree that they would set more ambitious targets for themselves over time and eventually get on track to meet global climate goals. Whether they will actually do so is about to be tested at COP26, the most important international climate conference in years.

“This is definitely the biggest [climate meeting] since Paris, and it has to be a turning point if we’re going to be successful,” said helen Mountford, vice president for climate and economics at the World Resources Institute.

The meeting will take place in Glasgow, Scotland, between October 31 and November 12. More than 100 world leaders, including US President Joe Biden, are expected to attend a portion of the conference.

The world has already failed to meet many earlier targets, drawing the ire of climate activists. “Build back better. Blah, blah, blah. Green economy. Blah, blah, blah.

Net zero by 2050. Blah, blah, blah,” Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg said in September. “Words that sound great but so far have not led to action.”

Some thorny issues that derailed past meetings, such as payments for developing countries that are living through climate disasters, remain unresolved. Meanwhile, the Covid-19 pandemic, which delayed COP26 from its original dates in November 2020, is still claiming thousands of lives per day, leading to national lockdowns and disrupting trade. even after a year of devastating hurricanes, heat waves, and wildfires, climate change may not be every country’s top priority.

But there’s no time to lose: The window for meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement is closing. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reported in 2018 that staying below 1.5°C of warming required the world to roughly halve emissions from current levels by 2030.

This year, the IPCC reported that the world is poised to miss this target even in the most optimistic scenarios they studied.“Scientists tell us that this is the decisive decade,” Biden said in April. “This is the decade we must make decisions that will avoid the worst consequences of the climate crisis.”

Some countries, seeing the brightening spotlight of COP26, have begun to announce more aggressive climate goals in the runup to the meeting. This week, the UK put out its road map for achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by the middle of the century. But the most scrutiny will fall on the world’s largest emitters — China, the US, and India — and whether they will take tangible steps to curb their pollution. Biden and the US delegation are now counting on Congress to pass a suite of climate policies to strengthen their hand at the negotiating table.

WHAT’S ON THE AGENDA FOR COP26?

The Paris climate agreement aims to solve a global crisis, but its bureaucratic constraints have frustrated the process.Joining the accord is voluntary, which means any signatory can leave if they want to, as the US did briefly last year. And even the countries that stay in have the freedom to set their own goals for cutting greenhouse gases. If they miss their targets, there is no penalty.

It may seem odd that an agreement to save the world from itself would have so few firm rules. however, the Paris Agreement was the culmination of two decades of stalled diplomacy, and many countries shot down stronger language around binding greenhouse emissions targets, oversight, and punishments. here are some of the key items on the agenda for COP26 (officially known as the 26th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change).

Getting countries to do more: Under the Paris Agreement, every country is required to publish a climate change target and a route for getting there, or what’s called a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).

Climate leaders hoped that in the runup to COP26, countries would roll out new commitments for the coming decade, as well as long-term strategies for eliminating emissions by the middle of the century. As of October 21, 114 countries and the european Union have submitted new NDCs. Some major emitters like the US, United Kingdom, and China have proposed or submitted stronger targets. But others, like Russia, Brazil, and Australia, did not meaningfully ramp up their goals. Still others like India have yet to submit a new NDC.The leaders at COP26 will try to create carrots and sticks to motivate the laggards and holdouts to take more aggressive action.

Many countries are now adamant that the limit for warming this century should be 1.5°C, now that many countries have already suffered the tolls of disasters worsened by climate change — a sign that 2°C of warming would be far worse.

According to the IPCC, the difference between 1.5°C and 2°C includes 2 extra inches of sea level rise, putting an extra 10 million people at risk of coastal flooding and related problems. Two degrees of warming would double the number of people exposed to extreme heat at least once every five years. This extra warming would also lead to greater declines in fisheries, crop pro-

duction, and habitats for vital species like insect pollinators.

Technology for cutting carbon out of the economy, like renewable energy, has also improved since the Paris Agreement was signed. Some countries and many activists argue that a tougher target is essential to taking advantage of these improvements and that mitigation needs to begin right away.

This conference has to signal a “shift from making commitments to actually taking action,” said Marcene Mitchell, senior vice president of climate change at the World Wildlife Fund. Countries not only need to make bigger promises, Mitchell added, they need to match them with actual policies.

International carbon markets: One of the ways countries are aiming to meet their climate change goals is by pricing carbon dioxide emissions and creating accounting mechanisms for reducing them. That can take the form of credits or offsets that are traded with other countries. Under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, wealthier countries can compensate for their higher emissions by financing clean energy in developing countries or helping restore carbon-absorbing ecosystems like rainforests.

The trouble is that if these markets are not designed well, they may simply end up as a way for wealthier countries to buy their way out of reducing their own emissions. Without proper verification, the credits may not deliver the carbon reductions they promised. In past climate meetings, countries like the US, Australia, and Brazil pushed for language in these rules that would grant them more flexibility. however, most other countries found these provisions unacceptable because they would weaken the program. This issue forced several previous meetings to go over their allotted times. It remains unresolved and may not be settled at COP26.

Loss and damage: The core injustice of climate change is that the people who contributed least to the problem stand to suffer the most. Though not strictly part of the Paris Agreement, a key part of the discussion at COP26 will be around how to compensate countries facing the impacts of climate change today, from rising sea levels eroding shores to more devastating extreme weather.

Securing this funding is a huge priority for many countries, particularly island countries and those with small economies. however, wealthier countries that have historically emitted the most greenhouse gases have resisted language that would force them to chip in and instead advocated softer language that would make these wealth transfers voluntary. And so far, countries have not made much progress in closing the gap. “It’s a contentious issue, it’s a big issue, it’s a complicated issue,” said Mitchell. “This is my own personal view: I don’t think that will get resolved here at this COP.” Climate finance: It’s expensive to build resilience to climate change and shift from fossil fuels toward clean energy, particularly for developing countries. The UNFCCC created the Green Climate Fund in 2010 to finance these projects around the world with grants and loans. It includes programs like developing sustainable agriculture in Thailand and building cooling facilities for residents in countries like Bangladesh facing extreme heat.

Governments meeting at COP26 set a target of de-

ploying $100 billion a year in international climate financing through programs like the Green Climate Fund by 2020. But so far, countries haven’t contributed enough to meet the target, falling short by $20 billion in 2018, the most recent estimate available.

More international climate financing would help drive down greenhouse gas emissions from developing countries and motivate them to set more ambitious goals. however, some countries now say that even $100 billion isn’t enough. A negotiator representing African countries, for example, told Reuters that international climate financing should be scaled up to $1.3 trillion by 2030.

ALL EYES ARE ON THE UNITED STATES: The US has the dubious distinction of being the only country to complete a 360-degree turn on the Paris Agreement.

It helped convene the accord in 2015, yet former President Trump withdrew the US in 2020. President Biden signed an executive order in January to rejoin and the US was formally back in the Paris accord in February.

Since the US is the wealthiest country in the world and the largest historical emitter of greenhouse gases, it plays a prominent role in climate negotiations and has an even greater obligation to act on the crisis.

“There is this sense of exhaustion about how long is it going to take for one of the biggest emitters in the world to do its fair share,” Rachel Cleetus, the clean energy policy director at the Union of Concerned Scientists, told Vox’s Rebecca Leber earlier this month.

In April, Biden announced that the US was adopting a new climate goal: cutting emissions within the decade by 50 to 52 percent, compared to the US emissions peak in 2005. That’s a big step up from the previous target, which aimed for 26 to 28 percent reductions by 2025. US emissions have been declining since 2005, with a precipitous drop in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. however, greenhouse gases are already starting to rebound.

President Biden has already used some of his executive power to drive actions on climate change, like setting targets for electric vehicle production, limiting new oil and gas production on public lands, and pushing financial institutions to incorporate climate risk into their assessments.But the fate of the largest parts of Biden’s climate agenda is in the hands of Congress, not the White house.

Democrats in Congress have been hurrying to put these plans into action with the bipartisan infrastructure bill and the Build Back Better Act. These bills, as originally written, could reduce US greenhouse gas emissions by 45 percent over the next decade. With midterm elections looming next year, Democrats may not get another chance for years to advance major climate change legislation.

“If that’s done before COP, I think that would actually give a number of countries quite a bit of reassurance that what the administration is committed to will be delivered,” said Mountford.

But the US delegation may arrive in Glasgow with a weaker hand than they had hoped for because the legislation is already being whittled down as Democrats are forced to compromise in the Senate. “For [the US] to have credibility and leadership, we need to not just come with a statement and commitment, but actually the money to pay for it,” Mitchell said.

What happens now, first in Congress and then in Glasgow, will help shape the ambitions of countries around the world as they meet the challenge of climate change. It’s not a stretch to say that the future of our planet as we know it is at stake.

How the vampire myth was born DURING THE SO-CALLED GREAT VAMPIRE EPIDEMIC, FROM ROUGHLY 1725 TO 1755, VAMPIRE MYTHS “WENT VIRAL" ACROSS THE CONTINENT

Conversation

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Stanley Stepanic

he vampire is a common image in today's pop culture, and one that takes many forms: from Alucard, the dashing spawn of Dracula in the PlayStation game “Castlevania: Symphony of the Night"; to edward, the romantic, idealistic lover in the “Twilight" series.

In many respects, the vampire of today is far removed from its roots in eastern european folklore. As a professor of Slavic studies who has taught a course on vampires called “Dracula" for more than a decade, I'm always fascinated by the vampire's popularity, considering its origins – as a demonic creature strongly associated with disease.

The first known reference to vampires

appeared in written form in Old Russian in A.D. 1047, soon after Orthodox Christianity moved into eastern europe.

The term for vampire was “upir," which has uncertain origins, but its possible literal meaning was “the thing at the feast or sacrifice," referring to a potentially dangerous spiritual entity that people believed could appear at rituals for the dead. It was a euphemism used to avoid speaking the creature's name – and unfortunately, historians may never learn its real name, or even when beliefs about it surfaced.

The vampire served a function similar to that of many other demonic creatures in folklore around the world: They were blamed for a variety of problems, but particularly disease, at a time when knowledge of bacteria and viruses did not exist.

Scholars have put forth several theories about various diseases' connections to vampires. It is likely that no one disease provides a simple, “pure" origin for vampire myths, since beliefs about vampires changed over time.

But two in particular show solid links.

One is rabies, whose name comes from a Latin term for “madness." It's one of the oldest recognized diseases on the planet, transmissible from animals to humans, and primarily spread through biting – an obvious reference to a classic vampire trait.

There are other curious connections.

One central symptom of the disease is hydrophobia, a fear of water. Painful muscle contractions in the esophagus lead rabies victims to avoid eating and drinking, or even swallowing their own saliva, which eventually causes “foaming at the mouth." In some folklore, vampires cannot cross running water without being carried or assisted in some way, as an extension of this symptom. Furthermore, rabies can lead to a fear of light, altered sleep patterns and increased aggression, elements of how vampires are described in a variety of folktales.

The second disease is pellagra, caused by a dietary deficiency of niacin (vitamin B3) or the amino acid tryptophan. Often, pellagra is brought on by diets high in corn products and alcohol. After europeans landed in the Americas, they

transported corn back to europe. But they ignored a key step in preparing corn: washing it, often using lime – a process called “nixtamalization" that can reduce the risk of pellagra.

Pellagra causes the classic “4 D's": dermatitis, diarrhea, dementia and death.

Some sufferers also experience high sensitivity to sunlight – described in some depictions of vampires – which leads to corpselike skin.

Multiple diseases show connections to folklore about vampires, but they can't necessarily explain how the myths actually began. Pellagra, for example, did not exist in eastern europe until the 18th century, centuries after vampire beliefs had originally emerged.

Both pellagra and rabies are important, however, because they were epidemic during a key period in vampire history. During the so-called Great Vampire epidemic, from roughly 1725 to 1755, vampire myths “went viral" across the continent.

As disease spread in eastern europe, supernatural causes were often blamed, and vampire hysteria spread throughout the region. Many people believed that vampires were the “undead" – people who lived on in some way after death – and that the vampire could be stopped by attacking its corpse. They carried out “vampire burials," which could involve putting a stake through the corpse, covering the body in garlic and a variety of other traditions that had been present in

Slavic folklore for centuries.

Meanwhile, Austrian and German soldiers fighting the Ottomans in the region witnessed this mass desecration of graves and returned home to Western europe with stories of the vampire.

But why did so much vampire hysteria spring up in the first place? Disease was a primary culprit, but a sort of “perfect storm" existed in eastern europe at the time. The era of the Great Vampire epidemic was not just a period of disease, but one of political and religious upheaval as well.

During the 18th century, eastern europe faced pressure from within and without as domestic and foreign powers exercised their control over the region, with local cultures often suppressed.

Serbia, for example, was struggling between the hapsburg Monarchy in Central europe and the Ottomans. Poland was increasingly under foreign powers, Bulgaria was under Ottoman rule, and Russia was undergoing dramatic cultural change due to the policies of Czar Peter the Great.

This is somewhat analogous to today, as the world contends with the COVID-19 pandemic amid political change and uncertainty.

Perceived societal breakdown, whether real or imagined, can lead to dramatic responses in society.

Stanley Stepanic, Assistant Professor of Slavic Languages and Literatures, University of Virginia.

Sunday, 24 October, 2021 | lahOre

newS

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ASAd urGES dFC to invESt in CliMAtE FinAnCinG in PAkiStAn Moot on Sino-Pak cooperation discusses CPEC, strategic ties CHENGDU: The International Conference on ChinaPakistan Cooperation kicked off in Chengdu, Sichuan province, on Saturday, which is being attended by about 150 participants virtually and physically. Pakistani Ambassador to China Moin ul Haque, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong, experts and entrepreneurs from China and Pakistan attended an in-depth exchange on the cooperation achievements and future development on “Strategic cooperation and Cultural exchanges” and “Economic and trade cooperation and Industrial development” since China and Pakistan established diplomatic ties in 1951, said a statement. The participants also discussed the high-quality building of the second phase of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the rosy prospect of China-Pakistan All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership. Pro Tang Mengsheng, director of Pakistan Studies Centre at Peking University, presided over the sub-forum titled “Strategic cooperation and Cultural exchanges”. Li Hongwu, president of Pakistan Sichuan Chamber of Commerce chaired the other sub- forum themed “Economic & trade cooperation and Industrial development”. According to Sichuan University (SU), the sponsor of this conference, it is one of the activities to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of China-Pakistan diplomatic ties. This conference is jointly organized by SU’s China Centre for South Asia Studies, Pakistan Studies Centre and School of International Studies. The co-organisers comprise Chengdu Federation of Industry and Commerce, Huaxia Industrial Economy Research Institute, Chengdu Chamber of Commerce for Commercial Service and Pakistan Sichuan Chamber of Commerce. agencies

Pakistan-Morocco military drill on counterterrorism concludes RAWALPINDI: The first-ever joint military exercise between Pakistan and Morocco concluded at the National Counter-Terrorism Centre in Pabbi on Saturday. According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), during the exercise, special forces of both countries practised various drills including countering-terrorism manoeuvres. The training was aimed at sharing mutual experience in the counter-terrorism domain, rehearsing and adopting best practices and enhancing cooperation between the two armies, said the military’s media wing. Earlier on October 9, it was reported that Druzhba-VI, a military exercise in which both Pakistan and Russia took part, ended at the Molkino Training Area in Russia’s Krasnodar region, the military said. The exercise focusing on counter-terrorism lasted for a two-week period, said a statement issued by the ISPR. Senior officials from Russia and Pakistan were present at the closing ceremony. The two-week-long exercise (September 28 to October 9) was aimed at learning from mutual experience in the counter-terrorism domain with a view to learn and adopt best practices, said the statement issued by the military’s media wing. Special Forces of Russia and Pakistan practised various drills involved in the joint counter-terrorism operations, the statement added. TLTP

ISLAMABAD

M

sTaff rePorT

INISTER for Planning and Development Asad Umar has appreciated the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) for its long standing interest and continued investments in Pakistan.

Talking to the acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of DFC Dev Jagadesan at Pakistan Embassy in Washington, the minister said that with its expanded portfolio and available flexibilities, DFC can play an important role in financing public sector and public-private partnership projects in Pakistan as well as key regional connectivity projects, said a press release

issued here.

The minister urged DFC to explore investment opportunities in the climate financing of the risk mitigating projects through the private sector in the country. He also highlighted the immense potential for cooperation in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic, especially through procurement and production of vaccines.

Jagadesan briefed the minister on DFC’s mission and priorities including its engagement in Pakistan. He said that DFC is keen to work with private sector entities interested in exploring business opportunities.

The two sides discussed the ways and means to enhance project based cooperation. The two sides agreed to remain engaged in developing a portfolio of priority projects for further collaboration.

Targeted subsidy programme to be announced soon: Farrukh FAISALABAD sTaff rePorT

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib has said that Prime Minister Imran Khan will soon announce a package for the poor segments of the society.

Talking to media persons on Saturday evening, the state minister said that for the first time in the history of Pakistan, the government is bringing a targeted subsidy programme for the poor people. He said that the government is using all available resources for the public welfare projects and the prime minister has directed the provincial governments to give relief to the common man by controlling the prices of essential commodities.

Earlier addressing a ceremony at a local college, Farrukh Habib said that steps are being taken to upgrade the Government Postgraduate College of Science Faisalabad as a university.

Laying the foundation stone of a multi-purpose hall at the college, he said it would be completed with an estimated cost of Rs19 million and would have the capacity to host international-level conferences.

The state minister also distributed Rehmatullil Aalameen scholarships among 82 students of the college and said that each student would get Rs 25,000 under the scheme. He said that the college has enrolled more than 5,000 students and it deserves to be upgraded to the level of a university. He said that he

would report the matter to Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar for up-gradation of the college.

The state minister said that the Punjab government is establishing 21 universities and eight mother care hospitals in the province, and every person in Punjab would get the health card before Dec 31. On the basis of the card, each family could get medical treatment up to Rs 1 million during one year.

He said that a high skill programme has also been launched with Rs10 billion.

Under the programme, students can get training in emerging subjects like e-commerce, web designing, graphics, mobile lab and computer repairing, etc.

Under the programme, 25,000 skilled human resources have been produced so far, he added.

He said that another 100,000 scholarships will also be doled out for which Rs5 billion have been earmarked. He said that students must avail the opportunity to work as freelancers and earn millions of rupee through their efforts.

In this connection, they could only visit the website of the Kamyab Jawan programme and get themselves registered to start their own businesses.

He said that in addition to the Rahmatallil Aalameen scholarships offered by the Punjab government, the federal government is also offering 50,000 scholarships under Ehsas programme, which will be given to the families with less than Rs45,000 per month income.

Gang busted along with ring leader ISLAMABAD: Sihala police have arrested three active members of a dacoit gang including gang leader involved in looting people on gun point and recovered snatched mobile phone, cash from their possession, a police spokesman said. A team of officials of Police Station sihala traced the gangsters while using modern technology and scientific methods of investigation. The detainees were identified as Tanseef Ahmed, Zeeshan Ali and Usman Ali and recovered snatched mobile phones, cash, recovered from their possession.

During the preliminary investigation, the accused have confessed their involvement in numerous incidents of looting people in areas of Sihala. Separate cases have been registered against the accused and further investigation is underway. The action was taken on the directions of SP Rural Zone Muhammad Usman Tipu Under the supervision including SHO Sihala Inspector Mirza Gulfraz and others. DIG (Operations) Afzaal Ahmed Kousar has appreciated the performance of the Police team and directed all police officials to ensure effective policing measures in their respective areas. Pr

Call for not burdening developing nations in climate efforts RIYADH agencies

Global efforts on climate change must adopt flexible solutions and climate action must not become an economic burden on developing nations, Dr Sultan Al Jaber, the UAE's Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and UAE Special Envoy for Climate Change, said on Saturday.

A “one-size-fits-all” approach will not work and developing nations require solutions through finance, technology, incubation, policy and regulations to tackle the challenge of climate change, he said during the Saudi Green Initiative (SGI) forum in Riyadh, The National Reported.

“We need to accept the fact that the developing world requires a completely different set of policies and incentives. We cannot allow climate action to become an economic burden, especially on developing nations, so we need to develop all kinds of instruments,” Dr Al Jaber said.

“It's going to take a mindset that is progressive, open, inclusive and ensures that economics stays central in this discussion.”

Dr Al Jaber, who is also the chief executive of the state-owned Abu Dhabi National

Oil Company, emphasised the importance of oil and gas in meeting the world's energy re-

quirements and said that the “world has sleepwalked into a supply crunch” after

under-investing in hydrocarbons over the past seven to eight years.

“We must come to terms with the realities on the ground: 80 per cent of the total energy requirements today come from fossil fuel; 60 per cent is well-presented by oil and gas. We can't just come out of nowhere and speak of energy transition and ignore or underestimate the impact of oil and gas in helping meet global energy requirements,” he said.

The UAE is committed to lowering its carbon emissions but the energy transition will take time, Dr Al Jaber said. The country said it aims to reach net zero emissions by 2050.

“The lowest carbon emitter and lowest cost producer will be the last barrel standing but this is going to take time, we must accept the fact that an energy transition is simply a transition and it's going to take time,” Dr Al Jaber said. “We need to be mature and sober in carrying out this discussion.

“We need to shift gears, we need to go back to the drawing board. While we accept the advancement of a very aggressive, ambitious approach towards a greener future supported by an energy mix, we must also include oil and gas because that is going to be mainstream and the spinal cord of our ability to meet the global energy require-

ments of the future.” Saudi Arabia’s Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman also said international co-operation on technology will be “the cheaper way” to implement an energy transition.

“The world cannot operate without hydrocarbons, fossil fuels, renewables, none of these will be the saver – it has to be a comprehensive solution,” the energy minister said.

The meeting of global leaders at the Cop26 in Glasgow at the end of the month must be open and inclusive about what countries are doing to contribute to carbon reduction without being “facetious about what's in their tool kit”, Prince Abdulaziz said.

For a successful Cop26 meeting, “we need to answer the challenge and not challenge the answers”, Dr Al Jaber said, as he called for a more flexible approach to tackle climate change issues.

“We all see the writing on the wall, we need Cop26 to help shift the discussion to being practical, to being solution-oriented, to being determined towards providing a flexible way of conducting business. We cannot be stuck to the fact that this is a multilateral arrangement and we have to have a one-size-fits-all approach, because that won't work,” he said.

Sunday, 24 October, 2021 | LAHORE

10 FOREIGN NEWS

DAtA reveAlS FAtF toeing ‘politiciSeD AgenDA’ ISLAMABAD

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APP

ONTRARY to its claims of acting under no influence, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is exposed to be toeing “politicised” approach particularly targeting the Muslim states, data reveals.

On Thursday, the terror financing watchdog decided to retain Pakistan in the grey list asking the country to complete concurrent action plans, though it already had complied with 30 of 34 recommended items.

“Overall, Pakistan is making good progress on this new action plan. Four out of

the seven items are now addressed or largely addressed,” FATF President Dr Marcus Pleyer told media.

According to the infolytics issues compiled by the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI), Pakistan is one of the few countries which had the lowest ratio of noncompliance of FATF action plan.

But ironically, the country continues to remain on the grey list despite having sacrificed around 80,000 lives and suffering the economic loss of $150 billion after joining the US-led war against terrorism.

Contrary to Pakistan, the non-compliance ratio of France – home to FATF headquarters – is 25% but the watchdog has

Afghanistan heading towards collapse faster than expected, Swedish minister warns DUBAI: Afghanistan is heading towards economic collapse that risks spiralling the country into a new political crisis, Sweden’s minister for international development cooperation warned on Saturday. Afghanistan has been plunged into crisis following the collapse of the Western-backed government and Taliban take over in August, which was met with an abrupt end of billions of dollars in assistance to its aid-dependent economy. “My concern is that the country is on the brink of collapse and that collapse is coming faster than we thought,” Per Olsson Fridh told Reuters in Dubai, warning that economic freefall could provide an environment for terror groups to thrive. The 27-country European Union, which includes Sweden, has increased humanitarian aid to Afghanistan since the Taliban swept back to power but has halted its development assistance, a measure taken by many other countries and the World Bank. The Red Cross on Friday urged the international community to engage with the Taliban, warning that aid groups on their own could only provide temporary solutions. Sweden was looking into scaling up efforts through Afghan civil society groups to secure basic services, Fridh said, but that other countries needed to be convinced this was possible to do without legitimising the new Taliban rulers. However Sweden would not channel development money through the Taliban, he said. The movement has faced international criticism for its failure to uphold certain rights since returning to power, including allowing girls access to education. ReuteRs

Secrecy shrouds Afghan refugees sent by US to base in Kosovo WASHINGTON: The US is welcoming tens of thousands of Afghans airlifted out of Kabul but has disclosed little publicly about a small group who remain overseas: dozens who triggered potential security issues during security vetting and have been sent to an American base in the Balkan nation of Kosovo. Human rights advocates have raised concerns about the Afghans diverted to Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo over the past six weeks, citing a lack of transparency about their status, the reasons for holding them back and the question of what might become of any who can’t be cleared to come to the US. “We are obviously concerned,” said Jelena Sesar, a researcher for Amnesty International who specializes in the Balkans. “What really happens with these people, especially the people who don’t pass security vetting? Are they going to be detained? Are they going to have any access to legal assistance? And what is the plan for them? Is there any risk of them ultimately being returned to Afghanistan?” The Biden administration says it’s too soon to answer some of these questions, at least publicly, as it works feverishly to resettle the Afghans who were evacuated following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August. the AssociAted PRess

turned a blind eye. Similarly, other countries including the US with a non-compliance ratio of 22.5%, Japan 27.5%, New Zealand 30%, Georgia 32.5%, South Korea 20% and Russia 12.5% are out of the grey list.

Pakistan has long been observing that the watchdog was being used as a political tool to serve the vested interests of some countries and the recent enlistment of Turkey in the grey list has substantiated the claim.

The firm stance of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan particularly on Muslim world issues like Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), Palestine and specifically Islamophobia has been pinching the western powers.

Similarly, Prime Minister Imran Khan is also among a few Muslim world leaders who strongly fought the case of Islamophobia across the world including the UN General Assembly.

He is the only leader who blasted India at the UNGA exposing the so-called biggest democracy for its massive human rights abuses in IIOJK. Recently, the Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar confessed to influencing the FATF to keep Pakistan on the “grey list” which raised serious questions on the integrity of the watchdog.

Reacting strongly Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said: “Manipulating an

important technical forum for narrow political designs against Pakistan is disgraceful but not surprising for the Modi government.”

Indian news agency ANI quoted Jaishankar on Sunday as saying; “Due to us, Pakistan is under the lens of FATF and it was kept in the grey list.”

The Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhry said: “The Indian statement not only exposes its true colours, but also vindicates Pakistan’s longstanding stance on India’s negative role in FATF.” Special Assistant to PM Raoof Hassan took to Twitter to criticise the FATF’s decision on Pakistan saying, “FATF has lost whatever credibility it still had. It is no longer a fair arbiter. Instead, it has become a veritable arm of western imperialist agenda to subdue the less powerful countries, Pakistan being one of them. It is time to stop pandering. It is time to stand up for rights.”

In a statement, a government spokesperson, the action items that have been completed include amendments in the Mutual Legal Assistance Act, 2020.

China passes law to cut homework pressure on students SHANGAI ReuteRs

China has passed an education law that seeks to cut the “twin pressures” of homework and off-site tutoring in core subjects, the official Xinhua news agency said on Saturday.

Beijing has exercised a more assertive paternal hand this year, from tacking the addiction of youngsters to online games, deemed a form of “spiritual opium”, to clamping down on “blind” worship of internet celebrities.

China’s parliament said on Monday it would consider legislation to punish parents if their young children exhibit “very bad behaviour” or commit crimes.

The new law, which has not been published in full, makes local governments responsible for ensuring that the twin pressures are reduced and asks parents to arrange their children’s’ time to account for reasonable rest and exercise, thereby reducing pressure, said the agency, and avoiding overuse of the internet.

In recent months, the education ministry has limited gaming hours for minors, allowing them to play online for one hour on Friday, Saturday and Sunday only.

It has also cut back on homework and banned afterschool tutoring for major subjects during the weekend

and holidays, concerned about the heavy academic burden on overwhelmed children.

UN plane aborts landing as air strike hits Ethiopia’s Tigray ADDIS ABABA ReuteRs

An Ethiopian government air strike on the capital of the northern Tigray region on Friday forced a UN flight carrying aid workers to abort a landing there, the United Nations said.

Humanitarian sources and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which controls the area, said a university in Mekelle was hit by the strike.

Government spokesperson Legesse Tulu said a former military base occupied by TPLF fighters was targeted, and he denied the university was hit.

Reuters was not able to independently confirm either account. Tigrai TV, controlled by the TPLF-led regional administration that is not recognised by Addis Ababa, reported that 11 civilians were wounded in the air strike. It was the fourth day this week that Mekelle had been attacked.

The UN suspended all flights to Mekelle after Friday’s incident. UN global aid chief Martin Griffiths said the UN had not received any prior warning of the attacks on Mekelle and had received the necessary clearances for the flight.

The incident raises serious concerns for the safety of aid workers trying to help civilians in need, Griffiths said in a statement, adding that all parties to the conflict should respect international humanitarian law including protecting humanitarian staff and assets

from harm.

The 11 passengers on board Friday’s flight were aid workers travelling to a region where some 7 million people, including 5 million in Tigray, need humanitarian help, another UN official told reporters in New York. TPLF spokesperson Getachew Reda accused the government of putting the UN plane in harm’s way. “Our air defence units knew the UN plane was scheduled to land (and) it was due in large measure to their restraint it was not caught in a crossfire,” he said in a tweet. Legesse, the government spokesperson, rejected the TPLF accusation. “I can assure you that there is no deliberate or intended act that put the efforts of UN humanitarian staff and their plan of delivering aid to the disadvantage (sic) group,” Legesse said in a text message to Reuters.

Ethiopian army spokesperson Colonel Getnet Adene did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

PEOPLE FLEEING IN AMHARA: The two sides have been fighting for almost a year in a conflict that has killed thousands of people and displaced more than two million amid a power struggle between the TPLF and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s central government.

The TPLF dominated Ethiopia’s ruling party for decades before Abiy, who is not a Tigrayan, took office in 2018.

The government has stepped up air strikes on the

Tigray capital as fighting has escalated in Amhara, a neighbouring region where the TPLF has seized territory that the government and allied armed Amhara armed groups are trying to recover.

Residents in Dessie, a city in Amhara, told Reuters people were fleeing, a day after a TPLF spokesperson said its forces were within artillery range of the town.

“The whole city is panicking,” a resident said, adding that people who could were leaving. He said he could hear the sound of heavy gunfire on Thursday night and into the morning, and that the bus fare to the capital Addis Ababa, about 385 km (240 miles) to the south, had increased more than six-fold.

There are now more than 500,000 displaced people in the Amhara region and that number is growing rapidly due to the latest fighting, the National Disaster Risk Management Commission told Reuters.

Seid Assefa, a local official working at a coordination centre for displaced people in Dessie, said 250 people had fled there this week from fighting in the Girana area to the north.

“We now have a total of 900 (displaced people) here and we finished our food stocks three days ago.”

Leul Mesfin, medical director of Dessie Hospital, told Reuters that two girls and an adult had died this week at his facility of wounds from artillery fire in the town of Wuchale, which both the government and the TPLF have described as the scene of heavy fighting over the past week.

Messi in Marseille: Classic French rivalry has Argentine accent PARIS AFP

Yet if there is one place in Europe that can match it then it might be the Velodrome in Marseille, where fiery Argentine coach Jorge Sampaoli now prowls the touchline while up to 65,000 supporters generate a spine-tingling atmosphere. That can be the case for any game, but when Paris SaintGermain come to town it is very special indeed.

They love their football in the French Mediterranean port city, but they always hated PSG, even before Qatar bought the capital club in 2011.

“Le Classique” — as it is sometimes known — is the biggest fixture in French

football, and on Sunday it will have a distinctly Argentinian flavour.

This will be Sampaoli’s first match against PSG as Marseille coach.

In the away dugout will be his compatriot Mauricio Pochettino. In the away team will be Lionel Messi, getting his first taste of France’s biggest grudge match. Messi was the hero of so many

Clasicos for Barcelona against Real Madrid and is the all-time top scorer in the history of that fixture. He will be conspicuous by his absence when the Spanish giants go head to head on Sunday afternoon. Instead, he will take to the field at the Velodrome a few hours later, ensuring possibly greater interest globally than ever before in a Marseille-PSG game. Table-toppers PSG are overwhelming favourites.

They have lost just once to OM in 10 years.

AN OBSESSION: PSG now totally dominate French football, but once Marseille were the country’s pre-eminent club, and they remain the only French winners of the Champions League, in 1993.

They have a proud history, and in Sampaoli they have a man capable of giving new hope to a city obsessed with “l’OM”.

“It is the kind of club I like. Clubs like Marseille and Galatasaray who have that support, the clamour of the people that means the city explodes if you win something,” he once told the magazine So Foot.

Sunday, 24 October, 2021 | LAHORE

SPORTS 11

PaKIsTan CRICKeT Team WIll BeaT IndIa TomoRRoW, hoPes Pm ImRan

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Kohli says Pakistan ‘very strong’ ahead of T20 blockbuster DuBAI AFP

India have beaten Pakistan in all of their 12 matches at the T20 and 50-over World Cups.

“We never discussed these things, about our record and past performance,” Captain Virat Kohli told reporters on the eve of the much-anticipated clash in Dubai on Sunday. “These things create distractions. What matters is how we prepare and execute on that particular day, regardless of the opposition.” Kohli said regardless of their past dominance Pakistan is and always has been packed with talented players. “Pakistan, according to me is a very strong team and always has been a strong side,” he said. “You have to play your best cricket against them because they have lots of talent and players who can change the game.”

Babar Azam’s Pakistan will look to break their World Cup jinx against India, who have won all five clashes in T20’s showpiece event.

Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman hold the team’s batting key while quicks Shaheen Shah Afridi and Hasan Ali lead a potent bowling attack. Kohli backed his team’s match winners including Hardik Pandya to come good in the tournament despite the all-rounder struggling with his bowling. “He is getting better in terms of getting prepared to bowl two overs for us,” said Kohli. “What he brings at that number six spot is something that you cannot create overnight and hence I was always in favour of backing him in Australia as a batter purely. “He can take the game away from the opposition when he is in full flow.”

Pandya emerged as India’s top all-rounder after his white-ball debut in 2016 but a spate of back injuries affected his career and he underwent back surgery two years ago.

T20 World Cup: Babar announces 12-member squad for clash against India DuBAI Agencies

Captain Babar Azam announced the 12-member squad for the high-voltage clash against India on Sunday in the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Announced in the press conference on Saturday, the squad also includes Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik who bring a comforting amount of experience to the side. Their previous experience of playing against India in the World Cups will be a definite advantage for the team. Shaheen Shah Afridi, a 21-year-old prospect proven in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), who has dished out top performances in both warm-up games by picking up a total of four wickets has also been included. Hasan Ali who is a standout pacer for the green shirts is also in the squad.

The lanky pacer excels on the slower wickets in the UAE, his variations and lengths will be a tough task for the Indian batters to manage and they must play him with a cautious approach at the top. After almost over two years, Virat Kohli and his squad will face-off against Azam-led Pakistan and rekindle the age-old rivalry. Pakistan is yet to get a one-up over India in World Cups as the head-to-head has been dominated by the Men in Blue.

However, both teams have entered the tournament with a fresh perspective, filled to the brim with enormous young talent and the hunger and eagerness to prove themselves on the biggest stage of them all. Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Hasan Ali, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

News Desk

RIME Minister Imran Khan on Saturday expressed the hope that the Pakistan cricket team will beat India in the T20 World Cup clash, scheduled to be held on Sunday. The statement from the prime minister came as he discussed cricket with his aides. “This team have the talent to defeat India,” he said, adding that “Insha’Allah, Pakistan will definitely beat India tomorrow [Sunday].”

Millions across the globe will watch the encounter as the two arch-rivals play each other in the World Cup fixture.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan team captain Babar Azam announced the 12-member squad for the clash against India.

Squad: Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

India-Pakistan blockbuster set to light up Twenty20 World Cup ReuteRs Former champions India and Pakistan will face off on Sunday in a Twenty20 World Cup blockbuster in Dubai and the buzz around the game underlines the enduring appeal of the matchup between the subcontinent’s feuding neighbours.

India captain Virat Kohli and Pakistan counterpart Babar Azam have called it just another game, but that is clearly not the case. The nuclear-armed neighbours have gone to war three times since gaining independence from British colonial rule in the mid-20th century and remain at loggerheads over Kashmir.

India last hosted Pakistan in a bilateral series in 2013 and the teams now meet only in global tournaments, the last being the 2019 One-Day International World Cup in England. “I was involved in the games in 2014 and 2016.

If you ask me, as a player, it was always a high-pressure game,” former Indian player Suresh Raina wrote for the International Cricket Council (ICC) website on Saturday.

“In the build-up, everyone is just telling you how big it is …

The fans have enjoyed this rivalry over the years and it is cricket at its best.”

The 17,500 tickets for the game were sold out hours after being put on sale and television channels in both countries are running special shows on the match.

“My inbox is flooded with requests for match passes,” Dubai businessman Anis Sajan, who owned a franchise in United Arab Emirates’ domestic T10 tournament led by England captain Eoin Morgan, told Reuters. “I’d say an India-Pakistan match is bigger than the Ashes.

“It may have become one-sided of late but emotions run high,” Sajan, vice president of the Dubai-based Danube Group, said referring to India’s 12-0 record against Pakistan in cricket World Cups. Official broadcaster Star India, which has lined up an impressive array of sponsors for the tournament, acknowledges the commercial significance of Sunday’s match. “The India-Pakistan clash is one of the biggest matchups in the world of sports,” Sanjog Gupta, Head of Sports at Star and Disney India, said in a statement.

“The clash at an ICC event attracts core and casual cricket fans as well as viewers who don’t watch any other cricket.”

For the first time in Pakistan, marketplace and retail platform Daraz is livestreaming the World Cup on its digital platform and the response has been overwhelming.

“We have seen a massive surge in installs and daily active users on our platform,” its managing director Ehsan Saya told Reuters. “We are super excited to bring free streaming to Pakistanis and are confident our team will play their hearts out for our country.”

Forget the past in India match, Babar tells team DuBAI AFP

Despite winning 73 of the total 132 ODI games played against India, Pakistan have lost all seven World Cup clashes against archrivals as well as five games in the T20 World Cup and start their campaign on Sunday as “underdogs”. But, exuding confidence, Captain Babar Azam stressed that the past is irrelevant to his players.

“To be honest, what has passed is beyond us,” he told a virtual media conference on Saturday, as both nations buzzed in anticipation of a thrilling match.

“We want to use our ability and confidence on the day of the match so that we can get a better result.

“Records are meant to be broken.”

The tickets for the match were sold out within hours of going on sale after the United Arab Emirate government allowed a 70 percent crowd for the T20 World Cup matches in a relaxation of the Covid-19 restrictions.

The nuclear rivals have only played in multi-national events like the World Cups and the Champions Trophy as strained relations have stalled bilateral cricket since 2008.

Pakistan did tour India in 2012 for five limited over matches but ties were not fully resumed as the two nations continued to be at loggerheads over multiple issues, with the disputed region of Kashmir heading the list.

Azam admitted it will be a match full of intensity.

“The matches between Pakistan and India are always

full of intensity so we need to perform well in all three departments of the game,” said Azam.

The second round matches — Super 12 Stage — start on Saturday with Australia taking on South Africa in Abu Dhabi while defending champions the West Indies face England in Dubai in the evening match in Group 1.

Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are the other two teams in the Group.

Former champions India and Pakistan are placed in Group 2 along with New Zealand, Afghanistan and Scotland and Namibia, who both came through the qualifying stage. Azam announced 12 for the match with hard-hitters Haider Ali and Asif Ali competing to make the final eleven.

“The boys are excited to play the World Cup and we have a crucial match on Sunday,” said Azam, who will be leading Pakistan for the first time in a senior World Cup match.

“A winning impact is necessary and then we will go match by match.”

Azam said the prime minister, Imran Khan — who led the country to victory in the 1992 World Cup — had shared his experiences with the team.

“The prime minister met us before our departure and shared his experiences of the 1992 win and told us to play aggressive and fearless cricket against India.”

Earlier this week, India won both their warm-up matches, beating England and Australia while Pakistan beat the West Indies but lost to South Africa.

Rizwan Pakistan’s trump card for India clash, says Younis Khan stAff RepoRt Pakistan’s cricket great Younis Khan has said that Pakistani opening batsman Mohammad Rizwan could be a trump card for Pakistan to win the much-awaited clash against India at T20 World Cup. Sharing his take on the much-awaited clash of the series, Pakistan’s former captain Younis Khan said: “Indian opener Rohit Sharma and Mohammad Rizwan from Pakistan could be the matchwinners for their respective sides.” “Skipper Virat Kohli and Babar Azam are two very bankable batsmen for both India and Pakistan respectively, but I feel that Rohit Sharma and Mohammad Rizwan can also turn up the heat,” he said on a YouTube channel “Uncut.” However, he added that the spotlight will mainly be on the two captains hence, pressure will be eased off of Sharma and Rizwan and the two can give “match-winning performances for their sides”. According to the former batsman, both sides have a “balanced pace attack, with Jasprit Bumrah being a major threat for the Men in Green”.

“Pakistan’s fast bowlers are in good shape. For India, their pace attack has improved significantly in the recent past as well. Bumrah, in particular, has been brilliant in the last few months,” said the 43-year-old. “Both are top players. Pakistani skipper Babar Azam is still young and he is building his career right now. Kohli, meanwhile, had made his debut in 2008 when I was still playing. I don’t particularly think that the comparison is fair but it’s good to see fans talking about the two players in good stead,” the former skipper said.

Sunday, 24 October, 2021

prayer timings

NEWS

PM IMrAn KhAn ArrIves In MAdInA On three-dAy OffIcIAl vIsIt

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RIME Minister Imran Khan is in Saudi Arabia for a three-day visit, from October 23 to 25, where he is set to attend the Middle East Green Initiative (MGI) Summit in Riyadh.

The prime minister arrived in Madina, where he was received by Deputy Governor of Madinah Prince Saud bin Khalid Al-Faisal, who gave the delegation a warm reception, the Prime Minister’s Office said.

As per a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the prime minister is accompanied by a high-level delegation to the kingdom, including the foreign minister and other members of the cabinet.

“At the MGI Summit, the prime minister will share his perspective on the challenges faced by the developing countries due to climate change. The prime minister will also highlight Pakistan’s experience of launching nature-based solutions to address environmental challenges,” read the statement.

“The MGI Summit is being held at the initiative of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz. The event is the first of its

kind in the Middle East region,” the statement said further.

The “Green Saudi Arabia” and “Green Middle East” initiatives were launched by the crown prince in March 2021 aimed at protecting the nature and planet.

PM Imran Khan welcomed these two initiatives and offered to share experi-

Asad terms Opposition’s protest drive a storm in a teacup

ences and lessons from Pakistan’s “Clean and Green Pakistan” and the “10 billion Tree Tsunami” projects.

The Foreign Office confirmed that PM Imran Khan will hold bilateral meetings with the Saudi leadership on enhancing trade, economic relations between the two countries and creating more oppor-

tunities for the Pakistani workforce.

“The two sides will also exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest,” said the Foreign Office.

The prime minister will partake in an interactive session in which he will invite investment into Pakistan. The session will be held with leading investors and businessmen from Saudi Arabia and the Pakistani diaspora in the kingdom.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have longstanding and historic fraternal relations, rooted deep in common faith, shared history and mutual support, the statement said.

Saudi Arabia is home to more than two million Pakistanis, contributing towards the progress and prosperity of both countries, it added.

“The relationship is marked by frequent high-level visits, close cooperation in all fields, and mutual collaboration on regional and international issues, including at the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir,” it said further.

“The visit of the prime minister will carry forward the positive momentum of cooperation between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia,” according to the statement. staff report

CM Jam Kamal digs in as Balochistan Assembly gets ready for no confidence

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar on Saturday criticised the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and termed the alliance’s countrywide protests’ drive against inflation a storm in a teacup. While addressing a press conference at Pakistan’s embassy in the United States, the minister said prices of food and other items have increased not only in Pakistan but other countries as well. He said that this is the sixth time he is hearing talk of the government being sent packing over the last three years.

Highlighting the PTI-led government’s achievements, the minister said that a Rs800 billion budget was presented last year, adding that Rs600 billion were allocated for development projects in the budget. He said the government is taking steps to expedite investment in Pakistan to generate employment and other benefits. “Pakistan gives great importance to its trade relations with the Central Asian countries,” he said, adding that the route to these countries goes through Afghanistan. He said that the scope of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor is being extended, adding that some countries do not want to see the project expanding. Referring to the current humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, the minister hoped that the world will not repeat the earlier mistakes. He said that if the world does not repeat its mistakes in the war-ravaged country, the US government will be able to tell its people that its 20-year investment in Afghanistan is not wasted. Asad said that the Taliban’s behaviour is positive and they want constructive relations with the world. news desk

QUETTA staff report

Reacting to rumours regarding his resignation, Chief Minister Balochistan Jam Kamal Saturday clarified that he hasn’t stepped down from the position and that rumours about his resignation were fake.

Kamal wrote on Twitter: “I have not resigned and such rumours [should] not be spread.”

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Balochistan Governor House said Khan’s resignation has not been received, while spokesperson of the Balochistan government Liaquat Shahwani said that the news about the resignation “is not true”.

Khan, on Friday night, had claimed that out of the 41 members of the Balochistan Assembly, 80% stand with him in opposition to the no-confidence motion moved against him two days prior.

Taking to Twitter, Khan claimed 80% of coalition lawmakers in the provincial assembly — including from BAP, PTI, ANP, ADP, JWP, PPP, Azad, and BNP-A — support him.

“Why do we count the Opposition as part of this coalition? If they stick to this policy, then they should announce themselves as part of the Opposition too,” CM Khan wrote.

It should be recalled that on Wednesday, out of the 65 lawmakers

present in the assembly, 33 had backed holding a vote of no confidence against CM Khan.

Addressing the assembly session, BAP spokesperson Abdul Rehman Khetran had demanded the release of five “missing” lawmakers with immediate effect and said that the assembly has lost its confidence in the chief minister.

“We demand Jam Kamal immediately step down from the post of the chief minister,” Khetran had said. “Due to his poor governance, the province has had to witness hopelessness, disrepute, and unemployment, while the performance of different departments was also adversely affected.”

Khetran further said that CM Khan, “assuming that he is the wisest of all, had been taking all decisions related to the province on his own”.

“Running important matters without consultation has caused irreparable damage to the province,” Khetaran maintained, adding that owing to that, assembly members demand Jam Kamal step down from his post.

Meanwhile, the four MPAs belonging to rebel group resurfaced in federal capital and vowed to stand by rebel group, saying they had visited capital city for private affairs. They later returned to Quetta on Saturday, vowing to vote against Jam Kamal Khan.

Leader of the Opposition in Balochistan Assembly Malik Sikan-

dar Advocate, while expressing his views, said that the post of the chief executive is very important as it requires the incumbent to work tirelessly for the welfare of the people.

“The chief executive is also required to solve the problems of the masses while being on the frontline,” Sikandar said, adding that the incumbent is also expected to protect the national exchequer.

“The incumbent must also be able to utilise the national exchequer for the welfare of the masses as per a sound strategy. The responsibility of protecting the constitutional and legal rights of the people is also included in the duties of the chief executive,” Sikandar said.

The leader of the opposition in the provincial assembly went on to say that the situation related to Sui gas in the province is suspicious because gas supply to the colder regions of the province is deliberately cut off.

“When the chief executive does not pay attention to such important issues, how will people trust him?”

Sikandar questioned.

The law and order situation in the province is such that no one’s life, property, or honour is safe, Sikandar said further, adding that people end up displaying the dead bodies of their loved ones outside the house of the chief executive to compel him to take action.

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Govt holds talks with four members of banned tlP: raja Basharat Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat on Saturday said that the government has held talks with four members of the banned Tehreek-eLabbaik Pakistan (TLP), according to a news outlet. On Friday night, two policemen were martyred and more than 40 cops were injured during clashes between police and members of the banned outfit.

Earlier on Saturday, Prime Minister Imran Khan held a telephonic conversation with Minister for Religious Affairs Pir Noorul Haq Qadri to discuss the prevailing law and order situation and formed a committee comprising of Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed, Qadri, and Basharat. During a meeting of the committee, chaired by Rasheed, Basharat informed the committee members that in the last three days, the government has spoken to the banned outfit four times.

SITUATION IN LAHORE AND TWIN CITIES: In Lahore, clashes between protesters and police continued for a second day, injuring six law enforcement personnel. In Rawalpindi, the stretch from 6th Road to Faizabad remained blocked.

Containers were been placed on Murree Road, causing difficulties for commuters. To keep Islamabad safe from the protests, the interior ministry summoned an additional force of 30,000 police personnel from Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. news desk

erdogan orders expulsion of ten western diplomats ISTANBUL agencies

In a major policy decision, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday he had ordered the foreign ministry to declare 10 ambassadors — including from the United States, Germany and France — ‘persona non grata’ for calling for the release of Osman Kavala who is behind the bars for his alleged links to terrorist organisation, Feto. “I gave the necessary order to our foreign minister and said what must be done: these 10 ambassadors must be declared persona non grata at once. You will sort it out immediately,” Erdogan said in a speech to a crowd in northwest Turkey’s Eskisehir. The foreign ministry summoned the ambassadors on Tuesday for what it said was an “irresponsible” statement calling for a just and speedy resolution to Kavala’s case. He has been in prison since late 2017, charged with financing protests and participating in a failed coup, which he denies. The 10 ambassadors issued a highly unusual joint statement on Monday — distributed widely on their Turkish social media accounts — saying Kavala’s continued detention “cast a shadow” over Turkey. “I told our foreign minister that we cannot have the luxury of hosting them in our country,” Erdogan had told reporters in comments published by Turkish media.

Kavala has faced a string of alternating charges linked to 2013 anti-government protests and a failed military coup in 2016. In their statement, the US, Germany, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden called for a “just and speedy resolution to (Kavala)’s case”.

All roads to, from Lahore blocked to prevent workers of banned TLP from going to demos LAHORE staff report

The district administration Saturday closed Lahore to all those travelling to and from the city in the wake of protests organised by the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) party to demand the release of their detained leader Saad Hussain Rizvi.

Babu Sabu Interchange, Shahdara Chowk, Saggian Bridge, Old Ravi Bridge, Data Darbar shrine and Lahore Ring Road have been shut down for traffic.

On the other hand, the Ministry of Interior has approved the Punjab Home Department’s proposal to suspend the internet services in several neighbourhoods of Lahore.

The neighbourhoods expected to experience the disruption include: Shahdara, Data Darbar, New Ravi Bridge and Old Ravi Bridge.

Lahore police chief Ghulam Mahmood Dogar said the force would not allow anyone

to take the law into their own hands.

Separately, many roads in Islamabad and Rawalpindi have also been blocked with containers by the authorities ahead of the proscribed party’s protest.

Violent clashes erupted between the security forces and TLP workers in Lahore on Friday, resulting in the killing of at least two policemen and two demonstrators.

The violence disrupted normal life in parts of Lahore, where residents were facing problems in reaching home because of the closure of some roads and continued clashes between police and the protestors.

Rizvi’s party said they were peaceful and that police suddenly started firing tear gas shells.

Sajid Saifi, a spokesman for the party, blamed police and paramilitary forces for initiating the violence. He said the use of force by authorities killed at least two demonstrators and injured hundreds of people.

Some were having a breathing problem

because of the use of tear gas, he added.

Saifi alleged that police were not allowing them to transport their injured supporters to the hospital. According to witnesses, rallygoers were still walking towards a highway leading to Islamabad.

The incident happened after thousands of supporters and workers of the group launched their “long march” from the city toward Islamabad, demanding that the government release Rizvi who was arrested in April amid demonstrations against France over publishing caricatures of Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H).

The TLP has waged an anti-France campaign since President Emmanuel Macron defended the right of a satirical magazine to republish blasphemous cartoons depicting the prophet.

Six police officers were killed in April when the TLP staged days of rallies that paralysed roads.

This time, the government has deployed

police and paramilitary personnel to prevent the demonstrators from leaving Lahore. Authorities also suspended cellular service in parts of Lahore.

Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad, who had been in Dubai to watch Pakistan compete in the T20 cricket World Cup, returned home on Prime Minister Imran Khan’s directive to monitor the situation.

ISLAMABAD POLICE ISSUE TRAFFIC ALERT: Meanwhile, in a bid to avoid inconvenience to the people, the traffic police issued a traffic alert for Islamabad.

A spokesperson for the department said diversions have been placed for both sides of the road at the Express Chowk entry and exit points of the Red Zone. Commuters can use Margalla road, Ayub Chowk, NADRA Chowk and Dhokri Chowk to reach the area.

A diversion was placed at the Ninth Avenue signal for both sides of traffic from IJP Road to Faizabad and from IJP Road to Sta-

dium Road.

Alternatively, Ninth Avenue can be used to enter Islamabad, while Peshawar Road can be used for Rawalpindi, said the spokesperson.

Traffic going from Islamabad to Murree Road Rawalpindi has been diverted to Islamabad Highway, with diversions placed for both sides of traffic at Murree Road and Faiz ul-Islam point, from and to Faizabad.

The spokesperson added diversions were placed at Murree Road before Faizabad for traffic from Rawal Dam Chowk to Faizabad.

Commuters can use Park Road, Tramri Chowk and Lehtrar road to reach Islamabad Highway.

However, Srinagar Highway, Ninth Avenue and IJP Road can still be used to reach Rawalpindi, added the traffic police spokesperson.

Metrobus was operational from the IJP Road point to Pakistan Secretariat Friday but it will remain suspended in Rawalpindi Saturday.

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

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Sunday, 24 October, 2021 | LAHORE

NEWS

Bitcoin falls to $61,393 as cryptos turn Bearish for third day ISLAMABAD

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Agencies

HE cryptocurrency market remained on downward trend for the third day in a row on Saturday, with the market capitalisation shedding 2.2 percent to reach $2.67 trillion as of 1330 hours GMT. Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency that hit $66,976 on Wednesday last - the highest ever level - faced further correction.

Bitcoin shed 3.23 percent to reach $61,393. With this decrease in price, the market capitalisation of the biggest cryptocurrency has reached 1.156 trillion.

Similarly, ether (ETH) price, which hit a record price of $4,380 before seeing a

harsh rejection, shed 2.21 percent to reach $4,025. With this decrease in price, the market capitalisation of ETH has reached $472.5 billion.

Following suit, XRP price shed 1.29 percent to reach $1.09.

The market capitalisation of XRP stands at $108.9 billion after this decrease.

Likewise, cardano (ADA) price shed 1.33 percent to reach $2.15. Its market capitalisation has fallen to $69.7 billion with

this decrease.

On the other hand, dogecoin (Doge) price went up by 0.37 percent to reach $0.245.

With this increase in price, the market capitalisation of doge has reached $32.2 billion.

According to experts, bitcoin has stalled out after reaching a record on Wednesday, but strategists are already setting out their stalls for how high the next rally will take it – $100,000 or only

$90,000. The digital currency is sitting in the low $60,000s as traders watch to see how the landscape shifts now the first US Bitcoin futures exchange-traded funds are in play.

They said that initial upside targets for Bitcoin above $65,000 lie near $72,500, then $89,000 and are thought to be definitely within reach on this breakout of former peaks. The last number would be a 100 per cent extension of the rally up from last March’s lows, they added.

Bitcoin reached its record amid anticipation of the US ETFs, as well as contininstitutional investment in ued cryptocurrency assets, and possible buying by bigger investors known as whales.

There are plenty of people projecting a gain to $100,000 by the end of the year.

USC mulls to hire consultant to improve business, digitalisation KARACHI Agencies

The Utility Stores Corporation (USC) is hiring a change management consultant, as the state-owned retail chain is up for a major transformation with the focus on improving the core business processes and digitalisation through implementation of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP).

It is a major shift from the manual processes to automated, resulting in disruption at all levels in the organisation, said a media report. “Therefore, the corporation is conducting an exercise to identify, plan and monitor all aspects of change management in order to successfully implement ERP,” it said.

This would be one of the largest digital transformations of an organisation in Pakistan with an enormous network of operational locations. At present, the Utility Stores Corporation is operating more than 4,000 stores across the country. The basic objective of the corporation is to protect the real income of the people by selling es-

sential consumer items at prices lower than those prevailing in the open markets; to act as a price moderator in the market and deterrent to profiteering, hoarding and black marketing by the private sector.

The USC has been at the centre of corruption and mismanagement stories for long. Recently, an audit conducted by the

pia gets 2nd airbus a320 on lease ISLAMABAD Agencies

The second Airbus A320 recently acquired by the Pakistan International Airlines on lease landed at Islamabad International Airport on Saturday. According to the PIA spokesperson, the plane arrived in Islamabad from France. The A320 has been acquired on lease for six years which will formally be inducted in the PIA fleet in the next few days, he added. Earlier, the national flag carrier had also acquired a similar plane on dry lease three weeks ago, which has already become part of the operation. After the addition of the aircraft, the number of Airbus A320 in the airline’s fleet will rise to 11. This is the third plane inducted into the PIA fleet under the incumbent administration. The PIA has planned to upgrade its fleet with new versions of fuelefficient latest technology aircraft. The process of inducting aircraft had slowed down due to Covid pandemic and prevailing aircraft industry crisis worldwide, according to the airline spokesman. Air Marshal Arshad Malik, chief executive officer of the national flag carrier, while sharing his views on delivery of the first A320 aircraft had said that PIA’s aim was to provide best services to its customers with fuel efficient, latest technology aircraft. He congratulated the airline management for inducting the aircraft in such difficult times. He also thanked the government, particularly the finance ministry, PIA Board of Directors and Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan for their support in this regard.

KtBa protests credit, debit notes suspension against unregistered supplies KARACHI Agencies

Tax practitioners have strongly protested the suspension of credit and debit notes against supplies made to unregistered persons.

Through a letter written to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) chairman, the Karachi Tax Bar Association (KTBA) has pointed out that a dilemma cropped up in the sales tax return from the period July 2021, whereby the adjustment of output tax resulted due to return of goods/cancellation of supply made to unregistered persons has been unilaterally suspended in the sales tax return in contrast to legal provisions provided under sales tax laws. KTBA President Muhammad Zeeshan Merchant said that the adjustment of output tax was available under Annexure–I of the Sales Tax Return till tax period June 2021. Now the sales tax return disallows such adjustment of output tax in such cases with remarks “please enter valid invoice.”

Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) found losses of over Rs2.6 billion in sale and procurement of sugar and wheat flour in public funds of the utility stores.

“The losses involved fraud, corruption, misappropriation, irregularities and mismanagement in 2019-20 accounts of the USC,” an official said. The auditors also

observed bogus enlistment of flour mills in the record of the USC, substandard, irregular procurement of commodities, nonclearance of outstanding amounts of suppliers, irregular contract and business with blacklisted flour mills and interrupted supply of commodities among others.

The official said the USC often witnessed shortages of essential commodities due to miscalculated demand and supply, which caused an artificial shortage of flour and sugar in the market, and also jacked up the prices. Once the enterprise resource planning system implementation is completed, the purchasing activity will become a structured process; whereby, a situation arising due to over or under-stocking of inventory can be controlled. The whole inventory will be controllable and the USC will be able to forecast the amount of items needed; thus, preventing both product shortages and overstocking. Digitalisation will enable the USC to start targeted subsidies for the poor segments of the society with an assurance that it reaches deserving individuals.

Apple tops global brands for 9th consecutive year AMAZON, MICROSOFT, GOOGLE, SAMSUNG MAKE PLACE IN TOP FIVE NEW YORK Agencies

Apple, an American multinational technology company that specialises in consumer electronics, computer software, and online services, has topped a list of the world's best global brands for the ninth consecutive year.

A New York-based management consulting firm Interbrand put the tech giant in first place on a list of the top 100 brands, assigning it a "brand value" of $408.3 billion, a surge of 26 percent in a year. Interbrand evaluates a firm's brand value based on its financial performance, influence on purchases and the brand's future competitiveness.

Big Tech dominated Interbrand's list, with the top five spots going to Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Google and Samsung. Coca-Cola, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, McDonald’s and Disney rounded out the top 10.

Apple has ensured everyone in the organisation is moving towards a "clear, ambitious goal", Interbrand said in its report.

Apple has successfully diversified its product portfolio and

entered into new fields such as health care (with the Apple Watch now recording blood oxygen levels), subscription-services in entertainment, data-storage and music.

“It has continued to stay close to customers and it continues to find strong online retail solutions despite complications caused by the pandemic,” Interbrand said. This week, Apple launched its latest MacBook Pro laptops - powered by the company’s in-house M1 Pro and M1 Max chips – and new AirPods as it looks to diversify its product range and attract more professional users.

The brand value of the 100 firms now stands at $2.7 trillion, up 15 percent from $2.3tn last year, the highest-ever growth rate in the 22-year history of Interbrand’s Best Global Brands. The average brand value increased 10 percent, significantly larger than the 1.3 percent last year, “owed largely to the economic disruption caused by Covid-19,” Interbrand said. Technology is the fastest-growing sector, with an average brand value change of 23 per cent on an annual basis. It is also the most valuable sector by average brand value, followed by beverages and sporting goods.

ICCI urges FBR to address reservations on POS installation ISLAMABAD Agencies

The Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) has urged the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to address traders’ reservations on the installation of Point of Sale (POS) in retail outlets before going ahead with this initiative.

ICCI President Muhammad Shakeel Munir said this while addressing a delegation of traders of Jinnah Super Market, Islamabad, that called on him led by Abdul Rehman Siddiqui, former Executive Member ICCI, to discuss the

tax issues of the business community, said a statement issued on Saturday.

Mian Akram Farid Founder Group chairman, Jamshaid Akhtar Sheikh, ICCI senior vice president, Muhammad Faheem Khan, vice president, Faseeh Ullah Khan, Ashfaq Chattha, Khalid Chaudhry and others were also present on the occasion.

Shakeel Munir said that the government has made many amendments to the tax laws through the Third Amendment Ordinance that would increase the problems for the business community. He said that it has been

made mandatory for companies to make digital payment of expenditures beyond a certain limit instead of cross cheque that could create problems in running business activities.

He said that FBR has been empowered to issue instructions to utility companies for disconnection of electricity, gas connections and mobile SIMS for recovery of tax dues, which has created a lot of concerns for taxpayers. He said that NADRA has also been empowered to share data of taxpayers with FBR that has raised concerns about the privacy of their data.

Gold price slips to rs100,500 per 10gm ISLAMABAD Agencies

Gold price surged for all five sessions of the week, as the US dollar faded its recovery rally amid improving market mood. Gold in the international market was available at $1,793 per ounce after gaining $8.90 at the close of the session on Friday. Meanwhile, the price of 10 grams of yellow metal in Pakistan decreased to Rs100,500 on Saturday with a decrease of Rs300. Gold in the local market was available at Rs100,800 per 10 grams on Friday last. As the local market was closed at the time of closure of the international market, the rates are adjusted on the very next day. According to experts, as global investors assess the risks of high inflation, gold prices could soon double. Over the week, gold has risen in price by some 2.5 percent, its fastest weekly growth rate since spring. They said the popularity of the precious metal has grown as it is seen as a means of protection against high inflation, a common trend in many countries around the globe despite the assurances of the financial authorities that the phenomenon is temporary. They said that gold prices are supported by growing fears about inflation and a decline in the dollar index at the end of the trading week. In recent weeks, the dollar has been weakening against a number of major world currencies, in particular, the euro, the yen and the yuan, while the dollar index has dropped by 0.2 percent, to 93.58 points.

rs260bn allocated for ehsaas programmes: sania nishter LAHORE Agencies

Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar has said that Rs260 billion have been allocated for Ehsaas programmes to address the difficulties faced by the poor segment of society. The SAPM said this during her visit to an Ehsaas registration centre on Saturday to review the survey registration process. She said the prime minister will announce a separate budget for the upcoming Ehsaas targeted commodity subsidy programme. Dr Sania said that different initiatives of the Ehsaas Programme, which include Ehasas Kafaalat, Ehsaas Nashonuma, Ehsaas scholarships for children and others, are linked with this survey. She said that the survey in Lahore would soon be completed while the survey across the country has been done.

pakistan achieves 100m covid vaccination milestone: asad ISLAMABAD Agencies

National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) chief and Minister for Planning and Development, Asad Umar has urged the unvaccinated individuals to get coronavirus vaccine for the safety of their family, society and themselves as soon as possible. In a video message on Saturday, Asad Umar said, “Thanks to Allah Almighty, the number of vaccinations in the country today has exceeded 100 million.” Asad said out of the total vaccinations being carried out around 68 million eligible individuals were administered the Covid-19 vaccines. “…of whom more than 38 million have been fully vaccinated and 30 million have received a single dose. It is very important that people who have taken one dose get the second dose,” Asad Umar added. He said complete vaccination is necessary to ensure complete protection from the disease. He said those partially vaccinated 30 million people are requested to get their second shot to complete their immunization.

Meanwhile the NCOC, in a tweet on it’s official handle shared the latest disease statistics, where the national tally of Covid-19 pandemic reported decline in national positivity ratio below 1.5% amid declining disease trend and death rate.

US, UK, EU, others to ban export credits for new coal plants PARIS Agencies

Several members of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), including Britain, the EU and the US, have agreed to stop providing export credits for coal-fired power plants.

The OECD said the ban will halt financial support to new coal power stations that do not have systems that trap carbon emissions responsible for global warming. “The ban will come into effect once participants complete their formal internal decision-making processes, which are expected by the end of Octo-

ber,” the OECD said.

The decision comes about a week before the Cop26 climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland, which starts on October 31.

Other countries participating in the ban are Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey. It covers new coal-fired power plants without operational carbon capture, utilisation and storage. For existing coalfired power stations, the credits can only be used for pollution mitigation and carbon capture equipment that does not extend the service life of the plant.

Coal, considered the dirtiest fossil fuel, is responsible for a major chunk of global

carbon emissions. While many developed nations have tried to reduce coal in their domestic power mixes to meet ambitious new climate pledges, they have often continued to finance coal projects abroad, drawing criticism from environmental groups. Export credits refer to government financial support, such as direct financing, guarantees, insurance or interest rate support, provided to foreign buyers to assist in the financing of the purchase of goods from national exporters.

In May, G7 environment ministers agreed to stop the direct funding of coalfired power stations in poorer nations by the end of this year. Then in July, Cop26

President Alok Sharma urged developed nations to end the use of “unabated” coal power to reach their climate change objectives. In an address to the G20 Climate and Energy meeting in Naples, Mr Sharma said that the use of the fuel is “incompatible” with limiting global temperature rises to 1.5C compared with pre-industrial levels by 2050, as set out in the 2015 Paris climate deal. However, an agreement on the topic was not reached.

Coal use is regarded as unabated when it is burnt for power or heat without utilising technology to capture the ensuing emissions – a system not yet widely used in power generation.