EpaperISB_20-10-09

Friday, 9 October, 2020 I 20 safar, 1442 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XI no 100 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition

IndIa InstIgatIng terrorIsm to sabotage CPeC, PakIstan tells Un

new YORk STaFF REpORT

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AKISTAN has said the Indian government was pushing terrorists in cross-border militant attacks as part of its state policy of targeting the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the Pakistan Army protecting and spearheading work on the game-changer project.

Speaking during the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) debate, Jehanzeb Khan, first secretary at Pakistan’s mission to the UN, said New Delhi was pushing terrorists from proscribed mil-

itant outfits including Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its offspring Jamaatul Ahrar (JuA) to attack the military and civilians.

Khan’s statement came in response to Indian assertion that the UN Security Council should not be misused by countries with “retaliatory intent to name innocent civilians as terrorists” The Indian statement, Times of India reported, was an apparent reference to the blocking of Islamabad’s bid to have two Indians terrorists listed under the UNSC 1267 sanctions committee.

Without naming Pakistan, First Secretary and Legal Adviser in India’s Permanent Mission to the UN Yedla Umasanka said: “India

CoronavIrUs In

PakIstan

CONFIRMED CASES:

316,934

LAST UPDATED AT 7:24 AM ON OCTOBER 8, 2020

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

9

RECOVERED:

NEW CASES:

583

DEATHS:

302,375 6,544 SINDH:

PUNJAB:

139,195

100,272

KP:

BALOCHISTAN:

AJK/GB:

ISLAMABAD:

38,175

15,460

2,937/3,886 17,009

has been and continues to be a victim of terrorism sponsored across our borders. We have had firsthand experience of the cruel link between transnational organised crime and terrorism.”

Khan told the global body the Indian government was “financing and organising secret mercenary terrorist organisations” based outside Pakistan to conduct attacks inside the country to sabotage CPEC, recalling the attacks carried out at the Chinese consulate, Karachi and the Pakistan Stock Exchange.

“The captured Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav had earlier confessed to organising such terrorist activities inside [Pakistan].”

“Over the last decade, thousands of Pakistanis have been killed or injured as a result of these Indian-sponsored terrorist attacks,” he said.

He recalled “Hindu supremacist organisations” in India including the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the parent body of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has, for decades, preached the violent suppression of the country’s Muslim populace.

The diplomat also touched upon Indian atrocities and gross human rights violations in occupied Kashmir.

He asserted that the “reign of terror” in occupied Kashmir, which has been under a constant communication and social clampdown since Aug 5 last year, “has done little to frustrate the indigenous and legitimate struggle [of the residents] for their inalienable right to self-determination”.

Referring to the reports of extra-judicial killings in the occupied region and youth being picked up with their whereabouts remain unknown, Khan said that “no amount of fake encounters can ever take away the desire for freedom from the oppressed people”.

‘we are not sheep’: nawaz addresses PML-n conference news desk Former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif on Thursday vowed to “make Pakistan a respectable country” through the efforts of his party and the newly-formed 11-party anti-government alliance.

“We are not sheep that can be herded and if this has been happening [in the past], it will not happen anymore!” he said in an attempt to boost the morale and

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

PML-N VP RALLIES TROOPS FOR FIRST ANTI-GOVT RALLY nEws dEsk: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Thursday said the opposition were about “to enter a decisive struggle”. The PML-N VP, flanked by party leaders Khawaja Asif and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, spoke about the upcoming Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) rally in Gujranwala, at a conference of PML-N’s parliamentarians and ticket holders in Lahore. Maryam insisted that the PDM “would not fail the people” and would usurp the incumbent government. Maryam echoed her father’s phrase, “vote ko izzat do [honour the vote]”, and said that the so-called rigging of the 2018 elections had violated “the sanctity of the vote”. She held the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government liable for the inflation surges, human rights violations, and the worsening of the law and order situation. “When Nawaz came into power, loadshedding would take place for 20 hours in the country. We [almost] finished it in our tenure,” she added.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 02

Education minister says schools will remain open in spite of Covid fears MAnseHRA app

Amid fears of a second wave of coronavirus in the country, Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood on Thursday said that the federal government has no intention to close educational institutions again.

“With the blessing of Allah Almighty, we are in a position to send our children to schools, the decision of closing schools during the outbreak was a good assessment which has saved our education sector and now we have no intention to close educational institutions again,” he said while addressing students at Batrasi Cadet College in Mansehra.

Mehmood said that reforms in the education sector and educating every child of Pakistan are the top priorities of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.

“20 million children are out of schools, it’s a big challenge to bring them to school, we would utilise all of our resources to educate these children,” he added.

The minister said that Batrasi Cadet College is a premier institution with the best education and discipline which is com-

passion of his party in a virtual address. This address comes after Nawaz was summoned by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) through newspapers in Al-Azizia and Avenfield references.

Nawaz directed his party to take a firm stand in the ‘decisive struggle’, adding that any member who “was scared should sit at home. We do not need cowards.

You do not deserve to be in the assemblies if you are scared”.

more inside

Chehlum of Imam Hussain (As) observed across Pakistan STORY ON PAGE 04

NEPRA approves Rs0.83 per unit hike in power tariff STORY ON PAGE 05 mendable for its services rendered for best facilities to the youth of Pakistan.

On the arrival of Shafqat at Batrasi Cadet College, a smartly turned out contingent of students presented him a guard of honour.

He also administered oath from the proctorial board members, laid a floral wreath at Yadgar-e-Shuhda and offered Fateha for the departed souls particularly those who have lost their lives in the devastating earthquake of 2005.

The federal minister also inaugurated the swimming pool of the college and witnessed the championship.

Earlier, he also rubbished the fake news of the closing of educational institutions from October 15.

“Fake news being circulated on social media that educational institutions will be closed on Oct 15. No truth in this,” he wrote on his official Twitter handle.

Pakistan has been largely able to successfully curb the contagious virus, which has so far claimed over 1,040,000 lives across the world.

The educational institutions reopened in Pakistan last month after the National Command and Operation Centre’s (NCOC) approval.

Minor girl assaulted, tortured before murder: police STORY ON PAGE 02

SHC issues notice on controversial island development ordinance STORY ON PAGE 03

02

Friday, 9 October, 2020

NEWS

Minor girL aSSauLted, tortured before Murder: poLice PESHAWAR

K

STAFF REPORT

HyBER Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Inspector General of Police (IGP) Sanaullah Abbasi on Thursday said that the suspects in the murder-and-rape of a missing minor girl, who was found in the Jaba Korona area in Peshawar, have been arrested, but he refused to share details to keep the investigation unaffected.

Zainab, a two-and-a-half-year-old girl from the Sheikh Kallay Qilla area, went

missing on Tuesday evening while playing with other children outside her house, police said. The following day, the Prang police received information about the body of a girl lying in the Jaba Korona area. The Prang and Daudzai police recovered the body and shifted it to the Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar for postmortem.

A First Information Report (FIR) was registered on Tuesday against unknown kidnappers in the Prang police station on the complaint of Akhtar Munir, father of the girl. Later on, when the body was found, Section 302 (punishment for murder) of the

opposition struggling for personal interests, nro: asad ISLAMABAD

Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) was added to the FIR, police said. Charsadda District Police Officer (DPO) Mohammad Shoaib Khan said the investigation “suggests that the minor was assaulted before her murder”, adding that there were torture marks on the girl’s body. Police were waiting for the medical report, after which they would add other sections of the PPC, he said.

According to IGP Abbasi, the DHQ hospital had “verbally” confirmed to the police that the victim was sexually assaulted before being killed but a formal post-mortem examination report is yet to

Punjab considers lockdown as Covid-19 positivity rate increase LAHORE

APP

STAFF REPORT

Minister for Planning Asad Umar on Thursday said that opposition parties were struggling for personal interests and for getting amnesty in the form of an NRO. Talking to a private television channel, he said that the government’s refusal to grant an NRO to opposition parties had increased frustration. The minister said that opposition parties had no concern with national interest but they were trying hard to gain personal benefits. Commenting on Financial Action Task Force (FATF), he said that some foreign political powers and India wanted to push Pakistan into black list. To a question about rising prices of commodities and electricity, he said that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had made expensive agreements, due to which, the people were facing high prices in power sector. The minister said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was making all possible efforts to streamline the system.

be issued. Zainab’s father said that the family did not have enmity with anyone.

“Today it is my Zainab, tomorrow another Zainab could suffer this,” he lamented.

KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan took notice of the incident and directed IGP Abbasi and other authorities to immediately arrest those involved. “An example should be made out of them,” he said, terming the incident “heart-rending”. In reaction to this incident, the hashtags #JusticeforZainab and #AnotherZaina are trending on Twitter as the country laments the death and abuse of another child.

The Punjab cabinet is mulling another lockdown in light of the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) report regarding “a slight increase in the positivity ratio and the number of cases across Pakistan”.

The NCOC shared its review after a meeting with health experts, and its findings pushed the Punjab cabinet to hold its own meeting, chaired by Law Minister Raja Basharat, to discuss the threat of the virus and the rising death rate. The cabinet discussed how Sindh has been hit by a fresh wave of cases in spite of marked improvements.

While the NCOC commented that “the overall situation remains stable”, the committee felt that that safety protocols need to be tightened in Punjab, as citizens are disregarding standard operating procedures (SOPs).

The NCOC reported noted that there has been a marked decline in following health guidelines on wearing of masks, social distancing and ‘no mask no service’ protocols. Furthermore, high-risk activities such as large public gatherings like restaurants and marriage

halls were identified.

At the occasion, Basharat said, “We are close to defeating coronavirus, however, people should exhibit responsibility and take the virus situation seriously.”

Earlier, Federal Minister for Planning Asad Umar emphasised that public safety is of the utmost importance and the success of national anti-virus efforts so far should not be allowed to go waste.

Similarly, the NCOC statement noted that “shaking hands has become a routine in total disregard to public safety and health”.

The NCOC will review the present situation in detail to formulate a plan against any possible resurgence of Covid-19. Similarly, the Punjab Health Department will formulate new safety protocols and a public awareness campaign as per the orders of the cabinet meeting.

Health experts also briefed the NCOC on the pattern and prevalence of a possible second wave in the world, and particularly in Pakistan.

Punjab has 100,272 confirmed coronavirus cases with 2,247 fatalities; of 124 new cases were registered in the last 24 hours.

Students face harassment in Karachi, Lahore KARACHI/LAHORE TLTP

Two incidents of female students’ harassment came to light in Karachi and Lahore on Thursday. The first case surfaced in Karachi when a male student, who had been accompanying two female friends in a car, shared the ordeal on social media. According to the student’s statement, the two were travelling within the Karachi University premises after dropping one of the female students at the IBA hostel when they were surrounded by around 10 young men riding on four motorcycles. The harassers reportedly followed the car, kept hooting at the woman, and at one point forced the car to stop before the driver of the vehicle was able to break free and reach a security check post. The narrator of the incident said the two students had felt extremely unsafe, describing the ordeal as “another possible motorway incident” in his post. The harassers were aged from 15 to 25 years, according to the statement provided by the student. Taking notice of the incident and regretting that it took place inside the university’s premises, the security adviser of Karachi University, Dr Moeez Khan, said the harassers involved in the incident have been apprehended. He further said that the victims will have to identify the harassers in a parade so that the university can take the case further. He added that action will be taken “in accordance with the law”. In the second incident, a female student of a university was allegedly harassed by police officials at a local hotel in Lahore. In a video statement, the student, Kinza, said that she had booked a room at a local hotel in Lahore.

Around 2:30 am, police Chowki In-charge Arshad Bhatti, along with other police officials, reached the hotel and knocked at the door of her room. She accused Arshad Bhatti of harassing and forcing her to go with him outside the hotel. The police officer also forced the student to provide him with her phone number.

Meanwhile, two more police officials forcefully entered her room and started asking useless questions, she said and added that the officials used abusive language with her.

Implementation begins of new rules to control unlawful social media content ISLAMABAD AHMAD AHMADANI

Following the approval of Cabinet Committee for Disposal of Legislative Cases (CCLC), the federal cabinet has ratified newly drafted rules to counter the flow of illegal, blasphemous, obscene or defamatory content on social media.

According to sources, the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications, after consulting concerned stakeholders, had drafted Removal and Blocking of Unlawful Content (Procedure, Oversight and Safeguards) Rules, 2020, to counter the flow of illegal, blasphemous, obscene or defamatory content on social media and forwarded these new rules to CCLC for approval. Later, the CCLC approved these rules and the federal cabinet has recently granted its necessary ratification for implementation.

“After the ratification of cabinet, all service providers are now bound under new rules to remove or block unlawful social media content,” said sources.

They added that the government will now be able to control unbridled social media with the implementation of new rules.

According to documents, under the new rules, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) will not restrict or disrupt the flow or dissemination of any online content except in

CABINET RATIFIES RULES TO REMOVE OR BLOCK UNLAWFUL SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT the case of removing and blocking access to online content which goes against the interest of Islam, integrity, security and defence of Pakistan, public order, public health, public safety, decency and morality. It would also remove or block content that constitutes as an offence under different sections of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), 1860, or of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CCP), 1898.

Any social media company or service provider would be obligated to publish the community guidelines for usage of any online system, and such guidelines should inform the user not to host, display, upload, modify, publish, transmit, update or share any online content that belongs to another person; to which one does not have any right; or content which is blasphemous, defamatory, obscene, pornographic, pedophiliac; invasive of another’s privacy; negatively affects religious, cultural, ethical sensitivities of Pakistan; impersonates another person; threatens the integrity, security or defence of Pakistan; or causes incitement.

The service provider and social media company which has more than half a million Pakistani users in Pakistan or social media

companies specially notified by the authority must subject to the provisions of the act, including register with the authority and establish a permanent registered office in Pakistan with a physical address, preferably located in Islamabad. Both aforementioned acts must occur within nine months of the enforcement of these rules.

PTA will entertain complaints with regards to the unlawful online content which may be filed by any person or guardian wronged by online content, or by a ministry, division, attached department, subordinate office, provincial, local department or office, law enforcement agency or intelligence agency of the government, or a company owned or controlled by the government.

PTA will register the complaint while ensuring that the online content and the identity of the complainant is kept confidential if need be. Similarly, PTA will not disclose such online content and identity of the complainant to any person who is directly responsible for receiving and processing the complaints. A complaint will be decided by the authority within thirty days under Rule 5. PTA may pass any order in writing and

record reasons for its decision for removal or blocking or issue directions to the concerned offender in accordance with the requirements of section 37 (1) of the Act. While passing orders, PTA will give twenty 24 hours’ notice to the concerned parties to comply with the directions for removal or blocking access to the online content and any other directions as may be issued in the order.

PTA may direct the service provider, social media company, owner of an information system, owner of internet website or web server and user to remove, block access to the online content complained of within six hours in emergency cases, and the authority will specify the reason for the emergency in writing. “In case the service provider, social media company, owner of an information system, owner of internet website or web server and the user fails to remove or block access to the online content or to comply with the directions issued by the Authority under sub-rule (2) within the specified time, the Authority may initiate action against a service provider, social media company, owner of an information system, owner of internet website or web server and the user under the act,” said documents.

Furthermore, the authority may direct the concerned parties to secure information including traffic data. The authority may seek expert opinion from any person wher-

ever it deems appropriate during the processing of the complaint against online content.

It is pertinent to mention that Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 (PECA) has provided a complete framework for dealing with electronic crimes including removing or blocking of unlawful online content and powers of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority with respect to unlawful online content management in Section 37 of PECA. Under Section 37 of PECA, PTA is empowered to block or remove unlawful online content in the telecommunication sector with approval of the federal government and with the cooperation of law enforcement agencies. An inter-ministerial committee was constituted by the prime minister on 14th September 2017 for the purpose of steering the implementation of PECA. However, after the ratification of the Citizen Protection Rules, 2020 by the cabinet, the civil society and technology companies raised objections.

In pursuance of the premier’s directions in letter No. 21-ITM/DS(IA-III)/2020-meeting dated 26th February 2020, a committee was framed by the Minister of Information Technology and Telecommunication on 28th February 2020. The committee was directed to undertake extensive and broad-based consultation with all relevant stakeholders. After thorough deliberations, the chairman of PTA submitted a revised draft of rules, which were sent to the Ministry of Law and Justice for vetting.

Friday, 9 October, 2020

NEWS

nab aSKS fia to put nawaz Sharif’S naMe in ‘Stop-LiSt’ in view of ihc order ISLAMABAD

t

MIAN ABRAR

HE National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has asked the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to put the name of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif into its stop-list so the former premier could be arrested when he returned from London, where he is staying for ‘medical treatment’.

An official told Pakistan Today that the NAB authorities believed Nawaz may try to return from London and hence it has been decided to ready the requisite arrangements for the arrest of

Sharif, who has repeatedly been issued a summons by the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

IHC had issued the final summons for the appearance of Nawaz through a newspaper advertisement in the Al-Azizia reference. The published advertisement asked the former premier to appear in person to the IHC within 30 days and warned that failure to do so would result in him being declared an absconder.

The source said that NAB had gotten reports suggesting that the Pakistan Muslim league-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader has been advised by his political aides to return to Pakistan to help accelerate the anti-government movement led

by an opposition alliance, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).

“Keeping in view these reports, the NAB Rawalpindi has written a letter to the FIA director-general asking to include the name of Nawaz Sharif in the FIA’s stop list,” the source said.

The source said that the letter from NAB Rawalpindi has been received at the office of the FIA DG, who has asked the agency to act upon the request.

According to the source, the letter said that the newspaper advertisements to summon Nawaz Sharif should be placed with the immigration system and his name may be put into the stop list.

It is important to mention here that

the country’s premium anti-corruption body has also sent a letter to Lahore police to inform them about the court declaration about Nawaz in Al-Azizia reference. “The Lahore Police has been asked to arrest Nawaz if he lands in Lahore so as he could be produced in the IHC,” the source said.

The source said that Lahore police has been also asked to publish the declaration about Nawaz's summons in ‘each and every police station’ of Lahore along with his picture, as per the standard operating procedures (SOPs).

The NAB letter further directed Lahore police to post the advertisement at Nawaz's Raiwind House too.

UN urged to push India to grant Kashmiris right to self-determination ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Pakistan has urged the world community at the United Nations (UN) to push India to grant Kashmiris right to self-determination. Speaking in a general debate, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations Munir Akram underscored that the right of people to self-determination is the bedrock of international relations.

He said the international community has continued to reaffirm the principle of self-determination, but the free exercise of this right has been denied, so far, in certain cases, such as in Jammu and Kashmir and Palestine.

“Appeasement of this Indian government abets impunity, begets violence and

threatens regional peace and security,” Ambassador Akram said.

In fact, he said the General Assembly Resolution 2649 (1970) declared that denial of the right of self-determination of peoples under colonial occupation or alien domination is a gross violation of the UN Charter and that such peoples have the right to struggle for the realization of their right “by all available means”.

On August 5 last year, India, he said, initiated its so-called ‘final solution’ in occupied Jammu and Kashmir by eliminating its statehood, imposing a siege and changing its demographic composition, flagrantly violating the UN Charter, the relevant Security Council resolutions; and international law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention.

three federal ministers asked to vacate parliament lodges ISLAMABAD SHAHZAD PARACHA

The National Assembly (NA) Secretariat has asked three federal ministers to vacate family suites in the parliament lodges. Sources said that the NA Secretariat, with the approval of Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri, has written a letter to Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry, Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Zaidi and Federal Minister for Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan Ali Amin Gandapur with regard to vacating of family suites in the parliament lodges. The federal ministers had been allocated accommodation in the minister’ enclave and family suites in the parliament lodges. The letter states that due to acute shortage of family suites in the parliament lodges, some MNAs have been waiting for allotment of accommodation. The secretariat has requested the ministers to vacate the family suites to allow allotment to the waiting MNAs. Sources said that Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Zaidi has agreed to vacate the family suite whereas the secretariat did not receive any reply from Fawad Chaudhry nor from Ali Amin Gangapur.

pakistan reaffirms commitment to Saudi arabia

During the last fourteen months, India has imprisoned all Kashmiri political leaders, illegally detained 13,000 Kashmiri youth, tortured many of them, summarily executed young boys, put down protests violently, including the use of blinding pellet guns, and imposed collective punishments demolishing and burning entire neighborhoods and villages. “Not a single Indian soldier has been punished for these crimes,” Ambassador Akram told delegates from around the world.

One and a half million Indian settlers have been issued domicile certificates to transform the illegally Indian Occupied Kashmir (IIOJK) from a Muslim majority state into a Hindu majority territory, he said. ‘This gross violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention may be a

pre-cursor to mass atrocities and genocide.”

Referring to global resurgence in intolerance, discrimination, racism, and violence against monitories, the Pakistani envoy said prejudice, discrimination and violence against Muslims, including Islamophobia, was one of the manifestations of these extremist trends.

Ambassador Akram said that Prime Minister Imran Khan has called on the General Assembly to declare an “International Day to Combat Islamophobia”.

Pakistan, he said, looks forward to the support of all member states for this proposal. They also reposed satisfaction over the economic, defence and political ties between the two countries. The foreign minister invited his counterpart to visit Pakistan, which she consented.

SHC issues notice on controversial island development ordinance NEWS DESK In regards to the Pakistan Islands Development Authority (PIDA) Ordinance issued by President Arif Alvi a few days ago, the Sindh High Court (SHC) sent a notice to all federal and provincial authorities on Thursday.

The notice was on the petition challenging the PIDA Ordinance and directed the governments to reply till October 23, when the next hearing is scheduled to take place. The two-judge bench was headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar. During the hearing, Advocate Shahab Usto argued that the ordinance in violation of Articles 1, 97 and 172 of the Constitution.

Furthermore, the petitioner stated that an ordinance in inapplicable in this situation and any such developmental plan would require a two-thirds majority in the national and provincial assemblies.

The ordinance itself refers to a plan regarding the islands is “for the development and management of the islands in the internal waters and territorial waters of Pakistan”, wherein the authority shall “initiate and maintain a continuous process of reclamation, master planning, urban planning, spatial planning for” Bundal and Buddo Islands, and promote and stimulate the two islands as “trade, investment and logistics centres and hubs, duty-free areas and international tourist destinations”.

However, it has been seen as an encroachment by the Sindh government, which is asserting its ownership over the islands. According to the 18th Amendment, all water and land within 12 nautical miles belonged of the province belonged to Sindh.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari remarked that the move was like the illegal annexation of Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir

by India.

However, the issue took another turn after Maritime Affairs Minister Ali Zaidi posted a letter on social media from the Sindh government dated July 6, making Bundal island “available” to the Centre.

“In pursuance of the said request made by [the] federal government, the provincial cabinet has decided to make the said island available to the federal government, as per law, for the purpose mentioned in [the Centre’s letter] … in the public interest, on such terms and conditions as may be agreed upon,” read the letter On Wednesday, Information Minister Shibli Faraz had accused the provincial administration of “playing politics” over the issue.

“The industries of Sindh and Karachi will benefit from this [and] it will create employment. We are bringing in development and foreign investment to benefit Sindh’s people.” He added that those who will be affected by the development work will be compensated.

03

treMor hitS Swat on 2005 earthquaKe anniverSary SWAT TLTP

A moderate intensity earthquake on Thursday jolted Mingora in Swat and the adjoining areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). The intensity of tremors recorded a 4.7 magnitude of the Richter scale, according to a report. The earthquake tremors were felt across Mingora town and adjoining areas. The depth of the quake was 100 kilometres with its epicentre in the Hindukush Mountain range, according to seismological reports.

The 2005 Kashmir earthquake also occurred on October 8. It was centred near the city of Muzaffarabad and had also affected Balakot city in KP. The quake claimed thousands of lives and caused massive damage to infrastructure, especially in Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) and KP. Today, the 15th anniversary of victims of the deadly earthquake is being observed across Pakistan, including AJK. Last year in September, a 5.8-magnitude quake hit different parts of AJK. The quake hit some urban and rural parts of the region including Muzaffarabad, Kotli and other areas. At least 40 people died and more than 500 were injured as a result of an earthquake. Around 6,000 houses were destroyed completely, while 7100 cattle farms were damaged in the quake.

accountability court indicts omni group chief, others ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

An accountability court here on Thursday indicted Omni Group Chairman Anwar Majeed, Abdul Ghani Majeed, and others in Pink Residency reference. The case was taken up by AC Judge Azam Khan. Accused Anwar Majeed, Abdul Ghani Majeed and others were indicted by the court in the reference, however, the accused refused to accept a charge sheet against them and pleaded innocence. Later, the court after summoning three witnesses in the reference adjourned the hearing till October 16. The National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) Rawalpindi branch had filed a reference against the chief executive officer (CEO) of Omni Group Abdul Ghani Majeed, Anwar Majeed, former assistant commissioner Muhammad Garho and others. The reference has been filed in an investigation into holders of public office, legal persons, and others allegedly involved in the ongoing fake bank accounts case pertaining to misuse of authority in the allotment or regularisation of government land in favor of M/S Pink Residency and others. Those named in the reference are accused of misusing their authority and causing losses worth Rs2.5 billion to the national exchequer. NAB Rawalpindi, as part of its reference into the allotment of over 30 acres of land worth Rs2.5 billion, has cautioned the relevant authority to avoid any further sale or purchase of land.

govt prioritises promotion of economic activities: faraz ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz has said that provision of a business-friendly environment as well as promotion of economic activities is the priority of the government.

Addressing a ceremony on Thursday, the information minister said that economic dependence affects a country's free foreign affairs. The minister said the government is also making all-out efforts to enhance the economic outreach and increase the exports. He stressed on the need to strengthen institutions for problem solving and public prosperity. Highlighting the importance of art in promoting a positive image of the country in the world, he said the government is providing opportunities to promote creative capabilities.

ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood on Thursday telephoned his Saudi Arabian counterpart and discussed bilateral ties and ways to enhance collaboration, reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to the kingdom. Islamabad has close ties with both Riyadh, home to scores of Pakistani expatriates. During a telephone exchange, Qureshi and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud discussed bilateral ties and the situation in the region, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement. “Foreign Minister Qureshi underlined that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have historic and deep-rooted fraternal ties which have stood the test of time,” the statement said.

“He appreciated consistent support of the Kingdom to Pakistan, especially in [the] hour of need, and steadfast solidarity on the Kashmir cause.”

US hopeful for Afghan, Pakistan side agreement WASHINGTON AGENCIES

United States negotiator seeking to end Afghanistan’s war voiced hope Wednesday that the Kabul government can reach a side deal with Pakistan, whose historic support of the Taliban has long tested relations.

The Taliban and the Afghan government have opened slow-moving peace talks in Qatar as the United States starts withdrawing its forces from Afghanistan to end its longest-ever war.

Zalmay Khalilzad, the US pointman

on Afghanistan, said that both Prime Minister Imran Khan and Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa have been “helpful” in the diplomacy.

“We are seeking an agreement between Afghanistan and Pakistan as an adjunct to an internal peace,” Khalilzad told a forum at the University of Chicago’s Pearson Institute by video from Doha.

Both countries would “agree that their territory will not be allowed to be used against the other by extremist groups or groups that would undermine the security of the other,” he said.

Pakistan had hailed the Feb 29 agreement between the United States and the Taliban, in which Washington declared that it would “facilitate discussions” between Kabul and Islamabad.

Critics, especially in Afghanistan and India, accuse Islamabad of playing both sides and claim the military and intelligence apparatus has still backed Taliban violence as a way to exert influence in its neighbor.

But Khalilzad, who visited Islamabad last month, said he saw economic incentives for Pakistan, which suffers severe power shortages and could import power from electric-

ity-rich Central Asia if the Afghan government and Taliban reach a deal. “There are economic reasons that would be transformative for the region should peace in Afghanistan come,” Khalilzad said. The upbeat tone by Khalilzad, who has tried to ensure that all key players support Afghan peace, comes after years of on-off tensions between the United States and its long-time ally Pakistan.

President Donald Trump in 2018 slashed $300 million in US security assistance to Pakistan, saying it was failing to fight radical elements.

04

Friday, 9 October, 2020

NEWS

Chehlum of Imam hussaIn (as) observed aCross PakIstan

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NEWS DESK

UNJAB: In Lahore, various Majalis were held in different Imambargahs to commemorate the Karbala incident and highlight the message of martyrs. A number of Alam and Tazia processions were taken out from different Imambargahs which marched on their respective routes. The central Shabih-e-Tazia procession was taken out from Haveli Alif Shah inside Delhi Gate in the morning and culminated at Karbala Gamay Shah in the night after passing through its traditional route including Masjid Wazir Khan, Rang Mehal, Pani Wala Talab, Sunehri Masjid, Tehsil Bazar, Novelty Chowk and Bhatti Gate.

Various sabeels of milk, water, food and juices were arranged at the route of Shabih-e-Tazia procession for mourners. Special measures were taken to ensure security and facilitation of mourners.

Lahore DIG (Operations) Ashfaq Khan said that more than 10,000 police officers and officials along with other community force performed duties on Chehlum of Imam Hussain (AS) in the provincial capital.

He said that the routes of processions were monitored through cameras of Punjab Safe City Authority (PSCA), adding that linked roads and streets were sealed and barriers and barbed wires installed.

He said that the mourners were allowed to enter in procession after checking from three points, adding that walk-through gates, metal detectors and electric barriers were also installed for checking.

Elite Force personnel on vehicles performed security duties from start of procession at Haveli Alaf Shah to its culmination at Karbala Gamay Shah.

In Rawalpindi, the local administration had devised a plan of action to maintain law and order on Chehlum while a control room was set up at City Police Office Rawalpindi to monitor the security situation.

Before start of the processions, the religious scholars, in their sermons highlighted the significance of the supreme sacrifices of Imam Hussain (AS) and his companions. The speakers appealed to their audience to im-

LAHORE: Thousands of mourners attend Chehlum procession of Imam Hussain (AS) and his companions.

ZUBAIR MEHFOOZ

bibe the spirit behind the supreme sacrifice of Imam Hussain (AS) to uphold the truth and righteousness for the glorification of Islam. The Chehlum processions gathered at Imambargah Colonel (r) Maqbool, Imambargah Ashiq Hussain and culminated at Imambargah Qadeemi after passing through its traditional routes.

The police made strict security arrangements by deploying thousands of policemen and installed walk through gates to check suspects. All roads and streets leading to the place of congregation were properly sealed off. All traditional routes of processions were blocked for all kinds of private and public transport at Committee Chowk, Trunk Bazaar, Sarafa Bazaar, College Road and Jamia Masjid Road.

The police cleared the routes of processions in various city areas with the help of bomb disposal squads for

‘36,637 housing units being constructed under 10 FGHA projects’ ISLAMABAD APP

Prime Minister Imran Khan was informed on Thursday that with the revival of work on around 10 projects of the Federal Government Housing Authority (FGHA),

which were facing delay for the last few years, 38,637 housing units would be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs120.21 billion. Similarly, work on three projects of Pakistan Housing Authority (PHA) Foundation, facing delay for the last few years, was also being restored as a result of which 5,372 housing units would be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs27.86 billion.

This was apprised

the safety of mourners. No one was allowed to stand on roof tops of the commercial and residential buildings situated along the route of the main procession. Furthermore, police and law enforcement agencies strictly monitored the people staying at hotels and guesthouses in the city as well. The sabeels of milk and sharbat were set up at traditional routes.

The azadars made arrangements to distribute langar among the participants on the occasion.

Rescue 1122 had made arrangements to deal with any emergency, besides providing medical cover to azadars during Zanjir Zani.

Meanwhile, City Traffic Police (CTP) strictly observed the traffic plan chalked for Chehlum of Imam Hussain (AS) to maintain smooth flow of traffic.

According to the plan, there was a complete ban on during the weekly meeting of the National Coordination Committee on Housing, Construction and Development held with PM Imran in the chair. The Ministry of Housing briefed the prime minister in detail about the revival of work on federal government’s projects, which were facing delay, construction of housing units owing to the ongoing and future projects and their estimated costs.

The prime minister was told that as a result of the ongoing projects 26,625 housing units would be constructed at the cost of Rs213.4 billion. Whereas, under the projects of the years 2020 and 2021, more 25,017 and 39,955 housing units would be constructed at the estimated costs of Rs112.03 and Rs184 billion, respectively.

Network of uplift projects laid in tribal districts: Bangash PESHAWAR TLTP

Special Assistant to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister on Information and Higher Education Kamran Bangash has said that a network of development projects has been laid in the tribal districts, adding all disparities and deprivations of the merged districts are being addressed. These views were expressed by the special assistant and Secretary Planning and Development (P&D) Department Humayun Khan while briefing the media on the two-year performance of the planning department on Thursday.

Bangash said that in the wake of merger of tribal districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the last two years

have been very challenging for the P&D Department but due to effective strategy, all the challenges have been met effectively. He said that the provincial P&D Department is the first institution in the country to automate the entire system by launching the Planning Commission Form Management System (PCFMS), which will promote digitalisation in other departments, besides saving time and ensuring better monitoring of projects.

Bangash said that merged districts would soon be brought at par with other districts of the province. He further stated that the planning department is the backbone of development of the province and the role of P&D in the merged districts has been exemplary.

parking of any vehicle, motorcycle and handcarts on the route of Chehlum processions.

Earlier, the administration had carried out special work to ensure cleanliness on the routes of the mourning procession.

ISLAMABAD: Strict security arrangements were witnessed as security personnel performed duties while the main procession, which started from Imambargah Asnae-Ashri sector G-6/2, culminated at the same point after passing through various routes.

SINDH: In Hyderabad, the Chehlum procession of Imam Hussain (AS) which emanated from Qadam Gah Maula Ali (AS) in the afternoon culminated at Karbala Dadan Shah in the evening.

Tens of thousands of men, women and children walked their way from distant areas of Hyderabad as part of the Arbaeen walk and gathered at Qadam Gah Maula Ali (AS) to join the procession.

The Hyderabad police said that over 2,000 policemen were deployed for security during the Chehlum.

The police spokesman informed that 22 processions in addition to the central procession were taken out in Hyderabad. He told that all the streets intersecting the route of the main procession were sealed and the walkthrough gates were placed at Qadam Gah Maula Ali (AS) besides the checking with the help of the metal detectors was also conducted.

Hyderabad SSP Adeel Hussain Chandio and other police officials monitored security arrangements of the processions.

BALOCHISTAN: The Chehlum of the martyrs of Karbala was observed in different areas of Balochistan, including Quetta, Khuzdar, Jaffarabad, Nasirabad and other districts amid strict security arrangements.

The main procession was taken out from Momin Abad Imambargah which was led by Shia Conference’s President Agha Dawood. The processions, after passing through traditional routes including Taj Muhammad, Tughi Road, Yazdan Khan Road, Alamdar, culminated peacefully at Zainab Graveyard.

Heavy contingent of the police and other law enforcers sealed the routes. Close circuit cameras were installed at the main areas as per security measures for Chehlum. Mobile services also remained suspended from 9 am till 8 pm.

KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA: The Chehlum Imam Hussain (AS) and his companions was observed with religious fervor and sanctity amid strict security measures in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

Majalis and processions were held in various parts of KP where strict security measures were made to thwart any untoward incident.

President telephones family of martyred captain ISLAMABAD STAFF RPEORT

President Dr Arif Alvi on Thursday telephoned the family of martyred Captain Abdullah Zafar, who embraced martyrdom in South Waziristan. The president prayed for the highest rank in Jannah for the martyr and fortitude for the family. He also paid homage to the martyred army captain for his services and bravery.

Friday, 9 October, 2020

Tax reforms imperaTive To faciliTaTe businesses: pm ISLAMABAD

p

IMRAN ASSURES BUSINESS COMMUNITY OF DUE PARTICIPATION IN TAX REFORM PROCESS

TLTP

RIME Minister Imran Khan has said that the government is striving to eliminate unnecessary regulations in the taxation system to facilitate the business community.

The PM said this while talking to a delegation of leading industrialists of the country who, along with Sindh Governor

Imran Ismail called on him on Thursday.

The premier said a series of meetings with the business community will be held so as to further pursue the reform and facilitation process.

He maintained that investment friendly environment, improvement

in the taxation system and provision of maximum facilities to the business community were among his government's top priorities, adding that the government would consider the suggestions forwarded by the business community during the reformation

process.

The business delegation praised the government’s steps for the promotion of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and financial packages to Karachi.

The representatives also apprised the premier on the issues being faced by the business community.

During the meeting, the representatives were briefed over the steps taken by the government for ease in doing businesses in the country.

AGP to audit provident funds of eight offices ISLAMABAD SHAHZAD PARACHA

Japan okay rs728m to build ‘disaster resilient school buildings’ in Kp ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The government of Japan on Wednesday agreed to provide grant assistance of 471 million Japanese Yen (Rs728 million) to the UN-Habitat for the project ‘Improvement of Disaster Resilient Schools Infrastructure’ in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), aiming to provide a safe and stable educational environment to the students as well as teachers. According to a press release, notes to this effect were signed and exchanged between Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan Matsuda Kuninori and Japan Regional Office for Asia and Pacific of UN-Habitat Regional Representative Fukuoka Koresawa Atsushi. The grant amount of JPY 471 m would be utilised by UN-Habitat for the improvement of disaster resilient schools infrastructure in KP. The project would support reconstruction, retrofitting and repairing of 150 schools and the construction of 12 new schools.

Expressing his views at the signing of the project, Ambassador Matsuda has said, “This project will not only provide disaster resistant infrastructure of schools in KP but will also prove as a disaster prevention hub for the region.” The ambassador, while emphasising the need for disasterpreparedness, stated that it is extremely important to prepare and well-equip to effectively handle the disaster emergencies. He also reaffirmed that Japan will continue to support Pakistan for further strengthening its institution disaster management as well as improving facilities in the education sector.

The Auditor General of Pakistan has decided to carry out a special audit of provident funds of eight offices maintained by the government of Pakistan.

The AGP has instructed the concerned authorities to depute an audit team in this regard so that special audit of Accountant General Pakistan Revenue (AGPR), Chief Accounts Officer (CAO), Pakistan Public Works Department (PWD), Pakistan Post Office Department, Military Accountant General (MAG), Geological Survey of Pakistan (GSP), Central Directorate of

National Savings (CDNS), Pakistan Mint and Pakistan Railways could be conducted.

According to documents, the Ministry of Finance in a letter to the AGP has mentioned some Terms of References (TORs) for the special audit of the offices mentioned above.

The TORs included management/record keeping (use of ERPs and calculation/disbursement of PF payment under applicable regulations); rules and procedures; loans/advances against PF and adjustment; determination of interest rates and applicability in management/disbursement; confirmation of subscription from all employees on

uniform rates or otherwise; receipts and payment of contribution in case of deputations; management of fund in the light of good practices of investment; ascertaining the status of provident fund bond; amount transferred to deposit at the end of year under rule 34 of GPF Rules etc.

The finance ministry stated that the offices of AGPR, CAO, Pak PWD, PPOD, MAG, GSP, CDNS, Pak Mint and Pakistan Railways would be responsible for production of record and any response required by the audit.

The audit report would be forwarded to the Finance Division within two months.

‘Island project to attract $50bn investment’ ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Sindh Governor Imran Ismail has said that the Bundal Island project off the coast of Karachi will attract $50 billion investment, which will benefit the country's overall economy.

Addressing a news conference along with Maritime Affairs Minister Ali Haider Zaidi on Thursday, the governor said that the federal government will take all the stakeholders on board prior to initiating this eco-friendly project.

He said a working group will be established consisting of representation from provincial and federal governments and other relevant departments.

"Bundle Island will increase the revenue of Sindh and it will also become an important tourist destination in the country," Ismail said, adding that

the project would attract up to five million tourists with people already approaching the government for investment in the project.

He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan wants to expedite work on the Bundal Island project aimed at constructing two new cities on the island.

The governor said the project will generate approximately 150,000 job opportunities, adding that he will soon hold a meeting with Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah to address reservations of the Sindh government.

"Bundal Island will remain part of the Sindh province," he said. "This is not a housing project rather a plan to construct a city."

Speaking on the occasion, Maritime Affairs Minister Ali Haider Zaidi said that the area of Bundle Island is under jurisdiction of Port Qasim Authority. "Pakistan People’s Party is trying to make it an issue unnecessarily," he maintained.

NEWS

05

‘We are not sheep’: nawaz addresses pml-n conference coNTINueD oN pAge 01 Nawaz reiterated his sentiments from last month’s multiparty conference, stating that the opposition’s struggle was not against Prime Minister Imran Khan but those who brought him into power through “rigged” elections. Nawaz told his party members that they “had won the election, but he [Imran Khan] was given victory. The tabdeeli person”. “Who should I hold responsible for this? Just Imran Khan or those who are really responsible?” he asked while commenting on the issues faced by the masses.

“Imran’s selectors, you will have to answer for this.

You cannot go home without answering,” he added. Nawaz criticised the Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) government for the current state of affairs, where the inflation and prices keep rising while the government continues “begging” other nations for money. “Have you thought about how they (people) are living? Was this the situation two years ago?” The PML-N leader said that he felt these people who had “violated the Constitution and committed a crime” were the “root cause” for the problems being faced by the country. During the same address, Nawaz also commented on the military and those within it who allegedly deviate from the Constitution. “I know an overwhelming majority [in the army] sticks to constitutional boundaries, but there are few who have digressed.

Those names are few, they can literally be counted on fingertips [but] they have defamed the entire army and that is not acceptable to me,” the PML-N supremo said. “I respect my soldiers and generals, but I cannot respect those who do not respect the Constitution, who rig elections.”

nepra approves rs0.83 per unit hike in power tariff ISLAMABAD: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) on Thursday notified an increase of Rs0.83 per unit in power tariff on account of variations in fuel charges in July. The increase will be applicable to all consumer categories except lifeline consumers of all distribution companies, according to the power regulator.

“The said adjustment shall be shown separately in the consumers’ bills on the basis of units billed to the consumer in the month of July 2020 by the XWDISCOs (ExWapda Distribution Companies),” the notification read.

On Sept 24, NEPRA had approved an increase of Rs1.6 per unit under the quarterly adjustments for the 2nd and 3rd quarters of 2019-20, enabling the distribution companies to collect Rs164.870 billion from power consumers within the next one year. The new quarterly adjustments were for the 2nd and 3rd quarters of FY 2019-20 having an average impact of Rs.1.62 a KW/H, the spokesperson for the power regulator had said.. STAFF REPORT

rupee ascend continues as dollar slips to rs163.72 Pakistani Rupee continued to gain value against the US Dollar for the fourth consecutive day in this week, as the PKR strengthened by 25 paisas against the greenback in the interbank market on Thursday.

According to a tweet of the State Bank of Pakistan, the US dollar opened at Rs163.97 and closed at Rs163.72.

Pakistani rupee has gained Re0.79 during the last four days against the dollar; whereas the local currency had gained Rs1.28 against the US dollar in the last week.

Meanwhile, the foreign reserves of the country stand at $19.53 billion as of September 25, 2020, said SBP in another tweet. NEWS DESK

Under dual crises of dengue and coronavirus NAWAL TARIQ Already entombed under the curse of coronavirus for over six months, the country is now moving towards another hurdle: dengue. The coming months will be even more difficult to live in.

The healthcare system – already burdened due to the pandemic outbreak – now begins to tremble under the fear of increasing dengue cases. The major concern lies in the costs of hospitalization. Healthcare workers and healthcare facilities already engaged in dealing the Covid-19 pandemic, and the outbreak of dengue fever is creating another haunting situation for Pakistan. Its early and speedy prevalence prophesies a more critical situation.

While the number of Covid-19 cases has been in a steady decline recently, an outbreak of dengue fever, a known tropical disease of Pakistan, can propagate fear and exacerbate the worrisome public health situation. A two-pronged assault from both diseases would both deal great damage to

the public, financially stress the private and public healthcare systems. As it stands currently, our fragile healthcare system is facing the risk of collapse due to multiple socioeconomic problems.

Pakistan has been trying to eliminate the dengue virus for decades, without any meaningful success. In 2020 the confirmed cases of dengue virus spiked up to 416 by July 22.

The unusual and early appearance of dengue cases have further spread fear a potentially critical situation.

Given the circumstances, Punjab’s primary and secondary healthcare departments and other concerned stakeholders have called for immediate and early actions to prevent the spread of diseases side by side.

Secretary Health Captain (r) Muhammad Usman Younis, along with his team, is taking preemptive measures; such consistent disease surveillance and awareness programmess in this regard.

The department has initiated an aggressive awareness campaign as they firmly believe in the adage ‘prevention is better than

cure’. This is not the only government department taking an active interest in spreading awareness about the vector-borne disease. The Director-General of the Food Authority, Irfan Nawaz Memon, along with his awareness team, are also running an aggressive campaign. In addition to educating people on how to save themselves from dengue virus, they are also educating people about dietary habits they should follow for better immunization these days.

Another major concern is at its diagnostics end. Dengue fever and Covid–19 are difficult to distinguish as they share the same laboratory and clinical symptoms. Some of the overlapping clinical symptoms in affected people include fever, headache and nausea. An imperative factor for effective disease surveillance requires the understanding of clinical manifestations to differentiate between the two.

If the healthcare system in Punjab wishes to properly combat the potential dual crises, it would require stringent interventions. Despite being resource deprived, the

CMYK

Punjab government is leaving no stone unturned in its mission to prevent the spread of both diseases. The concerned teams are visiting multiple areas to ensure the prevention of dengue mosquito breeding alongside the awareness programmes.

While the government is doing its part, we, as dutiful citizens, also bear a part of the responsibility. Consider the facts: we have insufficient resources and the overwhelming burden of two fatal and infectious diseases to combat. We must abide by the rules and guidelines the concerned stakeholders are asking us to follow.

Now, with all the educational institutes reopening after months, we need to be extra cautious. For the sake of our own health, we must follow precautionary measures. A simple way we can play our part in preventing the breeding of dengue mosquito is by making sure we don’t let water accumulate on roofs, tires, plants, pots or on any other area; by covering utensils in which one stocks water; by cleaning one’s surroundings; through the use of mosquito repellents; and

by wearing full sleeves shirts.

While taking steps to prevent a dengue outbreak, we must continue following SOPs regarding coronavirus. It is true that the curve appears to be coming flattening, but the threat is still out there. One simply must wear a face mask, follow the hygiene protocols, and maintain social distance. The elders must teach their children on how to maintain social distance and how to follow other precautionary protocols in schools, colleges and universities.

The secretary of the primary and secondary healthcare department, Captain (r) Muhammad Usman Younis and his awareness team have issued various booklets designed specifically for students and teachers regarding these SOPs. For our own betterment, we must follow the rules defined in aforementioned booklets. The collective efforts of both the government and the people will save us from this crisis. In this situation, it is our own lives on the line, and we cannot afford carelessness. Be cautious or it will lead us to an irreparable loss.

Friday, 9 October, 2020

06 COMMENT

Danger from the Proud Boys

After IHC proclamation Former PM plays a high-stakes game

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ORMeR PM nawaz Sharif is not flying back home anytime soon despite the knowledge that unless he presents himself before the islamabad High court in 30 days, he would be declared an absconder with serious consequences. irrespective of whether one agrees with him or not, Mr Sharif has built up a case in support of his staying abroad. To start with, he maintains that his doctors have restrained him from traveling to Pakistan before he has undergone a crucial surgery. Further, Mr Sharif claims that he does not expect justice from the bench hearing his case after observations made by one of the judges who talked about “a shameful conduct by the accused.” Mr Sharif has also compared the treatment meted out to Gen (rtd) Musharraf with that reserved for him, implying that courts have double standards. instead of fighting his case in the court of law, Mr Sharif has decided to fight it politically. He was the key virtual speaker at the multiparty conference which decided to set up the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM). He has addressed the PML(n)’s central executive committee through video link. He is issuing directives to his party via his personal social media account on Twitter. For all intents and purposes, nawaz Sharif is now personally leading the party. even if most of the party leaders are arrested, he can continue to lead the PML(n) from London without fear of arrest.

Mr Sharif is aware of the consequences of failing to present himself before the iHc. An accountability judge hearing the Toshakhana case has already passed orders for the attachment of his moveable and immovable assets.

The former PM hopes to gain all he has lost once the PML(n) manages to secure a majority of seats in the next elections and has a loyalist occupying the Presidency. As Mr Sharif has simultaneously opened an offensive against those who he alleges brought Prime Minister imran Khan to power, the crystal ball looks murky. Will the PDM’s two major components, known for bitter rivalry remain united, as the government and its backers resort to a carrot-and-stick policy? Will the PDM rallies attract sufficiently big crowds to make the establishment review its relations with the PTi government? it is premature to answer these questions.

At Penpoint M A niAZi

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He performance of President Donald Trump in the first debate against Democrat rival Joe Biden was typical, and his crassness, rudeness and bullying sprang no surprises. it was typical of his entire life before he had run for President in 2016. He had been unusual then in being the first person ever not to have held any office before, which meant that he had never undergone any of the public scrutiny that is customary for those who contest elections to office less than the Presidency, nor even of those who have to undergo legislative confirmation after nomination to office. The record of his long life till then (he was 67 when he ran) was examined, and it was duly noted where the gaps lay. For example, there was his refusal to make public his tax records, something he was not obliged to do, but candidates for office (and not just the Presidency) routinely did. Only after he won the Presidency, and only very recently, when he was running for re-election, have press reports appeared. They have been denied by him, but there has been none of the only really effective rebuttal there is, of making public the correct tax returns.

However, during the debate, he revealed one facet of his personality that, while previously known, throws a garish light on his readiness to endanger the very basis of democracy, which is the prior agreement to accept election results. A refusal to accept them is more associated with the Third World or emerging democracies. One of the latest examples comes from Belarus, which is an ex-Soviet republic. However, as is more usual, there it is the opposition which is protesting rigging by the incumbent. Here the incumbent is making the allegations.

The US election process seems almost chaotically diffused. There is no single election authority. indeed, there are no statewide authorities, but 3,000 counties with each conducting elections. From the point of view of the late 18th century, when the system was put in place, it made sense, that even though there was to be an election for one post, there should not be a single national constituency. That would have been virtually impossible to administer. Also, at that time, there was no popular vote. The state legislatures elected the presidential electors.

When the electors were elected, the franchise was narrow. But it was counted by the counties, which then sent their result to the state’s Secretary of State, who then declared elected as electors those who had committed to vote for a particular person. The election of the President is not by popular vote, but by the elec-

World Bank report Growth predicted worse than target

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He World Bank does not paint a flattering picture of Pakistan’s economy in its report on South Asia, predicting a mere 0.5 percent growth in the current fiscal year, as opposed to the official target of 2.5 percent, which is already anemic enough, well below the 4 percent averaged in the three years prior to 2018-19, which was the first year of the present PTi government.

The World Bank said that the whole region had experienced an increase in poverty because of the covid19 depression. One of the effects of the depression is the bottoming out of workers’ remittances, predicted to come down by 8.8 percent this year, thus contradicting the government claims that the remittances of the first couple of months of the fiscal showed that there was an economic turnaround.

Another worrisome indicator was the rising public debt, and thus the need to fund it by further loans. This would be unsustainable, and combined with collapsing remittances, would lead to the sort of balance of payments deficit that bedeviled the government at the beginning of its tenure. it seems that the government has put more effort into enhancing its optics, and not enough into actually improving the economy.

The government must remember that it cannot use the covid-19 pandemic as an excuse for its poor performance as an economic manager. The young people unable to get jobs in a sluggish economy, or their parents, who struggle to make ends meet, and count themselves lucky if they still have jobs, are not going to forgive the present government when election time comes around. Perhaps the report’s most damaging prediction is that the sluggish growth for the next five years, which would go well past the current tenure, in which less than three years are now left. While people generally vote with their pocketbooks, it is not as if the present government is brimming over with so many achievements that it can afford to treat the economy as casually as it does now.

Surviving the new wave of Coronavirus AttiyA MunAwer

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ince the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, the virus has killed over one million people worldwide, while the number of people infected with the coronavirus has been steadily rising, with 32 million people worldwide infected so far. With the onset of winter, the second wave of the coronavirus is being witnessed in most of the northern countries of the world and more and more people are being affected by it on a daily basis. So far, the USA, Brazil and india have been the countries worst affected by the epidemic, with a total of 19 million people infected to Thursday evening. in recent days, the number of covid-19 victims in europe was once again increasing, and restrictions and lockdowns, similar to those imposed during the rise of the first wave of the coronavirus, are being re-imposed. The situation is deteriorating in some parts of Pakistan due to the new wave of the coronavirus, so the national command and Operation center has decided to lock down the affected areas again.

The coronavirus epidemic had been declining worldwide, but with the end of the summer, the sudden increase in the number of patients is a cause for concern. Due to this, SOPs have been strictly enforced at entry points. The move comes as the number of coronavirus patients in Azad Kashmir is 8.3 percent. in Pakistan, 583 new cases of corona were recorded yesterday, bringing the number of active cases to 8015. The highest number of corona patients is currently in Sindh, numbering 138,000, followed by Punjab with 99,812 patients. Several wedding halls, restaurants, shops and factories have been sealed in Karachi for violating SOPs. But despite this, a large number of people are not ready to take the coronavirus epidemic seriously, so government SOPs are being ignored, leading to fears of an increase in deaths in the new wave of coronavirus. The World Health Organization (WHO) also warns that before the widespread use of effective vaccines in the future, the coronavirus

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if the number of corona cases increases, it will lead to lockdown; the economic effects of this year’s lockdown have not faded from people’s memory. if could cause 2 million deaths worldwide. The head of someone is forgetting, they should remember that we the World Health Organizations emergencies Pro- cannot cope with the economic effects of the closure gramme, Dr Mike Ryan, says the death toll could rise for less than six months. if precautions are not taken and another wave of epidemic strikes, there will be further if concrete steps are not taken globally.

There is no doubt that the Pakistani people, with many more unusual negative effects on the economy.

There is no denying that the people did not take the strong cooperation of the government and the medical sector, have largely managed to prevent the coronavirus epidemic as seriously as they should deaths from the coronavirus, but the return of the sec- have. if people really want to avoid the effects of the new wave of the coronond wave of the coronavirus epidemic, the only avirus is once again a solution is to ensure timely cause for concern. Reports safety and precautionary of new cases of coronTherefore, in the case of a global measures. The Prime Minavirus in Azad Kashmir, ister has rightly said that Karachi, islamabad and other parts of the country epidemic, the people must adopt a now we have to take precautionary measures and are eye-opening. The serious and wise attitude and live with the coronavirus.

Azad Kashmir and Sindh Therefore, in the case governments have taken abandon negligence and of a global epidemic, the immediate steps to alert people must adopt a serious the federal and other carelessness, but the government and wise attitude and abanprovincial governments that the response of the must also realize its responsibility don negligence and carelessness, but the system should be restored. and strictly implement the SOPs. government must also realin view of the informaize its responsibility and tion that is being received, It is a question of collective strictly implement the appropriate steps should be SOPs. it is a question of taken to control the situaresponsibility, and often the collective responsibility, tion as soon as possible. and often the negligence of The world’s major econegligence of one individual one individual causes trounomic powers, despite all ble for many. in view of their resources, have failed causes trouble for many. this situation, it is the reto control the devastating sponsibility of the governeffects of the epidemic. We ment to make arrangements have limited resources to to ensure that the people deal with the epidemic, so we must ensure that all sections of society follow the take precautionary measures and any violation not to precautionary measures. if the return of the coronavirus be overlooked. if the public wants to maintain their has resurfaced, there is a need to rekindle the same spirit daily routines and economic activities, they will have to prevent this monster from raising its head. The Min- to ensure compliance with the precautionary measures istry of Health, the medical department, the government against the coronavirus in winter, then a new wave of and the World Health Organization should continue to corona can be avoided. provide relief and assistance to Pakistan so that the secAttiya Munawer is a freelance columnist ond wave of coronavirus does not wreak further havoc.

The second wave may already have started

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

sion. They are usually not ascribed to oppositions.

They are usually made by a party that is losing, to explain to its followers why they lost. They could be toral college vote. That means that if one candidate used when there was a gap between national and loses by huge majorities in some states, but wins nar- provincial polls, to rally support for a defeated party.

White supremacist groups and militias are mobirowly in some, he could win in the electoral college despite having lost the popular vote. As a matter of lizing behind Trump, it seems, ready to run riot if he fact, in 2000, that is what happened, as well as in 2016. is declared the loser. Who will so declare him? TV staTrump’s only hope of winning re-election hinges on tions, which he has been careful to deride as purveyors of ‘fake news’, normally do, but Trump supporters such a victory again. it is not that the states do not count, or even the will not trust them.

The only way out of a nasty post-election sceUnion. The overall, methodology of electing a President is enshrined in federal legislation, while state- nario, would be for Biden to win so convincingly that wide legislation also exists. One such state-wide legal challenges, even if accepted, would not overturn decision is at the heart of Trump’s strategy to dispute the result. There is a difference between losing a state the election. The mail-in ballot, who can cast one, until by 5,000 votes and 500,000. And then there is the difwhen can they be tendered, and other rules governing ference between having to overturn one result in the electoral college to turn a them, are determined on a narrow defeat into a narstate-wide basis. Trump is row win. As opposed to alleging, without any evineeding to reverse 20 redence, that there will be The USA has been an example sults to turn a heavy defeat fraud through them. That into that narrow win. if the seems to be where he will followed by developing countries. defeat is big enough, the make his stand. and his supportThe death of Supreme Even such countries as Pakistan candidate ers lose steam. court Justice Ruth Bader One analogy is with the Ginsburg helped. He has who have Westminster-style Roman Republic. Trump the help of the Republican will probably not destroy Senators who will conconstitution look to the USA. If American democracy, but firm a replacement in time democracy is to disintegrate he may be playing the part to have a full Supreme in the USA played by Gaius court hear any electionthere, it will be a major disaster, Marius in Rome. Marius related disputes. it might broke the Roman term limit, be remembered that, benot just for the USA, but for all which allowed one one-year cause George W. Bush acterm as consul (of which tually lost on the popular countries that look up to it. there were two). He was vote in 2000, the result in consul no less than seven Florida was going to detimes. Roman democracy termine the winner in the did not break down at once, electoral college. That result depended on a recount of ballots. The decision but the party he founded was inherited by his nephewto stop the recount was taken by the Supreme court, by-marriage Julius caesar, whose great-nephew Augustus thereupon became the first emperor. and the younger Bush was declared the winner.

Another parallel is with France, and the decline it And that time, it was noted that one of the judges, Mr Justice clarence Thomas, had been ap- suffered from being the leading power in europe under pointed by the older President Bush despite the ha- Louis XiV, who died in 1715, to the deposing of Louis rassment allegations made by a former colleague, XVi by the French Revolution in 1789. US decline has while the son of Mr Justice Antonin Scalia was on become visible under Trump, just as it achieved the success of outlasting the USSR in the cold War. the younger Bush’s legal team.

The USA has been an example followed by deTrump sounded another note during the debate, which indicated how he could refuse to accept the veloping countries. even such countries as Pakistan poll results: when he told the Proud Boys to “stand who have Westminster-style constitution look to the by”. The Proud Boys are a white supremacist group, USA. if democracy is to disintegrate there, it will be and Trump’s remarks have been interpreted not as the a major disaster, not just for the USA, but for all condemnation he was asked to make, but a warning countries that look up to it. Trump might not realize that more rides on him than four more years. to prepare. For what? A stolen election?

Pakistanis have experience of stolen elections.

The writer is a member of staff.

They involve getting control of the election commis-

Could this election disintegrate US democracy?

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Friday, 9 October, 2020

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

Are we drinking pure milk?

MiLK is one of the most important constituents of human diet and is not only an excellent natural source of carbohydrates, fats and proteins but also of vitamins, minerals and enzymes. This makes milk an ideal drink for all ages. Where pure milk ensures healthy growth and nourishment on the other hand, adulterated milk causes morbidity and serious health outcomes.

Milk adulteration has become a serious health concern since last few decades. Are we drinking pure milk? it has became a question we can’t answer confidently. Thanks to Punjab Food Authority, any consumer can now get his milk sample checked free of cost. Abdul Aleem Khan, Minister Food Punjab has launched milk testing desk at Punjab Food Authority head office. Director General PFA irfan nawaz Memon ensured that no stone will be left unturned to curb milk adulteration. To avail free milk testing facility, on need to bring 250 ml milk sample at Punjab Food Authority’s head office or you can check your milk sample through mobile milk labs at entry points of Lahore.

Shaza Saqib LahorE

Turbat needs internet facilities

The way towards a challenging future The intra-Afghan dialogue faces many difficulties SohAil AhMed SooMro

U

nDeniABLy, Afghanistan has been dogged by misfortune as it has been home to lingering and deadly wars for more than three decades, in one way or another. Be it the annexation attempt by the former USSR, the Mujahideen retaliation to it during the cold War, The USA’s longest war, in the shape of the War on Terror in Afghanistan after the cold War and other foreign proxy wars in between them. Hopefully, this could be the moment of jubilation for the people of Afghanistan who have never been able to give a sigh of peace during the long stretch of proliferating bloody wars. it is to be hoped their dreams materialize soon.

However, realistically, the Afghan peace process would never be so simple that it might be concluded in a jiffy. There are plenty of challenges, compromises and complexities attached to it; since it is going to be brokered between the two parties (Kabul and Taliban) who never seen eye to eye. Their political, social, religious, ideological, cultural and economic insights are poles apart.

Thus intra-Afghan negotiations will be all about arduous compromises and formidable challenges.

The intra-Afghan dialogue in the very beginning plunged into a deadlock over the prisoner swap scheme. Kabul was reluctant to release the final 400 hard-core Taliban commanders it had in custody. consequently, the matter was left to the proclamation of the Loya Jirga. However, the Loya Jirga’s declaration for immediate release, coupled with intense pressure on the USA’s part— intent on expediting process of military withdrawal— was decisive in fostering the dialogue for the next phase. Subsequently, direct talks, between the Kabul government and the Taliban, finally kicked off in Qatar on September 12.

While the dialogues are kept secret, apparently both sides are engaged in making grounds for talks. A delegation from each side meets daily to work out the rules and agenda for substantive negotiation. This is proving to be challenging.

Again, it is undeniably unpredictable, as even agreeing on principles and an agenda involves compromises, primarily due to the contrasting priorities of each side, and ther has to be a searching for common ground on what is deemed negotiable by them. As US Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad asserted in a recent interview, building trust to take the negotiation forward is the first and most formidable task.

Likewise, on the constitution, the positions of both parties are as far apart as they can be.

These issues will be taken up in later discussions in the substantive negotiation forum. Once the discussion on political framework would commence, it necessarily has to counter the changes in the constitution for which President Ashraf Ghani is unwilling to accept. On one end, the Taliban demand that Afghanistan be declared as emirate, or a Sharia state; on the contrary, Kabul is loath to accept Afghanistan’s transformation

to such extent. Besides, Ghani’s administration would not simply let their golden goose be lost.

So far, Afghanistan has been used as the is stuck on retaining the ‘republic’ status of Afghanistan as guided by the existing constitu- battlefield of proxy wars, and many regional tion. nonetheless, drawing conclusion about and global powers have vested interest in which form of state it should be is itself a daunt- Afghan internal politics. Political groups in Afghanistan are supported by the host countries ing challenge.

Likewise, on the interim government, the for accomplishing the national interests and proposition is not well-defined. The Doha agree- ducing a troubling environment for a hostile ment left it ambiguous if an interim government country; albeit, this might create grounds for anwould be required for what the accord calls the archy and chaos in the country. The role of re“new post settlement Afghan islamic govern- gional players like china, Pakistan, india, iran ment”. Kabul has now dismissed the possibility and Russia would be pivotal in deciding the fuof any interim or provisional government, argu- ture of the dialogues. china is following Deng Xiaoping’s policy ing that this is repugnant to the constitution. The Taliban however are unlikely to accept power of “hide your capacities and bide your time” sharing without an interim government being which apparently forbid it from foreign intervention and preaches peaceful development. Hence, put in.

Primarily, Taliban have two wings; one that a peaceful and harmonious Afghanistan is the foremost priority of is stationed at headchina, since the sucquarter and leads the cess of china’s Belt dialogue aimed at deRoad initiative (BRi) cision making, while revolves around the the other wing is Challenging and delicate stability of the region. composed of comdialogues lie ahead. The path to Any aggression in the manders who usually region would have fight on ground far-reaching conseagainst the US forces, peace would never be particularly quences for china’s the Afghan army and easy. A political negotiation biggest project of the its allies. in case of a century. ceasefire, in the postentails hard compromises from a stable Furthermore, Afghanistan intra-Afghan negotiais highly imperative tion, these both ends, the Afghan for china’s evercommanders will be growing export marconsulted and assured government and Taliban. It can ket. All in all, a by the corresponding only be hoped that this peace peaceful Afghanistan leadership. For reachis the best opportunity ing agreement on future developments, process brings an end to the long- for fostering chinese the Taliban leadership lasting instability in Afghanistan interests.

On the other and other parties hand, india is the highly regard the and ends the country’s long night only regional player word of these comfor which peaceful manders. So, bringdialogue could prove ing them on the same to be a zero-sum page and incorporating them in the mainstream of politics will also game. While india has made heavy investment in Afghanistan within the current political setup be a herculean task for all stakeholders.

Furthermore, the willingness of pro-status and it has brought ties with Kabul up to historic quo and anti-Taliban elements to arrive at a con- heights and has been appreciated by the Kabul sensus cannot be disregarded. As they may have government for the same, while the Afghan Talto relinquish their position, prestige and the priv- iban and india have been at daggers drawn durileges bestowed upon them by the present polit- ing the past decades. certainly, india by all ical setup. They are the ultimate donors for new means would try to halt the peace process. Othgovernance setup, and for the cause of having the erwise, india would no more be in a position to long-term stable and feasible political system get a reward for her investment and threatening necessary for the uplift of common Afghani peo- Pakistan with a geostrategic ally— Afghanistan, ple. Most of the analysts who have good com- as it is in the existing political system— will no mand over Afghan politics, believe this power more be relevant. challenging and delicate dialogues lie struggle between pro-status quo and anti-statusquo will keep alive, which is a potential threat to ahead. The path to peace would never be particthe proposed dialogue in the near future. There ularly easy. A political negotiation entails hard are various ethnicities and tribes who have great compromises from both ends, the Afghan govsay in politics, and they would not accept at any ernment and Taliban. it can only be hoped that cost the supremacy of one group almost over all this peace process brings an end to the long-lasttiers of state. All of this could cost the absence ing instability in Afghanistan and ends the counof these groups from government. Additionally, try’s long night of suffering. those warlords and other groups who have been Sohail Ahmed Soomro is a freelance columnist direct beneficiaries of the Afghan war economy,

TURBAT is one of the largest city of Balochistan is located southern Balochistan lacks internet facilities though it is 21st century every countries are modren and well developed. According to a report The population of Turbat in 2017 was 213,557 and annually its population is getting increased but sadly this high number of population is still deprived from internet facilities like 4g or 3g although it is neighbor of Gawadar city where china Pakistan economic corridor (cPec) port is being built.

Banning the internet system of Turbat shows injustice for the citizens of Turbat so it is the request of the Turbat citizens that internet facilities should be provided to them as it is their right to be given.

MEhr baLoch Sajidi awaran

Mask and Covid-19 MASK in recent times became very essential for us because of trending disease covid-19 that has already taken more than one million’s lives all around the world. As we know that without wearing masks in strictly prohibited to enter any kind of educational institutions, but to bring it in notice, each mask expires once after use, and it is much in outer range for a poor to purchase a mask everyday. Mask is even one of the essentially used SOPs to control emerging spread of covid-19. The government is requested to decrease the price rate of a once usable masks so that at least a poor student should be free to buy masks everyday and continue their education.

YahYa Khan TurbaT

Locust invasion LOcUSTS are the most dangerous animal which destroy the crops completely. it has come first time many years before in pakistan and second time it has come June 2019 in pakistan and the Locusts are believed to have entered into the southern Balochistan province from neighboring iran, after that it has spread in many areas of balochistan and destroyed many crops in balochistan. However, during 2020 Locusts swarms have appeared in four provinces of pakistan and Locust have already devoured large quantities of crops in over 60 districts of all the four provinces. it has damaged the agriculture of pakistan and due to low agriculture pakistan’s economy went low too. On the other hand, farmers are facing a lots of problems that they have worked to get money to spend their lives but due to it they are living a bad life.

Locusts can damage our country’s economy and we face many problems. So it is the time to do something to stop it and government should be serious for this regard.

SaMEEr aSLaM awaran

Corrupting the system AFTeR the creation of Pakistan, the civil servants were powerful and largely performed their duties strictly in accordance with the law. They stayed away from politics and did not easily budge to political influence.

However, slowly, and gradually they were sucked into politics and made to learn that serving the political elite would get them better career and appointments as compared to doing their real job of serving the public.

Having served as PA to the commissioner Rawalpindi in the early days of Pakistan, i am witness to many examples. One day i received a call from a Pa of a minister who wanted to talk to the commissioner, who was busy in an inquiry hearing at the time. not being able to reach the commissioner, the minster called himself the next day and spoke to the commissioner about an appeal filed by someone against the orders of the district rehabilitation officer regarding the allotment of a residential plot in Satellite Town Rawalpindi. The minister wanted the commissioner to favor the appellant. The minister followed up on the case and i informed him that the appeal had been dismissed by the commissioner on merit.

He became furious and used the most derogatory and indecent words against civil servants and said that there would be consequences for the commissioner’s actions. Later the commissioner was transferred from Rawalpindi as punishment. This is the kind of interference and selfserving involvement of politicians that ultimately corrupts the entire system. The public servants eventually learn that their lives will be better off if they serve those in power than doing their jobs. This awful practice of using the public servants for personal power and gains has brought the country to the brink of a governance disaster, but we observe transfers of officers in the Punjab and other provinces at the whim of ministers. no country can gain economic strength without efficient, strong, and impartial administration. The sooner we learn this the better it is, or we will remain a banana republic we have become where the purpose of public servants is to serve the rich and powerful. raja ShafaaTuLLah iSLaMabad

Friday, 9 October, 2020

08 WORLD VIEW

France's 'crisis' with islam THE CONQUERING FRENCH ARMY TOOK OVER MOSQUES AND CONVERTED THEM INTO CHURCHES AND CATHEDRALS AT GUNPOINT

MIddle east eye

F

JoSeph maSSad

RANCE is in crisis. official and unofficial Christian French radical extremism, legitimising itself under the umbrella of what the French ostentatiously call laicité, continues to increase its attacks on French and non-French Muslims. The Collectif contre l’islamophobie en France (CCIF) listed 1,043 Islamophobic incidents that occurred in 2019 (a 77 percent increase since 2017) - 68 physical attacks (6.5 percent), 618 incidents of discrimination (59.3 percent), 210 incidents of hate speech and incitement to racial hatred (20.1 percent), 93 incidents of defamation (8.9 percent), 22 incidents of vandalism of Muslim sacred places (2.1 percent), and 32 incidents of discrimination linked to the fight against terrorism (3.1 percent).

French Christian and so-called "secular" hatred of Muslims is part of everyday speech by the French government, the pundits, and the media.

In fact, the normalisation of hate speech against Muslims not only legitimises the institutionalised discrimination to which French Muslims are subjected, but also incites violence against them inside and outside France, including the shootings at the mosque of Brest and the targeting of its popular imam Rachid Eljay in June 2019 and the attack on the mosque of Bayonne in october 2019 that wounded four. outside France, the terrorist who committed the 2019 massacre at the Christchurch mosques in New Zealand, killing 51 Muslim worshippers and wounding 49, cited the murderous theories of the Islamophobic French thinker Renaud Camus as influencing his actions. In october 2019, French President Emmanuel Macron (whose first name is the name which the angel Gabriel gave to Jesus in the Gospels, meaning "God is with us") and his then Interior Minister Christophe Castaner (also named after Christ himself) connected terrorism in France to any signs of French Muslims' faith and culture, including having a beard, praying five times a day, eating halal food, etc.

It is purely coincidental that the president and his interior minister are named after Jesus Christ, which should not implicate all those named after Jesus with

FRENCH CHRISTIAN AND SO-CALLED 'SECULAR' HATRED OF MUSLIMS IS PART OF EVERYDAY SPEECH BY THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT, THE PUNDITS, AND THE MEDIA having a crisis with "Islam", but rather only some of them who express anti-Muslim "secular" hatred.

'LIBERATING' ISLAM: last week, Macron declared that "Islam is a religion that is in crisis all over the world today, we are not just seeing this in our country". He added that he is seeking to "liberate" Islam in France from foreign influences by improving oversight of mosque financing. But Macron is not the first French ruler who wanted to "liberate" Islam.

This is an old French "secular" tradition. when Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Egypt and Palestine in 1798, his clever plan was to lie to the Egyptians by announcing that he and his army were "faithful Muslims" and that they came to liberate Muslims and Islam from the tyranny of the Mamluks.

His deception did not work and the Egyptians rose against him as did the Palestinians. He returned in defeat to France after his army committed untold atrocities in Egypt and Palestine. Napoleon and France’s crisis with Islam two centuries ago was that they were defeated in the Palestinian city of Acre. Three decades later, when France invaded Algeria, the French no longer needed to lie to Muslims to conquer them, rob them, and destroy their places of worship.

The official casus belli that King Charles X used to justify the invasion of Algeria in 1830 was France’s refusal to pay its debt for grain that Algerian merchants had supplied Napoleon’s French army during the Italian Campaign under the First Republic. In view of the fact that the Algerian merchants were from the livorno Jewish banking families of Bacri and Busnac, the public debate at the time in France had an "antisemitic tenor".

Ironically, this is the same King Charles who in 1825 forced the liberated slaves of Haiti, whose revolution overthrew French colonialism and slavery, to pay millions in indemnity for the property losses of their former white French masters who had enslaved them in exchange for France’s diplomatic recognition and lifting its punishing blockade of Haiti. In 1827, Hussein dey, ruler of ottoman Algiers, demanded payment of the debt from the French consul, Pierre deval, who insolently refused. Incensed by the consul’s affront, the dey struck him with a fly-whisk (what the French refer to as the coup d’éventail incident) - and called him "a wicked, faithless, idol-worshipping rascal".

INVADING ALGERIA: The invasion was launched in mid-June 1830 and Algiers fell on 5 July. The financially struggling France robbed Algiers’ treasury clean, stealing upwards of 43 million Francs in gold and silver, aside from the sums that disappeared and those that were spent on the French occupation army. Perhaps poor west African countries that continue to be indebted to France today should prove how assimilated they are into Frenchness by invading France to rob its treasury.

The immediate goals of the invasion, as Charles enumerated them to the French national assembly on 2 March, were to avenge the French for the Algerian insult, "end piracy and reclaim Algeria for Christianity".

In line with France’s Christian commitments, the conquering French army took over mosques and converted them into churches and cathedrals at gunpoint, in-

FRANCE CONTINUES TO BE SUBMERGED IN A DOMINANT DISCOURSE OF CHAUVINISM AND HATE TODAY THAT IS NOT DISSIMILAR TO THE ONE THAT ALWAYS DOMINATED FRENCH CULTURE MACRON IS NOT THE FIRST FRENCH RULER WHO WANTED TO 'LIBERATE' ISLAM. THIS IS AN OLD FRENCH 'SECULAR' TRADITION cluding the largest ottoman Ketchaoua mosque in Algiers, built in 1612, which was converted into the Cathedral of st Philippe in december 1832.

That same year the French wiped out the entire tribe of the ouffias, sparing no woman or child, and seizing all their possessions.

Not unlike contemporary white French Christian supremacist intellectuals' utter hatred and racism towards Muslims, in the early 1840s, France’s celebrated thinker Alexis de Toqueville declared in this regard that "it is possible and necessary that there be two sets of laws in Africa, because we are faced with two clearly separate societies. when one is dealing with Europeans [colonialsettlers in Africa], absolutely nothing prevents us from treating them as if they were alone; the laws enacted for them must be applied exclusively to them."

He objected to the faint of heart who opposed French barbarism and their use of blitzkriegs (which they called "razzias") against the Algerian population. "I have often heard men whom I respect, but with whom I do not agree, find it wrong that we burn harvests, that we empty silos, and finally that we seize unarmed men, women, and children. These, in my view, are regrettable necessities, but ones to which any people who want to wage war on the Arabs are obliged to submit. And, if I should speak my mind, these acts revolt me no more nor even as much as several others that the law of war obviously authorises and which take place in all the wars of Europe."

FRENCH BARBARISM: In 1871, Algerian Muslims revolted again against French rule, with 150,000 people joining the forces of a local Kabyle leader, Al-Muqrani.

The French genocidal machine responded by killing hundreds of thousands, which, combined with the Frenchcaused famine deaths in the late 1860s, resulted in the death of one million Algerians (about a third of the population). The French razed dozens of towns and villages to the ground while eliminating the entire elite of Algerian society. But even that did not resolve France’s "crisis" with Islam. In 1901, the French concern about their "crisis" with Islam increased. This was especially so as France, which "is and will become increasingly and without a doubt a great Muslim power", given its acquisition of new colonies with large Muslim populations, needed to know what Islam would be like in the 20th century.

This became such a grave concern that a colonial "quest" for knowledge was issued. The editor of the important French colonial journal Questions diplomatiques et coloniales, Edmond Fazy, set out to investigate the question of "the Future of Islam" by the year 2000.

FUTURE OF ISLAM: Not unlike many Islamophobic French Christians today, Fazy worried about the increasing and underreported number of Muslims worldwide (he cited the figure of 300 million, constituting a fifth of the world’s population) and the propagation of their "simple" religion to Africa.

Many of the contributors to his journal saw fit to manipulate Islamic theology and transform Muslim ulamas to produce not only a modern Islam that European modernity would tolerate, but also one that, they hoped, would weaken the ottoman Empire.

The most practical advice, however, came from the

French school of Arabists, staffed by the French colonial settlers (pieds noirs) in North Africa. one of them, Edmond doutte, of the ecole algerienne, a specialist in religion and Islam, spoke of his encounter with Muslim fanaticism and intolerance.

Traditionally educated Muslims seem to have "moved away from us" in contrast with the native workers, who fraternise with the colons and learn "our habits". Rather than repress "the exaggerated religious manifestations" of extant Islam, the task before Europeans was more productive. "we could, on the contrary, favour the birth of a new Islam more inclined towards compromise and tolerance of Europe; to encourage the young generation of ulama who are working in that direction, and to increase the number of mosques, madrasas, and Muslim universities, ensuring that we staff them with adherents of the new theories." doutte’s comments ring so familiar because they could easily be uttered by any contemporary French - or other western - politician or pundit today.

As for M william Marcais, the director of the Tlemcen madrasa founded by the French to train Algerian Muslim judges on "rationalist" grounds, he was partial towards the "new" and "modern" Islam that the French were fashioning and in which he was a participant, an Islam that "was closely tied to France’s destiny."

PAYBACK TIME: The project of transforming Islam into something European Christianity and French laicite can tolerate continues afoot in 2020, but with unsatisfactory results as far as Macron is concerned, especially as France’s funding of jihadist groups in syria has not so far brought about the French-sought after Islam.

The ongoing institutionalised discrimination by the French state against its Muslim citizens shows no signs of abatement under Macron. France continues to be submerged in a dominant discourse of chauvinism and hate today that is not dissimilar to the one that always dominated French culture even before the French Revolution.

It is true that the widespread white Christian supremacist and fascist culture of hate across Europe and the United states today, reminiscent of the European culture of hate in the 1930s, is not exclusive to France, but the French (not unlike the Israelis) excel at expressing it with minimal euphemisms.

The crisis that France continues to face with Muslims is the crisis of French chauvinism, and the refusal of the white supremacist Christian and laic French to recognise that their country is a third-rate neocolonial power with a dominant retrograde culture that insists on holding on to underserved past glories, when they need to repent their genocidal sins that extend from the Caribbean to south East Asia, to Africa, and that killed millions of people since the late 18th century. what the French need to do is to pay back the debts they owe to all those whom they robbed and killed around the world since then. only that will end France’s crisis with "Islam" and with itself.

Joseph Massad is Professor of Modern Arab Politics and Intellectual History at Columbia University in New York.

Dum Maaro Dum: Tackling the drug menace in Bollywood OutlOOk, IndIa

B

Sumali moitra

ollywood’s clean-up moment is here, and the Hindi movie industry should not waste it as doing so could have possible business ramifications. displaying apparent reservations about the drugs-related investigations may run the risk of even impartial observers beginning to ask whether Tinsel town is afraid that a probe may open up a huge can of worms or them wanting to know if Bollywood is uncomfortable that laws of the land are being applied in its case.

Being open and transparent about the way it conducts its affairs, offering full support to the ongoing inquiry of the Narcotics

BOLLYWOOD STARS HAVE BEEN ' ROLE MODELS' FOR MANY ADOLESCENTS IN INDIA AND BY KNOWING THEIR FAVOURITE CELEBRITY'S INVOLVEMENT IN DRUGS CASE MAY AFFECT SUCH VULNERABLE YOUNG MINDS BADLY Control Bureau (NCB), and letting truth be its best defence should be the way to go for Bollywood at this moment. Taking the moral high ground, trying to play the victim card to elicit sympathy, or clamming up believing that the upcoming festivities would make people stop discussing the drugs issue could prove an unproductive strategy as overuse of many of these dodging tactics has greatly blunted their effectiveness as smoke-screens for maintaining an industry’s carefully crafted image with external stakeholders.

All those connected with Bollywood– particularly its spin doctors–should recognise that coming up with an argument about the Hindi movie industry not being the only one with a problem and therefore should not be probed may not strengthen its case against

a drugs investigation. For such a defence could be almost analogous to a person on being asked to pay a fine for jumping a traffic light refusing to do so till everybody who managed to get away after committing the same offence have been booked by the authorities. A crime or misdemeanour does not stop being so just because many are indulging in such a practice.

Bollywood spokespeople should, moreover, realise that offering unsolicited advice on who the investigators should go after and in which order is not only uncalled for considering that NCB is a professional organisation and knows its job, but, also, that such an initiative may be construed by ordinary Indians as an attempt by the Hindi movie world to influence the probe. And, in the

process, it is likely to dent Bollywood’s image of being a responsible member of the overall entertainment sector.

The illicit drug trade has implications that extend far beyond Bollywood. The ‘world drug Report 2020’ released by the United Nations office on drugs and Crime (UNodC) in June, this year, stated that drug use during the period 2000-2018 increased far more rapidly in developing countries than in developed nations, with adolescents and young adults forming the biggest segment of drug users. “The Covid-19 crisis and economic downturn threaten to compound drug dangers further still, when our health and social systems have been brought to the brink and our societies are struggling to cope,” UNodC Executive director Ms Ghada

waly had then been quoted as saying in an official media release.

In such a scenario, too, for some key Bollywood stakeholders to come across as either being oblivious of the drug problem or not unduly bothered by it, may not reflect well on an industry, which, in recent times, has latched on to several social issues as themes for Hindi movies (many of which have gone to become huge hits). Going forward, the titans of Bollywood should introspect on this aspect to ensure that their halo effect remains intact.

The author is Advisor at the Gurgaonbased advisory on communications and stakeholder advocacy R M Consulting https://rmconsulting.in

Friday, 9 October, 2020

BUSINESS 09

corporate corner Qatar Airways expands US network with flights to San Francisco from Dec 15 DOHA: As Qatar Airways continues to rapidly rebuild its network across the globe and in the US, the airline has announced it will operate four weekly flights to San Francisco – the fifth new destination launched by the national carrier of the State of Qatar since the start of the pandemic – from 15 December 2020. The San Francisco service will be operated by Qatar Airways’ state-of-the-art Airbus A350-900 featuring 36 seats in the award-winning Qsuite Business Class and 247 seats in Economy Class with passengers enjoying free Super Wi-Fi broadband internet until January 2021. The world’s best airline, and the only Middle East carrier operating to San Francisco, has continued to grow and innovate during the pandemic with industry-leading flexible booking policies, robust safety measures and a dependable network, all providing strong levels of reliability for passengers PRESS RElEASE

LAHORE: Telenor Pakistan is fulfilling its pledge under World Bank’s Girls Learn Women Earn (GLWE) programme by expanding its reach to empower the underserved female entrepreneurs of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This initiative is being taken in collaboration with Creative Innovative Unit (CIU), a platform established by Directorate of Science and Technology (DoST), KP. PRESS RElEASE

GoVt mUllS SlASHinG DUtiES on 152 tAriFF linES ISLAMABAD

A

GHUlAM ABBAS

S the government, through tariff rationalization, has already removed various duties on 164 items, it also intends to remove customs duties on another 152 items in order to facilitate 'made in Pakistan' products.

After the removal of additional customs duty and regulatory duty on 164 items related to the textile sector, not manufactured in Pakistan, the Tariff Policy Board (TPB) has initiated work on more items/tariff lines for removal of import duties.

According to commerce ministry officials, during a meeting of TPB on Thursday, which was chaired by Advisor to Prime Minister on Commerce and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood, it was approved that TPB would further work on removal of additional customs duty on 152 tariff lines.

The meeting was attended by commerce secretary, the National Tariff Commission chairperson, Federal

PM Imran seeks roadmap for implementation of SME policy ISLAMABAD TlTP

ISLAMABAD: Federal Energy (Petroleum & Power Division) Minister Omar Ayub Khan and Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Petroleum Nadeem Babar, accompanied by Petroleum Secretary Mian Asad Hayaud Din, visit the country’s flagship oil company, Pakistan State Oil (PSO). PRESS RElEASE

LAHORE: Bank of Punjab President & CEO Zafar Masud, along with a customer, cuts the cake to mark the launch of BOP Kissan Dost Current Account. Group Chief Zahid Mustafa was also present on the occasion. PRESS RElEASE

Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that provision of job opportunities to the youth and an increase in the volume of exports were among the top priorities of his government.

The premier said this while chairing a meeting of the National Coordination Committee for Small and Medium Enterprises on Thursday.

He said the promotion of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) will play a vital role in achieving targets in these priority areas, adding that SMEs had been ignored for the past 10 years, which negatively impacted the country's economy.

The PM said that all federal government departments and provincial governments should pay special attention to promotion of the SME sector in line

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have agreed to promote bilateral cooperation in the economic and trade sectors. This was expressed during a telephonic conversation between Foreign Minster Shah Mahmood Qureshi and UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Thursday. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) enjoy deep, historic and fraternal ties, adding that millions of Pakistanis living in the UAE have been contributing to the development of the UAE for the past many decades. He noted that in every difficult hour, including the coronavirus, the two brotherly countries stood by each other. Both foreign ministers on the occasion agreed to promote trade relations. They also discussed issues of mutual interest, including bilateral relations and the overall political situation in the region. STAFF REPORT

with the government's priorities. He said the government was committed to providing all possible facilities to the SMEs, including provision of credit, easy tax system and facilitation in business.

PM Imran directed the industries minister to finalize at the earliest a roadmap based on timelines in consultation with provinces regarding implementation of the proposed SME policy.

Earlier, a comprehensive National SME Policy 2020, which aimed at promoting small and medium enterprises in the country, was presented to the premier.

Besides Hammad Azhar, PM's adviser Ishrat Hussain, federal secretaries and other senior officials were also present on the occasion.

State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor Reza Baqir and the provincial chief secretaries attended the meeting via video link.

KP govt fails to control food inflation despite tall claims PESHAWAR AZIZ BUNERI

Pakistan, UAE agree to enhance economic, trade cooperation

Board of Revenue member (customs operations), industries & production additional secretary and Board of Investment director.

The adviser reiterated the importance given by the government to the 'Make in Pakistan' initiative, saying that in order to achieve this goal, import duties on 1,623 tariff lines pertaining to basic raw material and intermediate goods had been reduced to zero through the Finance Act, 2020.

In continuation of this policy, he informed, additional customs duties and regulatory duties on 164 items related to the textile sector, not manufactured in Pakistan, had also been recently removed by the federal cabinet.

During the meeting, the TPB members discussed different proposals for removal of additional customs duties on remaining raw materials, not manufactured in Pakistan.

The members opined that there was an urgent need to remove anomalies in the tariff structure so that the cost of doing business could be reduced through the

Rising food prices have reduced the purchasing power of the common man in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), as household budgets have been disrupted due to daily hike in the prices of essential commodities.

Mohammad Imran, a school teacher in Peshawar, told Profit that the incompetence of the government and district administrations across the province has forced the people to go on a ‘forced hunger strike’, adding that the government authorities have complete failed to control inflation.

“The recent price hikes have impacted the salaried class, who are now indebted to traders,” he stated.

Meanwhile, sources informed

flour prices are rising on a daily basis across the province despite its availability in the market. “In the past, its price was increased due to shortage, but strangely, prices still remain out of control despite ample stock this time around,” an insider stated.

Talking to this scribe, Rehan Khan, a daily wager, said he barely earned Rs500 by working all day, which makes it difficult to buy one-time meal for the house. "A 20kg bag of flour costs more than Rs1,400 while sugar is being sold at Rs110 per kg."

He said if the prevalent trend continues, the labour class will find it difficult to feed their children and be forced to commit suicides.

The district administration in KP, however, has kept a mum on the entire process to check the food inflation in the markets. It

also refutes the claims of the provincial government that officers will be made accountable for non-implementation of government’s directives issued to control inflation.

In Peshawar, besides the increase in flour prices along with other food items, milk has crossed Rs130 per kg, while the price of common rice has increased to Rs140 and spices by Rs30 to Rs40.

In the provincial capital, tomatoes have gone up to Rs120 while potatoes to Rs100 per kg; old red potatoes are being sold at Rs80 per kg and old yellow potatoes at Rs70 per kg.

The increase in prices of edible items has also led to a decline in the purchasing power of common man, creating problems for small traders and shopkeepers.

provision of cheap raw material to the industrial sector. This would also help improve competitiveness of the country's exports, they added.

The NTC chairperson briefed the members on progress made so far in conducting the study of the plastic sector.

The adviser stressed that sectoral studies should to be completed within the given timeline so that tariffs rationalizations could be done in such sectors by taking into account the recommendations of the studies.

At the end of the meeting, Dawood remarked that in pursuance of the objectives of National Tariff Policy 2019-24, meetings of the TPB were being held on a regular basis. Prior to this policy, proposals regarding tariff rationalizations were mostly discussed at the time of budget exercise, he noted.

"As per the vision of the prime minister, tariffs are being used as instruments of trade policy so that the manufacturing sector in Pakistan could be strengthened," he concluded.

Pakistan’s Healthwire raises $700,000 from 47 Ventures in preSeries A round LAHORE TAIMOOR HASSAN

Healthwire, a health-tech startup focused on aggregating all stakeholders of the healthcare ecosystem on its platform and providing a seamless digital healthcare experience to patients, has raised $700,000 from 47 Venture Investments in a pre-Series A financing round. Talking to Profit, Healthwire founder and CEO Hamza Iqbal confirmed that the said funds had been received by the startup, further disclosing that the plans are to raise another $4-5 million in Series A round within the next 12 months. The startup said that it’s practice and hospital management software has been deployed at 1,200 locations across 45 cities of the country where 3,500 doctors have been using its services, making it the most widely-deployed eHealth platform on the supply side of the healthcare ecosystem. According to a statement, the company’s business model is based on connecting doctors with patients from the remotest areas of Pakistan, digitising all health records, and eventually making healthcare affordable for the masses. “With the recently launched applications, Healthwire has now enabled patients to book appointments online with thousands of doctors,” the statement further read. “We have been fixated in solving the fundamental problem of unavailability of patient health information digitally,” said Hamza. “Our focus on solving this basic problem has now facilitated us to aggregate all stakeholders in the healthcare ecosystem,” he added. The CEO elaborated that the startup has now enabled patients to access their health records and book appointments with doctors, with plans to bring laboratories and pharmacies on their platform to give patients a seamless experience throughout their healthcare journey. 47 Venture Investments Country Manager Khurram Zafar said that thus far, Healthwire had executed flawlessly to acquire the largest supply-side share in the health care service provider space. “With the injection of new capital, we look forward to the company rapidly expanding and growing the patient side share of the market and providing a 360-degree healthcare solution to the masses,” Khurram added.

MARKET DAILY

Stocks extend rally with 503-point gain KARACHI STAF REPORT

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) extended its rally on Thursday, with the indices accumulating gains all day long ahead of earnings season.

Equity markets around the world also witnessed a positive trend, whereas crude oil prices moved north from the previous close; WTI crude price increasing 1.50pc to $40.56 while Brent crude price rising 1.76pc to $42.72.

"The market continued with the momentum from the last trading session and added

over 550 points (unadjusted). Exploration & production, oil & gas marketing, banking and cement stocks contributed to the buying activity on the back of upcoming earnings season," said a report issued by AHL Ltd. MARKET SUMMARY: In line with the previous session, the benchmark KSE-100 Index remained in the green territory throughout the day, registering its intraday high at 40,412.06 after accumulating 562.10 points. It settled higher by 503.66 points at 40,353.62.

Among other indices, the KMI-30 Index amassed 1,324.65 points to close at 64,717.65, while the KSE All Share Index

added 305.77 points, ending at 28,633.26.

The overall market volumes increased from 431.14 million shares in the previous session to 476.73 million shares (+10pc DoD). Average traded value also increased by 16pc, from $82.5 million to $95.9 million. Hascol Petroleum Ltd (HASCOL +4.28pc), Unity Foods Ltd (UNITY +5.93pc) and TRG Pakistan Ltd (TRG +3.01pc) led the volume chart, exchanging 107.25 million, 56.31 million and 20.69 million shares, respectively.

Sectors that kept the benchmark index in green included oil & gas exploration (+123.42 points), cement (+81.61 points) and

CMYK

oil & gas marketing (+73.36 points). Among the companies, Oil and Gas Development Company Ltd (OGDC +61.75 points), Pakistan State Oil Company Ltd (PSO +46.31 points) and Pak Petroleum Ltd (PPL +32.94 points) remained the top contributors.

Adding 3.44pc to its total market capitalization, the oil & gas marketing sector ended as the session’s top performer, with Pakistan State Oil Company Ltd (PSO +4.90pc), Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Ltd (SNGP +2.50pc) and Sui Southern Gas Company Ltd (SSGC +1.71pc) posting decent gains.

Agha Steel Industries Limited received

Rs4.401 billion against issue of Rs2.7 billion in its Book building conducted on 6th and 7th October 2020. High net worth investors, corporates and mutual funds got over 50pc of shares allocated as the IPO was oversubscribed by 1.63 times.

Hascol Petroleum Limited (HASCOL +4.52pc) announced its financial performance for the first quarter of FY20. The company’s sales fell by 30.11pc from last year but Distribution cost surged 17pc YoY. Finance cost inflated from Rs732.01 mn to Rs 1.91 bn resulting in LPS of Rs6.59 for 1QFY20 as compared to Rs 28.37 in 1QFY19.

Friday, 9 October, 2020

10 FOREIGN NEWS uK, eu nearing trade deal despite differences: report BRUSSELS AGENCIES

Just as the U.K.’s trade negotiations with the European Union look like they’re heading off a cliff, there’s reason to suspect things might not be as bleak as they seem. On the surface, the brinkmanship is clear: On Tuesday, the EU dared Boris Johnson to walk away from the talks by his Oct. 15 deadline if he views a deal as impossible. The very next day, Johnson’s government said it fully intends to do just that, if that’s what it concludes. That followed weeks in which statements from both sides have barely gone beyond reiterating the need to keep trying because the gulf between them remains huge. EU Council President Charles Michel urged the U.K. to “put its cards on the table.” Yet, in private, officials are more upbeat. While the politics are inescapable — and may yet be definitive — experienced negotiators know that sometimes the worst moments happen shortly before an accord is struck.

Worst of crisis over for indian economy, expect experts NEW DELHI AGENCIES

Indian business and industry leaders are seeing signs of recovery after the coronavirus crisis wiped out nearly a quarter of the country’s economy in the last quarter. “The more I converse with CEOs of various organisations, the more I get convinced that there is an improvement in the macro-economic situation, especially over the last month or so,” Axis Bank’s chief executive and managing director, Amitabh Chaudhry, told the foreign media. While the banker believes the recovery is imminent, he says the process could be slow or “L-shaped,” which is usually accompanied by persistent unemployment and stagnant economic growth. Chaudhry also noted that optimism has returned to the business community, and that this is also evident from looking at his bank’s own loan enquiries, credit card spends and account openings. Some Indian entrepreneurs earlier pointed to a gradual recovery of the economy after the deep plunge caused by the coronavirus outbreak. As the automotive sector recorded growth in August, India’s Hero Motocorp, one of the largest two-wheeler manufacturers in the world, said that it is facing “the fortunate situation of having more demand than supply,” with growth partly driven by rural and semi-urban markets. Some other firms noted that the development of the rural economy was helping the overall recovery. According to Tata Steel CEO TV Narendran, the company reduced its dependency on exports and has fully resumed operations. It also saw a revival in demand in the second quarter, thanks to a good monsoon season and the rural economy. “We are definitely seeing green shoots across all consumer products from FMCG [fast moving consumer goods] to automobiles,” said Venu Srinivasan, chairman of TVS Motor Company, media reported. In a good sign of possible recovery, India’s factory activity expanded to its highest level in over eight years. The IHS Markit Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for manufacturing rose to 56.8 in September from 52 in August.

A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while below that signals contraction.

Business activity has also improved, but remained in contraction territory, IHS Markit data shows. India’s PMI for services rose from 41.8 in August to 49.8 in September. “The economy seems to be improving. Leading indicators from corporates, the RBI [Reserve Bank of India] and the government seem to be pointing to that and as more data comes in the picture will become clearer,” State Bank of India chairman Rajnish Kumar said. Analysts also bet on the festive season, when major Indian celebrations and ceremonies take place, saying it can boost shopping and bring stronger loan growth. Earlier this year, one of the strictest lockdowns in the world sent most of the key sectors of India’s economy into freefall. The nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) plunged by a record 23.9 percent from April to June.

TRump adminisTRaTion TuRns To immigRaTion as voTe neaRs WASHINGTON

i

AGENCIES

T had the ingredients of a President Donald Trump campaign speech: dangerous immigrants, attacks on Democrat-run cities, even a mention of “America First.” But it was Chad Wolf, acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), announcing a routine, and relatively minor, enforcement operation Wednesday at a Washington news conference.

“It’s not about Republicans, it’s not about Democrats, it’s not about elections,” Wolf insisted, twice, to reporters.

Yet it was the third time in a week the administration rolled out actions to appear tough on immigration, reviving an issue that was at the heart of Trump’s successful 2016 campaign, but largely on the back burner in the current one. And it added to charges from Trump critics that DHS and other agencies have become overtly politicised under this president.

DHS, which was created to improve America’s resistance to external threats following the Sept. 11 attacks, has been a tool of key Trump administration policies from the start — enforcing stricter immigration policies, building the border wall and, most notoriously, separating families apprehended trying to enter the United States.

Its political role has increased in recent months, with the decision to deploy DHS tactical agents to Portland, Oregon, to confront protesters outside the federal courthouse without the consent of local authorities as part of Trump’s “law and order” campaign theme.

“His modus operandi for the vast majority of the administration has been to use DHS to

benefit him politically,” said Miles Taylor, who served as the agency’s chief of staff from 201719. “Now, he’s trying to use the department to benefit himself electorally.”

Few issues are as important to Trump’s political base as immigration. His get-tough approach and promise to build a border wall were cornerstones of his 2016 campaign. But attention to the issue has ebbed in the 2020 race, as Trump has focused more on unrest in Democratic cities, leftist activists and other matters.

But the effort to rekindle the anti-immigration fervor has gained steam.

In recent weeks, the administration has announced time limits for students to complete their studies, requirements for additional biometrics and even DNA in some cases to get immigration benefits and a new rule for immigrant sponsors to submit years of credit reports, bank statements and other financial information.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a component of DHS, posted five billboards across Pennsylvania, a battleground state, with images of migrants charged with criminal offenses whom the agency was seeking to arrest.

The campaign is rare, if not unprecedented.

Last week, the administration announced it has proposed further slashing the number of refugees the United States accepts to a new record low in the coming year. On Tuesday, DHS and the Labor Department said new rules would significantly reduce the number of visas issued to skilled foreign workers, a move welcomed by groups that favor cutting legal immigration into the United States.

Then Wolf followed up with the news conference to announce the enforcement operation — a fairly routine operation that resulted in a fairly low number of arrests. “It’s

European lawmakers back 60pc CO2 emissions cut by 2030 BRUSSELS AGENCIES

The European Parliament has shown support for a climate target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 60 percent by 2030 from the 1990 levels, according to the voting results announced by the parliament.

In the plenary voting late on Tuesday, the new target was approved with 352 votes in favor, 326 against, and 18 abstentions, within the framework of voting amendments to the proposed European Climate Law. The target is more ambitious than the one proposed by the European Commission which envisions the cut of emissions by at least 55 percent by 2030. "We are more than ever leading on climate ambition," tweeted Wednesday the chair of the parliament's environment committee Pascal Canfin, who submitted the specific amendment.

"This is a historic moment. This is a historic law. This is the big moment," said Jytte Guteland, a Swedish Member of European Parliament, who was the Parliament rapporteur on the proposed European Climate Law, at a press conference on Wednesday, following the disclosure of the voting results from the previous day.

The rapporteur said that the parliament sent "a strong signal" to work faster toward climate neutrality, adding that the first ten years are crucial if the European Union (EU) wants to respect the Paris Agreement.

Other important clauses put to vote on Tuesday afternoon were climate neutrality by 2050 becoming binding, continuing to work on CO2 emission negativity after 2050, establishing a greenhouse gas budget, setting a new intermediate target for 2040 after assessment and establishing a European Climate Change Council (ECCC).

The ECCC will complement the work of global and national similar bodies and evaluate progress at the European level, said Guteland. Independent experts working together with the European Environment Agency in Copenhagen will be hired, using data from EU member states, to provide the EU with feedback on their progress.

The voting came three weeks after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen set the target of 55 percent emission cut by 2030 in her State of the Union speech and two weeks after China announced that it aims to have CO2 emissions peak before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060.

"Do we have allies in this task? Yes, we do," said the commission's Vice-President Maros Sefcovic on Tuesday when addressing the plenary on behalf of von der Leyen, who was at the time in selfquarantine for precaution against COVID-19. Besides China, Sefcovic also mentioned South Africa which will aim at carbon neutrality by 2050.

What you need to know about the coronavirus right now LONDON: Here’s what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: RegeNeRON aNtibODies iN DemaND afteR tRump tReatmeNt: US President Donald Trump said his use of an experimental therapy from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc had allowed him to experience first-hand how effective it could be.

“I want to get for you what I got. And I’m going to make it free,” Trump said in a video address released on Wednesday, at one point calling the unapproved medicine a “cure”.

Regeneron’s drug is a cocktail of two monoclonal antibodies – manufactured copies of antibodies that are one of the main weapons the immune system generates to fight infections. Patients are asking to join clinical trials of antibody-based Covid-19 drugs, though medical experts said more data is needed to assess the treatment’s efficacy before wider use should be allowed. The company said on Wednesday it had submitted a request to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for an emergency use authorization (EUA) for its antibody combination. JapaN tO RemOve tRaveL baN fOR 12 cOuNtRies: Japan is planning to remove a ban on overseas travel to China and 11 other countries next month, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Thursday. The 11 other countries and regions include Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam and Malaysia, the Yomiuri said. The Japanese government, which bans travel to 159 countries and regions, will recommend that travellers refrain from unnecessary and non-urgent visits to those 12 countries, the newspaper said. AGENCIES

a worrying abuse of power,” said Taylor, who has endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden in the Nov. 3 election.

The acting secretary, whose nomination is pending before the Senate, said his intention was to highlight the threat posed by cities and states that provide “sanctuary” to migrants in the country illegally by not turning them over to ICE for deportation.

But it just so happens that it tends to be cities and states run by Democrats that provide sanctuary, with local officials arguing that assisting with immigration enforcement discourages crime victims in the country illegally from cooperating with law enforcement on more serious matters.

Wolf says it’s dangerous not to turn them over to ICE, noting that some of those captured in the operation had committed serious crimes such as homicide and sexual assault.

“ICE focuses its limited resources first and foremost by targeting those who pose the greatest threat to public safety,” he said. Still, his mere presence at the news conference was unusual.

“The fact that Chad Wolf thought that attending a press conference on a modest enforcement action was the best use of his time today shows that he is still hell-bent on politicising the department’s mission in order to help the President in his reelection campaign,” said Rep. Bennie Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat who is chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee.

Rep. Zoe Lofgren, a California Democrat, sent a letter to the acting director of ICE, Tony Pham, demanding answers about the operation. “I am deeply disturbed that ICE is spending government dollars and putting lives at risk in furtherance of what is described as a political messaging campaign,” she said.

Huawei to take part in Russia’s high-tech highways construction MOSCOW AGENCIES

Russia’s state-owned infrastructure company Avtodor and Chinese tech giant Huawei have agreed to develop high-speed toll roads in Russia.

According to Avtodor’s press service, the partners have agreed “to identify new potential areas and projects for cooperation in the construction and operation of expressways in Russia, including on a fee basis.” The agreement includes plans to put optical communication lines along the roads, which are used for the implementation of automated control systems, the development of intelligent transport systems and are the basis for the infrastructure of unmanned vehicles.

Friday, 9 October, 2020

SPORTS 11

RonaLdo denied aS PoRTugaL HeLd by SPain LISBON

C

Dani Olmo but neither side were able to claim victory ahead of upcoming games in the Nations League.

"I think we were better than Portugal," said Spain coach Luis Enrique. "We dominated the game. For sure they had two shots on the break that hit the bar and one that Kepa saved but we had chances as well." Both sit top of their Nations League groups, Portugal with maximum points after beating Croatia and Sweden while Spain have four after thrashing Ukraine and drawing with Germany.

Spain go up against Switzerland on Saturday before playing against Ukraine three

AGENCIES

RISTIANO Ronaldo hit the crossbar as Portugal and Spain played out a goalless draw in a compelling friendly in Lisbon on Wednesday.

Ronaldo and Renato Sanchez both struck the woodwork for Portugal, who then should have won it in injury-time only for Joao Felix to miskick at the back post. Spain were the better team early on at the Jose Alvalade stadium and also went close through

Sebastian suggests Tokyo as future World Championships host city TOKYO: World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said on Thursday that he wants Tokyo to host an athletics World Championships in the National Stadium rebuilt for the 2020 Olympic Games “as soon as we possibly can”.

Sebastian was speaking during a visit to Tokyo to meet organisers of the 2020 summer Olympics - rearranged for next year due to the coronavirus pandemic - and toured the stadium earlier in the day. “I saw a stadium that will be a fitting venue for a future World Championships in track and field,” Sebastian said. “It is our ambition, with the support of the municipalities and the local federations for us to come back to this great city as soon as we possibly can.” The next two hosts for the event, usually held every two years, have been decided: Eugene, Oregon in 2022, delayed by a year to avoid any clash with the rearranged Olympics, and Budapest in 2023. Currently no city has secured rights for 2025. Tokyo last held the championships in 1991, whilst Japan also hosted the 2007 event in Osaka. AGENCIES

Klopp cannot forget the moment he was contacted by Liverpool for managerial role LONDON: Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has revealed that he will never be able to forget the moment when his agent told him that the Reds are looking to avail his services as a coach. Back in October 2015, Klopp was roped in as the manager of Liverpool. The former Borussia Dortmund coach replaced Brendan Rodgers as the man in charge of Liverpool. "I cannot forget the moment when I got the call from my agent that Liverpool is interested. And the feeling I had at that moment. I said it a couple of times, I was completely in a holiday mood; we were in Portugal, in Lisbon, with the family, both boys were with us. Ulla and I were sitting in an outside coffee bar," the official website of Liverpool quoted Klopp as saying. "Actually, I did not take a lot of phone calls during that time, it was like: ''Come on, don't bother me''.

But then I saw it and it was like I had a feeling, it could be something interesting. So, I take the phone and he tells me, and I felt the excitement inside. AGENCIES

days later. Portugal face world champions France on Sunday and then play at home to Sweden. During the first half, it was also announced by the football federations of the two countries they will stage a joint bid to host the 2030 World Cup. They will be competing against Morocco, as well as another joint bid from Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay and Chile.

The last time Spain and Portugal met was for the thrilling 3-3 draw at the 2018 World Cup, when Ronaldo scored a hattrick, including a stunning late equaliser from a free-kick. This was a far less dra-

matic contest, with both teams still rebuilding ahead of next year's postponed European Championships. It was the first time Spain had failed to score since losing to Italy at the 2016 European Championships in France.

Luis Enrique fielded an experimental eleven, which included Chelsea's struggling goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, Manchester City's 19-year-old central defender Eric Garcia and the newly called-up Sergio Canales in midfield.

For Portugal, the 20-year-old Francisco Trincao, who has just joined Barcelona, started in a front three with Ronaldo and

Premier League chief pleads for rethink of stadium fan ban LONDON AGENCIES

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters has pleaded with the government to rethink its stadium supporter ban, calling for football to be treated "fairly".

Matches at the end of last season in the English top-flight and the beginning of the new campaign have been played behind closed doors due to the coronavirus crisis.

Plans to pilot a limited return of fans from October 1 were shelved last month due to tighter lockdown measures following a surge in cases of Covid-19 in Britain. Masters told The Times that he welcomed the return of audiences to concert venues but said football stadiums should be included.

"It's good news that (concert) venues can run socially distanced events in-

doors, it gives them a lifeline," he said.

"We are starting to see the return of the paying spectator at a ticketed event and we just believe that football should be allowed to do the same.

"We do understand why caution is needed but what we are asking for is consistency from government so that sport is treated as fairly as other activities." "We are a highly regulated environment. We have the Sports Grounds Safety Authority in place to ensure that supporters are safe at all times and we're outdoors in a highly stewarded environment. What we really need is clarity for our clubs and supporters and a road map from government."

Masters said Premier League clubs were facing a number of tough challenges including the scrapping of the October return date for fans, expectations to help clubs lower down the pyramid and the frustration of seeing

entertainment arenas close to football grounds reopen with no "roadmap" for the return of supporters.

Masters cited the example of the Bundesliga, which has allowed limited number of fans back depending on local virus rates, as one that clubs could potentially follow. "The government is managing the country around local conditions so we have to be flexible in that respect," he said. "We have been in regular conversation with our German counterparts and we are aware of how it's working and how it is not working for some clubs where the numbers are higher.

"Like everything, you have to start somewhere and just to do it would be fantastic. Football needs its voice back, we need fans back in the stadiums to provide that missing ingredient.

"Having fans back, even if it is not exclusively across the league, has given German football a massive boost."

Born without arms, Pakistani snooker player masters the game LAHORE AGENCIES

Muhammad Ikram, who was born without arms, steps up to a snooker table, sizes up his options and with a firm flick of his chin strikes the cue ball and slots a red into a corner pocket. The sport was perhaps an unlikely passion for Ikram, 32, to pursue, but the player has spent years honing his skills and can now give anyone at his local snooker hall a run for their money.

“It is a tough job that requires hard work. If there is a player like me, I am ready to face him”, Ikram told AFP during a recent visit to the snooker hall in the small town of Samundri in Punjab.

Born into a poor home, he and his eight siblings did not go to school and he spent much of his childhood feeling iso-

lated. As a teenager, he started to watch players in the local snooker hall and was inspired to start practising “in secret”.

“In the beginning, I used to push the balls by myself on an empty pool table,” Ikram said. “Gradually, I improved my game and started playing with others.” Ikram can now challenge the best players in town.

He demonstrated a range of shots, giving a solid and assured flick of his head to sink reds and then colours into pockets, drawing applause from other players. “Chalk your chin,” one of them quipped after Ikram eventually missed a shot. Worried he might injure himself, Ikram's parents initially barred him from snooker for several years, but last year they allowed him to return to the sport.

His skills quickly turned him into something of an internet celebrity

among Pakistan's snooker-playing fraternity. “I became famous,” Ikram said, though he confessed to having no idea what social media is.

Pakistan keeps no up-to-date statistics on people with disabilities, but nongovernmental organisations estimate there to be more than 30 million in a country of about 220m. A lack of a social safety net means the majority of the disabled population stay home.

Muhammad Nadeem, who owns the Samundri snooker hall, described Ikram as a “true sportsman”.

“We don't charge him for a game.

Instead, people pay him to play with them,” Nadeem said.

“He has no competition, in cricket and football there are disabled players but when it comes to snooker he is a one-of-a-kind player.”

Way forward in T20s - playing in the ‘reverse V’ DUBAI AGENCIES

By the time Suryakumar Yadav had completed his concussion check after being hit flush on his helmet by a Jofra Archer knuckle ball, commentators were discussing how he would cope with the next ball. On air, Brian Lara was confident Yadav will be circumspect.

Archer aimed for a full delivery just outside the off stump; by the time the ball had left Archer’s hand, Yadav had already swung his leading leg out of the way and gone into a deep, wide squat - eyes wide open, his next move was to get the bat under the ball and make it fly backwards for a six. “I don’t have words for it. I have never seen a batsman getting hit and coming up with this kind of a shot…it was fantastic,” said Hardik Pandya, who watched it from the other end. This is the way Yadav likes to play - audacious hoicks executed with furiously quick hand-eye coordination and a still mind (he has a fine late cut too). In that match against Rajasthan Royals, the Mumbai Indians hitter scored more runs be-

hind the stumps than in front of it. If classical batting is defined by a player’s mastery of the “V”, think of this as the exact opposite; a reversed “V”. Yadav scored 33 of his 59 runs against pace in this ‘V’ behind the wicket.

In the over before, he had swept a Tom Curran low full toss over square leg for six.

As they brought the fine leg in, he anticipated a short ball outside off and ramped one for six. In the middle overs, he had taught newcomer Kartik Tyagi a lesson, hitting one to the right of third man, another on bent knees to the left of the same fielder. Employing all his penchant for scoring behind the stumps, Yadav was toying with the field. “Some of the shot-making today from him I think, the sweep from about seventh stump on a low full-toss that went 80 metres. I don’t know what you call that shot, it was unbelievable,” bowling coach Shane Bond said in his post-match talk. Yadav is part of the clan of batsmen who like to score behind the stumps - the scoopers, sweepers, ramp shot hitters - in this season, Ravindra Jadeja is the leader of the group thus far, scoring nearly 22% of his runs in the reverse “V”, with Yadav a close second. Four

shots define the strokeplay of batsmen like these. The first is the scoop, often referred to as the “Dilscoop” after Tillakaratne Dilshan, who used it with abandon.

To play it, the batsman must get in line with the ball at lightning speed, crouch down, often on one knee, and use the pace of the ball to flick it over the wicketkeeper’s head. There are variations to the theme; Joss Buttler says he worked out his own version back in 2005 inspired by something he saw at a local hockey match.

In that match, a long ball was hit at speed from the midfield towards the striker, who was standing with his back to the goal, and who simply planted his feet and put his stick in the path of the ball to angle it over and above him towards the goal. A former hockey player, Buttler absorbed the move and began to practice it on a cricket field.

It’s also what Yadav did to Archer. Then there’s the ramp, basically any shot where the batsman clears his legs, steps to the off and drops to one knee, before using the pace of the ball to guide it at unusual angles towards the leg side - a combination, or something in between, a sweep, a glance

CMYK

and a hook. In other words, hard to categorize - you know it when you see it, and you see it when AB deVilliers is at the crease. The other two shots you need to play a lot to score behind the wickets - the sweep and the reverse sweep - are more canonical and less risky. Yadav is well versed in these too; since 2018, he has a strike rate of 200 against spinners when employing the sweep. Past IPL numbers (201820) suggest Kings X1 Punjab’s Sarfaraz Khan plays the scoops and ramps behind the wickets the most, accounting for 29.5 percent of his runs. But Sarfaraz plays his scoops head down, trusting his instincts, a method he has mastered practicing thousands of balls under the tutelage of his father-coach Naushad Khan. Yadav, like de Villiers and Buttler, steps away in a premeditated manner to either side of the stumps, keeps a still head and pierces the field.

“He (Yadav) has done it before many times in club cricket, in domestic cricket for Mumbai. If he can do it to bowlers bowling 150 kph, doing it when the ball is coming in at 135 is a lot easier,” says Vinayak Samant, Mumbai’s coach last season.

Andre Silva. Spain enjoyed a superb opening quarter of an hour but had nothing to show for it, as Gerard Moreno missed from close range and Olmo volleyed wide.

Portugal went closest in the second half.

Ronaldo shifted onto his left foot and thundered a shot against the crossbar. He then turned provider, curving a pass right to Renato, whose effort also crashed against the frame and bounced out.

The best chance though fell to Felix in injury-time, the ball finding him free at the back post, only for the youngster to slide and somehow fail to connect.

VeRnon PHiLandeR’S youngeR bRoTHeR SHoT dead in CaPe ToWn CAPE TOWN AGENCIES

Former South African pacer Vernon Philander’s younger brother was shot dead in a Cape Town street on Wednesday. As reported by the South African media, the dreadful incident happened meters away from the family home in the neighborhood of Ravensmead. Tyrone Philander, a younger brother of Vernon, was shot while delivering water to a neighbour, said the media reports.

In a statement issued by Philander family, Vernon said that they were ‘coming to terms with the brutal murder’. “There are no details around the incident at the moment and speculation will make it very difficult for us as a family to mourn in peace,” Vernon Philander said. According to the local police, the shooting happened around lunchtime on Wednesday. They are investigating the case as a murder and no arrests have been made yet. A member of a community group said Philander’s mother and other family members were in the yard of their house nearby when they heard gunshots. The 35year-old Vernon Philander bid adieu to international cricket at the beginning of this year. He took this decision after serving the South African national side for 13 years when he became one of the best seam bowlers in the world. He played 64 tests and 101 games across all formats for South Africa. He was due to join English county side Somerset this year but the deal was cancelled amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Hamilton against cutting trees for new Rio circuit AGENCIES Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton said on Thursday he saw no need for a new racetrack in Rio de Janeiro and was against cutting down forest trees to make way for it. Plans for a grand prix circuit, which will replace Sao Paolo’s Interlagos on the F1 calendar, have caused controversy locally with environmentalists opposed to the location. Supporters of the project say more trees would be planted than those removed from the forested area in the Deodoro sector of western Rio, around what is now a disused military site. Hamilton, who could be a seven-times world champion by the time he next visits Brazil, has been outspoken on environmental issues. “I was hoping I wasn’t really going to get this question,” said the Mercedes driver ahead of Sunday’s Eifel Grand Prix at the Nuerburgring. “My personal opinion is the world doesn’t need a new circuit. “I think there are plenty of circuits in the world that are great and I love Interlagos.” Hamilton said he did not know all the details of the planned circuit and had heard it was going to be a sustainable development. “The most sustainable thing you can do is not tear down any trees,” he added. “With deforestation and everything, I don’t think it’s a smart move, personally. Again, I don’t have the details of why but it’s not something I personally support.” Interlagos has been a fixture on the F1 calendar since 1990 but is not hosting a race this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Rio’s old Jacarepagua circuit was demolished to make way for facilities for the 2016 Olympics. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said last year that the privately-built new track would have a capacity for 130,000 fans.

Friday, 9 October, 2020

PrAyEr TImINGS

NEWS

nEW ShElling rOCkS karabakh ahEad Of firSt mEdiatiOn EffOrtS On armEnia-azErbaijan ClaShES

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AGENCIES

IGHTING between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region spilled over into Thursday, with fresh shelling in the province’s capital ahead of a first meeting of international mediators in Geneva.

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov was to meet diplomats from France, Russia and the United States, who make up the “Minsk Group” that has sought a solution to the Karabakh conflict since the 1990s.

Armenia’s foreign minister will not be attending, after Yerevan ruled out talks between the two countries’ top diplomats as long as clashes are ongoing. Zohrab Mnatsakanyan will instead meet his Russian counterpart in Moscow on Monday.

Explosions and sirens sounded in Nagorno-Karabakh’s regional capital Stepanakert as the city continued to face

regular shelling, AFP journalists said.

Heavy bombardments have levelled many homes since fighting erupted late last month and Stepanakert is pockmarked with unexploded ordinance and wide craters from shelling.

Defence officials in Azerbaijan and Armenia said fighting continued into Thursday, with both sides claiming to have inflicted heavy losses and accusing the other of shelling civilian areas.

Alongside the new bombardments in Stepanakert, Azerbaijan said Armenian shelling on several villages near the frontline had left people dead and wounded.

Armenia’s rights ombudsman Artak Beglaryan told AFP on Wednesday that the renewed fighting has displaced around half of Karabakh’s 140,000 residents and forced some 90 per cent of its women and children from their homes.

The fighting in one of the most combustible frozen conflicts resulting from the fall of the Soviet Union erupted on Sep-

World food prices rise for fourth straight month

tember 27, with Azerbaijan insisting the region must return to its control.

THOUSANDS FORCED FROM HOMES: Nagorno-Karabakh broke away from Azerbaijan in a 1990s war that claimed the lives of some 30,000 people.

The Armenian separatists declared independence, but no countries recognise its autonomy and it is still acknowledged by world leaders as part of Azerbaijan.

Dozens of civilians have been confirmed killed in the fighting and the Armenian side has acknowledged more than 300 military deaths. Azerbaijan has not admitted to any fatalities among its troops.

Officials in Baku said on Wednesday 427 dwellings populated by roughly 1,200 people had been destroyed.

International leaders have called for an immediate halt to the fighting and President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday described the flare-up as a “tragedy”, calling for a ceasefire “as quickly as possible”.

But there are no signs yet of the conflict

abating and Turkey’s strong backing for Azerbaijan has sown fears in the West that the conflict could spiral into a full-blown war embroiling Ankara with Moscow, which has a military treaty with Armenia.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Wednesday said that Turkey’s support of Azerbaijan risks fueling the “internationalisation” of the conflict.

Putin and French leader Emmanuel Macron are among world leaders to denounce the reported deployment of proAnkara fighters from Syria and Libya to Karabakh. and Iran on Wednesday warned of “terrorists” who had joined the conflict from abroad. Yerevan is in a military alliance of former-Soviet countries led by Moscow and any escalation of fighting over Karabakh that spills over into Armenia could risk triggering a Russian intervention. But Moscow has shown little appetite for any escalation and Putin on Wednesday noted the fighting was persisting in Karabakh, not in Armenia itself.

China tells Indian media not to call Taiwan a country, Taiwan says 'get lost'

ROME AGENCIES

World food prices rose again in September, climbing to their highest levels since February as higher prices for wheat, corn, and vegetable oils offset lower prices in other areas, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported Thursday.

The broad FAO World Food Price Index gained 2.1 percent, following gains of 2.0 percent, 1.2 percent, and 2.4 percent in August, July, and June, respectively. The combined gains since June were enough to nearly cancel out falling prices over the first five months of the year. FAO said the index is now at its highest level since February, and 5.0 percent above its level in September 2019.

Prices for grains and cereals -- the largest component in the FAO World Food Price Index -- rose for the third consecutive month, leaping 5.1 percent compared to August levels. FAO said that extreme weather helped push wheat prices higher while corn prices rose due to production cuts in the European Union and the United States. Those gains easily canceled out a small drop in rice prices, which fell due to strong harvests in the northern hemisphere. The vegetable oil index rose by 6.0 percent, after gains of 5.9 and 7.6 percent in August and July, respectively.

Higher palm oil prices were the biggest factor in the rise, FAO said. None of the other parts of the index saw prices rise, FAO said. Dairy prices were unchanged from August, as strong milk production in the European Union matched increases in demand. Meat prices fell 0.9 percent. Sugar prices, meanwhile, slipped 2.6 percent amid reports of a possible surplus in the coming months due to strong production in Brazil and India, the world's top two producers. The monthly FAO Food Price Index is based on worldwide prices for 23 food commodity categories covering prices for 73 different products compared to a baseline year.

NEW DELHI AGENCIES

China was accused by Taiwan of trying to impose censorship in India after its embassy in New Delhi advised journalists to observe the “one-China” principle after newspapers carried advertisements for Taiwan’s national day.

Coming just months after deadly clashes between Indian and Chinese troops on the disputed Himalayan border between the two Asian nations, the controversy has flared at a time when Indian sentiments toward China are filled with antipathy and suspicion.

China’s hackles were raised on Wednesday by advertisements placed in leading Indian newspapers by Taiwan’s government to mark the democratic, Chinese-claimed island’s national day on Saturday.

The advertisement carried a photograph of President Tsai Ing-wen and hailed India, a fellow democracy, as a natural partner of Taiwan.

China, which claims Taiwan and regards it as a wayward province, made its displeasure evident in an e-mail sent by its embassy on Wednesday night to journalists in India, including Reuters.

“Regarding the so-called forthcoming ‘National Day of Taiwan’, the Chinese Embassy in India would like to remind our media friends that there is only one China in the world, and the Government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legitimate government representing the whole of China,” the embassy said. “We hope Indian media can stick to [the] Indian government’s position on Taiwan question and do not violate the ‘One China’ principle.”

US WarnS China againSt taiWan attaCk WASHINGTON: The United States’ national security adviser Robert O’Brien warned China against any attempt to retake Taiwan by force, saying amphibious landings were notoriously difficult and there was a lot of ambiguity about how the US would respond. O’Brien told an event at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas that China was engaged in a significant naval build-up probably not seen since Germany’s attempt to compete with Britain’s Royal Navy prior to WWI. “Part of that is to give them the ability to push us back out of the Western Pacific, and allow them to engage in an amphibious landing in Taiwan,” he said. “The problem with that is that amphibious landings are notoriously difficult,” O’Brien added, pointing to the 160km (100 mile) distance between China and Taiwan and the few landing beaches on the island. “It’s not an easy task, and there’s also a lot of ambiguity about what the United States would do in response to an attack by China on Taiwan,” he added, when asked what US options would be if China, which considers the self-ruled island part of its territory, moved to try and take control of Taiwan. O’Brien was referring to a long-standing US policy of “strategic ambiguity” on the question of whether it would intervene to protect Taiwan, which China has sworn to reunite with the mainland, by force if necessary. The US is required by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, but it has not made clear whether it would intervene militarily in the event of a Chinese attack, something that would probably lead to a much broader conflict with Beijing. AGENCIES

“In particular, Taiwan shall not be referred to as a ‘country (nation)’ or ‘Republic of China’ or the leader of China’s Taiwan region as ‘President’, so as not to send the wrong signals to the general public.” Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu scoffed at Beijing’s advice to Indian media.

“India is the largest democracy on Earth with a vibrant press & freedomloving people. But it looks like communist #China is hoping to march into the subcontinent by imposing censorship. #Taiwan’s Indian friends will have one reply: GET LOST!” he said in a tweet.

New Delhi has no formal diplo-

matic relations with Taipei, but both sides have close business and cultural ties. India’s government has carefully avoided upsetting China over Taiwan.

But relations became fraught after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a clash with Chinese troops in June, and there have been calls from some Indian nationalist groups for a boycott of Chinese goods.

“The Chinese government behaves like a street goon, not like an aspiring super-power. It threatens us,” said Nitin Gokhale, the editor of a defence and security website, after receiving the Chinese embassy’s email.

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OPEC, in major shift, says oil demand to plateau in late 2030s LONDON AGENCIES

World oil demand will plateau in the late 2030s and could by then have begun to decline, OPEC said on Thursday, in a major shift for the producer group that reflects the lasting impact of the coronavirus crisis on the economy and consumer habits. The prediction from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, made in its 2020 World Oil Outlook, comes amid a growing number of other forecasts that the pandemic may prove the tipping point for peak oil demand. Oil use will rise to 107.2 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2030 from 90.7 million bpd in 2020, OPEC said, 1.1 million bpd below its 2030 forecast last year and over 10 million bpd below its 2007 prediction of 2030 demand. “Global oil demand will grow at relatively healthy rates during the first part of the forecast period before demand plateaus during the second half,” said the report, which looks at the 20192045 timespan. “Future demand will likely remain persistently below past projections due to the lingering effects of the Covid-19-related shutdowns and their impact on the global economy and consumer behaviour.” While oil use to fuel cars, trucks and industry will rebound as economies recover, OPEC voiced concern future growth may be partly offset by factors like a post-pandemic shift to homeworking and teleconferencing over commuting, as well as efficiency improvements and a shift to electric cars. Even before the pandemic, rising climate activism in the West and widening use of alternative fuels were putting the strength of long-term oil demand under more scrutiny. Despite scaling back its forecasts, OPEC had still seen growth.

This year, it also sees potential for demand to begin to decline after 2030 given developments like a faster adoption of electric cars, more fuel efficiency and a larger reduction in business and leisure travel after the pandemic. This scenario, the Accelerated Policy and Technology case, is not based on any major technological breakthroughs, OPEC said, nor does it represent the full demand reduction possible. “There is ample scope for far larger implementation of energy efficiency measures, which could potentially depress future oil demand to much lower levels,” OPEC said.

NEAR-TERM DEMAND REBOUND: OPEC has been concerned the pandemic could hit demand permanently, which current and former officials say could pressure oil prices and challenge its efforts to balance the market.

This year OPEC, with Russia and other allies, a grouping known as OPEC+, agreed record output cuts of 9.7 million bpd, the equivalent of 10% of global supply. OPEC still sees oil demand rising in the next few years, unlike some others. Oil use will jump to 97.7 million bpd next year, reach 99.8 million bpd in 2022 – above the 2019 level – and grow to 102.6 million bpd by 2024, it predicts. The 2024 figure is less than last year’s forecast. OPEC forecast it will pump more in 2021 than this year’s expected 30.7 million bpd, but rising supply from the United States and other outside producers means OPEC output in 2025 will likely be 33.2 million bpd, below 2019’s level, it said. Longer term, its reference case is for oil demand to reach 109.3 million bpd in 2040 and decline slightly to 109.1 million bpd by 2045.

OPEC said the pandemic had accelerated a trend for lower oil use in industrialised Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development countries, and non-OECD growth. Electric cars are gaining share and there is “a constant improvement in battery economics”, OPEC said. They will account for over 27pc of new cars globally by 2045.

Nonetheless, OPEC still hopes to boost production in coming decades as rival output declines.

Trump hails experimental treatment for his virus recovery AGENCIES US President Donald Trump credited an experimental drug treatment with helping his recovery from Covid-19 and suggested his diagnosis could be a “blessing in disguise” in the nation’s battle against the pandemic. But there is no way for the president or his doctors to know whether the drug had any effect.

In a new White House video posted on Wednesday evening, Trump said his illness had shed light on an experimental antibody cocktail that he tied to his improved condition. Seemingly sensitive to the fact that his treatment course has been far more comprehensive than the care received by average

Americans, he promised to swiftly get the drug approved for broader use — and distribute it for free — even though he does not have the power to order that himself.

“I want everybody to be given the same treatment as your president because I feel great,” Trump said in a video from the Rose Garden. “I feel, like, perfect.”

Still, questions continue to swirl about the trajectory of Trump’s recovery and when he might be able to return to normal activities, including campaigning, less than four weeks before Election Day. The video marked Trump’s first appearance before a camera — albeit a White House-operated one —in nearly two days. The White House

has released only limited details about his condition and treatment, leading to questions about what lies ahead for Trump.

Trump received an experimental antiviral cocktail made by Regeneron through a “compassionate use” exemption, a recognition of the above-and-beyond standard of care he receives as president. The safety and effectiveness of the drug have not yet been proven. And there is no way for the president or his doctors to know that the drug had any effect. Most people recover from Covid-19.

It’s not the first time the president has trumpeted an unproven treatment. He spent months painting the anti-malarial drug hy-

droxychloroquine as a miracle treatment for the virus — taking a preventative course himself — even though experts have said it is not effective against Covid-19.

Trump hailed the Regeneron cocktail even as drugmaker Eli Lilly moves forward with its own similar treatment. Eli Lilly formally asked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday to allow emergency use of its experimental antibodybased on early results suggesting it reduces symptoms. There is no timetable for the FDA to make a decision, though the agency has moved on such applications within weeks.

Lilly says it could supply as many as 1 million doses of its therapy in the final quar-

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ter of 2020, with 100,000 available in October. Regeneron confirms it has also applied for emergency authorization and said Wednesday it has enough doses for approximately 50,000 patients and expects 300,000 available within the next few months.

The company said this advance production would allow the treatment to be distributed “immediately” if it were authorised by the FDA. In the video, Trump continued to play down the threat of the virus, promising those who are ill that they’re going to “get better fast, just like I did”. More than 200,000 people in the US and more than a million worldwide have died from the disease.