EpaperISB_20-10-22

Thursday, 22 October, 2020 I 4 Rabi-ul-Awwal, 1442 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XI No 113 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition

Surge in viruS caSeS may force Strict meaSureS: ncoc g

SAPM SAyS Adhering to PrecAutionAry MeASureS only wAy to Steer cleAr of criSiS-like SituAtion

ISLAMABAD staff report

a

S the country continues to witness a surge in fresh coronavirus infections, the authorities on wednesday warned of strict measures to control the spread of the pandemic if there is no improvement in compliance with health guidelines. the meeting comes a day after Minister for Planning and development Asad umar warned the nation that it was collectively committing a blunder by recklessly ignoring all standard operating procedures (SoPs). he had also disclosed the virus-related mortality rate which he said has increased by 140 per cent.

Separately, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on health dr faisal Sultan also warned against a second wave of the contagion. he said that the government is anticipating to get a clearer picture on the situation within the next two weeks. he warned if precautionary measures are not strictly observed, the country could face health threats. islamabad, among other big cities, is facing the fast spread of the viral infection, he said, while cautioning that the fatality rate, this time around, due to novel coronavirus is higher as well. dr Sultan said the only way to steer clear of the crisis-like situ-

ation, which may arise due to the second wave of covid-19, is to take stricter precautionary measures and to observe them seriously. he feared if the people take this warning easily and fail to undertake precautions, the virus could take the country hostage again prompting the authorities to declare a lockdown. the SAPM, however, affirmed that the academic institutions draw a relatively better picture when it comes to following covid-19 SoPs. during a special session to monitor an increase in cases on wednesday, the ncoc was informed that there is a clear resurgence of the virus while deaths are also increasing.

According to a statement, all four provincial chief secretaries were asked to strictly implement government-devised health guidelines. the forum also identified markets, marriage halls, restaurants and public gatherings as high risk. “Strict punitive actions on SoP violations will be initiated,” the statement said, adding that wearing of face masks and social distancing must be ensured,” it added.

Since the outbreak of the virus in the country in february, the maximum nationwide positivity rate was recorded in June when within three weeks it jumped to 23 per cent from 6 per cent. it came down to the minimum of 1.7 per cent last month.

coronaviruS in

PakiStan

CONFIRMED CASES:

324,744

LAST UPDATED AT 6:59 AM ON OCTOBER 21, 2020

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

19

RECOVERED:

NEW CASES:

660

DEATHS:

308,674 6,692 SINDH:

PUNJAB:

142,348

101,936

KP:

BALOCHISTAN:

AJK/GB:

ISLAMABAD:

38,779

15,717

3,564/4,091 18,309

earlier on Monday, Prime Minister imran khan feared a second wave of covid-19 in the coming months in cities where pollution levels are high. “i fear that in these two months, october and november […] cities like faisalabad, lahore, karachi, Peshawar and gujranwala where there is more pollution […] there might be a second spike in coronavirus cases. the cases are rising gradually and we hope that they don’t increase quickly; we are monitoring it,” he had said. the following day, dr Sultan said considering the recent number of cases, there was a possibility of a second wave as people had stopped taking precautionary measures. According to the national command and operation centre (ncoc), 660 fresh infections emerged during this period, lifting the national tally of cases to 324,744. As many as 26,670 new tests were conducted over the previous 24 hours. there are 9,378 active cases of the coronavirus as 308,674 patients have recovered from the disease.

So far, Sindh has reported 142,348 cases, followed by Punjab that reported 101,936 cases while khyber Pakhtunkhwa (kP) reported 38,779, Balochistan 15,717, islamabad 18,309, gilgit Baltistan (gB) 4,091 and Azad Jammu and kashmir (AJk) has reported 3,564 cases. in Punjab, at least nine people fell prey to the coronavirus in Punjab over the past 24 hours, taking the provincial tally of fatalities from the disease to 2,319. A spokesperson for the Primary and Secondary health department said as many as 176 new cases of the deadly disease surfaced during this period, pushing the total number of cases so far reported in the province to 10,1936. So far, more than 1.4 million samples have been tested across the province while 97,271 patients have recovered.

According to government data, of total 1,884 ventilators allocated for covid19 patients, as many as 80 ventilators were in use and there was no patient on a ventilator in Balochistan and AJk.

PPP government reiterates support to Sindh police ‘in difficult time’ KARACHI staff report

A day after the top brass of Sindh police decided to go on long leave in protest over the events surrounding the arrest and subsequent bail of Pakistan Muslim league-nawaz (PMl-n) leader captain (r) Safdar Awan in karachi, Sindh chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on wednesday reiterated full support to the force. on tuesday, the Sindh police chief, at least two additional inspectors general (Aig), seven deputy inspectors general (digs) and six senior superintendents of police (SSP) decided to go on long leave in protest over the purported siege of inspector general house on october 19 that brought the law enforcement agency and security establishment in direct conflict. the episode came to an end when, later in the day, chief of Army Staff (coAS) general Qamar Javed Bajwa directed karachi corps commander lt gen humayun Aziz to “immediately inquire into the circumstances to determine the facts and report back as soon as possible”. the directive came when Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari requested general Bajwa to order an institutional probe into the incident.

Five dead, 20 injured in Karachi building explosion KARACHI staff report

At least five people died and 20 others were injured after an explosion in a multi-storey residential building near Maskan chowrangi in karachi’s gulshane-iqbal area on wednesday.

According to rescue officials, all injured and deceased people were taken to Patel hospital. television footage from the scene of the explosion showed the building had partially collapsed, rubble and debris scattered on the road as rescue officials attempted to reach those inside. eyewitnesses reported that windows of nearby buildings as well as some vehicles were also damaged. while the nature of the explosion has yet to be determined, police said that it appears to be a gas explosion because of a strong smell of natural gas in the immediate aftermath of the blast.

A preliminary report issued by the Bomb disposal unit (Bdu) said that the explosion was caused by gas leakage, adding that no explosive materials had been found to suggest any kind of terrorist activity. law enforcement agencies and rescue officials reached the

during a meeting with the top brass of the Sindh police including inspector general of Police (igP) Mushtaq Mahar at the chief Minister’s house, Murad said that the provincial government will not let the force be “demoralised under any condition”.

“Sindh Police has given huge sacrifices to establish peace in the province […] i am well aware of their services, sacrifices and professional skills,” he said, adding, “Sindh government is with its police in their difficult time. we will not let police be demoralised under any condition.”

Murad also asked the police to “continue their professional services with full zeal”, saying that the Sindh government would “look after the rest”. he added that the provincial government has always asked the police force to act independently.

“Sindh Police [officials] paid with their lives to establish peace in the province, particularly in karachi. they have made huge arrests in important cases of terror acts,” the cM said. “Sindh Police should continue working independently and objectively.” he added that the government was taking steps to make the police force more stable. the police officials thanked the chief minister “for guiding and standing with them at every stage”.

more inside

At least 15 dead in stampede near Pakistan consulate in eastern Afghanistan STORY ON PAGE 03

site and cordoned off the neighbourhood. Speaking to the reporters, karachi Administrator iftikhar Shallwani said that the building would be demolished as the extent of the damages ensures it cannot be repaired. he said that surrounding buildings would also be surveyed to determine whether the explosion had caused any damages to their structure. According to him, officials from the Sindh Building control Authority (SBcA) were present at the scene.

Meanwhile, Sindh chief Minister Murad Ali Shah took notice of the incident and directed the karachi commissioner to submit a detailed report in this regard.

he also directed authorities to ensure medical treatment for the injured in the incident and expressed grief over the deaths reported.

Sindh inspector general of Police (igP) Mushtaq Mahar took notice of the incident and directed officials concerned to submit a report on the details of the incident.

Meanwhile, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari expressed grief over the lives lost in the incident.

According to a statement issued by the party, he also sought detailed information on the nature of the blast and the extent of the damages caused by it.

Pakistan registers current account surplus for third straight month STORY ON PAGE 09

Govt says Opp shifting war against corruption towards institutions STORY ON PAGE 03

heykmatyar criticises Musharraf for having sided with uS STORY ON PAGE 02

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Thursday, 22 October, 2020

NEWS

Five deAd, 20 injured in KArAchi building explosion KARACHI

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STAFF REPORT

t least five people died and 20 others were injured after an explosion in a multi-storey residential building near Maskan Chowrangi in Karachi’s Gulshan-e-Iqbal area on Wednesday. According to rescue officials, all injured and deceased people were taken to Patel hospital. television footage from the scene of the

explosion showed the building had partially collapsed, rubble and debris scattered on the road as rescue officials attempted to reach those inside. Eyewitnesses reported that windows of nearby buildings as well as some vehicles were also damaged.

While the nature of the explosion has yet to be determined, police said that it appears to be a gas explosion because of a strong smell of natural gas in the immediate aftermath of the blast.

A preliminary report issued by the Bomb

Disposal Unit (BDU) said that the explosion was caused by gas leakage, adding that no explosive materials had been found to suggest any kind of terrorist activity.

Law enforcement agencies and rescue officials reached the site and cordoned off the neighbourhood.

Speaking to the reporters, Karachi Administrator Iftikhar Shallwani said that the building would be demolished as the extent of the damages ensures it cannot be repaired.

He said that surrounding buildings

would also be surveyed to determine whether the explosion had caused any damages to their structure. According to him, officials from the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) were present at the scene.

Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah took notice of the incident and directed the Karachi commissioner to submit a detailed report in this regard.

He also directed authorities to ensure medical treatment for the injured in the incident and expressed grief over the

Heykmatyar criticises Musharraf for having sided with US

deaths reported.

Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mushtaq Mahar took notice of the incident and directed officials concerned to submit a report on the details of the incident.

Meanwhile, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari expressed grief over the lives lost in the incident.

According to a statement issued by the party, he also sought detailed information on the nature of the blast and the extent of the damages caused by it.

new measures after covid-19 to disrupt 85 million jobs globally: WeF ISLAMABAD

AFGHANISTAN’S HEZB-E-ISLAMI LEADER SAYS US HAS BEEN DEFEATED, PEACE RESOLUTION IS THE ONLY SOLUTION NOW NEWS DESK Afghanistan’s Hezb-e-Islami leader and two-time former prime minister Gulbuddin Heykmatyar on Wednesday criticised the actions of former president General (r) Pervez Musharraf for having sided with the United States after 9/11.

According to Heykmatyar, US’ actions after the 9/11 attacks had led to the deaths of one million Afghan citizens, with another six million having become refugees.

However, Heykmatyar added that the US has been defeated in Afghanistan, and now their only solution is seeking a peaceful resolution. “the reality is that America has been defeated in Afghanistan. they have not achieved any strategic goals,” Heykmatyar said while speaking at the Institute of Policy Institute (IPS) during his three-day Pakistan visit.

While Heykmatyar had sided with the

US, as well as Pakistan, during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, he later worked against the US forces in the country. He added that the US itself had admitted that the Afghan government was corrupt.

Heykmatyar said that when the Soviets stopped the invasion, they left their ‘puppet’ in charge of the government, which led to a civil war. He further said that the only way to establish peace in the region is to

Abbasi wonders what will happen to people when an IG is abducted ISLAMABAD INP

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader and former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Wednesday asked what would happen to the country and the people when a provincial police chief could be kidnapped.

Listing the move as an unconstitutional act, he said that the personnel of a federal agency besieged the house of the Sindh inspector general of police (GP), adding that there was a clash between the federal government and the provinces. the former prime minister noted that Prime Minister Imran Khan and other government members have not uttered a word over the unrest in Sindh Police. the only

focus of PM Imran was to target the political rivals, he remarked while expressing his support to the Sindh Police and the government.

Abbasi was talking to media persons after a meeting of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leaders in Islamabad, which discussed various issues with a special focus on the alarming situation developing in Sindh after the registration of a case against and arrest of PML-N leader Captain (r) Safdar.

He said the prime minister had no idea of the economy and the great hardships faced by the people, as Imran was only focused on knowing what was on the menu for Shehbaz Sharif – the jailed PML-N president who was earlier taken into National Accountability Bureau (NAB) cus-

tody. the PML-N leader accused the prime minister of “resorting to any means possible to torture his political opponents”.

Speaking on the occasion, another former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said it seemed as if the Pakistan tehreeke-Insaf (PtI) government was trying to create an uncertain situation as part of some plan. “the federal government, under a planned conspiracy, seeks to spread chaos in the country,” he alleged, adding that that the prime minister had become irked after witnessing the scale of the gathering at the Pakistan Democratic Movement rally. “the prime minister should have come forward and laid down the facts before the nation. He should have spoken to Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah,” the PPP

make a decision without any outside influences.

“It should be a pure Afghan solution,” Heykmatyar commented. to this purpose, he said, the US must remove its troops and the government it established from Afghanistan.

Heykmatyar was of the view that the US invaded Afghanistan to take control of both its resources and the region, adding that the Afghan people would not accept US presence on in the land any longer.

While Heykmatyar had struck a peace deal with Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani’s administration in 2016, he has not hesitated from criticising Ghani’s government.

Currently, talks are being held in Doha between Afghanistan and the taliban. the Hizb-e-Islami leader said that these talks should focus on the removal of US troops and the establishment of a new government without outside interference.

leader adding, alleging that the premier had gone into hiding. the police in a province are protesting and the country’s prime minister is silent, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader said, adding that the people were angry over the entire episode.

Addressing the prime minister, Pervaiz said, “the army is not yours. It is our army too. It is the entire country’s army.” the PPP leader also warned PM Imran to think carefully before speaking, adding that he had also been prime minister.

Earlier in the day, PPP Information Secretary Nafisa Shah, talking about the arrest of Safdar, said the selected had panicked and the PPP knew that they would do something. She again expressed her regret over the arrest and said the Sindh Police proved that they were not a political entity.

Calling for justice after the Karachi incident, Nafisa said the PDM’s narrative was getting stronger with each passing day.

Meanwhile, the PDM meeting, among other topics, also deliberated upon the islands issue after the Centre introduced an ordinance to claim its authority over the land.

Opp struggling to ensure rule of Constitution, democracy: Fazl NAWABSHAH STAFF REPORT

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Wednesday said that opposition parties were struggling to ensure the rule of democracy and Constitution in the country.

Addressing newsmen in Nawabshah, Fazl claimed the country was under a

masked martial law. “the country’s situation is in front of everyone. this selected government came into power through rigged elections. We are fighting to ensure the rule of the constitution, democracy, and law in the country,” he said. the JUI-F chief further stated that the purpose of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), the anti-government alliance

of nine opposition parties, was to ensure an early election. “All opposition parties unanimously want to get rid of this incompetent government,” he declared.

Speaking on the arrest of PML-N leader Captain (r) Safdar Awan’s arrest in connection with violation of the sanctity of the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Fazl said sloganeering inside the building was a “highly

condemnable act”.

“Sindh IG and Additional IG were held hostage to register a FIR [First Information Report] against Safdar. All this needs to be investigated,” he said.

Referring to the schedule of future rallies under PDM, he said, “We [opposition] will go to Quetta from here. Even last year we marched towards Islamabad to ensure the rule of democracy in the country.”

GHULAM ABBAS

Covid-19 has caused the labour market to change faster than expected, and by 2025, employers will divide work between humans and machines equally, according to a World Economic Forum report titled 'Future of Jobs 2020'. the report, released on Wednesday, indicated that what used to be considered the "future of work" has already arrived. By 2025, automation and a new division of labour between humans and machines will disrupt 85 million jobs globally in medium and large businesses across 15 industries and 26 economies. "Roles in areas such as data entry, accounting and administrative support are decreasing in demand as automation and digitization in the workplace increases," the report stated. "More than 80pc of business executives are accelerating plans to digitize work processes and deploy new technologies; and 50pc of employers are expecting to accelerate the automation of some roles in their companies. In contrast to previous years, job creation is now slowing while job destruction is accelerating." Some 43pc of businesses surveyed indicate that they are set to reduce their workforce due to technology integration, 41pc plan to expand their use of contractors for task-specialized work, and 34pc plan to expand their workforce due to technology integration. Roles that leverage human skills will rise in demand. Machines will be primarily focused on information and data processing, administrative tasks and routine manual jobs for white- and blue-collar positions. As the economy and job markets evolve, 97 million new roles will emerge across the care economy, in fourth industrial revolution technology industries like artificial intelligence, and in content creation fields. the tasks where humans are set to retain their comparative advantage include managing, advising, decision-making, reasoning, communicating and interacting. there will be a surge in demand for workers who can fill green economy jobs, roles at the forefront of the data and artificial intelligence economy, as well as new roles in engineering, cloud computing and product development. For those workers set to remain in their roles in the next five years, nearly 50pc will need reskilling for their core skills. Currently, only 21pc of businesses worldwide are able to make use of public funds for reskilling and upskilling programmes. the public sector will need a threetiered approach to help workers. this includes providing stronger safety nets for displaced workers, improving the education and training systems and creating incentives for investments in markets and the jobs of tomorrow.

Despite the current economic downturn, most employers recognize the value of reskilling their workforce. An average of 66 per cent of employers surveyed expect to see a return on investment in upskilling and reskilling of current employees within one year. they also expect to successfully redeploy 46pc of workers within their own organization. Some 84pc of employers are set to rapidly digitalize working processes, including a significant expansion of remote working.

Thursday, 22 October, 2020

NEWS

At leAst 15 deAd in stAmpede neAr pAkistAn consulAte in eAstern AfghAnistAn JALALABAD

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PAKISTAN EXPRESSES GRIEF OVER LOSS OF LIVES IN STAMPEDE

AGENCIES

t least 15 people were killed in a stampede among thousands of Afghans gathered outside Pakistan’s consulate on tuesday as jostling broke out between people applying for visas, officials in the eastern city of Jalalabad said.

An estimated 3,000 Afghans had congregated on the open ground outside the consulate, waiting to collect tokens needed to apply for a visa, two provincial officials told Reuters a day after the tragedy. the people had gathered to secure a per-

mit after Pakistan introduced a new visa policy for Afghanistan to facilitate business and people-to-people contacts between the two countries. According to officials, the travel document, approved by the cabinet, will make it easy for Afghan citizens to acquire multiple entry visit visas, including those for long-term business, as well as investment and student visas.

Sohrab Qaderi, a provincial council member in eastern Jalalabad city, where the incident occurred said of the 15 people dead,

8,000 healthcare workers have contracted covid-19

11 were women and several senior citizens were wounded. “the visa applicants jostled to secure their token from the consulate officials […] the crowd got out of control, leading to a stampede,” said an official in Jalalabad said. Prime Minister Imran Khan has expressed deep grief over tragic deaths and casualties in a stampede in Jalalabad of Afghans wanting to get Pakistani visas.

In a tweet on Wednesday, the Prime Minister condoled the victim families and prayed for early recovery of the injured.

Separately, the Embassy of Pakistan in Kabul has expressed its deep grief over reports of loss of Afghan lives and injuries to people in a stampede five kilometre away from Pakistan Consulate in Jalalabad.

“We sympathise with the families of those who have lost their lives and those who have been injured in this unfortunate incident,” the statement read.

However, the communiqué further stressed that, in view of the of brotherly relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the embassy in Kabul and consulates in Jalalabad, Kandahar, Herat and Mazar-eSharif continue to issue multiple entry visas to the Afghan applicants for their visits to

Pakistan asks UK to ensure Nawaz’s return NEWS DESK

NEWS DESK Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination has reported that over 8,000 healthcare professionals have been infected by the coronavirus so far. the total number of infections is 8,272; of which, 7,902 have recovered while 87 have lost their lives to the novel virus. the data notes that 5,046 doctor and 927 nurses have been infected since the outbreak in March.

2,494 infected healthcare workers have been reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) with 21 deaths; 2,255 from Sindh with 34 deaths; 1815 from Punjab; 647 from Islamabad, 536 from Balochistan, 323 from Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and 202 from Gilgit-Baltistan (GB).

nAB says no truth in rumours of maryam’s bail cancellation ISLAMABAD MIAN ABRAR

the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Wednesday refuted a claim made by a journalist who had alleged the anti-graft watchdog was preparing a case to seek cancellation of bail of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz. “this is absolutely baseless, concocted and no truth in this tweet. this is part of a malicious campaign against NAB. Media is requested to kindly avoid speculations and confirm any news related to NAB from Spokesman NAB before airing/publishing,” said a NAB spokesperson. However, the NAB spokesman did not totally rule out the NABs decision in this regard. the spokesperson said that the Executive Board Meeting will be held under the chairmanship of Justice (r) Javed Iqbal on thursday in which various inquires, investigations and corruption references will be discussed and authorised after due diligence and collective wisdom as per law. the spokesperson did not offer any hint that a decision with regard to Maryam’s bail cancellation may be taken in the EBM sitting. Absar Alam, the journalist in question, had posted a tweet claiming that NAB Chairman Justice (r) Iqbal had directed the body to prepare a case for cancellation of Maryam’s bail. “BREAKING: NAB has been instructed (by you-know-who) to prepare case for Maryam Nawaz’s bail cancellation. Chairman NAB, Javed Iqbal, himself dictated the draft to DG Operation, Zahir Shah,” he said in the tweet.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Accountability and Interior Shahzad Akbar had written a letter to Secretary of State for the Home Department UK Priti Patel regarding the return of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif to Pakistan, the Financial times reported on Wednesday.

In the letter, which was written on October 5, Akbar had said Priti Patel is “duty-bound” to deport the former prime minister, so he can serve his jail sentence for corruption. this request to Patel was made in light of her stance on foreign criminals in the post-Brexit political environment. the letter cites the UK immigration rules which state any criminal facing a sentence of four years or more cannot be allowed to stay in the UK. Akbar asks Patel to use her “extensive powers” to ensure Nawaz’s return. Sharif “has been responsible for pillaging the state and I trust that you will be supportive of our efforts to bring those responsible for corruption to account,” Akbar wrote. Nawaz has been in London for the last year on medical grounds, but the courts have been demanding his return to Pakistan. In spite of multiple attempts, the government has so far been unsuccessful in ensuring the PML-N supremo’s return.

“Foreign politicians with convictions relating to corruption should not enjoy impunity in Britain. Nor should their unexplained wealth, stashed in luxury Lon-

Advertisement summoning nAwAz in grAft cAses pAsted outside ihc ISLAMABAD APP

the copies of advertisements summoning deposed prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif in Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Avenfield properties references were pasted on the walls of Islamabad High Court (IHC) Wednesday. the advertisements, directing the former premier to appear before the IHC on November 24 for criminal proceedings, were published in the October 19 edition of Dawn and Jang on court orders. Sharif has been residing in London since November last year on the pretext of medical treatment. His party insists that despite being summoned by the courts, who declared him a proclaimed offender in the toshakhana corruption probe, the former premier will only return after the “completion” of his treatment. the don properties, fall out of the reach of law enforcement,” said Daniel Bruce, head of transparency International UK. Nawaz has refused to receive his non-bailable arrest warrants in the AlAzizia Steel Mills case at his residence in London.

He was disqualified by the Supreme Court (SC) in July 2017 for concealing

high court on Monday rejected the request of the federal government seeking permission to publish the proclamation of Sharif in two British publications — the Guardian and Daily telegraph — observing that the legal requirements of issuance of the proclamation had been fulfilled. the same day, the IHC registrar office wrote a letter to Foreign Secretary Sohail Mehmood, asking him to execute/display the proclamation in the vicinity of Sharif’s residence in London through the Pakistan High Commission in the British capital.

According to the letter, the proclamation “shall be read out some conspicuous place of the town in which Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif ordinarily resides in the UK. One copy shall be affixed at some conspicuous part of the residence in which Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif ordinarily resides in the UK”. his assets and subsequently awarded seven-year prison time in the Al-Azizia graft case in December 2018.

According to records submitted to the Pakistan authorities, he has given as his London address the very flat on London’s opulent Park Lane that led to his undoing. A Pakistan official said the UK had not yet formally responded.

COAS visits LoC, lauds troops’ operational preparedness RAWALPINDI STAFF REPORT

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa has asked the troops deployed at forward positions to remain steadfast and discharge their duties with utmost sincerity and devotion. the army chief visited the forward areas at Chamb Sector along the Line of Control (LoC), said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Wednesday.

Interacting with officers and men, he appreciated them for their continued vigil and remarkable operational preparedness. He emphasised upon troops to extend all-out support to the local population affected by unprovoked Indian ceasefire violations.

According to the ISPR, the COAS was briefed on the latest operational situation as well as Indian ceasefire viola-

tions deliberately targeting local residents living near LoC. Earlier upon his arrival, the army chief was received by Rawalpindi Corps Commander Lieutenant General Azhar Abbas.

It is pertinent to mention here that Indian forces along the LoC and the Working Boundary (WB) have been con-

tinuously targeting civilian populated areas with artillery fire, heavy-calibre mortars and automatic weapons. this year, India has committed 2,341 ceasefire violations to date, resulting in the martyrdom of 18 people and serious injuries to 188 innocent civilians, according to Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Zahid Hafiz Chaudhry.

SC asks govt to decide about 120 new courts in a month ISLAMABAD INP

the Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday ordered the government to make a decision within a month about establishing 120 accountability courts throughout the country.

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Gulzar Ahmad, who was heading the threejudge bench hearing the suo moto case, said the court sought a report from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman regarding NAB rules. the NAB prosecutor replied that the rules are with the Law Ministry. “the same thing was told to the apex court during the

last hearing,” the CJP remarked. the additional attorney general informed the court that at the moment there were 24 fully functional accountability courts working in the country. there was no vacant post in any of these courts, he added.

Expressing anger over the absence of a regular secretary in the law ministry, the court directed for the appointment of a permanent secretary in the ministry. “there is no room for ad hocism now,” the chief justice remarked. the CJP again sought a report about the NAB rules from the Law Ministry, posing a question of what happened to the

planned establishment of 120 courts. the court then adjourned the hearing for one month. On September 4, 2020, the government, after the directive of the apex court, had unveiled a comprehensive plan to set up 120 accountability courts across the country. the decision was taken by Law Minister Barrister Farogh Naseem. the plan included the overall human resource requirements and financial implications for the establishment of additional accountability courts across the country. A statement issued by the law ministry had said that the plan would be presented to Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Currently, 24 accountability courts are functioning across the country, including in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Lahore, Multan, Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur and Quetta. the apex court issued the directives after expressing dismay over of 1,226 pending references since the year 2000. the directives were issued by CJP Gulzar while hearing a suo motu case regarding the delay in trials before accountability courts in the light of Section 16 of the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO), 1999, which asks for deciding corruption matters within a period of 30 days.

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Pakistan for family, business, medical treatment, education and other purposes.

“Pakistan has recently announced its new visa policy for enhanced facilitation to Afghan nationals for long term multiple entry visas which is being implemented by the Embassy and Consulates in Afghanistan,” the press release stated. the embassy further stated that it remains committed to ensuring smooth and effective management of visa applicants at their end. “We seek the understanding and cooperation of Afghan people and authorities for better and secure management of the Afghan visa applicants,” the press release concluded. tens of thousands of Afghans every year travel to neighbouring Pakistan to secure medical treatment, education and jobs. the two countries share a nearly 2,600-kilometre border. Pakistan hosts about 3 million Afghan refugees and economic migrants, who have fled violence, religious persecution and poverty in their war-torn country.

motorway rape victim identifies suspects during parade LAHORE APP

the victim of the motorway gang rape incident has identified the prime suspects during a police lineup, police said on Wednesday. Last month, the woman was raped at gunpoint in the wee hours allegedly by two men before the eyes of her children after her vehicle ran out of fuel. the suspects were also said to have stolen money and jewelry before fleeing the scene. Police arrested the suspects, Shafqat Ali and Abid Malhi, after a prolonged manhunt across the province during which the police detained more than a dozen suspects including the families of the prime suspects. According to APP, the woman identified the accused immediately as she saw them. the identity parade was held under strict security measures, police said.

pm for accelerated efforts to uplift public healthcare facilities ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday, while calling the provision of quality healthcare to the people part of the government’s priorities, directed the ministry concerned to accelerate the efforts to achieve the objective. Chairing a meeting to discuss the measures being taken for quality healthcare to the residents of federal capital, the prime minister said that the government was striving to expand the scope of health insurance card to make maximum people benefit from the facility. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan briefed the premier on the issues faced by the health sector, government’s priorities and future strategy to improve health services for the people. Dr Faisal presented to prime minister a roadmap to reduce burden on tertiary healthcare facilities through uplifting the basic and secondary level hospitals.

He also put forward a strategy to utilise information technology in the provision of healthcare facilities to the masses.

govt says opp shifting war against corruption towards institutions ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz on Wednesday rounded on the opposition parties for “shifting the war” against their corruption towards the institutions.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Faraz said that the narrative adopted by the opposition “pleases” the enemies of Pakistan, adding, “the nation would hold the alliance accountable for their stance.” the minister also censured the opposition leaders for amassing illgotten monies, saying the opposition leaders “who used to ride bicycles, now arrive in land cruisers and then talk about poor people”. He condemned the “drama staged” at the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Captain (r) Safdar Awan, saying that instead of denouncing it, the opposition parties had made it a political incident. Safdar was arrested Monday for raising political slogans inside the mausoleum before the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s (PDM) second power show at Bagh-e-Jinnah in Karachi.

04

Thursday, 22 October, 2020

NEWS

PReSIdeNt ASKS NSPP to StARt oNlINe CouRSeS FoR Govt oFFICeRS ISLAMABAD

P

STAFF REPORT

RESIDENT Dr Arif Alvi has asked the National School of Public Policy (NSPP) to start online short courses for government officers to strengthen their capacity and enhance their understanding about various issues.

Chairing the 17th meeting of the Board of Governors of NSPP on Wednesday, the president underscored that the

training programmes should be aligned with the best international practices of public policy.

He said that policies should be aimed to make the government officers publicly-responsive and highly-motivated to manage the challenges being faced by Pakistan. The president expressed satisfaction over the role of NSPP that responded well during the Covid-19 pandemic by completing ongoing training courses through online classes.

NSPP Rector Azmat Ali Ranjha briefed the chair about the role of NSPP in imparting training to government officers. He highlighted the steps taken by NSPP for offering online courses during the Covid-19 pandemic.

He informed that NSPP, as a first step, had split the duration of Mid-Career Management Course (MCMC) into two parts i.e. 10 weeks at NSPP and four weeks of domain-specific technical training at the respective specialised training institutes. The BoG constituted a search

committee with the mandate to prepare customized criteria and draft terms and conditions for selection of the deans. The board ratified the decisions taken by the Executive Committee of the BoG concerning the promotion cases of BS-17 officers of NSPP and its units.

The meeting was attended by Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari, Secretary Establishment Dr Ijaz Munir, Rector NSPP Azmat Ali Ranjha, Dr Faisal Bari, Arifa Subohi and other members of the BoG.

Sindh Assembly resolution condemns incident with IGP KARACHI TLTP

The Sindh Assembly on Wednesday unanimously adopted a resolution condemning the unfortunate incident with Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mushtaq Mehar.

The resolution tabled in the provincial assembly by PPP lawmaker Sohrab Sarki also lauded the services of the Sindh police. “An unfortunate incident happened with IG Sindh Mushtaq Mehar on October 18,” it said while condemning it. The resolution lauded the sacrifices rendered by the Sindh police and paid tribute to the police force for rendering their services aimed at controlling law and order situation.

It further called to identify those behind the unfortunate incident in the already announced probe into the matter.

“The province was saved from an administrative disaster owing to the efforts of PPP [Pakistan People’s Party] Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Sindh

CM Syed Murad Ali Shah,” the PPPmoved resolution stated.

It is pertinent to mention here that Sindh IGP and other top police officials in the province went on leave on Tuesday in protest over mishandling and ridiculing the Sindh police officials in an episode involving the arrest of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) leader Captain (r) Safdar Awan.

Later, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa took notice of the Karachi incident. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), COAS Bajwa directed Karachi Corps commander to immediately inquire into the circumstances to determine the facts.

Later, IGP Mahar decided to defer his own leave and ordered his officers to set aside their leave applications for ten days in the larger national interest after Bilawal met with the Sindh police chief at the IG House and asked him to retract his leave application and carry out his duty.

PM lauds AG for effectively pursuing cases ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Prime Minister Imran Khan has commended the efforts of Attorney General Khalid Javed Khan and his team for effectively pursuing different cases. Attorney General Khalid Javed Khan called on PM Imran on Wednesday and discussed the cases being heard by the Supreme Court (SC) and high courts. The attorney general informed the premier that the apex court has given one month’s time to the federal government for taking a decision on the establishment of 120 accountability courts. Both discussed pending cases relating to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) in different courts and the tribunals. Matters pertaining to Islands ordinance also came under discussion.

NAB summons Khawaja Asif in Iqama case LAHORE TLTP

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has summoned Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Asif today (Thursday) in the Iqama (work permit) case. The PML-N stalwart has been summoned with relevant documents at 2:00 pm. Asif remained a consultant of an electric company in the UAE from 2004 to 2018, according to the NAB notice. The PML-N leader has been directed to appear in the NAB bureau with the copies of Iqama from 2004 to 2017 and the application for the employment. The former federal minister has also been directed to bring the papers with regard to the nature of the job, cheques, and a verified copy of the employees file, according to the sources. The PML-N leader also asked to inform details about the channel by which the amount was transferred to Pakistan. The accountability bureau in its notice also sought details about the expiry of the Iqama period. The anti-graft watchdog has summoned the PML-N leader in an ongoing inquiry against him over holding an Iqama during his tenure as a federal minister. The NAB, in its notice, directed the PML-N leader to submit salary and other details and asked to bring the job application request of a company in which he was employed while appearing before the NAB.

extends PSO's holds 44th annual Court Safdar’s interim bail general meeting in sedition case KARACHI PRESS RELEASE

Pakistan State Oil (PSO), convened its 44th annual general meeting on Wednesday in Karachi. To ensure the health and safety of shareholders and employees in view of the coronavirus pandemic, the company conducted the shareholders’ meeting virtually.

PSO Board of Management Chairman Zafar I Usmani chaired the meeting with PSO Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director Syed Muhammad Taha. Senior company officials included Deputy Managing Director Operations Syed Jehangir Ali Shah, Senior General Manager – Marketing Shehryar Omar, Chief Financial Officer Imtiaz Jaleel and Company Secretary Rashid Umer Siddiqui.

FY20 was shaped by the massive global macroeconomic downturn

caused by trade wars amongst the world’s economic powers and further aggravated by the coronavirus pandemic.

PSO demonstrated its resilience and strength as a company by fulfilling its obligations in an adverse operating environment and emerged stronger and more resolute in its service to the nation. Providing customers with critical services and ensuring the safety of all stakeholders have been the company’s top priority. Addressing the shareholders, Zafar I Usmani said: “PSO remains the nation’s most trusted fuel provider, a coveted status bestowed upon us by million s of customers nationwide. Fulfilling our responsibility as the national flag bearer, PSO gave back to the society by committing PKR 180 Million in the fields of healthcare, education and community building through its CSR Trust.

No impact of power tariff increase on non-ToU residential bills up to 300 units KARACHI PRESS RELEASE

Per the SRO#1037 on Monday, October 12, 2020, issued by the Ministry of Energy (Power Division), Karachi’s power tariff has been brought at par with the rest of the country and Karachi’s power consumers will now pay the same rate for electricity as consumers of other DISCOs, as per the government’s uniform tariff policy.

The increase, which has also been ratified by the Cabinet Division, will not be applicable on the most vulnerable consumer segment (non-ToU residential consumers’ usage up to 300 units per month). As such around 1.5 million consumers, will not be im-

pacted by this notification.

Earlier, in December 2019, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) had approved an increase of PKR 4.87 per kWh, in the determined electricity tariff for K-Electric. However, as per uniform tariff policy of government, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the federal cabinet in its meeting held on March 26, 2020, decided that maximum impact on customers of KElectric will be up to Rs2.89 per unit to ensure that their consumer end tariff remains the same across Pakistan, while the rest of the increase will be adjusted via Tariff Differential Claims.

GUJRANWALA TLTP

A Gujranwala sessions court on Wednesday extended interim bail of Captain (r) Muhammad Safdar Awan, the son-in-law of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif, until November 10 in a sedition case. He along with PML-N MPA Imran Khalid Butt appeared before the court. The court had approved their bail plea subject to submission of surety bonds worth Rs50,000 each last week. A first information report (FIR) was registered against Safdar and Butt at Satellite Town police station. According to the FIR, Safdar had threatened to topple the government through protests and allegedly provoked people against the state and its institutions. Earlier, on October 20, Lahore’s Shahdara police had registered another case against PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz and her husband Safdar for allegedly damaging public order. They were accused of causing trouble for citizens, violating coronavirus standard operating procedures (SOPs). blocking roads, and using loudspeakers ahead of the October 16 rally of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) in Gujranwala.

Aisha Steel reports Rs660m profit for 1QFY21 KARACHI PRESS RELEASE

The Board of Directors of Aisha Steel Mills Limited (ASL) on Wednesday announced the company’s financial results for the first quarter of FY21, where the company posted its highest ever quarterly profit since inception of Rs660 million, translating into earnings per share Rs0.82. Pertinently, sales of the company grew by a stunning 82pc YoY, as the company undertook expansion in its CRC capacity to 700,000 tonnes per annum which augmented volumes and improved its sales mix (ASL now sells galvanized steel; a higher margin product). This remarkable growth in revenue translated into a 420bps YoY jump in the gross margins to 13.2pc as compared to 9.0pc in same period last year, which offset the impact of PKR depreciation and higher HRC prices.

Thursday, 22 October, 2020

Govt deteRmined to PRovide emPloyment, fiGht inequAlity: hAfeez ShAikh ISLAMABAD

A

STAFF REPORT

DvISER to Prime Minister on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh on Wednesday that despite fiscal constraints after the pandemic, the government devised a strategy to provide relief to people and businesses through direct cash transfers.

Dr Hafeez Shaikh said this while virtually addressing the ministers and governors of Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan (MENAP) during the ‘Managing Director IMF’s Interaction with Ministers and Governors of the Region’.

He said that the government was sharing the load of various expenditures of small businesses, adding that Covid19 had undone a considerable share of

PM'S AIDE ADDRESSES IMF PANEL, STRESSES NEED FOR COLLECTIVE EFFORTS TO AVERT COVID CHALLENGES the government’s achievements.

He pledged that the government was committed to providing employment and fighting inequality.

“The government wants to continue economic reforms but there are two real challenges; arranging funding for pro-poor expenditures and prioritizing the need for development spending,” he reiterated. “Incurring more expenditure to provide for the people at or below the poverty line will require more borrowing, as it will not be possible to increase taxes at a time of declining growth in the economy.”

The adviser stressed the need to adopt a coherent development strategy with the partner countries in the region.

“No matter how fair or transparent the governments are in their intentions and operations, this unusual situation has made them realize that there is a need to engage with friends and development partners for technical advice and financial support purposes.”

The meeting focused on the impacts of the coronavirus on the economies of the region, lessons learnt through the experiences and policy guidelines to be adopted to deal with the crisis of such magnitude which has caught the world by surprise.

The participants agreed that the virus has exposed the world's need for health spending and to focus more on techno-

logical solutions to various problems. It was observed that after the first wave of the pandemic almost all the countries have lost a significant share of their GDP and unemployment has become the biggest challenge.

The participants agreed if the second wave comes, losses would be massive and the achievement made by some countries during the crisis would be lost if the preventive measures are not adopted as a part of their everyday life.

They praised the Debt Suspension Initiative of the G-20 and said that there was also a need to provide more finances to the vulnerable economies. It was a consensus that employment generation, equality and inclusion would be the new challenges from the perspective of women and youth and new strategies would be needed to help the women and youth in the region.

ECC okays Rs17bn Business community seeks supplementary grants reduction in interest rate for defence ministry PESHAWAR

AZIZ BUNERI

ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet has approved two technical supplementary grants worth Rs17 billion for the Ministry of Defence during the current financial year (FY21).

Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh chaired the ECC meeting at the Cabinet Division on Wednesday.

The committee also approved the request of the Ministry of Commerce for the inclusion of radiation apparatus in annex-B-1 of the Import Policy Order, 2020.

On a summary moved by the Ministry of Industries and Production to ensure the supply of RLNG to fulfil the requirements of two fertilizer plants, namely Agritech and Fatima Fertilizer, for the Rabi season 2020-21, the ECC decided that the supply of RLNG shall continue till the end of November 2020.

The three-member committee, which was constituted earlier by ECC, under the chairmanship of minister for industries & production and having members from Ministries of Finance and NFS&R, shall prepare a proposal for the further operation of these plants after the said period and then bring it to the ECC for further decision.

The business community of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has urged the government to slash interest rate in order to revive and boost economic, business and trade activities affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

This request was made by Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) President Sherbaz Bilour during a meeting with traders and industrialists at the chamber house on Wednesday.

The SCCI chief anticipated that the government is likely to increase interest rate up to 2 per cent and expressed worry of the impact such a move would

have on the Covid-hit local economy.

He urged the government to maintain the policy rate at a single-digit level in order to save the businesses, saying that any increase in the interest rate would make local industries uncompetitive against other investors, which wasn’t in the best interest of the country’s economy and businesses that had already slowed down because of border closures and prolonged lockdowns.

Warning that industrialisation would go stagnant if no one obtains loans for business due to an increased interest rate, he emphasised that the policy rate should attract new investment into the country.

Cabinet Division notifies appointment of PIA board of directors NEWS DESK The Cabinet Division has notified the appointment of the board of directors of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), a local news outlet reported on Wednesday.

The division issued a written order to formally notify the appointment of PIA directors comprising 10 members including four directors from the gov-

ernment and six from the private sector.

The newly-appointed board directors of the national flag carrier include secretaries of aviation, finance, economic affairs division as well as the PIA chief executive officer.

The non-executive members include Aslam Rana, Atif Aslam Bajwa, Dr Jawaid Ghani, Barrister Zahid F Ebrahim, Dr Zeelaf Munir and Capt (r) Muhammad Ali Gardezi.

Import of mobile phones soars 83pc in Q1 ISLAMABAD APP

The import of mobile phones into the country witnessed an increase of 83.17 per cent during the first quarter (Q1) of the current financial year (FY21) as compared to the corresponding period of last year.

Pakistan imported mobile phones worth $492.894 million in July-Sept FY21 as compared to the imports of $269.087 million in July-Sept FY20, according to data issued by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

Meanwhile, on a year-on-year basis, mobile phone imports surged 76.69pc in September 2020, as compared to the same month of last year. Mobile imports were recorded at $186.531 million in Sept 2020, as against $105.568 million in Sept 2019.

CMYK

Likewise, on month-on-month basis, the imports of mobile phones rose 17.79pc in Sept 2020, as compared to the imports of $158.364 million in August 2020.

It is pertinent to mention that the overall merchandize trade deficit of Pakistan increased by 2.02pc during the first quarter of FY21 as compared to the corresponding period of last year.

The deficit during July-September FY21 was recorded at $5.804 billion as compared to the deficit of $5.689 billion last year.

During the period under review, the country’s exports registered a fall of 0.94pc, from $5.510 billion last year to $5.458 billion during the current year.

On the other hand, the imports decreased by 0.56pc, from $11.199 billion last year to $11.262 billion during the current year.

NEWS

05

CPPA seeks Rs1.36 per unit hike in power price ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The price of electricity is likely to witness Rs1.36 per unit hike in the near future, as the Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA) has requested National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) to adjust monthly fuel charges for September 2020.

According to details, the CPPA, on behalf of power distributing companies (DISCOs), has sought a perunit increase of Rs1.36 in power price under the head fuel price adjustment for the month of September 2020. The hike, if approved, will not affect the consumers of K-Electric. The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA), upon receiving the CPPA's request, has called an online hearing on October 29 to consider the proposed adjustment and to arrive at a fair decision in this regard. Through a public notice, NEPRA has invited all interested/affected parties to raise written/oral objections as permissible under the law.

The variation in actual and reference fuel charges was Rs2.8410/kWh in September, which is why so CPPA has asked NEPRA to allow Rs1.36/kWh hike in the power tariff. Based on the monthly data provided by CPPA, around 37.18pc of electricity was produced in the country from hydel sources, while 17.42pc was generated from coal, 5.82pc from furnace oil, 10.10pc from domestic natural gas, 21.40pc from imported LNG, 1.34pc from wind and 5.17pc from nuclear sources. Pursuant to section 31 (7) of the NEPRA Act and the mechanism for the monthly fuel price adjustment prescribed by the authority in the tariff determination of ex-WAPDA DISCOs, the authority may on monthly basis make adjustment in the approved tariff on account of any variation in the fuel charges and policy guidelines as the federal government may issue and notify the tariff so adjusted in the official gazette.

Thursday, 22 October, 2020

06 COMMENT

Obsolete Mechanics

Rehabilitate the honour of Sindh police Bad advice must be rejected

Bureaucrats are the last bastion of resistance to change

S

INDH faced an unprecedented security crisis as practically the entire police leadership from the IGP down to the DSPs, and in cases even Inspectors, sought leave for two months and closed down their offices complaining about the shocking treatment meted out to the IGP and other police officers while getting a case registered against PML(N) leader Captain (rtd) Safdar. It was only after Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Shah visited the IGP House, and the assurance of an inquiry into the incident by the COAS, that the officers agreed to delay for ten days their decision to go on leave.

The Sindh police has been in the forefront of controlling crime in the interior of the province as well as its sprawling mega city Karachi. It has lost hundreds of personnel while fighting numerous terrorist groups and was recently the first to engage the terrorists who targeted the Chinese consulate and the Pakistan Stock Exchange in the capital city. It would be highly demoralising for the police if those who humiliated, ridiculed and mishandled its ranking officers were not brought to book. The police is a disciplined force. Never in the history of the country has the entire police leadership of a province reacted in a way that paralysed for hours the entire policing system. This shows the level of resentment against the way its officers were pushed about and hectored. According to media reports, the IGP’s house was surrounded on Monday morning at 2 am and he was forced to go to another place where he was pressured to sign orders for the arrest of Mr Safdar.

The COAS has ordered an enquiry. One expects the probe to be swift, with the hope that it would lead to meaningful action against those who perpetrated the ignominy. There are people who might try to politicize the issue; there are others who might belittle the importance of the incident. In a highly polarized situation some shortsighted people might even suggest imposition of Governor’s rule in the province and action against the aggrieved police officers. There is a need to discourage bad advice as it could act like a spark that sets the prairie on fire.

Dr FariD a Malik

O

f all people, the Amir ofthe Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) is talking about Obsolete Mechanics (Puranay Mistri). According to Siraj-ul-Haq Sahib, the Prime Minister (PM) is trying to run a new machine with ‘puranay mistri’. Coming from the head of a statusquo party, this is an interesting statement. As a technologist, I fully understand the concept of obsolescence. Indeed most of our ‘mistris are caught in time. they are both old and tainted. Today no one seems to know the way forward while the backward movement continues unabated. Before any meaningful recovery, the decline has to be stalled. for new learning to take place, a lot of unlearning will be required. The big question is, are we ready for it? Then there is a huge digital divide while the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is stuck in the analog era.

In the early 1990s, when I returned from abroad after completing my graduate studies, I availed the Car Gift or Import facility. Under this scheme every Pakistani who did not draw foreign exchange from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) could gift a car to an immediate family member once in two years, or import one if the stay exceeds a period of six months.

I went to book a car of my choice with the local dealer of a famous Japanese brand. To my bad luck I was told that since the assembly of that car had started in the country I could not import it. Reluctantly I booked a local assembled version.To my surprise it was being sold with the old ‘carburetor technology’ instead of the latest ‘fuel injection’. On my protest I was told that since the mechanics had not been trained on the new technology, the manufacturer decided to stay with the old one for long term service and sustainability. Keeping up with the Japanese approach of training the work force, new trained

Controlling prices PM must take charge

P

RIME MINISTER Imran Khan must learn from the latest meeting of the federal Cabinet that food inflation is a serious problem for the government, and that his excuse that his orders are not being implemented will not wash. The Cabinet meeting’s tenor should have made him realize that the wheat and sugar crises are not causing worries among backbench rowdies in the PTI parliamentary party, but also among the members of the Cabinet itself. If his claims of having foreseen the shortage and of having ordered imports are true, he should understand that this only raises questions about why he is unable to get his orders implemented. The only charitable explanation is that offered by the opposition narrative that he is only a front for forces that have selected him. However, if that is the case, it still does not explain why he accepts such a position of powerlessness.

In principle, no official who dares act against the will of the Prime Minister should be left to boast of his temerity. If indeed his orders were not obeyed at any stage, he should remove those responsible, no matter how highly placed they might be. Mr Khan is engaged on a difficult task, and he does not need to fail in the transformation of the entire society because of entirely avoidable food inflation.

If his orders were indeed disobeyed, Mr Khan should also think of the consequences for his drive against corruption. The opposition narrative of an incompetent administrator has gained much strength from the failure of the National Accountability Bureau to obtain evidence against the PML(N) leaders whose alleged malfeasances the PTI had campaigned on. Mr Khan needs to determine to what extent his own lack of administrative experience, and that of his colleagues, has contributed to this, as well as to the food inflation which the opposition is busy exploiting. He might not have noticed, though others have, that one person is responsible for both, Accountability Adviser Shehzad Akbar, whose failure to implement the government’s own wheat and sugar commission’s recommendations led to the present crisis, and whose failure in the accountability drive is an open book, despite his tall claims at longwinded press conferences.

Adjusting to the new reality Dr rajkuMar Singh

A

S a result of the new education policy introduced by the British in united India, a new middle class took birth in the traditional society in the country which divided the existing society in more ways than one.

It was a product of Western education and was almost absent among the Muslims. Their avoidance of Western education, their keeping away from trade and industry, and their adherence to feudal ways, gave a start to the Hindus which they profited by and retained. British policy was inclined to be pro-Hindu and anti-Muslim, except in the Punjab, where Muslims took more easily to Western education than elsewhere. Still they were conscious of the fact that they had come to dominate this vast subcontinent largely through subduing and undermining the authority of the Moghuls, so they followed a policy of keeping the Muslims out of reach of advantageous positions in the new Empire, or of neutralizing or counterweighting their power in places where they still continued to be dominant. Contrary to this, Muslims, having not yet forgotten the great days of the Moghul Empire, experienced difficulty in adjusting to a minority status among a subject population.

This all generated a feeling of frustration among the Muslims. The impact of British education and nationalist opinion touched none but a fringe of Muslim intellectuals. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan was one of them.

He realised the need for educating the Muslims in English, led the attack on Hindu domination and asked the Muslims not to identify themselves with the Hindus. Sir Syed was an ardent reformer and he wanted to reconcile modern scientific thought with Islam. He pointed out the basic similarities between Islam and Christianity. Above all, he was anxious to push a new type of education.

The beginnings of the national movement frightened him, for he thought that any opposition to the British authorities would deprive him of their help in his educational programme. Keeping in view the educational need of the Muslims he founded Aligarh College and tried ‘to make the Muslims of India wor-

Arif Nizami Editor Umar Aziz

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Joint Editor

Executive Editor

Deputy Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

new workforce has to be built. In our lifetime, so many technological innovations have taken place that it is almost impossible to keep up with them. Handheld smart phones have changed the world. Growing up in the 1950s and 1960s, impressed by progressive politics, we were told that ‘Once a Comrade Always a Comrade’. This still holds true but now a new slogan has developed: ‘ Once a Technologist Always a Technologist’. While cycling to school on Hall Road in the1960s, there were a few Radio Shops, a Piano Repairman and frosty Molty Ice Cream parlour. Now the place is inundated with mobile-phone and computer shops. There is hardly anyone left in the city to repair radios or pianos. I have to go looking for those puranay mistri, most of whom have now perished form the real, digital world of action and movement.

Then when I visit the Secretariats in Lahore or Islamabad it seems to be a sanctuary of ‘obsolete mechanics’. They even refuse to accept written applications and complaints. Little do they know that the couriers can now deliver overnight, so at best they can delay the agony of the people for 24 hours only, sooner or later they will have to respond. Then the new 21st century legislation has taken place, Information Commissions have been set up both at the federal and provincial levels which forces them to share information with the public.

The sanctuaries of ‘obsolete mechanics’ can at best stall progress, which they have been doing for decades. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) prepared itself as a party of change. There were Thinks Tanks and a Shadow Cabinet that formulated policies for ‘Naya Pakistan’ which was envisioned as a Progressive Welfare State. The 2013 election was stolen through the deadly NRO, the party was denied its due share in the corridors of power making room for the age-old tested, tried and failed Electables to take charge. It reminds me of our days of hockey domination when we ruled the world, but then the turf was replaced with AstroTurf. Since then the ‘ Gojra Academy of Hockey ‘ has been struggling to produce the talent to dominate our national game. ‘Management of Technology’ is in fact ‘Management of Change’.

Like my slide rule, it is time to hang the effigy of the relics of the past whom Siraj Sahib rightly termed ‘puranay mistri’ as the game is now being played on the fast moving turf of technology for which modern day technologists are needed.

Dr Farid A Malik is ex-Chairman, Pakistan Science Foundation. He can be contacted at: fmaliks@hotmail.com.

British education and Muslim alienation

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

mechanics were introduced gradually, together with the new technology.

The state owned Automobile Corporation of Pakistan, started assembly of Suzuki Cars in the country.

A plant was built in the 1980s in the West Wharf area of Karachi as a joint venture with the Japanese manufacturer. Despite being profitable, the government decided to hand over the management to the mother company. Pak Suzuki Motor Company moved the plant from the West Wharf to the Port Qasim industrial area close to the Steel Mills, and a new work force was raised with the minimum qualification of Secondary School Certificate (matriculation). They started anew in the new plant with a fresh trained manpower combined with automation. Today the company produces several models with state-of-theart technology and workers to support it, while all the puranay mistri were sent home through golden handshake as they were no longer needed.

In a world driven by technology, only change is permanent. New technologies need new players, and old honchos have to be replaced by fresh talent. The JI has been struggling with its old image that has limited its electoral appeal. I am sure as a second-term Amir of the party, Siraj Sahib has done some homework about getting rid of the puranay mistri within its own fold but his comments have to be taken seriously as he has been doing a balancing act between the old and new to embrace change within his party.

As always, the bureaucracy has been the biggest obstacle in the way of change as bureaucrats are not trained to manage it. At best they can maintain the status quo or stop the flow of work, moving forward is not their forte.

As engineering students in the1970s, we had to learn the use of the slide rule for solving complex equations involving multi figure multiplications and divisions. Then came the calculator that not only made our life much easier but also resulted in ending the domination of the much revered slide rule, which now hangs in my study in its leather case as a relic of the past. I have tried several times to hand it over to my children but it seems to have no value for them, as such they want to keep away from this relic of the past. At times I do try to fascinate my grandchildren with the calculations I can do by moving the scales, but now it is all fun and games with no real meaning: they are amazed, laugh and then move away, leaving the tool behind.

It is all about meaning and application. When needs of the people change, technology responds by providing new solutions for the support of which a

I

Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

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thy and useful subjects of the British crown.

He started the ‘Aligarh Movement’ to spread the Western education among the Muslims without weakening their allegiance to Islam. The movement aimed at evolving a distinct social and cultural community among the Indian Muslims more or less on modern lines. It condemned polygamy and the social ban on widow-remarriage which, though permitted

by Islam, had crept in among some sections of the Muslims who were recent converts from Hinduism.

Although there was no serious feeling of hostility or resistance on the part of Indian Muslims, with the decline in the government’s suspicions for the Muslims, there was a greater acceptance of the latter and the Aligarh Movement contributed a lot to the participation of an increasing number of educated Muslims in the mainstream of modern India. But from the communal point of view it was admitted that the movement was essentially a reactionary movement of the Muslim upper class against the privileges that were being enjoyed by the Hindu middle class. Sir Syed Ahmad had a fear that the advancement of Hindus in all spheres would result in the domination of the Muslims by the Hindus.

At the beginning of the post-Mutiny phase the Muslims of India had hesitation about which way to turn. In spite of the Aligarh Movement of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and the Ahmadiyya Movement founded

by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Muslim intelligentsia was initially composed of the landlords or certain sections of the upper classes. They did not touch the urban or rural masses, who were completely cut off from their upper classes and were far nearer to the Hindu masses. The Hindu intelligentsia, because of its middle-class composition, could seek inspirations from the writings of Bentham, J. S. Mill and Comte.

They developed a progressive and critical outlook.

But on the other hand, the Muslim intelligentsia had remained conservative and feared that if such ideas were allowed to spread among the Muslims, they would have a pernicious effect. The then leaders of the Muslims failed to mobilise the Muslim masses in their favour mainly because they were products of the old traditional education. However, for the Muslims, the revolt of 1857-58 marked the death of the old tradition and adaptation to the new environment, and use of the new forces that had come into play, acceptance of the new instrument of progress that had been created through English education. Soon the Muslims also appeared in the field of commerce and industries.

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The British Policy towards the Indian Muslims had also gone a gradual change. This change was essentially due to the policy of balance and counterpoise which the British had pursued. Especially after the formation of the Indian National Congress in 1885, British policy became definitely pro-Muslim, or rather in favour of those elements among the Muslims who were opposed to the national movement. The unequal development of the two communities, the fact that for a long time the nationalist and social reform movement were dominated by Hindus and the discriminatory and often non-secular approach of the British —all sowed the seeds of the problem of national integration.

The early years of the 20th century witnessed two types of trend among the Muslim intelligentsia: one chiefly among the younger element, was towards nationalism, the other was a deviation from India’s past, and even to some extent her present, and a greater interest in Islamic countries and its faith. The old religion was based on the low level of economic and cultural development of the old society. It had to be remodeled to meet the needs of the new society. It had to be revised in the spirit of the principles of nationalism, democracy, an optimistic and positive attitude to life, and even rationalist philosophy. National progress became the main objective of these reconstructed religions. When religion itself was not repudiated or reformed, nationalism became identified with religion.

As the religious reforms in Islam took place on a very small scale, the tendency towards nationalism was identified with religion itself. It became noticeable among the younger generation of Muslims.

The British Government encashed this Muslim sentiment and it was under the inspiration of the former that the Muslim League was started in 1906. The League had two principal objects: promoting loyalty to the British Government and the safeguarding of Muslim interests. Although it was formed to isolate Muslims from nationalist currents and the programmes of the Indian National Congress, it could not ignore the pressure of the younger generation coming nearer to the Congress. Somewhat unwilling to keep the new generation aloof, it changed its creed of loyalty to government and supported the demand for self-rule for India.

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

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Thursday, 22 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

Brain drain THE emigration of highly qualified and skilled people from a particular country is called brain drain. Brain drain has become a serious issue for Pakistan. In 2013, 2.7 million Pakistanis left the country in the preceding five years to find better work opportunities. It is really important to understand that brain drain directly impacts the development of our economy. According to a survey of Gallup-Pakistan, more than two-thirds of Pakistan’s adult population wants to go abroad for work and half of it has no desire to return. The core cause behind such desires is the lack of opportunities that our government. A country progresses due to skilled citizens and if our productive fellows leave the state, how can the country progress?

Afroz MJ TurbAT

Incorrect textbooks

Living through drone strikes They must be controlled raja Furqan ahMaD

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drone attack or strike is made by an unmanned combat aerial vehicle that fires a missile at a target. The word drone was first time used in 1946 but this technology in recent years made the term more common. The drone is mostly used in a situation in which fighting is difficult or too risky. The drones can be automatic or remote.

Drones can fly for a long period of time and they play a key role in different aspects of aviation.

World War 1 saw the first real introduction of aircraft, as the British Army used aerial imagery to capture maps and location. Toward the end of the war, the US Army was working on drones. In the early stages of World War 2 the USA produces first remote control aircraft. The U.S. military had experimented with pilotless aeroplanes as “aerial torpedoes” or flying bombs as far back as the first World War, but with no great success until the Vietnam War, when jet-propelled, cameraequipped drones built by Teledyne-Ryan were launched and controlled from U.S. Air force C130s. Israel was the first country which developed military drone technology after the Arab-Israel war in 1973. This technology made progress and has become one of the most important and famous inventions of the century.

The CIA had been flying unarmed drones over Afghanistan since 2000. It began to fly armed drones after the September 11 attacks.

Some were used during the air war against the Taliban in late 2001. But by february 2002 the CIA hadn’t yet used a drone for a strike outside military support. On 14 November 2001, five weeks into America’s war against Al-Qaida, a small, unmanned, remote-controlled aeroplane called a Predator took off from a US airbase in Uzbekistan, crossed the border into Afghanistan and with a video camera attached to its belly started tracking a convoy of vehicles believed to be carrying jihadi leaders along a road in Kabul. A group of officers and spies, monitoring the streamed footage from inside a trailer in a parking lot at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, watched the convoy stop outside a building. With the push of a button, the Predator fired a Hellfire missile at the building, the back half of which exploded. Seven people, survivors of the blast, were seen fleeing to another nearby structure. A second Hellfire destroyed that shelter, too. Among the dead were Mohammed Atef, Al-Qaida’s military chief and Osama Bin Laden’s son-in-law. five weeks earlier, on October 7, a drone strike had been launched against another caravan, this one carrying the Taliban leader Mullah Omar, but the missile missed. Doubts about this newfangled technology remained. However, the era of the armed drone, the weapon that has since come to define US-style warfare in the 21st century, had unambiguously begun.

The first drone attack in Pakistan was on 18 June 2004.The first known US drone strike killed five to eight people including Nek Muhammad Wazir and two children, in a strike near Wana, South Waziristan. The Pakistan Army initially claimed the attack as its own

work. Some notable drone strikes in Pakistan are in areas inaccessible to independent observers and the Damadola, the Datta Khel, the 2009 Makin the data includes reports by local officials and local media, neither of whom are reliable sources. and Miramshah airstrikes.

On 13 January 2006, the Central Intelligence Critics also fear that by making killing seem clean Agency fired missiles into the Pakistani village and safe, so-called surgical drone strikes will of Damadola in the Bajaur tribal area, about allow the USA to remain in a perpetual state of seven kilometers from the Afghan border, killing war. However, others maintain that drones “allow at least 18 people. Originally the Bajaur tribal for a much closer review and much more selective area government claimed that at least four for- targeting process than do other instruments of eign members of Al-Qaeda were among the warfare” and are subject to Congressional overdead. US and Pakistani officials later admitted sight. Like any military technology, armed UAVs that no Al-Qaeda leaders perished in the strike will kill people, combatants and innocents alike, thus “the main turning point concerns the quesand that only local villagers were killed.

There was an American airstrike on 17 tion of whether we should go to war at all.” The March 2011 in Datta Khel, North Waziristan, New America foundation stated in mid-2011 that that killed 44 people and led to widespread con- from 2004 to 2011, 80 percent of the 2,551 people demnation in Pakistan. Sherabat Khan Wazir, a killed in the strikes were militants. The foundatop commander of Hafiz Gul Bahadur’s Taliban tion stated that 95 percent of those killed in 2010 were militants and that, faction, was killed in as of 2012, 15 percemt the strike, and in reof the total people killed sponse, Bahadur threatby drone strikes were ened to end the peace either known civilians deal struck with the Drone technology is one of or unknown. The founPakistani government the most important parts of dation also states that in almost four years ear2012 the rate of known lier.

The Makin the future of warfare. It is civilian and unknown airstrike was launched casualties was two peron 23 June 2009 by US also a threat to liberties cent, whereas the Budrones on a funeral proreau of Investigative cession in Makin, around the world. As drone Journalism said the rate South Waziristan. The strikes play an important of civilian casualties for Miramshah airstrike 2012 was nine percent. took place on friday 12 role in new warfare, there The Bureau, based on September 2008 in in extensive research in North Waziristan. should put some limitation mid-2011, claims that at Drone technology is as in every successful drone least 385 civilians were not only used by the the dead, includmilitary but also by milstrike on terrorists, innocent among ing more than 160 chilitants or terrorist groups, dren. As this shows that Small drones and quadpeople are also killed. the rate of civilian death copters have been used Drones have great is also high in drone atfor strikes by ISIS. A tacks, the drone technolgroup of 12 have been advantages, and have ogy can be used where piloted by specially militants are present not trained pilots to drop become necessary for on the civilian or unmunitions onto USbacked ground forces. security as they can be used known person, and also drone attacks are a They have been able to where fighting is difficult or crime against humanity. evade ground defence need humanity, forces. During the battle too risky. It is a need of time moreWethan cleverness, for Mosul, ISIS was we need kindness, we able to kill or wound need all of the human dozens of Iraqi soldiers qualities more than the by dropping light explosives or 40-millimetre grenades from numerous USA defines. The drone programmes of the USA and other countries need to be accompadrones attacking at the same time.

There are vocal critics of the use of drones. A nied by hard facts on civilian deaths. The USA major criticism is that they result in excessive col- has added black pages to human history by its lateral damage. David Kilcullen and Andrew drone programme, which is dangerous for huExum wrote in The New York Times that drone mankind and human rights.

Drone technology is one of the most imporstrikes “have killed about 14 terrorist leaders”. It has also killed an unknown number of militants. tant parts of the future of warfare. It is also a But, according to Pakistani sources, they have threat to liberties around the world. As drone also killed some 700 civilians. Grégoire Chi- strikes play an important role in new warfare, mayo’s analysis, of one three-hour-long surveil- there should put some limitation as in every suclance and attack operation on a convoy of three cessful drone strike on terrorists, innocent peoSUVs that killed civilians in Afghanistan in feb- ple are also killed. Drones have great ruary 2010, shows a typical if notorious, case. advantages, and have become necessary for seThroughout the operation, there is a sense of the curity as they can be used where fighting is difdrone controllers’ desperation to destroy the peo- ficult or too risky. It is a need of time. ple and vehicles, whatever the evidence of their The writer can be reached at clearly civilian nature. It is difficult to reconcile these figures because the drone strikes are often furqanraja1122@gmail.com

TExTBOOKS are provided by the Balochistan government to students, but the problem is that these books, which are supposed to help students learn, are full of grammatical mistakes, spelling mistakes, and incorrect figures. What are the children supposed to do, and what books should they believe? This is only promoting ignorance in the young student population of the province. Because of incorrect textbooks, students are facing a lot of difficulties in their studies. If students compare the Balochistan textbooks with any other books that they may read from some other board or even any book they read for leisure or from a board that is not from Pakistan, then the students will get confused. Which one is correct? What they learned in their formative years or something else that they have never heard of before? This is a grave problem and the government must look into it as soon as possible before irreparable harm is caused.

Students reading other books is a problem to be thought of on another day. Books within the Balochistan board are not on the same page.

Recently, I read two textbooks of class 7, one for Urdu language and one for English. In the English textbook it is written that Ziarat is 120 km away from Quetta, while in the Urdu language book, it says that Ziarat is 125 km away from Quetta. So which one should be accepted? Which one should the students believe when they are told one thing in one class and a totally different thing in another class. This cannot stand and is unacceptable.

I want to request the government to rectify the textbooks which will be helpful for the students.

MEhrAJ ESSA TurbAT

Terrorism in Pakistan THE word terrorism means to harm or cause someone to do something that will cause harm. It is one of the major threats to the people of Pakistan, because of which people are dying in this country. It is an act of forcing someone to do something which affects the people in the country.

Terrorism has stared in the country in 2000, and increased in 2009 in Pakistan. According to the South Asian Terrorism Portal index (SATP), terrorism in Pakistan has declined by 89 percent in 2017 since 2009.

Brown University Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs (WIIPA),23372 Pakistani civilians were killed and 8832 Pakistani security personnel were killed in the war on terrorism. In 2018 Pakistani newspaper ,(DAWN news) reported that the Pakistani economy suffered a total loss of 126.79 billion due to war on terror since 2001.

However, terrorism is the worst enemy for the development of the country which causes the country not to develop or not to step towards betterment in the world, and economy of the country is one of the effects of terrorism in the country which does not let the country become a great economic power of the future.

So, it is my humble suggestion to the government that it should take actions on the sensitive issue and end it soon as possible.

YounuS fAzAl AwArAn Kulli

Tackling rape THE Bangladesh government has sentenced five rapists to death after allegedly gang-raping a fifteen-year-old girl in the countrys' capital. The girl was called by her boyfriend to a place where he himself including his friends brutally gang-raped her. The decision of the Bangladesh government is appreciaable, and Pakistan also has to follow suit in order to control the henious crime which is being reported constantly.Statistics show that a rape occurs after two hours and a gang-rape within each hour in Pakistan, despite being an Islamic state. Have we ever thought how much difficulties and pain a rape victim has to suffer post-incident?

Rapists are not human beings, rather they are animals. The most suitable punishment for such animals must be death penalty and not less than it.

It is high time for the government to tackle the issue so as to safe its young generation. hAMMAl nAEEM TurbAT

Fake medicines IN Balochistan there are many people who are doing the business of fake medicines. Due to them the Baloch nation is in danger. On the other hand, many doctors cooperate with companies to sell their medicines and in return they get a lot of benefits. Such doctors only think about their benefits, without thinking about the lives of innocent people.

In Balochistan people are always suffering from many kinds of diseases but they cannot afford to go anywhere else for medication. They believe the medicines which they get in their locality. Mostly, such medicines are fake and they have a lot of side-effects. for making the Baloch safe, there should be teams to visit medical stores for checking the quality of the medicines. If it is done then one will ever try to sell fake medicines. There should be policies for making such critical things safe. The companies which produce such medicines, should be banned. And the stores and shops should be sealed.

SATTAr SAMAd TurbAT

Thursday, 22 October, 2020

08 WORLD VIEW

Why Kashmir Times office in srinagar Was sealed THE PAPER’S EDITOR ANURADHA BHASIN JAMWAL SAYS IT’S A ‘TARGETED MOVE’ TO MUZZLE HER

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ANNA PRIyADARSHINI

T around 5 pm on Monday, staffers at the Srinagar office of the Kashmir Times were working on the next day’s edition when officials from the union territory’s estates department barged in and asked all 20 of them to move out. They had come to seal the office of one of Indian held Kashmir’s (IhK) leading english dailies.

“We told them they couldn’t seal our office because we hadn’t been served an eviction order. They said the order was with a senior official and if we insisted on seeing it the police would get involved. Let the police come, we said, but you give us an eviction notice before you seal the office. After waiting for around three hours at the office, they simply barged in and directed us to move out,” said Qazi Irshad, a reporter at the paper.

It was a “targeted move” against her and her newspaper, said the editor Anuradha Bhasin Jamwal, a “political vendetta” conducted by the Indian administration to suppress her. “No due process was followed” and no “eviction or cancellation notice was served”, she pointed out. “I have been very outspoken, writing and talking about what has happened in Indian held Kashmir and how people are suffering. So, we were expecting some kind of targeting and this is not out of the blue,” Jamwal told Newslaundry.

On August 5 last year, when the Indian government abrogated Article 370 to remove the last vestiges of Indian held Kashmir’s autonomy and put the region under a communications blackout, Jamwal petitioned the Supreme Court for the restoration of internet and phone services to ensure the free and safe movement of journalists. The apex court asked the government to ease the curbs on communication.

The petition cost her newspaper advertising money from the government. “The very next day after I went to the court, ads were stopped,” Jamwal recalled. “Ads are the major source of income for newspapers.” The newspaper continued publishing from Srinagar through the blockade, but the loss of ad revenue hit hard. The pandemic only worsened the paper’s financial situation, forcing it to suspend circulation for a few months. They were just starting to pick up again when the estates officials landed at their door. “It becomes so difficult to function like this. It is an attempt by the administration to freeze us,” Jamwal said. ‘We knew we would be targeted.’ The Srinagar office of the Kashmir Times is in the Press enclave, a smattering of public buildings leased to media organisations. The Kashmir Times was allotted its office in 1993. Jamwal said there had been

rumours of their allotment being cancelled, so they had gone to estates officials over a month ago. “But there was no clear answer,” she said.

They vaguely replied that there was some order regarding the Kashmir Times office, but they didn’t have a copy. “They would also regularly send low-rung officials to the newspaper’s office to keep that rumor in circulation for several days that they were going to lock the office, so we approached the court based on these rumours because they were not giving any orders,” she said, adding that their plea was scheduled to be heard in five weeks. Fearing eviction from their office, Jamwal also petitioned Srinagar’s deputy commissioner, Shahid Iqbal Choudhary. “Due process should be followed by the government and a person should be given an opportunity of being heard in respect of government property leased or rented out,” the editor said.

Jamwal said the office was leased to the Kashmir Times in the name of her father and the paper’s former editor Ved Bhasin. “And I have a government accommodation close to the Kashmir Times office which is in the name of my husband Prabodh Jamwal, who is also a journalist. We use that allotment as residence, and they

planned to bulldoze the Kashmir Times office and they published the eviction order in the local press. “On the basis of that, we approached a court, got a stay order, and got a quashing order.”

‘THE OFFICE WASN’T SEALED’ Contradicting Jamwal, estates officials Newslaundry spoke with claimed that the building which had been sealed was allotted to Ved Bhasin and was being used as a residence.

The newspaper is operating out of a flat allotted to her husband.

“There are two quarters, 4 and 9. So, quarter 9, which has been taken over by the department, was in the name of Ved Bhasin who died in 2015 and was being used for residential purposes. Officially, we don't close anybody’s office and it shouldn't even be done. So, when a person who is no longer alive, anything that the government had allotted to them can’t be continued in their favor,” said an estates official who asked for anonymity because he wasn’t authorised to speak to the press.

The official claimed that the estates department had issued an order cancelling the allotment in July. “In the order too, it’s written that because Ved Bhasin is no more, this allotment stands cancelled.” he promised to provide

haven’t touched it so far.” “They have been saying that 20 days back we handed over the building to them. Am I so stupid that I would hand over all my infrastructure?

We haven’t handed over anything to them. And the newsroom has so much infrastructure. They sealed it with our entire infrastructure inside. Our infrastructure is here, our computers are here, all machinery is here, our generators and other equipment are here.”

Jamwal protested that the authorities did not follow due process in sealing her paper’s office. “As per the rule, they are supposed to serve an order, state the reason so that the occupant can file an objection and they need to ensure that we have received the order. We even approached them ourselves, but they said they did not have the order, which is the best answer that we could get.” “If they had any order they should have served it. Did they just keep it in their own pockets?”

In 2009, Jamwal recalled, the authorities had

a copy of the order to Newslaundry but didn’t. he maintained that estates officials had followed “proper procedure” to “reclaim the property”. “One of their staffers was regularly visiting the department,” he said, referring to the paper. “Citing some Covid issues, they requested more time to vacate the premises and shift their belongings.”

They granted the request “unofficially” on “humanitarian grounds”, the official claimed. “Then, around 15 days ago, we locked it. But in between, when there was some need, they used it. Two days back, they said amicably that you can take it. Later, it got twisted that we had sealed the office.”

The official insisted that the newspaper’s office, which is a few meters away from the “sealed residence” was still open. Refuting the official’s claims, Jamwal explained, “You can clearly see the pictures I shared. On my residence I wouldn’t be putting up a Kashmir Times board. Also, am I so stupid that I would hand over all

India-Australia security relations: They’ve only just begun IT’S FASHIONABLE TO BE PESSIMISTIC ABOUT THE INDIA-AUSTRALIA PARTNERSHIP, BUT IN FACT IT IS STEADILY IMPROVING

Lowy InstItute

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DHRUVA JAISHANKAR

he Quad – the grouping comprised of Australia, India, Japan, and the United States – held its first stand-alone foreign ministerial meeting this month in Tokyo. In the words of one Australian analyst, the grouping that once faltered and restarted with a crawl now finally stands on its two feet, ready to take some strides.

Often lost amid the copious commentary on the Quad, however, is how it has been both a test and a catalyst for improved Australia-India security cooperation.

It’s fashionable to be pessimistic about the IndiaAustralia strategic partnership. Ask most observers of strategic affairs in Canberra and New Delhi, and they’re likely to characterise the relationship as long on promises and short on deliverables. A lot of it has to do with the two countries’ troublesome history. For more than half a century after India’s independence in 1947, India and Australia talked past each other. Antiquated stereotypes

have persisted, and ties are still subject to some unrealistic expectations. (“When will India become a driver of the Australian economy like China?” goes one. “Why is India resistant to joining the US alliance network in Asia?” runs another.)

The reality, however, is both more prosaic and more promising. Since 2000, the two countries have developed a steadily improving security relationship, in part because they have managed to put their past differences behind them. Their contrasting security priorities and approaches to foreign relations diminished following the end of the Cold War. India’s nuclear program, once the subject of international sanctions, went mainstream, resulting in normalisation with Australia after 2007.

There were still some hiccups: Australia’s ban on uranium was reimposed with a change of government and only lifted in 2011 after a heavily contested debate in the Labor party. Around the same time, trade and economic ties grew, and social and cultural links proliferated. Notably, educational exchanges increased rapidly, despite controversy in 2009–11 over violence directed at Indian students.

The 2000s also saw new reasons for India and Australia to contemplate a deeper security relationship. The first was shared concerns about China’s rise and assertive behaviour, which was increasingly being felt in the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans. A second concern involved regional institutions, which at times proved inadequate. Cooperation on developing new regional or issue-specific institutions, setting normative standards, and coordinating approaches on global issues assumed a greater urgency. Third, there was also an undercurrent of concern about the United States’ ability and willing-

ness to play the role of regional security guarantor, necessitating stronger coalitions between so-called “middle powers”, including not just Australia and India, but also Japan, Indonesia and France.

These convergences of values and interests resulted in a succession of important developments in bilateral security cooperation beginning in 2000. That year saw the first defence talks between the two countries and the visit of Australian prime minister John howard to New Delhi, signalling a return to normal relations following India’s 1998 nuclear tests. Senior foreign ministry and strategic conversations began soon thereafter, as did incipient military contacts such as service chief visits, port calls and Australian observers at multilateral maritime exercises hosted by India. In 2004, the two countries, along with the US and Japan, conducted ad hoc relief operations following the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami.

Relations briefly intensified after 2006. The two countries signed initial agreements on defence cooperation and the sharing of classified information. In 2007, the first quadrilateral dialogue was held at a working level, and Australia took part in the Malabar naval exercises. This was followed by a slight lull, but between 2009 and 2012, the two countries initiated a strategic partnership, bilateral trade talks and civilian nuclear negotiations. In 2013, A.K. Antony made the first visit by an Indian defence minister to Australia, and the next year Australia participated in India’s Milan naval exercises.

A third, and more robust, phase of bilateral security relations began in 2014. In the years since, agreements on security cooperation, civil nuclear cooperation, “white shipping” (commercial shipping) and mutual logistics support have been concluded. Military exercises

my infrastructure?”

She described the estates official’s version of the story as just a figment of his imagination. “Covid never came into the picture. And if there was so much benevolence why did they lock all our things inside and sealed without notice?”

She said the paper’s staff moved to the apartment allotted to her husband after the office was sealed. “They are using my drawing and dining rooms as a temporary office,” she added. “It’s my residence with no infrastructure.”

‘MY RESIDENCE WAS RANSACKED’ In early October, Jamwal complained that her residence in Jammu, where the Kashmir Times is headquartered, had been vandalised by a politician’s brother “in connivance with officials of the estates department and local police”. The flat, allotted to Jamwal under a government housing scheme for journalists, was ransacked and “some rumour about it” was circulated on social media. “That very day, they broke the locks of my house and pushed in some new allottee.

They gave all my belongings to the new allottee,” she added.

‘SHE’S BEING HOUNDED’: The crackdown on Jamwal and her paper has drawn widespread condemnation from the journalist fraternity. “This move is highly condemnable. The government should have followed due process before closing the office” Ishfaq Tantry, general secretary of the Kashmir Press Club, told Newslaundry.

This was a case of vendetta against Jamwal for being critical of the Indian government’s actions in Indian held Kashmir. “There’s no doubt about it being a targeted move, as her home in Jammu was also vandalised,” Tantray argued. “She could have been issued a notice or the allotment could have been extended because the paper has been operating from that office for a very long time. It amounts to muzzling the free press in Kashmir.”

“The office of Kashmir News Service, a local news agency, was also closed. So, it appears to be a case of vendetta. After last August, the media in Kashmir has been a target.” Geetarhtha Pathak, president of the Indian Journalists Union, said, “This is vendetta for raising her voice. In the past as well she approached the judiciary for the independence of the media in Kashmir.”

The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned “the ongoing targeting and harassment” of Jamwal and the Kashmir Times, and asked the “authorities to stop trying to silence independent and critical voices and should respect press freedom”.

Journalists in Indian held Kashmir have long faced intimidation and harassment from the government. According to data collected by the Print, at least 18 journalists in Indian held Kashmir have been summoned or questioned by the police and over a dozen physically assaulted since August last year.

Qazi Irshad of the Kashmir Times said for the 18 years that he has been with the newspaper, it has always been on the radar. “A few days ago I was detained for seven hours at Khanyar police station because I reported that two militants were killed in an encounter with the security forces in Srinagar’s Barzulla area. They had an issue as to why I reported about it. Then, I had to write an apology saying it was my fault. I had no other option and only then they let me go.”

Update: Jamwal tweeted that they had obtained a stay on the sealing order until October 30. were established, including the two navies’ AUSINDeX and the armies’ AUSTRAhIND. India participating in the Australian-hosted ReD FLAG air force exercises for the first time. Specific dialogues were initiated on coast guard cooperation, defence research and development, maritime security, and supply-chain resilience. Trilateral dialogues involving the Japanese, Indonesian, and French governments also got off the ground.

The centrepieces of high-level strategic engagement, however, were the establishment of a “2+2” dialogue and the resumption of the quadrilateral dialogue in 2017. In 2019–20, both were upgraded to ministerial conversations. As a consequence, India and Australia today have a wide-ranging defence partnership, although each element remains in an early phase.

The relationship, however, confronts some challenges. The two countries naturally have different priorities and worldviews, based on their different histories, geographies and economies. They also have different capabilities, although these can at times be complementary.

Their strategic and economic relationships also remain distinct, with Australia much more dependent on the US for its security and on China for its economy than India in either case.

These difficulties are not impossible to overcome.

But now that a platform has been established for strategic relations between two large and capable democratic powers in the Indo-Pacific, the two countries have an opportunity to build on them further. One way is to prioritise their consultative mechanisms, amid their recent proliferation. The range of working-level, bilateral and trilateral dialogues will be difficult to sustain, given limited capacity and schedules. A second priority will involve improving interoperability. This might require, for example, concluding a secure communications agreement, as India has done with the US. Beyond that, further steps can be taken to solidify the strategic relationship, including in defence technology collaboration, economic and trade links, and social contacts. Should India-Australia ties continue to develop at their recent pace, the relationship could yet evolve into one of the most important regional partnerships in the Indo-Pacific.

Thursday, 22 October, 2020

BUSINESS 09

PAKistAn RegisteRs cuRRent Account suRPLus foR tHiRd stRAigHt MontH

corporate corner

ISLAMABAD: VEON Co-CEO Sergi Herrero and Jazz CEO Aamir Ibrahim meet President Dr Arif Alvi at the President House. pREss RElEAsE

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Petroleum Nadeem Babar unveiled Total Service Center’s new initiatives aimed at energy efficiency, emission reduction and water conservation. pREss RElEAsE

KP govt devises plan to create jobs for tribeswomen PESHAWAR AZIZ BUNERI

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has devised a programme titled “Women Entrepreneurs Shining through Constraints” to help generate jobs for women belonging to merged districts. The project, which would be piloted in two tribal districts, aims to identify and train the Mashrani community-based female leaders, who would manage a 2030 member women enterprise groups around targeted sectors. It aims to align results with the goal of ending poverty, setting the foundations for women entrepreneurship, dealing with constraints in a collective manner, and relating women entrepreneurship with gender equality. A workshop was conducted on Tuesday to discuss the proposed interventions, map resources offered by various departments and organisations, develop a coordination mechanism among stakeholders and formulate an action plan. The workshop was led by Social Welfare Department Secretary Manzoor Ahmad and Social Protection and Gender Mainstreaming, Planning and Development Department Chief Fazilat Jehan. The programme is expected to increase access to economic resources of 3,000 women in the two selected tribal districts. Target sectors for the special emphasis programme include agriculture, horticulture, livestock, dairy, poultry, apiculture, handicrafts, food processing and packaging, nurseries and kitchen gardening. The programme would form 150 women productive groups around a common economic interest, besides increasing the number of skilled women, building their capacities in organisational and managerial skills and linking groups with local governments, the business community and development organisations. In the tribal districts of KP, women having limited access to information, skills, finances and markets are one of the major stumbling blocks that hamper the development of women-specific enterprises. Although both the male and female population have little or no access to resources at par with other parts of the country due to being ignored by successive governments, the female labour force participation, 5.9 per cent, remains way behind male labour force participation of 38.6pc. Government officials told Profit that the formation of women entrepreneur groups will be the first step towards supporting and elevating women towards micro and small enterprise development in the merged areas. The officials said that the groups will enable the speedy delivery of government and nongovernment interventions for enterprise development. “The groups will link government departments, financial institutions and development organisations to train women for skills, provide them access to low-interest loans and raw material inputs.”

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NEWS DESK

RIME Minister Imran Khan said on Wednesday that Pakistan's economy was “finally heading in the right direction” as the country’s current account balance recorded a surplus of $73 million in September.

The surplus came on the back of an upward trend in remittances and monthon-month increase in exports during September, according to the State Bank of Pakistan. Current account surplus in the month of September clocked in at $73 million, down 65.4pc from $211 million in August, mainly on account of the widening trade deficit during the

'CONTINUED BUOYANCY IN REMITTANCES AND A BROAD-BASED REBOUND IN EXPORTS DROVE CURRENT ACCOUNT SURPLUS IN SEPT' month under review.

"Great news for Pakistan. We are headed in [the] right direction finally.

Current Account was in surplus of $73m during September, bringing [the] surplus for 1st qtr to $792 mn compared to [a] deficit of $1,492 mn during [the] same time last year. Exports grew 29pc and remittances grew 9pc over previous month," said Prime Minister Imran Khan on Twitter.

As per the central bank, September was the third consecutive month where current account posted a surplus. Cumulatively, the country’s current account witnessed a record surplus of $792 million in the first quarter of the current fiscal year.

"The surplus reached $73 million [in September] against a deficit of $278m a year earlier. As a result, the current account recorded a surplus of

OGRA suspends Hascol’s license for KP, imposes Rs10m fine NEWS DESK The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has suspended the marketing licence of Hascol Petroleum Limited (HPL) for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with immediate effect, besides imposing a penalty of Rs10 million on the company.

"Hascol Petroleum Ltd (HPL) was found operating illegal/unauthorized storage and selling of petroleum products (petrol & diesel) at Amangarh Depot. Based on the investigation and the documents provided by HPL, it was proved that the company remained involved in severe violations of laws/rules and failed to provide reasonable justification for the operation of this depot despite OGRA’s clear directives for the stoppage of operation of Amangarh depot till the fulfillment of all legal requirements and OGRA’s permission in January 2020," a stated issued by OGRA read.

According to OGRA, HPL was served with a show

cause notice on 13 October 2020, on the illegal operation of Amangarh Depot and to explain the facts by appearance.

"Following the hearing and due consideration, the authority suspended Hascol Petroleum Limited’s marketing activities in KP and directed them to immediately stop all marketing activities/sales at outlets in KP till further orders," the statement read. "In order to avoid any inconvenience to general public, all oil marketing companies (OMCs) are directed to augment supplies to their retail outlets in KP."

mARKet dAily

Stocks consolidate gains with 579-point rally KARACHI sTAFF REpORT

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) continued to head north on Wednesday, with the indices accumulating gains throughout the session amid improved market sentiments.

Global equity markets also showed a positive trend, whereas crude oil prices dipped lower from the previous close; WTI crude price falling 1.56pc to $41.05 while Brent crude price dropping 1.34pc to $42.58.

"The market continued with the recent positive trend, with the index adding over 1,400 points during the first three sessions of the week. Although the weekend had left vestiges of political uncertainty, institutional investors continued with brisk buying activity on the back of quarterly earnings," said a report issued by AHL Ltd. "Banking sector results so far have helped the index sustain existing rates, whereas investors also took positions in oil & gas, cement and

power sector stocks amid a positive view on FATF ruling scheduled to be announced by the end of week."

In line with the recent trend, the benchmark KSE-100 Index remained in the green throughout the day, registering its intraday high at 41,613.05 after accumulating 656.47 points. It closed higher by 579.34 points at 41,535.92.

Among other indices, the KMI30 Index gained 702.52 points to end day at 66,430.21, while the KSE All Share Index added 363.34 points, settling at 29,293.34.

The overall market volumes surged from 492.67 million shares in the previous session to 661.19 million shares (+34pc). Average traded value also increased by 33pc, from $101.1 million to $134.9 million. Unity Foods Ltd (UNITY +7.47pc), Pakistan International Bulk Terminal Ltd (PIBTL +5.44pc) and Hascol Petroleum Ltd (HASCOL -0.30pc) topped the volume chart, exchanging 64.43 million, 63.92 million and 47.24 million shares, respectively.

Sectors that kept the benchmark

index in green included banking (+185.12 points), fertilizer (+116.06 points) and technology & communication (+53.41 points). Among Among the companies, Bank AL Habib Ltd (BAHL +76.72 points), Engro Corporation Ltd (ENGRO +45.85 points) and Engro Fertilizer Ltd (EFERT +42.59 points) remained the top contributors.

Adding 4.81pc to its cumulative market capitalization, the technology & communication sector ended as the session’s top performer, with Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd (PTC +4.47pc), TRG Pakistan Ltd (TRG +4.28pc) and Systems Ltd (SYS +5.50pc) posting significant gains.

On the financial side, Attock Cement (Pakistan) Ltd (ACPL 3.88pc) announced earnings per share of Rs0.87 for the first quarter of FY21 (Rs2.60 in 1QFY20), Engro Fertilizer Limited (EFERT +4.93pc) declared an EPS of Rs4.97 for 3QFY20 (Rs3.53 in 3QFY19), whereas Allied Bank Ltd (ABL +2.40pc) reported an EPS of Rs3.49 for 3QFY20 (Rs2.90 last year).

$792m in 1QFY21, the first quarterly surplus in more than five years. Continued buoyancy in remittances (up 9pc m/m) and a broad-based rebound in exports (up 29pc m/m) drove the current account surplus in September. Imports also picked up in line with the ongoing revival in domestic economic activity," the SBP stated.

The month-on-month decrease in the current account surplus came as a result of an 8pc increase in the trade deficit in September, the central bank said. Pakistan's trade deficit in September rose to $1.82 billion compared to $1.727bn in August on account of 62pc and 21pc jump in food and machinery imports, respectively.

Bank AL Habib's ninemonth profit surges 87pc to Rs13.1bn NEWS DESK The Bank AL Habib Limited (BAHL) Board of Directors on Wednesday announced the bank's financial results for the nine months period ended September 30, 2020. According to the financial results, the bank’s profit after tax was recorded at Rs13.13 billion during the nine months period ended September 30, 2020, as compared to Rs7.01 billion for the corresponding period last year, showing a growth of 87.30pc. Earnings per share (EPS) were recorded at Rs11.82 as compared to Rs6.30 for the corresponding period last year. Profit before tax was recorded at Rs22.09 billion, showing an increase of 71.56pc YoY, whereas profit before provisions and tax was reported at Rs25.53 billion. In line with its prudent policies, the bank made a general provision of Rs2,250 million during the nine months period, bringing the total of such provision to Rs5,250 million against its loans and advances portfolio. This provision is in addition to the requirements of the prudential regulations. The bank improved its net mark-up income by 46.87pc, which stood at Rs44.08 billion for the nine months period ended September 30, 2020.

Bank Alfalah posts Rs8.3bn profit for 9M2020 NEWS DESK The Board of Directors of Bank Alfalah Limited on Wednesday approved the bank’s unaudited condensed interim financial statements for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2020.

The bank’s operating profit at Rs20.614 billion showed a growth of 11.4pc compared to the corresponding period of 2019 despite lockdown in the country and drop in the policy rate by 625 bps during the year. Subjective provisioning, general provision buildup against advances and upfront impairment against equities contained profit after tax to Rs8.331 billion, which translates into earnings per share of Rs4.69 (Sep 2019: Rs5.20). On the revenue front, net markup income and non-markup income showed combined growth of 10.1pc with strong contribution from capital gains on government securities of Rs2.185 billion and FX earning of Rs2.762 billion. Fee and commission income remained muted due to lower transactions volume and regulatory waivers of branch and digital banking fees.

Brainchild Communications Pakistan promotes Farhan Khan to CEO SINGAPORE BABAR KHAN JAVED

Brainchild Communications Pakistan has promoted Farhan Khan to the role of the chief executive officer (CEO) for the fullservice advertising agency that is majority-owned by Bee Squared (Pte) Limited in Singapore.

In the year of its incorporation, Brainchild Communications Pakistan entered into a nonownership franchising agreement with the Publicis Groupe. As a result of the affiliation, Brainchild Communications Pakistan uses the trademarks of Starcom and Mediavest, which

are divisions of the Publicis Groupe.

To date, Khan has been a part of Brainchild Communications Pakistan for 13 years, joining the media agency in 2007 as a media director in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Prior to the role, he spent nearly three years with Adcom ZenithOptimedia and was part of the team that launched Telenor in Pakistan. His background also includes retail audits at Nielsen and media planning at Mediacom. To date, he has over two decades of experience in media.

“On behalf of the board of directors of Brainchild Communications Pakistan, it gives me great pleasure to announce Farhan

Khan’s appointment as CEO,” said Raihan Merchant, chairman of Z2C Limited, the parent company for Brainchild Communications Pakistan. “Farhan Khan has been a source of stability and agility at the agency. He is the only agency leadership person in Pakistan who has had experience with the [Publicis] network in a management position.”

Speaking to Profit, Merchant said that Khan is the reason Brainchild Communications Pakistan was awarded an A- by the Pakistan Credit Rating Agency (PACRA), adding that Khan brings knowledge of systems, a culture of innovation, and the courage to experiment.

CMYK

“We are confident that he will be able to take the Starcom brand to new heights in Pakistan,” said Merchant. “We wish him all the luck with his endeavours.”

Brainchild Communications Pakistan has a four-member board including two independent directors. The full-service media agency has offices in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad, serving notable businesses such as CMPak Ltd, Engro Corporation, Etihad Airways, The Coca-Cola Export Corporation, Procter & Gamble, and many unicorns.

“Strength is derived from the diverse yet competing customer base of the companies,” said Shazia Afzal, an analyst at PACRA.

“Sponsor acumen provides comfort to the ratings as is evidenced through well-devised corporate strategies. Additionally, the association of an international media brand and support of a team of energetic individuals bodes well for the business prospects. The operating segment of the company is directly influenced by the pattern of advertising expenditure in the economy.”

She said that Brainchild Communications Pakistan has chalked out strategies to avail benefits of its liquidity management schemes, the income stream of which nurtures the bottom line margin, in the absence of which the profitability falls thin.

Thursday, 22 October, 2020

10 FOREIGN NEWS Lebanon's President aoun vows to see through new PM noMination BEIRUT

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AGENCIES

EBANON’s President Michel Aoun said on Wednesday he would fulfill his duty in designating a prime minister but put the onus on the new premier to launch moves to pull the country from financial crisis.

Sunni leader Saad al-Hariri is poised to be named prime minister at formal consultations on Thursday after weeks of wrangling, political sources said. But he would face major challenges to overcome discord and form a new government that can tackle a meltdown deepening by the day.

In a televised speech, Aoun blamed other officials for blocking a long list of urgent reforms demanded by

foreign donors. He questioned what had happened to plans ranging from a forensic audit of the central bank and an overhaul of the power sector to draft laws and IMF talks. He accused others of “putting barricades” in his way, without naming anyone.

Fractious political leaders, in power for decades, have traded blamed for hindering progress as Lebanon sinks into its worst crisis since its 1975-1990 civil war.

The country desperately needs cash. But foreign donors have made clear they will not bail out the heavily indebted state if it does not tackle entrenched waste and graft.

A Covid-19 outbreak and a huge August blast at Beirut port, which killed nearly 200 people and prompted the cabinet to resign, have also piled misery on the Lebanese. “Where are all the (steps) that were presented to the heads of (parliamentary) blocs and par-

ties....but nothing was implemented?” Aoun asked on Wednesday.

“The silence of any official, and lack of cooperation in the forensic audit (of the central bank), prove he is a partner in corruption and waste,” he added.

Aoun is due to hold consultations on Thursday with parliamentary blocs, postponed from last week amid political rifts. The two main Christian parties, the Free Patriotic Movement - founded by Aoun and headed by his son in law - and the Lebanese Forces led by a civil war rival of Aoun, have said they would not nominate Hariri.

Senior political sources say Hariri should still get a narrow majority of votes from parliament’s lawmakers, among which the Iran-backed, Shia Hezbollah and its allies hold a majority.

“I will shoulder my responsibility,” Aoun, a political

ally of Hezbollah, said on Wednesday. He is required to choose the candidate with greatest support. “Will the one who is designated and tasked with forming (a cabinet) commit to tackling corruption and launching a reform project?”

Former colonial power France has sought since August to rally Lebanese politicians to tackle the crisis but they have yet to manage the first step: agreeing a new government swiftly.

A former prime minister long aligned with Gulf states, Hariri has presented himself as the candidate to form a cabinet that can kick-start the French roadmap.

Hariri quit as PM - a post he has already held three times - when the crisis erupted last year as protests against the ruling elite gripped the country, toppling his coalition government.

Lebanon's spiralling economic crisis BEIRUT AGENCIES

Financial meltdown on a scale never seen before in Lebanon has raised fears for the stability of a country facing multiple crises.

Political chaos, the Covid-19 pandemic and a huge explosion at Beirut’s port, which killed nearly 200 people and caused billions of dollars in damage, have all deepened Lebanon’s troubles. After months of discord, politicians are set to nominate a prime minister on Thursday to form a new government that must launch a recovery and unlock foreign aid.

Rooted in decades of state waste and graft, the economic crisis erupted last autumn as capital inflows dried up and protests swept the country. A year on, the currency has crashed and banks are paralysed, with prices and job losses on the rise: RISING POVERTY: The United Nations estimated in May that the proportion of Lebanon's population living in poverty - or less than $14 per day had doubled in the last year here to 55%. Within that group, those judged to be in extreme poverty tripled to nearly a quarter of the population.

It predicts more people will sink into poverty, widening one of the region’s biggest wealth gaps. Inflation and the port blast have since left yet more Lebanese vulnerable.

SPIRALLING INFLATION: The collapse in the Lebanese pound drove inflation to 120.3% year-on-year in August. Prices of consumer goods have soared in a country that relies heavily on imports but produces little.

JOB LOSSES, BUSINESSES WIPED OUT: Beirut-based research firm InfoPro, which polled firms three times in the past year, found that a third of all private sector jobs have been lost. The total number of unemployed reached 550,000 or 30% of a total labour force of 1.8 million.

That was in June even before the port blast hit hundreds of businesses. It slashed at least 100,000 jobs in the tourism sector, long a big employer and economic pillar.

CURRENCY CRASH, MANY EXCHANGE RATES: Dollars have grown scarce on the black market - a leading source of cash in the crisis.

An official peg of 1,507.5 Lebanese pounds to the dollar has been in place since 1997. But it is now available only for importers of key goods: wheat, fuel and medicine.

Banks, which cut cash withdrawals and stopped dispensing foreign currency, have paid depositors with dollar accounts in

Biden risk looms for Turkey's Erdogan and beleaguered lira ISTANBUL AGENCIES

Turkey stands to lose more than most other countries if Joe Biden is elected president since he is expected to toughen the U.S. stance against President Tayyip Erdogan’s foreign military interventions and closer cooperation with Russia. Investors and analysts say the beleaguered Turkish lira is especially vulnerable if a Biden White House pulls the trigger on long-threatened sanctions over Ankara’s purchase of Russian S-400 missiles, which Washington says compromise NATO defences. An apparent S-400s test last week prompted a furious response from the State Department and Pentagon. Top Republican and Democratic U.S. senators also called for sanctions that could hobble a Turkish economy hit by two slumps in as many years.

Erdogan has downplayed possible fallout and promised counter-sanctions. The American threats have rung hollow since Moscow shipped the weapons to Ankara in mid-2019, largely because President Donald Trump has resisted punishing Erdogan, with whom he has regular calls, saying he hopes talks will resolve the issue. Erdogan has leveraged his warm ties with Trump to flex military muscle in Syria, Libya, the Eastern Mediterranean and this month in Nagorno-Karabakh, filling some gaps left by a U.S. retreat from the region in recent years. But the relationship could cool if Biden, the Democratic candidate and front-runner, wins the November 4 election. In remarks that drew sharp criticism from Ankara, Biden in December advocated a new approach to the “autocrat” Erdogan and fretted over close Turkish cooperation with Russia. Biden has said little specifically about the issue recently and his campaign did not respond to a request to comment. His platform calls on “all NATO nations to recommit to their responsibilities as members of a democratic alliance.” The lira TRYTOM=D3, down 24% this year to all-time lows, already partly reflects the Biden risk, investors say. Any decisive rebound in Turkish assets may be delayed until after the vote when the White House decides whether, and perhaps how, to sanction Turkey. “A Biden victory would certainly increase the risk of U.S. sanctions ... and of course you’ll have anxiety returning to an already unstable financial market that has been hit by the pandemic,” said Roger Kelly, lead regional economist at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

Lebanese pounds at a rate of 3,900.

But the pound’s street value has plummeted by nearly 80%.

BEIRUT BLAST DAMAGES: The World Bank said the August explosion at Beirut’s port caused damages of between $3.8 billion and $4.6 billion. It also put the hit to the economy at $2.9 billion to $3.5 billion.

After the blast, Lebanon’s external financing needs for the next four years swelled to more than $30 billion from $24 billion by some estimates. Foreign donors have made clear they will not give aid if the state does not reform.

DROWNING IN DEBT: The state declared default on its hefty foreign currency debt earlier this year, citing dangerously low reserves.

Public debt has rocketed from 131% of GDP in 2012 to an estimated 176% of GDP at the end of 2019 - one of the world’s highest burdens.

The government was spending around 50% of its revenues in 2019 just to meet interest payments.

Thursday, 22 October, 2020

SPORTS 11

Djokovic PullS out of PARiS MASteRS with No PoiNtS to wiN BELGRADE

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AGENCIES

OVAK DJOKOVIC has decided not to enter the Paris Masters because he has no points to win at the Nov. 2-8 event as he bids to retain the world number one spot come end of season, the 33-year-old Serb said.

“I won’t play in Paris as I can’t add to my points tally but I will go to Vienna and London,” Djokovic told Wednesday’s edition of Belgade daily Sportski Zurnal. “I can win up to 500 points in Vienna as I didn’t play there last year and there are also a lot of points available in London.”

Djokovic clinched a record 36th ATP Masters crown when he won the Italian Open title in Rome last

month, surpassing Rafael Nadal who confirmed he would enter the Paris Masters after winning his 13th French Open title on Oct. 11.

Nadal, who equalled Roger Federer’s record haul of 20 Grand Slam titles when he blew Djokovic away in the French Open final, has not entered the Oct. 26 Nov. 1 tournament in Vienna but is expected to take part in the ATP Finals in London, Nov. 15-22.

Djokovic, who won the Paris Masters last year, will not lose any points over skipping the event because the ATP Tour’s revised ranking system due to the Covid-19 pandemic allows players to retain points from last year.

Asked if he was content to allow world number two Nadal to catch up with him in the Masters race, Djokovic said: “It’s not my priority. My immediate

Pakistan’s first ever freestyle wrestling league announced Pakistan on Wednesday announced that it is launching its first ever Freestyle Wrestling League. The league is owned by Strawberry Sports Management, the organization that owns Super Kabaddi League. Pakistan Wrestling Federation (PWF) is the exclusive technical collaborator of the league. Wrestling is possibly world’s oldest sport. A highly popular sport among the masses, the sport has featured in the Olympic Games right from the inaugural session in 1896. Pakistan once considered a powerhouse of wrestling, has managed to produce some world class players over the years. The inaugural season of the league will be played next year, subject to Covid-19. The city-based franchise league will feature top most players in different weight categories. The scale of the League will expand every year. Speaking at the occasion, Strawberry Sports Management Founder Haier Ali Daud said, “This is an immensely proud moment for the sports of Pakistan. Together with PWF we are reviving an age old and most popular sport of the country. Wrestling has its roots in the culture of Pakistan. Through the league quality players and game will be highlighted.”PWF Secretary Arshad Sattar said, “We are excited to announce Pakistan’s first ever wrestling league. The game of wrestling will receive the much-needed attention and commercial support through the League. We are confident that together with Strawberry Sports Management we will write a new chapter in the history of Wrestling.” PRESS RELEASE

Morbidelli ‘scared’

by Suzuki’s Aragon MotoGP pace Petronas SRT Yamaha’s Franco Morbidelli says he was “scared” by the pace MotoGP Aragon Grand Prix winner Alex Rins displayed on his Suzuki in the early stages of Sunday’s race. Morbidelli ran in third on the opening two laps of the Aragon GP before Rins passed him on the third tour at Turn 1, with the Suzuki rider leaping up from 10th on the grid. The SRT rider would fall victim to the sister Suzuki of Joan Mir in the following laps, before eventually finishing sixth after LCR’s Takaaki Nakagami pipped him for fifth late on. The Suzuki often produces stronger pace over the second half of races compared to its rivals due to its excellent tyre preservation, but generally takes a few laps at the start to settle into strong pace.

However, after seeing Rins come by him in Suzuki’s “mode” so early, Morbidelli says “you have to be scared”.

“I saw a Suzuki in a really good shape in this race,” Morbidelli said. “When you see them in their ‘mode’ so early in the race, you have to be scared. “I was scared because I was expecting the Suzukis, but not this early in the race. Rins overtook me on, I think, the third lap - I was impressed by that. “What you see when you’re behind them is they have unbelievable grip and unbelievable drive out of the corners, and they are able just to ride on a different level compared to you.” AGENCIES

task is to collect as many points as I can in a bid to put as much distance between myself and the chasing pack ahead of next season.

“I want to go down in history as the world number one with the most weeks at the top of the ATP Tour and I will do all I can to make it happen.

“Whether Nadal plays in Paris or not changes nothing because it’s all in my hands.”

Djokovic, who claimed his 17th major honour when he won this year’s Australian Open, was confident upcoming Serbian talents would follow in his footsteps one day.

“The last 10 or 15 years have been fruitful and the success has yielded players like Laslo Djere, Miomir Kecmanovic and Hamad Medjedovic. It’s great to see our youngsters winning tournaments,” he said.

Federer pain-free and on track for Australian Open AGENCIES Roger Federer is practising pain-free after undergoing two knee surgeries this year and says he expects to return to the circuit at the Australian Open in January.

The 39-year-old Swiss reached the semi-finals at Melbourne Park at the start of the year but missed the rest of the season after undergoing a second arthroscopic procedure on his right knee.

“I’m on the right track,” the 20 times Grand Slam singles champion told German-language magazine Schweizer Illustrierte.

“I’m gradually coming back but I’m going to take my time and don’t want to put any pressure on myself. I will only take part in a tournament when I am 100% fit.

“At the moment, it looks like I can make my

comeback at the Australian Open in January.”

While he has made significant progress in his recovery he says he is still not at the point where he can train as normal.

“Not yet, more than two hours with the racket are not possible at the moment,” said Federer, who is currently ranked fourth in the world and saw Rafa Nadal equal his Grand Slam haul with a 13th French Open title this month.

“But I’ve been working on my stamina and strength absolutely without pain for a while. There will be no further operations.”

Federer is often asked about his retirement plans but the Swiss said he would keep playing as long as he was enjoying it.

“I have been thinking about ideas for about five years,” he added. “But as long as I am having fun and it’s right for all of us, I’ll keep going.”

Nadal hints he’ll play at Paris Masters Rafael Nadal signaled Tuesday that he’ll play at the Paris Masters in November. Nadal, the No. 2 player in the world, said after winning the French Open this month he wasn’t sure if he’d compete again in 2020. But his post to Twitter on Tuesday indicates he’s made up his mind and will play in Paris. “It’s indoor season time... this picture was earlier today practicing at the @rnadalacademy,” he captioned the photo posted to Twitter. “And yes... getting ready for #ParisBercy.”

Playing in Paris means Nadal, 34, also is likely to extend his season by competing in the ATP Finals in London, which begin Nov. 15. Nadal has played in the event nine times — he also opted not to play six times that he qualified — but lost twice in the final. With 20 Grand Slam titles and an Olympic gold medal, it is the biggest singles title the Spaniard hasn’t won. AGENCIES

‘QuicklY weNt DowNhill’: AuStRAliAN MotoGP GReAt ReveAlS Shock DiAGNoSiS Australian motorsport great Casey Stoner has revealed he has been diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in an eye-opening interview with Channel Nine. Stoner, a twotime Moto GP world champion who won in 2007 and 2011, won 38 races from 115 starts in a top-flight career that spanned six years. Since his 2012 retirement from MotoGP, Stoner bounced around between various other motorcycling commitments as well as a cameo in Supercars sub-category the Dunlop Super 2 series. The 35-year-old’s final stint as a test rider for Ducati wrapped up in 2017. Speaking to the TODAY show, Stoner said he first began feeling symptoms of the syndrome, for which there is no cure, in 2018. “I very quickly went downhill and started to get some extreme symptoms and struggled to get out of bed and get to the couch,” he said. “Because people can’t see it, it’s not a physical element that people can see, so people aren’t taking it as serious. “They all just go, ‘you’re a bit tired, get up’. “Currently we have no cure. We don’t have enough information on things that can help. “The amount of positive feedback I’ve had since coming out and telling the public that I have ME/CFS - it’s nice to know people are out there willing to help recognise and understand the situation isn’t good for people. “I hope other people out in the world can get support and this is what we’re doing.” AGENCIES

Repsol renews title partnership with Honda in MotoGP AGENCIES Spanish oil giant Repsol has confirmed a two-year extension of its title sponsorship of the Honda MotoGP team, beginning from 2021.

The Repsol Honda tie-up has been one of motorsport’s most enduring partnerships, with HRC’s factory squad first featuring Repsol branding back in 1995.

Since then, the Repsol Honda partnership has celebrated 15 riders’ championships courtesy of Mick Doohan, Alex Criville, Valentino Rossi, Nicky Hayden, Casey Stoner and Marc Marquez.

Rumours emerged from the MotoGP paddock in recent weeks that Repsol would not be renewing its deal with Honda, with speculation suggesting a possible title partnership between HRC and one of its current primary sponsors Red Bull.

However, Motorsport.com revealed last week this was not the case and a new two-year deal between Repsol and Honda was set to be signed imminently. Honda officially announced this on Tuesday.

HRC President Yoshishige Nomura said: “It is always a great feeling to extend our partnership with Repsol, this time for a further two years.

“Together we have achieved incredible success and formed a partnership which is unique in motorsport.

“Working as one we have, and will continue,

to overcome all obstacles and hardships which are presented to us.

“2020 has been a difficult year for the world, but together with Repsol we have continued to work towards our goals.

“We are now looking forward to continuing this journey together and writing many more pages in the history of grand prix racing.”

The 2020 season has largely been a tough campaign with Honda, compounded by the absence of reigning six-time world champion Marc Marquez due to a broken arm sustained in a crash in July’s Spanish Grand Prix.

However, its fortunes have been transformed in recent weeks courtesy of rookie Alex Marquez.

The younger Marquez brother scored his maiden podium and Honda’s first of the season in the wet French GP, before following this up with a second in the dry at Aragon after putting pressure on Alex Rins for the victory.

Marquez lifts himself up to 12th in the standings on 67 points and has drawn level with KTM’s Brad Binder in the battle for top rookie honours in 2020.

Next year, Honda will field a revised line-up of Marc Marquez and current KTM rider Pol Espargaro, while Alex Marquez will move to LCR with full factory support from HRC. Marc Marquez is not expected to return to action now until November’s European Grand Prix at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit near Valencia.

Yamaha says Rossi will not be replaced for second Aragon MotoGP round MotoGP team Yamaha decided against entering a replacement rider in place of Valentino Rossi for the upcoming Gran Premio de Teruel. Last Thursday, the ninetime world champion returned a positive Covid-19 test after he underwent two tests after he woke up reporting sore bones and a slight fever. The results, which made him the first MotoGP rider to test positive for the coronavirus, saw him miss Sunday’s Aragon Grand Prix. “Due to Italian law, Valentino Rossi will be unable to attend the Gran Premio de Teruel event,” the team said in a statement.

“Yamaha has carefully weighed their options and decided not to enter a replacement rider to substitute for Rossi for the upcoming Gran Premio de Teruel. This decision was based on the high stress that is put on Yamaha’s MotoGP project members during this Covid-19 influenced season.”

The event is due to take place between October 23-25 but Rossi will still be in quarantine by then. Health rules in Italy dictate that any person who tests positive for Covid-19 must be in self-isolation for 10 days from the moment of the test; Rossi was tested on the morning of October 15.

Rossi still must also test negative thereafter, Yamaha added, to guarantee that he can return to competing. “Therefore, the earliest that Rossi can participate in a MotoGP event will be at the Gran Premio de Europa, held at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia on 6th - 8th November.” There had been speculation that Rossi would be replaced for the race by test rider Jorge Lorenzo. However, his Spanish teammate Maverick Viñales will now race solo. “During next week’s Gran Premio de Teruel, Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP will be fully focusing its efforts on supporting Maverick Viñales,” the statement said. The 41year-old is currently 14th in the MotoGP standings on 58 points, 63 behind overall leader Joan Mir of Spain who rides for Suzuki. AGENCIES

Elite Euro-soccer league is an ill-timed challenge LONDON AGENCIES

When your team is struggling, it pays to play safe. The owners of Europe’s elite soccer clubs appear to be doing the opposite by discussing a new super league amid a major financial crisis for the sport. The audacious move, as reported by Sky News, carries huge financial and political risks.

It’s an old idea that has been given new impetus by Covid-19, which emptied stadiums, forced top clubs to give up some of their juicy broadcasting income, and

pushed smaller teams to the brink. In theory, a new league with frequent mega-matchups like Bayern Munich vs. Barcelona would draw bigger international audiences than the current arrangement, where they often play small local sides. According to Sky, JPMorgan would provide $6 billion of debt funding for the new league, which would comprise up to 18 top sides. That would function as a bridging loan until the new broadcasting income lands, so that the FIFA-backed competition could offer clubs some guaranteed cash.

It might not be enough. Assume that, as with the UEFA Champions League, 9% of incoming cash goes to-

CMYK

wards overheads. The amount guaranteed for each club, spread over a typical three-season package, would be about $100 million per year. That’s puny compared with the $315 million broadcast income Manchester United raked in over its 2019 financial year. The upshot is that big clubs might need more guaranteed cash to side with a project that could destroy their existing sources of revenue. Admittedly, the broadcast income might eventually surpass JPMorgan’s $6 billion guarantee. But owners like John Henry, who founded Liverpool parent company Fenway Sports, would be taking a risky punt on that front.

Europe’s pay-TV and telecommunication groups, the

sport’s traditional cash cows, have been cutting spending on broadcast rights for years, while streaming giants like Amazon.com have only made tentative moves.

Henry and other owners, like Manchester United’s Glazer family, also risk making themselves into political punch bags. The move would concentrate even more income into the hands of a few top sides, leaving behind a weaker domestic system that’s already under strain from the pandemic. Politicians might extract a price, such as windfall taxes on the big teams or enforced payments to struggling small sides. In other words, a European elite soccer league looks like a painfully mistimed tackle.

Thursday, 22 October, 2020

PrAyEr TImINGS

NEWS

GlObAl POwErs Push TO End nAGOrnO-KArAbAKh fiGhTinG YEREVAN

A

AGENCIES

RMENIA’s president headed to Brussels for talks with the European Union and NATO military alliance on Wednesday in a renewed drive to end the heaviest fighting since the 1990s over the mountain enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh.

As part of a wide diplomatic push from major global powers, the Azeri and Armenian foreign ministers also flew to Moscow for talks with Russia, which has brokered two ceasefires but failed to end clashes killing hundreds of people in the last month.

The warring sides’ foreign ministers then go to Washington for talks on Friday involving U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, which has raised hopes of a breakthrough.

Both sides reported new fighting on Wednesday in and around NagornoKarabakh, a breakaway territory within

Azerbaijan that is populated and controlled by ethnic Armenians.

Azerbaijan denied one of its military planes was shot down.

The fighting has raised fears of a wider war in the South Caucasus drawing in Russia and Turkey, an ally of Azerbaijan, and increased concern about the security of pipelines in Azerbaijan that carry Azeri gas and oil to world markets.

Armenian President Armen Sarkissian was due to meet NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and European Council President Charles Michel in Brussels, his office said.

“It is expected that the leadership of NATO and the European organisations will do everything possible to stop Azerbaijan’s and NATO-member Turkey’s military actions, which will help bring to life the ceasefire agreements,” it said.

Armenia, which has a defence pact with Russia, has accused Turkey of sending mercenaries to fight in the conflict.

Turkey has denied this, and says it has no direct role in the fighting. But its tough rhetoric has increased strains in relations with Russia and with Turkey’s NATO allies, who have ignored Azeri calls for Ankara to have a peacemaking role.

FIGHTING RAGES: Azerbaijan says Armenian forces are the aggressors in the conflict, and its main condition for ending fighting is an Armenian withdrawal from Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia rules this out and accuses Azerbaijan of making a land grab.

Azeri Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov flew to Moscow for “consultations with the Russian side”, and Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan was due to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. It was unclear if the foes’ ministers would meet directly.

Mediation has for decades been led by Russia, France and the United States under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) security and rights watchdog. Its so-called

Minsk Group is also expected to be represented at Friday’s talks in Washington.

In the latest flareups, Azerbaijan said an Armenian regiment had been “forced out of action” and that fighting continued in several areas near the line of contact in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Armenian defence ministry spokeswoman Shushan Stepanyan said the town of Martakert in Nagorno-Karabakh was under heavy fire.

The sides’ reports are often contradictory and hard to verify. Each accuses the other of attacking civilian targets and aid groups fear a humanitarian crisis.

Azerbaijan says its forces, which are boosted by increased military spending in the past few years and are making heavy use of drones, have made territorial gains.

Nagorno-Karabakh says it has repeatedly repulsed attacks and that the situation is under control despite the worst bloodshed since violence broke out as the Soviet Union collapsed, resulting in a war that killed about 30,000 people.

Khashoggi’s fiancee, rights group sue MBS for journalist’s murder CPJ condemns India's move to shut down prominent newspaper in occupied Kashmir The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on Wednesday slammed authorities in India-occupied Kashmir for shutting down the Srinagar office of The Kashmir Times (KT) — a leading English daily and one of the oldest newspapers of the disputed region. Taking to Twitter, CPJ, which is based in New York, called upon the authorities to stop trying to silence “independent and critical voices”, after the paper’s premises were shut down. “We condemn the ongoing targeting and harassment of @AnuradhaBhasin_ (the newspaper’s editor) and The Kashmir Times.

Authorities must stop trying to silence independent and critical voices and should respect press freedom,” CPJ said. In her tweet, Anuradha Bhasin, editor of The Kashmir Times, said that the authorities sealed the newspaper’s office without giving any prior notice.

“Today, Estates Deptt locked our office without any due process of cancellation & eviction, the same way as I was evicted from a flat in Jammu, where my belongings including valuables were handed over to ‘new allottee’!,” Ms Bhasin said. “Vendetta for speaking out!

No due process followed. How peevish!,” she added.

The KT’s closure followed a similar incident on Saturday when the Indian authorities sealed the office of a leading news agency of the region, the Kashmir News Service (KNS). The action against media offices and journalists is part of the broader crackdown that followed India’s illegal move to end the special status of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5 last year.

Following the move, several Kashmiri political leaders were arrested and 13,000 Kashmiri youth detained, many of whom were reportedly tortured. AGENCIES

WASHINGTON AGENCIES

Hatice Cengiz, the fiancee of late Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, has filed a lawsuit in the United States against Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) over the journalist’s grisly murder.

Cengiz and a rights group founded by Khashoggi before his death filed the lawsuit in a Washington, DC District Court against MBS and more than two dozen other top Saudi officials, seeking damages for his killing in Istanbul in 2018.

It alleges that Khashoggi was the victim of a ruse that began in Riyadh’s US embassy when he went there to secure documents to marry Cengiz.

The lawsuit claims the “plan to permanently silence Khashoggi by murdering him was put in mo-

tion no later than the summer of 2018” by MBS and other Saudi officials named in the document.

The plan was crafted after the defendants allegedly learned of Khashoggi’s plans to use Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), the rights group he founded, “as a platform to espouse democratic reform and promote human rights”, the suit continues.

It accuses MBS and Saudi officials of having “manufactured an opportunity to murder him” in which Saudi officials in the Washington Embassy told Khashoggi he could not receive the documents in the US, and would instead have to travel to Istanbul to get them at the Saudi consulate there.

“This fatal misdirection took place in the United States and was part of the overall conspiracy intended to have a direct impact on Khashoggi’s political activities in the United States. Defendants and

their co-conspirators orchestrated these actions with the intention of murdering Khashoggi,” the lawsuit alleges.

Khashoggi was ultimately killed in the consulate in Istanbul in October 2018, and his remains have not been found.

Saudi Arabia acknowledges its agents killed Khashoggi but blames it on a botched rendition operation that was executed without MBS’s consent, an explanation excoriated by critics who doubt the killing could have been conducted without the direct knowledge and consent of MBS, the kingdom’s de facto ruler.

The CIA, the US international intelligence service, concluded that MBS directed Khashoggi’s murder, according to reports from the Washington Post, New York Times and BBC. Khashoggi’s killing was internationally condemned. US lawmakers introduced a Senate resolution to blame MBS for Khashoggi’s killing. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has also repeatedly promised to bring the perpetrators to justice.

The lawsuit filed by Cengiz and DAWN seeks significant monetary damages, which it says should be determined by a trial jury.

“I am hopeful that we can achieve truth and justice for Jamal through this lawsuit,” Cengiz said in a statement. “I place my trust in the American civil justice system to give voice to what happened and hold those who did this accountable for their actions.”

FAJR SUNRISE

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Two Muslim women stabbed under Eiffel Tower in Paris Two Muslim women were attacked by female suspects on Tuesday, with one of them getting stabbed six times in the altercation. Paris police have arrested two female suspects in connection with the crime, stating that racist insults were used by the attackers during the confrontation. One of the Muslim women was stabbed six times and ended up with a punctured lung in the hospital. The other had to undergo surgery on her arm because of the attack, according to foreign media reports. The altercation took place after a fight broke out on dogs between the two groups of females. One of the Muslim victims told police that the attackers pulled out a knife and slashed her skull after she was told to put her dog on a leash. Kenza, 49 and Amel, a few years younger than her, spoke to Liberation paper, adding that they became frightened when “two dogs came towards us” in a small, dark park at Eiffel Tower.

“The children got scared. My cousin, who was veiled, asked the two women if it was possible to keep their dogs with them because the children were afraid,” she narrated. Kenza said that after refusing to do so, one of the women took out a knife and slashed her on the skull, back and dealt a blow to her arm as well. “They then attacked my cousin,” she said. One of the two local shop owners there intervened, holding one of the attackers down before police intervened to take both of them into custody.

Eyewitnesses said they heard the attackers hurling racist insults at the frightened victims. The incident follows the beheading of a 47-year-old teacher last week in the country by a man after blasphemous images were shown to a secondary school class.

French Muslims have expressed fears of rising Islamophobia in the country in recent weeks as the government clamped down on mosques and Muslim organisations. AGENCIES

Over a dozen Afghan security personnel killed in attack

KUNDUZ AGENCIES

Close to 25 Afghan security force personnel were killed after they came under attack in the northeast of Afghanistan, officials confirmed on Wednesday.

“Fighting is still continuing and the attackers have also suffered heavy casualties,” Jawad Hejri, a spokesman for the governor of Takhar province told AFP. Takhar provincial health director Abdul Qayoum confirmed the incident but said 34 security personnel had been killed — including the deputy police chief of the province. “These security forces were on their way for an operation in the district when they were attacked,” said Hejri.

EU tells Britain to make up its mind as Brexit deal 'within reach' BRUSSELS AGENCIES

The European Union told Britain on Wednesday to make up its mind on Brexit, putting the onus back on London to unlock trade talks as the bloc’s chief negotiator said an agreement was still within reach with 10 weeks to go.

A frustrated European Union and piqued Britain exhorted each other this week to compromise to avoid a disruptive finale to the five-year Brexit drama that would add to economic pain from the coronavirus crisis.

“Time is very short and we stand ready to negotiate 24/7, on all subjects, on legal texts. The UK has a bit of a decision to make and it’s their free and sovereign choice,” European Council President Charles Michel

told the European Parliament.

He said Britain’s answer would determine its level of access to the EU’s internal market of 450 million consumers. The EU’s Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier told the parliament an agreement was still “within reach”.

“Time is of the essence … Along with our British counterparts, we must find solutions to the most difficult areas,” Barnier said, in comments that pushed sterling higher.

London has this week refused to continue full negotiations, saying the EU must “fundamentally change” its stance.

The bloc sees this as bluff by Prime Minister Boris Johnson but has also extended an olive branch by talking up UK sovereignity, as well as the EU’s readiness to discuss intensively, across the board and on specific legal texts.

A UK spokesman said London noted

“with interest” Barnier’s comments that touch “in a significant way on the issues behind the current difficulties in our talks”.

Barnier and his UK counterpart David Frost were due to talk on the phone at 1400GMT on Wednesday.

Britain, one of Europe’s biggest military powers, has also formally notified the EU of its intention to withdraw from the bloc’s military missions by the end of this year, EU diplomats said on Wednesday, as had been announced by London earlier.

The EU has complained about Britain’s refusal to negotiate a new international security and foreign policy pact. In the meantime, Spain and Italy are stepping up their role in the EU’s 17 missions around the world.

DOORS OPEN: Michel stressed the 27 EU members were ready for an abrupt split with-

out a new agreement to avoid tariffs or quotas with three main sticking points in the negotiations: fishing rights, economic fair play and settling disputes.

“We don’t need words, we need guarantees,” he said of fair competition safeguards.

“Do our British friends want to regulate state aid and uphold high medical standards? If so, why not commit to them.”

Michel called for a “binding, independent arbitration” to redress market distortions swiftly, adding that London’s draft Internal Market Bill – which would undermine Britain’s earlier divorce deal with the EU – only strengthened the bloc’s resolve to ensure tight policing of any new deal.

The bloc’s executive Commission said London must respect its Brexit settlement regardless of the trade talks.

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

Michel said losing access to British waters would damage the EU’s fishing industry, and the bloc therefore wanted to prolong the status-quo just as London sought to keep the EU market open for UK companies.

“But the UK wants access to the single market while at the same time being able to diverge from our standards and regulations when it suits them,” Michel said.

Following Brexit last January, Britain’s current EU trading terms expire in 10 weeks and unfettered commerce will end without a new treaty. Keen to avoid any blame, the bloc is ready to negotiate until mid-November but must then ratify any deal in the European Parliament before time is up.

“Our doors remain open and will remain open until the last day possible,” Barnier said. “But it takes two to reach a deal.”