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Friday, 10 July, 2020 I 18 Dhū al-Qa‘dah, 1441 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XI No 12 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition
EduCational institutions to rEoPEn on sEPt 15 g
institutions allowed to take Pending exaMinations in July
ISLAMABAD staff report
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he federal government on thursday announced to reopen educational institutions across the country, which were closed in March in a bid to curtail the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, from september 15 if “health indicators improved” by the time. the announcement comes a day after an inter-provincial education ministers’ conference presided by federal Minister for education shafqat Mahmood decided to reopen schools in the first week of september. addressing a press conference on
Pakistan
CONFIRMED CASES:
242,740
NEW CASES:
61
3,359
RECOVERED:
DEATHS:
SINDH:
PUNJAB:
145,311 5,032 100,900
84,587
KP:
BALOCHISTAN:
AJK/GB:
ISLAMABAD:
29,406
ensuring soPs a Must, violation to result in cancellations of tests, warns Minister
thursday, Mahmood said: “the opening of schools would be delayed if the crisis persists.” the minister further said the government will lay out the standard operating procedures (soPs) that will be followed after educational institutions are opened. since the government is considering the opening of educational institutions, he said, schools will be allowed to call in staff. however, he said that staff will have to be trained and briefed about the soPs. Mahmood further said that the educational institutions that had to delay examinations due to the pandemic will be allowed to schedule pending tests in July. he said that the government will also relax
Coronavirus in
DAY'S DEATH TOLL:
g
11,052
1,459/1,605 13,731
certain restrictions on the holding of important examinations such as entry tests for admission into universities. the minister, however, asserted that soPs will have to be followed or the government will cancel the examinations. these soPs would include arranging tests in the open air and ensuring distance between desks/chairs. according to him, universities had requested permission to accommodate Phd students by allowing them to come to universities. “however they [universaties] decide to call students, the government leaves it up to them,” he said. commenting upon the issues attached to the holding of online classes, Mahmood acknowledged that students in remote areas were indeed a victim of technological backwardness. the minister had suggested on wednesday that two more meetings before september 1 will be held to further discuss the issue at hand and after consultation with the provinces, a proposal will be forwarded to the national coordinating committee (ncc) for a final decision. PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN SINDH TO OPERATE IN THREE SHIFTS: responding to the decision to reopen schools, the all Private schools association sindh announced to hold classes in three shifts with each shift spanning three hours to ensure social distancing. speaking to media, association’s president tariq shah said soPs will be enforced to ensure protection from the disease. under the soPs, he said, seating arrangements, movement, recess timings will be defined. shah, however, lamented that the private schools were directed to collect only 35 percent of the total fee from a student which was making it difficult for the administration to cover their expenses.
carelessness on eid can worsen covid-19 situation, imran warns g
PM says recent sPike a result of ‘carelessness’ shown on eidul fitr but cases now declining ISLAMABAD staff report
while urging the nation to mark the upcoming eidul azha with simplicity and to adopt precautions, Prime Minister imran khan on thursday warned that carelessness can ruin the hard work done to curtail the coronavirus spread and result in another spike with the emergence of fresh cases. speaking to the media after inaugurating the isolation hospital & infectious treatment centre in islamabad, the premier regretted that the recent wave of the pandemic was the result of “carelessness” shown on the occasion of eidul fitr in May. “the peak led to pressure on our hospitals, our frontline workers also faced immense pressure, [and] we, unfortunately, lost lives,” he said. “after eid, we took steps to contain the virus, including smart lockdowns […] today, infections are decreasing. by the grace of the almighty, the national command
LHC orders formation of high-level commission to hold petrol inquiry LAHORE staff report
the lahore high court (lhc) on thursday directed the government to form a high-level commission to hold an inquiry into the fuel crisis that recently affected the country amid the coronavirus pandemic. the lhc bench, under chief Justice Qasim ali khan, heard the case related to the recent fuel shortage and hoarding of petroleum products that led to a hike in petroleum prices. the court, while ordering the constitution of a commission to probe the matter, asked the attorney general to submit names in this regard. the lhc top judge remarked that if the ag failed to submit names of suitable candidates, then the high court will recommend the appropriate persons for the commission. “i need strong people in the commission, if anyone tries to hide the government record then strict action will be taken [against them],” he said in an apparent warning. during the hearing, the lhc chief justice said that the secretary to the prime minister holds a big position and he has been showing dereliction of duty.
and operation centre (ncoc), provinces’ cooperation in implementing the instructions — due to the joint efforts of everyone, Pakistan is now among those countries where infections are declining.” “today, i want to make a special appeal to you all. if we are careless on eidul azha, the virus could spread again and there could be a fresh spike in the number of infections. again, the hospitals will come under pressure. so i’m appealing to you all to mark this eid with simplicity.” imran said the government has devised standard operating procedures (soPs) for the upcoming eid as to how to carry out animal sacrifices. “i appeal to the entire nation to observe this eid with simplicity — for the sake of your country, its economy and especially the elderly and at-risk members of the society. “if we take care now, then we can manage, god willing, to come out of this pandemic better than other countries.”
CONTINUED ON PAGE 05
more inside
Centre to address Karachi’s power woes in ‘record time’, govt vows STORY ON PAGE 03
sc sees no improvement in railway operations STORY ON BACK PAGE “Principal secretary to PM runs the government, and the establishment also, despite being called four times he does not appear (before the court), this is the height of bad governance,” he said. the court warned that if the government did not give a satisfactory response in relation to the shortage of fuel across the country, then it will raise questions of its claims of good governance in the order. noting that the crisis surfaced during the current government’s tenure, the lhc ordered formation of an inquiry commission and adjourned the hearing until July 16.
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the petrol and fuel crisis hit the country at the beginning of the last month, after which Prime Minister imran khan had ordered an investigation into the shortage issue. the preliminary report, released in the mid of June, had held private oil companies responsible for ‘black marketing’ and hoarding of petroleum products, recommending strict action against them. earlier, the government had fined six oil marketing companies (oMcs) with rs40 million for their non-compliance with storage requirements, causing fuel shortage amid the lockdown in the country.
Ruckus in NA over Karachi power outages, Uzair Baloch JIT report STORY ON PAGE 03
cPi inflation hits 8.2pc yoy in May: sbP STORY ON BACK PAGE
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Friday, 10 July, 2020
NEWS
SSGC formulateS two-day plan to end power load SheddinG in KaraChi ISLAMABAD
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AHMAD AHMADANI
HE Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGC) has announced a two-day gas load management plan, wherein it would divert additional gas to K-Electric to reduce power load shedding in the port city. According to sources, the SSGC would halt its supply to general industries and their captive power plants (CPPs) and divert the same to KE so as to address power shortage issues in Karachi and its adjoining areas. They said that general industries, including CPPs and CNG stations, would suffer
THE COMPANY WILL HALT GAS SUPPLY TO GENERAL INDUSTRIES AND THEIR CAPTIVE POWER PLANTS AND DIVERT THE SAME TO K-ELECTRIC badly due to the suspension of gas supply under the SSGC’s load management plan. Sources said that KE had been demanding 280-300mmcfd of gas from SSGC to meet its needs for power generation, while the company was only being able to arrange a maximum of 250mmcfd gas for KE. The average shortfall of 50-60mmcfd was causing load-shedding for the KE consumers, sources said. It may be noted that the government had
murad says rs229m released under rain emergency arrangements KARACHI PPI
Under the World Bank Solid Waste Emergency and Efficiency Projects (SWEEP) worth $11 million, a pre-drone survey of all the 38 nullahs of KMC has been conducted while environmental and socio-economic management survey of nullahs and dump sites is being conducted as per the bank's requirement. This was disclosed in a meeting held with Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in the chair. The meeting was attended by Minister Local Government Nasir Shah, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, PSCM Sajid Jamal Abro, Secretary Local Government Roshan Shaikh, Secretary Finance Hassan Naqvi, PD Competitive and Livable City of Karachi (CLICK) Zubair Channa and others. The Sindh chief minister said that under rain emergency arrangements, he had released Rs229 million and placed the funds at the disposal of all divisional commissioners. “I had issued directives through the chief secretary to all the DCs and MCs to clean the nullahs and make necessary arrangements for disposal of rain water.” He added that the commissioner Karachi requested for additional funds of Rs30 million which had also been released. The minister local government said that Rain Emergency Cells had been established at offices of LG Department, commissioners, DCs, and at all Municipal Committees and 1,093 complaint centres had been established. The chief minister said that the World Bank (WB) had agreed to invest $100 million for improvement of solid waste system in Karachi. It may be noted that the SWEEP was conceived in November 2019. The project includes improvement of garbage transfer stations as per international standards, the establishment of modern landfill site at Dhabeji, upgradation of Jam Chakro Landfill site, emergency intervention to clean nullahs of Karachi, which served as main sewage carrier of city and are being undertaken. SWEEP has an allocation of $11.0 million for the emergency component. SOLID WASTE COLLECTION AND DISPOSAL SYSTEM: Briefing the chief minister, PD CLICK Project Zubair Channa said that the concept note of SWEEP Project was approved by the Planning Commission on June 8, 2020. On the recommendation of WB and as a stop-gap arrangement CLICK was assigned the task of SWEEP. The CLICK was authorized to undertake Nullahs cleaning exercise as defined in the SWEEP. At this, the chief minister said that the Sindh government was investing $8 million from its resources which would be retro-effectively reimbursed by the WB. Channa said that the permission of opening assignment account had been given by finance department as well as Sindh AG. The National Bank would issue an account number by Monday. The methodology adopted: Zubair Channa told the chief minister that the methodology adopted for payment to the contractors was quite transparent and foolproof.
recently advised SSGC to ensure gas supply to KE, despite the fact that KE has still not cleared its liabilities of more than Rs111 billion to SSGC. An official of SSGC, on the condition of anonymity, said that SSGC’s average gas demand from all categories of gas consumers was around 1350mmcfd for summer season and 1500mmcfd for winters. “However, at present, the SSGC system gas has around 1,000mmcfd of gas and there
is a shortfall of 300mmcfd. The CPPs are taking around 100-200mmcfd while the CNG sector is consuming 100mmcfd. This gas load management plan is a temporary one and will end on Sunday. We hope the situation will improve very soon,” he added. According to a copy of SSGC’s letter to the industrial sector associations, "All general industries including their CPPs will remain closed for 24 hours starting from Sunday at 8:00am to Monday till 8:00am.
Govt committed to providing funds for Karachi Bulk Water Supply Project, says Asad Umar THE PROJECT WAS LAUNCHED IN 2007 AND HAS FACED SEVERAL DELAYS SINCE THAN STAFF REPORT ISLAMABAD
The Minister for Planning Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar on Thursday said that the federal government is committed to providing its share of funds and taking all measures needed to expedite the execution of bulk water supply project, K-IV, in Karachi. The minister said that the federal government is awaiting response from the Sindh government over agreed funding arrangements for the execution of the project. Asad Umar expressed these views during a meeting with the Sindh Governor Imran Ismail held in Islamabad to discuss matters related to work on on-going projects under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) in Sindh. The bulk water supply project was launched in 2007 when Syed Qaim Ali Shah was the chief minister of Sindh. The contract of the project was awarded to the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) by Jam Khan Shoro who was the Sindh local government minister at the time. Later, Saeed Ghani, while being the Sindh local government minister, awarded a third party contract to
NESPAK aimed at pointing out flaws in the project. Due to the delays in project implementation, the cost of the project has increased manifolds. During the meeting Asad Umar also vowed to expeditiously complete other projects aimed at addressing civic and mobility issues in Karachi. He assured the Sindh governor that the federal government would provide full support to the development efforts of the Sindh government. The governor informed the federal minister regarding various development activities being undertaken by the Sindh Infrastructure Development Company (SIDCL) and assured that the projects being executed by the company will be completed on time. Meanwhile Asad Umar also chaired a meeting pertaining to Prime Minister’s (PM) Kamyab Jawan Programme for establishing utility store franchises across Pakistan. The meeting was attended by Minister for Industries Hammad Azhar, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Youth Affairs Muhammad Usman Dar, Utility Stores Corporation managing director and senior officials of the government. Usman Dar informed the meeting that about 250,000 applicants who
applied for loans under the PM Kamyab Jawan Programme are interested in opening up retail stores. He said that loans under the programme can be extended to the already established franchises and also for setting up new franchises under the umbrella of the Utility Stores Corporation. Asad Umar said that phase two of the PM Kamyab Jawan Programme in collaboration with the Ministry of Industries will provide loans for the establishment of utility store franchises. He said that lending to such franchises has the dual benefit of ensuring that loans are secured and that these stores would play a role in stabilizing the market. He further said that the existence of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system is a prerequisite for successfully monitoring and running such stores. Minister for Industries Hammad Azhar said that his ministry would assess the proposed plan of lending to about 1,000 operational franchises under the Utility Stores Corporation and also work on presenting a model for establishing new stores. He added that lending would be scaled up once a pilot project is successfully launched.
Verdict reserved on contempt plea against Vawda ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday reserved its verdict on a contempt of court petition against Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda. A petition was filed in the high court in January seeking Vawda’s disqualification for allegedly concealing his US nationality at the time of filing his nomination papers to contest the 2018 general elections. Taking up the petition, the court had asked the min-
ister to submit a response. However, the minister failed to comply with the order. A subsequent petition seeking contempt of court proceedings against the minister was filed on Wednesday. After the hearing, presided over by IHC Justice Aamir Farooq, the high court reserved its verdict. A report published in January had claimed that Vawda was an American national at the time of filing nomination papers. He submitted his nomination papers on June 11, 2018, which were approved by the election body a week later on June 18, the report had
said. However, the PTI MP applied for the renunciation of his nationality with the US consulate at Karachi four days after the fact on June 22, 2018, the report had revealed.
Gas companies to provide over 0.54m new connections in FY21 ISLAMABAD APP
The two state-owned gas companies -- Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) and Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC), would provide around 549,821 new connections to domestic, commercial and industrial consumers during the current fiscal year (FY21). According to the Annual Plan 2020-21,
SNGPL would add 405,450 consumers to its network, including 400,000 domestic, 5,000 commercial and 450 industrial, while SSGC would give 144,371 new connections, including 143,023 domestic, 1,164 commercial and 184 industrial. During the previous fiscal (FY20), the companies awarded 430,145 connections of different nature, slightly exceeding the target of 425,548. Of the total, SNGPL had provided 300,000 domestic, 5,000 com-
mercial and 450 industrial connections (100pc achievement against the target of 305,450), whereas SSGC gave connections to 123,900 domestic, 700 commercial and 95 industrial consumers (exceeding 3pc against the overall target of 120,098). In addition, the two companies had also laid 5,005km additional supply and distribution lines in their respective areas to reinforce their transmission network across the country. Of the total, SNGPL laid 4,155km
CMYK
while SSGC 850km. For the current fiscal year, the SNGPL has set the target to lay 6,965km transmission and distribution lines, while SSGC would expand its network by 1,418km. Pakistan has an extensive network of over 12,971km transmission, 139,827km distribution and 37,058km services gas pipelines to provide the commodity to more than 9.6 million consumers across the country.
Similarly, all CPPs of general industries will remain closed on Friday (10 July) and Saturday (11 July). Furthermore, CNG sector will remain closed on Friday i-e July 10 from 8:00am to 8:00am on Sunday i-e July 12. However, any change will be communicated well in time." ‘NOT THE SOLUTION’: Meanwhile, All Pakistan CNG Association Chairman Ghiyas Paracha has rejected the decision to divert gas to KE, saying that this was not the solution. He said the CNG sector was already facing colossal losses owing to the ban on transport after the spread of Covid-19. “It is deplorable that gas is being diverted to the power sector, which can manage its operation through furnace oil.” Moreover, speaking in the National Assembly on Thursday, Power Division Minister Umar Ayub Khan confirmed that gas of 300mmcfd would be provided to KE from different sources to generate 200MW. “At present, 100180mmcfd of gas is being supplied to Karachi, besides 100MW of electricity from the national grid.”
Qureshi rubbishes death rumours after hacking of wikipedia page ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who last week contracted Covid-19, has dispelled rumours about his health after his Wikipedia profile was edited, saying “there was no truth to them” and that he was “doing well”. In a statement issued on Thursday, the Foreign Office said that “mischievous” elements had edited Qureshi’s profile on the site. “Many complications were created, and it caused distress to my loved ones and family members,” the foreign minister said in a separate statement, adding that he also started receiving phone calls. “There is no truth to these reports, and I am doing well,” the foreign minister said. While Qureshi did not specify the changes that were made, the page’s history showed that the edits were made on July 5 to reflect that the foreign minister had died on July 4. “We strongly condemn attempts by mischievous elements to hack [the] Wikipedia page of the foreign minister & spread rumours on social media about his health & wellbeing,” said FO spokesperson Aisha Farooqui in a tweet. “By the grace of Almighty Allah, [Qureshi] is recovering fast. Everyone’s prayers, from Pakistan & abroad, are deeply appreciated.” Qureshi had tested positive for the coronavirus on July 3. In a tweet, he had said that he had quarantined himself after having a slight fever.
na panel laments delay in formulation of ZtBl board ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
The National Assembly's Standing Committee on Finance was informed on Thursday that the formulation of the Zarai Taraqiati Bank Ltd's Board was being delayed as the proposed nominations were sent to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) for security clearance. The committee expressed displeasure over the procedural delay by SBP and directed the finance special secretary to intervene into the matter and present a summary in this regard to the prime minister at the earliest. The meeting was held under the chairmanship of MNA Faizullah. Meanwhile, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Member (Inland Revenue) Dr Muhammad Ashfaq Ahmed briefed the committee about refunds issued by the FBR with regard to income and sales tax. The committee expressed satisfaction on the presentation given by the member, directing the FBR to expedite refund procedures so that the business community could be facilitated. The committee also sought the details of pending refunds before 2014. Moreover, Member (IR Policy) Dr Hamid Attique briefed the committee regarding the expected collection of revenues in the budget 2020-21. He said that FBR would achieve the target without imposing any new taxes during the year. The committee recommended that a special package should be provided to the families of 31 martyrs of FBR who recently died on duty. It directed the FBR chairman to provide incentives to those FBR employees who have worked hard during budget 2020-21. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection Dr Sania Nishter on the occasion briefed the committee about the Ehsaas Programme launched by the government for distribution of funds to vulnerable families in Pakistan.
Friday, 10 July, 2020
NEWS
Centre to addreSS KaraChi'S power woeS in 'reCord time', Govt vowS ISLAMABAD
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STAFF REPORT
INISTER for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar on Thursday assured that the federal government would improve the power transmission and distribution system in Karachi in “record time”, saying lacks in the system were behind increased load shedding in the metropolis. Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly, Umar said the main reason behind a weak distribution and transmission system was the apathy of previous governments. “The work they [previous governments] did not do then is being done now. “The cabinet committee on energy called emergency meetings and summoned officials from KE, National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra), and the National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC). Agreements were made and implementation will be done in record time,” he said. Umar said the opposition had termed the K-Electric chairperson as a “mafia”, adding that they were giving the impression that the power utility had been privatised during the PTI government. “It was privatised during the PML-Q government. Then the PPP was in government for five years and Raja Pervez Ashraf was prime minister. [The PPP] should tell us why they let such a corrupt outfit run the company. Then PML-N came into power. We will ask Khawaja Asif who was the then energy minister why they did not take action for five years.” The planning minister said his government was being told that the PPP could end load shedding within six months if the power utility was handed over to them. Referring to the Pakistan People’s
Party’s government in Zulfikar Bhutto’s era, he recalled how there was no electricity in Karachi the entire night and they found out in the morning that there had been a coup and General Zia had taken over. “They have been involved in load shedding for 35 years,” he said. Explaining what he said was the reason behind excessive load shedding in Karachi, the minister said Karachi’s power needs kept increasing over time but previous governments did not take any step to either increase electricity production in Karachi or to create a system to import it from elsewhere in country. “Power plants kept increasing throughout the country but Karachi could not take electricity from them because the transmission and distribution system to do that was not created.” Umar claimed that the energy minister in the previous government (Khawaja Asif), when asked about load shedding in Karachi had said that the city was “not his problem”. “The PTI government says Karachi is ours and Pakistan is not complete without it,” Umar said.
Justice isa's wife submits assets details to fBr ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court Justice Qazi Faez Isa’s wife Sarina Isa on Thursday appeared before the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and handed over documents related to her assets. The Isas’ assets have become the subject of debate ever since a presidential reference was filed against Justice Isa for not declaring all his assets. Justice Isa challenged the reference and said his wife and adult children had their own assets and he was not responsible for them. Sarina presented the proof of her ownership of those assets to Inland Revenue Commissioner Zulfiqar Ahmed. On June 18, she revealed details of her London properties to the Supreme Court while recording her statement via video link. According to the judge, his wife and children, have on their names three properties in the W2, E10 and E11 areas of London. “I faced many difficulties to get the record of these three properties in my name,” she had told the court. The properties were purchased between 2003 to 2013 and banks don’t keep records of more than 10 years. She revealed that she bought one property for £23,600 in 2004, another for £270,000, which is under her and her daughter’s name, and the third one for £245,000 in 2013. Her son lives in one of the properties and has put the other two on rent. The money for the purchase was sent from her foreign currency bank account to London. The money was transferred to an account which is only in my name, she added. Sarina had shared that she married Justice Isa on December 25, 1980. “My mother is Spanish and I have a Spanish passport too,” she added.
Umar was responding to a call attention notice by PPP members, who had drawn attention of Minister for Energy Omar Ayub Khan to “unprecedented and unscheduled” load shedding in Karachi by KE and the failure of NEPRA to take prompt action in this regard. PPP’s Agha Rafiullah said that the federal government was supplying furnace oil, gas and even power from the national grid to KE but the people of Karachi were still suffering. “The members of the ruling PTI have been staging protest sit-in outside the KE office. Whose government is it in the country?” he questioned, and added that “if any representative of a province in Nepra is not functioning properly, [the government should] sack him and take action against him.” PPP member of the National Assembly (MNA) Shamim Ara Panhwar claimed that the PPP could resolve the issue in six months, if KE was handed over to the party. Responding to the comments, the energy minister said that the federal government had “forced KE to build a
proper power distribution system”. “Karachi is our city. The people there voted for us. PPP can only see the darkness that PTI is overtaking them [in Karachi].” Khan said that 30mm cubic feet per day (cfd) gas would be given from other cities to Karachi which would be used to produce 200 megawatt of energy. “We are giving 100MW from our national grid. It was the previous government’s responsibility to make a system so we could give electricity through the national grid but they did not give attention to it.” Talking about Rafiullah’s comments about PTI’s protest outside the KE office, Khan said that they were “protesting for the people of their constituency who asked them about load shedding”. Former premier and PPP stalwart Raja Pervez Ashraf, speaking after Umar, said that the PTI government could not continue blaming previous governments for its own shortcomings. “When you give speeches instead of giving a specific answer, you always lay blame on previous governments.” He added that a newly formed government could blame its predecessor for a few months after coming into power but not forever. “[…] Two years have passed. You are being asked when the solution to the problem will be seen and you say we will tell you in two years. The opposition’s primary work is to ask questions about your performance. But when we ask you these questions, you get so offended and angry and forget how to respect. This is very wrong.” Ashraf criticised Umar for “giving the example from 30-year-old history”. He pointed out that the entire board of KE was under the federal government. “NEPRA and energy ministry is also under the federal government and have no members from Sindh. Should they [treasury benches] not answer then?”
Ruckus in NA over Karachi power outages, Uzair Baloch JIT report ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
The National Assembly descended into chaos on Thursday after the government and opposition members scuffled over Karachi’s power outages, K-Electric’s incompetence and the controversial Uzair Baloch Joint Investigative (JIT) report. Protests erupted after a war of words ensued between female Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) lawmakers and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members during Asad Umar’s speech. Female lawmakers from the PPP surrounded the speaker’s dais after Ayub and PTI lawmaker Aslam Khan allegedly used inappropriate words directed at them during the session. The argument started when a call for attention notice was presented in the assembly by PPP over the unannounced load shedding in Karachi by KE. Protests started after a war of word ensued between Ayub and Khan against the female lawmakers of the House. The tensions showed no signs of stopping even after Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri urged the PTI lawmaker to not speak to female lawmakers this way.
“Women, whether they are from the government or opposition, are to be respected,” said Suri. Upon the deputy speaker’s request, PTI lawmaker Khan apologised to the lawmakers and stated that he did not target anyone neither did he take anyone’s name. Federal Minister for Postal Services Murad Saeed read out Uzair Baloch’s confessional statement which resulted in the opposition walking out of the House and a pair of headphones being thrown at him by PPP’s Shazia Soomro. Saeed had said that extortion money collected by Baloch went to former president Asif Ali Zardari
and his sister Faryal Talpur. Reading out Baloch’s confessional statement, Saeed said the gangster had confessed to taking over a notorious gang after Rahman Dacoit was gunned down by police. “Uzair Baloch confessed to police encounters, kidnapping with ransom and attacks on police stations,” he said. “Baloch also confessed to him, Faryal Talpur and Asif Zardari receiving extortion money.” He added, Baloch also confessed to taking over 14 sugar mills, harassing people living around Bilawal House in Karachi enough to ensure 40 houses around it were vacated.
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apS judicial commission submits report in SC ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
The judicial commission formed to investigate the 2014 attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar has submitted its report in the Supreme Court on Thursday, the commission’s spokesperson said. The commission recorded the statements of 101 witnesses and 31 police and other officials of law enforcement agencies for its 3,000-page report. It has been prepared by Justice Muhammad Ibrahim Khan of the Peshawar High Court. Over 140 children and school staffers were gunned down in an attack on the army-run school in Peshawar on December 16, 2014. The attack was claimed by the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. In October 2018, Supreme Court’s former chief justice Saqib Nisar had set up a one-man commission headed by Justice Khan. The commission was made after the parents of children demanded the authorities form a high-level inquiry commission to investigate the massacre. Pakistan hanged four men in December, 2015 for their involvement in the attack on the army-run school. They were convicted by a military court and their death sentences were confirmed by the then army chief. In 2016, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani confirmed to former PM Nawaz Sharif the death a senior fugitive Taliban commander responsible for the 2014 massacre of students. Umar Naray, the senior commander of the Pakistani Taliban and believed to be the mastermind of the attack on the Army Public School, had also been killed in a US drone strike in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province on July 9, 2016.
Govt presents anti-domestic violence bill in na ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
Federal Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari on Thursday presented the bill for Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act 2020 in the National Assembly with the aim to ‘establish an effective system of protection, relief and rehabilitation of women, children, elders and any vulnerable persons against domestic violence’. Introducing the bill, Mazari said that the act of domestic violence [if the offence committed does not fall under the Pakistan Penal Code] shall be punishable with imprisonment of maximum three years and minimum six months, depending on the gravity of the crime committed. According to the bill, if an offence falling under the PPC is committed in a domestic relationship, the crime shall be punishable as under the PPC. A fine ranging from Rs20,000 to Rs100,000 would also be imposed on the perpetrator of domestic violence, that would be paid as compensation to the aggrieved person. In case of default in payment of fine, the perpetrator may be awarded three months imprisonment. The bill, which also extends to Islamabad Capital Territory, defines domestic violence as ‘all acts of physical, emotional, psychological, sexual and economic abuse committed by a respondent against women, children, vulnerable persons, or any other person with whom the respondent is or has been in a domestic relationship that causes fear, physical or psychological harm to the aggrieved person.’ It includes, but is not limited to, acts such as repeated exhibition of possessiveness or jealousy which lead to invasion of privacy, liberty, integrity and security, threats of divorce or second marriage on baseless accusations or infertility, wilful or negligent abandonment, stalking, harassment, or compelling the wife to cohabit with anybody other than the husband. The bill also criminalises insults, ridicule, and false allegations on the character of a female member or any member of the shared household, as well as intentional deprivation of economic or financial resources or hindrance to access of such resources which the aggrieved person is entitled to under law. According to the bill, the Ministry of Human Rights shall constitute a Protection Committee for the purpose of this Act within three months of the passage of the Act.
Friday, 10 July, 2020
04 NEWS
VirUS peAk hAS pASSed, ClAimS miniSter LAHORE
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APP
UNJAB Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid on Thursday claimed that the coronavirus cases in the province peaked in June and were now observing a decline. The statement comes days after the chief executive of the Mayo Hospital, Professor Dr Asad Aslam, who is leading the Covid-19 campaign in Punjab, made a
similar claim, saying that June 12 to 13 was the peak of the virus in the province. He had said the hospital was receiving 100 critical and serious patients daily on average in the mid of June, which has now declined to around five. “It appears that the peak time of the pandemic has passed in June,” Dr Yasmin said while speaking to a media house. She added that a smart lockdown will be enforced in virus hotspots under the government’s new quarantine strategy.
No respite in Covid-19 cases as 40 more patients die in Sindh KARACHI PPI
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said on Thursday that coronavirus had claimed 40 more lives and infected 1,538 others while 1,254 patients recovered and returned to normal life during the past 24 hours in Sindh. In a statement issued here from CM house, Shah said that 40 more patients lost their lives while struggling against the virus, lifting the death toll to 1,677 that constituted 1.6 per cent death rate. He said that 1,538 new patients were detected by testing 9,860 samples that constituted 16 per cent current detection rate. He added that so far, 543,400 tests had been conducted which diagnosed 100,900 patients all over Sindh. This came to 19 per cent overall detection rate, he further said. The CM said that currently, 41,596 patients were under treatment, of them 39,697 were in home isolation, 399 at isolation centres and 1,500 in dif-
ferent hospitals. He added that currently, 581 patients were stated to be in critical condition, including 75 patients who were shifted to ventilators. According to Shah, 1,254 more patients recovered and returned to normal life. The number of patients recovered so far has reached 57,627 that constitutes 57 per cent recovery rate. Giving district-wise data, the chief minister said out of 1,538 new cases, 722 had been detected from six districts of Karachi division. East has 204 cases, South 166, Korangi 98, Central 94, Malir 75, and West 49. He added that Hyderabad had 97, Sukkur 88, Naushehro Feroze 72, Badin 66, Sanghar 55, Shikarpur 53, Larkana 32, Sujawal 26, Thatta 24, Umerkot 23, Ghotki 21, Tando Allahyar 18, Kambar 17, Jamshoro 14, Mirpurkhas 12, Dadu six, Jacobabad five, Shaheed Benazirabad four, Kashmore and Khairpur one each. The chief minister urged the people of Sindh to be cautious and adopt the standard operating procedures (SOPs0 issued by the government.
LHC suspends Punjab commissioners' trial, sentencing powers LAHORE STAFF REPORT
Punjab commissioners no longer have the special powers to conduct trials on price control and sentence people after the LHC suspended the provincial government’s June 18 notification on Thursday. A man had filed a petition against the notification and said that the powers of the executive and judiciary are different. The notification is against the Constitution. The court has asked the Punjab government to submit a detailed reply on it. It seems the Punjab government wants judicial powers too, remarked Chief Justice Qasim Ali Khan.
If the notification is declared null and void, then contempt notices will be issued to the Punjab CM and chief secretary, he added. “We won’t allow the government to mock the courts.” On June 18, the Punjab government had given the powers of the special magistrates to its executive field officers, including all deputy commissioners, additional deputy commissioners of revenue, general, F&P and assistant commissioners. They were given the power to conduct raids, hold trials relating to hoarding, food adulteration, driving offences among others, and sentence those responsible. The powers were given to them under Section 14A of the Code of Criminal Procedure which allows the provincial government to appoint special magistrates.
QAU’s management sciences department announces admission to undergraduate programmes ISLAMABAD: School of Management Sciences of the Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU) Islamabad is offering admission for 4 years degree morning program of BS Business Administration and BS Public Administration for fall semester 2020. Quaid-e-Azam School of Management Sciences (QASMS) has asked the aspiring students to submit online admission forms with scanned copies of documents by July 20. A total of 50 per cent marks is the minimum criteria for admission in the programmes whereas the admission department of the university said that due to the prevailing situation of Covid-19, the management has decided to exempt the candidates from appearing for tests and interviews. According to the admission department of the university, admission of the aspiring candidates to the programmes would be finalised on the basis of marks they obtained in intermediate exams without going through a test or interview due to Covid-19. TLTP
2 children killed in roof collapse incident MANDI BAHAUDDIN APP
Two children were killed in a roof collapse incident occurred near a village Kakowal, Mandi Bahauddin, rescue sources said on Thursday. The rescue team after removing the rubble of the house, shifted the dead bodies to a nearby hospital for necessary procedure.
The minister said the smart lockdown enforced in worst-affected areas of Lahore yielded positive results, urging the people to continue taking precautions to keep the disease at bay. Those recovering from the virus will also have to follow precautions, she said. Dr Yasmin ruled out the possibility of the recovered patients contracting the virus again in the next six months. According to her, plasma collection facilities have been set up in Lahore and other cities of the province.
SC rejects Bugti's bail petition in kidnapping case QUETTA: The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday turned down a bail petition submitted by Senator Sarfaraz Bugti in a case involving the kidnapping of a minor girl. A two-member bench, comprising Justice Mohammad Ameen Ahmed and Justice Mazhar Alam Mian Khel, heard the case at the Supreme Court’s registry in Quetta. In the hearing, the petitioner, along with his counsel appeared before the court. A woman, who had filed the plea against Bugti, also appeared before the court. During the hearing, the court directed Bugti’s counsel to make efforts to ensure the girl’s safe return. “Make sure that the girl returns home unharmed,” remarked the judge, noting that the senator is an influential person and do so. “Bugti has not been arrested in the last six months […] who can arrest him now?” the judge wondered. Subsequently, the court turned down the Bugti plea for bail and adjourned the hearing until July 14. Bugti is facing charges of involvement in the kidnapping of a minor girl, Maria. Maria’s grandmother had filed a case about her kidnapping against her father in December last wherein she alleged that the girl was kept at the Senator’s residence after being kidnapped. However, Bugti has denied his involvement in the kidnapping of the girl and termed it as a “domestic dispute”. STAFF REPORT
Friday, 10 July, 2020
NEWS
TradErs To sTagE naTIonwIdE ProTEsT agaInsT govT’s ‘Poor EConomIC PolICIEs’
05
LAHORE
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SHAHAB OMER
LL Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajiran (APAT) has decided to stage a nationwide protest against the government’s poor economic policies, while the traders will gather in Lahore on July 18 and reach Islamabad to protest. A press conference was held by APAT at Lahore Press Club here on Thursday in which both groups (Naeem Mir and Ashraf Bhatti) of APAT participated. Talking to journalists, APAT General Secretary Naeem Mir said that the present government was not traderfriendly and its poor economic policies had caused financial loss to traders. “We are going to wake up the government, not topple it. This government is not business friendly at all. Traders will leave for Islamabad in their cars and protest by blowing horns again and again. If the rulers do not want to wake up, go to their homes and sleep. We hope that if irresponsible rulers leave, more responsible rulers will come.” Mir demanded that there should be only one holiday a week for the business community and the businesses opening hours should be extended to 10 pm. “This government is incompetent and useless. Traders are worried about the government’s poor economic policies. Our first demand is that all businesses should be opened and there should be only one weekly holiday and shops should be allowed to remain open till 10 pm. The government should also provide interest-free loans to traders.” Talking about the protest program, Mir said that the
Family accuses Peshawar police of patronising Christian man’s murderers ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
Family members of Nadeem Joseph, a Christian man murdered in Peshawar over a minor brawl with his neighbour last month, and some people from the community announced a hunger strike on Thursday against the non-arrest of the alleged murderers, accusing the Peshawar police of protecting them. Joseph, a resident of TV Colony in Peshawar, his mother-in-law and son-inlaw were reportedly shot at by accused Suleman Khan on June 2. Joseph breathed his last on June 24, with questions raised whether the incident had a religious basis. In a press statement, Advocate Waheed Javed said that members of the Christian community and family of the deceased had gathered outside the National Press Club to draw the attention of senior government officials towards the Peshawar police’s alleged patronage of the accused who continue to remain at large despite their bails having been cancelled by the court. The press statement claimed that the accused were now threatening the family to stop pursuing the case and to leave the neighbourhood. They said it was instilling fear in the community and Prime Minister Imran Khan, Army Chief General Qamar Bajwa, KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan and other senior officials should take notice of the situation and order the arrest of the alleged murderers on priority. According to reports, in a video statement prior to his death, Joseph had said that he moved to a house that he bought a house in the TV Colony. “The person who lived in front of my house was an armed criminal who would call me to his house and treated me quite badly,” he said. “He would tell me how he had killed and tortured people.”
Deputy Commissioner Inland Revenue Muhammad Ali Mayo resolved public issues pertaining to FBR through Online Open Katchery at FBR Office Nankana Sahib on July 9, 2020.
Carelessness on Eid can worsen Covid-19 situation, Imran warns cOntInuED On pAgE 01 Picture: Zubair Mehfooz
business community would gather at Thokar Niaz Baig on July 18 at 9 am and from there go to Islamabad. “We will blow the horn and wake the sleeping rulers. The rulers were not brought to the Prime Minister’s House to sleep. Entertainment tax will begin when the theatres open. The money collected by the Punjab Revenue Authority should be spent on the people. Flour, petrol and everything else should be cheaper. The government writ is nowhere to be seen.” Talking to media, president of APAT (Ashraf Bhatti
Group) Muhammad Ashraf Bhatti said, “We strongly support the ‘Horn Bajao Hukmaran Jagao’ movement. Pakistan’s economy is at the bottom of the world. We don’t have the money to pay salesmen. Petrol and gold prices have risen. We are together for the traders’ cause. The business community should join us on July 18th. If the government does not heed our demands on July 18, the next course of action will be decided in Islamabad.” During the press conference, the business community also protested by blowing the horn.
Earlier in the day, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Lt Gen Mohammad Afzal briefed the prime minister on the isolation centre. The 250-bed state-of-the-art medical facility has been constructed in record 40 days at a cost of about Rs980 million. Planning Minister Asad Umar, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz, Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chinese Ambassador Yao Jing and other senior officials were also present at the inauguration.
Govt allocates F-12, G-12 sectors’ land to FGEHA ISLAMABAD SHAHZAD PARACHA
The federal government has allocated F-12 and G-12 sectors’ land to the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA). Sources said that the federal cabinet on Tuesday considered the Ministry of Housing and Works’ summary pertaining to allocation of F-12 and G-12 sectors’ land to the FGEHA. The FGEHA has launched several housing schemes since 1990 and so far, has been able to provide only 23,000 residential units to the federal government employees and other specified groups. However, a huge backlog persists of about 200,000 federal government employees, registered with FGEHA and waiting for allotment of plots, sources added. Sources further said that a summary was initiated regarding the allocation of F-12 and G-12 sectors’ land to FGEHA in order to provide developed plots for the federal government employees and other groups.
The federal cabinet, in its meeting held on June 9, approved the proposal in principle with the direction that revised proposals on the basis of recommendations of the following committee, including minister for housing & works (convener), minister for planning, development & special initiatives minister for interior would be submitted for the approval of the federal cabinet. The cabinet committee, in its meeting held on June
11, constituted a sub-committee comprising Special Assistant to Prime Minister on CDA Affairs Ali Nawaz Awan, CDA Chairman and FGEHA DG to work out modalities to resolve the land acquisition and built-upproperty issues. Consequently, the meeting of sub-committee was held on June 17 on issues pertaining to land acquisition, compensation and built-up-properties (BUP's), mode of development and cutoff date for award. The matter was deliberated upon in detail and recommendations were finalised. Finally, the cabinet committee in its meeting held on June 24 further discussed the recommendations of the sub-committee and endorsed and recommended to allocate F-12 and G-12 sectors’ land to the FGEHA. It is pertinent to mention here that the FGEHA, working under the auspices of the Ministry of Housing & Works, had been established through an Act of Parliament, Act No IV of 2020 on January 15, 2020. The mandate of FGEHA is to provide affordable residential facilities to the federal government employees and other specified groups, on no profit no loss basis.
Khan: the measure of a leader SYED MOHAMMAD WAJIH ZAFAR Pakistanis have longed for a country free of crime and corruption. They have been gripped in the plague of evil and malpractices that have been made ever so common by the mafias and ruling elite for too long. Perhaps the Pakistani generations Y and Z have never breathed in corruption-free air. They are aloof to Pakistan envisioned by our Great Jinnah. For too long have these mafias plundered and looted all state institutions, so much so that the newer generation thinks it’s normal. A very apt case in point here would be the infamous dialogue used commonly by defenders of corruption of past governments; “khata hai par lagata bhi to hai”. The admittance of corruption is appalling. The masses have been fooled. They have been drugged into a political delusion by reminiscing of leaders of the past in false hope of future progress. The naïve folk on this politically misguided bandwagon chant that their leaders are still alive. This can be best compared to the “Pied Piper of Hamelin”. A German folk tale where rats were led to drowning in a river simply because they liked what they heard. Imran Khan, on the other hand, is nothing like his predecessors. There is no false hope. There is no political delusion. There is no spell cast on the masses. What distinguishes this man from the rest is his vision. With a view as clear as a polished crystal, Khan is steering a ship previously headed in the heart of the disaster. In his mission to steer that ship away from the mess, he plans to rid the country of corruption and introduce accountability like never before. This has indeed created panic and fear in the
enemy’s camps. It has caused some to flee the country. Others have forged and fabricated their financial records while a few have bought time under the pretext of depreciating health. One must understand that to introduce accountability one must hold themselves accountable as an example which is why Khan was very vocal about beginning the “ehtisaab” process with himself. This is a testament to Khan’s unshakeable courage and solid character. Next comes his consistency of view and mission. A few truthful ones before him might have had the same strategy. They might have had the same intention. But Khan’s perseverance level remained unmatched to theirs; miles above. There are tens of thousands of examples of people in positions of power in history that had the right vision but gave up too soon because of obstacles and challenges that came their way. They succumbed to pressure. They gave in to unfavorable positions they were put in by their enemies. Some may have sold themselves to bribe. Some might have taken back their words in fear of losing their vote banks. For Khan, none mattered. He decided to take the turbulent path. A rocky road but one that surely leads to beautiful heaven. Truth is what matters and it is evident from his actions and statements that he is not one to back down. Had there been any lack of clarity in vision, PTI and Imran Khan would have shown it in the last 2 years as this is ample time to expose frailty. However, with his steadfastness, we are reminded time and time again of his unwavering resolve. This resolve of his which we talk about so casually has been put to test many times. It has not been a smooth ride so far and it
doesn’t seem like it will get comfortable for Khan anytime soon. A prime example of Khan’s oneness in vision are his successful Covid-19 countering policies. How he attained equilibrium between economic upkeep whilst fighting Coronavirus is an art. It was/is a balancing act, again a quality only possessed by a leader. During a pandemic, all economies go into turmoil. This is not just true for Pakistan but the world over. Knowing the backup treasury does not provide much cushion to revive economic conditions, Khan knew from the start that he had to walk a very narrow path and not deviate. Initially, he was accused of his reluctance on total lockdown. Opposition and anti-government voices blamed him for not caring much about the loss of life. Later he was accused by the same of steering the nation in an economic crisis. But Khan didn’t let these baseless sweeping statements become hindrances in the plan he had chalked out in the beginning. Today, Coronavirus tallies are reducing whereas businesses are opening. The critics, however, are quiet. Probably, or dare I say, hopefully out of sheer embarrassment. The opposition he faces is one that will go any length to defame him. Whenever they run out of things to say about him, they resort to his team. They misconstrue facts and present them in a way which appeals to those against him only. The opposition has on many occasions unified and tried to take him down with all sorts of allegations. Maulana Fazlur Rehman in the year 2019 had locked down Islamabad as a protest demanding Khan’s resignation. Though he took initiative, he was later joined by other op-
position party leaders albeit their participation was more ceremonial. This was/is also termed as the Pakistani Opposition’s Long March Against Imran Khan’s Government. Despite the march, Khan did not budge in his stance and lived up to his repute. Experts say that the opposition decided to unify as more and more politicians came under Khan’s accountability microscope. They had never shown oneness of this sort throughout recent history as there was never any accountability pressure of this scale. As a result of Khan’s firm stance on the issue, currently, all key leaders of the country’s mainstream political parties have either been imprisoned or are facing corruption charges. Khan’s vision lies in eliminating all evil once and for all in order for any progress to take place in the coming years. We have longed for 7 decades for a leader like Khan. Education is one of Khan’s core values, however, it is what an average Pakistani has been deprived of for decades. This has resulted in them not understanding that in order to progress, all previous wrongs must be undone. Next, we must understand that putting an end to corrupt practices that have totaled Pakistan consistently through the years, is a hard-fought battle. It requires patience and perseverance only found in a leader. Despite the hurls, the abuses, the false allegations, one needs to not lose sight of the eventual goal which is a peaceful and prosperous corruption-free Pakistan which as stated earlier, our younger generation has yet to experience. Let’s give them that privilege. The writer is a political analyst and can be reached at zafar.wajih.m3@gmail.com
Friday, 10 July, 2020
06 COMMENT
Two elephants are fighting
Is speedy justice needed only in NAB cases? The backlogs in other courts
Pakistan is not in a good place
T
he Supreme Court has ordered the federal government to immediately appoint judges at five vacant accountability courts while proposing to establish at least 120 courts of the type to adjudicate 1,226 pending cases. One hopes that the government would fill the vacancies at the earliest and give serious consideration to the apex court’s suggestion. The basic idea behind creating the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was not to eradicate corruption but to prepare cases against political opponents in order to pressurise them to cooperate with those in power. The NAB was used as a dry cleaning machine by former President Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf and continues to perform the same function under the PTI. Recovering money from ordinary conmen or corrupt officials was low on NAB’s priority list. Relying only on confessional statements extracted through third-degree methods or by naming and shaming through a media trial, NAB did not bother to improve its evidence-gathering system or upgrade its prosecution department enabling it to prepare strong cases. even if there are 120 accountability courts in the country the performance of a politically motivated NAB relying on outdated methods, would remain subpar. Delay in justice is however not confined to the accountability courts only. A big backlog of cases awaits the attention of the Supreme Court and the country’s high Courts, despite the hackneyed dictum “justice delayed is justice denied.” The Supreme Court’s Summary Statement of Case Institution, Disposal and Pendency From June 1, 2020 to June 15, 2020 shows that the backlogs continue despite improvements made by former CJP Mr Justice Nasir Mahmood Khosa. When justice is costly or drawn out, this gives birth to serious deviations in society. Among other things this leads to demand for parallel judicial systems. The Taliban’s primitive system of justice, totally out of sync with the times, was liked by some as it provided instant and costfree justice. The introduction of military courts to deal with cases of terrorism, which should be anathema in a democratic country, was justified for being speedy. There is a need for the Supreme Court to take measures to dispose of pending cases not only in the apex court but also in the high Courts and lower courts also.
At Penpoint M A NIAZI
T
he recent clash between India and China in Ladakh highlighted that these two Asian giants are growing increasingly abrasive even in the midst of a global pandemic mainly because of the offstage presence of the USA. The pandemic has constrained both countries. China is the Ground Zero for the pandemic, the place where it all began. And while it has managed to bring the initial outbreak under control, there has been at least one other outbreak, in Beijing itself, which means that the pandemic will have to be a consideration during any conflict. India is even worse off, for it has already exceeded the number of Chinese cases. It has nearly reached 1,000,000 cases, and is already behind only the USA and Brazil. It has had 20,000 deaths There is the additional constraint that both are nuclear powers. This implies that any conflict between the two could escalate to the point where it crossed the nuclear threshold. It is perhaps not understood how important a restraint this is. It is the biggest difference between the present and the 1962 War. At that time, neither country had a nuclear weapon. That conflict certainly played an important role in making both countries obtain nuclear weapons, with China conducting its first nuclear test in 1964 and India in 1975. Not only is nuclear war a strict no-no, but China has twice recently taken the lead in keeping the peace between Pakistan and India. That it did because it agreed that the world could not have its peace risked by a nuclear war between the two. All the more less will it be able to resist any pleas that are made to preserve the peace. Also, it should not be forgotten that the Indian nuclear deterrent was made operational in 1998 to counter the Chinese capability. The powers that worked so frenetically to stop an Indo-Pak conflict will be that much more exercised about the possibility of a Sino-Indian conflict. True, both sides have a no-first-use policy, but how long such policies survive conventional reverses on the battlefield is not just anybody’s guess, but is academic. The Ladakh clash was an isolated incident, but it was the kind of reverse which could cause a panicked commander to have nuclear weapons used. Part of the problem is that both countries have political leaders out to make a point. Chinese President
Back to school Re-opening is fraught with risks even with SOPs
T
he National Command and Operation Centre endorsed on Thursday the decision of the previous day’s meeting of education ministers, to reopen schools and colleges from September. The opening has been made conditional with the observance of SOPs. While it might be possible to get college or university students to observe social distancing, even a cursory glance of a primary school at break time will show why schoolchildren will be sublimely unaware of them. While not entirely immune, children and younger people do get ill less. But they are equally susceptible to carrying the virus, and the same sight of break time will show why school will be such an efficient means of infection. With so many multigenerational families, it is a certainty that children will bring covid-19 to teachers, parents and grandparents. Reopening schools is not only a much needed sign of normality, but is especially needed in a Third-World country like Pakistan where education is the only way out of the poverty trap. Another consideration that came up during the ministerial meeting was of the public examinations, with the decision that they could be held if SOPs were observed, and the possibility of open-air examination halls explored. If SOPs are to be observed, it also raises the question of why wait until September, when there has been such a long period of extra closure, since the abrupt closure in April. Another related issue for private schools is their financial problems, primarily their salary bills. A lot of the smaller private schools are very hardpressed, and these are only made worse by the closure, with parents holding back fees because they themselves are facing financial pressure, and because the children are not in school. Schools associations both in Punjab, where the PTI is in office, and Sindh, where it is not, have called for a special package to let schools pay salaries and bills. Asking them to re-open without taking action seems high-handed. Another issue that the ministers were silent about was the difficulty of online learning. While it has vast potential, structural difficulties, like Internet access and teacher capacity, have been laid bare. These too have to be tackled, because in the post-coronavirus future, online learning will be a necessary adjunct of even orthodox, building-based, schooling.
The monster of circular debt
IhsAAN AfZAl KhAN
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AKISTAN’S power sector shows that the nation experiences transmission losses, high tariffs, absence of planning and improper policies. These escalate the energy crisis. This crisis in Pakistan is the immediate aftereffect of institutional and administration governance failure in the form of reckless energy policies. This demands an answer to a question that what has been the effect of the ventures from the China-Pakistan economic Corridor (CPeC), with its highly invested power projects, on the energy crisis? There are 22 CPeC energy projects, of which many have become operational now. The previous regime has taken the nation out of this long prevailing energy shortfall but the miscarried policies of the incumbent regime are leading us to the past again. I believe that the liquidity constraints in the energy sector, is one of the main reasons which have led to fall in power generation. Power generation companies are managing their cash flows by reducing their output and increasing the tariffs to a higher level. At the point when the PTI government took the charge, the circular debt was at Rs 1.1 trillion after the caretaker government completed its tenure. however, it was just less than Rs1 trillion when the PML(N) government completed its tenure with Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as prime minister. It has now swelled to nearly Rs 2.1 trillion. This shows that the sitting government has piled up more than Rs 1 trillion in circular debt which belies all the claims of the government. It has almost increased twofold the circular debt accumulated in the last 72 years. The IMF has also expressed its sheer dismay over the massive increase of circular debt, even though
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lowed by 1971, and US acquiescence to the creation of Bangladesh, it seems that loyalty was not rewarded. It should not be forgotten that Sino-Indian problems predate the Partition, and the 1962 War was caused by a boundary demarcation dispute that took Xi Jinping is a leader with a difference, who sees him- place between the British Indian empire and the self as defining an era, not just forming part of a chain. Manchu empire of China. The dispute was kept quiet One sign is that he has abolished the term limit for the when China became a Republic in 1911, when India Presidency, thus making it possible for him to remain gained Independence in 1947, and China became a in office for longer than the five years that has been People’s Republic in 1949. Initially, with India growstandard between Deng Xiaoping and himself. One ing closer to the USSR (under the influence of the sign of his rule, which is more personal than collective Fabian Socialist Jawaharlal Nehru), and Communist as in the past, has been a new assertiveness about Chi- China a firm Soviet ally, the countries were friends nese borders. That is reflected in the maritime disputes enough for Nehru and Mao Zedong to co-found the that China is developing with the USA in the South Non-Aligned Movement at the 1955 Bandung ConChina Sea over the Spratly and the Senkaku\Diaoyu ference (along with Nkrumah of Ghana, Sukarno of Islands north of Taiwan over which Japan claims sov- Indonesia and Nasser of egpyt). ereignty, in turn underwritten by the USA. however, an important factor was China’s inThis is perhaps the nub of the US-China con- creasing distance from the post-Stalinist USSR, with frontation, for the essence of being a great power is which India however, seemed comfortable, as sympower projection far bebolized in the exchange yond one’s land boundof visits between Nehru aries, such as the USA is and Soviet leader Nikita carrying out. Another esKhrushchev in 1955 sential part of being a (straddling Bandung). India is not let by rational great power is having seThis meant that the USSR calculators, but by saffron cure coasts, which China would not support China does not have, because its border problems hotheads. Unfortunately, the lesson in the US Navy retains the with India, and it did not ability to operate off its in 1962. they learnt from last year’s war coast. China has a more It should perhaps not practical issue that it scare, fake surgical strikes and all, be forgotten that that war wants to guarantee oil allowed the USA to get was that Pakistan-bashing gets supplies from the Middle friendly with India, beeast. This is eerily remiwhen it was faced votes. Only Bihar goes to the polls cause niscent of the Japanese with a horrible defeat in a compulsion, before Pearl this year, but the BJP wants control war which had seen the harbor, of guaranteeing Chinese get the better of of this state. The electoral calculus the Indians, it was only oil supplies, which the USA would not allow it the threat of US intervendoes not look good to do, having imposed an tion that held the Chinese oil embargo on it, with back. Again, it is US suprespect to oil it was import that is behind Indian porting from the Dutch cockiness. east Indies, as Indonesia was then. That cockiness is part of an Indian attitude. PakThe USA and China are presently in the process istani policymakers do not want to have to choose beof competing for leadership of the world. The USA tween China and the USA, but they might have to. If is in the process of giving way, but it is not giving taking the US side means being on India’s side, then up without a fight. It has taken advantage of the col- the decision makers will perhaps be left with no oplapse of the USSR to win over India, but this has tion. That is not a good place to be. As the African caused its formerly ‘most-allied ally’, Pakistan, to be proverb has it, when two elephants fight, it is the driven towards China. grass that is trampled. The present situation is thus fraught with problems India is not led by rational calculators, but by saffor Pakistan. There is apparently no choice between fron hotheads. Unfortunately, the lesson they learnt China, with which it has so many decades of friendship, from last year’s war scare, fake surgical strikes and and India. At the same time, it has to ask itself whether all, was that Pakistan-bashing gets votes. Only Bihar it wishes to say goodbye to the US alliance. Pakistan goes to the polls this year, but the BJP wants control played a significant role in the initial US outreach to of this state. The electoral calculus does not look good. China, when Richard Nixon visited it. however, as that halcyon moment of Pakistan proving its worth was folThe writer is a member of staff.
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crisis annually. The successful projects of CPeC inithe current regime itself is working on IMF dictations. The reasons behind the increasing circular debt tiated by the PML (N) regime, in which the signifiare many but a few crucial ones will be discussed. cant share of the investments was allocated toward FIRSTLY, the main reason of circular debt in power reinvigorating Pakistan’s electric power sector, are sector is that power purchase cost is a passthrough nowhere in the priority list of the PTI regime. They item. Various governments at different points have not should be carefully monitored by the incumbent govallowed the power purchase cost to be recovered from ernment so that their success cannot be undermined. Since the PTI government came into the power, consumers. This pass-on has resulted in the gap in electricity bill and payment made, for example, quarterly electricity tariffs have been expanded by around half. adjustment & FPA cost to be passed. This part in cir- Sick policies have led to accumulation of circular cular debt is caused by discrepancies between the gov- debt and regrettably nobody is attempting to control ernment-notified tariff and market rates caused by the danger. Once a energy-starved country, industrial delays in government adjustments to the tariff and fuel consumption of units has actually dropped in the last two years, where demand price adjustments. Secprojections have slowed ondly, the other key readue to the economic situson is unpaid subsidies ation of the country, refrom federal/provincial sulting in a capacity trap. governments to DISCOs By curbing all discussed issues, At various instances (power distributing comwe would able to reduce electricity the Minister in charge panies). As a result, dishad announced to bring tributors are unable to pay prices. It would benefit us in the down the circular debt to producers, who further Rs 100 billion by June find it difficult to pay for global market. It would pave the 2020. The PTI had anthe fuel cost and the way for a reduction in the cost of nounced reforms in this process keeps on going sector, but there is abamounting to huge burdoing business and make solutely zero movement den on GeNCOS and toward any reform agenDISCOS. Pakistani products more das. As the outcome, this Thirdly, the gap of tax hazard has put more collection is increasing becompetitive in the global market. weight on consumers by cause the GST is collected Addressing the circular debt issue, way of frequent upward on the basis of billing and in electricity tarrecovery of the sector is far we can restore a part of the loss in revision iffs. Besides, there is below 100 percent recovmassive electricity theft ery. Furthermore, the Fedthe power generation sector and apart from individueral Board of Revenue als, industrial and com(FBR) has made a practice mercial sectors, some of always keep on making institutions are also incases on trumped-up charges and then to effect recoveries in these cases by at- volved in the crime in certain areas of Pakistan. By taching accounts of the DISCOS. Dilatory practices in curbing all discussed issues, we would able to reduce FBR have equally affected the DISCOS’ finances as electricity prices. It would benefit us in the global FBR has not refunded their tax refund claims. Fourthly, market. It would pave the way for a reduction in the transmission and distribution constraints are also causing cost of doing business and make Pakistani products high losses in certain areas. Until these constraints of dis- more competitive in the global market. Addressing the tribution networks are lowered and distributions mecha- circular debt issue, we can restore a part of the loss in nisms are upgraded, the energy crisis is unlikely to ease. the power generation sector. This regime seems not in control of the situation Ihsaan Afzal Khan is a business executive with and is leading us to a power crisis again. If one accumulates the data, he/she would find that around 2 per- exposure in health, education, power distribution and cent of Pakistan’s economic growth shrinks by power manufacturing.
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Friday, 10 July, 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
Fatimah Jinnah remembered 9th July 1967 the day when MADR_e_MLAT Fatima Jinnah the essential Character of the Independence Movement and Crusader of Democracy in Pakistan left this World. Like her Brother She believed that One day Muslims will achieve their destiny and it was her determination and untiring efforts that eventually culminated into Pakistan. After completing her education she decided to tread the same path which her brother had opted and she remained the most closest ally and a boon companion of her brother till the last breath of his life. She was a symbol of hard Work and self determination for the suppressed and Oppressed women of the subcontinent who were groaning under the curse of illiteracy and musty social norms. After the independence she founded Pakistan Women Association for catering the issues being confronted by migrant women. Fatmah Jinnah always contended on implementation of women rights in Pakistan as enshrined in the Charter of UNO. After the independence she had parted her ways from the practical politics of Pakistan but relaunched herself in the Presidential elections of 1965 when the nation was bearing the brunt of Dictatorship. A strong campaign was set into Motion by the Mother of the Nation Against the dictator of the time but unfortunately she lost that sceptical presidential election. She is a Paragon for our nation and today’s women should learn From her contributions for this Country Kamran KhamiSo Khowaja Sujawal
Propaganda about coercive family planning against Uyghurs
sultAN M hAlI
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hINA not only handled the onslaught of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 successfully but earned the respect and esteem of numerous countries of the world by extending help and support to combat the pandemic. Chinese economy took some battering due to the scourge of the epidemic but is bouncing back to normalcy. Whereas most international organizations including the World health Organization (WhO) lauded China’s selfless efforts, some detractors chose to target Beijing with baseless charges. They initially claimed that China was not transparent in sharing information about COVID-19, now they are targeting China’s soft underbelly Xinjiang. A decade ago, due to various reasons, Xinjiang was underdeveloped and deprived of the economic boom of China. The impoverished Uyghur Muslims, who comprise the majority population of Xinjiang were insidiously instigated into protesting as well as launching terror attacks. China handled the challenge prudently. Dealing with the terror mongers firmly as well as removing the causes of heartburn by launching massive development projects to provide the ethnic minorities of China including the Uyghurs with employment opportunities to raise their quality of life. Once that issue was taken care of, the conscientious objectors, who wanted to pull China down, raised the bogey of torture cells in Xinjiang, where the Uyghurs are alleged to being subjected to torment and brainwashing. China invited international diplomats and academics, including this scribe to visit and judge for themselves the veracity of the situation. The propaganda was thus nailed. Now China’s disparagers have launched a fresh propaganda campaign claiming that abortion, and coercive family planning against Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang is
being carried out as part of a continuing campaign of repression. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Zhao Lijian, a polished and suave diplomat was queried regarding this allegation. his response was measured and in accordance with diplomatic nuances. he asserted that the Chinese government equally protects the legitimate rights and interests of people of all ethnic groups, including ethnic minorities. In fact, China’s population policy has long been leaning toward ethnic minorities. From 1978 to 2018, the population of Uyghurs in Xinjiang grew from 5.55 million to 11.68 million, registering a 2.1 times increase and accounting for about 46.8 percent of the total population of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The statistics of the Uyghur population growth belies the baseless charge of forced family planning. Moreover, the european Union recently criticized the human rights situation in Xinjiang at the UN human Rights Council but 46 countries in a joint statement voiced their support for China’s position and measures on Xinjiang, expressed appreciation for China’s remarkable achievements in human rights, and reaffirmed their opposition to the practice of politicizing human rights issues. When Zhao Lijian was asked to comment on the issue, his reply was that since the previous year, in response to several countries’ practice of hyping up Xinjiang-related human rights matters on multilateral occasions, a large number of friendly nations and developing countries have been voicing their support for China’s achievements in counter-terrorism and deradicalization in Xinjiang as well as measures to guarantee the human rights of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang according to law, and their opposition to interference in China’s internal affairs under the pretext of human rights. In the latest UNhRC session, 46 countries overwhelmingly reaffirmed their support for China’s Xinjiang policy in a joint statement. The attempt of several Western countries to smear China failed again. Lijian, who has served with dignity at the Chinese embassy in Islamabad as the Deputy head of the Mission, pointed out that Xinjiangrelated issues are not about human rights, ethnicity or religion as some forces claim, but about countering violence, terrorism and separatism. Faced with severe challenges of violence and terrorism, the Chinese government took a series of anti-terrorism and deradicalization measures in Xinjiang to combat these activities and prevent their recurrence, which address both the symptoms and their root causes. Those measures, in compliance with Chinese laws, are China’s concrete and effective steps in implementing international initiatives on counter-terrorism and deradicalization. Thanks to them, Xinjiang hasn’t seen a single terror incident over the past three years or so, and people’s rights to life, health and development have been effectively safeguarded. It is universally acknowledged by the international community that China has contributed to the global human rights cause and counter-terrorism efforts.
The Foreign Office Spokesperson assured that China will continue working with all sides to make sure multilateral human rights mechanisms remain committed to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, deal with human rights issues in an objective, impartial and nonselective manner, and promote the sound development of international human rights cause through constructive dialogue and cooperation. he reiterated that China opposes interference in other countries’ internal affairs under the pretext of human rights, and urge countries concerned to change course, rejects politicization and double standards, and stops interfering in other countries’ domestic affairs under the disguise of human rights. It was elaborated by Lijian that the so-called “forced labor” is just a concoction by some US and Western institutions and personnel. Nothing could be further from the truth. The rights and interests of workers from ethnic minority groups in Xinjiang as part of China’s large workforce are protected by law. They are free to choose a profession and can decide on where to work of their own free will. There is no restriction whatsoever on their personal freedom. Their customs, religious beliefs and spoken and written language are all protected by law. Relevant enterprises provide good living and working conditions for ethnic minority workers and make sure all their needs are attended to. The government of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region takes active measures to guarantee to the maximum the right to work and employment of people from all ethnic groups based on their own will. According to statistics on hand, since 2018, altogether 151,000 people from impoverished households in southern Xinjiang found employment away from home, with many earning an annual income of 45,000 RMB. Thanks to the income, all their families got out of poverty. how can anyone call this “forced labor”? This scribe has toured the length and breadth of Xinjiang and has been visiting the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region since 1974 and is an eyewitness to the transformation of the once backward region into a moderately modern state. There was a time when curfew was imposed and post sunset entertainment was curbed but now the people of Xinjiang are living peacefully, enjoying the benefits of modern living. A tour of Xinjiang last year presented stark contrasts from earlier visits. Previously there was no night life, the sidewalks along commercial centers were fenced, shoppers could only enter through security gates. Because of improved security conditions, the fences have been removed, at night we saw thousands of Chinese of all ages and minority groups dancing in the square. We used the newly installed Urumqi Metro, which is both modern and efficient. These are visible signs of tranquility returning to Xinjiang; a far cry from the negative propaganda. Sultan M Hali is a retired Group Captain and author of the book Defence & Diplomacy. Currently he is a columnist, analyst and TV talk show host.
Thar situation DURING the coronavirus people passed through a lot of troubles, but mostly the people of thar. They were also vexing, but now they are most. Government should have to peruse the circumstances of thar, which are always quarreling with the occult. For many years People of thar losing their lives due to scarcity of food and water. One day ago their four kids has been died, due to the inchoate of nourishment. Just in six months 473 people have died in thar, just because of frailty, fame, and ailment. So the government should have to think about how to endow convenience to the people of thar. Because they are in a bewildering stance and they are living their lives in distress. So the government should step forward and accomplish their basic facilities because it is the incumbent of government. I will also request the Sindh government to reconsider this case, and save the lives of people of thar. mian hamid ali Tunio Thar
Priorities? I really appreciate the authorities to take action against the Pubg game that supported violations. But a question arises in minds that aren’t there any other issues to be sorted with the same determination in Pakistan? You can ban a game that support violation but not punish the man who is violent towards women. The donkey race system of our educational system that leads students toward anxiety and depression. The unemployed man with the burden of family responsibilities. Millions of children forced to beg on streets rather than going to school. The raising inflation that has sucked people’s blood. The crime rate which doesn’t let any of us feel safe. Aren’t these issues suppose to be solve as well? afroz mj TurbaT
Smoking We live in a society where smoking is considered cool and robust. Where teenagers deliberately smoke for the sake of blending in the social group. Although the packets of these cancer causing sticks clearly declares that, it can kill yet people smoke risking their lives. According to few researches, smoking affects every organ of your body. There are many chemicals in tobacco’s disick more than 4000. Along with it,that invites dangerous infection like pneumonia. Smoking can cause heart disease and it is a hard addiction to break because tobacco hold the every addictive chemical nicotine. A smoker does not only demolish his health but also vitiating surrounding climate. It will lead your health to destruction.So,why teenagers of our society damage his own health. I requesting every smoker that,please stop smoking and lead beautiful life. muhammad Salla miroKhan
Security dilemma A huge fortune requires giant dedication and strength to win it. history is a tool to understand the past, play in the present and positively predict the future. Pakistan is also part of this case in terms of d oozy geo-strategic posture and holds the title of a nuclear weapon state. But Pakistan has been tasting of its own medicines in the arena of International affairs and unfortunately the trend is still on the same path. While the geo-strategic location of Pakistan, that should have been in favor of our country, is turned into upset and perilous challenges from its neighbors. Due to the plethora of internal challenges faced by Pakistan, they disable it to cope with its hostile neighbors. The main principle area of our foreign policy that needs to be re-energized and analyzed critically is shifting of security based policies to economic stability that leads to prosperity. economy and politics have strong bondage, off and on politics leaves a strong imprint on our economy, similar to, counter terrorism is affecting our economy a huge part of our budget tilt towards the security perspective. As far as Pakistan and India’s relation is concerned, their relation has witnessed an unmanageable phase of circumstances, both countries are implicated in blame game and have used several tools to dent the reputation of each other in international politics. Shafi ahmEd Khowaja jaTi Sujawal
Friday, 10 July, 2020
08 WORLD VIEW
From planning murder to praising modi WHATSAPP CHATS OFFER A WINDOW INTO THE MINDS OF DELHI RIOTERS TRANSCRIPTS SUBMITTED BY THE POLICE, IF ACCURATE, PROVIDE A VIVID ACCOUNT OF THE WAY COMMUNAL VIOLENCE UNFOLDED IN REAL TIME IN FEBRUARY Scroll.in
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hoga,” said one group member at 6.36 pm. Brothers, today there will surely be action. Another member messaged at 6.59 pm to say that electricity had been cut in Bhagirathi Vihar and asked other members to be “ready”.
Vijayta LaLwani & SHoaib DaniyaL
n February 25, 11.21 pm, a person who identified himself Lokesh solanki allegedly typed out a message on a WhatsApp group: “the whole of last night, i roamed around Bhagirathi Vihar, Ganga Vihar, Gokul Puri, Johripur. And smashed open the heads of 23 mullahs.” the areas listed were epicentres of the communal violence that engulfed north east Delhi between February 24 and 26. the message appears in transcripts submitted by Delhi Police as part of a chargesheet filed in court on June 4. the police claim these transcripts are verbatim records of the conversations in two WhatsApp groups called “Kattar Hindut ekta” (extremist Hindu unity) and “Hindu ekta Group” (Hindu unity) both created on February 25 and used by a group of Hindu men to coordinate attacks on muslims. the chargesheet has been filed in connection with first information report number 37/2020 registered at Gokulpuri police station on February 27. the Fir relates to the murder of Aamir Khan, 30, a resident of mustafabad. the police claim he is one of at least nine muslim men waylaid and murdered by a mob near Bhagirathi Vihar over three days. eleven men have been charged in the case. nine have been arrested. Lokesh solanki, 19, is one of them. in the transcripts, solanki appears to use his alleged murder spree boast as a recruitment tool to get more rioters. “the amount of time you waste in bakchodi (idle talk), you could have spent that helping your brothers who are outside,” he purportedly wrote. in the chargesheet, the police make the case that the conversations in this WhatsApp group constitute extrajudicial confessions. solanki’s father, Yogendra Kumar, dismissed the allegations against his son. scroll.in cannot independently establish the veracity of these transcripts – or, for that matter, the existence of this WhatsApp group. Delhi Police will have to establish this in court. if accurate, the transcripts suggest a granular, real time view of a communal riot. in the messages, rioters discuss battle tactics and logistics – where to assemble, calls for assistance, sources for weapons and ammunition. But the transcripts also show larger currents: rioters repeatedly refer to members of the rashtriya swayamsevak sangh and Bajrang Dal as playing a highly impactful role in the violence. Also mentioned are evergreen Hindutva tropes: muslim population growth, economically boycotting of muslims and the 2002 Gujarat pogrom – the scaffolding that helps justify terrible violence against people the rioters don’t even know. PLANNING VIOLENCE: A communal riot is often seen as a spontaneous eruption. But the purported WhatsApp exchanges of the alleged rioters suggest the violence was minutely planned. As per the transcripts submitted by the police, members of the Kattar Hindut ekta group were furiously sending messages on the morning of February 25 – with violence raging outside. in colloquial, ungrammatical Hindi, the messages exhorted members to be ready and assemble at a particular spot. scroll.in has reproduced the messages as they appear in the transcripts. “Bhai tikone pe ajao,” said one member at 9.05 am on February 25. When other members enquired about which junction he meant, another member responded at 9.11 am to say, “Bhagrati vihar or joharipur ke bich me padta he jao bahot badi hindu ekta ho rhi he sare aa jao”. the one between Bhagirathi Vihar and Joharipur, there are many Hindus uniting, everyone come. in the evening, one member’s message indicated that coordination had picked up pace. “Bhaiyo aaj pkka seen
DON’T MISS: Beyond WhatsApp transcripts, what evidence does Delhi Police have in murder cases of nine muslims? “Andhera h bhai sb hindu bhai tayar h,” said the member at 7.08 pm. it is dark, all Hindu brothers need to be ready. “Flash jalakr,” came the member’s next message. With your flashlight. Later, a member asked “sare kattar hindu bhai” or “all extremist Hindu brothers” to make sure stones reached the terrace. (the exact location of this is unclear in the transcript.) six minutes past midnight, a member messaged to ask others to gather at the drain next to lane number 11. it is unclear which neighbourhood the user is referring to. COORDINATING RAIDS: At 2.17 am on February 26, a user cautions other members to only chant “Har Har mahadev!” in order to better identify muslims. “Jay shri ram mulle bol rhe h”. the muslims are chanting ‘Jai shri ram!’ he said, presumably pointing to muslims shouting the Hindu religious slogan as a safety measure. the coordination among group members, as per the transcripts, continued throughout February 26 as well, the transcripts show. in the morning on that day, a user asked all members to be ready to attack a mosque, Fatima masjid: “Bhai suno aaj sare Bhai taiyaar rho aaj shaam ko fatima maszid pr hamla krna hai,” the user said at 9.45 am. Fatima masjid was one of the 14 mosques and a dargah desecrated during the violence. COLLECTING ARMS AND AMMUNITION: the Delhi communal violence was arguably the first instance of the guns being widesly used in a religious riot in india. messages on the Kattar Hindut ekta group indicate that rioters had access to firearms and were using them as part of the violence, the transcripts show. At 11.39 pm, February 26, Lokesh solanki told the group that he was ready with a team as well as firearms and ammunition in case anyone needed assistance. “Bhai mai Ganga Vihar se lokesh solanki hu agr kisi ko koi problem ho or wha log Kam pde to bta dena mai apni Puri Ganga Vijar ki team k sath aayunga sara saman hai humare pass goli bandook sab kuch,” the user said, according to the transcripts. “Brother, i am Lokesh solanki from Ganga Vihar. if anyone has any problem or falls short of men then please let me know i will come with my Ganga Vihar team. We have all the stuff like bullets, guns, everything.” Other users then inquired if solanki had bullets for a .315 rifle. solanki said he had a pistol, and another user responded to ask if he had some spare. POLICE ROLE: even as rioters used the WhatsApp group for better planning and coordination, there was also awareness that the creation of records could act as evidence. According to the transcripts of another WhatsApp group called “Hindu ekta Group” submitted as part of the same chargesheet, one user sent a message on February 27 at 10.30 pm, to help rioters evade the law: “there is a video of a boy burning the Bhajanpura mazar, please delete it from your phones and spread this message on all the groups so that boy’s life is saved.” remarkably, a user responded to this message to say that police had advised them to cover their tracks and delete videos. “right now policemen came to my lane and asked us not to keep any such video on our phones,” said the user on February 27 at 10.38 pm, according to the transcripts. this raises questions about the police’s actions during the violence. Conversations between rioters on the groups shows that they consider the Delhi Police as an ally, rather than a force they should be fearful of. “Brothers, please don’t come out. the police is now
here to f**k their a***s,” one user said on February 25, 9:15 pm, on the Kattar Hindut ekta group. Another user, however, disagreed that the Hindu mob required any assistance from the police. “We don’t need the police. there are enough Hindu brothers to f**k their mothers.” On march 3, one user on the “Hindu ekta Group” referred to the security forces as “fojji bhai”. Our brothers in the force. “We must take care of their meals. since they are only eating at the houses of the Hindus.” THE SANGH PARIVAR: the police aren’t the only organisation the members of the groups look upon as allies – there are also numerous mentions of the rss and the Bajrang Dal. On February 26, one user in the Kattar Hindut ekta group sends out an emergency messages fearing an attack from a muslim mob. “Bothers the situation is grim here,” one user WhatsApps in fear (messages later point out the muslim mob was simply a rumour). “Please, if anyone knows any Bajrang Dal person, call him.” the Bajrang Dal is part of the sangh Parivar, the larger family of organisations affiliated to the rashtriya swayamsevak sangh. A chilling message on Kattar Hindut ekta on February 25, 8 pm announces, “Brothers, rss members have come to our support in Beijpuri [Brijpuri] and killed nine muslims.” On march 3, with the violence subsiding, one user sent in a recruitment forward to Hindu ekta underscoring the importance of organisations to supposedly spontaneous communal violence: “Hindus, support and join the rss, VHP, Bajrang, Hindu sena. When Hindus are in trouble, these will be the first people to fight for you.” Political scientist Paul r Brass has argued that Hindu-muslim violence in india is rarely spontaneous and in fact takes place as part of an “institutionalised riot system” in which “the organisations of militant Hindu nationalism are deeply implicated”. these purported real-time conversations during the Delhi violence point to exactly how this works on the ground. FROM MISHRA TO MODI: the frequent mentions of the police and Hindu nationalist organisations illustrate that the riot is a unique crime in india since, unlike an ordinary murder or robbery, it has wider social sanction. the particular social and political outlook of the rioter means that the violence he is committing is not a wrongdoing for him per se – but something done on behalf of his community. What was this politics in the case of the 2020 Delhi riot? the transcripts of the purported WhatsApp groups submitted by the Delhi Police in court allow us direct insight into the outlook of a rioter. As scroll.in has reported, the most prominent political personality for the rioter was Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kapil mishra. On February 23, mishra issued a three-day ultimatum to the Delhi Police, with deputy commissioner of police Ved Prakash surya standing by his side in north east Delhi: if the police did not clear out the protestors against the Citizenship Act, mishra would take the law in his hands. Violence began on the very same night of mishra’s threats. rather than see mishra as the cause for the violence, most members of the Kattar Hindut ekta WhatsApp group admired him. “He was actually standing next to the police and requesting people to move,” one user messaged in to say, defending his speech. Another was clear than the people protesting the Citizenship Amendment Act and proposed national register of Citizens were actually to blame and mishra’s threat was only a reaction. One user on the Hindu ekta group empathised with mishra, calling him a “bali ka bakra” – a scapegoat. mishra is the most popular politician on the rioters WhatsApp groups – but he isn’t the only one. One forwarded message on Kattar Hindut ekta on Febraury 25 creates a scenario where a muslim asks modi to remove the police force for 10 to 15 minutes after which “not one Hindu will be left”.
the answer sees the Delhi rioters make a direct connection with the violence around them to the 2002 Gujarat pogrom: “Well, i had removed them in Gujarat, no, for 7-8 minutes. And then you people were brought down to 10%.” the other side of this affinity with the BJP means a bitter dislike for the Aam Aadmi Party: the saffron party’s principal rival in Delhi. the Aam Aadmi Party is presented as a party controlled by muslims – which Hindus voted for driven by narrow utilitarian reasons. “Brothers, even some Hindus voted for the AAP driven by greed – they didn’t know that AAP will be licking the arses of these bhos****e mullahs,” one user messaged on the afternoon of the 25th to Kattar Hindut ekta. “Free electricity and water for these sisterf******s.” HINDUTVA IDEOLOGUES: most remarkably, however, the purported chat transcripts show how ideologically clued into Hindutva the Delhi rioters were. As members discuss the minutes of the riot, the conversation weaves out into much larger political questions. On February 25, with the violence raging outside in north east Delhi, one user messaged in to Kattar Hindut ekta with a plan to boycott muslims economically – a common Hindu nationalist message found on social media. “i love my country, that is why i will take steps towards an economic boycott,” the message concludes after affirming that goods and services should only be purchased from fellow Hindus. Later, as participants discuss the installation of gates for safety, another sends a message on Kattar Hindut ekta that discusses one of the oldest Hindu nationalist tropes: muslim population increase. Once the indian muslim population becomes 300 crore, it predicts (it is 17 crore now), “the same thing will happen what happened to the Kashmiri Pandits”. the conclusion: “CAA, nrC, nPr is necessary”. A riot is often a key catalyst in building a larger Hindu nationalist identity over and above narrow caste affiliations. As far back as 1935, Br Ambedkar had argued, “A caste has no feeling that it is affiliated to other castes, except when there is a Hindu-muslim riot.” the purported message records of the rioters offer a glimpse into this. On February 25, close to midnight, in between calls to attack muslims, one member sends out a plea on Kattar Hindut ekta to dissolve caste boundaries in favour of a purely Hindu identity: TAKING PRIDE IN VIOLENCE: the social sanction awarded to a riot means that there are chilling instances of members admitting to – and even boasting about violence against muslims. Apart from his claim on February 25 of murdering 23 muslims, solanki on February 26 writes in to Kattar Hindut ekta say that he had killed two muslims at Bhagirathi Vihar around 9 pm and thrown their bodies in a drain. the transcripts also contain sexually inappropriate remarks against muslim women. On February 25, one user, who features prominently throughout the conversations in the group, sent a message that said a mosque in lane number one had been set on fire. “swaha ho ghi maszid,” said the user at 8.11 pm. “swaha” is a term used to invoke Agni, the fire god, during Hindu fire rituals. An hour or so later, the same user requests other members to take initiative to install an idol in the madarsa they had allegedly vandalised.
Stop digital tracking of coronavirus patients by Israel’s security service Editorial Haaretz
rime minister Benjamin netanyahu’s handling of the coronavirus crisis continues to be a resounding failure. Last Wednesday, the Knesset passed temporary legislation enabling the Health ministry to seek the shin Bet security service’s help in identifying people who had contact with coronavirus patients. the day after the law passed, the ministry began sending messages to tens of thousands of people telling them to quarantine because they were near a confirmed coronavirus patient. But some of those people say they were at home at the time in question and didn’t have contact with anyone. moreover, it turns out that the Health ministry failed to prepare properly for the resumption of cell-
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THE CORONAVIRUS IS A CIVILIAN CRISIS, AND THE SHIN BET SHOULD BE LEFT OUT OF IT phone tracking. As a result, many people who were told to quarantine due to a mistake and wanted to challenge the order found it difficult, sometimes impossible, to reach the ministry. even worse, they discovered that the criteria for appealing the order were extremely narrow, even though the law says anyone who receives a quarantine message is entitled to ask the ministry to “reconsider the data,” and even though the ministry is required by law to respond to such requests within
three days. smugness and arrogance and, as a result, an unchecked return to normal life has made israel vulnerable to a second wave of the coronavirus at a time when our economic batteries are on empty and the country wasn’t properly prepared to handle another outbreak. As in the first outbreak, this time, too, netanyahu has insisted on handling the crisis in a centralized fashion, via hasty cabinet meetings, while lionizing himself on television. this is in stark contrast to properly run countries, which engaged in an orderly and transparent decision-making process and are currently in much better shape than israel. to cover up their failures, netanyahu and his government are seeking shortcuts by employing controversial tactics. israel has been revealed in all its civic nakedness, and for lack of other options, it is asking
the security services to solve its problems for it. Yet not only has the state given the shin Bet legal access to the cellphones of all its citizens and allowed it to employ the same tools it uses to fight our enemies, but it turns out these tools are being used to send “innocent” people into quarantine. the coronavirus is a civilian crisis, and the shin Bet should be left out of it. that’s all the more true when the Health ministry isn’t prepared to make use of the shin Bet’s assistance in compliance with the terms set by the law. two months ago, netanyahu boasted about all the leaders of european countries who were calling him “to learn about what we’re doing to continue our success.” Perhaps it’s now time for netanyahu to call them and ask what israel can learn from them about managing the coronavirus crisis.
Friday, 10 July, 2020
BUSINESS 09
CORPORATE CORNER Midas Safety donates 2.5m medical gloves to govt in fight against Covid-19 KARACHI: In order to meet the health and safety needs of frontline workers during these times, Midas Safety, the world’s largest manufacturer and supplier of Gloves and PPE, donated 2.5 million medical gloves to the government. The initiative has been taken in support of the country’s efforts to curb the Covid-19 outbreak which has overwhelmed the healthcare sector in Pakistan. Highlighting the efforts, Midas Safety CEO Hussain Kassam said, “Two containers of disposable gloves for healthcare workers in the South and North of Pakistan each were handed over to Prime Minister Imran Khan and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah by the officials of Midas Safety Pakistan. This is in addition to the various Corporate Social Responsibility activities carried out by us which also include donations to Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Indus Hospital.” He further emphasized on the additional safety measures taken by Midas Safety. “In line with our commitment of protecting the working hands of the world, now and in the future, we partner with globally renowned Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) brands and extend our pledge to provide consistent quality, innovative solutions, and a wide range of products covering most segments of hand protection.” Midas Safety is working tirelessly to ensure that much-needed safety products and PPEs are available to customers all over the world. We support the commitment to the strategic roadmap laid out by Prime Minister Imran Khan and respective provincial ministries. At Midas, we care deeply for the people and our associates are reputed due to the sustainability initiatives taken at the company which contributes to the communities, healthcare, education and employee welfare, and we believe we have an essential role to play during the COVID-19 crisis. Press release
Silkbank, Visa partner to further e-commerce drive KARACHI: Silkbank Ltd is one of the leading and fastest growing consumer banks in the country, with 123 branches in 39 cities. Silkbank's Visa credit cards offer cardholders premier benefits, multiple layers of security, reliability and global acceptance. With the growing focus towards digitalisation in the ‘post-covid’ economy, it is an imperative for banks to provide ease and facilitation to their customers to perform online transactions. Keeping up with this spirit and the commitment in providing world leading services, Silkbank has partnered with Visa to utilise the global digital payments leader’s ‘Visa Consumer Authentication Service’ (VCAS), which provides the bank Risk Based Authentication (RBA) to reduce fraud and false declines for an improved online authentication service. With this partnership, Silkbank is soon to become the first bank in the country to offer this 3DS 2.0 compliant feature, which not only delivers better online experience for cardholders but leverages the power of data to give cardholders peace of mind when shopping online. Commenting on Silkbank’s digital-drive, Shahram Raza Bakhtiari from the banks Director Retail Banking team said, “Our objective is to be ready for the new-era in banking where customers will rely more on digital solutions and for this purpose our strategic partnership with Visa will go a long way. This initiative is a reflection of our resolve in providing our customers unmatched convenience without compromising on the security”. Visa’s Country Manager Pakistan and Afghanistan Kamil Khan, said: “While the current circumstances have reimagined consumers’ shopping patterns and prompted merchants to go online quickly, consumer expectations remain the same – they want easy payments that are also secure. We are delighted that our partners have chosen Visa Consumer Authentication Service, which enables Silkbank to offer smarter authentication decisions and deliver the secure and seamless payment experiences consumers seek. This is an important step forward in both Visa and Silkbank’s efforts to drive digital commerce in Pakistan”. Press release
TECNO strengthens partnership with M&P to increase market reach LAHORE: It is imperative for the manufacturer and distributor in a relationship, whether strategic or tactical in nature, to share a similar vision. The success of both the stakeholders is dependent upon the strength of this connection. Leading smartphone brand TECNO and eminent distributors Muller & Phipps (M&P) are the bearers of the same principles. Strategy and tactics go hand in hand, while defining a convenient and costeffective partnership. A strategic relationship demands the manufacturer to sketch a well-drafted plan for marketing, branding, and product development. However, distributors like M&P push the product, provide customer feedback and improvements plans to compete with the competitors, tactically. All in all, M&P being the distributor caters to the customers and increasing sales, while TECNO Mobiles being the manufacturer provides its expertise regarding designing, developing and production of the product. Thus, a strategic plan involves the general idea of reaching a goal, and the tactical plan governs the execution of that idea. Express logistics company, M&P has devised several ideas to expand the product outreach of TECNO in retail shops, infant marketplaces and flagship outlets, all across Pakistan. This distribution hub has the potential of elevating TECNO’s marketing strategies with a mutual benefit of gaining a wide customer base. Press release
MOOT idENTifiES bOTTlENECkS haMPERiNG Pak-afGhaN TRadE PESHAWAR
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aZIZ BUNerI
RADERS and exporters of Pakistan and Afghanistan on Thursday identified bottlenecks that were hampering PakAfghan bilateral and transit trade, including complicated regulations and procedures, strict policies and cumbersome goods' clearing processes. Speaking in a joint video-link conference organised by USAID – Pakistan Regional Economic Integration Activity (PREIA) in collaboration with the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), Pak-Afghan traders said economies of both countries would suffer badly if immediate measures were not taken towards traders' facilitation, adding that regulatory duties, unnecessary policies and double taxation should be revised or abolished. The participants called upon Islamabad and Kabul to make joint efforts and remove hurdles in the way of bilat-
TRADERS FEAR BILATERAL TRADE WILL FALL BELOW $1BN IF COMPLICATED REGULATIONS, STRICT POLICIES AND CUMBERSOME GOODS' CLEARING PROCESSES ARE NOT SORTED eral and transit trade, as these bottlenecks were making it difficult for both countries to realise their trade potential of $5 billion. The conference was chaired by SCCI President Engr Maqsood Anwar Pervaiz while SCCI Senior Vice President Shahid Hussain performed duties as moderator. Besides renowned business leader from both sides, the meeting was attended by former Pak-Afghan Joint Chambers of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI) SVP and Frontier Customs Agents Association President Ziaul Haq Sarhadi, PAJCCI-Pakistan Chairman Zubair Motiwala, Secretary General Ms Faiza, PAJCCI-Afghanistan
Chairman Khan Jan Alokozay, Afghan chamber’s Younis Mohmand, Kandahar chamber representative Haji Daud and former FPCCI president Engr Daroo Khan Achakzai. The traders noted that the PakAfghan bilateral trade volume had declined to $1 billion because of complicated regulations and procedures, strict policies and cumbersome goods clearing processes at ports and borders. If policies were not reviewed immediately, the trade volume between the two countries would completely end, they feared. The participants urged the leadership of both countries to keep trade matters away from politics and address
the genuine grievances of traders by keeping in mind the economic benefits. Since the outbreak of Covid-19, they informed, traders on both sides of the border have inflicted colossal monetary losses. They demanded special relief packages in the shape of waivers on regulatory duties and customs levies for exporters and importers. The speakers also sought a revision in the Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement and signing of a new agreement in consultation with the business community. The traders further highlighted the slow movement of trucks/containers at Torkham, Chaman, Ghulam Khan and Kharlachi borders as well as inadequate facilities at the Karachi port. At the end of the meeting, the participants fully agreed with suggestions and recommendations and decided to forward them through USAID PRIEA to governments, concerned ministries, departments in order to implement them in letter and spirit.
MARKET DAILY
PSX sustains bullish momentum amid soaring volumes KSE-100 ACCUMULATES 447 POINTS TO CROSS 36,000-BARRIER; VOLUMES SURGE TO LEVELS LAST SEEN ON 5TH DEC 2019 KARACHI sTaFF rePOrT
Bulls continued to rule the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Thursday, with the KSE-100 Index crossing the psychological barrier of 36,000 points amid soaring volumes. It may be noted that the PSX has been registering gains since June 26th, following the surprise State Bank policy rate cut by 100 basis points. In the last 10 sessions, the domestic equity bourse has risen by 7.2pc (+2,423 points). Tahir Abbas, Head of Research at Arif Habib Limited, attributed the positive sentiment to the declining trend in Covid cases. "With the economy reopening, fewer cases suggest an early recovery. Moreover, the SBP has provided businesses with the much-needed stimulus in the form of policy rate cuts and slashing of refinancing rates." Commenting on the surge in volumes, Abbas stated, "Investors are moving their funds from fixed income towards equities in light of the change in policy rates and expectation of greater returns on the PSX."
In line with the recent trend, the benchmark KSE-100 Index remained in the green throughout the day, recording its intraday high at 36,190.70 after gaining 495.81 points. It closed higher by 447.28 points at 36,142.17. Among other indices, the KMI30 Index accumulated 717.31 points or +1.26pc to end at 57,597.86, while the KSE All Share Index gathered 252.51 points, settling at 25,815.29. Of the total traded scrips, 212 advanced and 107 declined. The overall market volumes surged from 317.68 million shares in the last session to 467 million shares, a level last seen on 5th Dec 2019. Traded value also increased by 20pc, from $94 million, a figure last touched on 21st Apr 2020. Of the total volume, 333.05 million shares belonged to KSE-100 scripts. Unity Foods Limited (UNTIY +8.51pc), Pak Elektron Limited (PAEL +3.86pc) and TRG Pakistan Limited (TRG +1.85pc) led the volume chart on Thursday, exchanging 40.65 million, 39.57 million and 38.44 million shares, respectively.
Sectors that drove the index north included banking (+218.50 points), oil & gas exploration (+79.56 points) and power generation & distribution (+48.20 points). Among the companies, Habib Bank Limited (HBL +55.86 points), Hub Power Company Limited (HUBC +42.90 points) and Pak Petroleum Limited (PPL +34.72 points) remained the top contributors. The reason behind the uptick in oil & gas and power generation & distribution sectors was an improvement in the rupee – dollar parity. Adding 2.88pc to its cumulative market capitalization, the banking sector turned to be the session's top gainer, with Habib Bank Limited (HBL +3.31pc), United Bank Limited (UBL +1.83pc), Bank AlFalah Limited (BAFL +6.40pc) and Standard Chartered Bank (Pakistan) Limited (SCBPL +3.85pc) posting decent gains. Meanwhile, in a notification to the exchange, Dolmen City REIT (DCR -0.18pc) informed that the board of directors have decided to waive 45pc rent for tenants having retail outlets in Dolmen Mall (Clifton) for the month of July 2020. "The minimum rent will not be charged from those [shops] that are closed or have limited operations, while 40pc rentals will be charged for tenants of 'Harbour Front' for the month of July," it added.
Gold price continues to surge, reaches Rs109,100 per tola ISLAMABAD aPP
The price of 24-karat gold increased by Rs800 on Thursday and was traded at Rs109,100 as compared to its previous closing at Rs108,300 on Wednesday, Karachi Sarafa Association reported. Likewise, the price of 10-gram gold also witnessed an increase of Rs686 and was traded at Rs93,536 compared to its sale at Rs92,850 on Wednesday.. The per tola price of silver remained stable and was traded at Rs1,060 whereas the price of 10-gram silver also remained at the same level and was traded at Rs908.78 on Thursday. In the international market, the per ounce price of gold stood at $1,814, up $12 from its level of $1,802 on Thursday. Concerns have been raised in the international market that post Covid-19 economic recovery will be long and gradual, as opposed to a v shape, which has led investors to hedge their positions against riskier assets and invest in gold.
Bioexyte’s bid to acquire 30pc stake in Mitchell’s falls through LAHORE HassaN NaQVI
Mitchell’s Fruit Farms Limited (MFFL) on Thursday informed the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) and its shareholders that negotiations with the prefered bidder Bioexyte Foods (Pvt) Limited for the acquisition of 30 per cent shares of the company remained unsuccessful. After the deal fell through company’s Board of Directors (BoD) decided to explore other avenues to raise capital. MFFL also elected journalist Najam Sethi as it chairman in place of Syed Muhammad Mohsin on Thursday. According to an earlier report published in Profit on January 6, Getz Pharma, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in Pakistan, was all set to acquire MFFL. Sources in both the companies had confirmed it back then. Earlier on November 20, 2019,
MFFL had announced via a notice to the PSX that it had shortlisted two firms, Waves Singer Pakistan Ltd and Bioexyte Foods, for a strategic sale of shares along with the transfer of management control. While Waves Singer has been a renowned company in the country since a number of decades, Bioexyte Foods was only incorporated in July 2019. Other than the names of the directors, not much was disclosed about the company. However, Profit was able to confirm that, Bioexyte Foods is a sister company of Getz Pharma, incorporated as an SPV (Special Purpose Vehicle) to acquire MFFL. MFFL’s past and present: MFFL, established in 1933 by Francis J. Mitchell under the name of Indian Mildura Fruit Farms Limited, is the oldest food company in Pakistan. After independence in 1947, the company’s
name was changed to Mitchell’s Fruit Farms Ltd. Under the brand name ‘Mitchells’, the company gradually expanded its product range to become one of the largest food companies in Pakistan. However in recent times the company’s market share has decreased due to stiff competition from other local players like National Foods and Shan Foods. In financial terms, MFFL has been in a loss since the last four years and over the last 18 months its directors have had to inject around Rs150 million to keep the company afloat. As per MFFL’s Annual Report for 2018, the company’s aggregate sales revenue recorded a decline of 14.1 per cent and stood at Rs1.628 billion. In 2018, the company declared a loss of Rs292.61 million compared to a loss of Rs30 million in 2017. However, the company’s financial
performance improved in 2019 as it reported a sales revenue of Rs1.987 up 22.08 per cent from the Rs1.628 billion revenue reported in 2018. Moreover, its loss after tax for 2019 also decreased to Rs80 million. MFFL’s sharehoLding: Almost 58 per cent of MFFL’s shares are held by its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), directors and their spouses and children. In addition to this, 27 per cent of the shares are held by the general public, approximately 10 per cent shares are held by Modarabas and mutual funds while banks, Development Financial Institutions (DFIs) and Non Banking Financial Institutions (NBFIs) hold a negligible share. Other shareholders of the company mainly include joint-stock companies. In the last five years, Mitchell’s share price has declined from Rs807.4 to Rs217.40 (as of July 9, 2020).
Friday, 10 July, 2020
10 FOreIgn newS
Harvard, MIT sue TruMp adMIn over order revokIng vIsas for foreIgn sTudenTs CAMBRIDGE
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AGENCIES
ARVARD University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) asked a court Wednesday to block an order by President Donald Trump’s administration threatening the visas of foreign students whose entire courses have moved online because of the coronavirus pandemic. The universities’ lawsuit was in response to an announcement Monday by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that the affected students must leave the country or transfer to a school offering in-person tuition. “We will pursue this case vigorously so that our international students, and international students at institutions across the country, can continue their studies without the threat of deportation,” Harvard President Lawrence Bacow said in a statement. Trump is pushing universities and schools to fully open when the new academic year starts in September despite the US registering record COVID-19 cases. ICE said in its announcement the State Department would not issue visas to students enrolled in programs that are fully online for the fall semester and such students would not be allowed to enter the country. Universities with a hybrid system of in-person and online classes will have to show that foreign students are taking as many in-person classes as possible, to maintain their status. The measure was seen as a move by the White House to put pressure on educational institutions that are adopting a cautious approach to reopening amid the global COVID19 pandemic. “The order came down without notice — its cruelty surpassed only by its recklessness,” Bacow said. He added it was made “without regard to concerns for the health and safety of students, instructors and others.” The universities say in their lawsuit that the order
would harm students “immensely,” both personally and financially. It describes the order as “arbitrary and capricious” and says it threw US higher education “into chaos.” There were more than one million international students in the US for the 2018-19 academic year, according to the Institute of International Education (IIE). The plaintiffs ask that the court issue a temporary restraining order and “permanent injunctive relief” preventing the policy from being enforced. They also ask that the order be declared unlawful, that their legal costs are covered, and that they receive any other relief that the court deems appropriate. ‘RIDICULOUS’: The lawsuit, filed in Boston, lists the
defendants as ICE and the United States Department of Homeland Security. The US posted a daily high of 60,209 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday, Johns Hopkins University said, and the country topped three million cases on Wednesday. The disease has claimed more than 131,000 lives across America. Most US colleges and universities have not yet announced their plans for the fall semester but Harvard has said all its classes for the 2020-21 academic year will be conducted online “with rare exceptions.” Some 40 percent of undergraduates will be allowed to return to campus, but their instruction will be conducted remotely.
China urges 'positive energy' in ties with us BEIJING: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Thursday that Beijing and Washington’s relations face the most serious challenges since diplomatic ties were established in 1979 but the two countries can return to the right track. China and the United States should jointly explore ways for peaceful coexistence and release more “positive energy,” Yi said in a speech posted on his ministry’s website. Washington and Beijing have been at loggerheads over the handling of the coronavirus outbreak, China’s actions in the former British colony of Hong Kong, a long-running trade dispute, and frictions over Taiwan and the South China Sea. “Current US policy towards China is based on strategic misjudgments which lack a factual basis, and is full of emotional outbursts and McCarthyist prejudice,” he said, referring to an anti-communist witch hunt inspired by a US senator in the 1950s. On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the world should not permit China’s “bullying” to take place, highlighting the country’s territorial disputes with India, Vietnam, and Japan. The two countries should not seek to change each other, said Wang. “China cannot and will not become another America,” he said, adding that a socialist system was suited to China and the choice of its people. Wang said he hoped the United States would build a more objective understanding of China and formulate a more rational and pragmatic China policy. More dialogue, separating out different issues and setting to one side the areas of greatest disagreement, and cooperation in fighting against the coronavirus pandemic would help put bilateral relations on the right track, said Wang. AGENCIES
Officer to Floyd: ‘It takes ... a lot of oxygen to talk’ MINNEAPOLIS AGENCIES
As George Floyd told Minneapolis police officers that he could not breathe more than 20 times in the moments before he died, the officer who pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck dismissed his pleas, saying “it takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk,” according to transcripts of body camera video recordings made public Wednesday. The transcripts for the body camera videos of officers Thomas Lane and J. Kueng provide the most detailed account yet of what happened as police were taking Floyd into custody on May 25, and reveal more of what was said after Floyd, a Black man who was handcuffed, was put on the ground. “You’re going to kill me, man,” Floyd said, according to a transcript of Lane’s body camera video. “Then stop talking, stop yelling. It takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk,” said Derek Chauvin, the white officer who held his knee to Floyd’s neck for nearly eight minutes, even after Floyd stopped moving. “They’ll kill me. They’ll kill me. I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe,” Floyd said. Chauvin’s attorney, Eric Nelson, had no immediate comment Wednesday. The transcripts were made public Wednesday as part of Lane’s request to have the case against him dismissed. Lane’s attorney, Earl Gray, said in a memorandum that there isn’t probable cause to charge his client, based on
all of the evidence and the law. Gray painted an image of a rookie officer who trusted Chauvin, a senior officer, after Floyd had been acting erratically, struggling and hurting himself during an arrest. Gray said that once Floyd was on the ground, Lane had asked twice if officers should roll Floyd on his side, and Chauvin said no. Gray also submitted the body camera footage itself, but that was not immediately made public. The transcripts show Floyd appearing cooperative at times but becoming agitated as he begged not to be put in a squad car, saying repeatedly he was claustrophobic. “Oh man, God don’t leave me man, please man, please man,” he begged, later adding: “I’ll do anything y’ll tell me to, man. … I’m just claustrophobic, that’s it.” Gray wrote that Floyd started to thrash back and forth and was “hitting his face on the glass in the squad and began to bleed from his mouth.” Officers brought Floyd to the ground and, “the plan was to restrain him so he couldn’t move and hurt himself anymore,” Gray wrote. Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter. Lane, Kueng and Tou Thao are charged with aiding and abetting both second-degree murder and manslaughter. Lane was holding Floyd’s legs at the time, Kueng was at Floyd’s midsection and Thao was watching nearby bystanders. All four officers were fired. A message left with an attorney for Floyd’s family was not immediately returned. A spokesman for the at-
torney general’s office said prosecutors plan to oppose the motion to dismiss. As part of his court filing, Gray also submitted a transcript of Lane’s interview with state investigators and police department training materials on restraint holds. Gray wrote that all of the evidence exonerates his client and that it is not “fair or reasonable” for Lane to stand trial. Gray said in a memorandum that his client’s body camera video shows the encounter with Floyd from the time Lane got on the scene to the point where Floyd was put into an ambulance; Lane went in the ambulance and helped with CPR, according to the transcript. Lane repeatedly told Floyd to show his hands, and he told investigators he drew his gun at first because Floyd was reaching for something, but holstered it once Floyd showed his hands. Body camera video transcripts show Floyd initially said he had been shot before, and begged police not to shoot him. Gray said Floyd was acting erratically and had foam at his mouth. According to the body camera video transcripts, when asked about the foam and whether he was on something, Floyd said he was scared and had been playing basketball. As officers struggled to get Floyd into the squad car, Floyd said: “I can’t breathe” and “I want to lay on the ground,” the transcripts say. Once Floyd was on the ground, Lane told the other officers “he’s got to be on something.” and he asked twice whether officers should roll Floyd onto his side —
Chauvin said no. “Lane had no basis to believe Chauvin was wrong in making that decision,” Gray wrote. Bystanders told officers repeatedly to check Floyd’s pulse, and after Kueng did he said, “I can’t find one.” “Huh?” Chauvin said, according to the transcript of Keung’s body camera video. Lane told state investigators that Chauvin was not Lane’s field training officer, but that he had trained Kueng and was someone Lane had previously gone to for guidance. According to a transcript of that interview, one investigator said it seemed like Lane’s gut was telling him something wasn’t right with the way Floyd was being restrained. “Yeah. I would say felt like it maybe could have been handled differently or we should be reassessing what we’re doing, I think is what I was kind of coming to,” Lane said. Gray argued in his memorandum that in order to charge Lane with aiding and abetting, prosecutors must show Lane played a knowing role in committing a crime. He said there’s no evidence Lane played an intentional role or knew Chauvin was committing a crime, namely assault. “The decision to restrain Floyd was reasonably justified,” Gray wrote, adding: “Based on Floyd’s actions up to this point, the officers had no idea what he would do next – hurt himself, hurt the officers, flee, or anything else, but he was not cooperating.” Gray wrote that Lane’s trust in Chauvin was “reasonable and not criminal.”
Iconic US clothier Brooks Brothers files for bankruptcy NEWS DESK Brooks Brothers, the retailer known for dressing the great and good of the United States since 1818, filed for bankruptcy on Wednesday, buckling under the pressure from the coronavirus pandemic after years of faltering sales as customers embraced more casual apparel and sales shifted online, The New York Times reported. The company, founded and based in New York, filed for Chapter 11 restructuring proceedings in the US Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. Claudio Del Vecchio, the Italian industrialist who bought the brand in 2001 and still owns the company, told The Times in May that he would not rule out Chapter 11 as a possibility. Brooks Brothers said in an emailed statement on Wednesday that the filing would allow it to obtain additional financing as it facilitated a sale. The bankruptcy is the latest high-profile retail fall during the pandemic, which has caused widespread store closures and sales declines, reshaping the shopping streets of cities across the country. Since May, major names like J.C. Penney, Neiman Marcus and J. Crew have all been pushed into Chapter
11 proceedings. The chains, including Brooks Brothers, plan to keep operating, though most likely in a pared-back fashion. “Brooks Brothers is the most iconic American brand,” said William Susman, managing director at Threadstone Advisors. “While in a different form, I am confident the brand will survive and continue for years to come. This is a case of a failed company, not a failed brand.” Brooks Brothers, known for its suits and preppy clothes, has been hit especially hard by the virus crisis. It is an era of remote work and job interviews through Zoom, and the postponement of celebrations like weddings, bar mitzvahs and graduations. The company, which is the oldest apparel brand in continuous operation in the United States, said it had decided to close 51 US stores out of its roughly 250 locations in North America. Earlier this year, Brooks Brothers said it would close its three factories in the United States — in Queens; Haverhill, Mass.; and Garland, N.C. — spurring concern about the future of the brand and its identity as a “Made in America” name. It is currently facing a dispute in Haverhill, where a union representative for 400
workers said the company was refusing to pay severance to employees, some of whom have worked there for decades. Brooks Brothers has a unique and rich connection to American heritage and culture. It has dressed all but four US presidents, and its overcoats have been worn for the inaugurations of Abraham Lincoln, Barack Obama and Donald J. Trump, among others. It has outfitted Clark Gable, Andy Warhol and Stephen Colbert. Even Ralph Lauren started out as a salesman at Brooks Brothers in New York. For decades, the brand was synonymous with professional American men’s wear, its somewhat boxy suits framed as a less fashion-centric riposte to the more structured English tailoring and the more showy Italian style. Preppy, pinstriped, and red, white and blue, its clothes, for both men and women, were symbols of what became known as “Ivy League style.” It personified East Coast success in the Kennedy vein, and its Madison Avenue flagship, a limestone Italian Renaissance building, became a pit stop for commuters hopping the train from Grand Central to family life in the suburb. “It’s the most historical and storied men’s wear institution we’ve had in this
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country,” said Alan Flusser, a tailor and the author of numerous books on men’s style. However, he added, “for many years it has been more a memory than a reality in terms of its ability to influence or inspire people.” The Times reported last month that Del Vecchio had hired PJ Solomon, the investment banking firm, as long ago as last year to explore “options” such as a sale or further investment. A restructuring plan was created
before the pandemic, and this year, a group of potential investors valued the company between $300 million and $350 million. But Del Vecchio told The Times that he had not felt that the discussions “matched the needs we saw.” Del Vecchio also said that annual sales from 2017 through 2019 were effectively flat at about $1 billion and that the company had a debt of “less than” $300 million.
Friday, 10 July, 2020
SPORTS 11
Start oF EnGLand-WESt IndIES SErIES dELayEd By raIn
t
SportS deSk
HE much-anticipated return of international cricket after almost four months has been, almost predictably, delayed by rain. The start of England's first test against the West Indies in Southampton was pushed back on Wednesday after light rain and overcast skies delayed the 1030 GMT toss ahead of an 1100GMT start. The teams are meeting in a "bio-secure environment" at Southampton's Ageas bowl with daily health checks for everyone in the ground –– which doesn't include fans –– in the first of a three-test series. Former West Indies T20 captain Carlos Brathwaite told the BBC: "It's a duty for us as sportspeople to bring some normality back to the world. Hopefully we can get underway and bring some good back to the game and to the world."
PSL 2020: First phase of ticket refunding to begin next week SportS deSk Ticket holders of the truncated Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2020 will receive a full refund from next week as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is set to initiate the first of its two refund phases, Cricket Pakistan reported. The Covid-19 pandemic saw some matches of the PSL 2020 held behind closed doors before a growing concern for players' safety caused the remainder of the tournament to be called off. However, the fans' months-long wait to get their monies back is about to be over. The PCB, in the first phase, will refund tickets for the matches that were played behind closed doors. The second phase will see funds returned for the playoffs. It is expected that both the phases will take 10 days each. Meanwhile, the PCB is looking to organise the remainder of PSL 2020 in November.
It is now 117 days since England's warm-up match in Sri Lanka was abandoned due to the Covid-19 threat and no cricket has been played since. England will be captained in the first test by Ben Stokes, standing in for Joe Root, whose wife is about to give birth. West Indies, who like England have a strong bowling attack but a somewhat fragile batting lineup, are led by Jason Holder - the world's number one ranked test all-rounder. Both teams are expected to "take a knee" before the start of the match, and a minute's silence will be observed to mark the victims of the virus and also former West Indies batsman Everton Weekes, who died last week. England's players will also have the names of key workers on their training shirts. Stokes, whose kit bears the name of Dr Vikas Kumar, a specialist in anaesthetics and critical care, said:
"We're only able to play this match because of the amazing job that key workers up and down the country have done to help us through this pandemic. "Wearing their names is a real honour for us, and is a small sign of our appreciation for the incredible work they have done." COVID-19 TWEAKS TO GAME: The series will feature many variations from a regular test due to the virus restrictions. There are home umpires, the first time in England since 2002, and because of that each team will have three referrals instead of the usual two per innings. The match referee is Chris Broad, father of England bowler Stuart. Players are not allowed to use saliva to polish the ball and umpires will not take jumpers and caps from bowlers. The match is the first of six tests almost back-to-back for England, who go straight into a three-match series
against Pakistan at the same closed venues in Manchester and Southampton in August. A smoothly run test series, played in a strict isolated environment featuring repeated Covid-19 testing and social distancing, can lay the blueprint for future matches and tours in cricket but also events in other sports targeting a resumption. “If you get one thing wrong, it might blow this whole ‘getting sport back onto the radar’ further back,” England stand-in skipper Stokes said on Tuesday in his eve-ofgame news conference. Stokes also spoke about the “responsibility on our shoulders” to deliver a “massive occasion” for TV viewers who have been without international cricket for four months. “I know everyone has been craving this from a player’s point of view,” he said, “but also I think from a spectator’s and fan's point of view.”
Asia Cup postponed to June 2021 dubai Agencies
The 2020 edition of the Asia Cup stands cancelled, the tournament's governing body confirmed on Thursday, ending weeks of speculation. The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is looking at a window in June 2021 to host the tournament. The T20 tournament was to be played in Sri Lanka in September after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) offered to swap hosting rights in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. It was to feature the four subcontinent sides along with Afghanistan and an Asian qualifier. "Travel restrictions, country-specific quarantine requirements, fundamental health risks and social distancing mandates have posed as substantial challenges to holding the Asia Cup," read a statement from the ACC. "Above all, the risks related to health and safety of participating players, support staff and commercial partners, fans and the crick-
eting community were deemed to be significant." On Wednesday, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly had unofficially confirmed the tournament's cancellation during an Instagram Live with the Indian news channel Aaj Tak. As per the original ICC calendar, the Asia Cup T20 was to be a precursor to the men's T20 World Cup that was to be staged in Australia in October-No-
vember. However, the ICC continues to remain tight-lipped about the possibility of staging the event this year. An announcement is expected soon. With Sri Lanka set to host the Asia Cup in 2021, Pakistan have been awarded the hosting rights in 2022. The previous edition was hosted by the BCCI in UAE in September 2018, with India emerging winners.
Sophie Devine named permanent New Zealand captain Sydney Agencies
Sophie Devine has been named the permanent New Zealand captain with her predecessor Amy Satterthwaite taking the vice-captaincy on her return from maternity leave. Devine stepped into the captaincy when Satterthwaite took leave last year to have her first child with wife and teammate Lea Tahuhu and led the team at the T20 World Cup in Australia where they were knocked out in the group stage. She is now set to lead the side at the home one-day World Cup next February and March should that tournament retain its spot in the schedule amid the fallout from Covid-19. "It's a huge honour and privilege to be awarded the White Ferns captaincy," Devine said. "I thoroughly enjoyed my time as captain over the past season. It was challenging results-wise at times, but I feel we are moving in the right direction
as a team, both with our cricket and our team culture. "I'm very much looking forward to working with Amy who has an exceptional cricketing brain and I feel we can form a strong leadership partnership in combination with a well-established
leadership group." Devine has enjoyed a prolific run of form over the last 18 months and became the first player to score five consecutive fifty-plus scores in T20Is with a century against South Africa, a run she extended to six when she opened
her T20 World Cup campaign with an unbeaten 75 against Sri Lanka. "Sophie is a strong leader, she has her own style and knows what she wants from herself and the team," head coach Bob Carter said. "It's a testament to her ability as a leader that her performance with the bat last summer went to a new level. She leads with her actions and the team responds well to her leadership style. "Amy is on the comeback to cricket after giving birth and she is progressing really well. Having her experience, knowledge and leadership working alongside Sophie is only going to benefit the team." Satterthwaite said: "I'm looking forward to returning to international cricket and doing my best to support Sophie and the team." New Zealand are due to return to international action with a tour to Australia starting in late September to play three ODIs and three T20Is. They will begin pre-season preparations with a training camp in Lincoln next week.
Djokovic addresses 'witch hunt', says he's unsure of US Open new york Agencies
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic said he has been the subject of a “witch hunt” by his critics since several players tested positive for the coronavirus during his regional Adria Tour tennis event last month. Djokovic also admitted on Wednesday to being uncertain as to whether he will participate in the US Open, scheduled from Aug. 31-Sept. 13. The 33-year-old Djokovic came under fire after images and videos of players embracing at the net, playing basketball together and partying at the tournament were revealed on social media during the Adria Tour event. Spectators weren’t wearing masks and didn’t practice social distancing. “I can only see criticism lately and much of it is malicious,” Djokovic was quoted in Wednesday’s issue of Serbia’s daily Sportski Zurnal. “It’s obviously more than just criticism, it’s like an agenda and a witch hunt
are on,” the 17-time Grand Slam champion said. “Someone has to take the fall, a big name.” Djokovic, fellow Serb Viktor Troicki, Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov and Croatian Borna Coric all tested positive for the coronavirus during that time. “My intention was pure, I was wholeheartedly committed to organizing a humanitarian event to help players and tennis federations in the (Balkan) region,” Djokovic said. “We complied with all the laws and regulations. But we’ve learned our lessons and some things could have probably been done in a different way.” Djokovic also told Sportski Zurnal that he is not sure if he’s going to participate in the US Open in New York. “I still haven’t decided whether I will play in the US Open, the upsurge in registered Covid-19 cases in the United States and New York in particular are not playing into the event’s hands,” he said. On Wednesday, the United States surpassed 3 million cases of the coronavirus.
CMYK
BCCI's Ganguly hopeful IPL 2020 may go ahead MuMbai Agencies
India's T20 series is likely to be held as scheduled despite various of its counterparts in other countries being called off due to the coronavirus pandemic, media reports indicated on Thursday. According to India Today, the Indian Premier League 2020 may take place after all after it quoted sources as saying Cricket Australia had advised its players to participate in the T20 series following their England tour set for September. Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Sourav Ganguly told the publication that he was keen for the IPL to go ahead without any hindrance, especially if the International Cricket Council (ICC) called off the T20 World Cup. In addition, two other countries — Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates — have indicated that they would be willing to host the IPL if it is not held in India itself. Reports that New Zealand Cricket (NZC) was interested in hosting the IPL were, however, denied after its spokesperson termed them "speculations". India has, as of reporting time, identified more than 770,000 cases of the deadly coronavirus while close to 21,200 people have died of the respiratory illness. It was in this regard that the IPL 2020 had been called off indefinitely. Ganguly, who has shown interest in cont nuing the IPL 2020 as planned, told India Today that his priority is for the series to be played in India due to the higher costs if it was moved abroad. However, while the ICC was to announce a decision on the T20 World Cup last month, its chairperson stepped down on July 1 after four years in the office. "Life and cricket should to get back to normal," the BCCI president was quoted as saying by the publication. However, he underscored that the IPL would not be able to go ahead if the T20 World Cup was given the green signal as India's tour to Australia in December was already cemented as part of the Future Tours Programme (FTP). "Till the time we get clearcut directions from the ICC about the T20 World Cup, we cannot decide anything on the IPL," Ganguly told the publication. "So the Indian team will play its first full series in December. Asia Cup has been cancelled in September. So at the moment I cannot say when cricket will resume in India," Ganguly had told India Today. He added that the offseason helped the Indian players after their domestic season concluded in March. "We keep hearing different things from the media but till actually it's officially not told to the board members and the countries, you don’t know what is happening. "Whatever time we get, even if we get 35-40 days we will host it," the BCCI official said. "At this stage, I don’t think you can put your hand on heart and say that cricket will happen in these places," he added, referring to the Indian cities of Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, and Chennai, which have major teams in the IPL. "Secondly, will it be in India. If it’s not then we think of going out, but where. Because going out becomes very expensive for the board, the franchises because of the currency conversion rates," Ganguly noted.
Friday, 10 July, 2020
NEWS
sC sees no improvement in rAilwAy operAtions ISLAMABAD
t
STaFF REPORT
HE Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday observed that Pakistan Railways “is not being operated the way it should be”. Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed, during the hearing of a suo motu notice, noted that in accordance with the rules and manuals of Pakistan Railways, on account of which accidents are taking place frequently, great damage is being caused to the railways in which precious lives are lost. “There seems to be nothing in sight by which the operations of the railways in Pakistan could be improved,” the CJP said. “As not only is the infrastructure of the railways is in poor state and non-workable but also its employees are apparently not fit to operate the service.” The CJP further added that there needs to be serious thinking on part of the federal government regarding the operation of Pakistan Railways and overhauling the secretariat-level positions from top to bottom to ensure its safe functionality. The apex court expects that measures
would be taken by the government immediately to ensure that the railway does not play with the lives of the people and its properties are not lost. The court also asked directed the Planning Commission to submit a report, in this regard within one month. According to a short-order issued by the SC, a report has also been submitted by the secretary/chairman, ministry of railways wherein a reference has been made
AfghAnistAn to releAse 600 'too dAngerous' tAlibAn prisoners KABUL: The Afghanistan government on Thursday said it will release 600 prisoners it had deemed “too dangerous” in the hope of getting peace talks going, a day after they had refused to release the captives. Disagreement over about 600 prisoners from a total of 5,000 the Taliban want released has prevented the launch of US-brokered peace talks aimed at ending nearly 19 years of war since the group was ousted. While releases by both sides have taken place, the Afghan government has said it does not want to release some prisoners for security reasons and its Western allies also object to some of them being set free. “They have given us another list, the release process will continue but direct talks should also start immediately,” Javid Faisal, spokesman for the National Security Council, told Reuters. The Taliban could not be reached for comment and it was not clear if they would be willing to start talks based on the release of the prisoners on the list. The United States and the Taliban struck a landmark agreement in February on the withdrawal of US forces in exchange for Taliban security guarantees. As part of the pact, the Taliban agreed to open power-sharing talks with the US-backed government. But a senior government official said there was still no agreement on starting the talks. “The government will start the process of release in the coming few days and will complete the release whether the Taliban agree or not,” he said. A diplomatic source said US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, who has overseen the negotiations with the Taliban. aGENCIES
to the up-gradation of railways through Main Line-1 (ML-1), under the ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and also to the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) project. “As regards to ML-I, it is informed that PC-I is now pending with ECNIC for approval and as soon as the said approval is received, work will be started. The order states, “The court expects that ECNIC shall consider and have PC-I approved, as
un officials seek investigation into Kashmiris' torture, deaths
per rules within a period of one month.” Regarding KCR, it has been stated that considerable work on the ground has been done and that there are bottlenecks because of a nullah near Urdu University and Green Line near Nazimabad, the order added. The secretary railways stated that if the government of Sindh takes immediate action and makes way for the railways at these two bottlenecks, the remaining work of KCR would be completed and the service can be made operational. “There are railway crossings at which the Government of Sindh has undertaken to provide for the construction of either overhead or underground roads/paths, so that there is no eventuality of anyone crossing the railway line,” secretary railways added. Upon this the bench directed the Sindh’s chief secretary to ensure that the above three items of work are expeditiously completed to enable KCR to run in the port city. “Let a report, in this regard, be submitted by the Sindh chief secretary, within a period of two weeks,” the court order stated.” Sindh chief secretary and Karachi commissioner shall be present on the next date of hearing.”
CPI inflation hits 8.2 pc YoY in May: SBP PAKISTAN’S INFLATION RATE IS AMONG THE LOWEST IN EMERGING ECONOMIES LAHORE MUHaMMaD FaRaN BUKHaRI
Pakistan’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation was recorded at 8.2 per cent on an Year on Year (YoY) basis in May as compared to 8.5 per cent in April and 8.4 per cent during the corresponding month of last year. According to State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) Inflation Monitor, national CPI inflation on a month on month basis was recorded at 0.3 per cent in May compared to 0.8 per cent in April and 0.6 per cent during the corresponding month of last year. Rural areas experienced higher CPI inflation compared to urban areas in May, with rural CPI inflation recorded at 9.7 per cent on YoY basis compared to urban CPI inflation of 7.3 per cent on an YoY basis. Meanwhile, Wholesale Price Index (WPI) on a YoY basis stood at 1.5 per cent in May compared to 4.9 per cent in April, while Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) inflation stood at 9.6 per cent in May compared to 8.5 per cent in April. In the global context, Pakistan’s CPI inflation was the
highest compared to the US, Euro area, Japan and UK. However, CPI inflation rate in Pakistan was on the lower side compared to inflation rates for emerging economies for May. According to the SBP inflation monitor, inflation rates in Argentina, Iran, Nigeria and Turkey stood at 42.1 per cent, 21 per cent, 12.4 per cent and 11.4 per cent respectively. On the other hand, India has not released inflation data for the months of April and May. The recent increase in petroleum prices announced on June 26, that saw the price of petrol increase by more than Rs25 in a single day, is expected to add more inflationary pressure going forward. "The recent hike in fuel prices is expected to push the inflation rate higher. The trend in food inflation is upwards and doesn’t look to be easing soon. If the number of Covid-19 infections continue to decrease and life resumes back to normal, it will also spike the inflation index in months to come," said Capital Stake Research Director Maha Jaffer Butt. Earlier in January, Pakistan witnessed a 12-year high inflation of 14.6 per cent prompting the central bank to raise interest rates to 13.25 per cent. Since then the central bank has cut interest rates to 7 per cent in a bid to provide liquidity to cash strapped businesses during the Covid-19 induced economic slowdown prompting speculations that inflation rates might increase in the future.
SRINAGAR: Four UN special rapporteurs have asked the Indian government to investigate the alleged torture and custodial killings of several Kashmiri Muslim men since January 2019. A report was sent to the Indian government on May 4 over “the continued deterioration of human rights conditions” in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, documenting several cases of “arbitrary detentions, violations to the prohibition of torture and ill-treatment and rights of persons belonging to minorities.” “We remain deeply concerned about the ongoing human rights violations,” said the report shared on the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OCHCR) website this week. They called on New Delhi “to conduct a promo and impartial investigation into all the allegations of arbitrary killings, torture and ill-treatment and to prosecute suspected perpetrators.” “We express grave concern at the alleged excessive use of force, torture and other forms of illtreatment reportedly committed during the arrest and detention and death in custody of the … persons,” the rapporteurs said. Citing over a dozen cases of custodial torture, the report concluded: “They appear to be targeted based on their ethnicity and/or religious identities.” It said that “arbitrary arrest, torture and other ill-treatment” led to the death of victims in “at least 4 cases.” Among these cases is the death of Rizwan Pandit, a 29-yearold teacher who died in police custody on March 19 last year. The report, quoting Pandit’s preliminary autopsy report, said he died of bleeding caused by multiple injuries. “He allegedly had torture marks on his corpse but the autopsy report was never made public,” it said. The UN officials said New Delhi did not reply to the report within the stipulated 60-day period that ended this month. They also expressed regret that they had received “no response” to two earlier communications sent to the Indian government on Aug 16, 2019 and Feb 27 this year. The four UN special rapporteurs – on torture, extrajudicial killings, minority issues, and freedom of religion – had asked the Indian government to furnish further details about these alleged cases of torture and extrajudicial killings, as well as the fate of any subsequent investigations. They also sought details of the steps taken to address the allegations and information about laws for safeguarding religious minorities. Kashmir, a Muslimmajority Himalayan region, is held by India and Pakistan in parts and claimed by both in full. A small sliver of Kashmir is also held by China. Since they were partitioned in 1947, New Delhi and Islamabad have fought three wars – in 1948, 1965, and 1971 – two of them over Kashmir. Also, in Siachen glacier in northern Kashmir, Indian and Pakistani troops have fought intermittently since 1984. A ceasefire took effect in 2003. Some Kashmiri groups in Jammu and Kashmir have been fighting against Indian rule for independence, or for unification with neighboring Pakistan. According to several human rights organisations, thousands have reportedly been killed in the conflict since 1989. aGENCIES
WHO promises ‘honest evaluation’ ADB collaborates with WHO to expand of how world handled Covid-19 healthcare, contain Covid-19 across Asia GENEVA/ZURICH aGENCIES
MANILA aGENCIES
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Thursday strengthened its partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO) recognising that increased collaboration is helping to expand critical health care across Asia and the Pacific and contain the spread and impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. During a conference call with WHO Regional Directors Dr Takeshi Kasai and Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa said that the partnership based on a memorandum of understanding signed in 2018 had helped to address the region’s health security risks and strengthen health systems, which have been stretched due to the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. “I very much appreciate the close collaboration with the WHO regarding Covid-19. I found that the regular exchange of views and the latest information on the evolution of the pandemic provided by WHO have been invaluable to ADB’s operations,” The ADB president said. “ADB has incorporated inputs and advice from the WHO to ensure its support is fully responsive to the needs of its developing members. As countries implement these projects and ADB continues to expand technical and financing assistance, ADB looks forward to continued collaboration to help guide its response to, and the region’s recovery from Covid-19.”
On April 13, ADB announced a comprehensive support package of $20 billion to help developing members address the impacts of Covid-19. ADB and the WHO are finalising an administrative arrangement to govern financial, reporting, and implementation mechanisms related to their joint response to Covid-19, as well as projects to support recovery from the crisis. The first administrative arrangement between ADB and the WHO will cover South Asia before expanding to Central Asia, East Asia, the Pacific, and Southeast Asia. ADB is also working with the WHO and the Japanese Ministry of Finance to convene a virtual Joint Finance and Health Ministers Meeting on Covid-19 and Universal Health Coverage in Asia and the Pacific during the second stage of ADB’s annual meeting in September.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday it was setting up an independent panel to review its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the response by governments. The announcement follows strong criticism by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration of the global agency’s role in the crisis - though the WHO said the review was not linked to the United States. Former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark and former Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf have agreed to head the panel, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. “The magnitude of this pandemic, which has touched virtually everyone in the world, clearly deserves a commensurate evaluation, an honest evaluation,” Tedros told a virtual meeting with diplomats. The panel will provide an interim report to an annual meeting of health ministers in November and present a “substantive report” next May, he said. Trump has accused the WHO of being too close to
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China and not doing enough to question Beijing’s actions at the start of the crisis. Tedros has dismissed the suggestions and said his agency kept the world informed. In May, Trump said the United States, the agency’s biggest donor, would pull out of the organisation unless there were real reforms, a threat he followed up on this week by giving a one-year notice of withdrawal. “The President has been clear that the WHO needs to get its act together. That starts with demonstrating significant progress and the ability to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease outbreaks with transparency and accountability,” a senior U.S. official in Washington told Reuters on Thursday. The WHO issued a statement saying the review was not linked to the United States and that its 194 member countries had asked in May for an evaluation of the global response. More than 12 million people are reported to have been infected by the novel coronavirus worldwide and 548,429 have died since the virus emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year, according to a Reuters tally.