EpaperISB_2020-08-20 by Pakistan Today

Thursday, 20 August, 2020 I 29 Dhul-Hijjah, 1441 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XI No 51 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition

Pakistan on Path oF develoPment aFter eConomiC revival: Faraz g

FAwAd VOws tO enhAnce g OmAr sAys wOrK On 15 wind surgicAl expOrts tO pOwer prOjects underwAy tO $2Bn in One yeAr prOduce 800mw electricity VAwdA sAys wOrK On dAsu, mOhmAnd, BhAshA And 112 smAll dAms underwAy

ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

ederAl minister for information, shibli Faraz on wednesday said that the economy stands revived and the country has been put on the path of development. Flanked by other cabinet members, the information minister was addressing a news conference about the government’s two years’ performance in the federal capital. Faraz regretted that the opposition parties are trying to create anarchy and spread despondency in the country. he, however, categorically stated that the mafias and those representing them will not be spared under any circumstances. the information minister said that the nation which faced the difficult period

steadfastly stands by the government and all the conspiracies will be foiled with their support. he expressed confidence that the fruits of development will reach the masses soon. speaking on the occasion, minister for communications murad saeed said that prime minister imran Khan’s vision of austerity, accountability, transparency and self-sustainability is being implemented in the projects in letter and spirit. he said that rs750 million were saved under the austerity drive and over rs12 billion were recovered through audit under accountability campaign. he also said that initiatives of introduction of e-billing, ebidding and procurement, were introduced in the national highway Authority (nhA) to ensure transparency. he added that revenue of nhA has increased from rs53 billion to rs103 billion.

Coronavirus in

Pakistan

CONFIRMED CASES:

290,445

LAST UPDATED AT 9:39 AM ON AUGUST 19, 2020 DAY'S DEATH TOLL: NEW CASES:

RECOVERED:

613

DEATHS:

272,128 6,201 SINDH:

126,743

PUNJAB:

95,742

KP:

BALOCHISTAN:

AJK/GB:

ISLAMABAD:

35,401

12,370

2,212/2,565 15,342

saeed said that eight new projects of roads will be launched under public private partnership this year. the minister said that several steps have also been taken to improve functioning of postal services. minister for science and technology Fawad chaudhary said that they wanted to transform pakistan into a manufacturing economy by promoting the logo of ‘made in pakistan.’ he said pakistan has become one of the major exporters of personal protective equipment (ppe) in a matter of six months. he said that currently pakistan is producing 250 ventilators every month and this capacity will be enhanced to 700 in order to enable pakistan to become one of the few countries exporting this sophisticated machine. the minister for science and technology said that his ministry has also set targets for the current year. he said this included development of agricultural farms on modern lines. “Our plan is to establish 500 technology farms and promote non-conventional crops to enhance the agricultural exports,” he said. “Our target is to establish a special economic zone for the electromagnetic industry in sialkot,” he added. he further said pakistan will start producing more sophisticated machines such as the one used in dialysis this year. “Our target is also to enhance our exports of surgical items to $2billion in one year’s time,” he added. “we have also envisaged a project to ensure domestic production of agriculture machinery. we also plan to bolster production of different kinds of chemicals in the country to save the foreign exchange currently being spent on their import,” he further said.

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Karachi development plan to be unveiled in fortnight: Asad ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Federal minister for planning and development Asad umar announced on wednesday that a comprehensive plan will be unveiled within two weeks for the resumption of development work on different projects in Karachi. Addressing a press conference, Asad said that the federal government wants to resolve the masses’ issues as soon as possible. he admitted that development work will not be politicised despite having political differences with the sindh government. he said, “the federal government had sent ndmA [national disaster management Authority] chairman [to Karachi] over prime minister imran Khan’s orders after witnessing severe issues being faced by the citizens after the recent spell of monsoon rain.” he also said that Karachi is ‘mini pakistan’ which needs more attention. “we are continuing development work in sindh despite having differences with the provincial government. A meeting was held with a delegation headed by sindh chief minister murad Ali shah where the federal and provincial governments agreed to initiate coordinated work in six sectors including supply of clean water and improvement in the sewerage system,” he added. he further said that the federal and provincial governments have also agreed to jointly work for waste management in Karachi, besides cleaning the nullahs and removing encroachments. some important roads will be constructed in Karachi and joint efforts will be made to introduce a model transport system, he added. the minister said that different projects have already been designed for the metropolis. the federal and provincial authorities

Sindh minister opposes primary, middle schools reopening KARACHI STAFF REPORT

sindh health minister dr Azra Fazal pechuho on wednesday expressed strong concern at sending young children, especially those in primary and middle classes, to school during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. minister for education shafqat mahmood last month announced to reopen educational institutions around the country on sept 15 provided that the “health indicators improve”. mahmood had further said that standard operating procedures (sOps) would be put in place before the opening of educational institutions and that authorities were mulling over several options. the government was looking at several options including scheduling classes for different standards on alternate days, he said, adding that there were also suggestions of holding classes in the open air. however, dr pechuho warned that it would be difficult to get young children to take precautions and follow sOps. in a video message, she said she was “very concerned”. “i am very concerned because our children are vulnera-

have constituted a six-member committee after deciding to resume development work on the projects, he added. he detailed that the shortlisted projects will be supervised by the centre and other plans by the sindh government, whereas consultations will be made regarding financial matters within two weeks. he announced that one more meeting will be held in Karachi on saturday to finalise a comprehensive plan for the development of the port city. Asad clarified that the accountability process will continue, besides completing the development tasks in the country. earlier in the day, sindh chief minister syed murad Ali shah met Federal minister for planning, development and special initiatives Asad umar to discuss problems of Karachi. during the meeting, it was agreed to form a coordination committee over the issues of Karachi. the meeting also discussed ways to resolve issues faced by the city. the meeting was attended by federal ministers Ali Zaidi, Aminul haque, ndmA chairman muhammad Afzal, sindh local government, and information minister nasir hussain shah, and education minister saeed ghani.

more inside

93.7pc coronavirus patients have recovered in Pakistan: NIH STORY ON PAGE 03

senate passes two govt bills with amendments, transacts regular agenda ble. they are going to school, especially those [children] in the primary and junior school is very concerning amid the coronavirus pandemic. until we get rid of the coronavirus, we should only teach them at home,” she said, adding that she was aware that a lot of private schools and their managements were protesting to reopen schools. “we can tell older children to take precautions, which they will do because they are sensible. they will maintain social distancing and wear masks and will frequently wash their hands. if [schools] disinfect the classrooms and ensure distancing [they] can ask older children to

come back,” she added. “But younger children are not mature and their behaviour is such that they hug each other and they have bodily contact with each other. they [tend to] talk while standing close to each other, they cannot maintain social distancing. they will take off their masks due to the heat. in this way, corona can spread in schools,” she cautioned. the minister said that teachers could “control to a large extent”, but they would not be able to strictly watch the children for the entirety of the school day or ask them to strictly follow instructions.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

STORY ON PAGE 02

Threat mounts as TTP splinters join hands to ‘cleanse’ Pakistan of the ‘evil system’ STORY ON BACK PAGE

saudi Arabia says no israel deal without palestinian peace STORY ON BACK PAGE

Thursday, 20 August, 2020

NEWS

SenaTe paSSeS Two govT billS wiTh amendmenTS, TranSacTS regular agenda ISLAMABAD

PPI

HE Senate while transacting the entire regular agenda passed two government bills, which were part of supplementary business on Wednesday. The Senate met for an hour and 22 minutes. The sitting started at 1,729 hours against the scheduled time of 1,700 hours. The chairman presided over the entire proceedings. The deputy chairman was not present. The leaders of the house and the opposition attended the entire sitting. The prime

(Amendment) Bill, 2020 after presentation of reports by the relevant Standing Committee on Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs on them. The amendments proposed by the PPPP lawmakers were also passed as the government did not oppose them. Functional Committee on Human Rights chairman presented report of the committee on a point of public importance regarding the incident of brutal killing of an eight-year girl Zehra Shah in Rawalpindi. Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting chairman presented report of the committee on a point of public

minister did not attend the sitting. As many as 26 lawmakers (25 per cent) were present at the outset and 31 (30 per cent) at the adjournment of sitting. The parliamentary leaders of Pakistan Muslim Legue-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPPP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Awami National Party (ANP), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) attended the sitting. Two minority lawmakers were present. Moved by the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, the House passed the Limited Liability Partnership (Amendment) Bill, 2020 and the Companies

Ke official secures interim bail in electrocution death case

IHC maintains orders for sealing naval club near Raval Lake

KARACHI

ISLAMABAD

APP

A district and sessions court in Karachi on Wednesday granted pre-arrest bail to K-Electric distribution chief Amir Zia in a case pertaining to the death of a youth from electrocution. The First Information Report (FIR) of the death of 19-year-old Faizan, who was electrocuted reportedly while taking a photo, was registered last week at Defence police station on the complaint of his uncle, Mohammad Fayyaz and nominated KE CEO Moonis Alvi, Zia and other senior officials. Zia was granted bail against till Aug 25 after submitting Rs200,000 bail money and directed him to cooperate with the police in the investigation.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday maintained its orders to seal the naval club near Raval Lake on a petition challenging illegal constructions. Justice Athar Minallah conducted the hearing. The lawyer of Pakistan Naval Farms Malik Qamar Afzal and Ashtar Ausaf appeared on behalf of naval chief before the bench. During the hearing, the IHC chief justice said that there was no rule of law in the country. "It seems, the law was only for weak sections of the society," he said, adding that the Capital Development Authority (CDA), Revenue Department and station house officer of the concerned

over 80pc remain unsuccessful as Ku announces bcom results KARACHI TLTP

More than 80 per cent of students declared fail as Karachi University (KU) on Wednesday announced the results of B.Com (Regular) Part-I, Annual Examination-2019. According to the gazette issued, the overall passing percentage remained 18.22 per cent. A total of 9,570 candidates were registered and 9,331 students appeared in the papers of which 1,700 candidates passed the examination and 7,631 students failed.

ready to give account of pml-n's five-year tenure: mifta ismail KARACHI INP

Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leader Miftah Ismail has said that he is ready to give an account of five years of his government but the prime minister should also investigate his tenure. Addressing a press conference in Karachi, he said that the prices of various items have gone up hundred times but they put all the blame on the mafia. “The biggest losers are the poor. Ministers should hide their faces after what the government has done instead of reporting on its performance,” he added Ismail said that they had borrowed Rs10,000 billion in five years while the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has borrowed Rs11,000 billion in just two years. He said that the biggest failure of this government was not to collect taxes.

outgoing uS envoy lauds pak role in afghan, regional peace RAWALPINDI STAFF REPORT

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Wednesday appreciated outgoing United States Charge d'Affaires to Pakistan Paul W Jones for his services and contributions in Pakistan. Ambassador Jones called on Generak Bajwa on his farewell visit, said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). The envoy also appreciated Pakistan’s positive role in the Afghan peace and reconciliation process, and ensuring peace and stability in the region. Earlier on August 15, COAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa and Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Bill Gates, in a telephonic conversation, had discussed Pakistan’s Covid-19 response and resumption of polio eradication campaign, said ISPR in a statement.

importance regarding removal of 38 employees from Press Council of Pakistan. The House passed 13 motions under Rule 194 (1) granting 60-day extension to seven standing committees for presentations of their reports on matters referred to them. The House passed a motion under Rule 263 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate, 2012 that the requirement of Rule 41 of the said Rules regarding question hour be dispensed with for August 19, 2020. Six lawmakers including the Leader of the House spoke on points of public importance for 40 minutes.

area used to be involved in such illegality. He asked the CDA lawyer why he did not clearly tell that the civic body could not implement the laws. National Park and city's environment had been destroyed, he observed. “Our next generation would pay the price of environmental destruction,” the IHC CJ said, adding that kiosks were demolished without notices. There should be no discrimination in law to treat the society, he further said. Malik Qamar Advocate pleaded that court orders would not be violated. He said that it was not a commercial venture there was a misconception about this. After this, the court adjourned hearing of the case till second week of September.

CTD, Rangers kill two terror suspects in joint encounter KARACHI STAFF REPORT

Pakistan Rangers Sindh and Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) carried out a joint operation early Wednesday morning in Karachi’s Baldia Town and killed two suspected terrorists in an “encounter” who had recently arrived from Afghanistan allegedly to carry out terror attacks in the metropolis. The paramilitary force along with the CTD police carried out an intelligence-based action and killed “two extremely wanted terrorists linked with banned outfits in an encounter”, a Rangers spokesperson said. The slain suspects were later identified as Mohammed Rafiq alias Adil and Adnan Shabir alias Qari. The Sindh government had announced an Rs2 million reward for the arrest of Rafiq while Shabir was declared an “extremely dangerous terrorist”. “They were involved in bomb blasts, bank robberies, sectarian killings and killings of law enforcers,” the Rangers spokesperson said. They said the Rangers’ intelligence wing and the CTD had received secret information that the two militants, affiliated with the Ustad Aslam-led group of the proscribed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), were present in Rais Yar Mohammad Goth of Baldia Town. Acting on a tip-off, the Rangers’ Shaheen Group and CTD police personnel encircled the Goth late on Tuesday night. As the forces moved towards their target, the suspects

opened indiscriminate fire on them. The law enforcers made an announcement using a megaphone, ordering the militants to surrender themselves but they continued firing. During the exchange of fire with the security forces, both suspected militants were killed, the spokesperson said. “Both suspects had recently come from Afghanistan to Karachi and were planning a major terrorist act,” the Rangers official said. Two submachine guns (SMGs), two 9mm pistols, ammunition and explosive material were seized from their hideout. According to the Rangers’ statement, Mohammed Rafiq used to prepare mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in order to carry out explosions in Waziristan and was involved in other terror attacks. He was involved in a bomb attack on a police van in Shah Latif Town on March 27, 2015, in which two policemen were martyred while 15 personnel were injured. He was also involved in fitting a bomb in a rickshaw on Hub River Road in Baldia Town that exploded on October 12, 2014, leaving four people wounded, as well as an armed attack on City Courts on June 19, 2010, during which four militants, identified as Shakeeb Mudasir, Murad Shah, Wazir Taus and Murtaza Inayat, had managed to escape from police custody. During this attack, one policeman was martyred while another was injured. Rafiq was also involved in “several acts of sectarian killings”, the Rangers spokesperson said.

FBR uncovers tax frauds amounting to Rs315m ISLAMABAD SHAHZAD PARACHA

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Wednesday unearthed two cases of tax fraud amounting to a total of Rs315million in Karachi and Multan and started investigating a case pertaining to over Rs1 billion in money laundering. According to FBR officials the FBR chairman has issued directives to all the filed offices of the board to expedite operation against tax evasion and play an active role to stop the menace of fake and flying invoices. The FBR Karachi Field Office in compliance with the chairman’s directives, took action against a fake business unit which was found involved in evasion of duties and taxes on imports. The said unit had also been issuing fake and flying invoices in the market due to

which the buyers had claimed input adjustment and refunds. In total the unit is estimated to have caused Rs210 million in loss to the national exchequer. The principal accused in the case named Mubarak Khan has been arrested. Similarly, another case pertaining to tax evasion by means of fake and flying invoices amounting to Rs105 million was unearthed by the FBR Multan office. Moreover, the FBR Karachi office has received a complaint of money laundering amounting to over Rs1 billion. The board has initiated an investigation regarding the issue. The FBR has urged people to come forward and reveal the identity of those involved in tax evasion. The tax authority said that it will grant reward to such whistle blowers under its Reward Rules while keeping the name of the whistleblower hidden.

president summons joint session of parliament ISLAMABAD INP

President Arif Alvi has called a joint session of parliament on August 30 where he will address the legislators, a statement from the National Assembly Secretariat’s media wing said on Monday. The session will be held at Parliament House on Friday, August 30 at 5 pm which will mark the beginning of the new parliamentary year. A National Assembly (NA) session has also been summoned by the president on Monday, September 2 at 4pm, the statement added. The NA completed its first parliamentary year on August 12.

Six die in haripur armed clash between two afghan groups HARIPUR INP

In a shootout between two groups of Afghan armed men in the outskirts of Haripur, six people were killed and six others injured. The clash started at Khala Butt Township area in the vicinity of Haripur after a dispute between two groups of Afghan people over standing in a queue outside a post office, according to preliminary investigation of the incident by the police. The incident began with an exchange of harsh words and scuffles, which turned into an armed clash. Two groups of armed men opened straight fire at each other resulting in the death of six people on the spot, according to details. Six others were injured in the exchange of fire. The deceased and injured were transferred to a local hospital. Local police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) and initiated a search for the culprits of the incident, police sources said.

Qureshi to visit china on Thursday: report ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi will pay a one-day visit to China on Thursday, media reports suggest. According to Arab News, a Foreign Office official, while confirming the visit, said an official statement will be issued later in the day. Pakistan and China are longtime allies and partners in the multibillion-dollar ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which has seen Beijing pledge over $60 billion for infrastructure projects in Pakistan, central to China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to develop land and sea trade routes in Asia and beyond. “Qureshi will request the Chinese government to provide $1 billion during his visit to China to ensure repayment of loans by Aug 31,” another report suggested. “He will hold meetings with his Chinese counterpart and senior leadership while important decisions will be taken regarding the visit of the Chinese president to Pakistan,” it said. Reportedly, Qureshi was also expected to call upon Chinese President Xi Jinping during the trip.

Thursday, 20 August, 2020

NEWS

93.7 coronaviruS paTienTS have recovered in paKiSTan: nih 613 NEW COVID-19 CASES SURFACE; DEATH TOLL REACHES 6,201 ISLAMABAD

STAFF REPORT

HE National Institute of Health (NIH) has said that 93.7 per cent of people in Pakistan who were diagnosed with Covid-19 have recovered from the disease. More than 270,000 people have defeated the virus ever since it first spread in February. According to the National Institute of Health, the graph of new cases being reported in the country has been on a downward trend. The number of fatalities from the virus has also decreased. A total of 613 new coronavirus cases were reported during the last 24 hours, said the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Wednesday. The number of active coronavirus cases has dropped to 12,166, while the number of recovered patients stands at

272,128. During the past 24 hours, as many as 25,859 more samples were tested. So far, 126,425 cases have been detected in Sindh, 95,611 in Punjab, 35,337 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 12,321 in Balochistan, 15,401 in Islamabad, 2,199 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and 2,538 in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). The number of coronavirus cases across the world has crossed 22 million while the pandemic has claimed more than 777,000 lives so far. More than 14.7 million patients have recovered from the disease across the world. Meanwhile, Balochistan Health Department, in a report, said that 92 per cent Covid-19 patients have recovered in the province. Overall number of recovered patients has reached 11,241 from total 12,370 cases, according to the report. Only eight per cent of active cases of coronavirus remain in the province. The death rate of the patients in the province

remains one percent of the total cases, the report said. On Tuesday, the Balochistan government had said that the tally of novel coronavirus cases seems to be increasing in the province. The spokesperson of Balochistan government, Liaquat Shahwani in a press conference, had said that during the past six days, the case rate had reached eight percent, while in the previous 45 days, the ratio of infections was at lower than five per cent. He said that the pandemic was on a downward trajectory during the past oneand-half month; however, the situation was changing. The doctors and disease experts also expressed apprehension about a fresh wave of the disease, he had said. “The government has advised in a statement for strict implementation of the precautionary measures,” he had said. Meanwhile, a total of 131 new Covid-19 cases were reported in Punjab

on Wednesday, taking the tally of overall cases in the province to 95,743, according to an official statement. A spokesperson for the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department said the total number of Covid-19 cases has increased to 95,743 with the addition of 131 new cases reported over the last 24 hours. The spokesperson further said that as many as 841,229 diagnostic tests have been conducted for Covid-19 across the province, out of which 95,743 turned out to be positive. One more coronavirus-related death was reported during the previous 24 hours, he said, adding the death toll from the disease in the province stands at 2,186. M o r e than 90,000 people have recovered from the virus in the province so far.

Pakistan urges ending year-long IOK siege as world marks Humanitarian Day ISLAMABAD APP

As the world marked Humanitarian Day on Wednesday, Pakistan emphasised on necessary steps to ameliorate the worsening humanitarian situation in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK), including the lifting of the year-long draconian military siege. The Foreign Office (FO), in a statement, called upon the global humanitarian fraternity to ensure the provision of unfettered access and assistance to Kashmiri people in dire need of healthcare. “We reiterate the need for evolving a strategic approach to address humanitarian emergencies, guided by the imperative of upholding international humanitarian law, preventing conflicts from the eruption, and peacefully resolving long-standing disputes and conflicts,” the statement said. The FO said that Pakistan paid tribute to the sacrifices rendered by humanitarian workers in saving lives and providing support and protection to people affected by conflict, disasters, and emergencies. “We commend the United Nations, its Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and other humanitarian organisations for their leadership in mobilising and delivering assistance to civilians in need, despite challenges of access and restrictions,” it said. “We value the active role of and substantial contribution by the humanitarian community, in particular, the United Nations in responding to the unprecedented health and socio-economic impact of Covid-19,” it added. The FO further said, “We encourage the global community

pm's directives: 3 dpos among 30 police officers placed in red category ISLAMABAD TLTP

Around 30 police officers of Punjab Police, including three divisional police officers (DPOs), have been placed in the red category over poor performance by the Prime Minister’s Performance Delivery Unit (PMDU) on Wednesday. The PM Office said in a statement that on the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the performance evaluation of the police department has been launched with show-cause notices and warnings issued to irresponsible officials with poor performance record. The PM Office said that it has received evaluation reports from inspector generals (IGs) of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on the performance of officers regarding the redressal of complaints registered at the PM’s Citizen Portal. Three divisional police officers (DPOs) posted in Rahim Yar Khan, Nankana Sahib and Bhakkar have been given notices and directed to submit their replies within a week. In case of no reply, strict action will be taken, the PM Office warned.

indian TroopS marTyr one KaShmiri youngSTer in ioK SRINAGAR INP

Indian troops, in their fresh act of state terrorism, martyred one Kashmiri youngster in the Shopian district of Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) on Wednesday. According to Kashmir Media Service, the troops martyred the youngster during a cordon and search operation in Mulu area of the district. The operation continued till last reports came in. to uphold the principles of burden- and responsibility-sharing to support sustainable humanitarian responses in large refugee-hosting countries. The protracted refugee situations continue to impact millions of lives and should be supported by the international community in every aspect.” It mentioned that Pakistan and its people had shown exemplary generosity, compassion, and hospitality in hosting more than three million Afghans for over four decades. “We are thankful to our partners, especially the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), for helping us in taking care of Afghan Refugees,” it said.

Govt prepares comprehensive NAP to modernise agriculture sector under CPEC ISLAMABAD SHAHZAD PARACHA

The federal government has prepared a comprehensive National Action Plan (NAP) to modernise the agriculture sector under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). In its two-year performance report, the government informed that the plan for agriculture modernisation will focus on important issues hampering the country agri output, including locust control; germ plasma resource exchange; exchange of agriculture experts; pest and disease control satellite station; fisheries, aquaculture and shrimp farming; and post-harvest food processing technologies. Similarly, the report stated, the Ministry of Planning has also initiated the Kachhi Canal Phase-II project. "The second phase will irrigate 216,000 acres of land and the project has the capacity

to turn the large tracts of land in Balochistan into a food basket for not only for the people of the province but also for the rest of the country.” It is pertinent to note that Phase-I of Kachhi Canal has already been completed at a cost of Rs80 billion. Upon completion of the project, the canal will provide irrigation water to 7,200 acres' fertile land which will increase the cropping intensity from existing 4pc to 80pc. Meanwhile, the government informed that a plan to perform the groundbreaking of the Rashakai Special Economic Zone in the first quarter of 2020-21 has already been approved, while the government will also finalize the request for proposals (RFP) for Dhabeji SEZ during the current month. It was also informed that the government was also mulling to prioritise three SEZs in this year and these would be developed in phases.

man SliTS ThroaTS of 10 family memberS in pano aQil PANO AQIL: In a tragic incident, a person has killed his ten family members, including four children and six women, with a sharp knife at a village in tehsil Pano Aqil, district Sukkur. Police on Wednesday arrested the suspect along with his three sons. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Irfan Samo confirmed the arrest. The SSP said that the accused murdered the victims with a knife. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah took notice of the incident and directed the inspector general of police to submit a report on the matter. The CM was informed by the IG that the accused have been arrested. However, the CM directed the province’s top cop to investigate the crime from “all angles” and directed police to check whether the murders were committed due to a family dispute or enmity. Murad directed district authorities and police to cooperate with the family. TLTP

Thursday, 20 August, 2020

nEwS

IndIa planned false flag operatIon agaInst pakIstan before ladakh Clash wIth ChIna: Masood MIRPUR APP

zAD Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Sardar Masood Khan on Wednesday said that before clash with China at Ladakh, India had planned to launch a false flag operation or some sort of limited military adventure against Pakistan to christen its criminal genocide in Kashmir as fight against terrorism. “The beating from China may well have deterred Indian commanders from opening another front or it is probable that they are biding their time and will strike again in one form or the other. Highest vigilance and preparedness is the utmost priority,” he cau-

tioned in an article published in a national periodical, AJK President’s Office said. The AJK president said that Ladakh standoff demonstrated not just discomfiture, but a glaring defeat for India. He added that after August 5 2019, India’s bravado had no limits as it went on to threaten to “take back” AJK and Aksai Chin militarily. “Pakistan did not take Indian threats lightly, nor did China. But China’s entry into the Kashmir conflict has two dimensions. First, Kashmiris and Pakistan experienced schadenfreude to see India repulsed at the Galwan Valley because of the Modi government’s high-handed, criminal conduct in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) and its persecution of Indian Muslims. Second, it makes the situation even more complex and apparently intractable

when people ask about China as the ‘third party’ to the Kashmir dispute,” he maintained. Highlighting the international community’s reaction over horrendous developments in IOK, President Masood said last year, immediately after India’s abrogation of Articles 370 and 35 A and military takeover of the territory, the international community – the media, think tanks, parliamentarians, civil society – all came out strongly to castigate and condemn India and express solidarity with the people of IOK. He said that United Nations Security Council (UNSC) held in-camera sessions, the United States. congressional committees held hearings, British lawmakers wrote to the UN Secretary-General to take action, the European Parliament held a plenary session

on Kashmir, European parliamentarians tabled half a dozen resolutions calling out India’s excesses, and the diaspora community really turned the Kashmir issue into an international movement. Though the intensity of attention to Kashmir lasted for three months last year – August through October – it opened new doors and broke many taboos like India could not be held accountable loudly. Yet, the attention of those very forces that shone a light on the harrowing situation in Kashmir was distracted by other developments unrelated to Kashmir. The ChinaIndia standoff rekindled interest in Kashmir. AJK president said that Kashmir proved to be a great unifier for Pakistan and AJK. The entire nation rose with the passion and

SEPA oﬀers second chance of personal hearing to 12 builders

conviction to salvage their Kashmiri brothers and sisters from forced annexation to India and from the murderous campaign of Indian soldiers against them. In the international realm, Pakistan did well to raise consciousness about the disenfranchisement and enslavement of Kashmiris and the pressure that this had generated in the region. The security situation in South Asia, the world was told, had become extremely perilous because of the Indian threats to attack AJK and disintegrate Pakistan with the strong indications of using nuclear weapons. Pakistan, he maintained, also made the world aware of the re-incarnation of fascism in the form of Hindutva and its dire repercussions for regional and global peace, stability and security.

Rawalpindi to get another shelter home: Buzdar RAWALPINDI TLTP

KARACHI PPI

The Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) served the second notice to the proponents of 12 residential and commercial building projects of different areas of the District South directing them to appear in person before SEPA director general after their failure to comply with the same directive which was earlier issued to them months before. The action is being taken on the directives of Spokesperson of Government of Sindh and Adviser to CM Sindh on Law, Environment, Climate Change and Coastal Development Barrister Murtuza Wahab. Out of 12 residential and commercial building projects, 5 are situated in Clifton, 3 in DHA,

2 in Saddar and one each in Defence View and Qayyumabad. Their proponents were directed to appear along with the necessary record of their development project in the office of DG SEPA on different dates of the coming week and explain their position why not a legal action may be initiated against them on their non-compliance of Section 17 of Sindh Environmental Protection Act, 2014. The said Section restricts every development project in Sindh to obtain a noobjection certificate from provincial environmental watchdog before its commencement. The referred builders were also informed in the subject notice that a team of SEPA had already surveyed their project and found violations with regard to concerned Section of SEP Act

CM seeks report over minor girl's murder LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has sought a report from Gujranwala RPO about the incident of murder of a seven-year-old girl in Sialkot. He also directed to arrest the culprits within 48 hours along with the provision of justice to the bereaved family. APP

2014. However, they are being offered an opportunity of personal hearing under Section 21 of SEP Act 2014 before initiating a legal action against them. The proponents were given another opportunity of personal hearing keeping in view the basic spirit of sustainable development which calls for environmental protection without affecting the process of development. In personal hearing they will be asked to defend their project in view of the findings of SEPA team so that necessary action may be taken against their violation after fully ascertaining their point of view as well. The objective of such action is to convince the proponents of development projects to get the environmental impact assessment (EIA) of their project fully re-

viewed by SEPA for issuing them environmental clearance. On the contrary if such violation continues, then a legal action is initiated against the violating project leading up to the stoppage of the project through issuance of an environmental protection order (EPO). SEPA reviews the EIA through the conduct of a public hearing in which all stakeholders are invited to give their suggestions/comments to decide if a NoC may be issued, or the proponent should be asked to fulfill further environmental requirements to make their project sustainable. Earlier, seven development projects of construction sector of District East had also been severed notices of different nature, directing them to fully comply with environmental requirements as envisaged in SEP Act 2014 before further work on their projects.

DG NAB takes action against illegal housing scheme in Lahore LAHORE INP

The director-general of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore chapter has taken action over the complaints of affectees against an illegal Grand Avenue Housing Scheme. The anti-corruption officials have arrested a businessperson and planner of the housing scheme, Riaz Chohan, over alleged financial scam worth Rs2.5 billion. According to NAB Lahore, Riaz Chohan had launched the Grand Avenue

housing scheme in 2012 by acquiring 62-kanal land and allegedly sold out 4,000-kanal to the citizens. More than 200 affectees have registered complaints against the owner of the housing society regarding the massive financial scam. Moreover, the accused person has not made the housing scheme approved by the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) so far. The prosecution will seek physical remand of the accused person after presenting Riaz Chohan before the court on Thursday, said NAB Lahore.

Provision of free healthcare to poor top priority: Yasmin LAHORE TLTP

Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid has said that provision of free healthcare to the marginalised section of the society is the foremost priority of the government. The health minister said this while chairing a high-level meeting to review the performance and service delivery of the Punjab Health Initiatives Management Company at the Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department on Wednesday. She said that in order to facilitate the people, more hospitals are being empanelled. An integrated system to gather feedback from the beneficiaries of the Sehat Insaf Cards has been developed and no laxity will be tolerated in

the provision of health services to Sehat Insaf Card holders, she made it clear. She said that so far, feedback from the beneficiaries is satisfactory about the services delivery. “In public sector hospitals, we are working on improving the service delivery. All complaints regarding Sehat Insaf cards are properly addressed. We have facilitated the downtrodden and served the marginalised sections of the society so far through Sehat Insaf Cards,” she added. Special Secretary Development Nadir Chatha, Additional Secretary Development SHME Dr Asif Tufail, Chief Planning Officer Abdul Haq Bhatti and representatives of Punjab Health Initiatives Management Company and Health Insurance Company attended the meeting.

Directing to improve arrangements at Raja Bazaar Shelter Home, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has announced to establish another shelter home in Rawalpindi. The chief minister issued directions to the administration to take further steps in this regard without any delay. Buzdar inspected the facilities being provided to the inmates at Raja Bazaar Shelter Home on Wednesday. The chief minister was told that more than 64,000 have benefitted from this facility while an average of 50 persons daily stay nowadays that are also provided breakfast and dinner. An inmate appreciated that a homelike environment is provided in this shelter home. “Earlier, we have had to spend the night on the footpath in Rawalpindi but best facilities are provided here,” another passenger told the CM. An elderly stayer from Peshawar told the CM that he is enjoying the hospitality and thanked him for the care. The CM also inquired about the quality of food and directed to take care

of the health and convenience of the inmates. They should not face any difficulty as taking care of the abandoned persons is the responsibility of the government and it will not deviate from this responsibility, he said. “I visit different shelter homes to personally monitor the arrangements,” the CM added. Information Minister Fayyazul Hassan Chohan and parliamentarians were also present on the occasion. The CM also met with Tiger Force officials and discussed different matters including the city situation. The Tiger Force officials are prime minister’s volunteers for public service and they are taking an active part in serving the masses, he added.

Thursday, 20 August, 2020

DPP iSSueS Permit to 380 ComPaNieS to imPort 1.5m toNNeS of wheat ISLAMABAD

GHULAM ABBAS

OLLOWING the government's orders, the Department of Plant Protection has so far issued import permits to 380 private importers for procurement of 1,576,000 tonnes of wheat, the Ministry of National Food Security and Research said on Wednesday. According to details, six letters of credit (LCs) have been opened in this regard while two were currently under process. Nine vessels have been booked for wheat import up till October this year, each carrying approximately 65,000 metric tonnes of wheat. The first vessel (60,804 metric tonnes of wheat) is

expected to arrive in Karachi on 26 August, while the second ship (65,000 metric tonnes) is scheduled to arrive on August 28, and the third container (69,000 metric tonnes) is expected to reach on September 8. Similarly, the fourth vessel with 55,000 metric tonnes of wheat will reach Pakistan on September 12, while the fifth and sixth vessels, with 65,000 metric tonnes of wheat each, will arrive on Sept 17 and 19, respectively. The Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) has invited international tenders for the import of 1.5m metric tonnes of wheat. Three recipients have endorsed the quantity imported wheat: Punjab (0.70m metric tonnes), Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (0.30m metric tonnes) and PASSCO (0.50m metric tonnes). It is expected that the first shipment of imported

wheat through TCP will reach during the second week of October, the ministry stated. It may be noted that in order to review wheat and flour prices, a high-level meeting was held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Imran Khan at the PM Office on March 3, 2020. The Ministry of National Food Security and Research had briefed the meeting about the measures being taken in this regard, including imports through government-togovernment arrangement, TCP, Pakistan Agriculture Storage and Services Corporation and the private sector. After listening to the briefing and keeping in view the scarcity of wheat in the country, it was advised to make immediate arrangements for the import of up to 1.5 million tonnes through TCP.

ETPB recommends changing category of peri-urban areas LAHORE SHAHAB OMER

To increase the financial revenue from the properties situated in rural category areas, the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) has sent recommendations to the federal government to convert the peri-urban areas into the urban category, Pakistan Today has learnt. According to details, there are about 40,000 urban properties and 108,000 acres of agricultural land across the country under the administration and management of the ETPB. Similarly, the urban category includes commercial and residential properties, while the rural areas are mostly agricultural lands. ETPB Chairman Dr Aamir Ameer told to Pakistan Today that in the past, people had leased a lot of land in rural areas. He said, “These areas have now come within the city limits. For example, in Bedian, the board had leased the land on an acreage basis, whereas now the sale and purchase of the land in such areas are the basis of

marla. Land prices in these areas have also gone up and these are no longer rural categories or agricultural land areas.” “Our ACT needs to be amended and we have also recommended to the Federal Government that we are allowed to convert peri-urban areas into urban ones. Income from leased land in rural areas is much lower than in urban areas while in urban areas the rules for leasing or renting properties are different and the income is also higher. Our properties are very few in Baluchistan while Karachi and Sindh have urban and Punjab have more rural properties,” he added. Speaking about the annual rents and recoveries, Aamir said that the board had increased the rental income from trust properties to a record level in the financial year 2019-20. He said, “We have increased our monthly rental income by 34 per cent. Many tenants were reluctant to pay rent due to the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown, but we still met the targets. Similarly, many government departments and

tenants were persistent and habitual defaulters of the board from which recoveries were yet to be made. In the financial year 2020, we have also recovered the amounts from these defaulters while more than 40 percent of the recoveries have been collected.” Talking about providing relief to the people due to Covid-19 in terms of rents, he informed that no decision has been taken by the board to reduce rents so far. “Rents on our properties are already much lower than market rates. The rent of properties ranges from RS 2,000 to RS 2,500 and if relief is given on them too, it will be difficult to run the matters of the board,” he said. When asked about the culture of sluggishness in the file system and poor record management system in ETPB, Amir admitted that it was a weak point of his department. He said “We are trying to improve this system, but we have a poor workforce and our problem is that we have to work with these people. We are overstaffed and if an officer is transferred for negligence at work, a stay order from court arrives in half an

hour. I transferred the officials who had been working in the same seat for ten consecutive years and I am proud of my decisions”. On the question of political interference in the ETPB, he replied that he had the full support of the federal government and was working freehand. “The mandate I am working with is not possible without strong political backing. We are running the whole system on merit. The federal government has never interfered in the affairs of the ETPB,” he maintained. “We are running various welfare projects as a philanthropy mandate while we also give Rs 330 million to Pakistan Model Education Foundation (PMEF) as we have four schools and a college runs by this foundation in which thousands of children are studying. We also give scholarships to these children. Similarly, scholarships are also being given to minority children under the Baba Guru Nanak Scholarship Programme. This amount will be increased as our financial condition improves,” he added.

Pakistan on path of development after economic revival: Faraz cOntInuED On pAgE 01 Presenting performance of his ministry, Minister for Power Omar Ayub said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has been working to reverse the present energy mix of 70 per cent power generation through imported resources. He said that the government plans to produce 70 per cent of the country’s energy through indigenous means by 2030. He said that an Alternative Renewable Energy Policy has been approved by the Council of Common Interests (CCI). The minister said that projects are being launched on a competitive basis so that people get affordable electricity and several companies are interested to invest in Pakistan under Alternative Renewable Energy Policy, which will also generate several jobs. He said that technology will also be transferred to Pakistan. Terming the agreement with Independent Power Producers (IPPs), Omar said that the project will help generate low cost energy, ultimately benefiting the consumers. He said that work has been underway on four hydro power projects, including Munda Dam, Diamer Bhasha Dam, and Kohala Dam. He also said that a total of about 7,000 megawatts of electricity will be produced through hydro-power projects. He added that 15 wind power projects have also been initiated, which will produce 800MW power. The minister for power said that the present government has also worked to improve the electricity transmission system in the country, which was ignored by the previous governments. He also said that the initiatives taken by the PTI government have led to transmit additional 4500 MW electricity. He added that line losses have also been reduced. As part of reforms in energy dis-

tribution, Omar 1said that the government has regularised 8,390 employees. Minister for Inter Provincial Coordination Fahmida Mirza said that after the 18th Amendment in 1973 Constitution, CCI under the “Cooperative Federation” slogan is the main forum to strengthen the federation. She said that her ministry is fully determined for the provision of all basic facilities and conducive environment to the athletes of the country and an anti-doping board is being constituted for the awareness among the players. “We are also making sincere efforts for the provision of sports facilities in prisons, religious seminaries and other institutions across the country,” the minister said, adding that a strategy has been evolved in consultation with provinces for the promotion of tourism in the country. Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari said that protecting the human rights of different segments of the society is the central agenda of the present government. She said that her ministry has pursued a three-pronged strategy for this purpose. This included implementation of existing laws, bringing new legislation and creating awareness among the people about their rights, she added. The minister said, “It is the for the first time that we proscribed the child domestic labor whilst the bill against corporal punishment has also been prepared.” She said that other bills including Christian Divorce and Marriage bill are currently in the discussion phase. “We have also prepared a registry of offenders to curb this crime,” she added. “We addressed 17,000 complaints registered on the citizens portal and provided legal aid to 11,000 people. Our helpline received millions of calls over the last two years and efforts were made to address their complaints,”

she further said. Shireen said that concrete steps have also been taken so that the transgender community also gets its due status in the society. She said that her ministry has also played its part in highlighting the blatant human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK). She said that she has also written a letter to the UN Human Rights Commissioner about the situation in the occupied territory. Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda said that the PTI government has launched long-term mega water projects to address the country’s water related issues. He said that work has been started on Dasu, Mohmand, Diamer Bhasha dams. He added that transparency has been ensured in all the projects and details of the projects have also been shared with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). He said that the government is also constructing 112 small dams in the country. He also said that projects worth Rs1.1 trillion are being executed under his ministry. He further said that thousands of jobs are being created in these projects. He added that the government is promoting the private industrial sector. The minister said that the government is also securing the country’s rights vis-a-vis on India on Indus Waters Treaty. Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Zaidi, while briefing the media about the two years performance of the government, said that the private sector will get advantage from the new shipping policy. He said, “We are planning to digitise the record of land of the Port Qasim which will be a landmark initiative of the government.” He said that due to the new policies of the incumbent government, international companies are approaching to work in Pakistan, which is taking place exactly according to the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Rent control bill likely to be presented in NA’s next session, ICCI assured ISLAMABAD TLTP

National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee on Interior Chairperson Khurram Shahzad Nawaz on Wednesday assured the business community that he would present the amended bill of Rent Control Act for Islamabad for passage in the next session of NA. He said this while addressing the business community during his visit to Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI). He said that the NA Standing Committee on Interior has already passed the bill and all possible efforts would be made to present it in the next session of

the NA for its passage. He urged ICCI to send to him in writing issues of the business community related to the Capital Development Authority (CDA), Police, Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) and other departments while assuring that he will try his best to attend to the concerns of the business community. He further said that he would try for the inclusion of the ICCI president in the CDA Master Plan Revision Committee inorder to get the input of the business community. Nawaz informed that efforts are underway to form a transport authority for Islamabad which will help address transport related issues of the citizens. He said

that the flyover in Bhara Kahu would be constructed in the next fiscal year since some technical reasons have caused a delay in its completion during the current year. He also informed that a ring road would also be built in Islamabad for which a survey is currently in progress. He said that the business community is a major stakeholder in the economy and the government is focused on promoting ease of doing business for them adding that Islamabad would be developed into a modern city with the collaboration of the business community. President ICCI Muhammad Ahmed Waheed appreciated the construction plans of the government regarding Islam-

CMYK

abad. However, he urged the government to extend the last date from December 31 this year to June 30, 2021 so that maximum investors can invest in the construction industry. He said that the Rent Control Act would address the concerns of traders and help promote business activities Islamabad. ICCI Senior Vice President Tahir Abbasi and Vice President Saifur Rehman Khan, said that land registry charges in Islamabad are 5 per cent as compared to only 1 per cent in Punjab. They said that these charges in the federal capital should be reduced to bring them at par with Punjab which would help boost business activity in Islamabad’s construction sector.

NEWS

Sindh minister opposes primary, middle schools reopening cOntInuED On pAgE 01 On August 17, Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani had taken notice of early reopening of educational institutions in Karachi and had directed authorities concerned to suspend the registration of schools that violated closure orders. The provincial education minister had taken strict notice of reopening of schools in several areas of Karachi and issued directives to secretary education and director-general private schools in this connection. “The private schools association’s decision about reopening educational institutions is tantamount to challenging the writ of the government,” he had said in a statement. The minister had directed concerned district commissioners to take strict measures against the administration of schools defying government orders. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Punjab Minister for Education Murad Raas said that the final decision for reopening schools will be made at a meeting in the first week of September. He was talking to a delegation of private schools’ owners who called on him. During the meeting, matters pertaining to the opening of schools and SOPs were discussed. The minister said that teachers will be trained about the implementation of SOPs while training will be given to CEOs of all districts in the first phase. The meeting also issued SOPs for the opening of schools, keeping in view the guidelines of international organisations. On August 15, the Punjab Education Minister Murad Raas had hinted at the reopening of schools in two shifts across the province from September 15. “We are mulling for reopening of schools in two shifts as it would be better for children”, the minister had said in a statement. Raas had said that SOPs would be finalised in a meeting with the schools’ owners and had added that the final decision about reopening of schools in Punjab would be taken in the first week of September.

China's CNPC provides $100,000 to Pakistan for locust control ISLAMABAD TLTP

Chinese state-owned company, China National Petroleum Corporation, has provided $100,000 to the Ministry of National Food Security and Research in order to strengthen its efforts against desert locusts. The cheque of $100,000 was handed over to Federal Minister for National Food Syed Fakhar Imam in a ceremony held on Wednesday. Speaking on the occasion, Syed Fakhar Imam acknowledged the existence of expanding friendly relations between the two countries. He said agriculture is the major avenue where the two sides may cooperate to expand their economic relations. The ceremony was also attended by Chinese Ambassador Yao Jing.

Thursday, 20 August, 2020

06 COMMENT

Unsustainable burden of pensions

Leading country towards a welfare state The PM is clearly in over his head

RIMe Minister Imran Khan had pledged that once in government, he would carry out sweeping reforms for the country’s welfare. he ended two years of his term without enacting a significant reform in any social, administrative, economic or judicial sphere. In his Tuesday interview on a private TV channel the PM reiterated for the umpteenth time that fighting against the mafia is a mission of his life. he needs to realize that people do not judge a leader from his claims, intentions or even plans, but from his performance. The PM acknowledges that prices of basic commodities have gone beyond the poor people’s capacity to pay. he maintains however that the cartels are responsible for the phenomenon and that unlike the past rulers he is not part of any cartel. That despite being the head of a government that is fully supported by the establishment he has failed to rein in the cartels, is a reflection on his competence. People want a PM to be a go-getter rather than a nambypamby true blue. The PM claims the last two years were his biggest struggle to try to steer Pakistan towards becoming a welfare state. Before the arrival of the pandemic, PTI government’s policies had already added 2.2million to the unemployed. Before the PTI took over the growth rate was 5 percent. After two years of PM Khan’s tenure it has gone down to 1.5 percent. The inflation rate has risen in two years from 6 percent to 15 percent, affecting mostly essential food items. It is therefore a travesty to claim that Mr Khan has put the country on the path to becoming a welfare state. Any referendum over whether the people were better off two years back or now, will overwhelmingly go against Mr Khan. The biggest blinkers that reduce a PM’s ability to see the reality are the sycophants that gather around the heads of government. There is a need on the part of Mr Khan to be wary of those who tell him that the crisis is over, that he has settled on the crease now and is set for a longer innings.

We need switch over to a gratuity system

Dr FariD a Malik

he pensions burden on the national exchequer has crossed the trillion-rupee mark. At Rs 1.1 trillion it is about 15 percent of the budget, with Rs 900 billion being the share of the provinces. I am fully supportive of the retirees as it was a part of their package when they were hired, but this system cannot continue any longer. If not stopped, first the provinces and then the country will go bankrupt. There has to be a change of direction. Starting from 2021 pensions should be replaced with gratuity and provident fund for all new inductees putting this colonial-era practice to an end. Pensions, Government Officers Residences ( GORs ) and membership of elite clubs were part of the colonization process together with several other perks. I remember on the sidewalk of the Charing Cross on the Mall, trained domestic help looking for work would gather to be picked up by prospective employers. Most of them carried ‘Letters of Recommendation’ from the colonial masters whom they had served. Some of them even had pensions coming from abroad. They were well trained and very competent but fussy as they had a secondary income. My father preferred them as their presentation and demeanour was impressive, but my mother never got along with them as according to her they considered themselves to be master chefs or ‘Lat Sahib’ and would refuse to indulge in menial kitchen work like washing the dishes or cutting the vegetables. The poor fellows never survived for long in local kitchens and had to rely on their pensions coming from ‘gora memsahib’. Gradually they faded away but unfortunately our royal colonial bureaucracy and their GORs survived together with their pensions to rule over us, the so-called free people of the land of the pure. The burden has now become unbearable, so no more pensions. Like the pensionable ‘Master Chefs of Charing Cross’ faded away, this system of pensions should now be replaced with better sustainable and self-generating funds. The current system is a levy on the budget with no long-term planning or back-up accumulated funds. The provident fund approach, which is now prevalent in the world, is self-generating. The em-

Mission to Saudi Arabia Result not known

OAS Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa went to Saudi Arabia because the PTI government’s Foreign Minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, had made so monumental a faux pas that no mere civilian representative or lower-ranking officer would do to pull the fat out of the fire. While certainly nothing like Napoleon’s retreat from Moscow, when not only the campaign had failed but his Army was destroyed, General Bajwa’s return did not answer the question of whether Mr Qureshi’s remarks had been papered over or not. however, it should be noted that General Bajwa was not invited to see either the Saudi King, Salman bin Abdulaziz, or the Crown Prince, Muhammad bin Salman, who also holds the Defence portfolio. General Bajwa met the Saudi Chief of General Staff, as well as the Deputy Defence Minister, Prince Khalid bin Salman, but clearly while obeying the letter of protocol, Saudi Arabia did not go out of its way for General Bajwa. Saudi coldness towards Pakistan had set in before Mr Qureshi’s remarks, and his daring might owe something to the Saudi tilt towards India, which owes itself to its huge investment there, which will reach $100 billion, under Crown Prince Salman’s Vision 2030, which sees diversifying away from oil. While India is much larger than Pakistan, that amount may be compared to the $62 billion China is putting into the China-Pakistan economic Corridor. Though Pakistan provides cheap labour to Saudi Arabia, it does not provide the sort of economic opportunities that India does. Saudi commercial interests have begun to be reflected in its diplomacy, as it has begun to lean on Pakistan, on issues such as the Kashmir lockdown and convicted spy Kulbhushan Jadhav. Prime Minister Imran Khan in a television interview marking two years of the PTI government said that there is no tension between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and countries have differing perceptions of their national interests, and these interests need not coincide. But that does not mean a minister should be allowed to shoot off his mouth for no good reason. If former Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan, Ali Awadh Asseri’s scathing rebuke of Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s remarks, in a recent op-ed, is any indication, Saudi-Pak relations are anything but normal and cannot be restored easily.

WTO has made changes inevitable

DaMiya Saghir

few days ago, in a press conference the Ministry of Maritime Affairs decided to shift the shipping policy towards attracting private shipping companies to invest in the shipping sector. The brief included a highlight on providing job security of the seafarers and upgrading the fishing sector of Pakistan. The minister also highlighted that the nationalization policy of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto destroyed the country’s shipping industry. The change in policy is a huge shift but quite debatable. With the long-standing Pakistan National Shipping Corporation, the invite to the private shipping companies seems to be carrying a whole new responsibility. PNSC is a National flag carrier. It came into existence by a merger of National Shipping Corporation (NSC) and Pakistan Shipping Corporation in 1979 through Pakistan National Shipping Corporation Ordinance No. XX, 1979 [Gazette of Pakistan, extra-or-

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Executive Editor

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in free fall and has become unbearable. I remember in the not too distant past weddings that were incomplete without the stand-up comedians (bhands), there used to be long dialogues about gratification (wadai) on the birth of a child. Finally when the amount was settled the receiver asked where would he get the money from, while the payee replied where would he pay from and the entire matter ended in laughter. We are in a similar situation: while the demand keeps rising there is no money in the kitty to pay. It may have a sad ending as it is not an act of comedy performed on weddings. Most autonomous organizations like corporations and universities did not have pensions to start with. I started my career as an engineer in the Pakistan Industrial Technical Assistance Centre, an affiliated institution of the Ministry of Industries and Production. There were no pensions or house rent allowances. Most General Managers were posted from other departments and were entitled to all the perks as employees of the centre. Whenever we demanded the same benefits we were reminded that we were not Ministry employees, hence not entitled. Finally the stepmotherly treatment was ended and the jobs declared pensionable. The Defence Forces had one unified budget covering both salaries and pensions but when the number of retirees increased their burden was shifted to the main budget, hereby increasing the government’s pension bill. Now that lifespans have increased, pensioners enjoy retirement perks for decades. My father, the entrepreneur who always believed in investing his money to earn a living, always marked those retired friends whose years of pension exceeded their term of service. he kept his capital in circulation, in later years, he booked cars and then sold them for profit. After his death in 1991, when I went to wrap up his business interests, there were about 25 automobiles waiting to be sold. Finally the amount was collected and distributed amongst his heirs. Unfortunately in the land of the pure human development has been compromised to meet other obligations of the state with pension being one of them. It is time to revisit our priorities, create funds to be invested intelligently and then disbursed. I remember the words of my old man, “Never touch your capital, live off its income”. Where has all our money gone? Mostly consumed by perks, pomp, imprudence, non-productive expenditures, pensions and corruption. Dr Farid A Malik is ex-Chairman, Pakistan Science Foundation. He can be contacted at: fmaliks@hotmail.com.

PNSC to raise private-sector standards

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

ployee contribution is matched by the employer and deposited into a retirement account. These funds are then invested to yield profits. At the time of retirement the employees receives the entire amount and is then largely on his own while the role of the state ends. In the current arrangement, the retiree receives a monthly pension, and after death of the retired employee, the wife is entitled to this money, and in after her death the unmarried daughter. It is a long term unending outflow of money for which no thinking has been done in the last 72 years. Most of us who started working in Grade 17 drew salary in hundreds while the pensions are now in lakhs, the system has finally dried up. In addition to salaries the bill of perks runs into billions. The retired judges of the superior judiciary are entitled to a hefty pension, and also get chauffeur-driven cars of recent model. All this was made possible after the Lawyers Movement of 2007. Now the judiciary is free but expensive with a huge backlog of undecided cases. After the martial law of 5 July 1977, pensionable government jobs were doled out to win favours in which both merit and performance were largely ignored. Today the entire non-performing state apparatus has become an unbearable burden for the nation. Finally reforms are being considered. After 20 years of service, performance evaluations will be carried out for the job to continue. This together with removing the facility of future pensions will go a long way in reforming the system and reducing the budget deficit. In the USA, the cut-throat capitalist approach of survival of the fittest was adopted. There were no pensions or social support system till the Great Depression of the 1930s. President Franklin D Roosevelt introduced a Social Security ( SS) system as a state pension fund for the elderly. every citizen is issued a SS Number ( SSN). It is a kind of a tax levy both on the employee and the employer. On attaining the age of 60 years individuals can claim a monthly stipend. President Barack Obama introduced ‘Obamacare’ which basically provides health benefits to people who do not have insurance. The Republican politicians do not believe in welfare and remain opposed to both these initiatives of the Democrats as they believe that such benevolence is counterproductive. In the initial years of Pakistan, upper ceiling of pensions were notified, for example, for the National Bank of Pakistan it was fixed at Rs 650 per month. Several other departments had different ceilings. These limits were helpful in planning and organizing pension payments. Then the courts jumped in, limits were challenged and exceeded without back-up coverage. The entire system is now

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dinary Part I, 29 March 1979], which has the constitutional protection. It is autonomous and managed by the Board of Directors. The Corporation also has an extensive overseas network of agents looking after its worldwide shipping business. Currently the PNSC owns four tankers and five bulk carriers with an overall dead weight tonnage and capacity of 681,806 metric tons (MT). PNSC has lifted approximately 16 percent of Pakistan’s total seaborne trade volume worth 83.286 million tons. According to the statutes of the World Trade Organization (WTO), only 40 percent of the trade can be carried by importing country vessels, 40 percent must be carried by exporting countries vessels and 20 percent by any other. In technical terms, the competition is for the remaining 20 percent is subject to the capacity of the individual country. In the current years Pakistan has around 20,000 registered seafarers, of which only 5000 are currently employed in the international fleet despite a global shortfall of 84,000 personnel. The seafarers have a huge contribution to the national economy, approximately close to $25 million. This becomes evident that the call for private companies will be a huge benefit for the employment of the seafarers, which in return will bring benefits to the nation, but the real question remains whether these companies would be able to carry themselves in the right way. Back in 1974, Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto nationalized the National Shipping Corporation (NSC) and Pakistan Shipping Corporation (PSC) and other private shipping companies. Nine private shipping companies with a total of 26 ships were nationalized. The national fleet strength increased to 51 vessels, including 26 ships under the management of nine nationalized companies and 25 ships with the state-owned NSC. This was done under the nationalization policy as well as to make sure that the flagcarrying ships were seaworthy. The PNSC is autonomously working ever since and it might be a difficult situation for the private

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companies to adhere to the rules and regulations of the WTO. According to the former DG Ports and Shipping, Captain Anwar Shah, the PNSC is the only shipping company that is most professionally managed and can be compared to companies from regional or international countries. he states that “every layer of the company has been recruited on merit and no recommendations, that’s why PNSC has been making profits unlike PIA and Pakistan Steel Mill”. The PNSC is advancing and is the only stable national company in the region as the shipping corporation of India is making loss, Sri Lanka’s shipping corporation is closed, Bangladesh’s was closed, and has just been revived after Chinese support came forward in the form of ships. Shah stated that the PNSC was keen to join hands with private companies because it is not one company, but a ship has 19 companies which are managed by the PNSC. he believes that things of strategic importance should be left in the hands of the PNSC. Shipping remains quite a technical subject. The incentive for private companies’ investment is highly encouraged but not much inclined to the international conventions. every port in the world will detain the ship if any protocol is not followed and so, according to the former DG, “The private sector is not the front runner in the business”. The changing policy is a good incentive but requires a lot of training and professional management. The Pakistan National Shipping Corporation, small but impactful has kept its standards high, due to which there remains a huge pressure on the incoming private companies and their performance. The Ministry of Maritime Affairs is the central key player and should fully participate in the shifting policy to adhere to the giving of standards to the shipping industry. Damiya Saghir is a Political Science graduate from Kinnaird College for Women Lahore. She can be contacted at damiya.saghir.ds@gmail.com

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Thursday, 20 August, 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

Books over drugs The dream that our children will hold books instead of heroin must not just remain a dream. In Buleda, Kech drugs are supplied so easily under the open sky with no fear, which is why every other person in buleda is a drug addict, including children. The people of Buleda region of district Kech has came out from their homes and took out the third rally on Sunday against the widespread use of drugs. The people had appealed the concerned authorities to take immediate action against the drug dealer and users. Particularly, the new generations who are our future, has to be protected against the use of drugs. The reason behind the unfavorable situations in Buleda is the increasing rate of drug trafficking. We beseech the government to take concrete actions against the smugglers to prevent the future of our youth against narcotics. Fiza NaSir TurbaT

Voice for justice

Between Independence and Freedom India won freedom in 1947, when did the British?

M J akbar

NDePeNDeNCe is not synonymous with freedom. Both are essential to the contemporary ideal. They are compatible and often complementary. But the two virtues follow different trajectories and attain separate objectives. Independence is liberation from foreign or colonial rule; freedom is a right of every citizen which may be denied as easily by an indigenous ruling elite as by any foreign power. India and the USA celebrate independence on 15 August and 4 July respectively to commemorate the triumphant moment when they threw the British out of their lives. england has no such day since the english claim never to have been ruled by a foreign power. It was so long ago that amnesia is forgivable. The Romans invaded england in 43 AD and left only in 410 AD. The Norman conquest of Britain in 1066 was more nuanced, for the triumphant Frenchmen from Normandy soon blurred the difference between dependence and independence. The new conquerors did not rule england from France; but ruled swathes of their native land from england. Normans became the new english establishment. In a delicious paradox, French history books now venerate St Joan of Arc for liberating France from Norman royalty. There is no confusion, however, in england’s history of freedom. It is legitimately traced back to the Magna Carta Libertatum, signed by a reluctant King John in 1215 to obtain support of the landed nobility against a French invasion. The charter gave barons the right of consultation on raising taxes through a council; this evolved into a foundational institution of freedom, Parliament. From the late 18th century Britain and France began to devote more energy on conquering Africa and Asia than destroying each other, creating two formidable empires. Britain became the dominant power because India glistened as the jewel in its crown. India won independence on 15 August 1947. When did Indians become free? A purist might argue that freedom came with the adoption of the Constitution in 1950 with its golden triangle of fundamental rights to life, faith and free expression. But the generation of Mahatma Gandhi’s disciples made a persuasive case for an earlier date: between 1920 and 1921, during the non-cooperation movement, when Gandhi mobilized the masses to destabilize the mightiest empire in history with the moral power of one of the greatest ideas in history, non-violence. Gandhi could not win independence in 1921, but he freed the Indian mind from subservience. Tensions between authority and freedom do not disappear with independence. Their tussle is

a continuing narrative. At what point of inflexion can freedom become the convector of anarchy? In democracies Governments have to address such questions regularly. In dictatorships they know the answers before any questions are asked. Democratic India emerged from colonization with both independence and freedom intact. Its first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had to answer this crucial question immediately after the adoption of the Indian Constitution in 1950. On 10 May 1951 he moved the first amendment to the Constitution seeking changes to fundamental rights. he wanted to validate the abolition of huge land holdings under the colonial zamindari system and ensure special consideration for weaker sections, but he was also certain limitations were required in Article 19, which guaranteed freedom of speech and expression. The first amendment prevented abuse of this freedom. Freedom has survived this qualification in India, as indeed it has elsewhere. There is a midpoint trade-off that can be easily determined by the wisest asset in a democracy: the common sense of common people. Citizens recognize a tipping point when they see it. A law against libel, provided by Nehru in India, does not throttle freedom. It protects freedom from misuse and abuse. Some self-proclaimed rational systems consciously eliminate any opposition in pursuit of the supposed higher good. Communism is one such ideology. Communists are convinced, with all the passion of believers, that the rightly-guided party must be obeyed. The Party is God in an atheist doctrine. When this deity seeks a sacrifice, it must be offered along with thanksgiving prayer, for the omnipotent The Party can do no wrong. There can be no accountability for any policy disaster, even when mistakes lead to famines killing millions. Truth becomes flexible. history is written only to be rewritten. Such rational deism is not totally distant from the ethos of theocracy. No guardian of the faith can make a mistake in a theocracy either, since service to God sanitizes him. A theocracy can protect national independence with commendable commitment, even as it limits the people’s freedom with similar fervour. high priests are careful enough to keep their own backs protected by an obedient army; but sometimes an army runs the priesthood, particularly if it is incoherent or rife with schism. The uniformed self-appointed wardens of nationalism then argue with thin logic that the nation would disintegrate without their firm hand. In real terms, this is a confession that the nation cannot be held together except by force. The difference between independence and freedom is not semantic. The individual’s quest for freedom, with its many variables, is as old as the imposition of hierarchies in social structure. Independence has had a more recent journey, becoming a dominant reality only in the 20th century. empires began to erode in the 19th, but monoliths have a long shelf life after the expiry date. World War I dealt a hammer blow to the Tsarist, Austrian, Ottoman and German empires, but did not affect the credibility of the concept. Britain and France, assuming infallibility after victory in 1918, stretched their realm to taut limits. Smaller european powers from the winning side continued as before. In Moscow, the USSR reinvented the Tsarist empire as a multilateral Marxist cooperative. Till the adoption of the United Nations Charter signed by 50 countries on 26 June 1945 in San Francisco, which offered equal rights to “nations large and small”, conquest was legal. You could, and many did, question the morality of the British empire, but not its legality.

The UN has not ended war; far from that. But no warrior power now attempts to force the subjugation of another country, the occasional exception apart. The fashionable justification for war, regime change, is becoming less fashionable by the year. World War I ended on a palate of grey areas; the second ended with far clearer demarcation between victor and vanquished. But both had lessons to learn. The defeated understood that aggression brought corporal punishment. Victors also realized empires were now untenable. Independent countries would become building blocks of the architecture of strategic stability. With India’s independence, it became a matter of time. european empires consolidated over three centuries crumbled in three decades. But europe itself, after 100 million dead between 1914 and 1945, experimented with a new dimension in its search for sustainable peace. The european Union is a mix of idealism and fear converted into geography. The fear was not of the other, but of the rearview mirror; with Western europe worried it would become what it had left behind. And so european nations ceded some of their strategic independence to NATO, and of their economic independence to a proportionalratio bureaucracy in Brussels, .but without compromising citizens’ freedom. The decade of exhilaration came in the 1990s, after the USSR collapsed, when ex-Warsaw Pact members clamoured to join it as a guarantor of safety, growth and freedom. Irony is often just a few steps behind success. Security survived the pressures of unforeseen events, like the Balkans conflict or the more recent immigration crisis; and economic cooperation managed to contain if not subdue the difficult fires of regional disparity. Tensions generated by freedom were more intractable. The drumbeat of media criticism, the peals of pub laughter at the occasional ludicrous Brussels regulation and the easy incitement to national pride became staples of public discourse. eventually, Britain’s exit was not due to the price of fish, but from a belief the country could do better without Brussels. A perceived loss of independence persuaded enough Britons to leave the eU. This is why champions of the eU pick up their handkerchiefs at the word ‘nationalism’. The dilemma is, however, more serious than Britain’s departure. how do you disentangle the people from nationalism in an era of the nationstate? In Britain, this was not the nationalism of Colonel Blimp. In the days of empire, Britain justified supremacism with the propaganda that it brought unmitigated progress to ignorant if not barbaric natives. Today’s Britain is fashioned by pride in itself, not the puff of its acquisitions. There are similar populations across the european Union, ready to test their fortunes without a crutch. history never ends, does it? The rhetoric that reconverted the waters of the english Channel into a hard border is now raising and cementing that old Roman wall between england and Scotland built by the conquerors of england 2000 years ago. The english want to be British rather than european. It would yet another twist in a tale full of unintended consequences if they ended up neither european nor British, just english. Mobashar Jawed Akbar is a leading Indian journalist and author. He is the Editor-in-Chief of The Sunday Guardian. He has also served as Editorial Director of India Today. He tweets at: @mjakbar.

A Baloch from Turbat, hayat Mirza Baloch was killed by a FC personal, after a blast in absor, despite being innocent. Now the question is how many parents have to lose their hayats like this? It was called a mistake but the young man was shoted eight bullets that clearly shows it wasn’t a mistake. he lost his life with the dream of being a CSS officer and serve his country. None of us can imagine the heartbreaking scenario of his parents as he was gunned down in front of them. Undoubtedly, hayat cannot be back but raising our voice is necessary to give him justice. MahNaz MuShTaq TurbaT

Transgender issue in Pakistan PAKISTAN is the second largest Islamic state in the world. Islam has given equal rights to everyone. Through electronic and print media, we found that being an Islamic state; still transgender are neglected by the government and the local society. There is many NGO’s working for human rights, but also they have ignored the transgender. We found, that in Pakistan the transgender are ignored in every walk of life including, education, government jobs, health care and even security for their life. The Supreme Court of Pakistan gave certain rights to the trans community, but these rights are still not properly implemented. even their own families do not accept them. One of the most sensitive social issues in Pakistan is discrimination and violence against the transgender community. Trans people, also known as the “third” gender, are considered an abomination by society. We stand together in opposition to such abuse and inequality. As believers in human rights and justice, it is our duty to support all marginalised communities as they fight for respect and equality. And as feminists, we believe that we need to keep fighting for gender-based services and resources together. irMa youSuF Karachi

Power problems to continue TheRe is a misunderstanding that recent negotiations between the government and IPPs resulting in signing of MoUs have settled the power issues in favour of the client . As a matter of fact , the contracts signed between the parties still hold good . The government does not gain anything materially through these MoUs , as their contents are not binding on the IPPs as long as the wishes of the client ( the government) as mentioned there in are not converted into fresh contracts between the parties . IPPs have not given any legal undertakings to undo the previous sovereign contracts already in force . So there is no occasion of being optimistic prematurely on the final fate of the MoUs . The problem of continuously rising circular debt haunts us as before and the authorities are silent on this grave issue which is eating away our economy. The wretched power distribution system continues unattended with its technical and commercial pitfalls . It is pity that many parts of the country suffer load shedding even in these times of surplus generating capability simply because power can not reach the end consumers because of transmission & distribution bottle necks . Only God knows when will our power system will be corrected . ENgr riaz bhuTTa LahorE

Reopening with caution The Government took a bold decision to lift restrictions on many sectors following a drop in Coronavirus cases. This decision was taken for the sake of economic survival. The business community, industrialists, and mill owners and the general public will benefit from this concession as it would likely revive the economy. however, this also puts the responsibility on everyone to do their part to stop the spread of this deadly disease. It is our collective responsibility to avoid social and physical contact as much as possible. We must all do our part by wearing masks, avoiding unnecessary handshakes, hugging, and close interactions to reduce the spread of Coronavirus. The owners of big Stores and Malls should use their influence on their customers to encourage safe behaviors. I would go to the extent that the business community must not only follow all precautions itself but also refuse to entertain anyone not following the SOPs at their business. Similarly, politicians (MNAs, MPAs, and ministers) and prominent personalities should lead by example and follow all precautions in public. We must as a nation understand that the decision by the government to lift the restrictions was to revive the economy and by no means it should be taken as a declaration that the virus is over. The Coronavirus is still lurking around and we all must exhibit responsible behaviors to stay safe while keeping the economy going. raja ShaFaaTuLLah iSLaMabad

Thursday, 20 August, 2020

08 WORLD VIEW

CovID-19 Is CreatIng a wave of heart DIsease

new York tiMes

HaiDer warraicH

ARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, was initially thought to primarily impact the lungs — SARS stands for “severe acute respiratory syndrome.” Now we know there is barely a part of the body this infection spares. And emerging data show that some of the virus’s most potent damage is inflicted on the heart. Eduardo Rodriguez was poised to start as the No. 1 pitcher for the Boston Red Sox this season. But in July the 27-year-old tested positive for Covid-19. Feeling “100 years old,” he told reporters: “i’ve never been that sick in my life, and i don’t want to get that sick again.” His symptoms abated, but a few weeks later he felt so tired after throwing about 20 pitches during practice that his team told him to stop and rest. Further investigation revealed that he had a condition many are still struggling to understand: Covid-19-associated myocarditis. Mr. Rodriguez won’t be playing baseball this season. Myocarditis means inflammation of the heart muscle.

EMERGING DATA SHOW THAT SOME OF THE CORONAVIRUS’S MOST POTENT DAMAGE IS INFLICTED ON THE HEART Some patients are never bothered by it, but for others it can have serious implications. And Mr. Rodriguez isn’t the only athlete to suffer from it: Multiple college football players have possibly developed myocarditis from Covid19, putting the entire college football landscape in jeopardy. i recently treated one Covid-19 patient in his early 50s. He had been in perfect shape with no history of serious illness. When the fevers and body aches started, he locked himself in his room. But instead of getting better, his condition deteriorated and he eventually accumulated gallons of fluid in his legs. When he came to the hospital unable to catch a breath, it wasn’t his lungs that had pushed him to the brink — it was his heart. Now we are evaluating him to see if he needs a heart transplant. An intriguing new study from Germany offers a glimpse into how SARS-CoV-2 affects the heart. Researchers studied 100 individuals, with a median age of just 49, who had recovered from Covid-19. Most were asymptomatic or had mild symptoms. An average of two months after they received the diagnosis, the researchers performed M.R.i. scans of their hearts and made some alarming discoveries: Nearly 80

percent had persistent abnormalities and 60 percent had evidence of myocarditis. The degree of myocarditis was not explained by the severity of the initial illness. Though the study has some flaws, and the generalizability and significance of its findings not fully known, it makes clear that in young patients who had seemingly overcome SARS-CoV-2 it’s fairly common for the heart to be affected. We may be seeing only the beginning of the damage. Researchers are still figuring out how SARS-CoV-2 causes myocarditis — whether it’s through the virus directly injuring the heart or whether it’s from the virulent immune reaction that it stimulates. it’s possible that part of the success of immunosuppressant medications such as the steroid dexamethasone in treating sick Covid-19 patients comes from their preventing inflammatory damage to the heart. Such steroids are commonly used to treat cases of myocarditis. despite treatment, more severe forms of Covid-19-associated myocarditis can lead to permanent damage of the heart — which, in turn, can lead to heart failure. But myocarditis is not the only way Covid-19 can

Gaddafi warned us, but we didn’t listen CRITICISING ARABS’ LACK OF ACTION AFTER THE HANGING OF SADDAM HUSSAIN IN IRAQ TWO YEARS EARLIER, GADDAFI TOLD HIS COLLEAGUES THAT: “THEIR TURN [TO BE TOPPLED AND HANGED] COULD BE COMING AND IT COULD BE ANY ONE OF YOU… AMERICA COULD AGREE TO HANG US ONE DAY”

Middle east Monitor

Dr MuStafa fetouri

F the late Muammar Gaddafi came back from the grave he would immediately recognise the new Libya, despite having never seen it. He predicted almost everything that is occurring in his country today. in some instances, his predictions were so vivid in detail, as if he was watching them unfold. Before making his last stand in his hometown of Sirte, the late Libyan leader delivered a rather short speech while still in Tripoli. in his 21 August, 2011, recorded message he urged his people to fight on, promising to “fight” with them until the last “drop of blood”. He pointedly mentioned oil as the main target of the “invaders and their agents”. Gaddafi delivered on his promise, and died standing in his hometown on 20 October, 2011. He always believed that the West was after the country’s oil. The latest idea now being discussed as a way to settle the nine-year-long conflict in Libya includes proposals to share the wealth of oil in the absence of any central fully-sovereign government in the country. it is another nice way of siphoning the country’s wealth in unaccountable ways. However, Libya’s oil-producing region is currently out of the control of both administrations—Tripoli’s Government of National Accord (GNA) and Al-Bayda city in eastern Libya, where the parallel government is based. Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group are in control of much of the oil fields. The mercenaries are fighting alongside General Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA). Since January of this year, the oil-exporting terminals on the Mediterranean coast were shut. Remembering Gaddafi’s speeches during the NATO attack that toppled him in 2011, many Libyans feel that they are cursed, not only by him, but by the iconic tent—destroyed by an angry mob— after standing in his headquarters throughout his 42-year reign. instead of preserving it as a souvenir, the entire compound was bulldozed after the tent was looted from the little furniture it had. Libya, today, does not have any real say in its own future, let alone deciding on fundamental issues such as its oil wealth and how it is to be used. Even the routine audit of accounts of its Central Bank is being decided by foreign powers. Since General Haftar’s one-year-long campaign to take Tripoli from the GNA collapsed last May, those calling the shots in this proxy war are the Russians, Turks, Egyp-

tians, and Qataris to a lesser extent. Even the United Nations’ mission to the country intended to facilitate dialogue among Libyans, however, it is increasingly being sidelined since its head Ghassan Salame resigned last March. Even political initiatives to bring about some sort of solution are progressively being made by foreign powers, with conditions designed to serve their own interests. in the last month or so, Turkish officials including the president, took the roles of part-time spokesmen in different capacities, on behalf of the GNA in Tripoli. The GNA gained the upper-hand in the latest round of violence, thanks to thousands of Syrian mercenaries brought into the conflict by Ankara. Ankara also provided military expertise and equipment to help defeat the LNA forces. On the opposite side, supporting Haftar, are Russian mercenaries with fighter jets and missile systems. These can only be provided by the Russian state, even though Moscow denies any involvement in the bloody conflict. Now that the LNA has retreated to the Sirte region close to the oil-rich area of Libya, the Turks see the big prize— oil—but cannot yet reach it. What they are proposing, is that Haftar and his forces leave the area so that Ankara and its proxy, the GNA, can take control of the oil cash they desperately need. But Haftar is very unlikely to leave the region, extending from Sirte in the north to the Jufra oasis, some 300 kilometres deep in the desert. But again, Haftar is no longer the master of his own fate. His supporters: Moscow, Cairo and Abu dhabi, are the ones who really have the final say, and they are currently trying to reach some compromise. When that happens, Haftar will have only one choice— accept whatever is proposed, or continue on his own. We are not yet at that stage, and Haftar’s backers are not homogenous in their goals and long-term interests in Libya. This means that even if he rejects what the MoscowAnkara talks produce, others like Abu dhabi are not yet prepared to give up on him in the absence of a credible alternative. At the same time, his main local supporter, Speaker of Parliament Aguila Saleh, based in Tobruk, is trying to work out some sort of deal that is likely to save Haftar, while propelling Saleh to the top interim job of head of state. The latest meeting on 11 August in Cairo between Saleh and the US Ambassador to Libya Richard Norland, is a notable development. The US is alleged to prefer some kind of freezing on the conflict until after the presidential elections scheduled for 3 November. during the election year, US foreign policy is on hold, and particularly with regards to donald Trump, Libya is not a top priority. Was Gaddafi right in predicting the fate of his nation? Events since his murder are a stark reminder that he, indeed, was. Furthermore, many observers still remember his remarks before the Arab League summit in damascus, Syria, in 2008. Criticising Arabs’ lack of action after the hanging of Saddam Hussain in iraq two years earlier, Gaddafi told his colleagues that: “Their turn [to be toppled and hanged] could be coming and it could be any one of you… America could agree to hang us one day.” in fact, Gaddafi predicted his own demise years earlier. in a short story he penned, entitled Escape to Hell, he described how he feared the “tyrant” masses once they revolt.

cause more people to die of heart disease. When i analyzed data from the Centers for disease Control and Prevention, i found that since February nearly 25,000 more Americans have died of heart disease compared with the same period in previous years. Some of these deaths could be put down to Covid-19, but the majority are likely to be because patients deferred care for their hearts. That could lead to a wave of untreated heart disease in the wake of the pandemic. Many patients are understandably apprehensive about coming back to the clinic or hospital. The American Heart Association has started a campaign called “don’t die of doubt” to address the alarming reduction in people calling 911 or seeking medical care after a heart attack or stroke. Since the beginning of the pandemic, it’s been clear that people with heart disease or related conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure are at increased risk for severe Covid-19 illness. The C.d.C. recommends that the more than 30 million Americans living with heart disease practice extra precautions to avoid infection. Hospitals and clinics should work overtime both to ensure they are safe for patients and to bolster telemedicine services so that patients can be cared for without having to leave their homes. doctors and researchers should no longer think of Covid-19 as a disease of the lungs but as one that can affect any part of the body, especially the heart. The only way to prevent more people dying of heart disease, both from damage caused by the virus as well as from deferred care of heart disease, is to control the pandemic. Haider Warraich (@haiderwarraich), the author of “State of the Heart: Exploring the History, Science, and Future of Cardiac Disease,” is a cardiologist and researcher at the Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

Is Facebook favouring the ruling BJP in India? BBC

Soutik BiSwaS

id Facebook go easy on hate speech by an indian lawmaker belonging to the governing BJP to protect its interests in its biggest market? A Wall Street Journal report, based on interviews with current and former Facebook employees, suggests so, and it prompted immediate calls for an investigation. in its report, the WSJ said Facebook deleted some hateful anti-Muslim posts by T Raja Singh, a lawmaker from india's southern Telangana state only after paper asked about them. The paper reported that Facebook employees had decided in March that Mr Singh's post violated the company's hate speech rules and qualified as dangerous. But the firm's top public policy executive in india, Ankhi das, opposed applying "hate speech rules to Mr Singh and at least three other Hindu nationalist individuals and groups flagged internally for promoting or participating in the violence". Ms das, the paper said, told employees that "punishing violations by politicians from Mr Modi's party would damage the company's business prospects in the country". The WSJ report has sparked calls by opposition MPs for investigations into Facebook's conduct in india. The leader of the main opposition Congress party, Rahul Gandhi, led the charge. He alleged that the BJP, and its ideological fountainhead, RSS, were "controlling" Facebook in india. india's information technology minister Ravi Shankar promptly responded. He alluded to his previous remarks in 2018 about "numerous reports" of Congress involvement with Cambridge Analytica and asking Mr Gandhi to "explain" the company's role in his social media outreach. (That year india had taken down the local website of Cambridge Analytica following allegations the company used personal data of 50 million Facebook members to influence the US presidential elections.) With more than 340 million users, india is Facebook's biggest market. in April Facebook announced it was investing $5.7bn (£4.6bn) in cut-price indian mobile internet company Reliance Jio, owned by the country's richest person Mukesh Ambani. This would give Facebook a major foothold in india, where its WhatsApp chat service has 400m users and is about to launch a payments service. i reached out to Facebook with a list of detailed questions. i asked why Facebook had not taken down Mr Singh's posts earlier, what it did with the lawmaker's account, and how many pages had been taken down and accounts suspended in india for hate speech. "We prohibit hate speech and content that incites violence and we enforce these policies globally without regard to anyone's political position or party affiliation. While we know there is more to do, we're making progress on enforcement and conduct regular audits of our process to ensure fairness and accuracy," a Facebook spokesperson replied in an email response. The firm did not provide any more details. Separately, Andy Stone, a Facebook spokesman, acknowledged to WSJ that Ankhi das had "raised concerns about the political fallout that would result from designating Mr Singh a dangerous individual, but said her opposition wasn't the sole factor in the company's decision to let Mr Singh on the platform". Mr Stone told me he had nothing more to add. The BJP lawmaker T Raja Singh said his official

page on Facebook with 300,000 followers was "hacked and deleted" in 2018 and he had complained about it to the local cyber crime detectives. "i don't know whether it was misused," he told me. He said Facebook might have recently taken down pages floated by his followers and containing inflammatory content. He said his followers might have "uploaded hate speech" on these pages. "Sometimes i go to public meetings and talk in style. My followers might have uploaded those videos", Mr Singh, the sole BJP legislator in the 119member elected Telangana state assembly said. Mr Stone told WSJ that Facebook is still considering whether it will ban the legislator. When i asked him why he would post such incendiary content Mr Singh said: "There are a lot of anti-socials in my area. i counter them in their language, sometimes it is communal". He said his instagram account, which was still active, was not being operated by him. This is not the first time allegations have been raised that Facebook is favouring the governing party. A series of articles by journalists Cyril Sam and Paranjoy Guha Thakurta in 2018, wrote about the social media platform's "dominant position in india with more than a little help from friends of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP", among other things. (The articles also looked at the Congress party's own "relations with Facebook".) The Congress party's chief of data analytics, Praveen Chakravarty, says he met senior Facebook officials in the US and india in 2018 and "discussed the issue of bias and partisanship of their india leadership team" and denying to accept party advertisements relating to a controversial fighter jet deal by the government. "i was told that it will be looked into but nothing happened," he says. Last year, derek O'Brien, a lawmaker belonging to the opposition Trinamul Congress party, raised the issue in the parliament. "Facebook censors anti-BJP news. its algorithm censors anti-BJP news," Mr O'Brien said in a short speech. When i reached out to him at the weekend, Mr O'Brien said: "There are other important issues to raise in the parliament, but this will not go unnoticed." Shashi Tharoor, a prominent Congress MP who heads a parliamentary committee on information technology, says he believes the "recent revelations raise questions that require explanation". "The subject is serious because of Facebook's extensive reach in india and the potential for hate speech to incite violence and other unlawful behaviour. How worrying this is to be determined after a hearing process is concluded, not on the basis of media reports," he told me. Chinmayi Arun, a fellow at the information Society Project at Yale Law School, says it is difficult to assess Facebook's record without access to the company's data in india. "There are contexts in which they have reacted swiftly or improved their policies based on feedback. But the system for implementation is opaque and one is unlikely to hear about the sort of incident that the WSJ reported unless insiders share information only available to Facebook," Ms Arun told me. in its latest biannual Community Standards Enforcement Report, Facebook said it had taken action against more than 20 million pieces of hate speech content that had violated its community standards between January and March. But in its biggest market, many say the social media behemoth needs to do more.

Thursday, 20 August, 2020

buSineSS 09

PAkiSTAn SURPASSeS mAngo exPoRT TARgeT BY 45,000 TonneS DeSPiTe CoviD-19 PESHAWAR

Pakistan desires enhanced trade ties with Uzbekistan: Dawood ISLAMABAD APP

Adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood on Wednesday reiterated the government's resolve to strengthen trade and investment relations with Uzbekistan through institutional mechanisms and private sector joint ventures. In a meeting with Charge' D'affaires of Uzbekistan in Pakistan Sadullah Tashmatov at the Ministry of Commerce, the adviser emphasised the importance of developing connectivity in order to harness and deepen the bilateral relationship between the two countries. "Pakistan is keen to develop backward and forward linkages in textile, leather, pharmaceutical and agriculture sectors with Uzbekistan," he maintained. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the upcoming visit of Uzbekistan's Deputy Prime Minister Sardor Umurzakov to Pakistan. Earlier in May 2020, Dawood had invited the deputy PM to visit Pakistan along with a business delegation so as to discuss bilateral economic relations between the two countries. During the visit, both sides will sign a memorandum of understanding on the establishment of 'PakistanUzbekistan Joint Working Group on Trade and Investment', the inaugural session of which is also likely to be held on the same day. In the meeting with the deputy PM in May, discussions were held on business-tobusiness cooperation as well as utilisation of Gwadar and Karachi ports for trade. All these suggestions will also be taken up in the upcoming visit which is scheduled for next month. Meanwhile, the Uzbek envoy discussed the development of connectivity through road, rail and air linkages between both countries. The envoy also expressed interest in the use of Sialkot International Airport for trade. Both sides agreed to explore opportunities for cooperation and were hopeful that the upcoming visit would help enhance bilateral trade and economic ties.

STAFF REPORT

AKISTAN has surpassed its mango export target by 45,000 tonnes despite grave challenges arising from the global outbreak of coronavirus. According to the All Pakistan Fruit & Vegetable Exporters, Importers & Merchants Association (PFVA), Pakistan has so far exported 125,000 tonnes of mangoes, fetching valuable and much needed foreign exchange of $72 million, as against the corona-revised target of 85,000 tonnes for the 2020 season. "The target was achieved after PFVA adopted an aggressive strategy coupled with timely decisions taken by the federal government," said PFVA Patron-in-Chief Waheed Ahmed. "In the next 45 days, an additional mango export of 25,000 tonnes is expected." Talking to APP, Waheed Ahmad said the ongoing mango season was one of the most difficult seasons in the country's history. "But the association saw the stiff challenges arising from coronavirus as 'opportunities', and we adopted appropriate and realistic strategies, including switching the export of mangoes to sea and land routes after the airlines

PFVA CHIEF EXPECTS ADDITIONAL EXPORT OF 25,000 TONNES IN THE NEXT 45 DAYS had shut down flight operations." Prior to the commencement of the current mango season, he recalled, the entire world was engulfed with the global pandemic. "The subsequent lockdowns had led to closures of superstores and markets while food exports had reduced drastically due to the suspension of flights by the airlines, creating logistic issues." However, he said, this also meant people who were confined to their homes were badly in need of high nutrition food; mango being on top of that list due to its high nutrition value, effective in combating against the deadly pandemic. Taking timely advantage of this unique opportunity, President Dr Arif Alvi had convened a special meeting, wherein he decided to launch an aggressive promotion of Pakistani mangoes by sending "gifts of mangoes" to all heads of states with a view to improve diplomatic ties with these states. In light of this decision, Waheed Ahmad said, the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) con-

ducted mango promotion-related activities in 24 cities of the world through Pakistani missions abroad while 30 heads of states of various countries were given Pakistani mangoes at an official level. "This well-thought strategy played a vital role in the promotion of Pakistani mangoes across the world." Afghanistan has emerged as Pakistan's top mango export destination for the current season, while UAE, Iran and Oman also remained among prominent international markets for Pakistani mangoes. The exports to Afghanistan were recorded at 46,276 tonnes, while those to UAE, Iran and Oman clocked in at 33,000 tonnes, 17,956 tonnes and 11,459 tonnes, respectively. The PFVA chief further informed that the association had raised voice against border closures by Iran and Afghanistan, bringing the issue to the notice of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Agriculture Development and seeking prompt action from the

APTMA lauds FBR for accelerating tax refund payments

FY2020-21: SBP raises financing limits by Rs190bn for exporters NEWS DESK

LAHORE

In order to further facilitate the exporters, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has enhanced the limit of refinancing provided to the banks under Exports Finance Scheme (EFS) by Rs100 billion. Hence, the banks will now have overall limits of Rs700 billion for the exporters for FY21. Moreover, to promote export-oriented investment, Rs90 billion have also been allocated under the Long Term Financing Facility (LTFF) for FY21. According to a statement issued by the central bank, this amount is in addition to a limit of Rs100 billion already allocated to banks/DFIs under Temporary Economic Relief Facility (TERF) -- a concessionary refinance scheme to set up industrial units. EFS and LTFF are two of the oldest schemes of SBP under which concessionary financing is provided to the exporters. EFS has been operational since 1973 to meet short term financing needs of exporters, while LTFF has been available since 2008. For both the schemes, their Shariah-compliant versions are also available. "Since the emergence of Covid-19, SBP has taken several measures to counter its impact on the economy and safeguarding the country’s exports has been a key priority," the statement read. "It is expected that the steps taken by the SBP, which have been widely appreciated by the business community, will help address exporters' liquidity constraints."

STAFF REPORT

A delegation of All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) on Wednesday lauded the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) for accelerating payment of tax refunds. The delegation called on FBR Inland Revenue Operations Member Dr Muhammad Ashfaq Ahmed and discussed issues pertaining to the release of sales tax refunds within seventy two hours, removal of irritants of Annexure-H, issuance of income tax exemption on electricity bills, delay in income tax refunds and other issues faced by export oriented industries. The APTMA delegation consisted of APTMA Executive Directors Raza Baqir and Shahid Sattar while Dr Ashfaq was assisted by concerned chiefs and secretaries of FBR. The APTMA delegation ap-

preciated the efforts made by the FBR for early disposal of refund claims of industries, adding that the member mills are satisfied with the performance of the tax board. The delegation further expressed the hope that the board would start clearing refund claims within 72 hours of their filing by exporters. The delegation also expressed hope that the FBR would soon take steps to further improve its systems. Dr Ashfaq reiterated the government’s resolve and commitment for expeditious payment of tax refunds and the removal of all issues faced by the business community. He informed the APTMA delegation that the release of refund claims has been expedited by the board and FBR will ensure the payment of all sales tax refunds within 72 hours of their filing. The FBR Inland Revenue Operations member said that all

the systematic issues relating to the Annexure-H would be dealt with within a week which will facilitate exporters in filing of refund claims. He added that the Annexure-H would be simplified to facilitate the taxpayers. Dr Ashfaq maintained that the trial test of the changes made in the software of Annexure-H is underway and it would be implemented shortly. He assured that the FBR will also release outstanding and deferred refund claims of the exporters on an immediate basis. He also urged the APTMA delegation to encourage all of its member mills to file income tax refunds at the earliest for speedy clearance. He further urged taxpayers to lodge complaints against requests for bribery or harassment by the tax collectors adding that immediate action will be taken against such officials.

Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of National Food Security and Research and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He said the PIA CEO, on the directives of the Ministry of Aviation, had also held a meeting with a delegation of the PFVA to review issues of mango exports and it was decided that air freight charges for fruit and vegetable exports would be reduced by 30-50pc. According to Waheed Ahmed, during the current season of mangoes, the coordination and cooperation between the federal government and other concerned government departments remained "excellent". "If issues in future are resolved with the same spirit and enthusiasm, the export of Pakistani mangoes could easily be enhanced to 200,000 tonnes," he stated. 'REMARKABLE RESULT': Meanwhile, Adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul Razzak Dawood termed the mango export figures for the current season as a 'remarkable result' for the country. Taking to Twitter, he congratulated the country's mango exporters for surpassing the export target, adding that a meeting is being arranged to formulate a long term strategy for the promotion of Pakistani mango exports.

PARC recommends three sunflower, one mustard hybrids ISLAMABAD: The Variety Evaluation Committee (VEC) on Oilseed Crops has recommended three sunflower and one mustard candidate varieties/hybrids. A meeting of the VEC on Oilseed Crops was held at Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) on Wednesday, which was attended by PARC Chairman Dr Muhammad Azeem Khan, VEC Chairman Dr Ghulam Muhammad Ali and committee members belonging to various public and private sector organizations. Eleven proposals for canola, rapeseed, mustard, groundnut, sesame and sunflower candidate varieties/hybrids were presented by the representatives of respective organizations for evaluation by VEC. After thorough evaluation and discussion, the committee recommended three sunflower and one mustard hybrids. Moreover, one variety each of groundnut, rapeseed and sesame was also recommended for potential ecologies. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Ghulam Muhammad Ali highlighted the importance of oilseed crops in the national economy and said that efforts were being undertaken to increase the domestic production of canola, rapeseed, mustard, groundnut, sesame and sunflower. TLTP

TDAP to participate in Frankfurt’s Heimtextil trade fair 2021 ISLAMABAD: The Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) will participate in the Heimtextil trade fair to be held in Frankfurt from January 12 to January 15, 2021. According to a press release issued on Wednesday, Heimtextil is the biggest international trade fair for home and contract textiles and is a climate and trend barometer of the textile sector for the new business year. The trade fair will help Pakistani companies better understand the European market and increase their global reach. Pakistani companies willing to participate can register a stall at the trade fair through TDAP by August 28, 2020. During the current year, as many as 231 exhibitors from Pakistan participated in Heimtextil 2020, which was the largest participation from Pakistan in any exhibition. Heimtexti 2020 attracted 2,952 exhibitors and 63,000 buyers and trade visitors from across the globe. APP

Stocks remain flat amid volatile activity KARACHI STAFF REPORT

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed another round of volatile activity on Wednesday, with the benchmark index falling to sustain gains and closing the day flat. Equity markets around the world also showed a mixed performance, whereas crude oil prices declined from the previous close; WTI crude price fell 0.81pc to $42.77 while Brent crude price dropped 0.81pc to $45.09. "The exploration & production sector helped kickstart the market rally during

the initial trading hours, but cement and banking stocks remained under selling pressure, dragging the index to the red zone," said a report issued by AHL Ltd. "The fertiliser sector remained under pressure throughout the session, but ENGRO's financial results (with a dividend of Rs8 per share) helped the sector stage some recovery by the end." MARKET SUMMARY: The benchmark KSE-100 Index remained volatile throughout the day, marking its intraday high at 40,424.92 (+240.91 points) and intraday low at 40,065.51 (-118.50 points). The index fi-

nally settled lower by 29.90 points at 40,154.11. Among other indices, the KMI-30 Index gained 211.66 points to close at 65,098.54, whereas the KSE All Share Index lost 11.06 points, ending at 28,221.84. The overall market volumes fell further from 458.80 million shares in the previous session to 427.19 million shares (-7pc ). Average traded value also declined by 10pc, from $123.2 million to $110.4 million. Pakistan International Bulk Terminal Ltd (PIBTL -1.20pc), TRG Pakistan Ltd (TRG 4.10pc) and Power Cement Ltd Right Shares

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(POWERR1 +14.29pc) led the volume chart, exchanging 26.24 million, 22.66 million and 20.21 million shares, respectively. Sectors that pulled the index to the red zone included cement (-23.37 points), technology (-21.55 points) and automobile assembling (-20.28 points). Among the companies, TRG Pakistan Ltd (TRG -22.23 pts), Hub Power Company (HUBC -20.15 points) and Indus Motor Company (INDU 9.24 points) dented the index the most. Losing 1.37pc from its total market capitalization, the automobile assembling turned out to be the session's top loser, with Indus

Motor Company (INDU 2.30pc), Honda Atlas Cars (HCAR 2.80pc) and Pakistan Suzuki Motors (PSMC -4.30pc) closing in the negative. On the financial side, Hub Power Company Ltd (HUBC -1.09pc) declared earnings per share of Rs7.84 for FY20 as compared to Rs6.70 for FY19; Pakistan Suzuki Motors Company Ltd (PSMC -4.30pc) announced an EPS of Rs-18.49 for 2QFY20 as compared to Rs-6.62 last year; whereas Engro Corporation Ltd (ENGRO +1.83pc) posted an EPS of Rs7.80 for 2QFY20 as compared to Rs2.31 last year.

Thursday, 20 August, 2020

10 FOREIGN NEWS Sticky bomb attacks kill two in Kabul KABUL: Two sticky bombs targeted Afghan government employees in Kabul early on Wednesday, killing two people, including a police officer, and wounding two others, police said. No one claimed responsibility for the attacks. According to Kabul police spokesman Ferdaws Faramarz, one of the sticky bombs was attached to a police vehicle, while the second was tied to a car belonging to the education ministry. A police investigation was underway, Faramarz said. Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said he was not aware of the explosions. Meanwhile, the ISIS claimed responsibility for a mortar attack on Tuesday in Kabul that wounded at least 10 people, including four children, as Afghans were marking the country’s Independence Day. The militant group said it fired 16 mortar shells, targeting the presidential palace, embassies and Afghan government offices in Kabul. Authorities said most of the shells hit homes. The attacks come amid new uncertainties over the start of talks between the Taliban and the Kabul political leadership. The government said it would not release the last 320 Taliban prisoners it holds until the insurgents free more captured Afghan soldiers. The decision went against that of a traditional Afghan council held earlier this month – the Loya Jirga – and is likely to further delay intra-Afghan peace talks sought by the United States. AGENCIES

Two US drones collide and go down in Syria IDLIB: A pair of American drones crashed following a midair collision in Syria, destroying both craft. The cause and exact circumstances of the smash-up remain unclear, however, leaving rumors to swirl. The alleged collision took place over Idlib province on Tuesday, an anonymous defense official said, though offered few other details about the mishap, declining to confirm what caused the crash or what type of drones were involved. Whether the aircraft were fired upon at any point during the incident is also not known, the official said. Photos and videos circulating online – which show debris falling from the sky and flaming wreckage on the ground – indicate that at least one of the craft was an American MQ-9 Reaper drone, used for both surveillance and armed missions. With no official explanation for the incident, however, speculation was rife on social media, with some suggesting the drones were shot down by Turkishbacked militants. The reported collision comes days after a US assassination strike on a jihadist trainer based in Idlib, Abu Yahyah al-Uzbeki, who was alleged to work alongside the Al-Qaeda-linked Hurras ad-Din group. The strike is believed to have used an R9X Hellfire missile, a special non-explosive munition that unleashes six sword-like blades before impact – dubbed the “ninja bomb.” Though Damascus has repeatedly slammed the American presence in Syria as illegal and a violation of the country’s sovereignty, Washington continues military operations in several regions, carrying out intermittent strikes around Idlib and embedding soldiers with Arab and Kurdish proxy groups in the south and northeast. Backed by the Pentagon throughout Syria’s war, the Kurdish-led factions now control valuable oil resources, with US plans to train a 2,200-man “oilfield guard” in the Hasakah region, according to a recent report. AGENCIES

Syria landmine explosion kills Russian general MOSCOW: A Russian general was killed and two other servicemen were wounded by a landmine explosion in Syria, the Russian defence ministry said. It said the attack took place in the southeast province of Deir Ezzor when a Russian military convoy was returning to the base after a “humanitarian” mission. The statement confirmed the three servicemen were wounded in the blast and that a “senior military adviser with the rank of major general” died during an evacuation while receiving medical treatment. Thousands of Russian troops are stationed across Syria in support of its army. Moscow’s military intervention in 2015, four years into the Syrian conflict, helped keep President Bashar Al Assad in power and started a long, bloody reconquest of territory lost to rebels in the early stages of the war. AGENCIES

ISRaEl BomBS Gaza foR 8Th ConSECUTIvE nIGhT GAZA

AGENCIES

SRAELI warplanes bombed the Gaza Strip for the eighth consecutive night after alleging that Palestinians had fired a rocket into southern Israel. The latest attacks came as Israel warned Hamas - the group that governs the Strip - it was risking "war" by failing to stop incendiary balloons being launched across the border. Hamas security sources said Israeli warplanes and drones struck several facilities that belong to the Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the movement. The Israeli army air raids and artillery attacks caused severe damage to security posts and wounded several people. No deaths were reported. In a statement released shortly before

midnight (21:00 GMT), the Israeli military said "fighter jets and [other] aircraft struck additional Hamas military targets in the Gaza Strip". "Earlier tonight, a rocket was fired and during the day, explosive and arson balloons were launched from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory," it said. "During the strike, a military compound belonging to one of the special arrays of the Hamas terror organisation was struck." Egyptian security officials shuttled between the two sides in a bid to end the flare-up, which has seen more than a week of rocket and fire balloon attacks from Gaza and nightly Israeli reprisals. Israeli President Reuven Rivlin issued a warning to Hamas during a visit to firefighters in the area who said they were called out to 40 blazes caused by Palestinian incendiary balloons on Tuesday. "Terrorism using incendiary kites and

balloons is terrorism just like any other," Rivlin told them, according to a statement from his office. "Hamas should know that this is not a game. The time will come when they have to decide ... If they want war, they will get war," said Rivlin, whose post is largely ceremonial. Israel and Hamas have fought three wars since 2008. A Hamas source told a foreign news agency that talks were held with an Egyptian delegation in Gaza on Monday before it left the territory for meetings with the Israelis and the occupied West Bank-based Palestinian Authority. The Egyptian delegation was expected to return to Gaza after those talks were concluded, the source added. Israel banned fuel imports into Gaza on August 12 as part of punitive measures over the launch of incendiary balloons from the Strip, banned fishing off Gaza's

Mali soldiers promise elections after coup condemned abroad BAMAKO AGENCIES

Soldiers who ousted Mali’s president and government in a military coup that drew condemnation abroad promised on Wednesday to restore stability and oversee a transition to elections within a “reasonable” time. President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita resigned and dissolved parliament late on Tuesday hours after the mutineers detained him at gunpoint, plunging a country already facing a jihadist insurgency and mass protests deeper into crisis. It was still not clear early on Wednesday who was leading the revolt. But a spokesman for the mutineers, calling themselves the National Committee for the Salvation of the People, said they acted to prevent Mali from falling further into chaos. The coup was quickly condemned on Tuesday by Mali’s regional and international partners, who fear Keita’s fall could further destabilise the former French colony and West Africa’s entire Sahel region. Shates in two gold mining companies operating in the country fell sharply on Wednesday, as they sought

to reassure investors that their operations were not affected. Mutineers’ spokesman Colonel Ismael Wague invited Mali’s civil society and political movements to join them to create conditions for a political transition. “Our country is sinking into chaos, anarchy and insecurity mostly due to the fault of the people who are in charge of its destiny,” he said while flanked by soldiers in a statement broadcast on state-owned television. “We are not keen on power, but we are keen on the stability of the country, which will allow us to organise general elections to allow Mali to equip itself with strong institutions within the reasonable time limit.” SIGNS OF LOOTING: Late on Tuesday, anti-government protesters had poured into a central square in Bamako to cheer the mutineers as they drove through in military vehicles. The capital was far quieter early on Wednesday, with few civilians on the streets most shops in one residential area still closed amid evidence of overnight looting. Videos circulating on social media showed Malians running unchecked through luxury compounds in the city, including proper-

ties identified as belonging to Justice Minister Kassoum Tapo and Keita’s son Karim. It was not immediately possible for Reuters to authenticate the footage. Landlocked Mali has struggled to regain stability since Tuareg uprising in 2012 which was hijacked by Islamist militants linked to al Qaeda, and a subsequent coup in the capital plunged the country into chaos. Keita, 75, came to power in 2013 following the Bamako coup promising to bring peace and stability and fight corruption. He won reelection for a second five-year term in 2018. On Wednesday, European Union Industry Commissioner Thierry Breton said the bloc would insist on new elections on Mali within a reasonable timeframe, while China said it opposed regime change by force West Africa’s 15-nation regional bloc, the Economic Community of West African States had on Tuesday suspended Mali from its institutions, and closed its member states’ borders with Mali. Having previously warned it would no longer tolerate military coups in the region, the bloc plans to send a delegation to Mali to ensure a return to constitutional democracy.

India’s GDP to contract by16.5pc in April-June: SBI MUMBAI: The world’s fifth-largest economy, India, is expected to contract by 16.5 percent during the quarter covering April to June of the current fiscal year, according to a research report by the State Bank of India (SBI). The decline is less than the contraction of over 20 percent projected by the bank in May, “though with the relevant caveats in the current uncertain scenario,” SBI economists said. The research showed that the top ten Indian states accounted for 73.8 percent of total GDP loss, with Maharashtra contributing 14.2 percent, followed by Tamil Nadu (9.2 percent) and Uttar Pradesh (8.2 percent). Subsequently, the per capita loss for all of India is around Rs 27,000 (over $361) per individual, with states like Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Telangana, Delhi, Haryana, and Goa exhibiting losses of more than Rs 40,000 (over $535) per person in FY21. The report said that de-growth in corporate gross value added has been significantly better than revenue de-growth in Q1 FY21 as far as the results of the listed companies are concerned. So far, around 1,000 listed entities have announced their results for the first quarter. The results showed a decline in revenues of more than 25 percent, and a drop in profits of over 55 percent. However, the decline in corporate gross value added was only 14.1 percent. “In principle, revenue decline of listed companies has been far outstripped by cost rationalization, thereby not impacting margins.” AGENCIES

coast, and closed the Karam Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) goods crossing - cutting off deliveries of fuel to the territory's sole power plant. Power had been in short supply even before the shutdown, with consumers having access to electricity for only eight hours a day. That will now be just four hours a day using power supplied from the Israeli grid. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned on Wednesday that halting Gaza's only power plant would create problems in the health sector. The ICRC said on Facebook the reduction of the daily electricity supply from eight hours to three or four hours increased the burden on hospitals, which already operate precariously in Gaza. Underlining that the power cut will make it difficult for people to access water, it said environmental problems could also arise.

Tikhanovskaya urges EU not to recognize ‘fraudulent’ Belarus polls VILNIUS: Opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya has urged the European Union to reject the result of Belarus’ contested presidential election, while calling on the bloc to respect the country’s sovereignty. In a video message addressed to the European Council, Tikhanovskaya, who fled to Lithuania last week, said that the EU should not recognize the “fraudulent” August 9 election, adding that President Alexander Lukashenko has “lost all legitimacy in the eyes of our nation.” She announced the formation of the National Coordination Council of Belarus, which will “lead the process of peaceful transition of power via dialogue.” The council will call for “new, fair, and democratic presidential elections,” the main opposition candidate said. International observers should participate in order to ensure the legitimacy of the new election, Tikhanovskaya added, while stressing that EU leaders should “respect the sovereignty of Belarus and the choice of the Belarusian people.” AGENCIES

US Covid-19 deaths six times more than other high-income economies: report WASHINGTON: The number of deaths caused by Covid-19 in the United States since July is six times the average rate in other highincome economies, a US news website said. Among the 83 countries and regions included in the World Bank's list of "high-income economies," the United States is "one of very few" that have failed to control the virus since the pandemic, according to a report by AXIOS. Since July 1, 75 percent of all new confirmed Covid-19 cases and 69 percent of all deaths recorded in the rich world occured in the United States, which accounts for 27 percent of the group's population, it said. Basing its report on statistics from the World Health Organization and Johns Hopkins University, AXIOS said other wealthy countries and regions have suffered pandemic peaks or sharp increases in cases and deaths as "terrifying" as America's. AGENCIES

UN for safe restart of tourism to protect businesses, jobs GENEVA AGENCIES

Governments must implement solutions to safely reopen their tourism industries to protect businesses and the livelihoods of workers dependent on the sector, the United Nations said. The UN World Tourism Organisation called for international coordination among countries on measures to re-start travel and revive the ailing tourism sector that has suffered billions of dollars in losses during the Covid-

19 pandemic, according to a statement. "Short-sighted unilateral actions will have devastating consequences in the long run," Zurab Pololikashvili, secretary-general of the UNWTO said. "It will be the most vulnerable members of our societies who will be hit the hardest as those most shielded from the economic and social consequences of tourism’s standstill urge continued caution." Tourism is among the sectors hardest hit by the global pandemic that has severely curtailed travel. As countries begin to grad-

ually reopen their borders and ease restrictions to curb the virus, global industry bodies are calling for a harmonised approach to re-start travel. While reopening borders is a "welcome relief" to millions of tourism-dependent workers and businesses, this step alone is insufficient and policy makers must also implement solutions to adapt to the new reality, the UNWTO said. Rapid but rigorous testing at ports and airports as well as tracing and tracking apps can potentially drive the safe restart

of tourism. "These solutions need to be fully embraced, not just cautiously explored," Mr Pololikashvili said. "To delay will be a catastrophe and risk undoing all the progress we have made to establish tourism as a true pillar of sustainable and inclusive development." In its latest Travel Restrictions Report published in July, the UNWTO showed that 115 destinations, or 53 per cent of the global total, continue to keep their borders completely closed for tourism.

The cost of coronavirus-related travel restrictions for the tourism industry has been massive. By the end of May, the pandemic had led to $320 billion (Dh1.17 trillion) in lost tourism revenues, already three times the cost of the 2008 global economic crisis, according to the UN body. Global air passenger traffic is unlikely to recover to pre-Covid-19 levels before 2024, a year later than previously expected, the International Air Transport Association said in its revised five-year forecast last month.

Thursday, 20 August, 2020

SPORTS 11

Misbah shrugs off Pakistan's fitness worries ahead of final england test SOUTHAMPTON

AGENCIES

ATIONAL team coach Misbahul Haq says he is not worried about the team's fitness as Pakistan gets ready to face England in the third and final Test in Southampton starting on Friday. A season reshaped by the coronavirus pandemic has left Pakistan with a programme of three Tests in as many weeks. What could have been a truly gruelling schedule became less arduous as a result of so much time being lost to rain and bad light during the drawn second Test, also at Southampton, concluded Monday. But Misbah, who as a 42-year-old captain of Pakistan celebrated scoring a hundred against England at Lord's in 2016 with a round of press-ups, has long been convinced of the need for his players to be in shape. "Fitness has been an important part of our strategy as a team since I took on the role of head coach last September and we have seen the benefits in the two Tests so far," Misbah wrote in a column for the Pakistan Cricket Board's website. 'PERFORM UNDER PRESSURE': "The players have taken ownership of their fitness levels and they should be given credit for that, especially after three months at home during the Covid-19 pandemic," he added.

"They know having supreme fitness will help them to perform under pressure." Pakistan go into the series finale 1-0 down after a

PSG see oﬀ RB Leipzig to reach first ever Champions League final

SPORTS DESK Paris Saint-Germain are through to the final of the Champions League for the first time after goals by Marquinhos, Angel Di Maria and Juan Bernat saw them ease to a 3-0 win over RB Leipzig in a one-sided semi-final in Lisbon on Tuesday. It was 2-0 at half-time, with the first two goals set up by Neymar, the Brazilian again outstanding at the Estadio da Luz, just as he had been in last week's quarter-final against Atalanta. Bernat's goal came in the 55th minute and snuffed out any hopes Leipzig had of a comeback. They could not handle the world's most expensive player, or the many other outstanding performers in the PSG side, who no longer appear overcome by the sense of occasion that surrounds a Champions League knockout tie. After seeming to invent ever more absurd ways to lose in Europe in recent years -- the 6-1 loss against Barcelona in 2017 and last year's defeat by Manchester United in the last 16 stand out -- despite all the investment by the club's Qatari owners, here they lived up their billing. Bayern Munich and Lyon meet in the second semifinal on Wednesday for the right to face PSG in Sunday's final. Thomas Tuchel's team are the first French finalists in Europe's elite club competition since Monaco in 2004. Nine years after Qatar Sports Investments bought a moribund mid-table Ligue 1 team and began turning them into the untouchable force in France, they are now one game away from winning the trophy that really matters to them. There is little doubt that the context in Lisbon is helping. PSG have only needed to perform for 90 minutes in-

stead of over two legs in the latter stages of this season's competition, so badly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. They also need not feel the pressure of having to perform in front of their expectant support -- glimpse the other way inside Benfica's cavernous stadium and you really could forget there was a football match being played. NO CONTEST: Then again, in many ways it was not much of a match. A first ever European semi-final was a step too far for Julian Nagelsmann's young team, which featured seven outfield players aged between 21 and 24 in the starting line-up and this time could not compensate for the loss of star striker Timo Werner, sold to Chelsea before the 'Final Eight' began. PSG had seen Neymar hit the post before they went ahead in the 13th minute. Neymar won a free-kick just outside the box to the left. Di Maria swung in the dead ball and Marquinhos headed home. The Brazilian defender, reinvented as a holding midfielder by Tuchel, does not score many but he had already saved PSG against Atalanta with his lastminute equaliser. Di Maria was making his comeback after suspension kept him out of the quarter-final. Kylian Mbappe was also fit enough to start for the first time after his recent ankle injury. Mauro Icardi made way as that duo joined Neymar in a three-man attack. At the other end, Sergio Rico was rarely troubled as he stood in for injured goalkeeper Keylor Navas. Neymar nearly made it 2-0 with an audacious attempt from a free-kick, almost catching out Peter Gulacsi when he hit the post from way out on the right flank as everyone expected a cross. But Gulacsi gifted the French champions their second just before the break. His poor pass out fell to Leandro Paredes, and he returned it into the box and on to Di Maria via an outrageous Neymar flick. Di Maria controlled and slotted home. It was game over within 10 minutes of the second half starting. Leipzig thought Nordi Mukiele was fouled in the right-back position but the Dutch referee decided he had merely slipped. As play continued, Di Maria crossed for Bernat to head in. Tuchel, perched on a cool box in his technical area, pumped his fist in celebration. PSG are now hoping to become just the second French winner of the trophy, 27 years after Marseille won the inaugural Champions League.

World number two Simona Halep the latest to skip US Open SPORTS DESK World number two Simona Halep joined a growing list of tennis stars when she said on Monday that she would skip the US Open over coronavirus fears. "After weighing up all the factors involved and with the exceptional circumstances in which we are living, I have decided that I will not travel to New York to play the @usopen," tweeted Halep, the current Wimbledon champion. "I always said I would put my health at the heart of my decision and I therefore prefer to stay and train in Europe." The Romanian added: "I know the @usta and @WTA have worked tirelessly to put on a safe event and I wish everyone there a successful tournament." Halep joins a host of top players who are passing on playing at Flushing Meadows when the next Grand

Slam tournament begins on August 31. Reigning US Open champion Bianca Andreescu of Canada will not play, joining men's 2019 winner Rafael Nadal in skipping the tournament. Also absent from this year's US Open will be Australia's top-ranked Ashleigh Barty, Ukraine's fifthranked Elina Svitolina, seventh-rated Kiki Bertens, eighth-ranked Swiss Belinda Bencic – whom Andreescu beat in the semi-finals last year – and past winner Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia. Serena Williams, seeking a 24th career Grand Slam title to match Margaret Court's all-time record, will compete, as will men's world number one Novak Djokovic. New York was one of the hardest-hit US cities when Covid-19 first spiked in March and April, a temporary hospital even being established on indoor courts at the US Tennis Center.

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three-wicket defeat in the first Test at Old Trafford. But that loss saw Shan Masood show plenty of endurance during a Test-best 156 while wicketkeeper Mo-

hammad Rizwan, impressive behind the stumps in Manchester, was named man-of-the-match in the second Test for a determined 72. "Mohammad Rizwan is a great example of that (fitness) in the way he ran between the wickets and batted with the tail," explained Misbah. "Shan Masood also showed it in the first Test, batting for almost eight hours, and running really well with Shadab Khan. The way they stole quick singles is something that you don´t see much in Test cricket and certainly not from a Pakistan team." The second day of the second Test was also Pakistan's Independence Day, which has previously coincided with some notable moments in the country's cricket history. "It is always a special moment to celebrate Independence Day during a Test match and Pakistan has some great memories from previous such occasions in England: our first-ever Test win in England in 1954 came just after Independence Day, as did the famous win at Lord´s in 1982 and, from a personal point of view, our victory at the Oval in 2016 when we levelled the series on 14 August itself," recalled Misbah. Unfortunately for Pakistan, the weather in Southampton meant the current side could not add to those successes, although Misbah said: "Hopefully we can deliver a late gift to the nation in the final Test and announce another Independence Day! Or, as coach, I can just announce that this is the month of Independence."

Daren Sammy says he holds no grudges against Ishant Sharma for using racial slur

SPORTS DESK Ishant Sharma is "still a brother" for former West Indies captain Darren Sammy, who holds "no grudges" against the India pacer for using a racially offensive word to address him in jest during their stint as teammates in the IPL. Sammy had alleged that during his time with Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2014 and 2015, he was often referred to as 'Kaalu' (Black), a racial slur the meaning of which he understood only recently. A picture posted by Ishant Sharma's official Instagram page had addressed the West Indian by this word in the caption, lending credence to his charge. An angry Sammy had initially sought an apology but softened his stand and asked for a dialogue instead. "I don't hold grudges. I have spoken to Ishant Sharma. I consider him a brother like I did back in 2014 and '15 when playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad," Sammy told PTI in an interview facilitated by his Caribbean Premier League franchise St Lucia Zouks. The two-time T20 World Cup-winning former captain made it clear that while he has moved on like Ishant, he wouldn't stop calling out anyone who uses racist slurs. "But again if I find out that a possible racial slur is being used to describe me, no matter what time I find out, I will ask questions about it and that's what I did. "I have spoken and voiced my opinion and I am moving on. All these issues started a conversation in the cricket fraternity. I have no regrets talking about that," he said. Sammy, who played 232 international games for West Indies, has been very vocal against racism faced by blacks and people of colour after police brutality led to the death of African-American George Floyd in the USA. "I think it's just the way my mom raised me. You must stand up for the things you believe in whether injustice is being done to you or your fellow men. It's not just a movement because black lives do matter," one could gauge how strongly he felt about the issue. "For years, we have been racially discriminated

on the basis of our colour. We have gone through so much as a race, as people," he said. "George Floyd was the straw that broke the camel's back. People had to raise their voice against the systemic injustice, police brutality against people of colour," the eloquent former Caribbean captain said. When he was leading the West Indies, there were questions about his modest batting averages of -- 21 in Tests, 24 in ODIs and 17 in T20s -- apart from a bowling strike-rate of 73 plus in Tests and 61 in ODIs. Sammy said captaincy is not always about delivering the maximum in terms of numbers. "Leadership is about empowering others and that's the role I played in the later stages of my captaincy for West Indies and other teams that I led. "Ideally, I would have liked to be a performer like some others but as a leader, you probably find less time to give yourself that attention," the St Lucia Zouks skipper said about his time in the international arena. But doesn't he feel that a captain needs to be a performer to gain the trust of the dressing room? "It varies, I believe, from team to team. It only helps that the leader is on top of that chart so that one can lead by example. "But I will not let a lack of performance or two on my part deter me from speaking on team goals which will help the team go out there and win matches," said Sammy, who wants to win a silverware for St Lucia before retiring. "I believe everything happens for a reason and I am now in a very happy place in my life. I have enjoyed playing cricket for the West Indies...the focus is on doing well for St Lucia Zouks as I am now closer to the end of my career and I want to finish on a good note. A master at delivering quotable quotes, Sammy said he knows that he has played the game with pride and left a lasting impression for the kind of human being he has been. " I have played the game with a smile on my face. I am not bothered by how other people judge me. "With the limited ability, I have achieved what my country, my friends and my kids can be proud of. I think I have been a leader there as well," he said.

Thursday, 20 August, 2020

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NEW DELHI: Heavy monsoon rains lashed New Delhi on Wednesday, inundating roads and piling on the misery for commuters in the chaotic Indian capital, as the death toll from the annual deluge across South Asia rose to nearly 1,300. The monsoon is vital to the densely populated region, revitalising land and waterways amid scorching summers. But it also causes widespread death and destruction. In New Delhi, commuters battled through knee-deep waters and cars and buses were submerged as torrential rains added to traffic woes in the city of 20 million. At a museum in Jaipur in the mostly desert state of Rajasthan, staff told AFP how they were forced to smash open a glass display case containing a 2,300year-old Egyptian mummy in order to save it from rainwater flooding the ground floor. “The workers broke the glass of the box and took the mummy out” last Friday after water levels started rising, Albert Hall Museum’s superintendent Rakesh Cholak said. “The case of the coffin got a little wet but we’ve put it out to dry too.” The torrid conditions in recent days also hit India’s northern and eastern states. Across India, 847 people have died this season, the home ministry said. In the southwestern state of Kerala, the death toll from a single landslide rose to 61 on Wednesday, with nine people still missing, an official said. In India’s poorest state Bihar, eight million people have been hit by the floods, with thousands of displaced people sleeping on embankments and highways amid a shortage of relief camps. SLEEPING ON ROADS: This year’s rains have also come in the wake of the economic devastation wrought by the coronavirus pandemic, with the loss of crops across floodaffected areas a further blow to farmers and rural communities. In Bangladesh, 226 people have died so far with 40 per cent of the country under water after torrential rain caused rivers to burst their banks and inundate villages. “In terms of duration it was the second-worst floods in the country’s history,” said Arifuzzaman Bhuyan, the head of Bangladesh’s Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre. More than six million people have had their homes damaged by the floods, and tens of thousands of villagers remain in shelters, an official from Bangladesh’s disaster management ministry told AFP. Others are sleeping in shanties built on roads on higher ground, unable to return home to their submerged homes. In flood-hit Rupangar village outside the capital Dhaka, Shahanara Begum said she has been living on the road with her family for more than a month. “It seems like bad luck doesn’t leave us. Wherever we go, floodwater follows us,” the 50-year-old told AFP on Wednesday. “It is very insecure to live on the road but we don’t have a choice [… ] most of our food stocks and clothes are already ruined,” added 70-year-old Maya Saha. In Nepal, 218 people have died and 69 are missing from landslides and floods since midJune when the monsoon began. AGENCIES

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N a major security hazard, two splinter groups of the defunct Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have rejoined the terrorist outfit, with their leaders and Shura members swearing allegiance to TTP chief Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud in Afghanistan. Multiple sources have confirmed the rejoining of TTP’s splinter groups – Jamatul-Ahrar (JuA) and Hizb-ul-Ahrar (HuA) – both groups known for carrying out deadly terrorist attacks against the Pakistani military, state apparatus, and individuals. A source claimed that Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, another defunct terrorist group, has also rejoined the TTP but the report is yet to be confirmed. It was none other than the former TTP spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan, who recently managed to escape from a military

safe house, that made the claim on Twitter, a social media platform. Later, TTP’s Umar Media officially announced the merger, claiming that JuA chief Umar Khalid Khurasani and HuA’s Ameer Umar Khurasani had met with TTP chief and swore allegiance. “We also send a message to our enemy that our sacred jihad would continue till Pakistan is cleansed of evil system and oppressed are free from the shackles of the oppressor,” the message read. Social media is now rife with videos and photographs of the allegiance ceremony held somewhere in Afghanistan. Experts, however, are of the opinion that such known terrorists cannot gather openly for a ceremony without the support and facilitation of the Afghan intelligence. Later, several reliable sources and social media accounts also shared details of the merger. Sources have revealed that the sole objective of the merger is to launch

Secret talks and quiet ties: That’s what paved the way for last week’s deal between the United Arab Emirates and Israel to normalize relations. Touted by President Donald Trump as a major Mideast breakthrough, the agreement was in fact the culmination of more than a decade of quiet links rooted in frenzied opposition to Iran that predated Trump and even Barack Obama, as well as Trump’s avowed goal to undo his predecessor’s Mideast legacy. And the deal leaves behind what had been a cornerstone of US policy in the region: the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The effort to achieve that goal picked up speed 17 months ago at a US-led conference in Warsaw, according to officials involved. That February 2019 meeting, originally conceived as an anti-Iran gathering, morphed into a broader Mideast security endeavor after European objections to its agenda. Many countries opted not to send their top diplomats, and Russia, China and the Palestinians skipped it entirely. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attended, however, as did the foreign ministers of key Arab states. At the summit, diplomats from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain spoke of the threat Iran posed to their security and its

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terrorist activity against Pakistan while simultaneously sabotaging efforts to restore peace and stability in its war-ravaged neighbor, Afghanistan. However, the merger appears to have been in the making for several months. According to sources, representatives from TTP, JuA, and HuA have met several times in different locations inside Afghanistan to discuss their reunification. The effort even ended up in deadlock at one point recently, sources revealed. On August 13, talks had all but stalled, they said. Talks resumed three days later, but only after direct intervention by operatives from Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security (NDS) and India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), the sources added. The talks culminated in an oath of allegiance to bring the three militant factions together, which was held in Afghanistan’s Paktia and Kunar provinces, the sources said. The agreement, reportedly, designates

Saudi Arabia says no Israel deal without Palestinian peace RIYADH AGENCIES

Saudi Arabia said on Wednesday it will not follow the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in establishing diplomatic ties with Israel until the Jewish state has signed an internationally recognised peace accord with the Palestinians. The UAE last week became the first Gulf state to normalise relations with Israel, in a historic US-brokered accord that raised the prospect of similar deals with other Arab states including Saudi Arabia. But after days of conspicuous silence and in the face of US pressure to announce a similar deal, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan ruled out the possibility until the Palestinian issue is resolved. “Peace must be achieved with the Palestinians” on the basis of international agreements as a pre-condition for any normalisation of relations, Prince Faisal told reporters during a visit to Berlin. “Once that is achieved all things are possible,” he added, in a comment that was consistent with Saudi Arabia’s previous stance on the issue. Prince Faisal’s remarks are the kingdom’s first official reaction since the UAE’s landmark deal with Israel,

which is only the third such accord the Jewish state has struck with an Arab country after Egypt and Jordan. At a news conference with his German counterpart Heiko Maas, Prince Faisal reiterated criticism of Israel’s “unilateral policies” of annexation and building settlements in the occupied West Bank as “illegitimate” and “detrimental” to a two-state solution. ‘BIGGEST CONSTRAINT’ Until now, Saudi Arabia had maintained a notable silence over the deal even as local officials hinted that Riyadh was unlikely to immediately follow in the footsteps of the UAE, its principle regional ally. Amping up US pressure on the kingdom, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner insisted on Monday that it would be in Riyadh’s interest to formally establish ties with Israel. Further putting the kingdom in the spotlight, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said Israel was working on opening a corridor over Saudi Arabia for flights to the UAE. But Saudi Arabia, the Arab world’s biggest economy and home to Islam’s holiest sites, faces more sensitive political calculations than the UAE. Not only would a formal recognition of Israel be seen by Palestinians

and their supporters as a betrayal of their cause, but it would also hurt the kingdom’s image as the leader of the Islamic world. “The notion that Saudi Arabia will be next to normalise relations with Israel was far-fetched,” said Aziz Alghashian, a lecturer at Essex University specialising in the kingdom’s policy towards Israel. “The biggest constraint for SaudiIsraeli normalisation is not the fear of a domestic and regional backlash. “Rather, Saudi Arabia deems it necessary to not normalise relations outside the framework of the Arab Peace Initiative that called for resolving the Palestinian issue, if it still wants to be seen as the leader of the Muslim and Arab world,” Alghashian told AFP. In 2002, Saudi Arabia sponsored the Arab Peace Initiative which called for Israel’s complete withdrawal from the Palestinian territories occupied after the Six-Day War of 1967, in exchange for peace and the full normalisation of relations. But a shared animosity towards Iran, along with Saudi attempts to attract foreign investment to fund Prince Mohammed’s ambitious Vision 2030 economic diversification plan, appear to be pushing the kingdom closer to Israel than ever.

UAE-Israel agreement followed many years of discrete talks AGENCIES

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use of Shiite proxies in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen. They stressed that confronting Iran had become the top priority — ahead of resolving the IsraeliPalestinian conflict — in comments appearing in a leaked video, whose authenticity was confirmed by a US official who attended the gathering. Netanyahu followed, echoing similar concerns. “Iran was very high on the agenda because Iran’s foreign policy is the biggest driver of instability in today’s Middle East,” the US special envoy for Iran, Brian Hook, told The Associated Press. Four months after the summit, a secret meeting between the UAE and Israel took place on June 17, 2019, in Washington. The trilateral focused on regional, cyber and maritime security, as well as diplomatic coordination and disrupting terror finance, according to a US official who participated but was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. More meetings followed in the US, Israel and the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi, culminating in Thursday’s Trump announcement that his administration had brokered a deal between Israel and the UAE to establish diplomatic relations and exchange embassies. The UAE said Israel also agreed to halt its controversial plans to annex large areas of the occupied West Bank sought by the Palestinians.

Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, told White House reporters that discussions for the deal took place over the past year and a half. “Look, at the end of the day, it’s an inevitability, right?” Kushner said, adding later: “No Israeli has ever killed an Emirati, right? There’s not that hatred between the people.” To be sure, Israel and the UAE have never fought each other in war and do not share borders. Still, the agreement was far more warmly welcomed in Israel than the UAE, where the public has long viewed Israel with suspicion. But criticism has been muted, in part because of government suppression of free speech. The UAE, composed of seven emirates run by hereditary rulers led by Abu Dhabi, will be only the third Arab nation, after Egypt and Jordan, to have full ties with Israel. By doing so, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed laid a path for countries like Morocco, Bahrain, Oman or Sudan to potentially follow. There are many, though, who shun any Arab embrace of Israel. To the Palestinians, who say they had no prior notice of the deal, the UAE turned its back on the longstanding Arab consensus that recognition of Israel can only come after Israeli concessions in peace talks lead to the creation of a Palestinian state. “I think the UAE is least beholden to these old formulas of solidarity … which

gives them more strategic flexibility,” said Kristin Smith Diwan, a scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. “There’s no question that among the broader Arab and Gulf public, this will be a very unpopular move,” she said, adding that the agreement also leaves the UAE vulnerable to whatever decisions Israel makes in the future. For the UAE, however, the calculus to build relations with Israel carries a number of strategic advantages beyond countering Iran and suspending West Bank annexation. Through Israel, the UAE can build stronger ties with both Republicans and Democrats — a crucial hedge considering the uncertainty of Trump’s reelection chances against former Vice President Joe Biden in November’s US presidential elections. Another impetus was the perception among Arab Gulf states that US dependability had waned, from the Obama administration’s nuclear deal with Iran, to Trump’s unpredictability in foreign policy. Their views on the matter have been reflected in state-linked newspaper columns and in quiet grumbling at private gatherings. Saudi Arabia and the UAE were also barred by Congress from purchasing billions of dollars in US weapons due to the humanitarian toll of their war in Yemen, before Trump vetoed the measures.

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

Mufti Noor Wali as the “Amir” of TTP, making him responsible for all planned terrorist activities inside Pakistan. Meanwhile, JuA’s Ikram Turabi, who was bailed out from Peshawar Central Jail earlier this year, also arrived in Afghanistan and has been appointed as the head of the Amari Shura. Under the terms of the merger, all terrorist attacks would be sanctioned and approved by TTP’s Markazi and Rahbari Shuras. More alarmingly, their prime target will be Pakistan’s military, paramilitary, and law enforcement. But physical attacks seem to be only one aspect of the newly merged terrorist outfit, the sources said. According to them, an intercepted voice message sent by TTP leader Maulvi Rafiuddin to TTP commander Abu Hamza revealed that the group plans to create a false impression that the merger took place in Pakistan to malign the country’s reputation and discredit its anti-terror gains.

Palestinian embassy thanks Pm imran for 'strong response' on israel NEWS DESK The State of Palestine on Wednesday thanked Prime Minister Imran Khan for his “strong response” on Israel and expressed gratitude to the government for extending support to the Palestinian cause. A statement issued by the Palestinian embassy in Islamabad also thanked the government for condemning Israeli aggression towards Palestine. “Palestinians consider Pakistan as our second homeland and Pakistanis as our dearest brothers, who always supported Palestine on every forum of the world,” the statement said. This press release came a day after the premier firmly stated that Pakistan would not recognize the legitimacy of Israel as a state until it gave freedom to the Palestinians. In an interview aired on a local news outlet, the prime minister stated, “Quaid-e-Azam had said in 1948 that Pakistan could not recognise Israel unless it gave freedom to Palestinians. If we recognise Israel and ignore [the] tyranny faced by Palestinians, we will have to give up [the cause of] Kashmir as well, and this we cannot do.” Commenting on United Arab Emirate’s (UAE) new ties with Israel, the prime minister said every state had its own foreign policy. In a statement issued today, the Palestinian embassy pointed out that the Pakistani government had always supported their cause. “The embassy heartily appreciates the stance of [PM Imran] when answering to a question about Israel.” “It is only because of the love of Pakistanis towards Palestine that Israeli and Pakistani relations have never been established”, the statement added.

democrats nominate Joe Biden for president WASHINGTON: Democrats formally nominated Joe Biden for president on Tuesday, vowing his election would repair a pandemicbattered America and put an end to the chaos that has defined Republican President Donald Trump’s administration. The second night of the party’s four-night national convention, under the theme “Leadership Matters,” featured elder statesmen like former presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, rising stars of the Democratic Party as well as prominent Republicans, who made the case that Biden would return integrity to the White House and normalcy to American lives. Biden’s wife, Jill, an educator, delivered the headline speech from a Delaware high school where she once taught, offering a deeply personal account of how their love helped him heal after his first wife and infant daughter were killed in a car accident. “I never imagined at the age of 26 I would be asking myself, ‘How do you make a broken family whole?’” she said. The answer, she said, is the same for a broken nation: “With love and understanding.” “If we entrust this nation to Joe, he will do for your family what he did for ours: bring us together and make us whole,” she said. Throughout the evening, Democratic leaders contrasted Biden’s long experience with what they described as Trump’s deadly mishandling of the coronavirus outbreak and his willingness to corrupt democratic institutions. AGENCIES