Wednesday, 2 September, 2020 I 13 Muharram, 1442 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XI No 63 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition
iHC orders naWaz to ‘surrender’ before Court
ISLAMABAD staff report
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HILE directing former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to “surrender” before the court, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday ordered him to appear in person in the next hearing in the Avenfield House reference on September 5. “The court is not declaring him [Sharif] an absconder. We are instead providing him an opportunity to surrender before the court,” remarked Justice Aamer Farooq. A two-member bench of the high court, comprising Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and Justice Farooq, took up appeals of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader, party’s Vice President Maryam Nawaz and her husband, Mohammad Safdar, against their respective sentences in the aforesaid reference. The bench also heard an appeal filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against Nawaz’s acquittal in the Flagship reference as well as appeals against his conviction in the Al-Azizia reference. During today’s hearing, Justice Farooq said that the court was not declaring Nawaz an absconder and was giving him “one more chance to surrender”. “We are
not taking a final decision as yet.” However, Nawaz’s counsel, Khawaja Haris Ahmed, argued that by asking Nawaz to appear in person, the court had decided that the former prime minister had to return to the country. Ahmed maintained Nawaz could not return to the country due to the coronavirus pandemic. “Do you fear that Nawaz will be arrested at the airport?” asked Justice Kayani. “If that is the case, please inform the court.” To this, the lawyer replied he would do so if they feared such an occurrence. Nawaz’s counsel argued that his client’s bail had been approved after his sentence in the Avenfield reference was suspended, adding that Nawaz had also been granted conditional bail in the Al-Azizia reference. But at the same time, the counsel acknowledged that the former was currently not abroad on bail. “His current status is that he is not out on bail. This is the legal position,” Ahmed said, adding that the PML-N supremo was seeking medical treatment abroad. He added that Nawaz’s medical reports were forwarded to the authorities concerned but the Punjab government had rejected an application seeking an extension in his bail. The court then ques-
Coronavirus in
Pakistan
CONFIRMED CASES:
296,149
LAST UPDATED AT 9:22 AM ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2020
DAY'S DEATH TOLL:
4
RECOVERED:
NEW CASES:
300
DEATHS:
280,970 6,298 SINDH:
129,469
PUNJAB:
96,832
KP:
BALOCHISTAN:
AJK/GB:
ISLAMABAD:
36,118
12,879
2,299/2,903 15,649
tioned whether Nawaz had challenged the order issued by the Punjab government to which his lawyer replied in the negative. “He has not [challenged the Punjab government order] because he [Nawaz] is not in the country.” The court inquired whether Nawaz was currently under treatment at a hospital. “No, he is not under treatment at a hospital. But he will return to the country once his treatment is complete,” his lawyer replied. The bench asked Nawaz’s lawyer to satisfy the court that the PML-N supremo had not absconded. “The appeal can only move forward when Nawaz appears before the court,” said Justice Kayani. His lawyer maintained that Nawaz’s fresh medical reports had been received which would be provided once they had been verified by the Foreign Office (FO), adding that he had submitted one medical certificate to the court and would submit another. During the hearing, the court observed that absconding from a court hearing or during a trial was also a crime. “We are not declaring Nawaz an absconder at the moment. But how can the appeal be heard in his absence?” Justice Farooq questioned. Justice Farooq asked what the status of the appeal would be if the court declared Nawaz an absconder. To this, Ahmed replied that if the former prime minister does not appear “on purpose”, the court could declare him an absconder. During the hearing, the NAB prosecutor said Nawaz was a fugitive as he was not appearing for court proceedings “on purpose”. “Can Nawaz pursue the appeal through a representative?” asked Justice Farooq. “If he absconds, the court can appoint a representative,” the prosecutor replied.
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Nawaz will return to Pakistan once his health improves: Maryam STORY ON PAGE 02
PM to visit Karachi on Friday to announce projects, says Faraz ISLAMABAD staff report
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz on Tuesday said that Prime Minister Imran Khan would visit Karachi on Friday to announce new projects for the city. Addressing a press conference to inform the media about the decisions taken during the federal cabinet meeting, he said that the prime minister was very clear that contribution of the federal government for Karachi should be through a coordinated and specific programme. He said that people of Karachi were passing through a difficult time and the government’s sympathies were with them, adding that Karachi was a unique city and an economic hub of the country. The minister said that the federal government was doing all it could for the people of Karachi. There was a time when Karachi was filled with garbage but the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) representatives got the city cleared, he recalled. He said that shortage of water supply, tanker mafia and sewerage and solid waste management were serious issues in the provincial capital. The federal government accepted the mandate of the Sindh government and would work in coordination with it and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to resolve problems of the city, he assured. The minister told the media that during the cabinet meeting, the premier issued instructions to the Adviser on Finance Abdul Hafeez Sheikh and PM’s Special Assistant on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Dr Sania Nishtar to begin second phase of Ehsaas Programme to help the poor. He said that Ehsaas programme
Supreme Court concerned over unprecedented load shedding in Karachi ISLAMABAD staff report
The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday expressed concern over unprecedented load shedding the Karachi. A two-member bench of the apex court, comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan heard the suo motu case regarding unannounced power cuts in the port city. During the course of the proceedings, Power Division, Ministry of Energy, filed its reply, and the court, after examining it thoroughly, termed it unacceptable. Secretary Power Umer Rasool also appeared before the court and stated that the reply had been filed by him. The bench remarked that the Power Division’s reply was in contraction to the actions of National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) and K-Electric. It added that it seemed like there was no coordination between the Power Division and NEPRA, and even the National Transmission & Despatch Company (NTDC). The court stated that the Power Division was required to ensure that there was proper coordination between all departments, and whatever needs to be done with regard
generated economic activity and supported poor people, adding that after the coronavirus pandemic, the economy was recovering and all economic indicators were getting better at a time when economies of the European countries and India were contracting. To a question about recent statement of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, he said that PML-N, during its years in power, mistreated the female leaders of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and other parties and its leaders should know about their party’s history. The minister said that during the cabinet meeting, the impact of disaster caused by heavy rains in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and other provinces also came under discussion. He said that the federal government, in coordination with the provincial governments. was helping the people affected by rains. To another question, Faraz said that India was Pakistan’s enemy and never missed an opportunity to harm Pakistan but it would not succeed in its nefarious designs. Opposition would have to decide whether it supported the narrative of Pakistan or India on legislation related to Financial Action Task Force (FATF), he added. The minister said that various names were under consideration for appointing an administrator for Karachi. To a query, he said that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority Chairman Asim Saleem Bajwa attended the cabinet meeting and would explain his position on the news about him in the next few days. Faraz said that CPEC was an important project for people of Pakistan and it was not the personal project of PML-N, adding that on the project, China worked with Pakistan and not with a political party.
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more inside
Peace in Karachi vital for national security, stability: COAS STORY ON BACK PAGE
to K-Electric, a coordinated decision should be taken by all relevant departments, agencies and companies. It added that the same should be executed by one department, in that, there should be one window operation with the KE. It further stated that KE should not be allowed to go about various departments of the government, or companies or agencies for achieving its objectives. The attorney general for Pakistan (AGP) contended that since the last date of hearing, the situation in the port city had deteriorated and was getting worse by every passing day. Electric power is suspended to almost half of the metropolis, he added. Advocate Abid S Zuberi told the court that this situation was a
consequence of rains in Karachi, and KE’s own infrastructure had been either submerged or inundated in water. He said that KE, being a private company, should apply its own resources for clearing of its substations and distribution network of rain water, and in this regard it cannot wait for government assistance. He added that KE’s primary job is to supply electricity to the city, and this supply cannot be interrupted just because its own infrastructure had been affected by the rain. The advocate said that as a private institution, KE should immediately secure such installations and have them cleared immediately so that electric supply can be restored to consumers.
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Pakistan, Russia may sign commercial agreement on NSGP project within 30 days STORY ON BACK PAGE
Zardari, Talpur to be indicted in money laundering case on Sept 9 STORY ON PAGE 02
Pakistan urges UNSC to reform counterterrorism work STORY ON BACK PAGE
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Wednesday, 2 September, 2020
NEWS
nawaz wiLL return to Pakistan once his heaLth imProves: maryam ISLAMABAD
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STAFF REpORT
AWAZ Sharif will return to the country once his treatment is complete, said PML-N VicePresident Maryam Nawaz about her father on Tuesday. Maryam made these remarks after attending an Avenfield Apartments review petition hearing at the Islamabad High Court (IHC). The PLM-N VP said, “Everyone is equal in the eyes of the law,” and remarked that the Sharif family had been buried under accusations. “Imran Khan used to say if Nawaz went abroad there would no
accountability,” she added. She also said that the case against her father should have been dismissed after the court decided on the Arshad Malik case. The court has adjourned the hearing of the Avenfield reference against Maryam and her husband Captain (r) Muhammad Safdar until September 23. The cases filed by Nawaz were adjourned until September 10. She arrived at the court early and spoke about her father’s treatment in London. “Mian Sahab’s treatment is going on, it got delayed due to the coronavirus,” she said, adding that no one wishes to be away from their homeland at such an age. Regarding the upcoming All Parties Conference (APC), she said that “I don’t think he [Nawaz] will tell us not to attend it”.
IHC seeks business visa policy from Interior Ministry in Cynthia case ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday sought business visa policy from Ministry of Interior on September 22 in a case seeking deportation of American blogger Cynthia D Ritchie. The attorney general informed the court that the American blogger had stated before the ministry that she was not associated with any government institution of the country. IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah noted that previously the ministry had adopted the stance that the Cynthia had been serving some government institutions in Pakistan. He said that the ministry had not adopted a clear stance pertaining to the matter. Expressing displeasure with representative of Interior Ministry, the bench inquired about any order the ministry had passed. “Is there any law or policy?” the chief justice asked. He also questioned if the ministry had any documents which outline the visa policy for foreigners. The court deliberated whether someone coming on a business visa and giving statements against the prime minister would be treated the same way. The bench also ordered the lower court to finalise the registration of First Information Report (FIR) against Cynthia after reviewing the matter. The court stopped Cynthia from giving controversial statements against politicians. It also sought business visa policy from the ministry and adjourned the case hearing until the next date. App
Maryam also remarked that while Nawaz was ‘restless’ to return to Pakistan, she had advised him not to do us until his treatment was completed. She spoke about the incumbent government’s performance as well. “I thought this government would take five years to give such a poor performance. The damage they were expected to do in five years has been done only in two years’ time,” she said. On the subject of the APC, the PMLN leader remarked that the opposing sides needed to work together in these circumstances. “You will know at the APC that everyone is on the same page,” she said. Former prime minister Nawaz has sought exemption from attending the Aven-
field review hearing, while Maryam and Safdar have filed a request for adjournment. All three — Nawaz, Maryam and Safdar — are out on bail currently. Nawaz had been sentenced to a total of 11 years in prison and received an £8 million fine (Rs1.3 billion) in July 2018 in the Avenfield properties reference. Maryam was sentenced to eight years with a £2 million fine (Rs335 million). National Accountability Bureau (NAB) filed the Avenfield properties reference in the preceding year. This was one of three cases filed after Supreme Court’s verdict against Nawaz in the Panama Papers case. The reference is concerned with the ownership of the Sharif family’s apartments at Avenfield House, London. Last month, a large number of PML-N workers showed up at their leader’s appearance before the anti-graft body. The police had set up barricades alongside other security measures outside NAB office, but suddenly a clash took place between the police and the PML-N workers with both sides pelting stones at each other.
PM for early completion of Lahore's Ravi Riverfront project on int’l construction standards LAHORE App
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday, while terming Ravi Riverfront Urban Development Project a “masterpiece for the residents of Lahore and overseas Pakistanis”, called for its early completion ensuring international standards of construction. Chairing a review meeting on progress of the said project in Lahore, the prime minister directed to keep in view the aspects including environmental protection, permanent solution of water scarcity and water pollution while carrying out construction work. The prime minister expressed satisfaction that construction sector in the country had witnessed growth and encouraging trend following the incentives offered by
the government. He also lauded the interest shown by foreign investment companies in Ravi Riverfront project, which he said would prove to be a landmark construction site equipped with modern amenities. The premier issued directive to monitor the project on daily basis and remove administrative impediments in way of its smooth implementation. He also asked the concerned authorities to keep him updated about the progress of the project. The meeting was attended by Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, Adviser to PM Barrister Shahzad Akbar, Special Assistant Syed Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari, Provincial Minister Fayyazul Hassan Chauhan, Naya Pakistan Housing Authority Chairman Lt Gen (r) Anwar Ali Haider, Ravi River Front Urban Development Project Chairman Rashid Aziz and senior government officials.
Sharif seems to be hospitalised after end of coronavirus: Fawad ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has said that it seems that Nawaz Sharif will be admitted in hospital for treatment after the end of the coronavirus pandemic. In a tweet on Tuesday, Fawad said that medical reports of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif show that he is perfectly fine and sound in health. He added that the reason behind delay in his treatment is also mentioned in the report. He
further said that it seems that the former premier will be admitted in hospital for treatment after the end of the coronavirus pandemic. It is strange how this system is treated, the minister concluded. Earlier, fresh medical reports of the former prime minister, which were submitted in Lahore High Court (LHC), showed that Nawaz may be “at much greater risk than a normal person” if exposed to Covid-19. TLTp
Punjab govt to present two-year performance report today LAHORE TLTp
The government of Punjab would present its two-year performance report before the public on Wednesday. The event to be organized at Shahra-eQuaid-e-Azam would be led by Finance Minister Punjab Hashim Jawan Bakht, who would shed light on the performance of the provincial departments as Chief Minister Usman Buzdar would be the chief guest on the occasion. The event highlighting the two-year performance of the incumbent provincial government would also be attended by provincial ministers, secretaries and other concerned officials. Speaking regarding the event, Buzdar said that they have ensured transparency and rule of law in the province during their two-year-old tenure. “Our zero-tolerance policy towards corruption has borne positive results,” he said.
The chief minister said that they have tackled the challenges of coronavirus, locusts attack and other issues in an amicable manner during their tenure. “We have carried out activities in the previous two years which were not performed even during the previous tenures,” Buzdar said, adding that he believes in working hard and practical implementation on the goals rather than showcasing his activities. He said that they had expedited institutional reforms in the province and provided relief to the masses through the use of technology. The Punjab government is following the footsteps of the federal government that also unveiled the achievements of the incumbent government on August 18. A number of key members of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s cabinet held a joint press conference to reveal what the PTI government achieved during two years of its governance.
Pakistan condemns French magazine’s decision to rePrint oFFensive caricatures ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday condemned in strongest terms the decision by a French magazine, Charlie Hebdo, to republish deeply offensive caricature of Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him). “Such a deliberate act to offend the sentiments of billions of Muslims cannot be justified as an exercise in press freedom or freedom of expression,” the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement. The FO said that such actions undermined the global aspirations for peaceful co-existence as well as social and inter-faith harmony. App
Bajwa announces 250 new jobs for orange Line train project ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting and ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority Chairman Lieutenant General (r) Asim Saleem Bajwa on Tuesday said that 250 new jobs had been announced for the Orange Line Train project. “As many as 250 new jobs of various categories for Orange Train Lahore have been announced by the operator,” he tweeted. He advised the applicants to email their applications for the posts to careers@olmrts.com.pk. STAFF REpORT
zardari, talpur to be indicted in money laundering case on sept 9 ISLAMABAD: An accountability court in Islamabad on Tuesday announced to indict former president Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur on September 9 in the mega money laundering case against them. According to the court order, Omni Group chief Abdul Ghani Majeed will also be indicted on the same day. Accountability court Judge Azam Khan issued summons for the accused to appear in person on September 9. The court approved Zardari and his sister’s petitions seeking exemption from hearing before adjourning the hearing. INp
Prime suspect in dr maha suicide case sent on judicial remand KARACHI: A district and sessions court in Karachi on Tuesday sent the prime accused in Dr Maha Shah suicide case to jail on judicial remand. Police produced Dr Irfan Qureshi before the judicial magistrate (South). The police informed the judge that two other suspects — Waqas Hassan and Junaid Khan — nominated in the First Information Report (FIR) are still at large. After a preliminary hearing, the magistrate sent Qureshi to jail on judicial remand and adjourned the hearing. The young doctor practising at a private hospital in Clifton committed suicide by shooting herself at her home in Defence Housing Authority (DHA) on August 18.Police last week registered a case against Qureshi and other purported friends of Dr Maha on charges of criminal intimidation and others. The case — registered on the complaint of Maha’s father, Syed Asif Shah — was registered against her friends Khan, Hasan, Qureshi and two others under Sections 334 (Itlaf-udw: hurt), 337-J (causing hurt by means of poison), 506 (criminal intimidation). STAFF REpORT
Sugar commission report: SC to hear appeal against SHC verdict today ISLAMABAD STAFF REpORT
The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday fixed appeal of the federal government against the Sindh High Court’s verdict in the sugar commission inquiry report for hearing. The federal government had challenged Sindh High Court’s (SHC) decision of nullifying the report in the apex court. A three-member bench of the SC will take up the plea on Wednesday. The bench includes Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed, Justice Mushir Alam and Justice Ijazul Ahsan. Terming the Sugar Inquiry Commission report null and void on August 17, the SHC ordered the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to launch a fresh investigation into the matter. A division bench of the SHC comprising Justice KK Agha and Justice Omar Sial had announced the reserved verdict on a petition filed by the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) against an inquiry commission formed by the government to probe into a sugar crisis that
hit the country earlier this year. The report highlighted the increase in sugar prices across the country. The court also directed the FBR, FIA, and NAB to include in the investigation people who had knowledge about the sugar industry. The bench had urged the institutions to find out if anyone was given illegal or unjust subsidy. The court had directed NAB, the FIA, and FBR to carry out fresh investigations as per the law. The court ordered NAB to carry out an independent investigation according to line with the NAB Ordinance. “If any government official has misused his powers, it should be investigated,” said the SHC. It also asked the FBR to investigate the matter according to the country’s tax laws. Earlier, soon after the report surfaced, sugar mill owners challenged the commission’s finding in the Sindh and Islamabad high courts to stop the government from taking action against them. The SHC had halted the operation of the report to the extent of 12 sugar mills. The federal government, however, through the office of the attorney general of Pakistan, had moved the apex court, praying to grant leave to appeal.
Wednesday, 2 September, 2020
NEWS
south PunjaB: Qureshi terms Bureaucrats’ Postings a major miLestone ISLAMABAD
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STAFF REpORT
OREIGN Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has crossed a major milestone towards the creation of a South Punjab province by announcing the posting of bureaucrats to the region’s secretariat. “After years of struggle and determination by [the] people of South Punjab, we have achieved a major milestone in
[the] establishment of a separate south Punjab province,” Qureshi said in a series of tweets on Tuesday. “This achievement is testament to our commitment to fulfil our promise to the people of Pakistan. I congratulate the people of Southern Punjab and I thank my Prime Minister @ImranKhanPTI for his vision and support,” he tweeted. Qureshi noted that the incumbent government has announced the posting of high-level bureaucrats to South Punjab for a fully functional secretariat. He
sindh issues soPs for reopening schools KARACHI: The government of Sindh on Tuesday issued standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the schools in the province, which are likely to be reopened from September 15. These SOPs are to be adopted by the schools’ management, students, teachers and others in the province during the academic session starting from September 15. The SOPs included the following: The administration will be responsible for: disinfecting school building, classrooms, water and sanitation facilities regularly; adjusting school days and timings to avoid large gathering of students in a classroom; splitting students of pre-primary, primary, lower secondary and upper secondary in number of shifts: avoiding a large number of teachers in a classroom; making the use of face mask in school mandatory; using Saturday as working day till pandemic is over; disallowing students, teachers and other staff with Covid-19 symptoms to enter schools; holding morning assembly of every class in its respective classroom; and placing hand sanitizers in halls. TLTp
Fia arrests five nBP employees for rs472m fraud ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested five officials of National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) and one foreigner who were involved in Rs472 million fraud at the Khaira Gali and Khanaspur Galyat branches. The employees arrested include Bank Manager Khanuspur Sardar Jahangir, Bank Manager Khaira Gali Najmul Hassan and three other officials. FIA Abbottabad also arrested a Nigerian national Anyihsunday after the rejection of bail before arrest. Anyihsunday was arrested by the FIA based on information provided by another Nigerian national, officials added. The NBP had lodged a First Information Report (FIR) against the officials and subsequently, FIA initiated an inquiry against them, officials said. Officials said that the court also granted a seven days remand to FIA Abbottabad for investigation of the fraud. FIA Abbottabad is currently trying to recover the stolen amount. Pakistan Today reported on February 25, 2020, that an NPB Inspection Team visited the Khaira Gali branch, where they found that there was no connectivity system in place, keys were being mismanaged, and the cashier was unaware of any financial irregularities in the bank. When the team checked the B-52 balance against the cash in the vault, it was exposed that the branch balance witnessed a sudden increase after December 31, 2019. SHAHZAD pARACHA
said that the move is a “testament” of the PTI’s commitment to fulfil its promises to the country. The foreign minister’s tweet came a day after the Punjab government made the South Punjab civil secretariat functional with the appointment of 10 administrative secretaries in the first phase. In June last, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar had approved the setting up of a South Punjab secretariat. The Punjab government had said that the headquarters for the police bureaucracy will be set up in Multan, whereas the
civil bureaucracy’s headquarters will be established in Bahawalpur. In the same month, the chief minister had issued a notification for the appointment of the additional chief secretary and additional inspector general of police for South Punjab as well. At the time, Buzdar had said that new postings would be carried out soon, adding that the officials would dispense their duties from July 1. Due to the measures taken by the government, the sense of deprivation is ending in the people of Punjab, he had claimed.
Shehbaz rejects electricity tariff hike, demands immediate reversal LAHORE STAFF REpORT
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President and National Assembly (NA) Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday called the increase in electricity tariffs “extreme cruelty” and stated the people of Pakistan have firmly rejected this decision. Shehbaz said that the government tried to portray itself as a hero by making a big deal out of not raising petrol prices when rates were already cheap in the international market. The PML-N president said that the government’s negligence of not buying cheap liquified natural gas
(LNG) led to the hike in tariffs. He questioned who would be held accountable for this decision. “[Prime Minister] Imran Khan is filling up the pockets of his mafia friends with the public money looted from wheat, flour, sugar and petrol, while the people of Pakistan are starving to death”, he said. Shehbaz said that while the economy weakens and unemployment rises, the government continues to trouble the nation with added taxes and tariffs. He also commented that the government had already made record increases in the cost of electricity and gas. The PML-N president felt the prime minister did not have the moral ground to criticize K-Electric. He further demanded that this increase be reversed.
KPITB-trained students earn Rs1.9bn through online businesses in one year PESHAWAR AZIZ BUNERI
Youngsters trained by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Technology Board (KPITB) have earned Rs1.9 billion through online businesses during the past year, lifting hopes of the revenue potential of the field. According to KPITB officials, a total of 10,700 youngsters in the province have been trained in online businesses. They added that the board has surveyed the trained students to know about their revenue and further enhance the training programmes. KPITB Media Manager Danish Babar told Pakistan Today that at present the board has provided training to more than 3,000 female students through the Women Empowerment through Digital Skills Programme. He said that a Web Design and Advanced Digital Skills Training Programme has also started, and KPITB is also providing paid internships to the IT students of the province. The official said that a stipend of Rs3 000 was provided during the training at Durshal programme, while Rs25,000 per month stipend
was paid to under-training students at IT Parks. “After receiving the training, many young people started an online business and earned Rs25,000 to Rs100,000 per month by doing online business,” he remarked. Babar said that KPITB runs many training and internship programmes, including Durshal, KP Youth Empowerment Programme, digital internship programmes and international internships, while 70 start-ups have incubated at Durshal so far. Each start-up consists of an average of 4-5 incubates, and these have created more than 258 jobs while generating about Rs68 million in revenue, he added. Under the KP Youth Employment Programme, a total of 10,700 youth from the province were trained in basic to advance digital skills (1200 in advance digital skills). A total of 31 per cent of respondents have started generating income from the skills they learned. KPITB officials said that under the digital internship programme, 1962 youngsters have been provided with internship opportunities in various companies
hosted at IT Parks in Peshawar and Abbottabad. Stipends of Rs14,000 are provided to the internees each month, they added. The survey found that 64 per cent have reported having landed a regular job after completing their internships, officials added. KPITB also runs an international internship programme, under which 23 people have been placed at ‘ChinaAccelerator’ in China for 6 months. The survey revealed that 65 per cent of them have reported having secured a good job after these internships. According to KPITB sources, over 10,000 trained students were requested to provide the details of their one-year earnings, but only 2,500 agreed to provide income details for the survey. Most of the students have not declared their revenue due to fear of government taxes. Due to this issue, several online businessmen also show far less income than they have earned. Officials believe that the actual revenue would be much greater than the numbers presented by the KPITB trained students. They still consider the figure of Rs1.9 billion encouraging, and expect it can be improved in the future.
Gen Durrani sees no Saudi role in Pakistan-Afghan end-game ISLAMABAD STAFF REpORT
Former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) director-general (DG) Lt General (r) Asad Durrani has said that Pakistan had planned ten years back to oust the United States forces from Afghanistan but it does not have a major role to play in Afghan end-game and the Afghans have to decide their rulers in future. In an interview with a web-television, Lt Gen (r) Durrani said that Pakistan had understood 10 years ago that the US troops would have to be ousted from Afghanistan in Afghan end-game. “Now they [US troops] are going out, Pakistan as a country has little role and Taliban, already have dominant role in war ravaged Afghanistan, have a major role to play. Besides Afghan Taliban, other players like Dr Abdullah Abdullah, Dr Mohaqiq and other local [ethnic] leaders have a future role too. But Dr Ashraf Ghani has no role in Afghanistan in future as he has been imposed [as a foreign puppet]. There would be tough negotiations between local players and then future dispensation would be decided,” he said.
He also said that Pakistan had formed a regional cooperation bloc which would play a key role in Afghan end-game and along with Pakistan, China, Russia, Iran and Turkey would have a role to play. “This bloc will also help resolve issues in the Middle East and India too. In Afghanistan, our main objective has already been met and we have facilitated peace process in Afghanistan between the US and Afghan Taliban. We have to ensure that intra-Afghan talks also succeed and future dispensation is decided by Afghans themselves,” he added. “We are not worried for Afghanistan future. Taliban have a dominant position and they have won a war against the US forces. Pakistan does not have a major role to play and this is in our interest not to get involved in Afghanistan future role,” he further said. Lt Gen (r) Durrani said that the US had wasted billions of dollars each year on “useless” Afghan Army. He accused the US of bribing Taliban by secretly paying them $500 million annually. He said that after defeating the world (NATO), Taliban are now unstoppable. He also said that Afghan tribes had defeated the Russians and other invaders. Taliban have a role to play in Afghanistan. “President Obama wanted to pull out
US troops ten years back but could not do as US military industrial complex who wanted to sell their weapons to Afghans,” he added. The former ISI DG said that the role of Saudi Arabia in Afghanistan has also come to an end. He said that Saudi Arabia’s role in Pakistan is also coming to an end and after Pakistan’s refusal to enter Yemen war. “Our plan to attend the Kuala Lumpur Summit also pushed Pakistan-Saudi relations into a new phase. After refusal of the kingdom to support Pakistan on Kashmir issue has ultimately changed the paradigm of bilateral relations. There is a clear division between Pakistan’s interests and the Saudi interests,” he added. Terming the state narrative on fifth generation war, he said that states always use gimmicks to peddle their narrative against critics. He said that the state was trying to peddle its narrative through gimmicks like hybrid war and fifth generation war. He added that at times gags would be introduced and also people may be put behind bars too. “This is how states navigate through issues but this is being done much these days in Pakistan. But this is always damaging as states have to carry along people willingly to build narratives.
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three dir policemen injured in targeted bomb attack The police reported on Monday that three officers were injured when Haya Serai station’s mobile van was hit by an improvised explosive device in the Maidan area. The mobile van had been on a routine patrol, they said, while adding that three policemen, including the van driver Nazir, Hawaldar Tariq Munir and Constable Jan Bacha, sustained minor injuries. The vehicle was also partially damaged. The injured men were taken to a nearby hospital where they were stated to be in a noncritical condition. The incident caused fear and panic in the area. Law enforcement agencies personnel cordoned off the area and started a search operation shortly after the incident took place. This is the second attack against the police this month. On the night of August 11, a police post in Kumbar Maidan was attacked by unknown offenders. NEWS DESK
two policemen injured in mominabad station blast KARACHI: Two police officials were injured in a cracker blast at a police station in Karachi’s Mominabad neighbourhood, police said on Tuesday. According to the bomb disposal squad, the attackers used an RGD-1 grenade. Further evidence is being collected using the CCTV cameras, it added. Attempts to attack the police were made in the past as well, the police said. The police suspect that the perpetrators are from a terrorist organisation. The injured policemen, identified as Saeed and Umar, were shifted to a nearby hospital. STAFF REpORT
two die in rain-related incidents in kP: Pdma PESHAWAR: Two children died and six others received injuries during the latest spell of monsoon rains across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), said the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) on Tuesday. According to statistics issued by the PDMA, two children lost their lives in Shangla in rain-related incidents. Seven houses were partially damaged. The local administrations have been asked to compile data of the losses due to recent monsoon spells in the province. The PDMA further stated that efforts are under way to reopen block roads due to landsliding. The authority is in contact with all district administrations and the PDMA’s emergency operation centre is also fully functional, it added. Heavy rains continue to lash parts of KP, triggering flash floods in several areas of the province. It is pertinent to mention here that nine people, including two children, died in three separate incidents caused by recent rains in Punjab. At least 21 people have been killed in rain-related incidents in Karachi during the fresh spell of monsoon that started on Thursday and broke a 90-year-old, playing havoc with the city’s illmaintained infrastructure. TLTp
over 200 chinese personnel reach Pakistan to resume work on power projects KARACHI: More than 200 Chinese personnel have reached Pakistan to resume work on power projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The Chinese personnel of Harbin Electric International (HEI) have been airlifted from Tianjin Binhai International Airport to Pakistan by a chartered flight to resume work on Jamshoro power station construction project and Binjiasheng Phase-III power station and transmission project. After the arrival of charter flights of Harbin Electric International and its partners to Pakistan, they have been quarantined for 14 days in strict accordance with the epidemic prevention requirements, according to Sina.com, a Chinese news portal. After the quarantine period expires, they will immediately enter the site and start the project construction. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, HEI, as the general contractor of the project, has resolutely implemented various deployment requirements for epidemic prevention and formulated strict epidemic prevention and control measures and emergency plans, and spared no effort to protect the health and safety of overseas employees. Pakistan Jamshoro Power Generation Project and Binjiasheng Phase III project are two key construction projects of HEI in Pakistan, which will help the country alleviate its power supply shortage, enhance equipment manufacturing industry and promote both China-Pakistan friendship and production capacity cooperation. TLTp
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Wednesday, 2 September, 2020
NEWS
NegligeNce of PRoviNcial RuleRs devasTaTed siNdH: Haleem adil KARACHI
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APP
AKISTAN Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Central Vice President and parliamentary party leader in Sindh Assembly, Haleem Adil Sheikh, has said that due to the negligence of rulers of Sindh, the entire province was drowned and devastated and even the basement of Sindh Assembly was inundated with stagnant rainwater. Addressing a press conference on Tuesday where he was flanked by MPAs Dua Bhutto, Raja Azhar, Saeed Afridi, Shahnawaz Jadon and others, the PTI leader said that Sindh was drowned in rainwater. He said that from Wednesday, PTI would start a visit of Sindh and tell people about the plights of Sujawal, Umerkot, Badin, Talhar and other towns. He also said that the funds for erecting saline water nullahs were devoured by the rulers and they caused flooding. He added that the largest market of red chilies at Kunri has already drowned. He claimed that government aid was only given to people who hoist the flag of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). He added that the relief funds for Jhudo are also devoured by the PPP rulers. He said that the NDMA helped the stranded people
Two killed as van runs over mourners’ convoy
of Mirpurkhas and shifted them to safer places. He asked where the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) was. In a reference to PPP Chairman Bilawal BhuttoZardari, he said that the “local Einstein” who predicts about more rains and water formula was not telling people how the accumulated rainwater would be drained out. He also said that five to six feet water is present in Khipro town. He added Sehwan, Johi, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allahyar and Hyderabad were flooded and infrastructure and properties of citizens were damaged. Adil said that millions of acres of agriculture land was affected and irrigation department was responsible for these huge losses. He said that Sindh development committee was formed on the orders of the Supreme Court (SC). He also said that funds were due from World Bank (WB) and Bahria Town. He further said that encroachments would be removed and nullahs would be cleaned. solid waste disposal system, roads and streets and public transport would be improved. He added that this plan would be shared with the prime minister. Adil said that the Sindh government was given funds under the National Finance Commission (NFC)
ISLAMABAD
APP
APP
Housemaid robs house by serving anesthetic food to residents KARACHI INP
A housemaid robbed the house by serving anesthetic food to the residents in the metropolis on Tuesday. The incident took place in Karachi's Defence area where a housemaid mixed anesthetic material in food before serving it to residents. The accused along with her two male and two female co-accused looted cash, jewelry and other valuables from the house and escaped the scene. A resident of Defence released footage of the robbery in which earlier housemaid can be seen mixing anesthetic pills in the food and later robbing house along with her four accomplices. The police after registering a case into the incident have started search for the culprits involved in robbery.
Patients life at stake due to TB medicines shortage
The PTI leader said tht this was a plain inefficiency of Sindh chief minister. He said that the then speaker of Sindh Assembly, Nisar Khuhro, should explain about the corruption in funds of new building of the provincial assembly. He said that seven days have already passed and stagnant rainwater could not be drained out from Sindh assembly as yet. MPA Saeed Afridi said the provincial government has not carried out any scheme in their constituencies. He said that the residents of DHA were being punished for giving vote to the PTI. “We constructed Valika Road in Banaras and not even an inch of rainwater was there because we had installed a drainage line,” he said, adding that the Sindh government was deliberately harming the national economy.
ICT admin issues flood advisory to combat any emergency situation
NAWABSHAH Two mourners lost their lives and three others sustained critical injuries when a speedy passenger van ran over a convoy of mourners on Qazi Ahmed Road on Tuesday. The driver of the speedy passenger van that was heading to Moro lost control over the steering and ran over mourners who were going to attend a Majlis at village Zardari. Those killed include Ahmed Zardari and Allah Dad Zardari. Police impounded the van and arrested the van driver.
Award and now they were demanding $10 billion which was a part of their “Maal Khapi” campaigning. He said that civic agencies were responsible for illegal constructions in Karachi. He added that Sindh government had diverted the routes of nullahs and waterways and they created urban flooding. He further said Raja Azhar rescued 50 people from Korangi Nullah. He added that the government agencies had dumped garbage to chock DHA drainage. The PTI leader said that garbage was also dumped into Malir and Lyari rivers. He said that the Sindh government drowned the DHA and it also backed the protest demonstration of Monday. “We would not only stage protest demonstrations in the cities and towns of Sindh but also before the CM House,” he said, adding that the federal government was working with the province to facilitate masses. He said that administrator should be an honest man with good reputation, but it seems that some conspiracy is being hatched. He said that rainwater even entered the basement of the new building of Sindh Assembly and its mosques and several offices were flooded. He said that this building was constructed with a cost of more than Rs12 billion and entrance of rainwater into it is a big question mark.
The Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration issued an advisory to all the relevant departments to avoid any eventuality during expected flood. “Heavy rains are expected in the upcoming days and all the hospitals in the federal capital are requested to keep at high alert, to avoid any untoward situation if caused," read a notification issued by Deputy Commissioner Hamza Shafqaat. The city managers established flood control centers at three union councils, Tarlai, Bharakau and Sihala. Secretaries union councils concerned along with halka patwari and civil defence staff shall remain available round the clock to combat any emergency, the notification added. Areas, including Ghauri Town phase-5, Soan Garden, few houses with basements in Sector I-8 and I-9, Ghumrah Kass, low lying areas of Korang and Katchi Abadi in sectoral areas were also issued red alert. Some 11 schools were designated as relief camps during the possible flood. "In view of the past experience and previous Flood history of the district, constant vigilance is required to combat the flood emergency in the rainy season particularly along the banks of river Swan and Korang. It
has been experienced that the duration of the flood is normally between 8-10 hours in low lying areas along with river Swan and Korang," read the notification. The notification said that the additional deputy commissioner (revenue), shall ensure carrying out announcements in rural areas of Islamabad through its staff and shall ensure that the residents of rural areas may be intimated regarding the changing situation. It said that all assistant commissioners/magistrates shall personally visit the areas falling in their respective divisions and identify the down-streams/low altitude areas, including kachi abadies and residence along nullahs. It also stated that the relevant directorates of CDA/MCI, shall carry out necessary arrangements to cope with the situation arisen in case of accumulated water. Pakistan Metrological Department, Islamabad shall inform in advance regarding flood. The notification added that the sub divisional officers of Rawal Dam and Simly Dam shall remain in close coordination with assistant commissioner (secretariat), Islamabad and update regarding variation in altitude of water level. A control room has been established at Deputy Commissioner’s Office, ICT Administration Complex which will function round the clock. (Control No 051-9108084).
LDA demolishes 7 illegal structures in city LAHORE APP
The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) on Tuesday demolished seven structures and two others were sealed during an operation against illegal constructions in Quaide-Azam Town and New Garden Town. According to LDA spokesperson, the operation was conducted by the staff of Town Planning Wing Zone III along with enforcement staff and police. The staff demolished illegal commercial construc-
tions on plot No. 18 B-1, 300 C-1, 463 C and 604 D-2 Township. The building at plot number 12 B-1 Township was sealed for construction in the parking lot. Illegal shutters were removed from plot number 452B-1 Township. Illegal bathrooms built on a vacant lot in plot number 522 C-3 Township were also demolished. An illegal commercial building constructed on plot number 74 Tipu Block in Garden Town was demolished and its boundary was sealed. Illegal building at plot number 116 Babar Block in Garden Town was also sealed.
Residents demand rebuilding of destroyed bridge in Kot Kat village TANK INP
Residents of Kot Kat village of Tank have demanded of the government to resume construction work on the bridge which is only communication link with the village and threatened to stage protest demonstration if the authorities failed to address their genuine demand.Talking to media persons on Tuesday, Malik Irfan Khan and other elders of the area deplored that despite passage of 20 years, the damaged bridge of the village could not be reconstructed which force hundreds of families of the village to stay disconnected with other areas of the district whenever it rains. They demanded of the government to immediately resume the suspended construction work on Kot Kat Bridge and threatened to stage protest demonstration and block Tank-Peshawar Avenue if their genuine demand went unaddressed.
Woman shot dead in Kalat KALAT INP
Unknown armed motorcyclists gunned down a woman and fled the scene on Tuesday. According to details, unidentified gunmen riding a bike sprayed bullets at Bhagal Khatoon in Jarrawah area of Thal in district Kalat leaving her critically injured. The attackers sped the scene and the injured woman was rushed to hospital where she succumbed to her wounds. The deceased woman currently residing in Garhi Yaseen district Shikarpur was on visit to house of a relative when she was targeted. Husband of killed lady identified as Jam Bararro was axed to death in same area some two years earlier after which migrated to Shikarpur and started living there.
KARACHI PPI
An acute shortage of tuberculosis (TB) drugs in Karachi has caused miseries to TB patients across the city. Anum, aged 35, was diagnosed with Tuberculosis few months ago. She is finding it difficult to obtain needed TB drugs from TB Treatment Centre in Karachi hospitals due to poor medicine supply from Sindh TB Control Programme. Doctors advised her to continue uninterruptedly medication for at least six months, but prescribed drugs are not available at TB Treatment Centre at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre and Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi, which is the matter of a great concern. In the prevailing circumstances, this could cause multi-drug resistant-TB strains. Irregular use of medicines is a major risk factor for rise of multidrug-resistant TB strains, the treatment of which is not only long but also costly. The required TB medicines are also not available private medical store of Karachi. Sindh TB Control Programme Focal Person Dr Sarichand, was not available for comments on the matter.TB is a contagious airborne disease. It is one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide. Pakistan has one of the highest cases of TB in the world, with over 500,000 new cases, and over 35,000 deaths from TB annually.
Thousands of Pakistan’s urban slums residents flock to UN-Habitat’s handwashing stations ISLAMABAD APP
United Nations-Habitat Pakistan has joined forces with Pakistan’s Ministry of Climate Change to help prevent spread of Covid-19 in urban slums and ease economic impact on the vulnerable residents. A pilot “Pakistan COVID-19 Urban Slums Response Programme” was launched in two urban slums, Dhok Hassu and Dhok Mangtal, in Rawalpindi, a city adjacent to federal capital Islamabad, said a news release. Hand washing stations designed ac-
cording to World Health Organisation’s (WHO) guidelines, were installed and are being used by over 800 people a day, including children, sanitary workers and the business community. Amjad, a local shopkeeper said, “We had no place to wash hands in the markets before the pilot. We thank UN-Habitat for installing the handwashing stations in the markets. They help to protect us from Covid-19.” To raise awareness on Covid-19 and disseminate information, a WhatsApp group was created involving 10 per cent of the target population. In addition to
this, disinfectant sprays are being used in hotspots, streets and markets and there are frequent temperature checks, distribution of sanitizers, masks and gloves and environmentally safe collection and disposal of solid and hazardous waste. The local community was engaged to produce masks and gloves and other related activities providing employment. Rukhsana Majeed who lives in Dhok Hassu said, “We are happy that this project has helped us to earn a living by introducing this source of income generation of stitching of masks.” A rapid assessment of conditions in
the pilot area looked at the socio-economic vulnerabilities, existing capacity and community concerns. It showed that residents have no access to adequate sanitation facilities or water for drinking or hand washing. In addition to this, over a third of respondents - 37 per cent - said they had lost their jobs after a lockdown was imposed. UN-Habitat is preparing to launch the Pakistan COVID-19 Urban Slums Response Programme (PCUSRP) at country level and invites other UN Agencies and donors to participate.
Wednesday, 2 September, 2020
INFlAtIoN dRoPs to 8.2Pc IN August ISLAMABAD
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GHULAM ABBAS
EADLINE inflation in Pakistan fell from 9.3pc in July 2020 to 8.2pc in August, mainly due to a slight decrease in prices of essential food items, according to data provided by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Tuesday. The decline in inflation during August was attributed to stable prices of food and perishable items. A decline of 9.8pc was recorded in the prices of perishable food items in August if the same is compared with the prices of July 2020. The PBS data showed that chicken price dipped by 36.45pc in August from the previous month, while that of tomatoes lowered by 31.83pc, eggs 1.33pc, and fresh fruits 23.15pc, respectively. All varieties of pulses also posted a decline in retail price during the month under review. But contrary to these, wheat prices
surged by 11.95pc during the period under review; wheat flour rose 5.44pc and wheat products 6.85pc. Similarly, an increase of 13.53pc was noted in the retail price of sugar across the country. The government has allowed import of wheat and sugar to arrest the shortfall in the domestic market. As per the PBS data, there was a 2.9pc jump in the cost of transportation as economic activities increased in August after easing of lockdown in the country. In urban areas, food items that saw an increase in prices during August included sugar (+13.53pc), wheat (+11.95pc), onions (+10.4pc), bakery and confectionary (+6.65pc), potatoes (+5.85pc), wheat flour (+5.44pc), beans (+5.01pc), fresh milk (+4.79pc), spices (+2.81pc), and rice (+0.31pc). The items whose prices declined in urban areas included chicken (-36.45pc), tomatoes (-31.83pc), fresh fruits (23.15pc), pulse moong (-6.5pc), vegeta-
bles (-2.78pc), pulse mash (-2.28pc), fish (-1.87pc), whole gram (-1.78pc), eggs (1.33pc), pulse gram (-1.29pc), besan (1.21pc), pulse masoor (-0.98pc), vegetable ghee (-0.86pc) and cooking oil (-0.59pc). Similarly, in rural areas, price increase was seen in sugar (+13.31pc), wheat (+7.89pc), wheat flour (+4.36pc), potatoes (+3.73pc), sweetmeat (+2.63pc), fresh milk (+1.79pc), rice (+1.76pc), eggs (+1.43pc), cooked food (+0.91pc) and meat (+0.74pc). On the other hand, drag in price levels came from tomatoes (-33.94pc), chicken (31.9pc), fresh fruits (-25.42pc), pulse moong (-9.66pc), vegetables (-8.66pc), pulse mash (-4.55pc), spices (-3.51pc), pulse gram (-3.41pc), whole gram (2.47pc), besan (-1.94pc), pulse masoor (1.57pc) and onions (-0.4pc). Meanwhile, non-food inflation in urban centres was recorded at 4.8pc yearon-year and 1.5pc month-on-month, whereas in rural areas, it rose by 6.8pc and
1.5pc, respectively. The increase in nonfood inflation was mainly driven by a rise in oil prices in August. The urban consumer price index covers 35 cities and 356 items, while the rural one tracks 27 centres and 244 products. The former grew by 7.1pc year-on-year in August whereas the latter jumped by 9.9pc. Core inflation in urban areas was 5.6pc in August as against 5.3pc the previous month. In rural areas, the corresponding increase was 7.6pc. Average inflation measured by the sensitive price index eased to 11.7pc during August from 13.7pc during the previous month, while the wholesale price index slightly up to 3.3pc during the month under review from 3.2pc in the previous month. The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) determines the key policy rate currently at 7pc — based on the core inflation rate. The SBP has reduced the rate by a cumulative 625 basis points since March 17 to combat uncertainty amid growing coronavirus outbreak.
IHC orders Nawaz to ‘surrender’ before court contInueD on pAge 01 The former prime minister, who was serving a seven-year jail term following his conviction in the Al-Azizia reference, was last year allowed to leave for London on bail for medical reasons after he was diagnosed with an immune system disorder. Last month, Special Adviser to the Prime Minister on Accountability and Interior Shahzad Akbar said Nawaz’s four-week bail on medical grounds expired in December last year and the government had already contacted London for his extradition. The bench also expressed displeasure at the large crowd that had gathered outside the court premises, apparently in support of Maryam, the former PM’s daughter,
Cabinet approves domestication, commercialisation of medicinal, industrial cannabis ISLAMABAD SHAHZAD PARACHA
The federal cabinet on Tuesday granted approval for the domestication and commercialisation of medicinal and industrial cannabis and hemp at the Herbal Medicine Park in Jhelum. Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry, while taking to Twitter, said that the cabinet has approved the first licence for industrial and medical use of hemp, which is a variety of cannabis that is grown specifically for the industrial use of its derived products. The science and technology minister called it a landmark decision that will help Pakistan enter the billion-dollar Cannabidiol (CBD) market. The hemp will be cultivated on a 50-acre area at Jehlum’s Herbal Medicine Park. According to sources, the Prime Minister Office (PMO) on June 19, 2020 was advised to seek approval of the federal cabinet for the cultivation of hemp and cannabis, which is required under Section 4 of Control of Narcotic Substances Act, 1997. Subsequently, the Ministry of Narcotics Control held a meeting including relevant stakeholders from the Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of National Food Security and Research, and the Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination. A meeting was also held at the Ministry of Narcotics Control which was co-chaired by Minister for Narcotics Control Azam Khan Swati and Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Hussain Chaudhary. The Ministry of Science and Technology has expressed keen interest in the cultivation of industrial hemp for scientific and medicinal purposes. According to sources the Ministry of Science and Technology will separately submit PC-I for the up-gradation of the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) laboratory and security of the project through the Ministry of Planning and Development. Earlier, the Narcotics Control Division had asked the cabinet to grant permission for the cultivation of industrial hemp for scientific and medicinal purposes to the Ministry of Science and Technology.
who also appeared in court today. “If the coronavirus spreads, who will be held responsible? We have to take some precautions ourselves.” THE CASE: All the three references are offshoots of the Panama Papers case relating to 785,000 offshore companies. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed had brought the matter before the Supreme Court (SC). The apex court had disqualified Nawaz Sharif as prime minister and directed NAB to file three references against the Sharif family and one against then finance minister Ishaq Dar in the accountability court. Accountability court judge Mohammad Bashir had on July 6, 2018, convicted Nawaz, Maryam and Safdar in the Avenfield reference while they were in the United King-
dom taking care of ailing Kulsoom Nawaz, handing the former prime minister 10 years as jail time for owning assets beyond known income and one year for not cooperating with the bureau. Maryam was given seven years for abetment after she was found “instrumental in concealment of the properties of her father” and one year for non-cooperation with the bureau. Her husband was given one year jail time — for not cooperating with NAB, and aiding and abetting Nawaz and Maryam. Following the conviction, the Sharif family members returned to Pakistan and were imprisoned. However, all three were released from Adiala jail in September after the IHC had suspended their respective prison sentences in the Avenfield corruption reference.
Supreme Court concerned over unprecedented load shedding in Karachi contInueD on pAge 01 He said that KE cannot blame any government institution in this regard as it was their job to secure their infrastructure. The AGP said that he had not been able to discuss the matter with officials of Power Division and he needed time for consultations with the said officials, after which he would submit a proper report to the court. Referring to the provision of Section 26 of the Regulation of Generation Transmission and Distribution of Electric Power Act, 1997, he said that the issue was that KE had exclusive right of electricity generation and distribution in the
port city, therefore, to overcome the issue of exclusivity, the above-quoted provision of law had to be given affect and the determination had to be made by the Authority. “As the law has provided the provision, we do not see any impediment as to why the Authority is not empowered to give effect to the said provision of law. The authority may proceed to implement Section 26 of the Act of 1997 and make its determination,” he said. “While making such determination, the Authority shall not be hampered by any court, either by issuing of any injunctive order or issuing of any writ. The Authority, after mak-
ing the determination, which it shall do within one month, will file a report before this court.” The apex court observed that under Section 12A of the Act of 1997, the federal government was required to constitute an Appellate Tribunal. The bench was informed that notification of constitution of the tribunal had already been issued but its members were yet to be appointed. The court then directed the government to appoint its members within 10 days to make it functional, and to provide all necessary infrastructure for its immediate working. Later, the hearing of the case was adjourned for four weeks.
PSO reports Rs6.5bn loss for FY20 NEWS DESK: The Pakistan State Oil (PSO) recently convened its Board of Management (BoM) meeting at PSO House to review the company's performance during the year ended June 30, 2020. "The Covid-19 pandemic, preceded by Saudi-Russia oil price war, brought unprecedented challenges and caused a massive global macroeconomic downturn," said a statement issued by the company on Tuesday. Following the international oil price slump, POL prices were revised downward to pass on the benefit to the end consumer. However, due to significant downward inventory valuation, local OMCs and refineries suffered unprecedented losses.
As a majority of oil companies struggled to meet the demand, PSO fulfilled its national duty and ensured uninterrupted fuel supplies throughout the country. During Q3FY20, the daily average sales of PSO outlets surged by 122pc despite the massive strain on the company’s supply chain. In May-June period, the company imported eight additional cargoes of highspeed diesel and two additional cargoes of motor gasoline to avert a major fuel crisis in the country. Despite the challenging economic scenario, PSO continued to lead Pakistan's petroleum downstream market having a share of 44.3pc in total liquid fuels at the end of FY20, which was 1.9pc more than the prior year.
Pak Suzuki raises prices of two-wheelers again NEWS DESK: Pak Suzuki Motor Company Limited (PSMCL) has announced an increase in prices for its two-wheelers which is the second increase announced by the company since July 2020. The highest price increase of Rs20,000 was announced for the top-of-the-line Suzuki Gixxer150 heavy bike which will now sell at Rs599,000. The prices of Pak Suzuki’s best-selling models GS150SE and GR150 were also increased by Rs5,000 to Rs190,000 and Rs284,000 respectively. Similarly, the price of the GD110S model was increased by Rs3,000 to Rs178,000. In July 2020, Pak Suzuki reported a 40 per cent decline in sales compared to July 2019, despite its competitors Indus Motor Company (IMC) and Honda Atlas reporting 68 per cent and 46 per cent growth respectively during the same period. Since March 2020, Pakistan’s automotive manufacturers have cut down production levels due to reduced demand induced by the Covid-19 economic slowdown. Overall, the automotive industry reported an 8 per cent decline in sales to 11,501 units during July 2020, according to the Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association.
CMYK
NEWS
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NEPRA okays 86-paisa per unit increase in power tariff ISLAMABAD TLTP
The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) on Tuesday approved Re0.86 per unit increase in power tariff on account of fuel cost adjustment of electricity. The fuel adjustment charges for the month of July would be charged in consumer bills in the next month (Oct). The power regulator gave its approval after hearing a request by the Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA) that sought an increase of Re0.86 in electricity rates. This tariff hike will put an additional burden of Rs10 billion on power consumers. A day earlier, NEPRA had imposed a fine of Rs200 million on K-Electric over excessive load shedding in Karachi. The fine was imposed against the K-Electric for excessive load shedding during the month of June and July this year. The K-Electric slapped with the fine for violating NEPRA Act, terms and conditions of its license and directions given by the authority in its multi-year tariff.
PM to visit Karachi on Friday to announce projects, says Faraz contInueD on pAge 01 The minister said that there were conspiracies against the CPEC project by the enemies of Pakistan. To a question, he said that the court had asked the three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif to appear before it and then it would consider his bail application. PML-N should tell whether it was with its leader or with the law of the land, he asked. The minister said that media persons were facing difficult times after losing jobs and assured that the government was working for their welfare and job protection. The government paid to news organisations more than Rs1 billion so that they could pay salaries to their employees, he added. The minister further said that the government bore a burden of Rs 17 billion by not passing the impact of petroleum products’ prices to the people. Earlier in the day, Sindh Governor Imran Ismail said that Karachi Transformation Plan is being devised which is expected to be unveiled by PM Imran in the next few days. He expressed these views while addressing a joint press conference along with Punjab Governor Chaudhary Muhammad Sarwar at the Sindh Governor House. Ismail said that all stakeholders will also be taken on board in the Karachi Transformation Plan. He said that the federal government wants to extend every possible help to Sindh in this hard time, without any discrimination and these efforts of the federal government are really very serious that had never been made in past 70 years. Philanthropists representing different Punjabbased welfare organisations were also present on the occasion. Ismail said that Punjab-based welfare organisations will provide interest-free loans for reconstruction and repair of around 10,000 rain-hit houses in Sindh, including Karachi. The Sindh governor said that ration bags amounting Rs3,000 to 3,500 each, will also be distributed among 100,000 rainaffected families in Sindh. He said that he along with Sarwar will also visit rain-affected areas in Badin on Wednesday. He further said that the recent unprecedented rain has caused damages all over Sindh province, including Karachi. “Even the posh areas like Clifton and DHA – Karachi have also been affected by the rainfall, something I have seen for the first time in his life,” he said. Speaking about appointment of administrator in Karachi, the Sindh governor said that efforts are being made to appoint honest and dedicated person as the administrator with the consultation and mutual understanding of all stakeholders. The matter of appointment would be discussed in a working committee that also have Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and other provincial ministers as its members, he noted. Responding to a question, he said that the recent monsoon rainfall was unprecedented and no city in the world is planned to handle over 400 millimeters rain as mostly cities are planned for 100mm to 150mm rain. Responding to another question, he said that three flyovers, green lines bus, different roads, cleaning of nullahs and other development projects have been given by the federal government to Karachi. PM Imran is fully determined at the moment to provide every possible help to the affectees of rain, he observed. Speaking on the occasion, Punjab governor said that the purpose of his visit is to help the rain-affectees of Sindh and express solidarity with the affectees, on behalf of PM Imran, the NGOs from Punjab and people of Punjab.
Wednesday, 2 September, 2020
06 COMMENT
Slipshod Pulwama investigation
Karachi Transformation Plan Implementation requires mutual understanding
Points to ponder
K
ARACHI has undergone a prolonged trauma during the rains, which has yet not ended. After the federal government promised not to let down Karachi, there was a need on the part of the Prime Minister to visit the metropolis and inspect the most affected areas. This might not have added to the information provided to him by several agencies, but would have had a positive psychological impact assuring the Karachiites that the federal government cares for them. If the PM could go to inaugurate the Peshawar BRT project only weeks back, there was all the more reason to visit Karachi which is passing through some of the worst days of its history. One can understand that Sindh is ruled by an opposition party and there is a fierce rivalry between the PPP and PTI in the city. The two parties have had strong differences over numerous issues in the past and more are likely to crop up in days to come. However, unless the federal government, the Sindh government and the establishment join hands, it may not be possible to accomplish the Herculean task. There is therefore a need at this moment to put politics on the backburner and work together for the revival of the city with full dedication. The Prime Minister has rightly underlined the need to resolve the city’s long lasting problems that include cleaning the drains, devising a permanent solution to solid waste disposal and providing water supply. Unless there is a modicum of understanding between the federal and provincial administrations, both will fail the people of Karachi. A tweet by the Information Minister asserting that the federal government and its departments were providing all possible support to Sindh government after heavy rains in the province had led to a perception that the centre and the province were cooperating. This was however badly shattered by the minister’s tirade telling the Sindh government that it could not be trusted with funds needed to bring the required improvements in the city. There is a dire need on the part of the centre and the province to avoid indulging in a blame game at a time when the people want to see them working together to resolve their pressing problems.
Amjed jAAved
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n 14 February 2019, an explosive-laden vehicle rammed tinto India’s Central Reserve Police Force convoy near Awantipora on the Srinagar-Jammu Highway. Forty CRPF personnel were killed. Without investigation, India blamed Jaish-e-Mohammad’s Adil Ahmed Dar and Pakistan for the incident. Recent media reports reflect the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) assisted India in corroborating its knee-jerk reaction. The FBI itself is in crisis in the USA. not only the 216 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton but also President Donald Trump accuse it of dabbling in politics. Time in 2018 reported `Democrats have questioned the integrity of the bureau as well, with both [Hillary] Clinton and her aides claiming [James] Comey and the FBI helped tip the election to Trump…President Trump has continually attacked the integrity of the institution and its leaders, alleging not just incompetence but bad faith in the commission of justice’. Several questions, given heretofore come to mind about the FBI-cum-nIA `airtight charge sheet’. 1. Why India had to bank on the FBI when it already possessed all communications from Pakistan. For instance, it intercepted the whole talk between military dictator Yahya Khan and his coterie during the East Pakistan/Bangladesh crisis. It intercepted Musharraf’s conversation with his generals while he was flying back from China to Pakistan. 2. Immediately after the Pulwama incident, India slated Pakistan for the suicide bombing. The allegation was made even before forensic-lab and national Investigation Agency teams visited the site of the attack, some 30 kilometres from Srinagar. The ndian Express speculated `Highgrade RDX explosive, weighing about 80 kilograms, was used in the suicide attack’. The Hindu estimated 100-150 kg was used. Investigating agencies had also taken tower dumps of the attack area to filter out suspicious calls and those made around the time of the attack 3. The CRPF’s Standing Operating Procedure required movement of up to 100 persons in a convoy. The CRPF had been moving such convoys, comprising more than 2,500 personnel each, on the Srinagar-Jammu highway. In the past fortnight, two such convoys had moved from Jammu to Srinagar. The latest was on February 4, with a convoy of 91 vehicles and 2,871 personnel’. Why could the convoy not spot the lonely suicide vehicle trailing behind? How did
Rising Islamophobia Irrational hostility and hatred towards Muslims
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vEnTS of this past one week offer a glimpse into the rising trend of Islamophobia across the world. In new Zealand, Brenton Tarrant, a White Supremacist who killed 51 people at two mosques last year, was convicted of murder and terrorism and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. In Sweden, a copy of the Holy Quran was burned during an illegal protest held by far-right anti-Islam activists in a largely migrant neighborhood, resulting in reactionary violent protest erupting in the area later. Both incidents stem from a profound level of bigotry and religious hatred. While the events of Christchurch were significantly more horrific and deadlier, the motivation to burn the Quran or go on a killing spree at a Mosque during Friday prayers was the same: to inflict maximum physical and emotional pain on Muslims. Freedom of speech is considered a core democratic value but it too should have certain limitations. When the right to free speech is misused to provide legal cover to acts of hatred and unnecessarily aggressive hateful rhetoric towards another religious group, especially one that is a minority in a particular country, it should be condemned. The perception that Islam is a violent religion is an unfortunate outcome of a relatively small subsection of followers who are radicalized extremists carrying out heinous acts of terrorism across the world. Their acts make peace-loving Muslims easy targets for racial and religious persecution. various Middle Eastern conflicts, most recently the Syrian War, have forced thousands of Muslim refugees to flee and find safety in European countries that opened up their borders and accepted them on humanitarian grounds. This resulted in an inevitable clash of civilizations and the economic impact of this change in Europe’s demographic has created another set of problems. Islamic fundamentalism creates cultural differences that are simply irreconcilable with Europe’s largely liberal tilt. The job market, especially during recessions, shrinks and when those jobs go to immigrant Muslims, it creates a particularly potent sense of hostility in natives against the former. Countries where law enforcement and justice systems are mature and effective can guarantee to an extent that perpetrators of hate speech and violence against Muslims receive appropriate punishment. The real challenge however is to stop such incidents from occurring on a regular basis, and for that to happen right-wing extremist thinking and xenophobia must be challenged by the state.
A precedent has been set at the PNCA muhAmmAd ZAhid RifAt
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AKISTAn national Council of the Arts (PnCA), located at the huge premises of the national Art Gallery in Islamabad, is the only national-level institution of its kind which is supposed to preserve and promote art in the country. The PnCA was established in a rented premises in 1973 to spearhead the development of arts in the country in order to build a robust arts ecosystem by creating an environment conducive for the flourishing of the arts, where the arts are accessible to everyone and the artists as well as the arts groups have and enjoy commitment, financial support and resources from the high-level official quarters concerned, treading the corridors of power, and to excel at home and also on the world stage. The PnCA, according to its assigned task, is responsible for the promotion of culture, art, music, film and theatre in the country. Over the years, the PnCA has evolved and developed the concept of a Permanent Collection in order to preserve and display art works of prominent living and deceased artists, and also other artists. The Permanent Collection, according to the information available, has now more than 1700 paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures, pieces of calligraphy, mostly from Pakistani artists, though there are some from foreign artists. Besides the work of Pakistani artists, creative art work of artists from China, Iran, Turkey, Egypt, Italy, France, South Africa and nigeria is also on display in the PnCA’s Permanent Collection. Most unfortunately, there have been covert and overt attempts during the past couple of years by some parties with vested interests to get declared some paintings in PnCA’s Permanent Collection placed in “on loan” category so that these can be handed over to the alleged heirs of one or the other deceased artists, whenever such a claim is made. This issue had been agitated from time to time but following induction of the current lady Director General , the issue had once again been raised and in order to give some cover to it, a committee was constituted.
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the disputed state. But Iindia made no bones about stoking insurgency in East Pakistan. Why the world does not draw India’s attention to its role in East Pakistan? Some Indian diplomats and RAW’s cover officers have made startling revelations in their books about involvement in insurgencies or terrorism in neighbouring countries. . For instance, RK Yadav, and B. Raman (The Kaoboys of R&AW: Down Memory Lane) make no bones about India’s involvement in Bangladesh’s insurgency. They admitted that India’s PM Indira Gandhi, Parliament, RAW and armed forces acted in tandem to dismember Pakistan. Raman reminds `Indian parliament passed resolution on March 31, 1971 to support insurgency. India’s security czar Doval publicly claims he acted as a spy under a pseudonym in Pakistan for 11 years. 8. Roedad Khan, in his book Pakistan: A Dream gone Sour writes Agartala Conspiracy Case was withdrawn, not because the prosecution case against Mujeeb was weak, but because over a million people were out on the streets of Dhaka, several government offices and the houses of ministers were burnt.’ 9. Why the world takes no notice of India’s machinations to foment insurgency in Balochistan? Through proxies like naila Baloch, India sponsored offensive posters of `Free Balochistan’on taxi cabs and buses in Switzerland and Britain. The USA has recently outlawed the Balochistan Liberation Army. However, earlier, in 2012, a handful of Republicans had moved a pro-separatist bill in US Congress. It demanded `the right to self-determination’. 10. Pushtun Tahafuzz Movement is apparently being backed by India. In their over-ebullient speeches, PTM’s leaders openly scold Pakistan’s national security institutions. For instance, Manzoor Pashteen, in an interview berated Pakistan Army operations and extolled drone strikes. He said, ‘The Army did not eliminate even a single Taliban leader. All the 87 Taliban commanders killed in the last 18 years were eliminated in drone strikes.’ 11. Kalbushan Jadhav was an Indian-navy officer, attached to RAW. His mission was to covertly carry out espionage and terrorism in Pakistan. India’s Frontline surmised that Jadhav still served with the Indian navy.The Gazette of India files bore no record of Jadhav’s retirement. Pulwama investigation has tell-tale signs of being slipshod. Amjed Jaaved is a freelance journalist, has served in the Pakistan government for 39 years and holds degrees in economics, business administration, and law. He can be reached at amjedjaaved@gmail.com.
National art treasure in danger
Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami
Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad
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the terrorists know the convoy movement was delayed by two days? How did they remain undetected while loading the vehicle with explosives the whole day? not only WhatsApp but also landlines have never been accessible even in Hindu-majority Jammu (occupied Kashmir). Then how come `the FBI has told the nIA about the WhatsApp group operated by a member of the terrorist outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad who was in contact with the people who carried out the attack of Pulwama. According to the FBI, a man called Mohammed Hussain was operating the WhatsApp group, a recent of Pakistan’s Muzaffarabad. But the number was however registered under the name of Jameela from Budgam’ (InDIA nEWS nETWORK, August 27). India has `annexed’ the disputed state and announced that situation has become normal. Even some European parliamentarians had a boat ride in Lake Dal. EU Lab report however confirmed that the visit was RAW sponsored through a planted business person. Yet, the 4G internet has not yet been restored. `With students across India taking online classes amid the nationwide coronavirus lockdown, the demand for restoration of 4G internet grows for several students who are now forced to take classes on WhatsApp. nearly 2,200 schools are unable to hold classes and the future of 27 lakh students is at stake,” a plea filed in thew Indian Supreme Cour reads. Let alone attending these classes, students are not able to download these apps ecause of slow seeds. Students complain, `We are not able to understand what the teacher teaches us because of the weak connection and the poor quality of the video and the video buffers.” “Even on WhatsApp, we are facing difficulties because it takes a lot of time to download simple 2-3 minute audio clips. One of my teachers started writing the answer for our queries and when he wrote about it for half an hour, the last text he wrote was that ‘my thumbs are aching like anything’.” The government may have restored mobile and internet services in Jammu & Kashmir but popular messaging app WhatsApp will still not work there. According to the whitelisted sites released by the government, JioChat, a messaging app of Reliance Jio, will be the only such platform which will function in the state. India openly abetted terrorism by mukti bahini (freedom fighters) in East Pakistan. Indira Gandhi called up Sam Manekshaw to attack East Pakistan. Bangladesh was a sovereign part of Pakistan unlike disputed Kashmir. Why did the world remain a silent spectator to India’s state-sponsored terrorism in East Pakistan? Pakistan never acknowledged its hand in blasts in
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The issue related to the art work of internationally there may even be litigation from other heirs. But the lady Director General did not realize that reputed artist Anwar Jalal Shemza, who died on 14 January 1985. In order to pay tributes to Anwar Jalal it would be a national loss if Shemza’s work, which Shemza, one of the founders of Pakistan’s modern art had been in the national Art Gallery since 1985, were movement, the PnCA decided to organize an exhibi- now handed over to the claimants, and it would not tion of his art works in 1985 immediately after his be anything but a criminal act if officials who are supdeath. For this purpose, Shemza’s family was ap- posed to be the custodians of the national art treasure, proached and ten of his works secured for displaying should facilitate such a white-collar crime. But all these good advices in the national interests in the exhibition. were arrogantly ignored by The art works, known as the lady Director General, Roots series, were created by who was perhaps inducted in Shemza between 1982 and the PnCA top slot with some 1984 prior to his death, and Now that the floodgates have specific task without looking are in the form of five paintbeen opened in this manner, into her past service record. ings and five prints. She moved ahead and acting Following the exhibiwho is going to stem the on one of many recommention, the paintings and prints dations of the committee , were placed in the PnCA’s onrushing rout and save the handed over Anwar Jalal Permanent Collection for national art treasure from Shemza’s art works at a certhe benefits of the posterity. emony unceremoniously The average value of a being further depleted as heirs held quietly and secretly, to Shemza painting was curan unknown lady with or rently approximately Rs one of other living and deceased without verification of her million or so. There was a claim from artists may also be coming up credentials as the genuine representative of Shemza’s the heirs of Anwar Jalal with similar claims after this Britain-based heirs. neither Shemza for more than 25 the Federal Education Minisyears. The claim recently massive damage has already ter, who also holds charge of made for return of Shemza’s of the national History and art works may have been been done Literary Heritage Division, prompted by the high prices Shafqat Mehmood , his of his work in the internacousin, noted artist and art tional market. The incumbent lady Director General was advised teacher Mrs Salima Hashmi whose name was menby some PnCA officials to refrain from moving ahead tioned as the representative of Shemza’s heirs sometime back, nor the electronic and print media were present as this would cause a great loss. She was further told that the PnCA’s Permanent on this occasion. now that the floodgates have been opened in this Collection, including Shemza’s works, had been on display for decades, and notwithstanding the steps manner, who is going to stem the onrushing rout and taken at the time for including such works in this cat- save the national art treasure from being further deegory, the PnCA had no legal, ethical or administrative pleted as heirs of other living and deceased artists may also be coming up with similar claims after this authority of any kind to change that categorization. The officials are also known to have virtually massive damage has already been done. warned that this could lead to a depletion of PakMuhammad Zahid Rifat is Lahore-based istan’s national art assets, which would be a colossal loss to say the least, and it would also open a Pan- Freelance Journalist, Columnist and retired Deputy dora’s box where heirs of other artists may also start Controller (News) Radio Pakistan Islamabad and can demanding ownership on similar flimsy grounds and be reached at zahidriffat@gmail.com
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Wednesday, 2 September, 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
No option is left for the people of Sindh IT has been years, the Pakistan people’s party is ruling the province of Sindh. The PPP always comes to power because it enjoys the vast majority in the province. On the contrary, there is no option left for the people of this province except to vote and support PPP. The majority which belongs to interior side in urban areas preferably vote to this party because they have a fear of being dispossessed from their land by other ethnicities living there. They don’t have good hopes from sitting government at the centre because of the constant federal- province tussles. And they knew the Central will serve their own interests which are obviously not in this province. In rural areas, people are deprived of the basic necessities of life they also don’t have any other good option expect to vote this Party. Hence there is no existence of any provincial-level party in Sindh which can compete PPP. Therefore there is a dire need for a multi-party system in this province which not only increases the competition at the political front but also will give more options to people of Sindh to vote and support their favourite candidate which is a good sign for democracy and necessary of the development and prosperity of Pakistan. Liaqat HuSSain LaHorE
Marine life
Finally the much needed initiative The PTI and the PPP working together bodes well for the future
mAlik muhAmmAd AshRAf
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T is really satisfying and encouraging to note that after indulging in unnecessary blame-game and politicking on the disastrous situation in Karachi caused by unprecedented rains, the federal and Sind governments have finally realized the gravity of the situation and decided to cooperate with each other in mitigating the sufferings of the dwellers of the city and finding a permanent solution to the problem. The rains have done extensive damage to the infrastructure, homes and crops besides claiming several lives. It was indeed a horrible spectacle to see the entire city submerged in the rain water. During the first spell of rain when Karachi was flooded with rain water and the city life came to a virtual standstill, the PTI stalwarts found it convenient to denigrate the PPP government in Sind for its failure to solve the problems of Karachi to gain political mileage. However when a similar situation developed in Lahore and other cities of Punjab, the PPP retaliated in the same mode and those who were crying hoarse at the tops of their voices to blame the Sind government found it difficult to locate a place to hide their faces. It is a sad and perennial story of politics in our country. It is rightly said that there is always a positive side to adversity and disastrous situations. The positive outcome of the Karachi situation is that both the federal and Sind governments, coming out of their adversarial mode against each other, have vowed to cooperate with each other in removing the perennial problems of Karachi including clearing of nullahs, removing encroachments that impede water channels, devising a permanent solution to the solid waste disposal, sewerage problems and resolving the critical issue of water supply to the citizens. Prime Minister Imran Khan, after a high level meeting held in Islamabad to deliberate on the situation in Karachi, said that a comprehensive plan was in the offing to address these issues. Realistically speaking, he must be complimented for the concern shown for the plight of the people of Karachi and acting in earnest to do something about it on permanent
The only local body election held by an elected basis. President Arif Alvi rightly observed that co- government was in December 2013, not because operation between the federal and Sindh govern- it had decided on its own to go for the fulfillment ments was a positive development, which could of the constitutional obligation but it was ordo wonders not only during the current crisis dered by the apex court. However, the local govcaused by heavy downpour, but would also be ernments established as a result of the foregoing helpful in the future planning. One can hardly elections were not structured in conformity with take an issue with what he has said. That is the the spirit of the Constitution. Karachi during the Musharraf regime was spirit which is also required to confront other under the full control of the MQM, which is now challenges facing the country. Let us be honest in acknowledging that the a coalition partner of the federal government. problems faced by big cities in the country, in- Unfortunately it is a party which has a major cluding in Sind and Punjab, are not attributable contribution to the problems of Karachi. Its milto any one party or government. They are cumu- itant wing remained engaged in a turf war with lative effect of the criminal neglect of these the militant outfits of political rivals, the PPP problems by the successive governments, in- and the AnP. Karachi, instead of having its civic cluding the dictatorial regimes. no government issues fixed, witnessed the emergence of a culever paid attention to check unhindered urban- ture of target killings and dead bodies in gunny bags. Ironically the ization and the unsame party is most voplanned expansion of ciferous in throwing the the cities and creation blame on the PPP. of the commensurate While it is imperative to While it is imperainfrastructure. Flooding tive to tackle the probof low-lying areas in tackle the problems of lems of Karachi and Lahore and Karachi other big cities on during rains is a permaKarachi and other big cities emergency basis, my nent feature and I, on emergency basis, my considered view is that being a regular visitor a permanent solution to both these cities considered view is that a lies in the establishment since my childhood, of local governments cannot forget my wadpermanent solution lies in throughout the country ing through waist-deep without any delay, makwater in different parts the establishment of local ing sure that they were of Karachi and Lahore. governments throughout the set up as stipulated in In the latter city, even Article 140A of the light rain leads to accucountry without any delay, Constitution which mulation of water in its says“ Each province low-lying localities, inmaking sure that they were shall, by law, establish a cluding areas around set up as stipulated in local government sysChauburji and Jain tem and devolve politiMandir. During the curArticle 140A cal, administrative and rent rainy spell, similar financial responsibility scenes have also been and authority to the witnessed in different elected representatives cities of Punjab, Sind and Balochistan, causing damage to infrastruc- of the local governments”. It is abundantly clear that under this Article ture and crops. Focus on problems of Karachi, the indus- the local administration (including policing) is trial hub of the country, must get priority, but supposed to be under the elected bodies besides the other cities faced with similar problems the responsibility of providing civic amenities, also need to be taken care of. While Karachi carrying out development projects and having and Lahore need master plans to resolve the powers to generate financial resources of their issue of flooding during rains and problems own. Bringing the police under control of the related to sewerage, the administrations of the local government can greatly help in eliminating smaller cities must be tasked to work on sim- the ‘Thana Culture’ and giving back their honour ilar lines with a futuristic approach. We need to the people. But that was never done. The real issue is of good governance. The to be proactive rather than being reactive, as successive governments have failed to deliver is the case now. All the identified problems in Karachi are to the people because of the perpetuation of the actually the responsibility of the local bodies. archaic colonial system of governance which But unfortunately all the governments, except has inbuilt avenues of graft and entitlement. military regimes— though for promoting their The solution lies in two things, establishment own political designs— did not care to fulfill of the local governments in conformity with their constitutional obligation in this regard. The Article 140A and changing the way we elect first local government election was held in 1959 our representatives, with all the political forces under the dictatorship of Ayub Khan. The second being on board. local government election was held in 1979 by Malik Muhammad Ashraf is an academic. General Zia ul Haq. The third local government election was held by General Musharraf in 2000. He can be contacted at: ashpak10@gmail.com
WE often go to sea views or beaches to enjoy ourselves. But what we don’t realize is that there is whole world beneath that water. The world of marine livings. But our actions have destroyed their lives. Globally, 100,000 marine mammals die every year as a result of plastic pollution. This includes whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals and sea lions. We need to stop harming all these marine mammals before the words like dolphin or whale start sounding like fictions. afroz MJ turbat
Peace in Afghanistan UnDOUBTEDLY World community, International organisations and specially the neighbouring countries of Afghanistan are anxious to see sustainable and everlasting peace in Afghanistan. But this commitment seems meaningless if Intra — Afghan talk does not start soon.But there are many hurdles to bring normalization in buffer state which primarily relates to its future prospects. Mantra of peace deal is vague which was held in Feb of this year at Doha between Afghan Taliban and USA unless sincere efforts will show for the betterment of Afghan people who have been suffering a lot since last 40 years. Apparently, starting of Intra -Afghan talk is nothing than just an election card of Donald Trump for upcoming American presidential elections 2020 that’why Ashraf Ghani did not follow up the decision of loya jirga hereto. The Latest report of Un can make the process of peace more fluctuate which highlights the presence of Daesh is increasing in this state, that’s another trauma who will try to sabotage this Intra Afghan talk. The most important agenda between Afghan Govt. and Afghan Taliban will relate to “ System of Government “ or Power sharing. Pro American Govt will likely stress on Western Democracy while Afghan Taliban has unveiled their ambitions to establish Islamic Shariah State. In term of power-sharing would it be possible to implement western democracy in some parts while Islamic shariah in others ? How Will they elect their head of the state ? In all these aspects, the path for establishment of durable peace in Afghanistan will always remain turbulent. Both parties must refer this case to the people of Afghanistan who will decide through referendum which type of Government system they would like to see and all major stakeholders should welcome the decision of Afghan citizens. In the theory of Political Science, Only permanent residents has the fundamental right to decide the destiny of their country. Afghan peace is fully dependent on regional peace and security and for this purpose Afghan decision of Afghan people may pave the way for permanent peace. “a consensus peace” MaHtab aLi KHan baHawaLnagar
Vandalism IT is really heartbreaking sigh to see Quaid’s city in wrecked and catastrophic condition. One can anticipate that how much havoc 294 mm heavy downpour has caused in just 12 hours. The hollow claims of rulers have miserably failed and proved their incompetence and still their beauty is in their chutzpah. The peoples have lost their homes, business and even few has lost their beloved ones. The Hopes of citizens from their selected leaders have crumbled. The Inundate and stagnant water in different areas have not been evaluated since last five days. Yet the war of slander and blame of rulers on different institutions is continue. Finally engulfed with rage , the inhabitants of defence and Clifton came out of their homes and attacked Cantonment board Clifton (CBC) for contaminated water and prolonge power cuts. If this is the state of affairs for the residents of such high prestige areas, what will be of those residing in remote areas of Karachi, they even don’t count. In these trying times, do still people believe in so marvellous slogan “Bhutto zinda hai”? Do they still vote for reckless and selfish rulers who indulge themselves in triggering hot arguments instead of rectifying the loopholes? Its a wakeup call for slumbered souls to open their eyes and realise the difference between right and wrong. Constituency is the responsibility of every Citizens to cast right vote to right person for rightfull purpose. zubair aHMEd rind, Jacobabad.
Wednesday, 2 September, 2020
08 WORLD VIEW
SecretS and lieS IN THE END, TRUTH SIMPLY WILL NOT MATTER. THE POPULAR NARRATIVE, COUNTERFACTUAL OR NOT, WILL WIN THE DAY
national intereSt
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Milton Bearden
n the course of a 30-year career with CIA, one that began a few years after the Berlin Wall went up in 1961, and ended a handful of years after it came crashing down in 1989, I was an active player in the propaganda games, the CIA Covert Actions of those Cold War years. I was also an occasional target of the KGB's propaganda games, their Active Measures. The contest between the KGB and the CIA was wild and woolly, but there were some rules. At least for our side. At least then. now those same cutthroat tactics used in the great power standoff of the last century are being adopted and adapted as normalized strategies by the American political establishment in the election contest of a generation. early on in the Cold War, the US Congress mandated that CIA should not allow its Covert Action (CA) propaganda themes against the Soviet Union to be played to American audiences. In effect, we were proscribed from even inadvertently propagandizing the American public. There were a number of good reasons for this prohibition, not the least of which was that as often as not, the most successful CA attacks against the Soviets were based on partial truths, or even outright falsehoods. That was fair enough in the almost halfcentury face-off, where truth was never as essential as “will it play?”. CIA did its best to operate within those constraints; but there were a few notable exceptions where a story burst into the American media and the nation’s conscience on its own. In some cases, such a story might have been picked up by the CIA and folded into its own effort abroad with unintentional spill over into the US media. In other cases, a story might have had the sheer dramatic force to make its own way into the U.S. media. In those instances, there was little CIA could do but make sure its fingerprints were not on the story, and stand by and watch as the spectacle rolled out across the world and across America. One notable example of such a story involved accusations of the use of toy bombs by Soviet forces in Afghanistan during their decade-long military occupation of that country. In the mid-1980s, a little story, vaguely sourced to Afghan resistance fighters in Peshawar, Pakistan, popped accusing the Soviets of using toy bombs — air-dispensed munitions purposely designed to kill or injure Afghan children. The story was buried within a continuous stream of rococo, sometimes hard-to-believe yarns circulating in the Pakistani frontier city. Almost overnight, toy bombs went mainstream and the story was in full bloom internationally. It had, indeed, a life of its own. The account sparked outrage across the world, with its most explosive reaction in the U.S. Articles condemning the brutal tactic of disguising bombs as toys for the explicit purpose of maiming or killing Afghan children appeared in publications ranging from The new York Times to the harvard
Crimson, and almost everything in between. Major U.S. networks acquired footage, often cooked or staged, showing just how the toy bombs supposedly worked. There was even a demonstration on a popular Sunday evening news magazine showing a “captured toy bomb” disguised as a Russian Matryoshka doll exploding with devastating effect. What could have a greater impact than the vision of a Russian nesting doll exploding in the hands of a little Afghan girl out tending the family’s goats! The massive media coverage even prompted an investigation by the United nations Commission on human Rights. It was wonderful, spontaneous CA, entirely selfgenerated. The whole world was piling on the evil empire for its brutal, wanton attacks on Afghan children. It knocked the Soviets off-balance in Afghanistan and around the world. But it was bogus. As CIA chief in Pakistan in 1986, my mission included managing the Agency’s massive CA program in support of the Afghan Mujaheddin. In a role patterned after that of a 19th century British Political Agent in the northwest Frontier, I was quartermaster and political adviser. I supplied thousands of tons of weapons to the Afghan Resistance, and guided their propaganda efforts, all for the single purpose of driving the invading Soviet 40th Army from Afghanistan. As the toy bomb story grew exponentially, and since CIA had no direct involvement in its creation, I wanted to be sure Langley had the facts. I reported that the so-called toys that had, to be sure, injured and killed so many Afghan children were actually Soviet sub-munitions known as "butterfly bombs”, PFM-1 air-dispensed anti-personnel bomblets that became armed after striking the ground. These munitions, I reported, dispersed in great numbers in the hills and valleys of Afghanistan, did, indeed, attract the curiosity of Afghan children; and, upon disturbing them in even the slightest, the bomblets would explode, killing or seriously injuring the child. In effect, horrific numbers of Afghan children were being killed and maimed by Soviet butterfly mines. But also, to be sure, these were not sub-munitions intentionally disguised as toys, a distinction that might actually be a difference. In response, I received an off-the-record secure telephone call from Langley in which I was advised that both the CIA Director, Bill Casey, and President Reagan himself were deeply moved by the toy bomb story. It was a perfect fit with the president’s depiction of the Soviet Union as "the evil empire” and loved by all hands at the Reagan White house. In that exchange I also pointed out that the Soviet PFM-1 butterfly mine was a shameless Soviet copy of the U.S Dragons Tooth BLU-43 submunition dispersed in great numbers during the Vietnam war, with pretty much the same, sad and continuing effect on children more than a decade after the war ended. I made it clear that I was not against promoting the toy bomb story — it was effective beyond any CA specialist’s wildest dream — I was simply ensuring that CIA had an understanding that the story was false and that the Soviets might take a deeper dive into the narrative. In that case we might be prepared for a counterattack centering on the Dragons Tooth. In the midst of all the toy bomb fury, the KGB Resident in Islamabad paid me a visit at my home in Islamabad one night to assure me that Russians loved children as much as anyone else and that CIA was spreading barefaced lies. In a reasonably civilized conversation, considering the subject, I pointed out to my KGB opposite number that at that point in their occupation of Afghanistan Soviet forces had managed to kill around a million Afghans, injure another million and a half, and had driven three million more into external exile. In all of those groups there were significant numbers of children. Did he really want to pursue this subject against
that backdrop? It became obvious that the Resident had been ordered it to make this representation, but he didn't really have his heart in it. The conversation ended as awkwardly for him as it had begun. Later, in a rare frivolous moment in a dark, mirthless war I arranged to have a catalog from Toys "R" Us mailed anonymously, and without comment, to the KGB Resident at his embassy in Islamabad. he and I never had a follow-up discussion. If there is an end to the toy bomb story, it is this: everyone who in the 1980s, believed the Soviets were using toy bombs in Afghanistan probably still believes it today. Propaganda gamesmanship was not all onesided. The Soviets had their windfalls, as well, their exploitation of hIV/AIDS being one prominent case in point. After hIV/AIDS began its virulent trajectory through Africa and South Asia in the early 80s, the KGB wasted no time in putting out the broad Active Measures theme that the exotic and deadly new disease had been cooked up by the U.S Army in its bio-weapon research labs at Fort Detrick, Maryland. The US Centre for Disease Control was folded into the KGB account as having surreptitiously spread the virus on the hapless populations of Africa and South Asia. Though fairly short-lived as an Active Measures effort, longer-term effects lingered on in sub-Saharan Africa well into the late 1980s and beyond; and there may even be some conspiracy theorists in the United States who still doggedly believe that hIV/AIDS was created by the Pentagon to kill off America’s drug addict and homosexual populations, as well as intentionally targeting African-American communities. Of the Cold War KGB Active Measures attacks against the U.S., the hIV/AIDS theme was among the more disruptive. On the personal side, the KGB took a bizarre shot at me while I was CIA chief in a West African country in the early 1980s. In an unsourced story in the local West African press, it was alleged that I supervised the “CIA body parts market”. That marvelously baroque story had me buying up the harvested kidneys, eyes and lungs of unwitting, perhaps even unwilling, African donors, and shipping them off to American transplant centers. It didn't get much better than that for a Soviet Active Measures specialist! Fast forward to today, and we find ourselves witnessing the Covert Action and Active Measures tactics of the Cold War in use in today's domestic political battles. The approach is roughly the same — truth is subordinate to "will it play”. A case in point is the evolution of the claim that Russian military intelligence (GRU) has paid bounties to the Taliban for killing American and allied troops. The story has created a major face-off, not between the U.S. and Russia, but between the American people, their political parties and the media. From the moment the bounty story erupted, most of the outrage was directed not so much at the Russians, but at President Trump. What did the president know, when did he know it, and did he, or did he not brace Vladimir Putin on it during his many phone calls with the Russian leader. Like the toy bomb story decades earlier, the bounty reports were vaguely sourced to Afghan antiTaliban groups; and U.S. intelligence intercepts reportedly tracked GRU financial transfers to Taliban linked accounts, thus allegedly providing “confirmation,” though not enough, according to new York Times reporting, that the national Security Agency would add its imprimatur to be the initial report on the bounties. The new York Times has also reported that the national Intelligence Council produced a Sense of the Community Memorandum in early July, which, in both “… its timing and its stressing of doubts suggested that it was intended to bolster the Trump administration's attempts to justify its inaction on the months-old assessment.”
Since then there seem to have been no obvious efforts to get to the bottom of the story by the Trump Administration. no senior military or intelligence officials have publicly and unambiguously confirmed or denied the reports, though Central Command Chief, General Frank McKenzie, CIA Director Gina haspel, Secretary of Defense, Mark esper and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Mark Milley, have all, to one degree or another, expressed varying levels of outrage and said they were “studying, or looking into the issue”. President Trump has been repeatedly asked by White house reporters whether he has challenged Putin on the bounty allegation. From his vague responses, it would appear he has not. It is also more than passingly curious that no reporter seems to have asked the president whether Vladimir Putin had raised the issue with him in their frequent telephone exchanges. It would seem logical that the Russian leader might take a moment to tell the president that such stories are false and that they should be publicly declared false and dismissed. But again, there has been no such declaration by Trump. All of this reinforces the impression that the president has become boxed-in. If he says he spoke with Putin about the bounties, and that the Russian president denied Russia was paying bounties, as he most certainly would, Trump would be accused of taking sides with the Russian president over his own intelligence community. Another disastrous repeat of the helsinki fiasco. If, however, the president continues to stonewall, he will appear callous and indifferent to American casualties in Afghanistan. It is a no-win situation for a man to whom winning at any cost is everything. So wherein might lie the truth? U.S. commanders in Afghanistan have long reported Russia’s double-dealing in the conflict. Russia claims on the one hand to support U.S. efforts to dislodge the Taliban by offering overflights of Russian territory to funnel supplies and American troops to Afghanistan, while on the other hand providing covert assistance, including cash and weapons to the Taliban insurgents. And Russia's covert support of the Taliban can certainly be considered directly or indirectly responsible for American and allied casualties, if not actually constituting bounties paid for them. At some point along the line, the bounty yarn might have been either too good to check, or simply “uncheckable". During the Cold War, such an allegation against Soviet intelligence would have been dismissed as just too hard to believe, too outlandish to propagate. The GRU was, after all, a professional intelligence organization. But today, with all the old rules gone, Putin's GRU has been convincingly associated with a growing number of zany, violent schemes. GRU Unit 29166 is linked to the poisonings of Russian intelligence turncoats Alexandr Litvinenko and Sergei Skripal, as well as his daughter Yulia. Most recently, Aleksei navalny, an outspoken Putin political foe, was apparently also poisoned. All, except navalny, were poisoned on sovereign, foreign soil. So causing a few more American casualties just might not be too crazy for Unit 29166 to take on, particularly with the Russian president apparently in a position to believe that the American administration will not seriously challenge him. So this story ends up where it began. Just as Soviet butterfly bombs were not actually munitions disguised as "toy bombs", and just as Russian arms deliveries and financial transfers to Taliban accounts may not actually be “bounties" paid for killing U.S. and allied troops in Afghanistan, American oral history will record it differently. The story is too deeply embedded in the American consciousness, with the political parties taking their opposing positions, the media keeping the pot boiling, and the American public falling in along party lines, for the yarn to be seriously challenged. In the end, truth simply will not matter. The popular narrative, counterfactual or not, will recount that the Russians used toy bombs in their war in Afghanistan and put bounties on the heads of American troops in ours. Milt Bearden is a Distinguished non-Resident Fellow at the Center for the national Interest. his highly decorated thirty-year career at the Central Intelligence Agency included service as chief of the Soviet and east european Division in the Directorate of Operations, and as head of the CIA’s covert support to mujahedeen fighting against Soviet forces in Afghanistan.
The uncomfortable truth about enforced disappearances HOW LONG WILL JUSTICE REMAIN ELUSIVE?
W
Star, BangladeSh
hen we hear the law minister himself claiming ignorance of the meaning of the phrase "enforced disappearance," it seems we are barking up the wrong tree in making so much noise about enforced disappearances, demanding a stop to the atrocious practice and legal remedy for the victims' families. Contacted several
days ago by this newspaper to comment on the issue of enforced disappearances, he said that he had no understanding of what enforced disappearance was and would comment only after he had grasped the meaning of the term. This is a cruel joke to those who are shedding tears every moment for their loved ones who have disappeared, most of them picked up by people claiming to belong to the law enforcing agencies. The statistics related to enforced disappearances
are a damning narrative of the country's state of governance and rule of law, and perhaps even more so, of its legal justice system. According to a local leading human rights watchdog, as many as 553 people have become victims of enforced disappearance between 2009 and 2019. The eyewitness accounts and the circumstances of their disappearances point to the law enforcing agencies, sponsored by the state. We ought to remember that the practice predates 2009. It is frustrating that we are still suffering the blatant practice of forced disappearance, which is a gross violation of human rights. It is even more frustrating that there seems to be no legal remedy. Law enforcers cannot get
away by saying that so and so are not in their custody. It is the responsibility of the state to discover the whereabouts of those gone missing. And it is not just one or two persons, but more than 500 people who have gone missing, with the administration claiming no knowledge of where they were or might be. We understand that there are limitations of the courts, but we believe it should take cognizance of the gravity of the issue and direct the government to take such steps as would ensure that the practice ceases immediately. But much would depend on the government's sincerity to stop this and ensure justice for victims' families.
Wednesday, 2 September, 2020
BUSINESS 09
corporate corner ACCA, SBP collaborate to support SMEs in Multan MULTAN: ACCA has joined forces with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to educate and facilitate SMEs in Multan region in order to support their financial viability and ensure ease of access to finance. Both the organisations are jointly setting up an exclusive virtual SME clinic to offer an opportunity to small and medium sized enterprises and aspiring entrepreneurs in the South Punjab region to get expert counselling on how to maintain healthy cashflows amidst the current pandemic and to facilitate their easy access to finance. The clinic will be conducted by Muhammad Ali ACCA, Assistant Director, State Bank of Pakistan who will share all the resources both the organisations have in place to support businesses, with focus on raising awareness of how to get access to capital using formal banking system. PRESS RElEASE
Ufone, Khana Ghar joins hands to facilitate flood-hit communities of Karachi LAHORE: Ufone’s brand ambassador and founder of Khana Ghar, Parveen Saeed, pledged to provide cooked meals to the people of Surjani Town and Yousuf Goth who have been worst affected by the heavy rainfall in Karachi. To amplify the impact of this noble gesture, Pakistani telecom company, Ufone has decided to further give out cooked meals and provide clean drinking water to the residents of the area. Torrential rainfall in Karachi has wreaked havoc in Surjani town and Yousuf Goth, thousands of people have lost their homes and are deprived of basic amenities. People are facing extreme shortage of food supplies and clean drinking water. Additionally, the prolonged power outage has increased the problems for the citizens. Scores of families in Karachi’s Surjani Town and Yousuf Goth were forced to relocate due to the massive downpour. Leading humanitarian, Parveen Saeed, decided to step up in this situation and help people during desperate times. PRESS RElEASE
'Zero-rated industries to get electricity, gas at discounted rates' BUSINESS DESK: Adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood announced on Tuesday that zero-rated industries will be supplied gas and electricity at discounted rates. Taking to Twitter, he said a meeting of officials of the ministries of commerce, finance, and energy took place wherein it was agreed that "erstwhile 5 zero-rated industries will be given a rate of 7.5 ¢/kWh for July & August and 9 ¢/kWh thereafter". For gas, the rate will be $6.5/MMBtu throughout. Dawood said he felt that the Ministry of Commerce has obtained a very good rate in the wake of the situation created by the coronavirus pandemic and asked exporters to concentrate on increasing exports. He thanked the ministries of energy and finance for their continued support.
Rupee continues to recover, reaches Rs165.4 against USD KARACHI: The Pakistani Rupee registered gains on Tuesday and was traded at Rs165.4 against the dollar. This level has not been seen since 18th June 2020. Komal Mansoor, a senior analyst at Tresmark commented, "The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) is selling dollars in the market after getting approval from China to use the $1 billion loan given to maintain forex reserves for budgetary support." She added that strong remittances have also supported the rupee. "Remittances have been at a record high in the last two months, thus strengthening the rupee." Meanwhile, Samiullah Tariq, Head of Research at Pak Kuwait Investment Company, stated, "This may be because of the lagged impact of the current account surplus." He said the introduction of SBP Roshan Account may also have impacted the Rupee. "There is an improved sentiment due to the introduction of the Roshan Pakistan accounts." Tariq, however, pointed out, "You cannot forget that the dollar is weak globally and that the rupee is undervalued on the basis of the Real Effective Exchange Rate (REER)." Going forward, Mansoor believed that the rupee is likely to find support at Rs165. ARIBA SHAHID
JAPAn ASSURES PAKiStAn of CoRonAviRUS DEBt REliEf ISLAMABAD
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STAFF REPORT
APANESE Ambassador to Pakistan Kuninori Matsuda on Tuesday assured Pakistan of all possible help and assistance to cope with the coronavirus situation. In a meeting with Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh in Islamabad, Kuninori Matsuda said that Japan would provide debt relief to Pakistan in order to help the country stabilise its economy. The Japanese envoy said that after preliminary work on the debt relief initiative, a Memorandum of Understanding would be formally signed with Pakistan.
‘AFTER PRELIMINARY WORK ON THE DEBT RELIEF INITIATIVE, A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WILL BE FORMALLY SIGNED WITH PAKISTAN’ The ambassador apprised the PM's aide that Japan intends to extend business relations with Pakistan, adding that his country wished to import mangoes, rice, fish and textile products from the South Asain country. He requested the adviser to make arrangements at the ports that could facilitate agri exports to Japan. The ambassador also expressed condolences on the loss of lives and properties during the recent rains in Pakistan.
He hoped that with the regional peace and stable political situation regional trade would flourish, offering better opportunities to Pakistan. Speaking on the occasion, the adviser said that Japan was a time tested friend of Pakistan and had always supported the country in this time of crisis. He expressed confidence that Pakistan’s relationship with Japan would continue to become stronger with every passing day.
PTA bans five dating apps over 'immoral content' BUSINESS DESK The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has blocked five dating and live streaming applications over "immoral content", it said in a statement on Tuesday. The apps blocked by the authority are Tinder, Tagged, Skout, Grindr and SayHi. The PTA said, "Keeping in view the negative effects of immoral/indecent content streaming through the above applications, the authority had issued notices to the five platforms' managements, asking them to remove 'dating services' and moderate live stream-
ing content 'in accordance with the local laws of Pakistan'. Since the platforms did not respond to the notices within the stipulated time, therefore the authority issued orders for blocking of the said applications, the press release stated. It added, however, that the PTA can "reconsider blocking" of the said applications provided their company managements assure adherence to local laws "with respect to moderating the indecent/immoral content through meaningful engagement". The decision comes less than two months after the PTA banned live streaming applica-
tion Bigo and issued a “final warning” to video-sharing service TikTok over obscene and immoral content on the platforms. The authority had also banned online game PlayerUnknown’s Battle Ground (PUBG) on June 1, citing several complaints about it being "addictive", a waste of time and its potential negative impact on children's physical and psychological health. The ban was subsequently lifted in July after the PTA was given assurances by the legal representatives of the game maker.
FPCCI's allegations against Board of Investment refuted ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
The Board of Investment (BoI) has refuted the allegation of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) regarding the "board downplaying the investors". With reference to a news item titled 'Business community slams BoI for downplaying investors', the board stated that purported meeting between the BOI secretary and FPCCI, as mentioned in the news, never took place. "The alleged meeting referred to in the news article was, in fact, an event held at BOI premises on 27th August 2020 for the 'Launch of 6th Reform Action Plan & Investment Promotion Strategy 2020-2023'," BoI said in a statement issued on Tuesday. "In no way was the event a forum of discussion about the business community as portrayed in the news article."
BOI prides itself in equal representation of the public and private sector, testament of which are its board & executive committee members. Similarly, it has always acknowledged the key role stakeholders play in the successful execution of projects and it will continue to strive to facilitate all towards the achievement of its ultimate objective of economic prosperity in Pakistan, the statement read. Earlier, in a statement, FPCCI Capital Office Coordinator Mirza Abdul Rehman, while referring to a recent meeting held by BoI secretary, had expressed disappointment that out of 10 speakers, eight were the officers of BoI whereas only two speakers were present from the business community. He added that the meeting was very disappointing for the business community as they were not encouraged to speak up their point of view in the meeting.
Shaikh apprised the ambassador about the state of the economy during the past year and how the government had made efforts to mitigate the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. The adviser said that before Covid19 pandemic, Pakistan's economy had started to move in the right direction. "We had been successful in increasing our tax revenues, controlling our current account deficit, generating primary surplus, controlling our expenditures, putting a ban on borrowing from the central bank, and creating a conducive environment for exports." He said he was hopeful that Pakistan would regain stability and equilibrium as the number of active cases of Covid-19 were declining.
MARKET DAILY Bourse turns bullish over improved investor sentiment ‘EXPECTATION OF REDUCTION IN INFLATION FIGURES ALONG WITH RECENT PKR RECOVERY AGAINST USD HELPED LIFT INVESTOR CONFIDENCE’ KARACHI STAFF REPORT
The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) managed to recover losses accumulated in early trade, closing the session on Tuesday with decent gains. The performance of global equity markets remained mixed, whereas Crude oil prices moved north from the previous close; WTI crude oil price appreciating 1.03pc to $43.05 while Brent crude price surging 1.15pc to $45.80. "The stock market moved in a narrow range for the most part, but the benchmark index changed its pattern during the late hours mainly on the back of expectations of a reduction in August inflation figures as well as the recent recovery in Pakistani Rupee against the US Dollar due to higher remittances," said a report issued by Capital Stake. The KSE-100 Index started the day on a negative note (-14 points), but managed to touch its intraday high at 41,401.89 after gaining 290.96 points. It ended higher by 266.33 points at 41,377.26. Among other indices, the KMI-30 Index gathered 0.62pc to close at 66,060.53, while the KSE All Share Index added 161.87 points, settling at 29,122.86. The overall market volumes surged from 451.73 million shares in the previous session to 754.21 million shares (+68pc). Average traded value also increased by 33pc, from $98 million to $130.6 million. Unity Foods Ltd (UNITY +13.10pc), Pak Elektron Ltd (PAEL +7.49pc) and Hascol Petroleum Ltd (HASCOL +6.20pc) led the volume chart, exchanging 90.63 million, 47.45 million and 45.65 million shares, respectively. Sectors that helped the benchmark index avert losses included cement (51.14 points), power generation & distribution (46.13 points) and technology & communication (44.78 points). Among the companies, TRG Pakistan Ltd (TRG 38.90 points), Colgate Palmolive Ltd (COLG 26.21 points) Mari Petroleum Company Ltd (MARI 17.57 points) remained the top contributors. Adding 2.83pc to its cumulative market capitalization, the power generation & distribution sector emerged as the session’s top gainer, with K-Electric Ltd (KEL 5.71pc), Kot Addu Power Company Ltd (KAPCO 5.55pc) and Pakgen Power Ltd (PKGP 1.52pc) closing in the green. Meanwhile, Pakistan State Oil Company Ltd (PSO 0.63pc) reported a loss of Rs6.47 billion for FY20. The company’s sales were down by 3.98pc YoY, while its earnings per share fell from Rs22.55 in FY19 to Rs-13.77.
Bytedance names Jack of Digital as TikTok reseller in Pakistan SINGAPORE BABAR KHAN JAVED
After nearly three months of shortlisting and vetting, Bytedance has named Jack of Digital as its representative reseller for TikTok in Pakistan, a source at GroupM told Profit on Tuesday. As initially reported by Profit in August 2020, Bytedance paused the sales of TikTok branded hashtag challenges in Pakistan when it commenced a search for a Pakistan-based sales partner. As mentioned in the report by Profit, ByteDance shortlisted Brainchild Communications Pakistan, East River, JVentures, JackOfDigital, The Brand Crew, and three more independently owned companies, primarily being evaluated based on the in-market expertise of the owner. Co-founded by Faisal Sheikh in May 2020, a former director of Z2C, Jack of Dig-
ital is currently a sales partner for programmatic contender Eskimi, as well as Mufta.pk and Mettis Global. A source at Bytedance shared that the reseller bid would be awarded to a company where the owner is a seasoned executive that is considered to be the leading authority in social media marketing, digital advertising, and business diversification. Sheikh declined to respond to requests for comments pertaining to this appointment. An alumnus of MIT, Sheikh has two decades of industry experience in Pakistan across brand marketer and agency executive roles. As the head of digital advertising at Brainchild Communications, he led digitalfirst campaigns for companies such as P&G, Samsung, Telenor, Emirates Airlines, and played a role in both the 2013 and 2018 political election campaigns of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, the latter of which was won on a $4.7 million media budget.
Prior to learning that Jack of Digital was named the TikTok reseller for Pakistan, select sources in WPP told Profit that Sheikh was poised to join GroupM to lead a supply-side platform (SSP) for the media investment giant. Similar market rumors hinted at him joining Instagram or YouTube. As the TikTok reseller for Pakistan, Jack of Digital will be tasked with working with advertisers and agencies that are eager to tap into the 25 million users of the platform, using a range of ad products such as reservation ads, the branded hashtag challenge, and auction ads. As reported in Why are Pakistani advertisers ignoring TikTok?, advertisers and agencies shared seven concerns holding them back from working directly with the video-sharing social networking service owned by ByteDance, including brand safety concerns, expensive ad products, the
CMYK
possibility of a platform ban by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), and the lack of a self-serve advertising platform. Last Monday, the PTA issued a press release asking TikTok to block the vulgar, indecent, and immoral content for viewership in Pakistan. “Keeping in view the growing concerns in the society with respect to content, the PTA chairman held an online meeting with senior management of TikTok,” said a press release issued by the company. “While acknowledging the recent efforts of the platform for taking down the indecent content, the PTA chairman asked the platform to put in place stronger content monitoring and moderation mechanism so that the unlawful material was not accessible within Pakistan.” Bytedance declined to respond to questions shared by Profit pertaining to how much control - if at all - the reseller would
have over content policy and content moderation. Similarly, Sheikh declined to respond to requests for details on the win. According to a post-Covid-19 forecast from a leading Publicis Groupe media agency, advertisers in Pakistan are expected to spend $440 million – a drop of almost $55 million – access all advertising mediums during the 2021 fiscal year. Nearly 26% of this, valued at $114.4 million, will be directed towards digital – search, mobile, online video, social media –, according to the forecast. As reported by Profit, in 2023 advertisers in Pakistan are forecasted to spend 100 billion rupees, of which digital will make up 49pc of advertiser marketing budgets, valued at $300 million. The allocation is expected to result in a nationwide media inhousing trend, for which local media agencies are yet to prepare for.
Wednesday, 2 September, 2020
10 FOREIGN NEWS
Iraq extends flight suspension to Turkey until October BAGHDAD AGENCIES
Tension between Ankara and Baghdad heightened after Turkey launched a cross-border operation in northern Iraq as Bagdad has been reported to extend its flight suspension to Turkey until October 1, without giving any explanation. Authorities reopened Baghdad and southern airports last month for international travel after months of closure caused by the coronavirus pandemic. “Iraqi citizens who are stranded in Turkey will need to go through diplomatic measures to return home,” a statement by the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority (ICCA) said on Tuesday. The coronavirus pandemic has caused havoc in Iraq and has shown no signs of abating despite orders to stay at home and other protective measures imposed since mid-March. Iraq has recorded nearly 220,000 infected cases and more than 6,740 deaths since the outbreak of the virus. Daily tallies have increased rapidly in the past few weeks, with cases topping nearly 4,000 every day. Tensions between Baghdad and Ankara heightened in June after Turkey started cross-border operations against Kurdish militants in northern Iraq. Ankara launched the ground offensive, dubbed Operation Claw Tiger, that helped Turkish troops advance deeper into the neighbouring country. Iraq summoned the Turkish ambassador several times and said the move was in response to Ankara's “violations and breaches" that included a drone attack in Erbil, Kurdistan, which killed two officers and a soldier in August. Iraq’s foreign ministry then said Baghdad cancelled a visit by Turkey’s defence minister to the country and summoned the ambassador again to inform him of “Iraq’s confirmed rejection of his country’s attacks and violations”. Turkey has regularly attacked the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), both in its mainly Kurdish south-east and in northern Iraq, where the group is based. The PKK, designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, took up arms against the Turkish state in 1984. More than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict in Turkey's south-east.
US plan to restore Iran sanctions to fail: Russian FM
MaCRON waRNS LebaNeSe LeadeRS OF SaNCTIONS IF ReFORMS aRe NOT SwIFT BEIRUT
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AGENCIES
RENCH President Emmanuel Macron has warned Lebanese politicians they risk sanctions if they fail to set the nation on a new course within three months, stepping up pressure for reforms in a country collapsing under the weight of an economic crisis. Visiting Lebanon for the second time in less than a month, Macron marked the country’s centenary by planting a cedar tree, the emblem of a nation that is facing its biggest threat to stability since the 1975-1990 civil war. “It’s the last chance for this system,” Macron told POLITICO in an interview while travelling to Beirut on Monday. “It’s a risky bet I’m making, I am aware of it ... I am putting the only thing I have on the table: my political capital.” Macron said he was seeking “credible commitments” and a “demanding follow-up mechanism” from Lebanon’s leaders, including a legislative election in
six to 12 months. Should they fail to shift direction in the next three months, he told POLITICO, punitive measures could be imposed, including withholding bailout money and sanctions on the ruling class. Lebanese politicians, some of them former warlords who have overseen decades of industrial-scale corruption, face a daunting task with an economy in meltdown, a swathe of Beirut in tatters after the Aug. 4 port blast and sectarian tensions rising. Hours before he arrived on Monday, a new prime minister was designated, Mustapha Adib, following a consensus among major parties forged under pressure from Macron over the weekend. Macron also visited Beirut last month in the immediate aftermath of the port explosion that killed more than 190 people and injured 6,000. Macron said in Beirut that the international community must remain focused on the emergency in Lebanon for six weeks and said he was ready to help organise an international conference, in co-
ordination with the United Nations, in mid to late October. “I am ready to host it in Paris,” he said. SHOW OF CONFIDENCE: Earlier on Tuesday, Macron planted a cedar sapling at a forest reserve in the mountains northeast of Beirut. The Elysée palace said this was to show Macron’s “confidence in the future of the country”. The French air force display team flew overhead, leaving smoke trails of red, white and green, the national colours of Lebanon whose borders were proclaimed by France 100 years ago in an imperial carve-up with Britain. It gained independence in 1943. Macron, who has been at the centre of international efforts to press Lebanese leaders to tackle corruption and take other steps to fix their country, began his trip late on Monday by meeting Fairouz, 85, one of the Arab world’s most famous singers whose music transcends Lebanon’s deep divisions. He was greeted by dozens of protesters outside her home with placards reading “No cabinet by, or with, the murderers” and
Saudi king sacks two royals under defence corruption probe RIYADH AGENCIES
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman sacked two royals and referred them along with four military officers for an investigation into corruption at the defence ministry in a royal decree issued early on Tuesday and carried by state media. The decree said Prince Fahd bin Turki bin Abdulaziz Al Saud would be removed as commander of joint forces in the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen, and his son Prince Abdulaziz bin Fahd relieved of his post as deputy governor of the al-Jouf region. It said the decision was based on Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s missive to the anti-corruption commission to investigate “suspicious financial transactions at the defence ministry”.
After becoming heir to the throne in 2017 in a palace coup that ousted his predecessor, Prince Mohammed launched an anti-corruption campaign that saw scores of royals, ministers and businessmen detained at Riyadh’s Ritz-Carlton hotel. Most were released after reaching undisclosed settlements with the state. The young prince has made fighting corruption a pillar of his reforms. Critics saw the purge as a power grab by the crown prince, who has moved to sideline any rivals to his eventual succession to the throne, take control of the country’s security apparatus and a crackdown on dissent. Authorities wound down the Ritz campaign after 15 months but said the government would continue to go after graft by state employees. In March, authorities arrested nearly 300 government officials, including mili-
tary and security officers, on charges involving bribery and exploiting public office. Before becoming commander of joint forces in the coalition, Prince Fahd was commander of the Royal Saudi Ground Forces, paratroopers units and special forces, according to Saudi daily Arab News. His father was a former deputy minister of defence. The decree said the crown prince designated Lieutenant Gen Mutlaq bin Salem bin Mutlaq Al-Azima to replace Prince Fahd. The coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015 against the Iranaligned Houthi movement that ousted the Saudi-backed government from power in Sanaa. The conflict, seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, has been in military stalemate for years.
MOSCOW AGENCIES
The U. attempts to re-impose sanctions on Iran are doomed to fail, while Moscow stands ready to mediate between Washington and Tehran, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday. The United States has lost all its rights with Iran by abandoning its obligations under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), known as the Iran nuclear deal, Lavrov said when addressing students of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. "The United States wants now to use a rather complex, sophisticated legal instrument, which was laid down in the JCPOA and approved by the United Nations Security Council, to restore the collective sanctions," he said. "But this mechanism was prepared exclusively for a situation when Iran does not fulfill its obligations, which is not the case," he said. The top Russian diplomat recalled that the United States did not just say that they were renewing unilateral sanctions, but they aimed to ban all other countries from trading with Iran. Lavrov said that Russia supports direct dialogue between the United States and Iran, and is ready to help create conditions for that, if both sides are interested. "It is always better to directly state one's claims and hear a direct answer," he concluded.
Turkey extends gas exploration in eastern Mediterranean ISTAMBUL AGENCIES
Turkey said on Tuesday its Oruc Reis exploration vessel will carry out seismic surveys in a disputed area of the eastern Mediterranean until September 12, provoking an angry response from neighbouring Greece. The two NATO allies vehemently disagree over claims to hydrocarbon resources in the area based on conflicting views on the extent of their continental shelves in waters dotted with mostly Greek islands. Both sides have held military exercises in the eastern Mediterranean, highlighting the potential for the dispute to escalate, stated the reports. The Turkish navy announced the extension of the Oruc Reis's mission late on Monday - it was previously scheduled to end on September 1. According to sources, the advisory came after the European Union's executive earlier on Monday called for dialogue with Turkey and demanded that Ankara refrain from unilateral steps that stoke tensions in the eastern Mediterranean. Greece's foreign ministry called the advisory illegal and urged Turkey to ease tensions and work for stability
in the region. "Turkey continues to ignore calls for dialogue and to escalate its provocations," the ministry said in a statement. "Greece won't be blackmailed." Greece will keep seeking maritime deals with its neighbours in the region, based on international law and the law of the Sea, the ministry added. Last week, Greece ratified an accord on maritime boundaries with Egypt, following a similar agreement signed between Turkey and Libya. Turkey's latest advisory referred to a specific exploration area. On Saturday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the Oruc Reis would continue working for the next 90 days as it moved gradually closer to the Turkish province of Antalya. Seismic surveys are part of preparatory work for potential hydrocarbon exploration. Turkey has also been exploring for hydrocarbon resources in the Black Sea and discovered a 320-billion cubic metre (11.3 trillion cubic feet) gas field. Separately, Turkey also said it will hold a military exercise off northwest Cyprus until September 11. Last week, the EU said it was preparing to impose sanctions on Turkey - including tough economic measures - unless progress is made in reducing soaring tensions with Greece and Cyprus in the eastern Mediterranean.
Rising export sales push China’s manufacturing activity to decade high BEIJING AGENCIES
China’s manufacturing sector expanded again last month at the fastest pace since 2011 thanks to sharp increases in both output and new orders, and a boost in export sales, unseen since last year. The Caixin/Markit manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI), published one day after Beijing released its official gauge of factory activity, rose to 53.1 in August from 52.8 in July. The reading was above analysts’ forecasts, as those polled by Bloomberg and Reuters expected the
index to finish the summer at 52.5 and 52.6 correspondingly. The 50-threshold separates growth from contraction. The index has now risen for four months in a row, reflecting that the manufacturing sector continued to recover from the impact of the pandemic, and that the momentum of the recovery remained strong,” Dr. Wang Zhe, senior economist at Caixin Insight Group, said in a commentary accompanying Tuesday's report. Positive performance of the key sector was driven by expansion of output and new orders, which also saw the most remarkable growth in nearly a decade. The
results of the Caixin survey, which is more focused on small- and medium-sized companies, showed that Chinese factories recorded an increase in new export orders for the first time this year as the coronavirus outbreak showed signs of slowdown in some countries outside China. While employment remains in negative territory for the eighth straight month, in August it edged closer to stabilization, according to the Caixin/Markit data. The findings of the Caixin survey were slightly more positive than the official manufacturing PMI published by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Monday. According
to official data, the manufacturing sector continued to expand last month, by at a slightly slower pace than in July. The official August non-manufacturing PMI showed continued recovery as the service sector expanded at the fastest pace since January 2018. “Overall, the post-epidemic economic recovery in the manufacturing sector continued. Supply and demand expanded with the pickup in overseas demand. Backlogs of work continued to increase. Both the quantity of purchases and stocks of purchased items also grew,” Wang added, commenting on the report.
“Don’t be on the wrong side of history!” He told reporters on Monday he wanted to “ensure that the government that is formed will implement the necessary reforms.” Macron’s agenda includes a tour of the devastated Beirut port, a meeting with President Michel Aoun for a centenary reception and meetings with Lebanon’s various factions. After being designated as premier on Monday, Adib called for the rapid formation of a government, immediate implementation of reforms and an agreement with the International Monetary Fund. Lebanon’s economic crisis is rooted in decades of state corruption and waste that landed the state with one of the world’s heaviest public debt burdens. Since October, the currency has collapsed and depositors have been frozen out of their savings while the real value of those deposits has collapsed in a paralysed banking system. Poverty and unemployment has soared in a nation that already hosts the world’s largest number of refugees per capita.
UNSC renews Mali sanctions, panel monitoring implementation NEW YORK AGENCIES
United Nations Security Council, in a videoconference meeting, on Tuesday announced its decision to renew sanctions in Mali for one year, unanimously adopting a resolution that also extends the work of the expert panel established to focus on the matter. In adopting Resolution 2541 (2020), the Council decided to renew until Aug. 31, 2021 the measures as set out in paragraphs 1 to 7 of Resolution 2374 (2017), which includes imposing a travel ban and asset freeze on those who are hobbling progress on implementing the Agreement of Peace and Reconciliation in Mali. By the resolution's terms, it reaffirmed that these measures shall apply to individuals and entities as designated by the Sanctions Committee established pursuant to Resolution 2374 (2017). The Council also decided to extend until Sept. 30, 2021 the mandate of the Panel of Experts, as well as the request to the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, set out in paragraph 16 of Resolution 2374 (2017), which encouraged the mission's assistance to the panel. The Council also expressed its intention to review the panel's mandate and take appropriate action regarding its further extension no later than Aug. 31, 2021. By the terms of the resolution, the Council requested the secretary-general to take measures to re-establish the Panel of Experts, in consultation with the Sanctions Committee, and asked the panel to provide to the Council, after discussion with the committee, a midterm report no later than Feb. 28, 2021, a final report no later than Aug. 15, 2021 and periodic updates in between, as appropriate. Security Council resolutions are currently adopted through a written procedure vote under temporary, extraordinary and provisional measures implemented in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, as set out in a letter by its president for March, which was China.
India considers raising marriage age NEW DELHI AGENCIES
Indian government deliberating to amend marriage laws in the field while introducing raising marriage age currently prescribes a minimum age of 21 years for men and 18 for women as recently Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed to increase the legal age of marriage for women. Indian marriage laws prescribe a minimum age of 21 years for men and 18 for women but families rampantly flout the rules. According to a UNICEF about 1.5 million underage girls married in 2017, whereas a report by the UN group also found that 27 per cent of girls in India were married off before turning 18.
Wednesday, 2 September, 2020
SPORTS 11
EnGLAnd shOuLd 'dEFInItELy' tOuR PAkIstAn sAys nEw ECB ChAIRMAn
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MANCHESTER APP
NGLAND should "definitely" tour Pakistan provided it is safe to do so, according to new England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chairman Ian Watmore. England have not visited Pakistan since 2005/06. An attack by armed militants on Sri Lanka's team bus in Lahore in 2009 ended major cricket tours for a decade, with Pakistan forced to play 'home' matches in the United Arab Emirates. But other countries have since made the trip, with England scheduled to return to Pakistan in 2022. English players have also taken part in the Pakistan Super League. Both Pakistan and the West Indies, two
Maldives re-joins as member of Commonwealth Games Federation, POA LAHORE APP
Pakistan Olympic Association said on Tuesday that Maldives Commonwealth Games Association has been re-admitted as a member of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) paving the way for the South Asian island nation to compete at future editions of the Commonwealth Games. The Maldives missed the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games due to the Maldives government’s withdrawal from the Commonwealth in 2016, said the information made available here by the Secretary, POA, Muhammad Khalid Mahmood. The resolution for the readmission of the Maldives was approved in a vote of the 71 Commonwealth Games Associations (CGAs) in August 2020, meaning that the Commonwealth sporting family grows to 72 nations and territories. The CGF resolution comes after the Maldives Government’s application for re-admission to the Commonwealth was approved by Commonwealth Heads of Government and announced by the Commonwealth Secretariat earlier this year. The Maldives has a proud record at the Commonwealth Games having competed in eight editions of the competition, beginning in Edinburgh in 1986 and most recently in Glasgow in 2014. In a letter to Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and the Maldives CGA confirming the news, CGF President Dame Louise Martin DBE said: “I am delighted to confirm the re- admission of the Maldives as a Member of the Commonwealth Games Federation. The Resolution for the re-admission of the Maldives was overwhelmingly approved by our Membership, and on behalf of the entire Commonwealth Sport Movement, may I congratulate you as we welcome your country and your inspirational athletes back to the Commonwealth Games. It will be an honour and a privilege to see the Maldives compete at the next Commonwealth Games in Birmingham 2022, where there will be huge support for your island nation especially at the Opening Ceremony. It is a pleasure to see the Maldives return to our family of nations and to work with us to uphold our collective values of Humanity, Equality and Destiny.
of world cricket's financially poorer nations, have helped spare the ECB losses that could have totalled hundreds of millions of pounds by going ahead with tours of England even when Britain was badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic. "It would be brilliant for us and for the game there to get cricket back on," said Watmore on Tuesday, just hours before Pakistan's tour concludes with the third Twenty20 international against England at Old Trafford. "With Pakistan back hosting cricket we should definitely go and tour there if it's at all safe to do so." In his first day in post since succeeding Colin Graves, the 62-year-old Watmore, a former businessman and civil servant, who was briefly chief executive of England's
governing Football Association, also discussed the financial problems facing the ECB a a result of Covid-19 during a wideranging media conference. Even though Pakistan and the West Indies, as well as Australia and Ireland, have all come over for behind closed doors series, the ECB is still facing a £100 million ($134 million) shortfall and Watmore said job cuts at the board were "inevitable". The coronavirus has delayed the introduction of the controversial 'Hundred' competition but Watmore defended the new 100-balls per side tournament as a way of attracting new audiences and for its role in helping to professionalise domestic women's cricket. Graves suggested six of England's existing 18 first-class counties might no
Selection is based on performance rather age: Younis Khan on dropping Hafeez, Shafiq AGENCIES Batting coach Younis Khan has come out in defence of Pakistan's assortment of ageing batsmen such as Mohammad Hafeez and Asad Shafiq, saying that there is no reason to drop someone just because of their age. Shafiq, 34, endured a horror Test series against England, scoring a mere 67 runs across five innings and three matches. Hafeez's retention in the side has also been criticised as he's set to turn 40 next month, although he shut his critics on Sunday with a brilliant 69 that went in vain. Younis, who himself played on until the age of 39, says performances and not advancing years should be the sole criteria for selection.
"If Hafeez keeps on playing like he did yesterday or does even better, demonstrates his form and fitness, then why should he be dumped?" Younis said in an online press conference today. "We often sideline players just on the basis of their age. The team should have a combination of juniors and seniors. But since now that we've lost, our lack of experience is being blamed," he said as he accused critics of changing goal posts. Younis also threw his weight behind Shafiq, who failed miserably in the Test series. "A player such as Asad Shafiq should not be cut off. We should instead try and lift our experienced players," he said. We are working with Asad on his weak areas but during tours you can
only tweak strategy. Strengthening technical areas require [more] time. The batting coach, who got the job prior to the England tour and, as of now, just for that tour, claimed credit for skipper Azhar finding form in the final Test. "It is very important to show players where they are making mistakes. We spotted Azhar Ali's weakness by watching his videos. I worked on his top hand, which is why his bat [got space needed to connect]. It wasn't a massive technical change. We just worked on his hands," Younis explained. He also reserved special praise for wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan, saying: "After a long time I have seen a wicketkeeper-batsman play so well in England."
PCB announces 'slow, careful' resumption of cricket activities in Pakistan LAHORE APP
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a "gradual resumption" of its domestic sporting activities across the country that had come to a grinding halt in March due to the Covid-19 pandemic. According to a PCB press release, over the two-part resumption, the board will first have a "soft reopening of the National High Performance Centre by allowing only the current Pakistan cricketers to have the first use of the facilities". Furthermore, it would allow "recreational cricket" to be staged, albeit with strict adherence to governmentissued protocols. "In the next phase, the PCB will announce protocols under which the domestic cricket competitions will be held," the press release added. On March 17, the PCB had
suspended all cricketing activities, including the Pakistan Super League 2020. It had decided against issuing any NOCs for traditional Ramzan tournaments as well.
Italian clubs eye Lionel Messi but price tag proves too heavy AGENCIES Some Serie A clubs have their eye on Lionel Messi but the hefty price tag on the football star sees them seek cheaper options. The notion of Messi resuming his rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo is appealing. And Italy offers possible tax advantages for Messi, who has had issues in that area in Spain. The Italian media has fuelled the dreams of Serie A fans by reporting this summer that his father Jorge Messi had bought an apartment in Milan. In recent seasons, even the top Serie A clubs have generally avoided competing in the transfer market with the wealthiest clubs in Spain, England and France and the coronavirus crisis has many clubs insisting they
will be even more careful. Italian clubs value experience and, at 35, Ronaldo, one of the few stars to arrive from abroad for a big fee in recent seasons, will remain the headliner at Juventus. But the club have recognised that before they set off in pursuit of a 10th consecutive title they need to rejuvenate an ageing squad. They have brought in 41-year-old Andrea Pirlo for his first head coaching job and acquired 24-year-old Brazilian Arthur from Barcelona in a deal which saw 30-year-old Miralem Pjanic go the other way, covering nearly all of the theoretical 72-million-euro ($86-million) fee. Juventus are taking 22-year-old American Weston McKennie from Schalke on loan and allowing 33-year-old Frenchman Blaise Matuidi to leave for David Beckham´s Inter Miami.
They are reportedly trying to usher out 33-year-old Sami Khedira and 32-year-old Gonzalo Higuain. Higuain, whom Juve snatched from Napoli in 2016 for 90 million euros, reportedly wants a payoff to cover the final year of his contract before leaving. Yet, proving that experience still counts for the Bianconeri, 34-year-old Roma centre-forward Edin Dzeko has reportedly been targeted to replace Higuain. Also in the veteran category is Zlatan Ibrahimovic, at almost 39, who has signed for another season with AC Milan.Deprived of the Champions League since 2014, the club sees him as a mentor for a talented young generation which finished the season in style with a 12match unbeaten streak in the league. ´NOT A MASCOT´: "I´m not here to be a mascot, but to help the club get back to
CMYK
where it deserves to be," said Zlatan, who returned on Saturday to prepare for the new season, which starts on September 19. The highly sought-after and talented 20year-old Sandro Tonali of Brescia could be part of Milan´s rebuilding. As for Inter, who chased Juve home last season, the aim is to strengthen the midfield, where Christian Eriksen, who arrived cheaply in January from Tottenham, has not so far been the answer. Antonio Conte, a manager with a reputation for seeking players who can deliver at once, is reportedly looking for experience in midfield and Italian media have mentioned 33-year-old Chilean Arturo Vidal of Barcelona and 29-year-old N´Golo Kante of Chelsea. Conte coached Vidal at Juventus and Kante at Chelsea. Inter have already
longer play red-ball cricket in future but Watmore said he thought that each one could remain active across all formats, while "developing England players of the future". "Each county can play its part in the future of English cricket in addition to playing in the core tournaments," he said. "If the economics and performance standards don't allow that, or the individual counties decide they want to do something different, then that is a conversation, but it is not where I'm coming from as I come into this job." With the retirement of Lord Kamlesh Patel, the ECB board is now entirely composed of white members, something Watmore said was "not acceptable in the long run".
BCCI set to spend around Rs100m for 20,000 plus tests during IPL AGENCIES The Indian cricket board has budgeted nearly Rs100 million for more than 20,000 Covid-19 tests to be conducted during the Indian Premier League starting September 19. While the eight franchises bore the cost of testing in India, the BCCI is picking up the tab for the RT-PCR tests which have been conducted from August 20 when the teams started landing in the UAE. “We have engaged VPS Healthcare, a UAE based company to conduct the tests. While I can’t put a number, it will be more than 20,000 tests which would include everyone. Each test would cost BCCI around 200 AED (Dirham) excluding taxes,” a senior IPL official told PTI on conditions of anonymity. “So the BCCI will be spending something in the tune of Rs10 crore (Rs100 million) for the COVID tests. Around 75 healthcare workers who are part of the company are a part of the IPL testing process.” The BCCI doesn’t want to leave anything to chance as far as safety of players and officials is concerned and the healthcare workers have been put in a separate hotel. “We couldn’t have taken the risk. A separate biobubble has been created by the company in a hotel. Around 50 of its health care staff are attached with testing process while another 25 are engaged in lab and documentation work,” he informed. “The BCCI is however not paying for this bio-bubble and hotel expenses which will be borne by the company.” A total of 1988 Covid-19 tests were carried out between August 20–28 across all those involved with the tournament, including players and support staff. CSK were forced to extend their quarantine after 13 members of their contingent tested positive, including two players in India seamer Deepak Chahar and A team batsman Ruturaj Gaikwad. However, as on Tuesday, all 13 members of the contingent, who had tested positive have returned negative test results. Another Covid test will be conducted on September 3 and if those results turn out negative, CSK will be allowed to start with their training as early as on September 4.
added speedy 21-year-old Morocco international right-back Achraf Hakimi from Dortmund. Both Atalanta and Lazio, third and fourth last season, are banking on continuity. Lazio on Monday extended the contract of last season´s Serie A top scorer Ciro Immobile, who is 30, until 2025. In this generally cautious market, Napoli, desperate to return to the Champions League, have made the biggest splash, signing Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen from Lille for a fee of up to 80 million euros. But that means Napoli must sell and they have agreed to allow Brazilian midfielder Allan to join Everton. Senegalese defender Kalidou Koulibaly could soon follow to England. Meanwhile, former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who ran AC Milan during an era when Serie A attracted almost all the most expensive stars, is making waves at Serie B club Monza, acquiring Dane Christian Gytkjaer and Croatian international Mirko Maric, the top scorers in last season´s Polish and Croatian leagues.
Wednesday, 2 September, 2020
PRAyER TIMINGS
NEWS
PEACE IN KArAChI vItAl for NAtIoNAl SECUrIty, StAbIlIty: CoAS SAYS ISSUE IS NOT NON-AVAILABILITY OF RESOURCES BUT SETTING PRIORITIES RIGHT KARACHI
C
STAFF REPORT
HIEF of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Tuesday said that peace in the national economic hub Karachi is vital for security and stability of Pakistan and all efforts will continue to maintain normalcy in Karachi and Sindh. The army chief said this at Karachi Corps Headquarters, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. Earlier, the COAS reached Karachi on a two-day long
visit. General Bajwa said that no city in Pakistan can cope with a natural calamity of this scale. “Our issue is not non-availability of resources but setting priorities right,” he said. The COAS said that the plans being made by the federal and provincial governments will have army’s all-out support as having future repercussions on economic security of the country. He said that this natural calamity provided an opportunity to set the priority for management of mega cities across Pakistan to avoid such disasters in future.
Abraham Accord 'big turn for optimism' in Middle East: Kushner ABU DHABI AGENCIES
Commenting over Abraham Accord agreed by the UAE, Israel and the US on Tuesday White House senior adviser Jared Kushner said it as a big turn for optimism in the Middle East and throughout the world and termed the accord as an historic breakthrough between UAE and Israel. Speaking to the press in Abu Dhabi after he led the visit of a US-Israeli delegation to Abu Dhabi, which arrived on the first commercial flight between the UAE and Israel, Kushner said the biggest part of this “historic breakthrough” is that it has inspired people “to see that peace is possible”. “What we had through this agreement was two leaders breaking a barrier that many in this region thought would never be breakable,” Kushner said before he left the UAE capital to continue his tour of the region, with stops in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. “So, not just in the Middle East, are now countries who weren't thinking of normalising relations with Israel, thinking of forming a relationship and doing things they wouldn't have thought to do a couple of weeks ago.” “There's a lot of envy in the region that the United Arab Emirates took this step and we now have access to Israeli agriculture technology, security business.
India reports steepest fall of Apr-Jun GDP in over 40 years MUMBAI AGENCIES
India reported its steepest fall in headline GDP numbers in 40 years by reporting 23.9 percent contraction in the April-June quarter over the same quarter last year, according to the data of National Statistical Office. The combined Index of eight core industries stood at 119.9 in July 2020, which declined by 9.6 (provisional) percent as compared to the corresponding month last year while the cumulative growth during the five-month period from April to July declined by 20.5 percent. The contraction is a fall-out of the Covid-19 led lockdown in the country as India ranks third after the United States and Brazil for the total number of Coid-19 cases. In the preceding quarter of Jan-Mar, the India's GDP had grown at 3.1 percent but had declined for the entire fiscal year of 2019-20 (Apr-Mar) to 4.1 percent, the weakest since the global financial crisis, from 6.1 percent in the preceding year of 2018-19. In the first four months of the current financial year till July-end, India's fiscal deficit crossed the full year budget target at 111.7 billion U.S. dollars or 103.1 percent for the current fiscal year, as per the government data. "With the localised lockdowns arresting the recovery in many sectors, the pace of the contraction in the GoI's (Government of India) gross tax revenues recorded only a subdued improvement to 20 percent in July 2020 from 23 percent in June 2020, which was led by excise duty, income tax and customs duty," said Aditi Nayar, principal economist with ICRA, a domestic credit rating agency.
The COAS expressed satisfaction on the pace of disaster relief work. He directed that work priority should be given to areas of common public utility and worst hit communities first. “At no point influence of a particular locality or community should be allowed to shift attention or resources from those in need. It is a national disaster and everyone is in it together,” he remarked. The army chief reiterated that the army will not disappoint the population in their time of need. The COAS appreciated garrison troops for maintaining law and order, particularly during the first 10 days of Muharram-ulHaram. Later, the army chief interacted with retired senior and serving garrison officers. He appreciated officers for their
contribution towards defence and security of the country. Earlier, on arrival at Karachi, the COAS was flown over the city for aerial reconnaissance of the ground impact of urban flooding in Karachi. Later, the COAS visited Karachi Corps Headquarters. He was briefed about the worst urban flooding in the recent history of Karachi and army’s support to civil administration across Sindh and particularly Karachi. He was apprised that unprecedented rains combined with decades of urban congestion, unplanned population settlement as well as infrastructural issues compounded the problem. Earlier, on arrival in Karachi, the army chief was received by Karachi Corps Commander Lieutenant General Humayun Aziz.
Pakistan, Russia may sign commercial agreement on NSGP project within 30 days ISLAMABAD AHMAD AHMADANI
Pakistan and Russia are likely to sign a commercial agreement within 30 days for the construction of the 1,100-kilometre North-South Gas Pipeline (NSGP). The government has planned on taking action regarding the NSGP project to ensure transport of 1.2 billion cubic feet per day (BCFD) of Regasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG) from Karachi to Lahore. Sources said that the Petroleum Division has decided to finalise the NSGP project with Russia and work on the project will commence in six months. They also said that the government is also finalising a commercial agreement with Russia within 30 days. They said that the Petroleum Division created a joint venture with Russia wherein it retains 51-80 per cent equity. It will fund a large portion of the debt from the Gas Infrastructure Development Cess (GIDC) funds, and start land acquisition right away. A decisive meeting between Pakistan and officials
from Russia is likely to be held during September to decide the fate of NSGP project, they added. Sources said that following a decision of the Supreme Court (SC) regarding the Gas Infrastructure Development Surcharge (GIDS), the Petroleum Division has been considering various options to ensure the construction of NSGP as the GIDC amount can only be spent in gas infrastructure projects. If the government fails to initiate any gas infrastructure project during the next six months, then the GIDS Act will be invalidated as per the apex court’s order on GIDC, they added. It has been learnt that the Petroleum Division has sought advice from the Law Division regarding the GIDC, including time constraints, expandability, and consumer billing and refund policies. An agreement between Pakistan and Russia was previously signed on October 16, 2015, for the development of the NSGP having a transmission capacity of 1.2 BCFD from Karachi to Lahore. According to the document, Pak-
Hamas strikes deal with Israel to reduce violence GHAZA AGENCIES
An understanding has been reached to rein in the latest escalation and end aggression against our people, the office of the Palestinian territory's Gaza leader, Yahya Sinwar, said while talking to the media. Israel has been attacking Gaza in recent days after incendiary
balloons and kites were launched across the border. According to Hamas, there had been "a total halt" to balloon and other attacks against Israel, in agreement with other factions in the coastal strip, which is home to about two million people. "Fuel supplies will return and the power station will be restarted from Tuesday," the source said. An Egyptian delegation
istan and Russia had entered into government-to-government (G2G) agreement for the development of the NSGP project. The proposed pipeline will be laid with a 42-inch diameter and will have the capacity to transport 1.2 BFCD of RLNG. RT-Global Resources (RT-GR) and Inter-State Gas Systems (ISGS) were nominated as project developers under the agreement. ISGS is responsible for the provision of land rights and security whereas RT-GR is responsible for financing, designing, constructing and operating the project. Phase-I of NSGP is to be completed by December 2022 and phase-II is to be completed by December 2023. The Petroleum Division considered using a bidding process to help cover the cost of the project. The cost of NSGP is projected to be $2.70 billion, and while the Petroleum Division can provide $1.50 billion thanks to the GIDC amount, initiating a bidding process can bring relief to the masses as well as energy security. had been moving between the two sides to try to broker a renewal of an informal truce under which Israel committed to ease its 13-year blockade of Gaza in return for calm on the border. It was joined by Mohammed Al Emadi, the Qatari envoy to Gaza, who also held talks with Israeli officials in Tel Aviv. According to reports, Cogat, Israel's liaison agency to the Palestinian territories, confirmed that Gaza's main goods crossing would reopen and fishermen would be allowed back to work, up to 15 nautical miles from the shore.
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Pakistan urges UNSC to reform counterterrorism work ISLAMABAD TLTP
A top Pakistani diplomat has called on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to shift some of its focus on combating al-Qaeda and ISIS/Da’esh to Hindutva extremists in India terrorising Muslims, as he stressed the need for the 15-member body to reform its counter-terrorism work. “Terrorism has proliferated across the world,” Ambassador Munir Akram told a virtual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) which discussed the annual report of the Security Council on its actions to maintain international peace and security. Pointing out deficiencies in the council’s work, the Pakistani envoy said that while keeping focus on al-Qaeda and Da’esh, it had “ignored terrorism by extremist and fascist organizations, including the Hindutva groups terrorising Muslims”. “It has allowed the labels of terrorism to compromise the legitimate struggles of peoples under colonial and alien domination for self-determination. It has also ignored state terrorism which is used for oppressing and brutalising peoples under occupation,” he said. The Council, Ambassador Akram said, has also failed to implement its own resolutions and decisions, including on the decade-old Jammu and Kashmir dispute. “For over seventy years, India has illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir in blatant violation of the resolutions of the Security Council; it is perpetrating a reign of terror in a territory occupied with 900,000 troops; it has imposed a complete siege on 8 million Kashmiris in the valley and it is perpetrating massive violations of human rights against them and against its own minority communities, he told the council. “In the wake of its illegal and unilateral actions of August 5, 2019, the BJPRSS government is putting in place what they have themselves called the ‘final solution’ for Jammu and Kashmir – demographic flooding of occupied Kashmir by settler communities to completely disempower and disenfranchise the Kashmiri people and to obliterate their Muslim identity and that of the occupied territory,” he said. In this regard, the Pakistani envoy said that the Council met thrice in one year on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, reaffirming its disputed status and that a final settlement based on UNSC resolutions.
UNSC fails to adopt text on prosecuting, rehabilitating foreign terrorist fighters NEW YORK AGENCIES
United Nations Security Council, in a videoconference meeting Tuesday announced that a draft resolution aimed at advancing measures to prosecute, rehabilitate and reintegrate foreign terrorist fighters did not pass owing to a negative vote by a permanent member. With a vote of 14 in favor to one against (the United States), the 15-member organ failed to adopt the text, which would have repeated calls for continuous implementation of measures regarding prosecution, rehabilitation and reintegration of foreign terrorist fighters, as laid out in previous resolutions. By the draft, the Council would have reemphasized that women associated with foreign terrorist fighters returning or relong-term methods to counter violent extremism conducive to terrorism, and incitement to commit terrorist acts.
Iran nuclear deal parties meet amid US pressure VIENNA AGENCIES
Iran has been progressively stepping up its nuclear activities since last year. The signatories to the faltering Iran nuclear deal meet in Vienna on Tuesday as the US is urging international sanctions on the Islamic republic to be reimposed and an arms embargo to be extended. Reports disclosed that Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia are struggling to save the 2015 landmark accord with Iran, which has been progressively stepping up its nuclear activities since last year. Tehran insists it is entitled to do so under the deal – which swapped sanctions relief for Iran's agreement to scale back its nuclear programme – following the US
withdrawal from the accord in 2018 and the reimposition of sanctions. In a boost to Tuesday's talks, the Iranian atomic energy last week agreed to allow inspectors of the UN nuclear watchdog to visit two sites that allegedly hosted undeclared activity in the early 2000s. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) head Rafael Grossi had travelled to Iran on his first trip since taking up the top post last year and after months of calling for access. Results from any site visits are, however, expected to take three months, according to a diplomat familiar with the matter, so "it risks being a problem then with the Iranians" if anything undeclared and nuclear-related is found. Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's Ambassador to International Organisations in Vi-
enna, said on Twitter on Monday that "nuclear deal participants have a lot of topics to discuss". The meeting will be chaired by EU senior official Helga-Maria Schmid with deputy foreign ministers or political directors from Britain, China, France, Germany, Iran and Russia attending. Mark Fitzpatrick, an associate fellow of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), said last week's agreement on access kept "Iran generally in line with the rest of the world, against an isolated United States". The United Nations last week blocked the US bid to reimpose international sanctions on Iran, while Washington also failed to rally enough support to extend an arms embargo set to lapse in October. But Mr Fitzpatrick pointed out that "Iran's nuclear
Published by Arif Nizami at Plot # 7, Al-Baber Centre, F/8 Markaz, Islamabad. Ph: 051-2204545. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk
activities remain of deep concern to those states that are dedicated to non-proliferation". Iran reportedly recently transferred advanced centrifuges used to enrich uranium from a pilot facility into a new hall at its main Natanz nuclear fuel plant, which was hit by sabotage in July. An IAEA assessment published in June said Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium was almost eight times the limit fixed in the accord. The level of enrichment is still far below what would be needed for a nuclear weapon, but EU parties to the deal have urged Iran's full compliance. The IAEA, which regularly updates its members on Iran's nuclear activities, is expected to issue a new report ahead of a meeting of member states to discuss the dossier later this month.