EpaperISB_21-04-07

Wednesday, 7 April, 2021 I 23 Shaban, 1442 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XI No 279 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition

PDM in tatters as anP Parts ways, PPP set to follow suit g

g

ANP, JUI-F wASH DIRTy LINEN IN PUbLIC

PPP PREPARINg ‘TOUgH RESPONSE’ TO SHOw-CAUSE NOTICE; CONvENES CEC MEETINg TO DECIDE FUTURE STRATEgy ISLAMABAD

t

mian abrar

HE Awami National Party (ANP) on Tuesday announced to part ways with the opposition alliance of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) while the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leadership has also toughened its stance, indicating it may soon say goodbye to the alliance due to “increasing mistrust” and “immature and hasty” decision-making by the alliance leadership.

Sources in the opposition alliance told Pakistan Today that an “increasing gulf and deep-down differences” between the leadership of PPP, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal (JUI-F) have led to the tipping point as the ANP decided to jump ship, adding that the PPP is also likely to follow the suit sooner than later.

Sources say that if the gulf between the PPP and JUI-F and PML-N was not enough, the hasty decisions taken by the PDM’s steering committee to send show-cause notices to the PPP and ANP have worked as the straw that broke the camel’s back.

ANP leader Amir Haider Hoti on Tuesday afternoon told a presser in the fed-

eral capital that his party has decided to part ways from the PDM in wake of the show cause notice issued to it. However, he added that the ANP will continue to support the PDM’s manifesto.

Outright rejecting the show-cause notice, Hoti argued that even if the notice had to be issued, it should also have been sent to the PML-N for striking set adjustment with ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Punjab Assembly and JUI-F for supporting the PTI in Larkana, Sindh. “both the PML-N and JUIF must explain why they forged alliances with PTI in Punjab and Sindh. The purpose of the show-cause notice to the ANP looks like to cause political harm to the ANP,” Hoti told a press conference after the party meeting.

Responding to a question, Hoti maintained that the PDM had put pressure on the federal government. He said that the long march had to be postponed due to disagreements over the timing of the resignations.

“The ANP was of the view that the long march would not end without resignations. My suggestion was to postpone the long march until all the PDM parties agreed on the timing of the resignations,” he said.

About voting for PPP’s nominee in

the Senate election, Hoti said that the PPP had reservations about the PML-N candidate, Azam Nazir Tarar.

“PPP’s concerns should have been removed by the PML-N through consultation but this did not happen. we had to choose one of the two opposition candidates in the Senate. we did not stamp in the dark of night,” he argued.

Hoti said that only party President Asfandyar wali Khan has the authority to issue a show-cause notice to the ANP. “If an explanation was needed, we would have given an explanation. why

there was no explanation by PML-N’s for its support for PTI in Punjab Assembly?

“JUI-F and PTI have formed an alliance in Larkana, can’t it be explained? we expected Maulana Sahib to take decisions as the head of PDM but we had no idea that he would take steps as leader of the PML-N and JUI-F,” he said. “we know why the show-cause notice was issued,” he said, arguing that the ANP had already given them the explanation they needed. “yet the purpose of the showcase is clear. The purpose of the show cause no-

Pakistan to reach IMF for second Covid relief package: PM ISLAMABAD staff report

Prime Minister Imran Khan Tuesday said that his government would reach out to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a second relief package as the third Covid-19 wave had gripped the country and its service sector had been hit badly. “we are going to speak to IMF because we see disruptions ahead.

Just when our economy was recovering and all the indicators were positive, unfortunately, we will have to review the whole situation and our new Ehsaas Programme. “because the service industry has been badly hit everywhere in the world but in Pakistan, our service industry has been really badly hit,” the prime minister said addressing the launching ceremony of the United Nations Development Program’s (UNDP) Pakistan National Human Development Report on Inequality.

The event was also attended by Federal Planning Minister Asad Umar, with virtual attendance by the assistant secretary-general, assistant administrator and UNDP regional director for Asia and the Pacific Kanni wignaraja.

The report, presented by the lead author Dr Hafeez Pasha, explores the

many dimensions of inequality in Pakistan. These dimensions have been captured both at the national and provincial levels, exploring inequality between and within Pakistan’s provinces.

In addition, inequality has been measured from the perspective of people focusing on children, labour,

youth, and women. The report takes a comprehensive approach, exploring not just economic measures such as income and wealth, but also studying inequalities in human development – the true measure of a country’s success.

The prime minister said that Pakistan was having a far worse third wave than the first one.

He said that in the United States with a population of 330 million, around $4 trillion were given out to Covid-hit people contrary to Pakistan which distributed just $8 billion among a population of $220 million.

“So I think, this is time for the second package and we will obviously talk to IMF,” the prime minister said.

“A civilised society is defined by the way it looks after its weaker section of the population. It is not defined by the way the rich people live,” the premier remarked.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

On-campus classes for grades 1-8 to remain suspended in Covid-19 hotspots

ISLAMABAD staff report

A meeting of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Tuesday decided to keep in-person classes for students in grades one to eight suspended until April 28 in Covid-19 hotspots.

Last month, the government had closed down all educational institutions in several major cities and Islamabad initially for two weeks but later extended until April 11 after a surge in Covid-19 cases there.

On Tuesday, a meeting of the NCOC — chaired by Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar and attended by federal and provincial education and health ministers — was held to decide on the reopening of schools.

“It was decided that in districts affected by the pandemic, in-person classes will remain suspended for students in grades 1 to 8 until April 28,” said Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood in a press conference after the meeting. “It must be remembered that not every district is a coronavirus hotspot.”

“For example, the Punjab education minister informed the meeting that he has 13 districts that have been affected. Therefore, in these 13 districts classes for grades 1 to 8 will not require the physical presence of students,” he said.

“The provinces will decide which areas are the most affected and where this will be implemented.” The minister said that this decision will be reviewed again on April 28.

The Sindh government on Sunday suspended

on-campus classes from grade one to eight in all public and private schools for 15 days starting April 6. Recalling the development, Shafqat said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has done the same.

He said that further consultations will be held whether the on-campus classes will remain suspended until Eid or should they be resumed “in some staggered way”.

Classes from nine to 12 will be held under strict compliance with coronavirus guidelines from April 19 onwards, so that these students can complete their preparation for their upcoming final assessments.

“Universities in affected districts will also remain closed and classes will be held online,” he said, adding that in other districts, universities will remain open and function as normal.

BOARD AND O/A-LEVEL ASSESSEMENTS: Last week, Shafqat had announced that board examinations would take place according to their timetable as giving students the “baseline” grade was no longer an option.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

tice is to harm the ANP politically. Some parties want to use the PDM for their own objectives. They must clarify the show cause notice was sent with which authority,” he said. Hoti said that with the issuance of a show-cause notice, the ANP had been pushed against the wall.

“The role of the PDM chief was not to attack comrades. Today, we have come to the conclusion that we should part ways from the PDM. Hence, the ANP has decided to resign from all the offices of the PDM,” concluded the ANP leader.

PPP TOUGHENS STANCE: Sources in the PPP have said that the party leadership has decided to strongly respond to the show-cause notice issued to the party by the PDM and a befitting response would be given soon. Moreover, the party chairman has convened an emergency session of the party’s top decision-making body, the Central Executive Committee (CEC), and the party would consider a similar decision as that taken by ANP. The source said that the PPP would respond to the show-cause notice in an aggressive rather than reconciliatory manner. Reportedly, PPP Chairman bilawal bhutto-Zardari directed senior leaders of the party to give a strong response to the notice.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

Coronavirus in

Pakistan

CONFIRMED CASES:

696,184

LAST UPDATED AT 7:53 AM ON APRIL 6, 2021

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

NEW CASES:

103

3,953

RECOVERED:

DEATHS:

618,158 14,924 SINDH:

PUNJAB:

266,926

235,569

KP:

BALOCHISTAN:

AJK/GB:

ISLAMABAD:

93,033

13,529/5,061

19,855 62,211

more inside

Pakistan-Russia ties taking new turn in fields of trade, defence: FM STORY ON BACK PAGE

1m doses of Covid19 vaccines administered, says Asad STORY ON PAGE 03

02

Wednesday, 7 April, 2021

ISLAMABAD

NEWS

ECP REgistERs ovER 110 Million votERs aCRoss Pakistan ISLAMABAD

t

MiAn AbRAR

HE Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday released the total number of voters across Pakistan, taking the voters tally to 1,108,224,697 eligible voters.

The updated data reveals that the ECP has added at least six million new voters since 2018, when the last general elections were held.

According to the rolls released in 2018. before the general elections, 105.96 million

DATA RELEASED REFLECTS 65.33 MILLION MALE, 50.29 MILLLION FEMALE VOTERS voters were registered to cast their vote in the 2018 elections. Of those, 59.22 million were male and 46.73 million were female, with the gender gap between male and female rising to around 12.5 million.

Per the data released by the ECP on Tuesday, the total number of male voters in Pakistan is 65.33 million, while the number

CPC, PPP agree to further strong mutual bond, long term cooperation ISLAMABAD MiAn AbRAR

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chief Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday assured Chinese Ambassador Nong Rong that the PPP and Communist Party of China (CPC) would build on the strong mutual relationship and long-term cooperation nurtured over three generations of the PPP and the CPC. The commitment was made during a call by the Chinese ambassador on the former president and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari at Bilawal House, Karachi. PPP Vice President Sherry Rehman was also present. The Chinese ambassador was accompanied by Defence Attache Major General Chen Wen Rong, Consul General Karachi Li Bijian and other diplomats. Ambassador Rong exchanged views with the PPP leadership on areas of mutual cooperation and long-standing brotherly relations between the two neighbouring nations and the two political parties, the PPP and CPC. Zardari and Bilawal thanked the Chinese government for all its bilateral cooperation in setting up the monumental China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) after Gwadar Port was granted to China by Zardari. They also expressed their gratitude for the assistance by the Chinese government to the people of Pakistan in the provision of essential vaccine aid to prevent Covid-19.

Courts blamed for defective police investigation, judge regrets LAHORE inP

Lahore High Court (LHC) Justice Sardar Muhammad Dogar on Tuesday expressed displeasure over noncompliance of police with court orders in separate cases, observing the negligence was rendering the courts ineffective. “People don’t make comments against other institutions but only the image of courts is tarnished,” Justice Dogar said. “The image of the judiciary is being tarnished, courts are blamed and victimised [for police’s negligence] but people are not aware of the loopholes left in cases by the police [during the investigation].” All courts function within the legal framework, he explained. Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Inam Ghani, Lahore police chief Ghulam Mehmood Dogar, and other police officials were also present during the hearing. In various cases, Justice Dogar had passed orders that the police had failed to carry out. During the proceeding, IGP Ghani said the future orders would be implemented in letter and spirit. Concluding the hearing, Justice Dogar ordered Ghani to submit a report with a list of all orders that were complied with and those that weren’t.

of female voters is 50.29 million.

In Punjab, the number of male voters is 37,001,026 while the number of female voters is 35,020,231 and the total number of voters is 67,021,257.

The number of male voters in Sindh is 13,751,191, while the number of female voters is 11,194,404 and the total number of

voters is 24,945,595.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), male voters 11,271,917 while female voters are 8,689,497. The total number of voters is 19,961,414.

The number of male voters in Balochistan is 2,814,156 and the number of female voters is 2,15,301 and the total number of voters is 4,919,457.

The number of male voters in Islamabad is 462,445 and the number of female voters 4,14,529. The total number of voters is 876,974.

Per the official spokesman of the ECP, the voters can get the details of their voter

Maryam urges LHC to reject NAB request of bail cancellation with penalty LAHORE STAFF REPORT

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Tuesday requested the Lahore High Court (LHC) to turn down a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) request “with special costs” on account of “being frivolous and vexatious”.

The dirty money watchdog approached the high court in March for the cancellation of her bail in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills (CSM) corruption case.

In November 2019, the high court granted post-arrest bail to Maryam in the said reference but directed her to surrender her passport as the prosecution feared she might flee the country.

In its petition, the agency said since her bail, Maryam had been “continuously attacking state institutions” through her statements on media and social media.

In her response to the request, Maryam submitted her written response, saying: “NAB remained silent for 14 months in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case. NAB’s cases and arrests are an attempt to suppress the voice.”

“The Supreme Court should dismiss NAB’s request [to cancel bail] and impose a fine [on the body],” Maryam said. “She remained in NAB’s custody on physical remand for a period of 48 days, she was thoroughly interrogated as to her entire career including all her assets, both moveable and immovable, she furnished whatever information was available and concealed nothing, finally the request by NAB for further extension in her physical remand was turned down by the accountability court,” the statement said.

The delay had been on part of NAB, it added. The statement further said the “respondent is a law-abiding citizen, she is a known democrat, she is a true believer

of the rule of law, accountability across the board and independence of institutions including the respondent bureau; its matter of record that notwithstanding reasonable belief as to use of bureau as an agency for political engineering and victimisation, answering respondent has extended full cooperation, furnished information, submitted written replies and entered an appearance as and when required”.

“Moreover, the contents of preliminary submissions are reiterated herein.” The request further added that in response to a call-up notice, Maryam appeared before the NAB headquarters on August 11 last year but she was not joined into inquiry despite her presence at the gate. “Rather, state machinery and a heavy contingent of the police force were used brutally and ruthlessly to intimidate and harass the answering respondent and lawabiding members of her political party who had gathered just to show solidarity and concern for registration of series of politically motivated cases by the Bureau at the instance of the government. Even deliberate attempts to cause serious and fatal injury to the answering respondent were also made, the unfortunate events taking place on that day were watched live by the whole nation and are now a matter of public knowledge.”

THE CASE: NAB suspects Maryam of involvement in money laundering through investments of variable heavy amounts being the main shareholder of the CSM. It has alleged that she was involved in money laundering with the help of some foreigners during the period of 1992-93 when her father Nawaz Sharif was the prime minister. The agency informed the court that the PML-N vice president had not been able to give satisfactory answers to its inquiries regarding her shares in the mills. She was also unable to explain how she attained the funds to establish Shamim Sugar Mills, it said.

Urdu daily faces backlash from public, HRCP for ‘condemnable’ language against Aurat March LAHORE STAFF REPORT

The Urdu daily, Ummat, has been called out by educators, journalists, and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) for its use of “unethical and inappropriate language” against participants of the Aurat March.

The HRCP has demanded that the daily publish an apology after the front-page story of its April 5 issue had a headline that stated that sexual violence was committed the most against women in 14 countries.

The shoulder of the story mentioned that these 14 countries included the US, Japan, Sweden, South Africa, India, Bangladesh and other African countries.

“HRCP condemns the use of unethical and inappropriate language against women in the daily #Ummat. The newspaper must publish an unconditional apology and refrain from using such language in future,” a tweet by the commission said on Monday.

The article had purportedly attempted to highlight the fact that Pakistan was not among the top 14 countries for reported cases of sexual assault, however, its demeaning language caused major backlash from women’s rights activists, journalists and social media users.

The Aurat March Lahore retweeted a statement by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), which condemned what it called the “uncalled for, unethical and immoral attack on women” in the newspaper.

Meanwhile, a journalist for Tribune, Sameer Mandhro, called the incident the death of journalism.

Similarly, journalist Bilal Farooqi also condemned the article and demanded an apology for the publication of these words.

Media watchdog Freedom Network reminded the Ummat daily that press freedom does not mean the right tp disrespect others.

Educator and researcher Meraj Hasan said the daily’s use of such language against Aurat March participants was “highly condemnable”.

“Society needs to understand how to treat women with respect even those one disagrees with. It is critical

towards ending misogyny,” he tweeted.

UK-based columnist Shama Junejo asked, “Will #PEMRA Pakistan take any action?”

Aurat March has become an annual feature since 2018 and every year faces backlash from certain religiopolitical groups, who have been opposing the event. Following this year’s march on International Women’s Day, heated debates were once again seen on social media for and against the march.

Late in March, a sessions court had ordered for registration of a case against the organisers of this year’s Aurat March.

The court had ruled this while hearing a petition against the organisers for allegedly committing unIslamic acts in the name of the women’s march. Granting the petition, the court ordered to register an FIR against the organisers.

Earlier this last month, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had threatened the organisers of the Aurat March, accusing them of obscenity.

The TTP statement followed a flurry of images and video clips on social media that suggested participants in the March 8 protests had insulted Islam, which they strongly denied. “We want to send a message to those organisations who are actively spreading obscenity and vulgarity in our beloved Pakistan,” the statement said, addressing the marchers.

“Fix your ways, there are still many young Muslims here who know how to protect Islam,” the TTP stated.

Messages spread on social media, included allegations that the French flag was waved at the Women’s Day march, while video and audio showed participants chanting slogans.

“Each and every one of these allegations is completely false and part of a malicious campaign to silence women from speaking out about their rights,” the Aurat March organisers said in a statement.

The Women’s Democratic Front, a leftist group founded in 2018 and one of the organisers of the march, said their flag – with red, white and purple stripes – had been misrepresented as the French flag, which has blue, white and red stripes.

registration by sending an SMS to their ID card number 8300.

For the convenience of the public and voters, Form Collection Centres have been set up in all District Offices, Registration Officers and Assistant Registration Officers, where Form 21 for Registration / Transfer Vote, Form 22 for Objection / Delete Vote and Form 23 for Accuracy of Data Can be submitted.

Details of Form Collection Centres and Forms 21/22/23 can be obtained from ECP’s website www.ecp.gov.pk. Contact the ECP helpline No 8848888-051 for more information and guidance.

PM rejects extension summary of FBR chief ISLAMABAD SHAHZAD PARACHA

Prime Minister Imran Khan has rejected the extension summary of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Javed Ghani.

Sources said that the Ministry of Finance had asked for Ghani’s extension till the approval of next year’s budget, however, the premier has rejected the request. Pakistan Customs senior official Ghani is due to retire on April 9, 2021.

The government had thrice extended the threemonth term of the outgoing FBR chief since July last year. Sources said that Dr Ashfaq, as well as another IRS officer Dr Hamid Attique, are favourites for the chairman slot due to their proximity to the high ups of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). The government has given two important positions, member IR-operation and DG international taxes, to BPS-21 officer to Dr Ashfaq and interestingly, he is considered the de-facto chairman since Ghani assumed charge. Recently, he managed to appoint his favourite officers on important positions, including DG intelligence and investigationinland revenue. Dr Ashfaq has performed a good job in terms of revenue collection as income machinery under his supervision was able to collect Rs3,494 billion during the first nine months of the current fiscal year 2020-21.

On the other hand, the international taxes wing of FBR under his command conducted an inquiry against the wife of Justice Qazi Faez Isa. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court (SC) judge’s wife also requested to make public the confidential information and documents of Dr Ashfaq and others, since her confidential and legally protected income tax and bank records were illegally accessed. Additional Secretary Ministry of Industries and Production Dr Attique also held the position of member of IR policy and he also performed very well during his tenure. Sources said that the high-powered selection board meeting would be held on Friday and both officers’ cases would be considered for promotion to BPS-22.

Coronavirus situation under control in Punjab: CM ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar on Tuesday said that the provincial government was taking effective measures to combat coronavirus and yet the situation was under control. Talking to a private news channel, he urged that everyone should follow the coronavirus related standard operating procedure (SOPs) in true letter and spirit to avoid the virus spread. The chief minister said that he was running the affairs of the province following the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan, adding, he was performing his duties with sincerity.

Buzdar said that he wanted to do some remarkable work for the poor segments of the province. Replying to a question, he said that making South Punjab province was the part of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) manifesto. He said that the provincial government had prepared a comprehensive package for Bahawalnagar which would be announced soon.

Wednesday, 7 April, 2021

ISLAMABAD

NEWS

03

1m DOses OF COvID-19 vACCInes ADmInIstereD, sAys AsAD ISLAMABAD

t

StAff RePoRt

HE government has administered coronavirus vaccine shots to more than one million people, Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar announced on Tuesday.

“More than 76,000 vaccinations were carried out yesterday [Monday]. [The] total number of people registered so far is now over two million. 600,000 health care workers and more than 1.4 million 50 plus. Please register if you are 50 plus,” he said in a tweet.

The government launched a Covid-19 vaccination for the general public on March 10, starting with older people.

The drive began with a focus on the oldest people in the community, generally over the age of 80. “We will work our way down in coming days,” Dr Sultan said at the

ANOTHER DOCTOR DIES OF CORONAVIRUS time. Pakistan has not secured any supplies from vaccine manufacturers and is largely depending on the GAVI/WHO COVAX initiative for developing nations and donations from old friend China.

Meanwhile, in a report, Bloomberg claimed it would take a decade for Pakistan to inoculate 75 percent of its population, citing the global disparity between the number of jabs administered to people in rich and developing nations.

Based on Bloomberg’s vaccine tracker, the story showed countries like the US (328 million population), UK (66.65 million) and Israel (9.05 million) were likely to reach the 75 percent target within three months while others, including Pakistan (over 216

Alvi urges clerics to ensure implementation of Covid-19 guidelines ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi on Tuesday urged the clerics to play their role in implementing Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs) during Ramzan in mosques. He advised the scholars to get themselves vaccinated and act as role models in following the guidelines to contain the spread of the virus. The president made these remarks while chairing a meeting of clerics from across the country via video.

Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Pir Noorul Haq Qadri and Minister of State for Health Dr Faisal Sultan also joined the meeting.

Provincial and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) governors, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) chief secretary, and religious scholars from various schools of thought attended the meeting. The president underlined the need to educate the people about the severity of the new variant of coronavirus. He added that clerics, media and political leadership should disseminate awareness messages urging people to follow all guidelines. He said that the 20 point-declaration of guidelines, prepared last year in consensus with clerics, should be implemented at all mosques and Imambargahs during Ramzan. He urged the people to offer special prayers during the first Friday of Ramzan to seek Allah’s blessings to get rid of the disease. He appreciated the clerics for extending their cooperation during the previous two waves and hoped that they would continue to use all available fora, including the pulpit and the mosques, to raise awareness among people about the pandemic. He also urged the people to pay Zakat and Fitrana which would help in alleviating people’s financial hardships during the pandemic. President Alvi also thanked the clerics and participants of the meeting for praying for his speedy recovery from the coronavirus. APP

Deeply saddened by loss of lives in Indonesia floods: FO ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office (FO) on Tuesday expressed sadness for the deaths of “precious lives” in Indonesia in unprecedented floods and landslides triggered by a tropical cyclone. “We are deeply saddened at the loss of precious lives, missing persons and destruction caused in #Indonesia due to floods and landslides,” the FO said in a tweet. At least 128 deaths were reported on several islands in Indonesia’s West and East Nusa Tenggara provinces, while 72 others were missing, after tropical cyclone Seroja brought flash floods, landslides, and strong winds amid heavy rain over the weekend, disaster agency BNPB said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families and brotherly people of Indonesia,” the FO added. Indonesian authorities said the death toll could rise as rescuers reach more isolated areas.

Images from the region showed downed trees, choppy seas, and wooden homes flattened by the storm and debris floating in muddy floodwater. At least 8,424 people were displaced, nearly 2,000 buildings including a hospital impacted, and more than 100 homes heavily damaged by the cyclone, which had moved over the Indian Ocean by Tuesday morning, headed towards northern Australia. In East Timor, which shares the Timor island with Indonesia, at least 27 people were killed by landslides, flash floods and a falling tree, while 7,000 were displaced, its government said. BNPB head Dwikorita Karnawati said once-rare tropical cyclones were happening more often in Indonesia and climate change could be to blame. “Seroja is the first time we’re seeing tremendous impact because it hit the land. It’s not common,” she told a press conference. StAff RePoRt

million), were expected to immunise the same size of their population in about a decade.

The vaccination drive has been plagued by slow registrations and a stuttering supply.

The government received its first purchased tranche of Chinese jabs last week, with authorities vowing to secure more in the coming weeks. The government portal on Tuesday registered 3,953 new infections after testing 46,665 samples, receiving back a positivity rate of 8.47 per cent — down from 9.97 per cent a day earlier.

Despite a reduced contagion rate, the portal reported 103 new coronavirus-related deaths. Last month, the government reimposed a complete ban on gatherings across the

country, including Islamabad, to curb the spread of the third wave of the coronavirus.

“Based on continuing increase in disease spread & fast pace at which hospital fill up is taking place, particularly critical covid patients, decided to further tighten restrictions,” Umar had tweeted.

The government also banned all social, cultural, political, sports, and other events including indoor and outdoor wedding ceremonies as health authorities also warned the third wave of the virus is more dangerous than earlier waves. In another tweet on Tuesday, Asad said that the restrictions have started “to have an effect”.

“Initial signs of positivity slowing.

However, due to momentum of last two weeks patients on critical care & mortality will stay at high levels for some time. Please follow SOPs & be safe,” he said.

ANOTHER DOCTOR DIES OF COVID-

PM wants work on electoral reforms initiated on war footing ISLAMABAD StAff RePoRt

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday decided to form a parliamentary committee to bring about electoral reforms in the country.

Speaking to PTI Senator Ali Zafar who called on him in Islamabad, he called for work on electoral reforms to be initiated on war footing. “[I] have learnt a lot from the recent Senate election,” he said.

Prime Minister Imran reiterated the government’s resolve to stop the use of money and foul play in elections. He pledged that the government would take along all parties in the Senate with efforts to be made to carry out all pending legislation.

He directed Senator Zafar to contact other parties in the upper house of parliament in this regard.

On March 18, Prime Minister Imran formed a 10member political committee to consult with all opposition parties on the electoral reforms and amendments in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) law. The committee comprising Pervaiz Khattak, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Fawad Chaudhry, Sheikh Rasheed, Shafqat Mahmood, Amir Kiyani,

Saifullah Niazi and Shibli Faraz was tasked to hold negotiations with opposition regarding the imposition of electoral reforms and amendment to NAB laws.

Separately, Prime Minister Imran on Tuesday said that the government is giving special emphasis on promotion of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to take forward the economy. The prime minister said this while chairing a meeting which reviewed Gujranwala Development Plan and Rawalpindi Regeneration and Nullah Lai Expressway projects being implemented under regional development strategy in Punjab.

He assured that the federal government will extend every possible cooperation for the implementation of regional development strategy. Under the proposed plan, special focus will be given to the agriculture, manufacturing and services sectors in order to fully exploit the potential of Gujranwala Division. The areas to be given special importance include knowledge and technology transfer, specialised value chain, infrastructure, development of human resource, cluster support system, inexpensive energy, communications, urban management, better coordination between rural and urban markets, rural development and management, environment, etc.

PM appoints PTI’s chief whip, parliamentary leader in Senate ISLAMABAD APP

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday appointed Senator Fida Muhammad as Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) chief whip in Senate.

He has also appointed Senator Ejaz Chaudhry as PTI’s parliamentary leader in the upper house of parliament.

Earlier in the day, it was predicted that the premier would make changes to his cabinet within the coming few days.

Moreover, consultations with his special aides have reportedly been completed in this matter.

Shortly after the Senate elections had ended, sources in the ruling party had told Pakistan Today that Prime Minister Imran Khan had decided to reshuffle the federal cabinet.

Other than some new faces making their way into the federal cabinet, the portfolios of some of the ministers are also likely to be changed, Pakistan Today had been told. According to the sources, proposals had been prepared in the cabinet as well as in the bureaucracy. These changes are likely to concern the offices of the Punjab chief secretary, Home Department federal secretary and information secretary. As frustration grows in the party circles, the

premier stands firm in his belief that the ministers have to perform without giving any excuse. As such, sources had said that Prime Minister Imran will reshuffle the cabinet on the performance of the ministers and the newly elected senators are also likely to be included in the federal cabinet.

“Prime Minister Imran Khan is not happy with the performance of several key ministers, so he has decided that only those who can deliver will remain in the cabinet,” a source had said on condition of anonymity.

“Delivery and performance are the things in which the prime minister is interested because he does not like to hear excuses after extraordinary delays in the completion of projects for any reason,” the source had said. Reportedly Barrister Ali Zafar, Aun Abbas Bappi and Dr Zarqa are likely to be added to the federal cabinet while the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) is also looking to name a new minister to take the key offices of information and communications.

Furthermore, Murad Saeed is likely to lose one of his ministries as Communications is likely to be handed over to someone else due to his failure to launch even a single project during the past two and a half years.

Meals on wheels programme to be further expanded: PTI leader ISLAMABAD APP

Senator Faisal Javed on Tuesday said on Tuesday that Koi Bhooka Na Soye (KBNS) programme of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government will be further expanded to meet the necessities of the deserving families.

Talking to a television channel, the senator said that the KBNS programme was serving fresh and hot meals on the spot to labourers working on highways and intersections from mobiles and added that over time, the scope of this programme will be extended across the country.

He said that on special instructions of the prime minister, the programme was being expanded to Lahore, Faisalabad and Peshawar before the holy month of Ramzan where KBNS food mobile trucks would visit the localities of labourers and hospitals to distribute free meals to the needy.

Replying to a question, he said that the government’s measures would bring better results in easing out inflation in the coming days. The basic food items including sugar and other food commodities would be available at cheaper rates during Ramzan.

“Prime Minister Imran Khan will not spare any mafia as he strongly believes in accountability without any discrimination”, he added.

19: Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA) General Secretary Dr Arshad Munir died of coronavirus at a hospital on Tuesday.

He was 61. Dr Arshad was admitted at a private hospital and had been on ventilator for several days due to serious breathing problems, caused by deadly Covid-19 pandemic. He was performing his duty as a radiologist at a hospital in Faisalabad.

Central President of PIMA Dr Khubaib Shahid has condoled the demise of Dr Arshad. It is pertinent to mention here that recently 110 doctors of Lahore’s Services Hospital, have been infected with novel coronavirus and over 10 of them are said to be in a precarious condition.

Earlier on Monday, another doctor in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) succumbed to coronavirus on Monday, raising the death toll of doctors to have died in the province from the virus to 51.

Punjab bans meetings of prisoners with families LAHORE: The Punjab government on Tuesday banned meetings of prisoners with their families for ten days across the province in the wake of coronavirus. The Home Department has issued a notification in this regard to the Punjab Prisons inspector general (IG), deputy inspector general (DIG) and all provincial superintendents while directing to ensure implementation of the Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs). It emerged that more than six prisoners have tested positive for the virus so far; the number which came to light after provincial authorities accelerated inmate screening in jails across Punjab.

About 42 jails are functioning past capacity and house a total of 53,000 inmates despite a cumulative limit of 34,000, making social distancing near impossible to impose. In this regard, the inspector-general of prisons on Tuesday directed the vaccinations of all prisoners above 50 years, jail staff and their families as per the policy of the provincial health department. According to a circular issued today, the intimation is to be followed on a priority basis with the help of the health chief executive officer of the concerned district. On the other hand, Pakistan has reported 103 deaths in the last 24 hours by novel coronavirus as the number of positive cases has surged to 696,184. The nationwide tally of fatalities has jumped to 14,924. According to the latest figures by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), 3,953 persons tested positive for Covid-19 in the past 24 hours. Punjab remains the worst-hit province in terms of deaths followed by Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Till now 6,675 individuals have lost their lives to the epidemic in Punjab 4,510 in Sindh, 2,469 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 584 in Islamabad, 372 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), 211 in Balochistan, and 103 in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). Furthermore, 266,926 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Sindh, 235,569 in Punjab, 93,033 in KP, 62,211 in Islamabad, 19,855 in Balochistan, 13,529 in AJK and 5,061 in GB. INP

04

Wednesday, 7 April, 2021

ISLAMABAD

NEWS

Court issues notiCe to PunJab Government over stay order violation in rudP Case LAHORE

t

TLTP

AKInG serious note over violation of stay orders granted in favour of small landowners and affectees of multi-billion rupee Ravi Urban Development Project (RUDP), the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday issued notices to the Punjab government for Wednesday (today).

While hearing petition of small landowners and affectees from the vicinity of the RUDP, a single-member bench of Justice Shahid Karim also issued directives to the RUDP authorities to refrain from taking any further steps in the acquisition process.

Talking soon after the hearing, counsel for the petitioners Mirza Mahmood Ahmad emphasised the need to replace the existing

land acquisition law with modern legislation in conformity with the Constitution, including resettlement rules, and to halt acquisition of land for projects without consent of the land owners.

Challenging the mode and manner of the land acquisition proceedings undertaken by the RUDA for the project, the petitioners claimed that the land acquisition collector of the RUDA has passed as many as 18 awards of multi billion rupees on March 02 without observing due process. The petitioners claimed they were not given a hearing opportunity in the process. They also assailed legality of forceful acquisitions of land for commercial purposes under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894.

Reasonability of the project has been questioned as the remedy seekers in the matter have disclosed that the RUDA has

planned to acquire a total of 102,000 acres of land for the project. They were of the view that as per the EIA report for the project, more than 77,000 acres of fertile irrigated land are being currently used for agricultural purposes and forming the backbone of Lahore and its adjoining cities, saying fresh produce needs are being repurposed for housing and urban development.

The petitioner alleged that thousands of acres of forest land is also being repurposed for the same, adding that the environmental hazards already plaguing the region.

Appearing before the bench, Advocate Mirza alleged that the RUDA was offering the land, forcefully acquired for a purported “public purpose”, to commercial developers to establish housing estates and high rises to be eventually sold on commercial considerations for profit. He said that continuing with this

project will completely devastate the ecology of the area. Mirza contended the project will even otherwise not have any benefit for the underprivileged classes of the province. He alleged since housing areas being developed in the project area are for profit purposes and not low income housing for the welfare of the poorer segments of society.

“All of this being done for the elite of the country by dispossessing small farmers”, Mirza claimed, adding that land cannot be forcefully acquired on low rates by the government in order to unjustly enrich private investors. He termed the land acquisition proceedings were undertaken under a colonial law, saying the act offends constitutional provisions including Articles 23 and 24.

Mirza informed the bench that identical petitioners were under adjudication before the LHC, saying despite multiple restraining

orders of the court in the matter, the RUDA’s contractors were making demarcations on the project land.

To which, expressing displeasure on such blatant violations of the stay orders, the bench summoned land acquisition collector of the RUDA on Wednesday (today) to apprise the court on what grounds land of the affectees being disturbed, given the fact that the court has suspended the acquisition proceedings.

Justice Shahid observed whether forceful acquisitions can still take place given the manner in which the law has evolved around the globe and the realisation that the fundamental right to land is of paramount importance.

After hearing preliminary arguments, the bench issued notices to Punjab, the RUDA and the Punjab government with directives to respond in the matter and adjourned the hearing for Wednesday (today).

Gwadar development a top priority: Jam Kamal GWADAR TLTP

Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan has said that the development of all areas of Gwadar is the top priority of the government. Talking on the occasion of his visit to Gwadar on Tuesday, the chief minister said that steps are being taken under a comprehensive strategy for the welfare of fishermen in Gwadar and its adjoining areas. Kamal said that the federal and provincial governments would jointly make efforts to remove the sense of deprivation in the province. The chief minister said that Prime Minister Imran Khan would soon visit Gwadar and Quetta and make important announcements.

He said the government had included mega projects in the federal Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP). The chief minister maintained that in the federal and provincial PSDPs, the government would allocate funds for all districts and ensure that development measures are taken equally in all areas. He added that the provincial government would ensure transparency in all the development schemes. The chief minister directed the Gwadar deputy commissioner to take immediate steps to resolve the problems being faced by the inhabitants of Gwadar. During his visit, the chief minister visited Pak China Business Centre in Gwadar. He also inspected various ongoing developmental projects.

LAHORE: Vehicles pass a beautiful crossing point at Jail Road in the provincial capital. ZUBAIR MEHFOOZ

US Consulate General Lahore congratulates graduating English learners GUJRANWALA PR

English Access Microscholarship Programme (EAMP) students’ online graduation ceremony was held in Gujranwala under the management of Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) on Tuesday.

The graduating students completed the US Department of State funded two-year EAMP at the Gujranwala site.

US Consulate General Lahore Public Affairs Officer Kelly McCarthy virtually participated in the graduation ceremony from her office in Lahore. Congratulating students on what she described as reaching this milestone in their educational journeys, Kelly McCarthy said, “We know that you put in many extra hours each week to attend classes, practice at home, and collaborate with your classmates.

Thank you to your families for their support of your studies too.”

She said, “I would like to give a special “Bohat Shukriya” to our implementing partners – Allama Iqbal Open University Vice Chancellor Dr Zia Ul-Qayyum, Gujranwala Regional Director Mohammad Behram Rasul Bakhsh, English Department Chairperson Dr

Malik Ajmal Gulzar, EAMP Manager Dr Saira Maqbool and EAMP Coordinator Samina Rana. Thank you all for your dedication to our shared goals.”

She noted that in Punjab, the US Mission to Pakistan has sponsored five English Access sites in Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Der Ghazi Khan and Multan. “In these programmes, our partners help young adults to not only learn English, but also learn about the similarities and differences between Pakistani and US culture, society, art, music, and traditions. The Access programme is a platform for engagement between students, women entrepreneurs, different US exchange programmes alumni, emerging leaders in Pakistan, and US diplomats,” she said.

She continued that English language proficiency can open doors to more opportunities for young adults. “It is a pathway to higher education, science, and business on a national, regional, and global market level.

It is one way to help build a stronger rapport with other countries around the globe. Perhaps most importantly, the English Access teachers are trained to focus on developing the students’ leadership skills and critical thinking skills. These skills empower Pak-

istani youth to fully participate in the economic prosperity of Pakistan.”

She asserted, “Strong English skills are essential to take advantage of our many exchange programmes offered through the Consulate such as Fulbright and study of the US Institute. We are eager to see more Pakistanis take part in our people-to-people exchanges.”

It may be noted that the Access is a global State Department programme that provides a foundation of English language skills to bright and economically disadvantaged students, primarily between the ages of 13 to 20, in their home countries. In addition to English language skills, the Access programme gives other skills that may lead to better jobs, educational prospects and the ability to apply for scholarships to study or to participate in the US exchange programmes. So far approximately 22,000 students have graduated from this programme in Pakistan. The AIOU has been managing Access programme in Gujranwala and Muzaffarabad (Azad Jammu & Kashmir), and English Works in Muzaffarabad.

This Access programme was organised at the AIOU Regional Campus, Gujranwala for 100 students.

Non-submission of reply by Sindh in food inflation case irks SHC KARACHI TLTP

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday expressed annoyance over the Sindh government’s failure to file its response to a petition seeking directives for the concerned authorities to control rising prices of essential food items in the province. A two-judge bench of the SHC, comprising Justice Mohammad Ali

Mazhar and Amjad Ali Sahito, expressed annoyance on the provincial government as it failed to submit its reply to the petition. The bench observed that cases are suffering delays due to government departments’ failure to file their replies. “This is the unfortunate situation of the government departments,” Justice Mazhar observed and asked a provincial law officer to explain when the government will file its response.

The court gave the government more time to file its response to the petition. Earlier, the court had come down hard on the federal government for failing to furnish its response to a petition against skyrocketing prices of essential food items.

A two-judge bench, headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar, had observed that the government was issued notices repeatedly but no reply was filed in the case.

Wednesday, 7 April, 2021

ISLAMABAD

NEWS

PDM in tatters as ANP parts ways, PPP set to follow suit continued from page 01 In this regard, Sherry Rehman, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Farhatullah Babar, Nayyar Bukhari and others would prepare a draft response. The reply to the show-cause notice would be prepared and sent to Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal for final approval. It may be recalled that the PDM steering committee led by former premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had issued show-cause notices to the PPP and ANP on Monday. Abbasi had said that the purpose of issuing show-cause notices was to seek answers from the PPP and ANP as to why they violated the PDM decision and why the PPP got the votes from government Senators.

JUI-F ADDS MORE FUEL TO THE FIRE: Adding more fuel to the fire, JUI-F leader Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri accused the ANP and PPP of seeking cooperation from the ruling PTI government.

Responding to the allegations of ANP leaders, Haideri denounced the claim that Fazlur Rehman acted with bias against the ANP. Haideri accused the PPP and ANP of bowing down to the PTI and selling the cause of the PDM. He alleged that the role played by PPP and ANP was “ridiculous”. He asked the ANP why it did so. He said that the ANP had admitted that their move was due to friendship. “Friendship has its place, but principles must be given priority,” he said and added that the ANP had made a blatant mistake by accusing Fazl.

Pakistan to reach IMF for second Covid relief package: PM continued from page 01 PM Imran noted that the report released by the UN body points out the areas that have deficiencies, the people that have been left behind, and the situation of the religious minorities and transgenders. The premier said that the data from the report will help “to protect these people by directly subsidising them”. Moreover, the prime minister observed that the IMF head realised the seriousness of the situation as conditions could not be imposed on the people already suffering owing to the pandemic.

Yarn traders demand withdrawal of turnover tax ISLAMABAD: The business community has demanded that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) withdraw the 1.5 per cent turnover tax imposed on yarn traders and restore the previous rate of 0.1pc. In this regard, Pakistan Yarn Merchants Association(PYMA) Vice Chairman, Farhan Ashrafi, along with Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI) former senior vice president and Central Standing Committee on Yarn Trading Convener, Khurram Bharaa, wrote a letter to FBR Chairman, Muhammad Javed Ghani, lamenting that the majority of yarn traders will be forced to close businesses, which are already facing a financial crunch due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The letter informed that PYMA members were doing business in large volume but at a profit margin lesser than 1pc. “By virtue of SRO.333 (I) 2001 dated 02.05.2011, the traders of yarn had been subject to turnover tax at concessional rate 0.1pc, which constitutes about 10pc of their margin,” the letter stated. “Because of some oversight traders of yarn were not included in the purview of minimum tax under the first schedule Part-1 (Division IX) of the Income Tax Ordinance 2001, which would be the correct approach to treat the levy of concessional rate on yarn traders, as is the case with various other sectors and persons”. It was stated that due to this lacuna, a state of confusion remains about the levy of tax whereas frequent changes are made in the rate of turnover tax without consultation with stakeholders. “The FBR chairman is therefore requested to remove the anomaly by insertion of the provision of a minimum turnover tax at 0.1pc for yarn traders who are conducting a large volume of trade and sustaining the textile sector of Pakistan,” the letter concludes. STAFF REPORT

05

KP govt to INtroDuCE ADCs to FACIlItAtE tAx PAYErs peSHaWar

t

AZIZ BUNERI

HE Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and 1-Link have signed a tripartite agreement for the collection of government taxes through Alternative Delivery Channels (ADCs) in a bid to facilitate taxpayers and simplify the tax payment procedure.

The ADCs will enable taxpayers in the province to submit their taxes, particularly sales tax on services, directly from their cell phones, computers and ATMs; thus, relieving them from personally visiting designated banks.

The agreement was signed at the KP Finance Department on Tuesday at the Civil Secretariat, Peshawar. KP Finance Minister Taimur Khan Jhagra, KP Spokesperson

Kamran Khan Bangash, KP Chief Secretary Dr Kazim Niaz, KP Secretary Finance Atif Rehman and KPRA Director General Fayyaz Ali Shah and senior officials of the provincial government attended the ceremony.

Speaking at the occasion the finance minister said that the provincial government has been doing its best to facilitate the taxpayers and simplify the system through digitisation. “Citizens do not have to go to any office or bank for making payments to the government. It will save time and curb the practice of bribery,” he added.

Appreciating the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Revenue Authority (KPRA) for being the first government entity in the province which has subscribed to the system, Jhagra said that revenue generation from Sales Tax on Services was stagnant at Rs10 billion just two years ago; however, it will touch Rs21 billion this year.

On-campus classes for grades 1-8 to remain suspended in Covid-19 hotspots continued from page 01 “The exam situation will also be discussed [during the NCOC meeting],” he said in a tweet sent on Sunday. “Whatever is decided will be a collective decision of the country’s health and education authorities & NCOC.” He said on Tuesday that approximately 4 million students across the country give the board exams. “It was decided that exams for grade 9, 10, 11, and 12 will be held, but because they are our own, they will be pushed to the third week of May,” he said.

Shafqat further said that the date sheet announced by Punjab would also be revised so that the coronavirus situation is under control and children have time to prepare. “All provinces and boards have given separate timetables. But nothing will happen before May 24.”

The assessments for O- and ALevel students will proceed as scheduled, as these can be managed with guidelines and are unlikely to attract very large numbers, the minister said.

PROVINCES’ DECISIONS: Separately, Punjab Education Minister Dr Murad Raas announced on Twitter that classes 1 to 8 for all public and private schools in certain cities of Punjab will remain closed till Eidul Fitr.

Dr Raas identified the cities where the schools will stay closed and these include Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Multan, Bahawalpur, Sialkot, Sargodha, Faisalabad, TT Sindh, Rahim Yar Khan, DG Khan and Sheikhupura. As per the federal government’s decision, the situation will next be reviewed in two weeks, he said.

Giving an update for students of classes nine to 12, Dr Raas said

that schools for these classes will be open only Monday and Thursday, starting April 19.

Examinations for classes nine through 12 and O/A Levels will, however, be held as per schedule in Punjab, he wrote.

Meanwhile, Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani said that academic activities will be resumed from April 22 across the province.

Ghani said in a statement that the Sindh government had already made the announcement to halt regular classes from Class 1 to 8, however, the educational activities will be restored from April 22.

The district administration has the power to make its own decisions after witnessing a rise in coronavirus cases. He said that the pandemic situation is under control in Sindh as no district is specifically affected by the virus.

The education minister said that the positivity rate of Covid-19 cases in educational institutions stands at 2.6 per cent. He announced that the academic process from Class 9 to 12 will be continued and examinations will be held as per schedule.

Ghani reiterated that no student will be promoted to the next level without appearing in the examinations.

Meanwhile, the Sindh government has decided to vaccinate inmates in all prisons across the province from Wednesday.

Sindh Health Minister Azra Fazal Pechuho has said that in the first phase of the drive, prisoners in the age group of 50 and above will be vaccinated.

COVID-19 CASES RISE: Coronavirus infections have been on the rise since March, prompting the authorities to reinstate the restrictions in March.

The country reported 3,953

new coronavirus cases and 103 deaths on Tuesday, which took the tally to 696,184 and the death toll to 14,924. It is facing a surge in coronavirus disease cases, which the government has said is worse than last year’s outbreak when a nationwide lockdown was imposed.

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday once again ruled out a general lockdown while acknowledging the country was going through a third wave of the pandemic.

“We have so far been protecting our people, we are not imposing a lockdown [or] closing our factories. We are only imposing minor restrictions so that this wave does not spread rapidly,” he told the public during a question-andanswer session broadcasted live.

“But if it continues to spread like this, it will have a very negative impact and we will be forced to take strict steps.”

“We have to adopt a balanced policy where the spread of the virus can be prevented and where the poor man and the country’s economy are least affected,” he said.

The government has opted for “smart lockdowns” — short-term restrictions imposed often at neighbourhood level — to try to tame the disease while keeping the economy afloat.

It launched a Covid-19 vaccination for the general public on March 10, starting with older people.

The drive began with a focus on the oldest people in the community, generally over the age of 80.

“We will work our way down in coming days,” Dr Sultan had told Reuters.

Pakistan has not secured any supplies from vaccine manufacturers and is largely depending on the GAVI/WHO COVAX initiative for developing nations and donations from old friend China.

Pakistan open to Russian investment for revival of PSM: Qureshi ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Tuesday said that Pakistan would welcome Russian investment for the revival of Pakistan Steels Mills (PSM) or even any other project. In a video statement regarding the visit of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Qureshi said that PSM was set up with the technical and financial help of Russia and now its role in the revival of the entity could open up several opportunities to strengthen bilateral cooperation. Terming the visit of a Russian foreign minister to Pakistan after nine years a new and positive dimension of bilateral relations. APP

“Although our target for this year is Rs20 billion which is double the previous figure, we are striving for more than the target,” he added.

“The KPRA increased its collections despite Covid19. If we achieve Rs22 billion in collections this year, then it will be a 120 per cent growth in the two years which may be unprecedented in the history of Pakistan,” Jhagra said.

Speaking about the importance of revenue growth for the public, the minister said that growth in revenue collection will enable the provincial government to continue public uplift projects like the Sehat Insaf Card and start more such projects for the wellbeing of citizens.

“Governments operate on money. We will be able to take big decisions for the uplift of our public like developed countries if our revenue generation is robust,” he said.

Exports rise over 7pc in 3QFY21 The country’s exports increased by 7.12 per cent during the first three quarters of the current fiscal year (FY21) as compared to the corresponding period of FY20. According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), exports during the (July-March) period stood at $18.685 billion against the exports of $17.443 billion in the same period of the last fiscal year.

However, imports during the period under review also increased by 13.6pc, increasing from $34.791 billion last year to $39.512 billion during 3QFY21. As exports grew slower than the pace of increase in imports due to increasing reliance on imported commodities to ensure smooth supplies, the country’s trade deficit increased by 20pc during the first three quarters as compared to the corresponding period of last year. The trade deficit during the period was recorded at $20.83 billion against the deficit of $17.35 billion last year. It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan’s trade deficit widened 98pc in March on a year-on-year (YoY) basis. The gap between imports and exports increased to $3 billion in March compared to a year ago, a jump of $1.5 billion in a single month. According to Adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood, imports grew mainly due to increased imports of petroleum products, wheat, soybean, machinery, raw material, chemicals, mobiles, fertiliser, tyres, antibiotics and vaccines. BUSINESS DESK

Finance minister calls for restructuring pay, pension system LAHORE: Federal Minister for Finance, Revenue, Industries and Production, Muhammad Hammad Azhar, while terming the current model for disbursements of pay and pensions unsustainable, underlined the importance of introducing a rationalised system to remove anomalies and ensure equity. The minister was talking to the Pay and Pension Commission Chairperson, Nargis Sethi, who called on him in the federal capital on Tuesday while the finance secretary also participated in the meeting.

He stressed finding a way forward which is transparent, feasible and sustainable in the long run and assured of full support and facilitation to the commission in this regard. He said that the Pay and Pension Commission had a very challenging task ahead as the federal and provincial governments’ employees were looking forward with great hope towards the recommendations of the commission.

Earlier, Nargis Sethi briefed the meeting about the working of the commission to streamline the existing pay and pension structure as per the mandate of the commission. She updated the finance minister about the consultative process being followed to ensure all stakeholders were on board in working out a financially viable solution for the disbursement of pay and pensions. STAFF REPORT

Pakistan urges more int’l support to cope with socioeconomic challenges iSLamaBad STAFF REPORT

Pakistan has called for enhanced support of the international community to fight against the socioeconomic challenges during and after the pandemic.

“Additional financial resources would help to create fiscal space to invest more in human capital,” said Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar, while representing the country at the World Bank Group meeting on Human Capital Min-

isterial Conclave held virtually. The theme of the meeting is creating Green, Resilient and Inclusive Recovery of Economy after Pandemic. The meeting included ministers and government officials from 80 countries to share narratives that will improve the human capital of the world after the pandemic.

In his remarks, Bakhtyar said that Pakistan was one of the first early adopters of the Human Capital Project, highlighting the country’s initial response to combat the Covid-19 for which foreign countries and financial institutions have poured in millions of dollars as

assistance for battling health implications and the impact of lockdowns on the economy.

The federal minister said that the country’s initial response to combat the Covid-19 crisis remained strong and robust and well recognised by the international community.

Briefing about Pakistan’s work in this regard, he said that the incumbent government, led by Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, put up an economic stimulus package of $8 billion, which helped to save lives and livelihoods. “As a result of this, our economy contracted by only 0.4 per cent as compared

cmYK

to a global contraction of 3.5pc,” he added.

While highlighting the climate initiatives taken by Pakistan, he said that the government had launched the 10 Billion Tree Tsunami Project, Eco-system Restoration Initiatives, Clean and Green Pakistan Movement, and Recharge Pakistan to curb climate change and its environmental impacts.

The minister also underlined the comprehensive poverty alleviation programme Ehsaas, which is another major social protection plan of the incumbent government to protect the vulnerable segments from the

economic shocks of the pandemic. He said that the Ehsaas Programme also included Tahafaz, Kamyab Jawan, livelihoods interventions for poor farmers and women, as well as graduate programmes to support youth and the agricultural sector through micro financing and micro credits.

“The government put up an economic stimulus package of $8 billion which helped to save lives and livelihoods, as a result of this, the economy contracted by only 0.4 per cent as compared to a global contraction of 3.5pc,” he said.

Wednesday, 7 April, 2021

06 COMMENT

How the caste system corrupted India’s Muslims

Sending a negative message to people

Could US report on rights violation bring about religious equality in India?

The infighting among opposition parties

D

AMAGInG allegations from one side. Equally injurious allegations from the other. these followed by the charge from either side that the other is conspiring to dismantle the PDM. the ongoing confrontation has reached a point where the two sections of the opposition would soon be spending more energy in tearing each other apart than raising a common voice against the government’s policies that have made life difficult for the common man. this has led a confident PM to tell his spokesmen that since the opposition didn’t matter any more, they should not waste time flogging a dead horse.

Both sides have committed blunders. the PML(n) and jUI(F) knew very well that the PPP had strong reservations about tendering resignations. It was unwise to enforce a decision on the PPP through majority vote, as alliances can sustain themselves only if differences are resolved through consensus. the PPP was a party to the decision made collectively to jointly support the PML(n) nominee for the slot of the opposition leader in the senate. the PPP not only violated the decision but also got Mr Gilani elected with the support of BAP members.

A gleeful Bilawal Bhutto Zardari later presented the outcome as a victory for the PPP Unless both sides undertake a course correction they would open a Pandora’s box through allegations that they would rue having made in days to come. the two rival opposition groups in the senate fighting among themselves send a highly negative message to their supporters. If allegations and counter allegations are not stopped immediately, these would make it increasingly difficult for both sides to join hands again in days to come. sane voices from both sides have dropped hints about the possibility of convening a meeting of the PDM with the aim of ironing out differences. Mr shahid Khaqan Abbasi told the media that he believed Mr Gilani should have been the senate chief. the PPP’s Farhatullah Babar does not rule out the possibility of a no-confidence vote against the senate Chairman, leading to the election of Mr Gilani to the office and of the jUI(F) and PML(n) getting the offices promised to them provided the PDM takes a joint decision. It remains to be seen if sane voices will prevail or drown in the cacophony of mutual allegations.

Amjed jAAved

I

n its ‘2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices’ to the Us Congress, the Department of state found India wanting in more than a dozen significant human rights issues. these issues include unlawful and arbitrary killings, including extrajudicial killings perpetrated by police; and cases of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment by some police and prison officials; arbitrary arrest and detention by government authorities; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; political prisoners or detainees in certain states; corruption and tolerance of violations of religious freedom. the report pointed out that the national Human Rights Commission of India (nHRC) received and investigated prisoner complaints of human rights violations throughout the year. “But “civil society representatives believed few prisoners filed complaints due to fear of retribution from prison guards or officials.”

Following new Delhi’s August 2019 abrogation of a special constitutional Indian “authorities used a public safety law to detain local politicians without trial”. those released were required to sign bonds agreeing not to engage in political activity. the Us report noted that the Public safety Act (PsA), “permits authorities to detain persons without charge or judicial review for up to two years without visitation from family members.” the sermons in international reports or constitutional safeguards can’t equalize Indian citizens as the caste system is ordained in Hindu religious scriptures.

According to the Constitution of India, “the state shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, place and birth or any of them.”

Untouchability was legally abolished and its practice in any form forbidden by the Anti-Untouchability Act, of 1955. nearly two decades later, in 1976, the 1955 Act was reviewed in order to make it more stringent and effective, and the “Protection of Civil Rights Act 1955” (PCR Act). In 1989, the government enacted yet another Act, namely the scheduled Castes/tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act in order to prevent atrocities against members of the scheduled Castes and tribes.

Education assistance for ex-FATA Punjab Governor must now arrange funding

P

UnjAB Governor Muhammad sarwar, who is ex officio chancellor of all the province’s publicsector universities, basically gave in to all the demands of the ex-FAtA students from Islamia University Bahwalpur, so as to end their hungerstrike outside Governor’s House, which had lasted 16 days, announcing 1000 scholarships for ex-FAtA students till 2027, including 200 girls, as well as the setting up of a Punjab University sub-campus in FAtA, as well as a Government College University sub-campus in Gilgit-Baltistan. It seems that the Governor is doing something that should have been done at the time the Federally Administered tribal Areas was integrated into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which was to provide an education to its people.

Education may be only part of the benefits for the people of FAtA, with healthcare and development also mattering, but it is certainly one of the more important components.

Even viewed from the narrow prism of extremism, winning the populace over involves giving them greater educational opportunities.

While Governor sarwar has made his promises, the next step will be to implement them, and that will involve funding. the project of the PU sub-campus will only begin when the KP government gives the requisite land, and the PU syndicate approves the project. setting it up will involve not just funding the building, but providing staff, and even retaining it. the scholarships might seem easier, but apart from the question of how to select such a large number of recipients, the question of getting the funds will arise. the pressure to continue the scholarships beyond the cutoff date can be seen even now, because it is not that far-off. that the step has been delayed does not mean that it is not welcome. However, it should be remembered that haste makes waste. Other educational needs of the exFAtA must be examined, and duly fulfilled. the quality of students from the ex-FAtA areas depends on the schools, not the universities. not just the KP government, but the federal government, must not put too much strain on the Punjab government, lest its present willingness to help out an area in need is diluted. Punjab has got plenty of issues of its own, and in the field of education.

Syria’s decade in Hell

Washington Watch dr jAmes j Zogby

I

t’s been a decade since the conflict in syria began, and the toll has been staggering. Over one-half million have been killed, a quarter of whom are civilians. More than one-half of syria’s pre-war population of 21 million have become either refugees or internally displaced persons– in near equal measure. Most syrian children have lost years of education and normal social development and are living in poverty without adequate services. And there’s still no end in sight.

From the beginning it should have been clear that nothing good would come of the relentless blood-letting. the regime in Damascus had become ossified, corrupt, and repressive. When confronted by an initially non-violent revolt, they responded with un-

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami Editor Yousaf Nizami Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad Managing Editor

Joint Editor

Umar Aziz Executive Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

India’s Hindu majority is divided on the basis of “jati” or “caste.” While jati is derived from the sanskrit word jāta (born), “caste” is derived from the spanish/Portuguese word casta meaning race, lineage or breed. India’s caste system was derived from “the Chaturvarna system or the fourfold division of society.” this divides the society into four varnas or classes that are hierarchical in nature. On the top of this ranking are the priests (Brahmins), followed by the warriors and erstwhile rulers (Kshatriyas). the next to come are the farmers and merchants (Vaishyas), while the last in the hierarchy are the workers and craftsmen, among others (shudras).

A fifth group existed outside this fourfold classification, that of the non-classified (avarnas) who did work that was, and is still considered, physically and ritually polluting, such as cremation and the handling of dead bodies, removal and skinning of dead animals, removal and cleaning of human bodily fluids and excreta (manual scavenging) and basket weaving.

Marc Galanter, in his 1969 paper, “Untouchability and the Law,” traces the relationship between the British legal system and the Indian “caste order” in colonial India.

According to the sachar Committee Report, conditions of the Muslim in India are worse than that of dalits (downtrodden/untouchable). But, the Muslim community itself is to blame for its current plight. the Muslim literacy rate ranks well below the national average and the Muslim poverty rate is only slightly higher than the low-caste Hindu. the Muslim makes up only four percent of the undergraduate student body in India’s elite universities. He falls behind other groups in terms of access to credit. this is despite the self-employed Muslim population exceeding other groups.

According to Islam, the Muslim society is homogeneous. there is no hierarchical caste-system in Islam, like the Hindu varna system of social stratification. In sanskrit, varna means type, order, colour or class. the term refers to social classes in dharmashastra (religious text) books like the Manusmriti.

Hindu literature classifies society into four varnas: (a) Brahmins: priests, scholars and teachers. (b) Kshatriyas: rulers, warriors and administrators. (c) Vaishyas: agriculturalists and traders. (d) shudras: laborers and service providers.Communities which belong to one of the four varnas or classes are called savarna. the dalits and scheduled tribes who do not belong to any varna, are called avarna. this four-fold division is a form of social stratification distinguished from jati or the European term “caste”. the varna system is discussed in Hindu texts, and understood as idealised human callings. the concept is generally traced to the Purusha sukta verse of the Rig Veda. Contrary to these textual classifications, many Hindu texts and doctrines question and disagree with the Varna system of social classification.

Unlike the Hindu caste system, where it is easy to discern the stratification, caste identities among Muslims are not defined rigidly. As such, the reservation quota and other benefits, available to scheduled castes, do not trickle down to the needy Muslim.

It is a bitter reality that the Muslim in India could not remain immune from Hindu caste-system. the Muslim is divided into into ashraaf (Muslims of foreign lineage) and ajlaaf (local converts). the ashraaf are

I

Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

I

speakable brutality. too quickly, the opposition resorted to armed violence, which only intensified the regime’s assaults.

One year into the war, I wrote: “syria continues its long slow descent into hell, with violence and tragedy showing no let up. By now it has become clear that neither side can win an easy victory, reaffirming the adage (learned from Lebanon’s long war) that there can be no victor, no vanquished.” some of my friends who supported the opposition upbraided me for not joining their call for more Us involvement. they wanted a Us-enforced no-fly zone to stop the regime’s deadly bombardment of syrian civilian areas and more weapons for opposition fighters.

What they didn’t understand was that with the UsA winding down its disastrous involvement in Iraq, the Pentagon was in no position to commit itself to another unwinnable war. And with syria, already having become a playground for regional global powers (specifically, Russia, turkey, and Iran), any increase of support for one side would only end up accelerating the support to the other side.

Early in the conflict, I spoke at two different events hosted by syrian Americans. I was struck by the gap in perceptions that marked the two group’s understanding of what was happening in their homeland. One group celebrated the courage of the opposition noting, “the fear of the regime has ended.” the other group, while not supporters of the regime, spoke mainly of their fear of the opposition. Many were secularists, Christians, or other minorities who, having watched Iraq’s unravelling and listening to the extremist opposition groups’ rhetoric, expressed their fear of what might follow the fall of the regime. I tried to bring the two sides together in the hopes that they might better understand each other’s concerns– but it was to no avail. Both saw victory for their side

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

I

Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

I

regarded as the superior group and are mainly endogamous, while the ajlaaf are considered to be inferior. some scholars use another category, arzaal, to denote the Muslims who converted from the lowest strata of society (bhangi, dom, churha or sweeper). to ameliorate the lot of the downtrodden Muslim (arzal or ajlaf), there should be a caste-based census to identify those deserving ‘reservation’ in the scheduled caste. Is such a census in accordance with the definitive text of the Holy Quran?

At the top of the hierarchy are the Ashraafia (nobles), of Arab, Persian, turkish or Afghan origin. they lay claim to a prestigious lineage that they trace back to the Prophet (in the case of sayyids) or his tribe (in the case of Qureshis). the shaikh (descendants of the Prophet’s companions), the Pathan (descendants of migrants from Afghanistan), and even the Mughal (originating in Central Asia and Iran) can also be included in this group. Many Ashraaf are either ulema in the case of the sayyid, or else landowners, merchants or business people. One’s birth group constitutes a major criterion for defining social status. At the middle level, the ajlaaf (low-born) represent the masses. His status is defined by both his profession (pesha) unlike the ashraaf. Many castes of intermediate status fall into this category, such as farmers, traders and weavers (ansari and julaha). social elite of many ashraaf in rural areas believe that this category is not part of the Indian Muslim community (millat).

At the bottom of the social scale is the arzal. It is a group comprising non-untouchables and converted “untouchables” who, as in Hinduism, practise supposedly impure trades. this was the case of slaughterers (kasai), laundrymen (dhobi), barbers (nai, hajjam), tanners (chammar), and so on.

Like the Hindu caste-ridden society, relations between Muslim social groups are governed by a social taboos like sharing a table, marriage, sociability) and spatial restrictions (access to domestic areas and places of prayer, segregation in cemeteries and neighbour-hoods). the ashraaf opposes a caste-based count of Muslim community. But the ajlaaf and arzaal support it. the ashraaf, being a “creamy layer”, obstruct any step that may improve the lot of the downtrodden. the Indian supreme Court decision was to exclude the “creamy layer” from the quotas in 2008. But, it was never implemented. Questions about Islam mostly relating to ibadaat like hajj are asked in Indian parliament by the non-Muslim. no question about economic justice for all and sundry is asked.

Religious equality in India is impossible until attitudes change. since the Hindu caste system is rooted in scriptures, it is difficult to change. the Muslim caste system has hampered their progress in various realm of life. the paradox of belonging to Islam, a religion that is premised on the notion of equality, and at the same time imbibing local traits which affirm inequality, has to be admitted. Muslims are segmented into different status categories on the basis of income, occupation, education and lineage.

It is the Muslim himself who can change his lot by following Islam in full. they should resist stratification and demand equality from their community. the Muslim world at large should help them with funds.

as the only acceptable outcome and possible with just a bit more time and support.

A decade ago, I projected four scenarios that might play out in syria. 1) the regime could reestablish its repressive rule. 2) there could be a prolonged and devastating civil war (with external parties supporting opposing sides). 3) there could be an uneasy truce leading to a somewhat stable modus vivendi. 4) there could be a negotiated solution with “no victor, no vanquished” and syria on its way to creating a new social order. today, syria appears to be stuck between 2 and 3. there is a fragile status quo in which clashes are less frequent but the situation remains volatile. While the regime retains control of much of the now-destroyed country, it does so largely with the backing from Russia and Iran. turkey occupies parts of northern syria and provides cover for armed extremist groups. the UsA, together with Kurdish and some syrian opposition armed forces, controls areas in the northeast, including syria’s main oilfields. And Israel appears to be using the sites controlled by Iranian allies to test the lethality of its newly acquired American weaponry. several Arab states, realizing that this conflict has entered a dead end, are pushing to reintegrate syria and Assad into the Arab fold, if only to help release the country from Iran’s grip. they appear to favor siding with Russia, long a syrian ally, seeing its role in the country as less destabilizing than that of Iran.

Despite the clear evidence that no one can win– syria’s competing groups and their allies still appear unwilling to take the situation to the fourth scenario– a negotiated solution which protects and prioritizes the syrian people and the future of syria’s children.

A decade ago, I asked who would stop “syria’s descent into hell?” After having spent 10 years in hell, today’s question is “Who will rescue syria from hell?” It remains a question that only syria’s leaders, and their backers, can answer.

The writer is President, Arab American Institute.

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Wednesday, 7 April, 2021

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

Body Shaming is being so standardized “OH you’ve gained a lot of weight” and “Oh you are so skinny don’t you get anything to eat?” these are a few phrases that most of us especially people who have chubby OR angular bodies have heard. Body shaming is being so standardized that we do not even discern the fact that we might be hurting someone. Being judged and criticized because of some aspect of physical appearance is very humiliating and torturing. Magazines and most of the television commercials promote the idea of typical techniques for losing/gaining weight ‘in days’ and hiding all the ‘imperfections’. social media has also created the false image of a perfect and flawless body that it feels shameful and unusual to not fit into that graph. Body shaming can lead to mental health issues. there can be multiple reasons of losing/gaining weight such as depression, medicines and family gene. It has become ordinary that people are being judged by their bodies which is definitely mistaken. We all should understand that body shaming is not fair. nobody likes to be censured on the basis of their appearance because they have got no control in choosing that body for themselves. We should learn to make others comfortable and create a healthy environment for everyone.

MARIA EJAZ KARAchI

Covid outbreak among children

Resolving the water dispute The dispute must be seen in the context of relations overall

mAlik muhAmmAd AshrAf

T

HE Indus Basin Waters treaty brokered by the World Bank as guarantor gave Pakistan control over the waters of the Indus, Chenab and jhelum Rivers. India retained control over three eastern rivers —the Beas, Ravi and sutlej. the treaty also allowed India to use the waters of the western rivers in ‘non-consumptive’ ways. this was interpreted as a permission to build run-of-the-river hydel projects that do not change the course of the river and do not deplete the water level downstream.

India, however, has flouted the provisions of the agreement, leading to a dispute between the two countries over the construction of a hydroelectric plant on the River neelum, known as the Kishanganga in India. the Kishanganga River flows through the regions of neelum in AjK and Astore before entering the Indian-held region of Gurez. the dam gives India control over a river that flows from Pakistan into Indian-held Kashmir and then re-enters Pakistan.

Indian Prime Minister narendra Modi inaugurated the project in May 2018. Pakistan regarded the construction of the Kishanganga Dam as a violation of the provision of the IWt allowing non-consumptive use of the water of western rivers, which obligated India to make sure that this use did not change the course of the river nor deplete the water level. Pakistan also objected to the design of the project and height of the dam, which it maintained was beyond the permissible limit. the construction of the Kishanga Dam started in 2007. Pakistan took the matter to the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague in 2010, which stayed the project for three years.

But in 2013, the court ruled that the Kishanganga was “a run-of-the-river plant within the meaning of the Indus Waters treaty and that India may accordingly divert water from the Kishanganga (neelum River) for power generation”. the court also ruled that India was under an obligation to “construct and operate” the Kishanganga Dam in such a way that it “maintains a minimum flow of water in the river”. the minimum flow was fixed at 9 cumecs, or cubic meters of water per second.

India extended the assurance that it was lowering the height of the dam from the planned 98m to 37m and resumed construction at full swing. Pakistan, however, collected evidence to prove that India was violating the treaty as well as the court’s verdict. In August 2016, Pakistan approached the World Bank to appoint a court of arbitration to review the designs of Kishanganga and another project on the Chenab, called Ratle. India rejected the suggestion, saying that Pakistan’s objections were technical in nature and that the matter should be decided by a neutral expert. Pakistan disagreed, arguing that a decision by a technical expert was non-binding and India would be under no obligation to implement the expert’s recommendation. the World Bank set in motion both processes but paused them when India and Pakistan refused to withdraw their proposals. After the pause, the Bank held several rounds of talks but the dispute remains unresolved till now.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Indian Prime Minister narendra Modi, in complete disregard of the IWt, has also threatened to divert the water of the western rivers towards the Indian mainland. the situation has added enormously to the already strained relations between the two countries over the Kashmir dispute and may become the cause of an armed clash between the two nuclear neighbours if the dispute is not resolved amicably. squeezing the flow of water in the western rivers could harm agriculture in Pakistan irretrievably.

Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali jinnah was right in declaring Kashmir the jugular vein of Pakistan. Apart from other factors justifying Kashmir’s accession to Pakistan, he was fully aware of the fact that the rivers that flow through Kashmir into Pakistan were a lifeline for her and Indian control on them could harm Pakistan’s economy. Perhaps it is pertinent to point out that all the rivers covered under the IWt originate from Himalayas and flow into Pakistan through jammu and Kashmir. the neelum River is a tributary of the jhelum River.

India is not only violating the Indus Water treaty but is also guilty of breaching the international protocols regarding sharing of water between the riparian states and the International Law of Water Resources. Another factor which needs to be highlighted is that India is an occupying force in jammu and Kashmir in terms of the Un resolutions which stipulate the process of accession of the state to either India or Pakistan through a plebiscite held under its auspices.

Indian action to change the status of the state through a decree or by altering the demographic

realities constitute blatant violation of UnsC resolutions, the Fourth Geneva Convention and international law. similarly it has no right to divert the river waters. the Indian leadership must realize that its continued hostility towards Pakistan is undermining the long-term strategic and economic interests of both countries. Both of them need to live in peace to change the fate of the millions living below the poverty line. Removing the factors bedevilling their relations and resolution of the disputes between them was an inevitable policy option for both of them. It is therefore incumbent upon both sides to engage in a meaningful dialogue with sincerity of purpose to resolve all the disputes between them, including Kashmir as well as issues related to implementation of the IWt in letter and spirit as per the mechanisms provided in the treaty itself.

In this regard, there was the two-day meeting between Water Commissioners of India and Pakistan on 23-24 March in new Delhi in which both sides decided to interact more frequently in order to resolve the issues through bilateral discussions, which is a welcome development.

Under the provisions of the IWt the two Commissioners are required to meet at least once every year, alternately in India and Pakistan. the meeting could not be held last year which analysts attribute to the nosedive in relations between the two countries over Indian action in Indian-Held Kashmir. It is believed that this interaction between the two water commissioners was linked to the recent developments like the agreement on ceasefire along the LoC, letters of felicitation by the Indian President and Prime Minister to their Pakistani counterparts on the eve of Pakistan Day and the expression of the desire for cordial relations with Pakistan, the response given by the Prime Minister Imran Khan, and the discourses given by him and COAs Gen Qamar javed Bajwa at the Islamabad security dialogue expressing the desire to make a new beginning.

In the backdrop of the fact that relations between the two countries were in a nosedive since narendra Modi became Prime Minister of India and his illegal and unilateral actions in Indian Occupied Kashmir, these overtures can justifiably be regarded as positive developments.

However, instead of symbolic gestures concrete steps are needed to move towards permanent bonhomie between the two states through the resolution of all outstanding disputes, including Kashmir.

In the backdrop of the fact that relations between the two countries were in a nosedive since Narendra Modi became Prime Minister of India and his illegal and unilateral actions in Indian Occupied Kashmir, these overtures can justifiably be regarded as positive developments.

Malik Muhammad Ashraf is an academic.

He can be contacted at: ashpak10@gmail.com.

CHILDREn’s life have been turned upside down by this Covid. As this is already affecting their mental health; on many fronts like, closing of academic sessions, social separation, death news from everywhere and much more. But Covid is spreading among children? now that’s a big problem as already 5,792 children tested positive for covid-19 in Pakistan.

Health care officers and authorities should have taken measure to prevent Covid spread; so vaccines should not be delayed. It is also noted that children getting infected from adults, so vaccines could be helpful; if authorities considered this issue serious.

AMnA ShAhAb KARAchI

Ramadan and spike in prices tHE ninth month of the Islamic calendar is observed by refraining from food and drink from daybreak to dusk. Like other Muslims all over the world, most Pakistanis are preparing for the month of Ramadan, when they must refrain from eating and drinking, from dawn to dusk. this year however the increase in food items and frequent power cuts, many Pakistanis will find it hard to celebrate this holy month conventionally.

Our Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) told his followers that the gates of Heaven or jannah would be open for the entire month and the gates of Hell (jahannam) would be closed. the first day of the next month which is the month of shawwal is spent in celebration and is observed as the “Festival of Breaking Fast” or Eid ul Fitr... Likewise in other countries, Muslims are very lucky as they celebrate Ramadan festivals in a most useful manner in the sense that they aren’t afraid to pay a healthy amount to meet their ends. Even in other countries, people do not face a sudden spike in prices before Ramadan and they peacefully celebrate this Holy month. I would like to request you to kindly review my letter and make it part of your prestigious publication house, and your newspaper is the best way to communicate the same.

JAvERIA ARShAd KARAchI

Heat wave in Karachi RECEntLy heat wave hit Karachi when the seventy four year record of highest temperature was broken and the residents of Karachi suffered from extreme hot weather, shuttering of coastal winds and scorching sun. this led to heat stroke, nose bleeds, dehydration and fainting. the cause is very clear as we all know the root problem is global warming which came in existence through deforestation. It’s high time for our government to start plantation on rooftops of high rise buildings and stop industrialization in residential areas. Rather the industries should be out of the city and proper smoke and waste disposal systems should be developed to avoid further consequences.

SyEdA EMAn FAtIMA KARAchI

Dowry: the social evil DOWRy; a symbol of greediness and moral degradation. Pakistan became the first Muslim country to make dowry illegal and according to the bill passed, there is a limit set for receiving or giving dowry, that is four tola gold, clothes that belong to the bride and bedsheets only. However, the practice of expensive gifts and all kinds of household items that one can think of, continues without a glitch. Over 95 percent of all marriages in Pakistan involves transfer of dowry from the bride’s family to the groom’s family.

While many people can afford the demand of the groom’s family, there is a majority of people who cannot afford the demanded dowry and because of this the bride and her family have to lower their self esteem and have to face humiliation in this society. If their demands are not fulfilled many people call off the weddings and many people torture the girl physically and mentally after marriage in the name of dowry. some extreme cases have seen the groom’s family murder the woman after marriage. sadly, a considerable trousseau transcends even the realm of education, as the practice is little affected by the educational background of both parties.

Rather, the more educated a guy is, the higher the price set on his head.

In a world, which is already difficult for female existence, it is necessary to end such cultural traditions which are outside the scope of the rights given by Islam as well as the constitution. Marriage is a beautiful and sacred part of life; it should not be burdened with echoes of dowry.

Rather, it should be based on mutual trust and love. thus, it is absolutely necessary that the civil society and the masses take a stand against dowry and get rid the society of this constantly growing menace.

ARMEEn AFtAb SARIyo KARAchI

Wednesday, 7 April, 2021

08 WORLD VIEW

Could maCron’s PandemIC stumBles make marIne le Pen PresIdent?

LE PEN’S POST-COVID MOMENT

slate

F

roBErt ZarEtSKY

RENCH President Emmanuel Macron often appeared to be channeling the tenor and tropes of Charles de Gaulle in a nationally televised speech on Wednesday. “It has been a year of anguish and sacrifices, but also a year of heroic acts during which we have learned and resisted,” the president intoned. As it soon became clear, the invocation of de Gaulle’s spirit was an act of calculation born from desperation. france, announced Macron, would be subjected to a series of public health measures amid a new surge in coronavirus cases, including a monthlong closing of schools and the shutting of all nonessential businesses.

It’s france’s third national lockdown since last March.

The decision marks a year littered with mistakes made by Macron in his effort to master the pandemic. It could also mark a pivotal moment in the fortunes not just of Macron’s presidency, but the french republic. Should this latest lockdown either fail or falter, it may well be that, come next year, the next resident of the Elysée Palace will be Madame la Présidente Marine Le Pen. All lockdowns are unhappy, but every lockdown is unhappy in its own way. Inspired by the measures that had already been taken in China, the goal of the first “confinement” last March was “zéro COVId.” It ranged far and deep, closing schools, offices, restaurants, and, apart from those deemed essential, stores and markets. Though the economic and social consequences were seismic, the vast majority of french supported the measures. The rewards seemed to be equal to the sacrifices. When the lockdown was partially lifted two months later, france’s case and mortality rates had dropped sharply.

But the reopening was short-lived. By early fall, the incidence of positive cases—no doubt fueled by the tra-

ditional summer vacations and the relaxation of basic health protocols—began to rise once again. Region by region, stores and restaurants that had reopened just months earlier were again shuttered. In late October, when this piecemeal approach failed to stem the surge of positive cases, Macron announced a second confinement, a kind of lockdown lite. Concerned the economy could not recover from a second full lockdown, and his popularity could not recover if he imposed the same strict constraints, Macron kept schools open this time and broadened the range of essential businesses. The idea, this time, was not to crush the virus but instead live with it.

The french managed this delicate cohabitation with the virus for several weeks, leading Macron to ease restrictions for the Christmas season. Once a new and more virulent variant of the virus appeared in early January, however, the arrangement became unmanageable.

Praised by his communications team for his mastery of the scientific evidence, Macron decided to ignore his health advisers, who understood the dire consequences of the new variant and urged the president to impose a third lockdown. Instead, he prescribed curfews and restrictions on a region-to-region basis, wagering that this would keep the virus at bay until vaccines arrived.

Macron lost the wager. His dash to find une troisième voie, or “third way,” between battening down the hatches and bursting them open, was kneecapped by the government’s poor logistical planning. While the absence of masks for medical personnel was the measure of the government’s muddle last March, the absence of deep freezers for the vaccine became the new standard for administrative incoherence.

Between the end of January, when Macron embarked on the third way, and the end of March, there were nearly 20,000 more COVId-19-related deaths. With less than 5 percent of french having received both doses of the vaccine, the president-cum-epidemiologist yielded to reality. The man who once described himself as the “clock master” conceded the virus was now the true timekeeper.

So much now rides on the tempo of vaccinations and the timing of the renewed lockdown. Should the former prove too slow and the latter too late, the human cost will be incalculable. More easily calculated, though, is the political cost. A year from now, the first round of presidential elections will take place. Over the past several months, nearly all the polls predict a sequel of the 2017 election, in which the centrist Macron faced Marine Le Pen, leader of the extreme-right-wing Rassemblement National, or National Rally, in the election’s second

round. (french presidential elections go to a runoff if no candidate wins an absolute majority in the first round.)

In 2017, the contest was over before it began. Though the unknown and untested Macron was mistrusted by both the left and right, he benefited from their shared fear and loathing for Le Pen, as well as her catastrophic performance in their single televised debate. With threequarters of voters turning out, Macron tallied 66 percent and Le Pen 34 percent of the vote.

While Macron’s victory was decisive, it was not the blowout it appeared to outsiders. In 2002, the conservative Jacques Chirac won over 82 percent of the vote in the second round against the other Le Pen, Jean-Marie, the street-brawling father of Marine and founder of the anti-Semitic, anti-European, and anti-Muslim party the front National. When she took over from her father in 2011, the younger Le Pen launched a process of dédiabolisation, or de-demonization of the party whose name dared not be spoken by respectable republicans. She declared that the Holocaust, whose reality her father variously questioned or reduced to a “historical detail,” was the “height of human barbarity,” and purged the party’s ranks of Holocaust deniers and revisionists. (Her father, who refused to recant his earlier denialism, was also shown to the door.)

Changing the party’s name to the less confrontational and more inclusive National Rally, Le Pen now emphasizes her party’s attachment to the republic— though, crucially, not all of its laws—as the “common rule.” In short, Le Pen recognized the sanctity of the constitution, yet reserved the right to tweak it. discovering the french were more attached to the euro than she anticipated, Le Pen stopped clamoring for a frexit and now claims her goal is to “reform” the European Union from within. But when it comes to Islam and immigration— the two terms are one in right-wing rhetoric—the more things change chez Le Pen, the more they stay the same.

Promising to introduce a referendum on overhauling immigration laws should she become president, Le Pen has also proposed a law banning the wearing in public of the hijab—an item of clothing she insists is “Islamist.” for the moment, Le Pen’s proposals are only that— proposals. But will this be the case next year? According to a flurry of recent polls, a rematch between Macron and Le Pen in 2022 appears a much closer affair than it was five years ago. In a poll conducted by the Institut français d’Opinion Publique, or IfOP, Le Pen outscores Macron in the first round—28 percent to 24 percent—and comes a close second in the final round, 53 percent to 47 percent. The narrowing gap reflects what IfOP identifies as the “fragilization” of the republican front that first coalesced around Chirac two decades ago. Le Pen’s efforts at de-demonization and the growing “normalization” in political discourse of

From 1980 to 2021, the BJP’s Journey

Jordan in turmoil

The party, under Narendra Modi, is now the primary pole in Indian politics. It has become, arguably, even more committed to the Hindutva project while appealing to the subaltern

WAS THERE A REAL PLOT TO DESTABILIZE THE COUNTRY? OR ONLY COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SORRY STATE OF THE GOVERNMENT AND THE ECONOMY?

Hindustan times Editorial

I

f there is one political story that captures the shift in Indian politics over the last four decades, it is that of the birth, failure, success, failure, and then even greater success of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). On April 6, 1980, the BJP was born. While acknowledging its roots in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, in a sign that it would be distinct ideologically, the party adopted Gandhian socialism as one of its founding principles.

The BJP, under Atal Bihari Vajpayee, in the initial years, faltered electorally, which led to the rise of LK Advani as the party chief. Mr Advani steered the party towards Hindutva, the most powerful symbol of which was the Ram temple movement. This made secularism a contested word, spawned an entire generation of activists who are today at the top of the BJP leadership, and made the party one of the poles of Indian politics. But India wasn’t ready for this brand of politics, and it was by returning to Mr Vajpayee’s moderate avatar that the BJP was finally able to win power.

The party, under Narendra Modi, is now the primary pole in Indian politics. It has become, arguably, even more committed to the Hindutva project, while appealing to the subaltern, expanding in newer areas, carving out multi-class and multi-caste alliances, and creating the most formidable election machine India has ever seen. Mr Modi said, on Tuesday, however, that BJP was not an election machine but a campaign to win over the hearts of citizens. This is an important message, but to truly operationalise it, the BJP must become a more inclusive party, reflecting India’s social diversity. It need not be socialist, but turning to Gandhi, as was originally pledged in 1980, will help.

her party’s once-extreme positions are shifting the country’s political landscape.

Perhaps more so than any other leading political figure, Le Pen has benefited from the pandemic. In a polemical book she published last summer titled The Black Book of the Coronavirus: from fiasco to Abyss, she blasted the government’s stumbling response to the crisis. She claimed that the pandemic revealed the failure of “france’s elites” and its “hyperliberal” ideology— themes dear to the “yellow vest” protest movement that had paralyzed Macron’s government in the months leading up to the pandemic. She called the third lockdown Macron’s “Waterloo.” But Le Pen faces a delicate balancing act: retaining her disaffected base while reaching out to mainstream voters.

Tellingly, Macron has chosen to give Le Pen a helping hand. for months, parties across the political spectrum, from the left-wing france Insoumise (“defiant france”) to the right-wing Républicains, have railed that Macron, too weakened to face their own candidates, has done his utmost to make a rematch with Le Pen a reality.

These same parties, however, are largely responsible for their predicament. The Socialist Party, humiliated in the 2017 elections, is now a shadow of its former self, with no other movement able to unite the left. As for the right, Les Républicains’ equally mortifying defeat in 2017, followed by the series of scandals enmeshing leading figures like Nicolas Sarkozy and françois fillon, has perhaps fatally wounded it as well.

In a speech to members of his party, La République En Marche (“forward the Republic”), Macron insisted they “have just one opponent: the National Rally. We must reaffirm this opposition, one the french themselves have made.” Though Macron gave that pep talk before the pandemic—and the string of governmental miscues and mistakes—took center stage in france, he has tried to keep the public’s eyes on Le Pen. In mid-february he agreed to a televised debate between Le Pen and his hard-line interior minister, Gérald darmanin.

Not only did the debate make the case that a Macron–Le Pen rematch was inevitable, but it also allowed Macron to appeal to the same voters who tend to support Le Pen. This led to a remarkable moment when Le Pen, striving for a presidential and republican tone, was needled by darmanin for being too soft on Islamist radicals.

With each passing day the cynical strategy imposed

by Macron resembles ever more closely the doomsday machine from Stanley Kubrick’s dr. Strangelove—a device that seeks to deter nuclear war by guaranteeing armageddon if anyone starts one. By locking in as his opponent someone he thought a majority of french would never support, Macron now runs the risk of an automatic and cataclysmic electoral response next year.

Brookings institution

J

BrucE riEdEl

ORdAN is in the midst of what may be its most serious political crisis in 50 years.

King Abdullah appears securely in charge, but the country faces substantial socio-economic challenges aggravated by the pandemic. Over a dozen people were arrested over the weekend and the former Crown Prince Hamzah bin Hussein is apparently under house detention. It is unprecedented turmoil in the ruling family, and there are credible allegations of foreign meddling.

Rumors of a conspiracy to oust King Abdullah have circulated in Jordan for months, some alleging Saudi support for the plotters. Criticism of the government has been widespread, especially in some tribal areas. On Saturday, the army and the intelligence service moved preemptively, quickly, and efficiently to round up and arrest dissident suspects.

There are no reports of dissent in the military or security forces.

Among those arrested is Sharif Hassan bin Zaid, a former envoy to Saudi Arabia and the brother of a senior Jordanian intelligence officer who was assassinated in 2009 by an al-Qaida double agent in Afghanistan. The suicide attack also killed five CIA officers. former cabinet member Bassam Awadallah, a long-time advocate of political reforms, was another prominent figure arrested.

He too has been close to the Saudi government.

Hamzah’s office director has also been arrested.

The former Crown Prince Hamzah bin Hussein — who at 41 is the eldest son of the late King Hussein and his fourth wife Queen Nur — is apparently under house arrest in his palace. The official media says he is not under detention, but he has released a lengthy video in English and a shorter one in Arabic in which he says his phone lines have been cut and he is unable to communicate normally with the outside world. In the videos, he is very critical of the government for corruption and incompetence, but does not speak of the king by name; he does refer to a despot running the country. The government says his wife, Princess Basmah, was in touch with a foreign intelligence officer about leaving the country.

King Hussein designated Hamzah to be crown prince in 1999, but five years later Abdullah removed him and later replaced him with his own son, Hussein bin Abdullah, who is now 26 years old. The split in the royal family is unprecedented in the country’s history. Previous changes in the line of succession were usually collegial. Hamzah is popular especially with the tribal establishment and has been known to attend gatherings where others voiced criticism of the king.

It is unclear whether the dissidents were actually involved in a concerted plot to oust the king.

Hamzah denies any such conspiracy. He also rejected allegations of foreign connections. The government is suggesting a foreign hand was involved, and most point to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed

bin Salman (MBS).

Jordan faces serious structural problems. The country lacks natural resources, water is scarce, and the population has grown to more than 10 million. Unemployment is high, especially for women.

Waves of refugees have arrived from Iraq and Syria. The pandemic has added to the underlying difficulties. Tourism, key to the economy, has been largely closed. Corruption is endemic.

The country sits at the linchpin of the region, surrounded by Israel, the West Bank, Syria, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia, and just across the Gulf of Aqaba is Egypt. for the first 20 years of King Hussein’s reign, the country was wracked by coup plots, assassination attempts, foreign interference, and ultimately civil war. Since 1970, the country has been fairly calm. The biggest threat was al-Qaida and Islamic State terrorism. The wars in Iraq and Syria and the intifadas in Palestine did not lead to unrest in Jordan.

It is too soon to judge the impact of the crackdown in Jordan. There is much more that we don’t know about those arrested and their plans. former Crown Prince Hamzah is a particular enigma. Was there a real plot to destabilize the country? Or only complaining about the sorry state of the government and the economy?

Bruce Riedel is Senior Fellow - Foreign Policy, Center for Middle East Policy, Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology Director - The Intelligence Project.

Wednesday, 7 April, 2021

BUSINESS 09

ISLAMABAD corporate corner Meezan Bank, Chapal Builders partner to provide high-end villas financing KARACHI: A A Meezan Bank has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Chapal Builders & Developers to offer Shariah-compliant housing finance solution to its customers. Under this MoU, the Bank will provide up to 75% house financing based on Diminishing Musharakah for a maximum tenure of 25 years to the customers who intend to purchase villas in Chapal Uptown with an upfront of Rs1.5 million. PRESS RELEASE

EFU General Dividend disbursed within two working days after approval LAHORE: A At the Annual General Meeting held on March 31, 2021, the shareholders approved the annual financial statements of the Company and Final Dividend of 55% thereby making total dividend payout of Rs10 for the year 2020 (including three interim dividends of Rs1.50 per share already paid). The company held leading position in non-life insurance business. It created another history by becoming the first company to underwrite premiums (including Takaful Contributions) of Rs22.6 billion. The underwriting profit for the year was Rs739 million and the after tax profit was Rs2,371 million (earning per share was Rs11.85). The Final Cash Dividend 2020 @ Rs5.50 per share approved at Annual General Meeting held on March 31, 2021 has been credited directly into the designated bank account of the shareholders on April 2, 2021 i.e. within 2 working days of Annual General meeting. PRESS RELEASE

Urban Beauty Pvt. Ltd., Brands & Labels Pvt. Ltd to launch Shahid Afridi’s LalaJaan.com

LAHORE: A Urban Beauty, a Lahore based cosmetics retailer and distributor has joined hands with Brands & Labels Pvt Ltd to launch Shahid Afridi's 'Greatest Sixer' project, Lalajaan.com. The project is led by Shahid Khan Afridi and is intended to be a key contributor to the Shahid Afridi Foundation. PRESS RELEASE

Jubilee Life partners with UBL to bring Jubilee-You Protect Plan KARACHI: A A Jubilee Life Insurance has partnered with UBL to offer a new bancassurance proposition ‘Jubilee - You Protect Plan’ – a comprehensive health and life insurance plan. Under this partnership, the policyholders are provided with a simple and affordable way to protect themselves and eliminate their financial worries in case of death or hospitalisation expenses. The uniqueness that this plan offers is that in case of death the nominated beneficiary will receive a sum of up to Rs0.5 million and in case of hospitalisation, a daily benefit of up to Rs10,000 till a period of up to 180 days. PRESS RELEASE

GET YoUR CoVID RELIEF ExIT PLAN READY, REGULAToR TELLS G20 LONDON AGENCIES

W

hIlE ending Covid economic relief measures too soon would present more of a threat to financial stability than leaving them in place too long, it was time for G20 countries to decide how it should be done, the Financial Stability Board said on Tuesday.

The FSB, which coordinates financial rules for the G20 group of rich nations, said the speedy, sizeable and sweeping measures introduced by governments in the past year have limited economic fallout from the COVID-19 shock, but phasing them out will also present risks given continued uncertainties.

Despite the arrival of vaccines, the withdrawal of relief measures is not imminent given

the pandemic is worse in some countries than had been anticipated a few months ago, the FSB said.

In a report to help G20 countries exit the measures, the FSB recommended a flexible approach that withdraws relief gradually in a sequenced way to avoid a “cliff edge” effect from simultaneous expiries.

Withdrawals could be based on narrowing the scope of relief measures, requiring beneficiaries to opt in, making the support progressively less generous, and sequencing the expiry of different relief.

A “state-contingent” approach rather than a pre-announced timetable for withdrawal could help to minimize long-term financial stability risks, the FSB said.

“For many support measures, authorities need to take a decision on whether to extend,

amend or unwind them,” the FSB said in its report for G20 finance ministers meeting virtually this week.

“Prematurely withdrawing temporary measures designed to support bank lending could lead to an unintended tightening of bank lending.” (Graphic: FSBCOVID Graphic, ) FSB Chair Randal Quarles, said in a letter to G20 members there were signs of an emerging “inflection point” as vaccines are rolled out, albeit at different paces.

“While it is sensible to keep measures that support financial system stability and financing of the real economy in place as long as needed, the factors to be considered in deciding whether to extend, amend and, eventually, end support measures are taking shape,” said Quarles, who is also vice chair for supervision at the U.S. Federal Reserve.

An honour for Rahim Yar Khan - Punjab College student tops globally

LAHORE: A Dr Muhammad Uzman Tariq, a brilliant student of Punjab College Rahim Yar Khan brought laurels for Pakistan as well as his alma mater. He scored the highest marks (93%) all around the globe in MRCS exams among all four Royal Colleges of England and Ireland. He is the first Pakistani ever to have achieved this landmark. Dr Uzman Tariq is currently doing FCPS training in general surgery from Sheikh Zayed Hospital, Rahim Yar Khan. Punjab Group of Colleges is proud of its student and congratulates him on this outstanding achievement. PRESS RELEASE

Master Changan Motors opens flagship 3S dealership in Multan

Oil rebounds on robust economic data, bargain hunting SINGAPORE AGENCIES

Oil prices rose on Tuesday as investors looked for bargains following the previous day’s plunge of more than 4% on rising output from OPEC+ while strong economic data from the United States and China brightened recovery prospects.

Brent crude futures rose 38 cents, or 0.61%, to $62.53 a barrel at 0507 GMT, after falling 4.2% on Monday.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose 34 cents, or 0.58%, to $58.99 barrel, after sliding 4.6% on Monday.

Market sentiment was buoyed by a survey from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) on Monday showing activity in the U.S. services industry reached its highest level on record in March. The data came after a jobs report on Friday beat forecasts with 916,000 added to the US economy last month.

The US data “underscored growth momentum in the world’s largest economy, brightening the energy demand outlook,” said DailyFX strategist Margaret Yang.

Adding to positive sentiment, a recovery in

China’s services sector picked up speed in March as firms hired more workers and business optimism surged, a private sector survey showed on Tuesday.

In addition, England is set to ease coronavirus pandemic restrictions on April 12, with the opening of businesses including all shops, gyms, hair salons and outdoor hospitality areas.

Those helped offset worries about the agreement last week by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies, known as OPEC+, to bring back 350,000 barrels per day (bpd) of supply in May, another 350,000 bpd in June and a further 400,000 bpd or so in July.

Saudi Arabia is also set to phase out its extra voluntary cut of 1 million bpd over those three months. At the same time OPEC member Iran, exempt from making voluntary cuts, is boosting supply.

The market’s attention is now on indirect talks between the United States and Iran in Vienna from Tuesday as part of broader negotiations to revive the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and global powers.

The U.S. expected the talks to be “difficult” and does not foresee any early breakthrough.

Western Union expands real-time account payout capability in Pakistan with Faysal Bank KARACHI: A A Western Union is collaborating with Faysal Bank to enhance its real-time bank account payout network in Pakistan. The agreement with Western Union enables Faysal bank customers to receive money in real-time into their accounts, as well as to other banks across Pakistan. Global senders can send money using Western Union’s digital services in 75 countries plus territories or via Western Union’s iconic retail Agent network in more than 200 countries and territories. PRESS RELEASE

City’s Iconic Organisations celebrate at K-Electric’s KHI Awards 2021

KARACHI: A A Master Changan Motors Limited has opened its first flagship 3S dealership in Multan. The new showroom is located near Pak-Arab Fertilisers, Main Khanewal Road. The opening was attended by esteemed guests, past and future customers, and members of the media. Chief Guest Mr. Nadeem Malik inaugurated the new showroom in Multan. PRESS RELEASE

Mastercard and Uber extend partnership to boost payment digitisation and advance financial inclusion

KARACHI: A A Uber’s long-term partnership with Mastercard continues to grow with a new strategic initiative focusing on digital payments and advancing financial inclusions which will be facilitated by Mastercard across Pakistan, the Middle East and Africa (MEA). As a regional first, the partnership with Mastercard will enable Uber to drive digitization across their business operations, leveraging Mastercard’s single infrastructure to meet all types of payments needs across Uber Rides, Uber Eats, Uber Pass, and Uber for Business. The work undertaken with Uber plays a key role in advancing Mastercard’s worldwide commitment to financial inclusion and the company’s pledge to bring a total of 1 billion people, 50 million micro and small businesses, and 25 million women entrepreneurs into the digital economy by 2025. PRESS RELEASE

VRNoobz wins the first-ever Red Bull Campus Clutch Pakistan

EFU Life collaborates with AMTF for PRIMUS Loyalty Programme

LAHORE: A EFU Life Assurance Ltd is proud to partner with Afzaal Memorial Thalassemia Foundation (AMTF) for its PRIMUS Loyalty Programme. The partnership will enable EFU Life’s high priority client base to avail various discounts and attractive offers on labs, radiology and Xray services. EFU Life PRIMUS Loyalty Programme gives an unparalleled advantage to clients by offering exclusive discounts at over a hundred leading brands in the country, categories including Food, Lifestyle, Wellness, Leisure, and Insurance. These offers are a few taps away on EFU Life PlanIT mobile app, available on both Android and IOS platform. PRESS RELEASE

KARACHI: A A Pakistan’s largest private electric supply company, K-Electric (KE) announced 34 winners across 13 different categories at the first edition of the KHI Awards. The winning organizations spanned a broad spectrum of categories, from Education to Public Health, Uplifting Communities, Inclusion, Livelihoods & Vocational Training, Heritage & Culture to Digital Accessibility & Financial Inclusion, as well as Sports and Women Empowerment. The winners were announced at a privately held ceremony with limited attendance on Saturday, April 3. Winners have been awarded their prize in the form of electricity bill rebate, ranging from Rs0.25 to Rs5 million. PRESS RELEASE

CMYK

LAHORE: A Red Bull Campus Clutch, the world's first and most prominent global university ‘Valorant’ esports competition, came to a conclusion on April 4. Out of the five-player teams comprising of students from several universities across Pakistan, three reached the semifinals: Flex Esports, VRNoobz and Portal Esports. After an intense couple of rounds between Flex Esports and Portal Esports, the latter ended up with a victory in the semifinals, leaving the battlefield with two finalists: VRNoobz and Portal Esports. Over 100 players competed in the tournament since the qualifiers last month and represented their universities such as Bahria University, SZABIST, Iqra University, IoBM, and so many more. With the rise of Valorant in Pakistan, Red Bull Campus Clutch provided a platform for student gamers to form teams showcase their tremendous skills on the virtual battlefield. Now that VRNoobz has made history as the first-ever Red Bull Campus Clutch Pakistan champions, they move on to represent their university campuses as well as the country in the regional finals. PRESS RELEASE

Wednesday, 7 April, 2021

10 FOREIGN NEWS

ISLAMABAD

World PoWers, Iran, Us laUncH IndIrect talks to revIve nUclear deal VIEnnA

e

Agencies

UROPEAN intermediaries began shuttling between Iranian and US officials in Vienna on Tuesday as they sought to bring both countries back into full compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal that Washington abandoned three years ago.

Iran has steadily overstepped the accord’s limits on its nuclear programme in response to the United States’ withdrawal from the accord under then-President Donald Trump in 2018 and its reimposition of sanctions that have crippled the Islamic Republic’s economy.

While Tehran has repeatedly rebuffed “direct and indirect negotiations” with its old foe, Washington said on Monday it expected the discussions to be difficult. Neither side expected any early breakthrough.

Even without face-to-face talks, how-

ever, the presence of both Iran and the United States in the same location marks a step forward.

“We are confident that we are on the right track, and if America’s will, seriousness and honesty is proven, it could be a good sign for a better future for this agreement,” Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei told reporters.

The remaining parties to the deal briefly met at a Viennese hotel for preparatory talks in the Austrian capital, where the pact was originally reached in 2015.

Russia’s envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mikhail Ulyanov, said after the meeting that the parties had tasked two expert-level groups on sanctionslifting and nuclear issues to identify concrete measures to move forward.

The experts were set to begin technical work later on Tuesday with the aim of marrying lists of sanctions that the United States could lift with nuclear obligations Iran

Jordan's Prince Hamza pledges allegiance to king after mediation AmmAn

should meet.

“The restoration of JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or nuclear deal) will not happen immediately. It will take some time. How long? Nobody knows. The most important thing after today’s meeting of the Joint Commission is that practical work towards achieving this goal has started,” Ulyanov tweeted.

INTERMEDIARIES: Officials from Britain, France and Germany will act as intermediaries between Iran and the United States, shuttling between both delegations.

Russia and China, also part of the accord, are present as well.

The US delegation, headed by special envoy Rob Malley and sanctions expert Richard Nephew, are based in a nearby hotel.

“This is going to involve discussions about identifying the steps that the US has to take and identifying the steps that Iran is going to have to take,” Malley told NPR radio on Tuesday morning.

President Joe Biden’s administration wants to revive the accord but says this requires negotiations. Tehran has dismissed any direct engagement for now in talks with Washington.

Under the 2015 accord, US and other economic sanctions on Tehran were removed in return for curbs on Iran’s nuclear programme to make it harder to develop a nuclear weapon. Tehran has long denied it is enriching uranium for any other purpose than civilian nuclear energy.

CHALLENGES: Highlighting the difficulties of getting a breakthrough, Majid TakhtRavanchi, Iran’s envoy to the United Nations and a former nuclear negotiator, put the onus on Washington.

“The US has so far failed to honour POTUS campaign promise to rejoin the JCPOA. So this opportunity shouldn’t be wasted,” he said on Twitter. “If the US lifts all sanctions, Iran will then cease all remedial measures.”

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on all state matters, has opposed any gradual easing of sanctions.

Diplomats said the talks could continue for several days to resolve some of the less contentious issues before resuming in several rounds over the coming weeks.

The objective is some form of an accord ahead of June’s Iranian presidential election, an EU official said, although Iranian and US officials have said there is no rush.

The Biden administration has also said it wants to build a “longer and stronger agreement” that would deal with other issues, including Iran’s long-term nuclear programme, its development of ballistic missiles, and its support for proxy forces across the Middle East.

“But we’re much better off talking about all of that if we could at least put the current nuclear issue to the side and not have to worry every day about what the latest Iranian announcement will be,” Malley told NPR. Ali Shamkhani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, dismissed that option on Twitter.

“Regardless of whether Europe has the will or ability to persuade USA to lift all sanctions at once & Washington’s return to its commitments, there will be no possibility for Iran entering talks in the new fields, more than JCPOA, under any circumstances.”

Gunmen free more than 1,800 inmates in attack on Nigerian prison

Agencies

YEnAGoA

Jordan's Prince Hamza pledged allegiance to King Abdullah on Tuesday after mediation by the royal family, two days after he was placed under house arrest and accused of trying to destabilise the country. Prince Hamza signed a letter in which he placed himself at the monarch's disposal after a meeting on Monday with Prince Hassan, the king's uncle, and other princes, the royal court said. "I place myself in the hands of his majesty the king [...] I will remain committed to the constitution of the dear Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan," Prince Hamza said in the letter released by the palace.

An earlier royal palace tweet said the king had entrusted Prince Hassan, also a former crown prince, to take charge of the matter and that Prince Hamza had agreed to family mediation over the affair. On Saturday, the military warned Prince Hamza over actions it said were undermining "security and stability" in Jordan, and he later said he was under house arrest. Several high-profile figures were also detained. Officials said on Sunday Prince Hamza had liaised with people who had contacts with foreign parties in a plot to destabilise Jordan, an important ally of the United States, and that he had been under investigation for some time. The half-brother of King Abdullah and former heir to the throne said in a voice recording released by Jordan's opposition that he would not comply after being barred from any activity and told to keep quiet. While Prince Hamza is not seen as a direct threat to the king, his actions suggested he wanted to shore up his position with the Jordanian public after being removed from the royal succession. "For sure I won't obey when they tell you that you cannot go out or tweet or reach out to people but are only allowed to see the family. I expect this talk is not acceptable in any way," he said in the recording circulated to friends and contacts. The intrigue shook Jordan's image as a haven of stability in the unpredictable Middle East. It is unclear why the kingdom decided to crack down on Prince Hamza now, but he put himself at growing risk by stepping up visits in recent weeks to tribal gatherings where the king and his government have been criticised more openly. Public anger has also increased since nine Covid-19 patients died when oxygen ran out in a newly built state hospital, exposing negligence blamed on official mismanagement and corruption.

Protests were broken up with tear gas. The prince went to the homes of those who died to pay condolences, hoping to upstage the monarch who had earlier gone to the hospital to defuse anger, officials say. It was the first such open rift in the royal family in many years.

Public frustrations: King Abdullah removed Prince Hamza from his position as heir to the throne in 2004. In a video passed to the BBC by Prince Hamza's lawyer on Saturday, the prince accused Jordan's leaders of corruption, apparently hoping to tap into the public's frustrations.

Prince Hamza is not seen as a threat to the monarchy, which enjoys the support of the army and security services, but has gained sympathy among Jordanians sceptical of the government's accusations about his foreign links, saying it was a campaign to defame him. "This is character assassination without evidence," said Ali R. Al Tarawneh in a tweet. A supporter identified only as Razan said on Twitter there was "no good in a country that imprisons its prince". Others felt he was driven only by revenge at being sidelined and wanted to win popularity in tribal gatherings by emulating, in tone and language, his late father, who is revered by many Jordanians. Prince Hamza is the oldest son of the late King Hussein and his wife Noor, who had groomed him as a future monarch. He has served in the Jordanian armed forces. He angered the royal palace by trying to endear himself to a poor tribal constituency that has felt the impact of a shrinking economy and the state's inability to keep creating jobs that have long absorbed tribesmen in rural and Bedouin areas.

Agencies

More than 1,800 prisoners are on the run in southeast Nigeria after escaping when heavily armed gunmen attacked their prison using explosives and rocket-propelled grenades, the authorities said.

Nigerian police said it believed a banned separatist group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), was behind the attack in the city of Owerri, but a spokesman for the group denied involvement.

The secessionist movement in the southeast is one of several serious security challenges facing President Muhammadu Buhari, including a decade-long insurgency in the northeast, a spate of school kidnappings in the northwest and piracy in the Gulf of

Guinea. Buhari said the attack, in a city near the oilrich Niger Delta region that is the mainstay of Africa’s top crude exporter and biggest economy, was an “act of terrorism”. He ordered security forces to apprehend the fleeing prisoners.

The attackers stormed the facility at around 2:15 a.m. (0115 GMT) on Monday, according to the Nigerian Correctional Service.

“The Owerri Custodial Centre in Imo state has been attacked by unknown gunmen and forcefully released a total of 1,844 inmates in custody,” its spokesman said in a statement late on Monday.

The police said attackers used explosives to blast the administrative block of the prison and entered the prison yard. “Preliminary investigations have revealed that the attackers... are members of the proscribed In-

digenous People of Biafra (IPOB),” said Frank Mba, a spokesman for the Nigeria Police Force.

IPOB wants independence for a region in southeast Nigeria it calls Biafra. One million people died in a 1967-70 civil war between the Nigerian government and secessionists there. In recent months security in the region has deteriorated. Several police stations have been attacked since January, with large amounts of ammunition stolen and reports of the IPOB’s paramilitary wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), clashing with the military. But an IPOB spokesman told Reuters the group did not carry out the prison raid.

“IPOB and ESN were not involved in the attack in Owerri, Imo state. It is not our mandate to attack security personnel or prison facilities,” the IPOB spokesman said in a phone call.

Three shot dead as protests over Covid-19 restrictions turn violent in Bangladesh DHAKA Agencies

At least three people were shot dead after a protest over police enforcement of coronavirus restrictions in rural Bangladesh turned violent late Monday, confirmed police.

The incident took place in the central town of Saltha in the Faridpur district, where police said rumours had spread that a man was injured in a police sweep at a market aimed at enforcing health measures to curb the spread of Covid-19, as cases spike nationwide.

Thousands of villagers took to the streets in anger. A group of them hurled bricks at a police station and vandalised government offices in the town, torching an officer´s home and two cars belonging to

government officials, police said.

"Police fired in self-defence after they attacked the police station," a police spokesman in Faridpur district told AFP. A second police official, the inspector Nur-a-Alam Fakir, confirmed the incident.

Police did not give any casualty figures, but Abdul Matin, a doctor at the emergency ward of the state-run Faridpur Medical College Hospital, said three people were in critical condition after suffering gunshot wounds.

"One of them was hit in his buttocks, another in his chest, and the third person was shot in both legs," he told AFP. Bangladesh on Monday instituted a seven-day nationwide lockdown after coronavirus case numbers reached record highs and fatalities skyrocketed in recent weeks.

On Sunday, at least 7,087 people tested positive for the virus, the highest daily case total since the virus was first detected in the South Asian nation in March 2020. All domestic travel services, including buses, ferries, trains, and flights, have been suspended, and shops and malls will be shut for a week.

A nighttime curfew is in effect.

Hundreds of shopkeepers protested in the capital Dhaka over the lockdown, saying it would disproportionately affect their businesses.

Two officers said supporters of the Hefazat-eIslam joined the attack on the police station at Saltha.

Tens of thousands of Hefazat supporters staged nationwide demonstrations against the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi late last month, which triggered deadly clashes with police.

Global Covid-19 death toll surpasses 3 million amid new infections resurgence LonDon Agencies

Coronavirus-related deaths worldwide crossed 3 million on Tuesday, according to a Reuters tally, as the latest global resurgence of Covid-19 infections is challenging vaccination efforts across the globe.

Worldwide Covid-19 deaths are rising once again, especially in Brazil and India. Health officials blame more infectious variants that were first detected in the United Kingdom and South Africa, along with public fatigue with lockdowns and other restrictions. According to a Reuters tally, it took more than a year for the global coronavirus death toll to reach 2 million. The next 1 million deaths were added in about three months.

Brazil is leading the world in the daily average number of new deaths reported and accounts for one in every four deaths worldwide each day, according to a Reuters analysis.

The World Health Organization acknowledged the nation’s dire condition due to coronavirus, saying the country is in a very critical condition with an overwhelmed healthcare system.

“Indeed there is a very serious situation going on in Brazil right now, where we have a number of states in critical condition,” WHO epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove told a briefing last Thursday, adding that many hospital intensive care units are more than 90 per cent full.

India reported a record rise in Covid-19 infections on Monday, becoming the second nation after the United States to post more than 100,000 new cases in a day. India’s worst-affected state, Maharashtra on Monday began shutting shopping malls, cinemas, bars, restaurants, and places of worship, as hospitals are being overrun by patients. The European region, which includes 51 countries, has the highest total number of deaths at nearly 1.1 million.

Five European countries including the United

Kingdom, Russia, France, Italy and Germany constitute about 60 per cent of Europe’s total coronavirusrelated deaths.

The United States has the highest number of deaths of any country in the world at 555,000 and accounts for about 19 per cent of all deaths due to Covid-19 in the world. Cases have risen for the last three weeks but health officials believe the nation’s rapid vaccination campaign may prevent a rise in deaths. A third of the population has received at least one dose of a vaccine.

At least 370.3 million people or nearly 4.75 per cent of the global population have received a single dose of Covid-19 vaccine by Sunday, according to latest figures from research and data provider firm Our World in Data.

However, the World Health Organization is urging countries to donate more doses of approved Covid-19 vaccines to help meet vaccination targets for the most vulnerable in poorer countries.

Wednesday, 7 April, 2021

SPORTS 11

ISLAMABAD

Pakistan, south africa clash in oDi series DeciDer toDay Centurion

t

Agencies

WO matches, two high-octane finishes, with two centuries from two players who needed big numbers to their names, and one spirit-of-thegame debate that will keep us talking long after the dust settles on Wednesday (today). With honours even, the third match is a finale in the truest sense and will decide who earns a series win.

For South Africa, this is the chance to claim a third trophy in nine series under coach Mark Boucher, and a second this summer. For Pakistan, it's the opportunity to win a series against a top-seven ODI team for the first time since 2013 when they beat South Africa at home. Both teams could also use World Cup Super League points, but South Africa will have to try to get them without almost half of their first-choice team.

Five key players - Quinton de Kock, David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi - have left the squad for the IPL which means a complete change to the pace pack and the absence of the chief pro-

tagonist in the controversy. de Kock will not be around to take in the conversation around whether his gesturing to the non-striker's end when Fakhar Zaman was run out at his ends amounted to wilful deceit. Both Zaman and the match officials did not think so and to them, at least, the matter is closed. So is the question of whether Pakistan would have successfully chased 342. They did not get there but showed enough fight and will fancy their chances against a less-experienced South African attack in the decider.

With the three main quicks gone, South Africa will lose out on the combined experience of 114 ODI caps. The replacements, likely to be Lutho Sipamla, Daryn Dupavillon and one of Beuran Hendricks or Junior Dala have a total of 14 caps between them, so Pakistan could see that as a potential area to exploit.

This was never expected to be a series for spinners with only one wicket between Tabraiz Shamsi and Shadab Khan and with the latter ruled out with injury, it's the former that's under our microscope. Shamsi shot from the hip in defence of de Kock and got into a few Twitter tangles, but those are not

kinds of webs he will want to be weaving.

Shamsi has been South Africa's second-most expensive bowler so far and will want to show he can play a holding role if required.

Otherwise, Shamsi will know that Keshav Maharaj, who enjoyed strong domestic returns over the past two summers, is an alternative South Africa may want to consider in more seamer-friendly conditions.

With Nortje away at the IPL, Haris Rauf has the opportunity to finish as the series' leading wicket-taker. He currently has five to his name, two behind Nortje's seven, and has made breakthroughs at crucial times. In the first ODI, Rauf got rid of David Miller immediately after he reached fifty; in the second, he accounted for both de Kock and Temba Bavuma as they went in search of boundaries. Thought Rauf has been more expensive than he might like - both he and Mohammad Hasnain have conceded at 6.3 runs an over - he has taken a wicket every four overs, while Hasnain only has one in every ten. After four ODIs, Rauf looks like a player who could create a regular spot for himself in Pakistan's XI. South Africa will have to make five

changes to their XI - two in the top six and the entire pace pack - following the departure of players to the IPL. That will mean a new opening partner for Aiden Markram with Janneman Malan getting an opportunity after many considered him unlucky to miss out in the first place. Kyle Verreynne will replace David Miller with Heinrich Klaasen likely to remain at No. 6 and take over the wicketkeeping duties. South Africa's big conundrum is how to make up for the absence of Rabada, Ngidi and Nortje. Sipamla and Dupavillon are expected to slot in and a decision is to be made between left-armer Hendricks and a second spinner in Maharaj. teAm newS:: Pakistan have one enforced change after Khan was ruled out of the tour with a toe injury. Usman Qadir will step into his place. They may also make a change to their No. 6 position, with Asif Ali's scores of 19 and 2 necessitating a switch.

Haider Ali could earn his third ODI cap.

Hasan Ali, who was declared fit ahead of the series but has yet to play a game, could also be called on, likely in place of Hasnain.

The series moves back to Centurion where the early morning conditions offered

sQUADs SOuth AfricA (prObAble): 1 Aiden Markram, 2 Janneman Malan, 3 Temba Bavuma (captain), 4 Rassie van der Dussen, 5 Kyle Verreynne, 6 Heinrich Klaasen, 7 Andile Phehlukwayo, 8 Beuran Hendricks/Keshav Maharaj, 9 Daryn Dupavillon, 10 Lutho Sipamla, 11 Tabraiz Shamsi. pAkiStAn (prObAble): 1 Imamul-Haq, 2 Fakhar Zaman, 3 Babar Azam (captain), 4 Mohammad Rizwan, 5 Danish Aziz, 6 Asif Ali/Haider Ali, 7 Usman Qadir, 8 Faheem Ashraf, 9 Mohammad Hasnain/Hasan Ali, 10 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 11 Haris Rauf. something for the quicks and batting eased out later in the day. The slightly cooler and wetter weather may narrow that gap, with rain expected overnight and at some point on the game day. The temperature will hove in the upper and mid-20s as the season changes.

North Korea to skip Tokyo Games due to coronavirus pandemic Pyongyang Agencies

North Korea will not attend this year’s Tokyo Olympics because of the coronavirus pandemic, Pyongyang’s sports ministry said, dashing Seoul’s hopes of using the Games to restart talks with its nuclear-armed neighbour.

The isolated North’s participation in the last Winter Games, hosted by the South in Pyeongchang, was a catalyst in the diplomatic rapprochement of 2018.

Leader Kim Jong Un’s sister Kim Yo Jong attended as his envoy in a blaze of publicity, and the South’s President Moon Jae-in seized the opportunity to broker talks between Pyongyang and Washington that led to a series of high-profile meetings between Kim and then US president Donald Trump.

But Pyongyang’s announcement extinguishes the possibility that the postponed Tokyo Games, due to begin in July, could kick off a reset in the now deadlocked talks process. North Korea’s Olympic Committee “decided not to participate in the 32nd Olympic Games in order to protect players from the world public health crisis caused by Covid-19”, said the Sports in the DPR Korea website, run by the sports ministry in Pyongyang. But analysts said other factors may have been at play. The announcement – dated Monday – reported a meeting of the national Olympic committee on March 25. The North’s official KCNA news agency had previously carried a dispatch on the committee meeting, without mentioning the Olympic decision. All International Olympic Committee member countries are required to take part in each Games under the Olympic charter. An IOC spokesperson told AFP that it had “not received any official application from the NOC of DPRK to be released from their obligation”. The spokesperson added that “despite several requests” the North’s Olympic Committee had been unable to hold a conference call to discuss the coronavirus situation. bOrder lOckdOwn: Pyongyang is more isolated than ever after imposing a strict border closure more than a year ago to protect itself from the virus that first emerged in neighbouring China.

While the North insists it has had no coronavirus cases – although experts doubt the assertion – the lockdown has exacerbated the economic pain from

multiple international sanctions over its banned weapons programmes.

The new US administration of Joe Biden is in the final stages of a review of North Korea policy, with officials widely expected to support a resumption of lower-level talks rather than high-stakes, high-drama summits. On the campaign trail, Biden characterised Kim as a “thug” and has sharply criticised Trump’s meetings, saying he legitimised one of the world’s most ruthless leaders, but has also said he is open to diplomacy. Biden recently warned North Korea of consequences for violations of UN Security Council resolutions after Pyongyang tested what US officials judged to be ballistic missiles.

‘ShAmeleSS diStOrtiOn’; Inter-Korean relations are also at a standstill, with the North repeatedly saying it has no interest in talking to Seoul, and last year blowing up a liaison office on its side of the border. Even so, Moon in his Independence Day speech on March 1 said: “This year’s Tokyo Olympics could be an opportunity for dialogues between South Korea and Japan, the North and the South, North Korea and Japan, and North Korea and the US.” The day commemorates mass protests that took place in 1919 across the Korean peninsula against Tokyo’s colonial rule.

Seoul’s unification ministry said it was “sorry that the Covid situation” had prevented the Games from serving as “an opportunity to advance peace on the Korean peninsula”. Japan’s chief government spokesman Katsunobu Kato said it was monitoring the reports and authorities were seeking to improve the environment, “including infection countermeasures, so that many countries and regions can participate in the Tokyo Games”.

Analysts said the virus may not be the only reason behind Pyongyang’s decision. “Pyongyang seems to be protesting against Japan’s policies on North Korea, as sensitive issues such as human rights and sanctions have been raised by Tokyo, along with the US,” Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, told AFP. The North regularly excoriates Olympic host nation Japan over its brutal 20th-century annexation, with KCNA carrying a report Sunday condemning new Japanese history textbooks as “persistent and shameless distortion of history”.

Gerasimov scores early upset in Cagliari Cagliari Agencies

Egor Gerasimov of Belarus defeated No. 7 seed Guido Pella of Argentina 6-4, 6-0 in first-round action Monday at the Sardegna Open in Cagliari, Italy.

Gerasimov saved five of seven break points and swept the last nine games of the 86-minute match.

No. 8 seed Tommy Paul also made an early exit, losing 7-6 (8), 5-7, 6-3 to Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann. Serbia’s Laslo Djere posted a 6-4, 6-2 win against Italy’s Federico Gaio and Slovenia’s Aljaz Bedene rallied for a 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 (3) win against Giulio Zeppieri of Italy.

AndAluciA Open: South Korea’s Soonwoo Kwon earned his first tour-level win on clay, holding off 17-year-old Holger Vitus Nodskov Rune of Denmark with a 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (4) decision in Marbella, Spain. The seventh-seeded Kwon twice trailed by a break in the final set of the two-hour, 23-minute match.

In other first-round action, Ricardas Berankis of Lithuania outlasted France’s Lucas Pouille 6-4, 6-7 (5), 7-5 in two hours and 50 minutes. Slovakia’s Norbert Gombos defeated Argentina’s Juan Ignacio Londero 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-3 and No. 8 seed Federico Delbonis eliminated Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena 7-5, 6-1.

CMYK

Lingard inspires West Ham to narrow win over Wolves; Everton held by Palace london Agencies

Jesse Lingard inspired West Ham United to a thrilling 32 win at Wolves to move fourth in the Premier League on Monday, as Everton’s hopes of a top-four finish were dented in a 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace.

Lingard’s stunning form since joining the Hammers on loan from Manchester United in January saw him earn a recall by England manager Gareth Southgate last month. The midfielder further bolstered his case for inclusion in Southgate’s squad for Euro 2020 as he ran from inside his own half to slot home his sixth goal in eight West Ham appearances after just six minutes.

Lingard then turned creator for his side’s other two goals as the visitors surged into a 3-0 lead inside 38 minutes. His cute flick when penned in at the corner flag teed up Arthur Masuaku to cross for Pablo Fornals to double the Hammers’ lead.

Lingard then surged beyond four weak Wolves challenges to free Jarrod Bowen, who fired in at Rui Patricio’s near post. “He’s playing terrifically well,” said West Ham boss David Moyes. “Tonight he looked like a real top player.” West Ham move a point ahead of Chelsea in a tight battle for a place in the Champions League next season. Tottenham and Liverpool are just three points behind Moyes’s men with eight games to play.

“We have to take it on. I’m hearing people talking about West Ham with a chance of playing in the Champions League,” added Moyes. “Nobody would have envisaged that last season. All those big teams up there going for fourth, we are going to try to compete with them all the way to the end.”

West Ham let a three-goal lead slip in their last outing as Arsenal battled back to draw 3-3 at the London Sta-

dium two weeks ago and they nearly made the same mistake. Leander Dendoncker kickstarted the Wolves fightback with a towering header from Adama Traore’s cross just before half-time.

Substitute Fabio Silva then found the far corner 22 minutes from time to set up a grandstand finish. This time the Hammers held out, but their top-four challenge could be impacted by a couple of significant injuries. Declan Rice missed his first Premier League game of the season with a knee injury that is expected to keep the England midfielder out for a month and Michail Antonio limped off in the first-half with a hamstring problem. prOfligAte evertOn puniShed: Everton missed the chance to also move within three points of four, with a game in hand to come, as Michy Batshuayi’s 86th minute equaliser salvaged a point for the Eagles at Goodison Park.

The Toffees were made to rue a string of missed chances either side of James Rodriguez’s opener. “The reason was we were not able to kill the game when we had the opportunity,” said Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti.

“When you deserve to win, you have to win. We have to be more focused to avoid these kinds of situations.”

Rodriguez broke the deadlock 11 minutes into the second-half when he fired home Seamus Coleman’s cutback for his 100th goal in European football.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison were denied

by Vicente Guaita with the chance to seal the points. And that proved costly as Everton ultimately dropped points for the seventh time in eight home games.

Batshuayi had only been on the pitch two minutes when he latched onto Jeffrey Schlupp’s through ball to fire low beyond Robin Olsen. Palace remain in 12th, but look safe for another season in the top flight as they edge 11 points clear of the relegation zone.

Wednesday, 7 April, 2021

PRayeR Timings

NEWS

FAJR SUNRISE

ZUHR

ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

5:36

12:14

3:07

7:01

5:27

6:52

PaKIsTan-RussIa TIes TaKIng new TuRn In fIelds of TRade, defence: fM ISLAMABAD

f

sTaff RePoRT

OREIGN Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said the bilateral relations between Pakistan and Russia are taking a new turn and improving in the fields of economy, trade and defence.

In a video message on Tuesday about the visit of the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, the foreign minister said that both the countries desire promoting cooperation in the region.

He said that the visit of a Russian foreign minister to Pakistan after nine years reflects a “new and positive dimension” of bilateral relations. “Russia is the most important country in this region, no one can deny its strategic significance and value.

The visit clearly indicates that Pakistan’s ties with Russia are taking a new turn,” he further said.

Qureshi said that both the countries want to take forward the North South Gas pipeline project. He said that discussions will be held with the Russian counterpart on promotion of trade. He recalled that during the flour crisis in Pakistan, Russia ensured the supply of wheat to help sta-

bilise the price of the commodity.

He said that Pakistan would welcome if Russia makes an investment for the revival of Pakistan Steels Mills (PSM) or other projects. The PSM was set up with the technical and financial help of Russia and now its role in the revival of the entity could open up several opportunities to strengthen bilateral cooperation, Qureshi said.

The foreign minister said that the two countries are playing their role in the Afghan peace process. The Russian foreign minister can persuade India to play a positive role in bringing peace to Afghanistan, he added.

Qureshi said that Pakistan and Russia are ready to cooperate with each other as their bilateral relations have improved with

time. He said that Russia is an important country in the region and expressed confidence that the talks would yield good results in fortifying bilateral ties.

He said that the Russian foreign minister would meet Prime Minister Imran and Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa would also participate in delegation-level talks at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In recent years, Pakistan and Russia have strived to improve relations in response to the strengthening of diplomatic relations between India and the United States. Though the Moscow-Islamabad rapprochement is in its infancy, a slew of energy deals and growing military cooperation promise to spark life into the RussiaPakistan relationship that had been for many decades.

Earlier last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin extended the greetings to Pakistani counterpart Dr Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan on Pakistan Day. In a tweet, the Russian Embassy in Pakistan wrote, “Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, sent the congratulatory message on the occasion of a national holiday – the Pakistan Day to H.E. Dr. A. Alvi, President of Pakistan, and H.E. Mr. Imran Khan, Prime Minister of Pakistan.”.

Active diplomacy exposed Indian fascism in occupied Kashmir: Akram

NEW YORK sTaff RePoRT

Active diplomacy exposed the reality of India’s oppressive policies against Muslims in occupied Kashmir and in the region, said Pakistan Ambassador at the United Nations Munir Akram on Tuesday.

In an interview with a Pakistan Television (PTV) programme, the ambassador said that people in various parts of the world, including the West, now recognise the “nature” of new India, which he said has a fascist face with an ideology of hate

against Muslims as well as other minorities.

“India’s attempt to depict Pakistan as a sponsor of terrorism and so forth is producing diminishing results because India’s own reality is now exposed to the world,” he added. Ambassador Akram also said that India had failed in its campaign to isolate Pakistan which he said has emerged as a prominent member of the international community.

“We are an important player in the region, within the Islamic world, within the United Nations,” he said. “Pakistan cannot be isolated.”

Pakistan, under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan, has played an active role in exposing Indian policies in the region as well as the nature of the regime ruling the country, he said.

Ambassador Akram also vowed to keep pushing for a change in New Delhi’s policies so that it accepts applying the principles of the UN charter in its dealings with Pakistan.

He said that the prime minister’s pathbreaking speech at the United Nations in September 2019, where he spoke openly and from the heart, had brought Pakistan’s firm commitment to the Kashmir cause into the sharp focus of the international community.

He said that the Kashmir dispute was fully alive at the UN — it is on the active agenda of the Security Council, and “we will try to keep it alive because it exerts pressure on India”.

Pakistan, he said, took a “bold step” to take the issue to the Security Council after almost 50 years, a move that past governments were reluctant to make.

The Security Council, he said, discussed the dispute thrice, underlining the fact that it is an international dispute, not an integral part of India as New Delhi claims.

Hence, the existence of the legal basis of the dispute has to be kept up and raised at the United Nations and the Security Council which stand for the resolution of the Kashmir dispute through a plebiscite,

Akram said. “We will keep up the pressure and keep raising the issue at the Security Council, but apart from that, in the UN Human Rights Council,” he said, noting over 50 countries had joined Pakistan in a joint statement, right after August 5, 2019, in denouncing India’s unilateral move to annex the region.

18 UN special rapporteurs have sent two communications to the Indian government, questioning human rights violations such as summary executions, disappearances, collective punishments, treatment of journalists, and a whole range of issues, saying that human rights were in free fall in India, especially in held Jammu and Kashmir.

“India has to respond to this [to special rapporteurs communications],” the ambassador said, adding that Pakistan will keep up the pressure on India. A composite dossier of India’s sponsorship of terrorism, he said, was also shared with the UN secretary-general who has promised to study it and give his responses to the evidence.

He said that he had also written to the Security Council in this regard.

“We have kept them apprised of India’s activities in sponsoring terrorism against Pakistan,” Ambassador Akram said. The objective, he said, was to highlight this fact in front of the international community, and “we are succeeding to expose that India sponsors terrorism against Pakistan.”

Tareen denies reports of joining PPP, meeting with Zardari Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Jahangir Tareen has denied a claim made by PPP leader Shehla Raza regarding his inclusion in the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and meeting with Asif Ali Zardari. “An ongoing propaganda is being launched against me,” he said while denying a Twitter message from PPP lawmaker Shehla. The PTI leader said that there was no truth in reports regarding his meeting with the PPP leadership and inclusion in the party. “Those running fake news against me will be disappointed,” he said. Meanwhile, PPP leader Ahmad Mahmood, who Shehla claimed Tareen had met, also denied the meeting. news desk

9th Indian soldier commits suicide in occupied Kashmir since March

ISLAMABAD: Another Indian soldier committed suicide in Srinagar district of the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) on Tuesday.

The soldier of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) committed suicide by jumping from 5th floor of the building at his camp in Dignibal area of Srinagar. The number of suicides amongst Indian troops and police personnel rose to 9 since March 2021, while 499 soldiers have committed in IOK since 2007. Earlier on March 4, an Indian soldier committed suicide in Srinagar. The Indian army soldier of Raj Rifle committed suicide by hanging himself to death near JCO point, Badami Bagh Cantonment, in the city. Earlier on March 3, two Indian soldiers including a lieutenant colonel committed suicides in the territory.

The Indian officer had told the media that investigation had been started to ascertain the reasons behind the extreme step. TLTP

Russia says in talks to make more military equipment in India NEW DELHI agencies

Russia and India are discussing “additional” production of Russian military equipment in India, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday, in a move that could irk the United States which frowns upon countries engaged in defence trade with Moscow.

Speaking at a joint news conference with India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Lavrov did not specify what kind of equipment could be made in India.

Officials from both countries have said their governments have been discussing for some years the possibility of making Russian military helicopters in India.

“We have confirmed our determination towards the development of military-technical cooperation,” Lavrov told the briefing, adding there was an inter-governmental commission dealing with the subject.

“It has its own plans, and the prospects

for additional production of Russian military equipment on India’s territory are under discussion,” he said.

India has made Russian MiG fighter planes and Su-30 jets under license and the two countries have collaborated to develop and produce supersonic BrahMos cruise missiles in India.

While joint defence production would fit with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s flagship Make-in-India programme, it could rile the United States, which has been targeting Russia’s defence and intelligence sectors with trade sanctions for Moscow’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and US intelligence findings it has meddled in the 2016 US presidential election.

Lavrov said the United States has been trying to discourage countries from buying Russian weapons, but US objections did not feature during his talks with Jaishankar, which had focused on deepening military ties.

Washington has already warned New Delhi that it could face sanctions if it goes

through with the purchase of Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile systems under a deal struck in 2018, though it has not made the same threat over other Indian arms purchases from Russia.

Last year, the United States sanctioned Turkey for buying S-400 systems. India made an initial payment of $800 million in 2019, and the first set of missile batteries is expected to be delivered towards the end of this year.

Jaishankar said ties with Russia were time-tested and that the two sides also discussed a summit meeting between Modi and President Vladimir Putin later this year.

“India-Russia ties are characterised by consistent ability to identify and update shared interests,” he said.

Russia has traditionally been India’s main arms supplier but Delhi has turned to the United States and Israel in recent years for supplies of attack helicopters, transport planes and high-tech drones and other surveillance equipment.

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