EpaperISB_21-06-24

Thursday, 24 June, 2021 I 13 Dhul-Qadah, 1442 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XI No 354 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition

Three killed, 21 injured in lahore neighborhood blasT g

iGp says attaCker tarGeted the poliCe

g

CM orders inquiry into the explosion

photo: zubair mehfooz

LAHORE shahab omer

a

blast near Jamaat-ud-dawa chief hafiz saeed’s house in Johar town on Wednesday afternoon claimed the lives of three people while 21 others were injured.

Five members of the same family were hurt in the blast. Moreover, a rickshaw driver and his youngest son were killed. reportedly, seven of those who were injured are currently in critical condition. the blast shattered the windows of nearby houses and damaged parked vehicles. eyewitnesses said that explosives were attached to a motorcycle, which they saw after they gathered following the explosion. police and other law enforcement agencies cordoned off the area for investigation. lahore CCpo Ghulam Mehmood dogar and Cto Muntazer Mehdi also reached the site of the blast. dogar said that the blast did not appear to be a gas explosion. he suspected that it was a bomb blast, however, it could not

be confirmed until the bomb disposal squad, forensic teams and other evidence gathering teams complete their investigation. punjab iGp inam Ghani also confirmed the casualties and injuries. he said that that the “police were targeted” and the damage could have been greater but the attackers could not reach their target due to police patrols and blockades. iGp Ghani also said that the punjab Counter-terrorism department has taken over the investigation.

When the police chief was asked about the presence of hafiz saeed’s house in the vicinity and the possibility of it being a target, he said that while the Jud chief’s house was nearby, the area was cordoned off by the police and the police were targeted. “if there was no police checkpoint, the attacker could have gone further,” he said.

Ghani said that the authorities will provide medical aid to those who were injured and those whose houses were damaged will be compensated. “those who lost their lives cannot be compensated but those involved in this crime will be brought to justice,” he said.

Coronavirus in

PakisTan

CONFIRMED CASES:

950,768

LAST UPDATED AT 7:16 AM ON JUNE 23, 2021

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

NEW CASES:

39

930

RECOVERED:

DEATHS:

895,690 22,073 SINDH:

PUNJAB:

333,194

345,251

KP:

BALOCHISTAN:

137,247 AJK/GB: 20,019/5,850

26,776 ISLAMABAD:

82,431

Meanwhile, punjab Chief Minister usman Buzdar also took notice of the blast and demanded a report from the police chief while ordering an inquiry into the incident. Buzdar directed the concerned authorities to take all steps for the treatment of injured while those responsible for the blast should be brought to book immediately.

Moreover, the deputy commissioner of lahore said a five-member committee was formed to assess the damage to houses and vehicles in the blast. he said that the committee has been directed to submit its report within two days. he added that the district administration was taking all possible measures to protect the lives and property of the people. interior Minister sheikh rasheed ahmed also took notice of the blast and sought a report from the provincial chief secretary and police chief. he said that the nature of the blast was being ascertained and federal agencies were assisting the provincial government in the investigation.

Following the explosion, the police and other law enforcement agencies cordoned off the area. security in other parts of the provincial capital was also beefed up as the city was put on high alter. the diG (operations) ordered increased security at the entry and exit points of the city. later, punjab health Minister dr yasmeen rashid, lahore commissioner, dC and iGp visited the injured at Jinnah hospital. in May 2019, a bomb targeting police outside data darbar, one of the largest Muslim shrines in south asia, in lahore killed 12 people and wounded 25. the attack was claimed by the hizbul ahrar, a splinter group of afghanistan-based tehreek-e-taliban pakistan. the ttp claimed responsibility in april 2017 for a suicide attack on army personnel taking part in the census that killed six people and wounded 19 in lahore. the deadliest of recent explosions struck Gulshan-e-iqbal park in March 2016 killing at least 75 people and wounding 370. this attack, too, was claimed by the hizbul ahrar.

Imran has ‘no right to comment on Pakistan’s nuclear status’: Maryam pakistan Muslim leaguenawaz Vice president Maryam nawaz on Wednesday said that prime Minister imran khan is “not representative of the people of pakistan”, therefore, he has no right to comment on pakistan’s nuclear status. speaking to the media in islamabad, Maryam was referring to an interview of the prime minister on axios on hBo, wherein he had said earlier this week that “the moment there is a settlement on kashmir, the two neighbours [india and pakistan] would live as civilised people. We will not need to have nuclear deterrents.” he had also said the “only one purpose” of the nuclear programme was deterrence. “it’s not an offensive thing,” he had said. dawn reported on Wednesday that Maryam went on to say that the premier was not the custodian of the country’s nuclear programme, rather pakistan’s population of 22 billion was its custodian, for which the people and the leaders had made sacrifices. in this connection, she gave the ex-

No justification to keep Pakistan on grey list after FATF agenda compliance: Qureshi ISLAMABAD staff report

Foreign Minister shah Mahmood qureshi Wednesday said that the Financial action task Force has no justification to keep pakistan on its grey list since it has implemented 26 of the 27-point action plan to move out of the list. his statement coincides with a plenary session of the global terror financing watchdog that began on Monday and will announce islamabad’s fate on June 25 (Friday). “under the German presidency of dr Marcus pleyer, delegates representing 205 members of the Global network and observer organisations including the international Monetary Fund, the united nations and the egmont Group of Financial intelligence units will take part in the virtual meeting of the FatF plenary,” the body said in a statement. the agency had placed pakistan on its grey list of countries with inadequate controls over terrorism financing in 2018, which made foreign firms more cautious about investing in pakistan.

amples of “former prime minister Zulfikar ali Bhutto embracing martyrdom and pMl-n supremo nawaz sharif being exiled.” “you [the prime minister] should not even talk about kashmir, on which you have made a deal,” she said, adding that if the premier believed he could start a new debate by making such remarks, he was wrong.

Maryam said pakistan’s nuclear programme guaranteed its security and had it not existed, the country would have been facing big issues other than just kashmir today. “you, a selected prime minister, have no right to make such a statement [about the nuclear programme],” she said. a day earlier, the pMl-n had reacted to the premier’s remarks during a national assembly session and alleged that the cricketer-turned-politician was brought to power to fulfill the “foreign agenda” of rolling back pakistan’s nuclear programme. news desk

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

more inside

LHC grants bail to Asif in NAB case STORY ON PAGE 02

pM briefed on intelligence cooperation STORY ON PAGE 03

in a statement, qureshi said pakistan had completed the technical requirements. “We had been given 27 points in the FatF action plan, out of which work on 26 has been completed,” he said. “Work was also being carried out to address the remaining item.” “in this situation, there is no justification to keep pakistan on the grey list,” he said. the foreign minister warned the body that india wanted to

use the forum for “political purposes” but should not be allowed to do so. pakistan, he said, took concrete measures to curb money laundering and terrorist financing in the larger national interest. the statement also recalled that pakistan “inherited” the grey-list status from the previous government of the pakistan Muslim league-nawaz.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

Two million Sinovac vaccine doses arrive from China STORY ON BACK PAGE

lhC bars FBr from proceeding against tareen’s sugar business STORY ON PAGE 03

02

Thursday, 24 June, 2021

ISLAMABAD

NEWS

LHC grAnts bAiL to Asif in nAb CAse LAHORE

t

Staff REpORt

HE Lahore High Court Wednesday granted post-arrest bail to Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz MP Khawaja Asif in cases pertaining to assets beyond means and money laundering against him.

A high court bench — comprising Justice Aalia Neelum and Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi — announced the verdict.

The National Accountability Bureau had arrested Asif in December last year from outside the Islamabad residence of another PML-N leader, Ahsan Iqbal, on charges of being in possession of wealth beyond his declared sources of income.

In March, he approached the court to secure bail,

contending that during his 22-day physical remand with the National Accountability Bureau that he was not confronted with any “direct or circumstantial evidence that would construct the case”.

“The application, under section 24(d) of National Accountability Ordinance, 1999, filed by respondent Assistant Director NAB Mohammad Ikram, for seeking physical remand of the petitioner did not disclose any incriminating material supporting the alleged commission of the crime under section 9(a)(v) of NAO,” the petition read.

“Mere ownership of property/assets did not constitute an offense under section 9(a)(v). It is the failure to explain the source of funds that points towards the commission of the offense. The inquiry is being conducted on conjectures and surmises with a view to rope the petitioner into baseless and

unfounded allegations. “In the absence of any plausible reason to reject the detailed explanation offered by the petitioner regarding his ownership of assets and source of income, this case is one of further inquiry and post-arrest bail should be granted.” He said he had provided the agency with an explanation of the various sources of wealth, explaining the acquisition of the assets he owns.

“Rejection of the explanation, without any reasonable ground, is itself evidence of the arbitrary exercise of power on part of respondents hence justifying interference by the court and grant of post-arrest bail,” he said.

THE CASE: According to the charge sheet against Asif, NAB was carrying out investigations against him under Clause 4 of the NAB Ordinance, 1999 and Section 3 of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2010.

“Before assuming the public office in 1991, the total worth of Khawaja Asif’s assets was Rs5.1 million which increased to Rs221m in 2018 after serving on different posts that do not match with his known sources of income,” said the statement.

“Accused Khawaja Asif claimed to have received Rs130 million from a UAE firm M/s IMECO, but during the course of the investigation, he failed to present any solid evidence of receiving this amount as a salary,” it said. “This clearly shows that the accused tried to prove his income through fake sources.”

Moreover, NAB alleges that Asif was also running a company, Tariq Mir and Company — registered in the name of his staffer — through his frontmen. It said that an amount of Rs400 million was deposited in the account of Tariq Mir and no sources of this huge amount were disclosed.

Abbasi ducks question on bin Laden LAHORE Staff REpORt

LAHORE: People enjoy a boat ride in Ravi River at sunset. ONLINE

Court indicts Mandviwalla, suspects in NAB reference ISLAMABAD Staff REpORt

An accountability court in Islamabad on Wednesday indicted Pakistan Peoples Party leader and former Senate deputy chairman Saleem Mandviwalla and other suspects in Kidney Hills reference.

Mandiviwalla and other suspects appeared before Accountability Judge Muhammad Bashir. On the outset of the hearing, they were provided with a copy of the charge sheet.

However, the accused pleaded

innocence and decided to contest the allegations, following which the court summoned two witnesses of the National Accountability Bureau, Nisar Magsi and Sheikh Jamal, to record their statement on the next hearing on July 13.

According to the dirty money watchdog, Mandviwala purchased 3.1 million shares of Mangla View Resort in the name of his staffer Tariq Mehmood, an accused in the case involving former president and PPP cochairperson Asif Ali Zardari.

It said Rs30 million were paid for the purchase of these shares from the fake

accounts of A-One International.

The shares with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan were frozen last month lest Mandviwala may dispose of the shares.

A NAB report claimed that former Pakistan International Airlines chairman “Aijaz Haroon and Saleem Mandviwala, in connivance with each other, embezzled the government land through illegal and fraudulent allotment and received illegal and unlawful gains of Rs144.2 million from fake bank accounts namely A-One International and Lucky International under

the garb of [a] business deal or property transaction with Abdul Ghani Majeed, chief executive officer Omni Group”.

It said the proceeding in the case further revealed that the purported property and business deal was coordinated by the accused using his brother Nadeem Mandviwala’s real estate company, Mandviwala Builders and Developers, and received Rs64.2 million out of Rs144.2 million.

The same, it said, was misappropriated through the purchase of a trust called Dawati-Hadiyah, Karachi by the accused.

Days after Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi refrained from calling Osama bin Laden a terrorist, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Wednesday followed suit but courted a similar controversy after he hesitated to call the former al Qaeda chief a terrorist.

“We should decide in the parliament once and for all if [bin Laden] was a martyr or not. If this is an issue, there needs to be a discussion on it,” the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader told anchor Fareeha Idrees on her television programme. When asked specifically whether he considered bin Laden a martyr, Abbasi said: “Let the parliament debate the issue.” At this, Idrees told Abbasi that as a former prime minister, his opinion on the issue mattered. “Even a former prime minister is smaller from the parliament in stature,” he replied.

Bin Laden, the alleged mastermind of the deadly 9/11 attacks, was killed in 2011 by US special forces after eluding detection for nearly a decade. Last year, Prime Minister Imran landed himself in hot waters after he told parliament that the al Qaeda leader had been “martyred” by the US. “I will never forget how we Pakistanis were embarrassed when the Americans came into Abbottabad and killed Osama bin Laden, martyred him,” Imran said in his speech. In an interview with Afghanistan’s Tolo News, Qureshi, when the interviewer quoted the prime minister’s speech, said: “Well, again. Out of context. He [Imran] was quoted out of context. And, a particular section of the media pair it up.” Asked if he would disagree, the foreign minister paused for a while and then said: “I will let it pass.”

Parliament only forum for legislation on any issue: Babar Awan ISLAMABAD INp

Adviser to Prime Minister on Political Affairs Dr Babar Awan has said that demand of opposition to hold All Parties Conference on the electoral reforms is unjustified as Parliament is the only forum for legislation on any issue.

Taking part in debate on federal budget in the National Assembly on Wednesday, he said that no APC can do legislation.

Babar said that the opposition neither participated in the parliamentary committee meetings on electoral reforms nor gave any suggestion to improve the existing election system.

The Election Commission of Pakistan was a constitutional institution and had the mandate to hold free, fair and transparent elections in the country, he added.

Opposition was opposing the Electronic Voting Machines and the government’s efforts of giving the right of vote to overseas Pakistanis, who were playing a vital role in strengthening the national economy by sending remittances, he regretted.

The adviser to PM on political affairs asked the opposition to adopt a realistic approach during the budget debate as the incumbent government had taken practical initiatives for the common man’s relief and economic growth despite the coronavirus pandemic.

He said that the opposition parties remained in power for decades but could not introduce any such policy that would have ended poverty, but now they were becoming the champions and sympathizers of the poor.

Babar said that the world economies had crumbled due to coronavirus but it was the hallmark of the PTI government that it presented a tax-free budget despite all financial constraints, which would have no negative impact on the masses.

He said that it was evident from the fact that the international economic experts were asking the investors to invest in Pakistani markets due to the conducive environment and improved economy.

The adviser asked the absconding leaders of PMLN to come back to the motherland and practically participate in the efforts for the well-being of the poor.

He also rejected the propaganda of the opposition that way was being paved for the presidential form of government, and amendment in the 18th constitutional

amendments.

As per the law and constitution two-third majority was needed for bringing any change in the 18th constitutional amendment, he said, adding “the incumbent government has no such majority”.

Babar said that Pakistan was an ally of the international community for its peace efforts but not in wars and the PTI government had a very clear stance on it.

He said that Prime Minister Imran wanted to strengthen national institutions by ensuring rule of law and supremacy of the Parliament.

Babar expressed confidence that the government would succeed in passing the budget from National Assembly and Punjab Assembly as well with majority.

Talking part in the budget debate, Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians Syed Javed Ali Shah demanded of the government to make more allocations for agriculture sector which was backbone of the national economy.

He urged National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser to issue production orders of arrested MNAs Syed Khursheed Shah and Khawaja Muhammad Asif so that they could highlight problems being faced by their voters

and represent their constituencies in the house.

Javed Shah said the government should take effective measures to end load-shedding in Sindh province and provide gas in different localities including his constituency.

He regretted over the delay in execution of SukkurHyderabad motorway which was an important section of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and asked to ensure quality in its construction.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf lawmaker Nawaz Sher Waseer congratulated the government and its allies for presenting pro-poor and farmers’ budget.

He thanked Prime Minister Imran for increasing the rates of sugarcane, wheat and other food items to facilitate the farmers, adding that the government should give subsidy on solar system to install tube-well.

Nawab Waseer demanded of the government to increase salaries of the government employees by at least 20 percent because there was price hike in the country due to the wrong polices of the previous governments.

The legislator said clean drinking water was the basic right of every citizen of the country and urged the government to allocate more funds for the provision of the facility.

Thursday, 24 June, 2021

ISLAMABAD

NEWS

03

COAS FOR COLLeCTive ReSpOnSe AgAinST emeRging CHALLengeS RAWALPINDI inp

C

HIEF of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa Wednesday said that Pakistan and Azerbaijan necessitate close cooperation and collective response against common challenges in emerging geo-strategic paradigm in the region. According to an Inter-Services Public Relations media release received here, the Army Chief made these remarks during his official visit of Republic of Azerbaijan where he called on Minister of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan Colonel General Eyvazov Vilayat Suleyman Oglu, Chief of State Border Service of Azerbaijan Colonel General Elchin Guliyev and Chief of State Security Service Colonel General Ali Naghi Oglu Naghiyev at Baku.

COAS Bajwa also reiterated for increased mutually beneficial engagements at all levels and forums.

During the meeting, matters of mutual interest, bilateral defence and security cooperation, regional peace and stability and cooperation in energy, trade and connectivity projects between both brotherly countries were discussed.

The dignitaries also acknowledged high standards of professionalism of the Pakistan Army and contributions for conflict prevention in the region especially efforts for bringing peace in Afghanistan.

PM briefed on intelligence cooperation ISLAMABAD

“The prime minister appreciated the ongoing efforts and expressed satisfaction over the performance of the National Intelligence Coordination Committee,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.

ISI Director General Lt Gen Faiz Hameed received the prime minister and the ministers on their arrival at the secretariat.

The government had notified the establishment of the National Intelligence Coordination Committee in January as a platform for intelligence coordination and for ensuring a unified and wholesome national intelligence assessment.

app

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday chaired a special meeting of the National Intelligence Coordination Committee where he was given a comprehensive briefing on enhanced intelligence cooperation.

Held at Inter-Services Intelligence Secretariat in Islamabad, the meeting was attended by Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed, Minister of Information and Broadcast Fawad Chaudhry, and the chiefs of the spy agency, Intelligence Bureau and Federal Investigation Agency.

LAHORE Staff RepoRt

Cleric, sexual assault victim undergo medical test LAHORE Staff RepoRt

The cleric who was charged with sexually abusing his student at a religious school and the alleged victim have undergone a medical examination, police said on Wednesday.

The examination, conducted by the Punjab Forensic Science Agency, was ordered by the court, police said. The report will be handed over to the police later this week.

The agency has also saved the DNA of the suspect, Mufti Azizur Rehman, in

its database.

Aziz, an active member of Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s faction of Jamiat-eUlema-e-Islam, was arrested along with his two sons from a hideout in Mianwali on Sunday after evading arrest for more than a week.

The first information report was registered against him days after cellphone videos purporting to show the cleric forcing himself on the student went viral on social media.

The case has caused a stir, and outrage on social media, with many calling for a strict punishment for the

LHC bars FBR from proceeding against Tareen’s sugar business

cleric. “We will take it as a test case, interrogate him, conduct scientific professional investigation, prosecute and get him convicted by the court,” Punjab police chief Inam Ghani tweeted following the arrest.

Aziz denied the allegation of rape in a video statement issued on social media, saying that he was drugged before the filming of the alleged abuse. He said this was part of a plot to throw him out of the seminary — the Jamia Manzoorul Islamia.

The student, who police said appeared to be in his early 20s, said in

his complaint that he has given several video and audio recordings to help police investigate, adding he had gone into hiding because he had received death threats.

The police said the student had told them that the cleric had been abusing him for several years. He said he started filming the abuse after he got sick of it, and sent the video clips of the abuse to the head of the Wifaqul Madaris, the body that oversees the religious schools system. Aziz is currently on a four-day physical remand and will be produced before the court Thursday.

The Lahore High Court on Wednesday served a notice on the Federal Board of Revenue on a petition of estranged Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Jahangir Tareen and directed the revenue collection body to refrain from proceeding against his sugar business. Justice Shams Mehmood Mirza took up the petition which accused the agency of serving “illegal” notices on JDW-Group, Tareen’s business group, in violation of Article 10-A of the Constitution. The counsel representing the business requested the court to annul the notice. The LHC forwarded the matter to the FBR, directing it to take its decision only after considering the response from the group. “No action should be taken against the applicant until a decision is reached [on the matter],” the judge said. In March, the Federal Investigation Agency registered two cases of money laundering and corporates fraud against Tareen and his son, Ali Tareen, under sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating of public shareholders), and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code with sections 3 and 4 of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2010. The cases were opened in the light of findings of the sugar inquiry commission that had accused several sugar producers — including Tareen — of “underreported sales and fraud”. Tareen had rejected the “fabricated” charge sheet and denied any wrongdoing. Tareen had returned to Pakistan in November last year after ending his seven-monthlong self-imposed exile after falling out with Prime Minister Imran Khan following the inquiry.

Kashmir Committee evolves strategy to counter Indian fake news on Kashmir & Pakistan PAKISTAN IS A VICTIM OF INDIAN INFORMATIONAL TERRORISM, SAYS SHEHRYAR AFRIDI ISLAMABAD Mian abRaR

The Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir Wednesday was briefed on the strategy evolved by its Advisory Board on Digital Media to adopt counter measures to the Indian information terrorism being projected through fake news on Kashmir as well as Pakistan.

Kashmir Committee was given a detailed briefing by a team comprising Advisory Board team of the Committee on a strategy to the counter Indian fake news on Kashmir issue.

Chairing the meeting of the Kashmir Committee here, Shehryar Khan Afridi said that India is involved in information terrorism while Pakistan and Kashmiris are victim of Indian fake news. He said that EU Disinfo Lab had fully exposed the Indian networks of fake news and Pakistan needed

to counter Indian fake news on the digital and mainstream media spheres. Chairman Kashmir Committee Shehryar Khan Afridi said that artificial intelligence is the way forward and Pakistan would have to employ all its energies to tap all opportunities and our true content on the digital space.

“We are creating an online data repository to provide factual information on Kashmir. This would help the world know what’s actually happening on ground in the occupied Kashmir and how Indian fake websites and mainstream media was manipulating and twisting information to

create fake news. We need to counter the Indian fake news and tell truth to the world,” he said.

Shehryar Khan Afridi said that the content on Kashmir would be translated in eight major languages and NUML management has volunteered itself for freeof-cost translation of the content on Kashmir.

CEO Ahsan Mashkoor and CPO Abu Abdullah Ashar from ISSM Labelling Solutions – an AI focused company – were called upon by Special Parliamentary Committee On Kashmir to present how AI can help fight back fake news.

Abu Abdullah Ashar gave briefing on the proposed Pakistani counter to fake news of India explained in the EU Disinfo Lab. Khurram Dastagir MNA said that the content on Kashmir must be in multiple languages so as people from many cultures and languages may understand the narrative.

He urged Kashmir Committee to tap modren tools of IT to help influence the

young generation across the world. He said the target audience must be the influencers and diplomats in major capitals of the world.

In his presentation, Ahsan Mashkoor spoke about the structural disadvantages of Pakistan due to lack of critical technology architecture and absence of a centralised data repository.

To tackle this, Ashar proposed to create a centralised data repository that constitutes of factual data and real time statistics, which can be used as reference point to control Misinformation and fake content.

The centralised data repository will become a reference point for their NLP/NLU engine that will identify fake news and highlight it in real-time. These same tools can also be used to crawl high domain worth websites such as Wikipedia to track fake information and be reported accordingly.

The parliamentary committee also discussed how Pakistan has been a victim to Informational terrorism where our democracy has been influenced by propaganda and fake news.

Thursday, 24 June, 2021

04 NEWS

ISLAMABAD

AfGhAn peAce most immediAte chAllenGe foR sco: moeed DUSHANBE

n

TLTP

ATIONAL Security Advisor Dr Moeed Yusuf on Wednesday said that peace in Afghanistan is the most immediate challenge facing the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

Dr Yusuf's remarks came during the 16th meeting of the National Security Advisers of the SCO held from June 22-23 in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, a statement from the Office of the National Security Adviser said.

Member states, which include Pakistan and India, issued a joint protocol signed by all the NSAs at the end of the meeting, said the statement. In his formal statement at the summit, Dr Yusuf said that Pakistan —

SayS PakiStan committed to SuPPorting Stable, Sovereign, united afghaniStan which he said is a country historically most affected by developments within Afghanistan — is fully committed to supporting a stable, peaceful, sovereign, and united Afghanistan at peace with itself and with the neighbours.

“It is our firm view that a negotiated political settlement that is Afghan led and Afghan owned is the only way to achieve

this desired outcome”, he added.

The national security advisor cautioned against spoilers, both within and outside Afghanistan, adding that unfortunately, not everyone in the region who professes to prefer peace in Afghanistan does so in reality.

He said that Pakistan cannot allow Afghan soil to be used against it. Dr Yusuf lay great stress on the fact that Pakistan condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including state terrorism against people under illegal occupation.

The advisor said that Pakistan has been a victim of "terrorism planned, supported and sponsored from across our borders". He said this is an unfortunately reality which remains even today and "has at its roots actors who may present themselves as advocates of global cooperation against terrorism but in

crude prices go up over falling inventories, oPec+ supply deficit ISLAMABAD TLTP

Global prices for crude oil rallied on Wednesday as a rapid rebound from the Covid-19 pandemic across the world underpins increasing fuel consumption.

At 11:40am GMT, Brent, the international benchmark for two-thirds of the world’s oil, gained 0.68 percent to reach $75.32 a barrel. Similarly, the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) reached $73.47, up 0.85 percent. The price for Opec Basket was recorded at $71.56 a barrel with 1.01 percent decrease, Arab Light was available at $74.59 a bar-

rel with 0.62 percent increase, while the price of Russian Sokol reached $75.24 after gaining 0.57 percent. The American Petroleum Institute (API) has reported a draw in crude oil inventories of 7.199-million barrels for the week ending June 18. Analysts had predicted a much smaller draw of 3.942 million barrels for the week. In the previous week, the API reported a draw in oil inventories of 8.537 million barrels after analysts had predicted a draw of 3.290 million barrels. Crude oil inventories have fallen by more than 29 million barrels since the start of 2021, according to API data, but are still up 27 million barrels since January 2020.

reality perpetuate it to create instability in our country and the region".

“Terrorism cannot and should not be associated with any race, religion, nationality, civilisation or ethnic group”, he further said.

The NSA said that Pakistan does not wish to be part of any camp politics or geopolitical confrontation. “Pakistan’s vision for itself was that of a melting pot for positive global interests”, he stated.

He said that Pakistan’s main priorities were to generate greater economic activity, reduce unemployment and alleviate poverty, which are "completely in sync with the SCO's direction".

Dr Yusuf apprised the gathering about Pakistan’s success in fighting the COVID19 pandemic. He stressed the need to counter the pandemic’s negative economic impact

Air cargo on robust upward trend with 8.4pc growth: IATA ISLAMABAD AGENCIES

In the three months to April 2021, industry-wide cargo tonne-kilometres (CTKs) grew by 8.4 percent compared to pre-crisis levels in 2019, according to International Air Transport Association (IATA).

According to a statement issued on Wednesday, the strong performance is now visible in most of the main regions and trade lanes. Air cargo has over-performed global goods trade in the three months to April. This is partly explained by the very low inventory to sales ratio, which is leading to an inventory restocking cycle, a common pattern at the start of an economic upturn.

Moreover,other drivers of air cargo

Gold price increases to Rs90, 700 per 10gm ISLAMABAD: Gold price inched up on Wednesday, gaining over 0.25 percent as the US dollar gives up its recovery mode amid Federal Reserves Chairman Powell’s dovish comments.

At 12:17pm GMT, gold in the international market was trading at $1,784.50 an ounce after gaining $4.70 an ounce in its value as compared to its closing value on Tuesday last.

Powell said that tighter monetary policy is a distant possibility, adding the economic recovery requires more time before any tapering of stimulus and higher borrowing costs are appropriate. The Fed’s dovish views contrasted with the relatively hawkish comments from Norway and New Zealand, which sent their currencies up by 0.3 percent each against the greenback. Meanwhile, the price of 10 grams of yellow metal in Pakistan increased to Rs90,700 with a gain of Rs300. TLTP

CMYK

and highlighted Prime Minister Imran Khan’s efforts to champion the Global Initiative for Debt Relief. He said that the vision of a transformed Pakistan was centered on economic security, adding that the country’s emphasis had "shifted from geo-politics to geo-economics".

Dr Yusuf also informed his counterparts about Pakistan’s efforts in the area of Climate Change. He said that Pakistan was a low carbon emitting country but one of the most vulnerable to climate change.

“Prime Minister Imran Khan has made climate change his top priority and has emerged as one of the leaders of the Global South on environment,” he added.

Earlier in the day, the NSA held an important bilateral meeting with his Russian counterpart. Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, Nikolai Platonovich extended a special invitation to Dr Yusuf to hold a full scale bilateral NSAs dialogue.

According to the statement, during the meeting, the two discussed issues of mutual interest and expressed satisfaction on the progress of Pakistan-Russia bilateral relations, while sharing serious concern about the evolving situation in Afghanistan.

demand are also supportive.

According to the statement, capacity continues to improve at a slow pace – industry-wide available cargo tonnekilometres (ACTKs) fell by 11.9 percent versus the three months to April 2019. Air cargo fares, revenues and load factors continued to trend at elevated levels, said the statement.

Air cargo is on a robust upward trend, with seasonally adjusted global cargo tonne-kilometres (CTKs) growing 6.2% quarter-on-quarter in the three months to April 2021. Actual CTKs were 8.4% above volumes in the same period in 2019 (and 26.3% above 2020), said the statement. After a prolonged period of underperformance, air cargo overperformed global goods trade in the three months to April 2021. This

is a common occurrence at the start of an inventory restocking cycle, and typically happens at the beginning of an economic upturn.

While the Asia-North America rebounded earlier than most other trade routes, the air cargo recovery has now extended to most markets and regions. Traffic carried by Latin American airlines is the main exception, said the statement. The IATA said that recent months of data showed further strength in drivers of air cargo, with consumer and business confidence, new export orders, world trade and industrial production all posting gains. Both advanced and emerging markets are benefitting from supportive conditions, despite congestion issues in supply chains.

Thursday, 24 June, 2021

ISLAMABAD

Xi JiNpiNG SayS ChiNa weLComeS CLoSer 'BeLt aNd road partNerShipS’ ISLAMABAD

C

MIAN ABRAR

HINeSe President Xi Jinping Wednesday said that China is willing to work with all parties to build a closer ‘Belt and Road Partnership’. In a written address to the virtual session of the Asia and Pacific High-level Conference on Belt and Road Cooperation, Xi said the purpose of proposing the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is to inherit the Silk Road spirit, jointly build an open cooperation platform and provide new impetus for the cooperation and development of all countries.

According to Xi, China has signed cooperation agreements with a total of 140 countries under the BRI

in eight years. Hailing the pragmatic progress achieved, President Xi said all parties have actively enhanced connectivity in policy, infrastructure, trade, finance and people-to-people ties.

He said a partnership for all-dimensional and composite connectivity has been set up, which opened up new prospects for common development.

"Facing the Covid-19 outbreak that caught us all by surprise, we have been supporting and assisting each other in the most difficult times and pushed forward the construction of the BRI, conveying confidence and strength to the international community and making an important contribution to global cooperation against the pandemic and economic recovery," Xi said.

The Chinese president reiterated that the joint pur-

suit of the BRI should follow the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, pursue open, green and clean cooperation, as well as pursuing high-standard cooperation to improve people's lives and promote sustainable development.

As China enters a new development stage, follows a new development philosophy and fosters a new development paradigm, Xi believes it will provide more market opportunities, investment opportunities and growth opportunities for its BRI partners.

Voicing China's willingness to build a closer BRI partnership, Xi called for adhering to the road of solidarity and cooperation, connectivity and common development, and jointly promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

No justification to keep Pakistan on grey list after FATF agenda compliance: Qureshi contInueD froM pAge 01 However, he said, the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan did its best to get the country out of the list.

Qureshi said the world has acknowledged Pakistan’s efforts in the implementation of the 27-point action plan. The steps taken to meet the criteria included the promulgation of strict regulations to

control money laundering, freezing of assets and filing of lawsuits against proscribed organisations. “Thence, the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering improved Islamabad’s rating against money laundering and terror financing.”

Also, the Pakistan-european Union Joint Commission welcomed Islamabad’s progress in the implementation of the parameters, he said.

In its last meeting in February, the watchdog kept Pakistan on the grey list, with FATF President Marcus Pleyer saying Islamabad had made “significant progress” but there remained “serious deficiencies” in mechanisms to plug money laundering and terrorism financing. earlier this month, The APG improved Pakistan’s rating on 21 of the 40 technical recommendations of the FATF

but retained it on “enhanced Follow-up” for sufficient outstanding requirements.

However, the second follow-up report on Mutual evaluation of Pakistan released by the APG had also downgraded the country on one criterion. The report had said Pakistan was re-rated to “compliant” status on five counts and on 15 others to “largely compliant” and on yet another count to “partially compliant”.

Dozens killed after air strike on market in Ethiopia's Tigray region MeKeLLe

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister Dr Sania Nishtar listens to the concerns of a woman at the One Window Ehsaas Centre. PR

Shehbaz voices concern & alarm over brewing electricity, LNG crisis PML-N President and National Assembly Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif has expressed concern and alarm over reports of a brewing new gas and electricity crisis. In a statement Shehbaz said “the reports of a new crisis of gas and electricity shortages and disruptions for consumers from next month are unfortunate and deeply concerning”. He said “the PTI government is adding to the problems of the country and the people every day with the worst administrative sabotage of the country in its entire history”. He said “on the one hand, the increase in tax on RLNG will increase the cost and on the other hand, the supply of electricity and gas will be affected”. He pointed out that the closure of the RLNG plant from next month will lead to the production of electricity from expensive fuels such as diesel and furnace oil. This he said will increase the cost of electricity production and will further increase the burden of inflation on the people which is reprehensible and regrettable. NEWS DESK

imran has ‘no right to comment on pakistan’s nuclear status’: maryam contInueD froM pAge 01 “Who has given the right to this prime minister to say that Pakistan’s nuclear programme is negotiable?” questioned Ahsan Iqbal, the party’s secretary-general.

“The cat is now out of the bag. Imran Khan has been brought (to power) to roll back Pakistan’s nuclear programme. This is the agenda of the foreign donors.”

Iqbal had alleged that the premier’s purpose to give the statement was to send a message that Pakistan was ready to roll back its deterrence. “[But] Pakistan’s nuclear deterrence is non-negotiable,” he had declared. Asked about her opinion on the premier’s comments on rape in the same interview, Maryam said his views were reflective of a “criminal mindset”.

During the interview, the prime minister was asked to respond to his earlier comments linking the incidence of rape to obscenity. In response, he had had said, “It is such nonsense. I never said that […] I said the concept of purdah which is to avoid temptation in society.” He had gone on to say “If you raise temptation within society and all these young guys have nowhere to go, it has consequences.” The interviewer, journalist Jonathan Swan, had then asked him whether he thought “that what women wear has any effect, that it is part of this temptation?” “If a woman is wearing very few clothes, it will have an impact on men unless they are robots. I mean it’s common sense,” the prime minister had replied — a remark that has drawn sharp criticism. Commenting on it on Wednesday, Maryam said the premier’s remarks had exposed his mindset. “[He is] a person who validates rape and holds the victim responsible.

Pakistan needs to be rid of this mindset of rape apologists,” she said. The PML-N leader went on to question whether Zainab’s rape and the motorway incident were a consequence of what the victims were wearing. “He [the prime minister] should be ashamed,” she said, condemning his remarks.

Maryam added that through his remarks in the interview, the premier had “insulted rape victims”.

LAhore PR

government task force on Tigray did not respond to requests for comment on the incident.

News of the airstrike came as ethiopian officials counted ballots from national and regional parliamentary elections held this week in seven of the nation's 10 regions.

No voting was held in Tigray, where the military has been battling forces loyal to the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), the region's former ruling party, since November. Security concerns and problems with ballot papers also delayed voting in two other regions.

Residents reported that TPLF forces had entered several towns north of Mekelle in the past three days, withdrawing from one of them within hours.

AMBULANCES BLOCKED: The official and two other health workers

helping with the response in Togoga told Reuters on Wednesday that ethiopian soldiers were blocking the main road from Mekelle to the town and preventing ambulances from reaching the scene.

"Patients are dying right now," said the official.

He said two ambulances had been able to reach the town via a back road late on Tuesday but did not have the necessary equipment and were not being allowed to leave.

He said the teams had counted at least 40 dead at the scene, three people had died overnight, and there were 44 critically wounded patients needing treatment.

Another medical worker said around 20 health workers in six ambulances had tried to reach the wounded on Tuesday but soldiers stopped them at a checkpoint.

In line with the Clean and Green Pakistan initiative of Prime Minister of Pakistan, the National Transmission and Despatch Company Limited (NTDC) will plant 1 lac trees at its 500kV and 220 kV grid stations across the country. In this regard tree plantation ceremony was held at 500kV under construction grid station Faisalabad West, today, where Managing Director NTDC engr. Muhammad Ayub planted a tree. During the ceremony, MD NTDC engr. Muhammad Ayub said that trees will be planted at all grid stations of NTDC. He said that tree plantation will help to combat the persistent and serious threats of climate change, global warming and greenhouse gases for clean and green Pakistan. Tree plantations will also minimize the environmental impact of construction of new grid stations and transmission lines in the existing vicinities. While talking about the 500 kV grid station Faisalabad West, MD NTDC said that construction work of said grid station is also being completed on fast track. The project is being completed with the cost of Rs. 9379 million spread over 90 acres of land. Two transformers of 750MVA and 3 transformers of 250MV will be installed at the Grid Station. It is pertinent to note that two 500kV transmission lines for said grid station have already been completed. The completion of the project will facilitate and help to tackle the increasing demand of electricity of domestic, industrial, commercial and agri consumers of Faisalabad electric Supply Company (FeSCO).

PR holds meeting to discuss Railway Track Safety Campaign LAhore PR

An important meeting regarding the media strategy of the Railway Track Safety Campaign was held at the Directorate of Public Relations, Pakistan Railways Lahore.

Chief Operating Superintendent Safety Shoaib Adil and Director Public Relations Pakistan Railways Nazia Jabeen briefed the participants of meeting about the salient features of the safety campaign. Chief Operating Superintendent Safety Shoaib Adil, referring to the Railway Track Safety Campaign, said, "Most of railway accidents are due to trespassing. We value people's lives and we want to protect them to the fullest."

"We want to make people aware of trespassing through all government media platforms so that people can cross the track from the place where the regular place is desig-

nated. Crossing the track from other places endangers people's lives," he said.

There have been many accidents in the past in which people have lost their lives due to carelessness. Director Public Relations Pakistan Railways Nazia Jabeen said, "For the success of the safety campaign, we need the cooperation of all government media outlets to reduce the number of tress passing accidents by raising awareness among the people about crossing railway tracks and saving lives."

In this regard, the officers of all the participating departments agreed that they would use their all media forums in full support of Pakistan Railways in raising awareness about the public safety campaign which is centred on people safety. In addition, the representatives of Radio Pakistan and Pakistan Television assured that these issues for Pakistan Railways will be highlighted in the

05

NtdC to plant 1 lac trees at grid stations

REUTERS

An air strike killed at least 43 people in the town of Togoga in ethiopia's Tigray region on Tuesday, a medical official told Reuters, after residents said new fighting had flared in recent days north of the regional capital Mekelle. ethiopian military spokesman Colonel Getnet Adane did not confirm or deny the incident. He said air strikes were a common military tactic and that government forces do not target civilians.

The bomb hit a market at around 1:00 p.m., according to a woman who said her husband and two-yearold daughter had been injured.

"We didn't see the plane, but we heard it," she told Reuters on Wednesday. "When the explosion happened, everyone ran out. After a time we came back and were trying to pick up the injured."

The woman said the market had been full of families, and she did not see any armed forces in the area.

"Many, many" people had been killed, she said.

Reuters could not independently verify her account. She and other sources asked not to be identified for fear of reprisals.

The medical official confirmed at least 43 fatalities, citing witnesses and first responders.

A spokesperson for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the head of a

NEWS

current affairs and news programs of Radio Pakistan and Pakistan Television. In addition, the participants made suggestions to run the campaign through pamphlets, banners, various seminars and railway station masters can also visit schools / colleges and put forward their views on safety so that awareness can be created among school / college children. It was also suggested that the people should be alerted at the regional level through advertisements in the local newspapers. In addition, the district government should also be taken on board. The meeting was attended by Radio Pakistan Deputy Controller Samullah Najam, Deputy General Manager Operations PeMRA Qasim Ahmed, Bureau Chief APP Talib Bhatti, Deputy Director Press Information Department Uzma Saleem and Shakeel Awan of Pakistan Television, DGPR Deputy Director Amir Rauf Khawaja.

cMYK

Thursday, 24 June, 2021

06 COMMENT No more out of reach of terrorists

From All India Muslim League to Pakistan Muslim League The Muslim League of today is not the country’s founding party

Insecurity returns to Lahore

t

Wo years of peace after the May 2019 terrorist attack had provided a sense of security to the people of Lahore. Many had come to believe that the Counter terrorism department (Ctd) had destroyed the terrorist sleepers in the city while the intelligence agencies had managed to confine the terrorist networks to areas inside Afghanistan from where they could launch attacks only in the adjoining districts of KP and Balochistan. the myth was busted on Wednesday when terror struck in the heart of the expanded Lahore, causing casualties and loss of property. According to initial reports a vehicle-borne improvised electronic device (VBied) was used by the terrorists. in the blast that followed at least three people were killed and over 20 injured, while several houses and cars were badly damaged. interestingly the blast took place near the residence of Jaamat-ud-dawa chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed who is supposed to be undergoing his sentence in jail. there are reports however of his having been transferred to his home. With a police picket outside the house, the vehicle with the ied was parked at a distance. dealing with the terrorist networks requires the agencies to be a step ahead of them in efficiency. the agencies have to gather real-time intelligence through human resources and electronic eavesdropping, collate the information, and immediately hand it over to those required to take action. What is required are specific alerts containing actionable information about terrorists, their helpers, and the target selected by them. What one concludes from Punjab government officials’ statement is that the Ctd had received no specific alert in this case. this would indicate that the terrorists were steps ahead of the several agencies supposedly monitoring the terrorist networks.

According to police, the terrorists used 30 kilos of imported explosives. the terrorist act required acquiring the explosives, transporting the combustible material to Lahore, storing it at a safe house, transferring it to a vehicle and driving it to the targeted place. this would not have been possible without the presence of an active terrorist network in the city. Unless those who spread extremist thinking are sorted out, those planning terrorist attacks will not be short of volunteers.

Dr FariD a Malik

T

He All india Muslim League (AiML) was the founding party of Pakistan. it was under the able and selfless leadership of the Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah that a new country appeared on the globe in 1947. As the first Governor General, the Quaid wanted to steer the country and the party in the right direction. Sensing revolt, he walked out of the executive Committee meeting and severed all links with the new political entity that named itself Pakistan Muslim League (PML). Chaudhry Khaliq-uz-Zaman was elected the first President in place of the Father of the nation. Since then it has been downhill both for the country and the party. due to the ‘ toady’ influences, several heavy weights decided to leave.

Hussain Shaheed Suharwardy formed the Awami League which then became the founding party of Bangladesh. the progressive group led by Mian ifthikaruddin played a key role in forming the left of center national Awami Party. ‘toadies’ were able to take control of PML together with usurping the goodwill of the founding party of the new land. in october 1958, when Ayub Khan took control of the country two leagues emerged. the PML (Convention), led by Chaudhry Khaliq-uz-Zaman, supported the usurper which then conveniently became the ruling party without contesting any elections. those who remained behind called themself PML (Council) which was led by Khawaja nazimuddin. in return for their support, PML (Con) was allowed to operate from Muslim League House located on davis Road Lahore. Since then several ‘toady Leagues’ have been incubated from this location, and it has proven to be the ‘Freemasons Lodge of toadies’. it is on record that the PML has never prevailed in a free and fair election. in the first credible national elections of 1970, the PML was knocked out of the political arena. Voters in both wings of the country voted against the establishment supported parties. only the Jamaat-e-islami could manage to win four seats mainly because of its religious votes. in the 1965 Presidential elections, Ayub Khan after shedding his title of Field Marshal contested the elections as a nominee of PML (Con), while Madar-e-Millat Fatima Jinnah was the combined opposition candidate. despite all the manipulations the usurper could not prevail in Karachi and the eastern Wing. He con-

Zardari-Pervaiz meeting Sets off tremors in the political landscape

P

UnJAB Assembly Speaker Ch Pervaiz elahi’s call on ex-President and PPP Co-Chairperson Asif Zardari was supposed to be to thank him for the support of the PPP in the March Senate elections, which enabled the Punjab Assembly to elect its Senators unopposed, and thus avoid any of the charges of voteselling that plagued the KP Assembly. Ch Pervaiz was surely engaging in a little rhetorical hyperbole when he said that he intended to go to Mr Zardari’s Karachi residence for this, but since he had come to Lahore, he had met him here. After all, the elections were three months ago. instead, the meeting took place after a number of developments, the most significant of which was the raising of the possibility of the PPP deserting its allies and taking office. that the contact with the Pti should come through the PML(Q) makes sense. the PML(Q), without which the Pti could not survive in office at either the centre or in Punjab, is an old ally of the PPP, Ch Pervaiz himself having been deputy PM in the 2008-2013 PPP government. However, the meeting was not purely a social one, for it caused enough of a sensation for Prime Minister imran Khan to cancel a visit to the UK. For him, this would be another sign that the establishment might not want him, as the PML(Q) is supposed to act on its desires. Mr Zardari has also shown a readiness to work with the establishment, and even if the meeting does not mean an immediate switch of the PML(Q) to the PPP, it might well reveal the shape of a future electoral alliance. it should be remembered that Mr Zardari has tasked ex-PM Raja Pervez Ashraf to examine South Punjab. it is almost as if the PPP is looking at future candidates there with a view to the next election alongside the PML(Q). that means that the Pakistan democratic Alliance, already dead, is now buried, with the left and left-ofcentre parties like the AnP or PKMAP, with the PPP and against both PML(n) and JUi(F).

Thus earning a rebuke from the Supreme Court aMjeD jaaveD

S

edition laws have become a handmaid of india’s government under narendra Modi to stifle dissent, incarcerate political opponents or persecute minorities. Shouting a slogan, wall chalking, social post azadi (liberty), wearing a prayer cap, or offering prayer on adjoining roads when a mosque is overcrowded, could attract sedition charges. even interfaith marriages or cow-related offences could be tried as sedition. the Hindu-monk chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, had directed his administration to try cow-related offences under the national Security Act. Some states have passed love-jihad laws to prevent interfaith marriages. the over-ebullient Hindu extremists even haul up such people to the police stations, even though they were happily married long before enactment of the law banning inter-faith marriages. till recently, the Supreme Court had looked the other way in cases where there was blatant misapplication of the sedition law. Some verdicts smacked of communal bias. india being a secular country, the Supreme Court should have avoided dabbling in religious matters of different communities, particularly of the largest minority, the Muslims. But, in vain. the Supreme Court pronounced that a mosque was not essential to Muslim way of worship. it allowed demolition of the ancient Babri Mosque. thus it accepted the fictitious contention that the God Ram was born at the site of the mosque millennia ago. in marked contrast to its “islamic” judgments, the Supreme Court had a benign attitude toward the Hindu religion. it admitted that a temple was neces-

Arif Nizami Editor Managing Editor

Joint Editor

Umar Aziz Executive Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

The writer is ex-Chairman, Pakistan Science Foundation. He can be contacted at: fmaliks@hotmail.com.

Modi misuses sedition law to stifle dissent

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Yousaf Nizami Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

tinued in office due to the ‘toady’ support in Punjab but his invincibility was seriously dented. in the 1970 credible contest, the Awami League and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) were big winners. in the 1977 elections, the first under the 1973 Constitution, the PPP was clearly the front runner, but the dispute on a few seats caused the collapse of the democratic order. in the 1985 partyless elections which the PPP and other opposition parties boycotted, a new PML (Pagara) emerged. Muhammad Khan Junejo became the Prime Minister while Mian nawaz Sharif was installed as Chief Minister Punjab.

After Zia’s demise, the elections that followed in december 1988, PPP emerged as the single largest party despite the establishment opposition. in the 1990 elections after the dismissal of the Benazir government, Mian nawaz Sharif was launched by the establishment at the federal level. islami Jamhuri ittehad was cobbled together and then financed by the agencies to push out PPP from the corridors of power. once firmly in the saddle both in Punjab and the Centre, Mian nawaz decided to take on his mentor President Ghulam ishaq Khan. As a result of this tussle, his government was dismissed in 1993 but the Supreme Court restored it. After this unique comeback, Mian Sahib stood face to face with the establishment. Before this battle for control got out of hand, General Waheed Kakar negotiated a settlement under which both the President and PM had to go home. n 1997, when President Farooq Leghari dismissed the government of his own party, he had no option but to suppport the PML(n) against the PPP. Riding on this wave Mian nawaz came into power with an absolute majority. initially the President desired across-the-board accountability for which the ehtesab Bureau was established under Mr Justice (Retd) Mujadid Mirza. Mr Justice (Retd) Fakhruddin G. ibrahim resigned as Law Minister when loan and tax defaulters were allowed to contest elections. First it was President ishaq Khan and now it was President Farooq Leghari who sided with the PML(n).

After the elections, President Leghari met the same fate as President ishaq. Riding on this managed absolute majority, Mian Sahib decided to take on all remaining pillars of power one by one. After the removal of the President, the Supreme Court came under attack and the Chief Justice was removed followed by the resignation of the Army Chief. the newly handpicked Army Chief decided to strike back when he too was being shown the door. After the october 1999 take over Mian nawaz, in order to save his skin, went into self exile for ten years under an agreement with the General. All the corruption cases against the Sharifs were sent into cold storage. Pervez Musharraf underestimated their wickedness and they managed to stage a comeback. the Lawyers’ Movement in 2007 created space for the two mainstream parties. through a very illconceived and short sighted national Reconciliation ordinance (nRo), both the PML(n) and PPP were allowed to come back and contest elections. due to the Charter of democracy signed earlier, the contest was soft. Benazir’s assassination in 2008 brought her party into power at the center while the PML(n) took control of Punjab.

By 2013 imran Khan emerged as a serious political player as the people were fed up with the corrupt practices of both the PML(n) and the PPP. When their mandate was robbed, the Pti (Pakistan tehreek-e-insaf) decided to protest. iK asked for the opening of four test constituencies which was denied by the PML(n). Stay was granted by the Lahore High Court against the Pti petitions pending in the election tribunals.

Pti approached nAdRA for a forensic audit of votes. the then Chairman tariq Malik agreed to conduct the verification of thumb impressions of voters.

He was summoned by the CM Punjab where he was asked to go slow. the term used by the Law Minister was ‘Haula Hath (Light hand)’, which the Chairman refused. When he arrived back in islamabad he was stopped from working. the islamabad High Court reinstated him but then personal vendetta was let loose on an upright professional who wanted to do his work as per law.

Finally tariq Malik left the country to resume his work as an it Consultant for the United nations in new York. now after the term of Usman Mobeen ended as Chairman, tariq Malik has been reappointed to his previous position. the elections in 2018 were held under the supervision of the Armed Forces which were conducted very peacefully. in his very first speech as PM, iK offered to open any constituency for verification as desired by the opposition. the exclusion of the infamous Punjab Police made all the difference. there were some complaints of pre poll rigging through arm twisting by the agencies but only the unscrupulous were affected as the agencies had well prepared dossiers on their corruption.

AiML did not transform into PML immediately after the Partition in August 1947. When Jinnah left it fell into the ‘toady trap’ and lost its over whelming public support, it then introduced innovative methods like Jhurlu (Vote Stealing) to retain power. Punjab being the ‘toady Land’ went along with the toady Circus’ while our Bengali brothers offered resistance. the Muslim League House on davis Road has in fact proven to be a ‘toady nursery’ which continues to move Pakistan towards ‘toadistan’. Like the Freemasons Hall on the Mall it should be taken over and converted into a museum displaying ‘toady-ism’. now that the Punjab Assembly will be moving into the new building, the historic chamber should be converted into a ‘toady Circus’ where the coming generations should be educated about this unique phenomena that has produced sycophants and leeches who occupied these benches to stall change since november 1938. AiML won the last free and fair election in 1946 while PML has relied on ‘Jhurlus’. to move forward.

Pakistan needs electoral reforms which ‘Jhurlu Parties’ like the PML(n) and PML(Q) cannot afford.

Bangladesh is moving towards Pakistan by abandoning the party they themself had created in 1906 at decca, while we continue to suffer from its leftovers called Pakistan Muslim League which in fact is a ‘toady League’. Lessons must be learnt from Bangladesh’s giant leap forward leaving both ‘toadistan’ and Hindustan behind. Jinnah’s democratic and progressive Pakistan Zindabad, the rest is deplorable and painful.

I

Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

I

sary to the Hindu mode of worship. it allowed menstruating women to visit the Sabarimala temple because of this. thus while apparently striking down a Hindu authority’s decision, it upheld the faith itself. the plethora of sedition cases awakened the Supreme Court from its slumber. While quashing the sedition case against journalist Vinod dua, the Supreme Court expressed ennui on the slapping of sedition charges to gag journalists. A Bench of the Supreme Court led by Justice UU Lalit upheld “ the right of every journalist to criticise, even brutally, measures of the government with a view to improving or altering them through legal means”.the case against the journalist had been filed by the ruling BJP and was fervently defended by the Himachal Pradesh state government. the journalist was accused of “criticising the prime minister and the Union government for mishandling of the migrant crisis during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic”. the court drew attention to the 1962 nath case judgment. that judgment took the sting out of the sedition cases filed under Section 124A of the indian Penal Code. in the aforementioned case, the Supreme Court had ruled that Section 124A of the indian Penal Code can be used only when someone’s word actually leads to violence or generates an inclination for violence. the Section 124A describes sedition as punishable with imprisonment from three years to life, a fine or both.

Among journalists facing sedition cases is Siddique Kappan based in Kerala. He was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh police while on his way to Hathras to cover a rape case last year and had been denied bail. Kappan and 21 other journalists covering the Hathras rape case were charged under Section 124A. Similarly, several prominent journalists were charged under the sedition law for their coverage of the farmers’ tractor rally in delhi on Republic day. the

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

I

Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

I

Supreme Court stayed the arrest of all of them. the Court observed that the Constitution has varying criteria for permissible restrictions on freedom of speech and expression, and draws a boundary between serious and aggravated forms of public disorder which are calculated to endanger the security of the State and the relatively minor breaches of the peace of purely local significance. india’s Supreme Court had earlier observed in its 1950 judgment on Romesh thapar versus State of Madras, “only a higher degree of threat pertaining to endangerment of the foundations of the State could justify curtailment of the rights to freedom of speech and expression,” thapar was editing a weekly journal called Cross Roads which was constantly at loggerheads with the Congress government of the day. disregarding the guidance in this judgment, the successive governments continued to misapply the sedition law.

When the indian Penal Code was enacted in 1860, the sedition law was not included in it. it took another 10 years for Section 124A to be included.

Mahatma Gandhi was tried under this law in 1922.

He told the court that the law had malafide intent. it was tailor-made to suppress the liberty of the citizen. india’s Law Commission issued a directive in 2018 that cautioned that a simple expression of a thought inconsistent with the government’s policy did not qualify as “sedition”. one has to be circumspect while invoking the sedition law. Yet, the Commission’s voice has proved to be a voice in the wilderness. Sedition law is a handy tool to stifle dissent. it is hoped that india’s Supreme Court will define the contour of the law more stringently to preclude its misuse by the fanatic Modi government.

The writer is a freelance journalist, has served in the Pakistan government for 39 years and holds degrees in economics, business administration, and law. He can be reached at amjedjaaved@gmail.com

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Thursday, 24 June, 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

Health department retorts

A circular economy business model with zero waste To save the climate, the business model must be changed

SyeD aSiM ali Bukhari

S

inCe the beginning of time, the concept of ‘synergy’ has been taught as the success formula for the effective and efficient achievement of any goal.

Synergy can be understood as the effect that occurs when the interaction or cooperation of various components gives rise to a whole that is greater than the simple sum of the individual actions of these components. Unfortunately, mankind has failed to reap the benefits of this ideology and adopted an inherently disconnected and individualistic approach towards economic development. the linear model of economic development existing in almost all the global economies adopt a ‘take-make-waste’ approach towards resource consumption with almost nonexistent synergy of resource production and consumption within the various economic sectors. this approach has resulted in present-day climate change, environmental degradation, and resource degeneration challenges plaguing the planet. instead of the present-day linear economic model, nature has taught us the synergistic concept of ‘circular economy’ as the sustainable solution to various environmental & social problems. the natural world is the perfect example of a circular economy, where everything, even after its lifetime, becomes a source for something else. A classic example of a circular economy in nature is recycling resources, such as water, carbon, air, minerals, among others, back into new or existing systems.

Unlike the man-made economy, everything is reused or repurposed in nonhuman ecosystems. the concept of a circular economy is restorative and regenerative by design based on re-imagining the relationship between resources by making one industry’s output as another industry’s input and resulting in the elimination of resource wastage. An example of this concept is the use of biomass from the agriculture sector into chemical feedstock for products, bioplastic production, or converting it into fuels for transport, heat and electricity generation. the concept of the circular economy applies to almost every industry, with clothing, construction, agriculture, food, automobiles, telecom, furniture, among

them, but not comprising them alone. in Pakistan, almost all the economic sectors follow the ‘take-make-waste’ approach of the linear economic model. there is no synergy between any industries for cyclical sharing of various resource inputs and outputs. this has led the country towards severe resource shortages and environmental degradation. Pakistan is greatly plagued by vast quantities of mismanaged waste such as plastic. each year more than 3.3 million tons of plastic is wasted in Pakistan and the majority of it ends up in landfills, unmanaged dumps, or thrown about land and water bodies across the country, damaging the ecosystem. According to an estimate, if this waste was to be dumped together, it would reach as high as 16,500 metres, which is the height of two K2 mountains, the world’s second-highest mountain.

Similarly, approximately 433 kilotonnes of e-waste were generated in 2019, creating huge ‘digital dumpsites’ in the country due to lack of concrete recycling policies or industrial practices.

Being an agricultural economy, a large quantity of agricultural waste is generated in Pakistan. According to research, biogas worth Rs 260 billion per annum from buffalo and other cattle alone is wasted in Pakistan, which can serve as a potential energy source.

Crop residue is not used. instead, this residue is left as waste on the fields after picking some part of it for fuel, animal fodder and shelter. it decomposes in open fields or is burned off, causing smog and poor air quality and adding to greenhouse gas emissions. the ‘Clean and Green’ vision of Prime Minister imran Khan cannot be realized with the current linear economic model prevailing in Pakistan. the green economic transformation requires the development of a circular economic system led by government regulations, industry-standard development, business incentives, green financing, awareness and knowledge creation among stakeholders and innovation within enterprises. the State Bank of Pakistan has a key role in developing a circular economy through the adoption of Green Banking. Green financing, an integral part of Green

Banking, should be provided to innovative enterprises adopting the principles and practices of the circular economy in their business model. the government should give various tax incentives or other benefits to businesses adopting circular economic principles for creating environmental and social sustainability. Banks can prioritize specific economic sectors such as Micro, Small and Medium enterprises (MSMes) at the startup or scale-up stage, women-owned small enterprises, and agriculture and livestock sectors for circular economy-based projects through green financing.

Low-interest loans under green financing schemes can be provided for setting up waste recovery plants such as waste glass being transformed into new glass, recycling paper, bioplastic production, eco-friendly SMe enterprises and channel financing for green supply chain partners. the government should focus on developing waste-toenergy and waste heatrecovery setups serving the dual purpose of energy generation and waste recycling or proper disposal. Various industries can adopt the circular economic model by creating a cyclical resource acquisition, consumption and recycling processes like the banking industry may provide incentives to consumers for returning the expired credit/debit cards to the bank for recycling purposes instead of disposing them improperly and adding to the country’s plastic pollution. this economic transformation is not an overnight process, nor does it depend solely on industrial restructuring. it is, in reality, a change in the mindset, behaviour and priorities of all the concerned stakeholders. We have to think Green before we can Act Green and ultimately Go Green. it is high time to start reimagining the relationship between resources in both our daily lives and the corporate sector and, as a result, reimagine the future we are creating for our next generations.

This economic transformation is not an overnight process, nor does it depend solely on industrial restructuring. It is, in reality, a change in the mindset, behaviour and priorities of all the concerned stakeholders. We have to Think Green before we can Act Green and ultimately Go Green. It is high time to start reimagining the relationship between resources in both our daily lives and the corporate sector and, as a result, reimagine the future we are creating for our next generations

Syed Asim Ali Bukhari is serving as a Chief Manager-Green Banking Officer in Bank AL Habib Limited, Pakistan. He can be reached at aasimalibukhari@yahoo.com.

tHe Primary and Secondary Healthcare department (P&SHd), on Friday, has strongly rejected a story published in a local daily, dated 11-dec-20 titled as “Vital medicine for heart patients short in market”. in reference to the published news story, spokesperson of Health on behalf of Primary and Secondary Healthcare department & Specialized Healthcare and Medical education stated that shortage of the Glyceryl trinitrate (Sublingual) 0.5mg tablet has not been observed during the current year. the said matter was highlighted earlier on november 21 on the basis of public complaints and subsequently an internal inquiry was conducted. it was found in the inquiry report that there was no acute shortage of said tablet in the market or any public sector hospitals across Punjab, running under the administrative control of P&SHd, contrary to a news story published in “the dawn”. the task was assigned to Chief drug Controller, Punjab for determining the status of the Glyceryl trinitrate (Sublingual) 0.5mg tablet at distributors and point of sales from all over Punjab. Chief drug Controller Punjab in his report revealed that there was a disruption in the supply/import of the raw material of the said drug during July due to CoVid-19 pandemic but it never resulted in shortage of medicine as enough supply was available. “Currently, there is a sufficient quantity of tab Angised (0.5mg) stocked at the main warehouses of manufacturing company’, CdC reported. Spokesperson P&SHd has further said that all districts administrators of both health departments were given instructions on december 11 to ensure presence of sufficient supplies of Glyceryl trinitrate (0.5MG) tablet throughout the province. in reply to instruction, health facilities reported 70,367 tablets in the stock.

Spokesperson shared the details of available stock of Glyceryl trinitrate tablet in 36 districts of Punjab. According to the detail Attock has 475 packs, Bahawalnagar 977, Bahawalpur 272, Bhakkar 440, Chakwal 2664, Chiniot 195, dG Khan 330, Faisalabad 1114, Gujranwala 230, Gujarat 1505, Hafizabad 180, Jhang 3665, Jhelum 2295, Kasur 3950, Khanewal 3187, Khushab 4060, Lahore 500, Layyah 576, Lodhran 3464, Mandi Bahuddin 515, Mianwali 6020, Multan 310, Muzaffargarh 4330, nankana 300, narowal 2410, okara 2090, Pakpattan 6608, Rahim Yar Khan 1700, Rajanpur 250, Rawalpindi 2105, Sahiwal 130, toba tak Singh 1248, Vehari 1606, Sheikhupura 26, Sialkot 490 and Sargodha 10150.

Spokesperson further said that the story in question suggested that there was a shortage of Glyceryl trinitrate in the six government cardiac institutions of Punjab which are under the administrative control of SHC&Me department. the authorities of the Specialized Healthcare and Medical education department revealed that there was no shortage of this tablet reported in these hospitals, as implied in the story.

Hafiz QaiSEr abbaS LaHorE

Ghost schools tHiS letter refers to those areas of turbat which do have schools, but don’t have teachers. i mean to say that teachers are getting salaries, but they don’t go to schools for teaching. day by day we are producing criminals in our areas, because of lack of education. People are loathing teachers, because of such activities that their children are being involved in such bad activities which society don’t want them. i request to the government to reprimand those teachers salary from their hands who are not giving duties. afroz SaLEH boLan KEcH

Female prisoners ignored ReCentLY, the Punjab government ordered that the wife of a prisoner can stay with her husband for three days every three months for which separate arrangements have been put in place in certain prisons in the province Punjab. Certainly, it is a good move, but here i am against of the government why this order applies only to male prisoners, not famale while they have equal rights. there are often reports about women being harassed and even abused by prison officials, but nobody take action against the erring officials. if _the human rights and the facility are given to the prisoners and ignoring women in this regard is a cruel act. i appeal to the government of Punjab should not do cruel act on women prisoners, rather he should provide the facility and rights as equally. imran Sattar JatH baLnigwar

Toxic waste toxiC waste, chemical waste material capable of causing death or injury to life. Waste is considered toxic if it is poisonous, radioactive, explosive, and causing cancer. Waste containing dangerous pathogens, such as used syringes, is sometimes considered to be toxic waste. However, poisoning occurs when toxic waste is ingested, inhaled, or absorbed by the skin. According to the environmental Protection Agency estimated, that U.S factories released 1.8 million metric tons about 2 million tons of toxic chemicals into the air, land, and surface waters in 2011. including a number of chemicals that are known carcinogens. i request the federal government to take a serious action about this major problems, which is harming the people uselessly. raHim baLocH KEcH

A great leader lost tHe end of an era A true leader is a voice to the voiceless, and a ray of hope to the oppressed. Lala Usman Kakar was an incredible man who always raised voice for the suppressed nations. He was a true meaning of altruism. His devotions to the cause of oppressed people will always be remembered. the oppressed people have lost a voice, a voice which is irreplaceable. i still remember the day how he defended the oppressed students against sedition charges, something very inspiring. His voice was not only against the injustices with Pashtoon community but also with Baloch nation. We actually lost a true leader. He will always reside in our hearts. He is alive in us. iQra Karim turbat

Thursday, 24 June, 2021

08 WORLD VIEW

The end of IrAn’S ISlAmIc republIc IRAN’S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION ON JUNE 18 WAS THE MOST FARCICAL IN THE HISTORY OF THE ISLAMIC REGIME — EVEN MORE SO THAN THE 2009 ELECTION, OFTEN CALLED AN “ELECTORAL COUP”

ProjeCt syndiCate

I

abbas Milani

t was less an election than a chronicle of a death foretold — the death of what little remained of the constitution’s republican principles. But, in addition to being the most farcical, the election may be the islamic republic’s most consequential. the winner, sayyid ebrahim raisi, is credibly accused of crimes against humanity for his role in killing some 4,000 dissidents three decades ago. amnesty international has already called for him to be investigated for these crimes. asked about the accusation, the new president-elect replied in a way that would have made even George Orwell blush, insisting that he should be praised for his defense of human rights in those murders. never has such a motley crew been chosen to act as a foil for its favored candidate. the regime mobilized all of its forces to ensure a big turnout for raisi, who until the election was iran’s chief justice. supreme leader ayatollah ali Khamenei decreed voting a religious duty,

and casting a blank ballot a sin, while his clerical allies condemned advocates of a boycott as heretics. But even according to the official results, 51% of eligible voters did not vote, and of those who did, more than 4 million cast a blank ballot. there are already allegations that the announced numbers were doctored, and a powerful movement to boycott the election has already declared the outcome a virtual referendum against the status quo.

Despite the constitution’s republican elements, real power has always been in the hands of the supreme leader. since the 1979 islamic revolution, virtually all elections — except those in the first couple of years — were to varying degrees engineered. the islamic republic has always been closer to a traditional islamic state than a modern republic. But after raisi’s election, it will be a stretch to call iran even a competitive authoritarian regime where factions compete in managed elections to divide power. this election was not just about the presidency, but also about the selection of the next supreme leader. Khamenei is 82 and has long been battling prostate cancer. some believe the plan is to anoint Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba, as the next supreme leader, making the post hereditary

(and moving iran closer to becoming a caliphate). in this scenario, raisi is to be the pliant president who enables Mojtaba’s rise.

But others think that raisi himself is Khamenei’s designated successor.

Despite this important ambiguity, two things seem clear. First, both candidates are bad news for iran and the region. Mojtaba is a shadowy figure who for many years has been his father’s de facto chief of staff, and, more important, has close ties to the islamic revolutionary Guard Corps’ brutal intelligence forces. and raisi’s bloody record in the judiciary speaks for itself. second, the irGC — a political, economic, cultural, military and intelligence juggernaut — will be calling the shots in selecting Khamenei’s successor.

More broadly, it is also clear that the regime, enfeebled by structural challenges — including a drought, COViD-19, a collapsing financial system, a determined women’s movement demanding an end to gender apartheid and rising discontent among young people — has been flexing its muscles at home and abroad. its response to these challenges has been continued brutality against its citizens, abduction of dual nationals to use as bargaining chips, a rapid increase in uranium enrichment and more attacks on u.s. forces in iraq

by regime proxies. raisi will be in office when and if the ongoing negotiations with the united states resurrect some version of the 2015 iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of action. a revived JCPOa would bring an end to some of the sanctions re-imposed by former u.s. President Donald trump when he withdrew from the deal in 2018.

While the trump administration’s policy of “maximum pressure” hurt ordinary iranians, it also weakened the regime. if human rights are not a crucial part of any new deal with iran, then the gains from an end to sanctions will strengthen the regime’s most strident elements. For the u.s., negotiating with a roguish regime is prudent policy, but normalizing such regimes is to the detriment of america’s long-term interests. the debate about iran in the u.s. has often devolved into a false binary between advocates of “regime change” and “appeasers.” in conducting its negotiations, President Joe Biden’s administration must avoid both sides.

But while iran has rightly criticized the u.s. for unilaterally renouncing a binding agreement, the u.s. should demand that Khamenei take direct responsibility for negotiating with the u.s. according to both

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and outgoing President Hassan rouhani, Khamenei was involved in every step of the JCPOa negotiations, but remained in the shadows, and even allowed his minions to attack the deal long before trump walked away from it. the u.s. neither can nor should accept the responsibility of changing iran’s regime.

Only the people of iran can and should make that decision. But any u.s. negotiations with the islamic republic must recognize that america’s long-term interests, and those of the people of iran, can be realized only with a modern democracy, not an islamic caliphate. the country’s grave structural challenges can be solved only by a national concordance that includes all strata of iranian society, particularly women, as well as the iranian diaspora. the election of raisi indicates that Khamenei and his allies are moving in the exact opposite direction, which all but guarantees domestic turmoil in the coming months and years. a prudent and effective u.s. strategy toward iran must place this reality at the center of its calculations.

Abbas Milani is Director of the Iranian Studies Program at Stanford University and a research fellow at the Hoover Institution.

Why are Australians cancelling The ‘good Arab’: An Israeli invention to control Palestinians AstraZeneca jabs?

DATA FROM THE UK’S ASTRAZENECA ROLLOUT SHOWED JUST 1.5 CLOTTING CASES PER MILLION SECOND DOSES

ISRAEL’S ATTEMPTS TO BURNISH ITS IMAGE INCLUDED CREATING THE NOTION OF THE ‘GOOD ARAB’ WHO SUPPORTS THE IDEA THAT IT IS NECESSARY TO ASSIMILATE AND OBEY ISRAELI ORDERS Middle east eye

S

Muneeb Tarabeyh

inCe its inception, the israeli establishment has worked persistently to marginalise and oppress Palestinians in the country, and to persecute anyone who attempts to resist the Zionist entity. Palestinians have faced unprecedented surveillance and control over their movements, with checkpoints erected across the country and various pretexts employed to justify israel’s repression.

Declaring israel from the outset to be a “national home for the Jewish people”, the Zionist movement disregarded the tens of thousands of Palestinians who remained within the country’s borders after the nakba, when 750,000 Palestinians were forcibly displaced. the goal was to create a mono-national entity, without concern for the existence of other groups. this racist, oppressive reality was accompanied by israeli attempts to burnish the country’s international image. this was done in part by creating and developing the notion of the “good arab”, who was absorbed into israeli institutions such as the Knesset and spoke about the establishment in israel’s preferred terms. the “good arabs” spread the concept among the masses that it was necessary to assimilate and obey israeli orders; that the israeli establishment was not a military system that usurped the country and forcibly displaced its people, but rather a democracy accepting of all - the only democracy in the region.

Mansour abbas, leader of an islamist party for Palestinians in israel, signing an agreement on Wednesday night to sit in a “government of change” alongside settler leader naftali Bennett. these “good arabs”, however, remained a minority due to the national consciousness among Palestinian citizens of israel, who preferred to keep the status quo rather than improve their situation according to the conditions of the establishment. this consciousness was strengthened by certain events in history that are carved into the hearts of all Palestinians, strengthening their connection to their land: from land Day in 1976, to the First and second intifadas, among other developments.

INJUSTICE AND TYRANNY: since the 1948 nakba, national movements and political parties have worked to organise the struggle against israeli oppression, displacement, land confiscation, persecution, torture and imprisonment. Many politically conscious youths have demonstrated against the injustice and tyranny practiced by israeli authorities and their agents.

and yet, the israeli establishment has never stopped attempting to define and redefine Palestinian citizens. in 2018, it enacted the nation-state law, defining israel as a state for Jews. all of those falling outside of this definition were portrayed as little more than subjects whose feelings the state would try to take into account; not first-class citizens with full rights, but truly second-class citizens. in the meantime, israel has continued its policies of persecution and oppression, land confiscation, exclusion of Palestinians from employment, and home demolitions, among other practices. in parallel, some currents within Palestinian society count on the generosity of the israeli establishment and accept the conditions it sets, in hopes of gaining a few meagre crumbs. such currents are a direct or indirect extension of the “good arab” concept, created by the establishment to mislead and sow internal discord among the people. inside the 1948 territories, the Palestinian national movement is politically divided and suffering from deep ideological rifts. some participate in Knesset elections, while others boycott them. relatively insignificant disagreements can be used as a pretext for some to break ranks and adopt the “good arab” narrative, in hopes of obtaining a better life. such hopes dissipate quickly, however, so the israeli establishment must always move fast to create new “good arabs”.

SUPPRESSING PALESTINIAN RIGHTS: indeed, the establishment is determined to maintain the “good arab” as a means of suppressing Palestinian demands for rights and full equality. the establishment’s agents are many, and as such, national movements must confront these projects with unity, placing Palestinians and their land rights above any other considerations.

Palestinian society in the 1948 territories is complex, with different sects and currents that make it easier for the israeli establishment to sow discord, whether religious or social. it succeeds in many cases, with influential social and political figures often intervening to end rifts - but those working for their own interests continue to create problems. the only way to confront the israeli establishment and its attempts to distort Palestinian identity is through unity. Palestinians must corner the system and force it to deal with them as indigenous people entitled to their full rights, without restrictions or preconditions.

Muneeb Tarabeyh is a Palestinian activist and former deputy mayor of Sakhnin.

BBC

A

Frances Mao

ustralian doctors have reported a surge in the number of people cancelling their vaccine appointments, amid a new wave of caution over the astraZeneca jab. it comes after the government updated guidance last week to recommend only those aged over 60 get the shot, due to the risk of a rare blood-clotting syndrome. under-60s have been advised to get the alternative Pfizer shot, of which there are limited supplies. turning down any vaccine - and astraZeneca is the world’s most widely used one - may seem remarkable to other nations still battling rampant Covid. But australia is one of the few nations where the virus has never truly taken hold. so for many locals, even amid new outbreaks in sydney and Melbourne, the risk of catching Covid is seen as lower than developing a rare blood clot.

Vaccine hesitancy has been an issue in australia for months. But experts now fear the government’s latest downgrade has hindered the nation’s vaccination progress. “all across the country people are cancelling appointments or asking about whether they should even have their second dose,” says Dr Karen Price, president of the royal australian College of General Practitioners. “it has definitely put a big barrier on the vaccine rollout,” she told the BBC. “We’re going to have to regroup and regain confidence in it, as it’s really important to keep the vaccination programme rolling out. We still have elderly people unvaccinated, and we’re seeing community transmission again.”

WHAT HAS AUSTRALIA SAID ABOUT ASTRAZENECA’S VACCINE? australia’s vaccine programme began in February, and is currently open to all aged over 40. But so far only 3% of adults have been vaccinated, while nearly 25% have received a first shot.

Comparatively, it is far behind many other Western nations, partly due to citizens’ vaccine hesitancy, but also due to the government’s missteps in securing supplies. until april, the government had relied upon astraZeneca to be its main jab vaccinating the nation. local labs were set up to churn out its production. But when reports emerged of the thrombosis and thrombocytopenia syndrome, a rare blood clotting occurrence linked to the vaccine, the government advised people under 50 to take a different vaccine. the catch was that australia only had one other vaccine - the Pfizer shot - in significantly smaller quantities. the government has promised there will be enough supplies of Pfizer or other vaccines, like Moderna and novovax, by the final quarter of the year.

But the decision by australia’s vaccine safety body

last week to limit astraZeneca’s use even further, to those aged 50 to 59, pushed another two million people into the Pfizer-reliant group. it also raised concerns among australians left with astraZeneca as their only vaccine option.

WHAT IS ASTRAZENECA’S RISK, AND WHY ARE AUSTRALIANS FEARFUL? australia changed its advice last week because it found more clotting cases among those in their 50s - a risk of 2.7 clotting cases per 100,000 first doses. the risk is 3.1 cases per 100,000 doses for those under 50. But experts say that such a risk is still extremely low, and the decision to limit the vaccine is done in the context of australia’s low Covid cases. authorities are urging patients who’ve gotten their first jab to stay the course and get their second dose, noting the clotting risk is even 10 to 15 times lower. Data from the uK’s astraZeneca rollout showed just 1.5 clotting cases per million second doses. But GPs, who are administering the vaccine at clinics and facing patients’ questions, say statistics aren’t enough to assuage fears.

People want the Pfizer vaccine instead, says Dr todd Cameron, a Melbourne GP who runs several clinics in the city. He has had hundreds of astraZeneca bookings cancelled, despite the city recently emerging from lockdown due to a new case outbreak. “the problem is that there’s a public perception that there are two vaccines - the good one and the less good one and so people are reasonably saying, ‘Well why can’t i have the good one?’ “they’re also saying ‘Why am i in the group that doesn’t have access?’” the risk in getting astraZeneca has been often compared to other risks, such as complications with the pill for women, or the chance of dying from a lightning strike or in a car crash. statistically, those are all higher. But Dr Cameron says patients end up comparing the astraZeneca risk to that of Pfizer - the other vaccine option.

WHAT COULD HELP IN GETTING AUSTRALIANS VACCINATED? australia still heavily relies on the astraZeneca jab for its vaccination programme. it has pledged to get a first dose of any vaccine available to everyone by the end of the year. But given this latest hit to astraZeneca’s image, experts say it’s crucial now that the government rolls out better public health messaging to achieve its goals. “What we really need is an easyto-understand national advert campaign, where the message doesn’t necessarily come from authorities but people that other people can relate to,” says Dr Price.

GPs across the country have vented frustrations about the burden of having to be the main communicators about the vaccine. typically, patients are still lobbing their first questions about astraZeneca to GPs instead of going into clinics already informed, they say. “We feel like we’re having to be a little apologist for government policy, having to explain something where in the vast majority of cases people want something else,” says Dr Cameron. “there’s been a complete absence of effective public health messaging about the vaccine.” the government has said an advertising campaign is in the works, but will not be rolled out until vaccine supply has been confirmed.

Thursday, 24 June, 2021

BUSINESS 09

ISLAMABAD corporate corner Jazz secures telecom sector’s largest credit facility, fully subscribed by HBL, to support 4G network rollout

CCOP seeks PrOPOsaL TO divesT GOvT sHares in Mari PeTrOLeuM ISLAMABAD

T

STAFF REPORT

HE Cabinet Committee on Privatisation (CCoP) on Wednesday directed the Privatisation Commission and Ministry of Petroleum to further examine divestment of the government of Pakistan’s shares in Mari Petroleum Company Limited.

The directions were issued by Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Shaukat Tarin while chairing a meeting of Cabinet Committee on Privatisation (CCoP) on Wednesday. Tarin said that the divestment issue should be further examined in light of discussions held during the meeting and ordered the authorities concerned to present a comprehensive proposal in the next meeting of the CCoP. The committee also discussed the proposal for privatisation of Services International Hotel and after thorough

ISLAMABAD: Jazz has secured a Rs50 billion syndicated credit facility from a banking consortium led by HBL. This 10-year facility will be used to finance the company’s ongoing 4G network rollouts and technology upgradation. This is the first of its kind facility extended to the telecom sector in terms of the amount and tenor. The facility is fully subscribed by HBL, the consortium’s investment agent and mandated lead arranger. Other Banks who are also acting as the mandated lead arrangers and advisors on this deal include, United Bank Limited, National Bank of Pakistan, MCB Bank, Bank Alfalah, Allied Bank Limited, Askari Bank Limited, Bank of Punjab, Meezan Bank Limited, and Faysal Bank Limited. As the country’s leading digital services provider, Jazz has over 69 million subscribers and more than 28 million 4G users nationwide. Over a period of two years, the company has invested USD 462 million on 4G infrastructure. The Pakistan Credit Rating Agency Limited (PACRA) has also recently upgraded Jazz’s long-term rating to ‘AA’ with a stable outlook, depicting the company’s strong financial depth in the industry. HBL, Pakistan’s largest bank, was the first commercial bank to be established in Pakistan in 1947.

Over the years, HBL has grown its branch network to over 1,650+ + branches, 2,100+ + ATMs and 54,000+ + Konnect by HBL agents (branchless banking platform), serving over 23 million customers in 14 countries across the world. “We continue to drive the digital Pakistan agenda by improving digital infrastructure, bridging the digital divide and focusing on financial inclusion. We are enabling societies by investing in entrepreneurship, digital skills and literacy. This facility is an integral step towards ensuring that people are not bound by the limitations of geography, gender, or socioeconomic background, in harnessing the power of the internet. A transaction of this size is a testament to the trust the financial community has on Jazz’s strong financial profile and its leadership position in the telecom industry,” said Gabor Kocsis, chief financial officer at Jazz. HBL President and CEO Muhammad Aurangzeb, commenting on the occasion, stated, “We are delighted to have led this landmark transaction in the Telecom sector. HBL has a longstanding relationship with JAZZ spanning more than two decades. For the Bank, such transactions serve HBL’s strategic priority of supporting the promotion of digitalization across the country, while underscoring HBL’s commitment to stand by the robust and progressive Telecom sector of Pakistan.” PRESS RElEASE

BOP issues Pakistan’s first electronic warehouse receipt disbursement for maize crop LAHORE: The Bank of Punjab in collaboration with Naymat Collateral Management company has disbursed EWR Finance facility, which is first of its kind against Maize Stock in Pakistan. Electronic Warehouse Receipt (EWR) is a digital instrument which gives financial institutions, real time information and access to farmers, who have placed their produce in an accredited warehouse, significantly reducing transaction cost and operational risks for the banks. Under EWR Regime, The Bank of Punjab has taken the lead by disbursing the finance to its valued client against storage of Maize stock at designated warehouse situated at Habibabad, Tehsil Chunian (District Kasur) which is operated by Matra Asia Pvt Ltd. This regime will help the farmers to overcome the problem of immediate selling of crops under compulsion to fulfill their instant working capital needs for the next crop.

Besides, this will also minimize farmer’s exploitation by market actors and forces. “BOP is keen to replicate EWR finance regime system for other major agri commodities like paddy/rice, oil seeds etc. as well,” BOP President and CEO Zafar Masud said. PRESS RElEASE

ECC APPROVES RS300M TO SET UP PAKISTAN-IRAN BORDER MARKETS debate, approved the revised reserve price subject to further approval by the federal cabinet.

The CCoP also examined the proposal for removal of Pakistan Engineering Company (PECO) from active privatisation list and directed the constitution of a committee consisting of representatives of Privatisation Commission, Law Division, Establishment Division, Industries and Production Division, Finance Division and Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) to thoroughly analyse the case and come up with its proposals on issues highlighted in the meeting. Meanwhile, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet approved Rs300 million for establishment of joint

markets at Pakistan-Iran border areas.

The meeting was chaired by Shaukat Tarin and attended by Minister for Privatisation Muhammad Mian Soomro, Minister for Railways Azam Khan Swati, Minister for Industries and Production Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar, Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives Asad Umar, Minister for National Food Security Syed Fakhar Imam, Adviser to the PM on Institutional Reforms Dr Ishrat Hussain, Special Assistant to the PM on Petroleum Tabish Gauhar, besides federal secretaries and other relevant officials attended the meeting. The ECC approved the technical supplementary grant of Rs300 million for allocation from Public Sector Development Programme

KP govt allocates Rs14bn for digital projects in IT sector ISLAMABAD AZIZ BUNERI

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Minister for Science Technology and Information Technology (ST&IT) and Food Atif Khan has said that the provincial government has included mega projects worth Rs14 billion in Annual Development Program (ADP) with an aim to boost the digital economy, transparency and improved service delivery to citizens. The minister expressed these views in a statement issued from his office here on Wednesday.

The minister added that the provincial government was taking a keen interest to materialise the dream of a digital Pakistan to accelerate economic development, social progress and acquaint the youth with emerging digital technology skills.

While giving details of the projects, Atif Khan stated that Citizen Facilitation Centers (CFC) costing Rs2.70 billion would be established in all districts including, newly merged districts to facilitate the public in getting easy access to basic services such as domicile, birth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates; arms and driving licenses, as well as vehicle registrations.

The establishment of a Digital Economy and Skill Center at the cost of Rs742 million in Mardan has also been included in mega projects for enhancing and equipping the youth with specialised and latest IT skills.

He further said that Special Technology

Zones (STZs), spanning over 2,000 kanals in Mardan, hd also been earmarked for setting up special technology industries.

Further, Digital City Haripur worth of Rs1.3 billion would be established soon whereas the project is expected to boost the digital economy and generate employment opportunities for youth in the area. Speaking about the Gandhara Digital Complexes at Peshawar and Swat, the minister said that at Rs4.06 billion has been set aside for the projects under which IT parks, Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), and incubation centers would materialise soon.

Atif Khan said that Rs1 billion had been also allocated for digital skills and capacity building of youth in all merged districts, adding that government has also initiated the ADP scheme for to promotion STI across merged areas with the total cost of Rs300 million.

Moreover, he said that Rs450 million was earmarked for capacity building in emerging technologies for human resource and enabling environment for research in biotechnology, nanotechnology, artificial intelligence (AI), big data and data mining, robotics, and materials science.

"Furthermore, enhancing industrial competitiveness and innovativeness for technical support to SMEs, establishment of technology incubation centers, technology regulations, origin certification, and HR development of labour are new projects which have been included at the cost of Rs450 million this year," he concluded.

PM appoints Noor Ahmed as ADB ED Prime Minister Imran Khan has appointed the incumbent economic affairs secretary, Noor Ahmed, as Pakistan’s new executive director at the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

According to a report by The Express Tribune, the premier picked Ahmed out of a panel of six bureaucrats. Ahmed, presently posted as Economic Affairs Division (EAD) secretary, has been transferred and appointed as executive director/alternate executive director of the ADB for a term of four years with effect from July 1, according to a notification issued by the Establishment Division. He will replace Shahid Mehmood, who will complete his three-and-ahalf-year term this month. Pakistan’s new executive director for ADB has worked as special secretary finance. He has twice remained as economic affairs secretary where he dealt with international creditors and donors. The report claims that Mohsin Chandna, who is currently serving as the inter-provincial coordination secretary, could be appointed as the new economic affairs secretary.MONITORING REPORT

(PSDP) for establishment of joint border markets at Mand, district Kech; Gabd, district Gwadar; and Chedgi, district Panjgur; against Rs100 million each.

The ECC further approved technical supplementary grant for Covid-19 response and other Natural Calamities Control Programme (Sindh component), worth Rs9,393.226 million.

The ECC during its meeting held on Wednesday approved a technical supplementary grant of Rs98.700 million to meet the requirements of Frontier Corps KP (South), DI Khan under Interior Division.

The ECC further approved a technical supplementary grant of Rs25 million for Headquarters Pakistan Rangers Islamabad under Interior Division. The ECC approved a technical supplementary grant amounting to Rs39.058 million to Pakistan Institute of Development Economics for payment of salaries as well.

Gilgit to be next agricultural hub RAWALPINDI: Development of the agriculture sector was among the top priorities of the government and the prime minister’s Agriculture Transformation Plan was a revolutionary initiative to shift conventional agriculture to the next level; commercial agriculture, said Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Food Security Jamshed Iqbal Cheema. Addressing a seminar on Tuesday, he said that the government policy of agricultural transformation is not only for food security of the country but also addresses the physical nutritional needs of every citizen of Pakistan. He said that there was a dire need to improve nourishment of humans and animals in the country because each person across the world consumed 210kg of fruits and vegetables almost every year while in Pakistan the per capita consumption of fruits and vegetables stood at 63kg. “Each individual across the world consumes 370kg grains and in Pakistan the consumption is 200kg whereas 40 million tons of feed is required for our animals and we are producing 13 million tonnes.” Cheema said that the government was allocating different districts for different crops under which the problem of water would also be controlled and imports would be reduced by increasing the production of agricultural commodities. Highlighting the prime minister’s policy on agricultural transformation, he said that Pakistan would eliminate soybean imports by 2024 and Gilgit would be the next agricultural hub of Pakistan under this policy. APP

Tarin for early drafting of oil refining policy ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Shaukat Tarin on Tuesday directed the authorities concerned to remove obstacles in the formulation of the new Draft Oil Refining Policy, 2021. According to press statement issued by the Finance Ministry, Tarin was chai¬ring a meeting to review progress on Draft Pakistan Oil Refining Policy, 2021. “The prime minister is very keen about progress in all sectors of the economy for sustainable growth,” the finance minister said, adding the energy sector was indeed very crucial to keep the cycle of economy moving with ever growing momentum. “Oil refineries in Pakistan have been pillar of energy security of the country and now the government wants the domestic oil refineries to upgrade themselves at par with international standards,” he added.

Modernisation, efficiency and environment friendliness should be common characteristics of all oil refineries in Pakistan and the government was willing to extend all support permitted under law and policy framework to this effect. On the occasion, the representatives of oil refineries said the industry was very happy due to the support and patronage provided by the government. APP

Bitcoin bounces back strongly to $34,492 from $28,993 ISLAMABAD AGENCIES

The prices of major cryptocurrencies bounced back on Wednesday after plunging for days and touching the lowest level of the current year.

The market capitalisation of the crypto market increased by 8.7 percent to reach $1.41 trillion as of 11:15am GMT. Earlier in the preceding three days, the crypto market plunged by over 18.7 percent.

The price of bitcoin (BTC), the largest cryptocurrency, which dipped to $28,993 in early trading, bounced back and gained 8.65 percent to reach $34,492. With this increase in price, the market capitalisation of the BTC has reached $646 billion.

Likewise, ethereum (ETH) price increased by 6.63 percent to reach $2,021. With this increase in

CMYK

price, the market capitalisation of ETH has reached $235 billion.

Similarly, XRP gained 10.11 percent to reach $0.647. The market capitalisation of XRP stands at $64.7 billion after this increase.

On the other hand, Cardano (ADA) price reached $1.28 with a 13.71 percent gain in its price.

Its market capitalisation has reached $41.1 billion with this increase.

Similarly, dogecoin (Doge) gained 17.57 percent to reach $0.224. With this increase in price, the market capitalisation of Doge reached $29 billion.

According to analysts, while bitcoin seems to have found a bottom, a quick rally to record highs looks unlikely, saying the cryptocurrency now faces price consolidation. “Bitcoin looks to have bottomed out, having digested most negative news during the

recent sell-off from $41,000 to $29,000,” they said.

Prices topped $41,000 early last week before turning south in the latter half after the Federal Reserves’ unexpected hawkish tilt on interest rates.

With the quick recovery, bitcoin has re-entered the broad range of $30,000 to $40,000 established in the aftermath of the mid-May sell-off. They expected consolidation to continue for some time unless “there is another major bearish China headline.”

They said that big investors are re-entering the market as risk appetite returns, adding short-squeeze hunters are exiting the market. “We believe bitcoin is very close to the bottom, at least in this current wave,” analysts noted.

Bitcoin options worth more than $2 billion are set to expire Friday. The monthly expiries have gained prominence this year as volatility-inducing events.

Thursday, 24 June, 2021

10 FOREIGN NEWS

ISLAMABAD

RUSSia SayS iT ChaSeS BRiTiSh deSTRoyeR oUT of CRimea waTeRS wiTh waRning ShoTS, BomBS MOSCOW

R

REUTERS

USSIA said on Wednesday it had fired warning shots and dropped bombs in the path of a British warship to chase it out of waters Moscow claims in the Black Sea off the coast of the Crimea peninsula.

Britain rejected Russia's account of the incident, saying it believed any shots fired were a pre-announced Russian "gunnery exercise", and that no bombs had been dropped. But it confirmed that its destroyer, HMS Defender, had sailed through what it described as waters belonging to Ukraine.

The ship was "conducting an innocent passage through Ukrainian territorial waters in accordance with international law", Britain's Ministry of Defence said in a statement. Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman said: "It's incorrect to say either that it was fired upon or that the ship was in Russian waters."

Military experts said that whether or not the details of the Russian or British accounts were accurate, the incident appeared to represent an escalation in confrontation between the West and Russia over disputed sea lanes.

Russia's foreign ministry called the passage of the British warship through the area an act of "blatant provocation" and said it would summon the British ambassador over the incident.

Russia seized and annexed the Crimea peninsula from Ukraine in 2014 and considers areas around the peninsula's coast to be Russian waters. Western countries deem the Crimea part of Ukraine and reject Russia's claim to the seas around it.

"Innocent passage" is an internationally recognised right for ships to sail through ter-

ritorial waters of a country provided they mean no harm.

"This was done to test Russian resolve over Crimea," Mark Gray, a maritime security specialist and a retired colonel with Britain's Royal Marines, told Reuters.

"Russia is trying to create facts on the ground and get them respected internation-

ally, so that their annexation is in effect rubber-stamped by the world," he said, comparing Moscow's Black Sea claims to those of Beijing in the South China Sea, also rejected by the West.

"Nonetheless, the Russian response is extraordinarily robust, a tad undiplomatic and way over the top."

Saudis who killed journalist Khashoggi received paramilitary training in US: NYT

WASHINGTON REUTERS

Four Saudis who participated in the 2018 killing of the Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi received paramilitary training in the United States the previous year under a contract approved by the

State Department, the New York Times reported on Tuesday. The training was provided by Tier 1 Group, which is owned by the private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management, and was defensive in nature and devised to protect Saudi leaders, the Times reported.

Cerberus did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.

In response to the Times report, State Department spokesman Ned Price said under the law the department cannot comment "on any of the licensed defence export licensing activity alleged in media reporting."

Price also said US policy towards Saudi Arabia "will prioritize the rule of law and respect for human rights."

Khashoggi, a US resident who wrote opinion columns for the Washington Post critical of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was killed and dismembered by a team of operatives linked to the prince in the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul in October 2018. A US intelligence report in February said the crown prince had approved an operation to capture or kill the journalist.

Cerberus senior executive Louis Bremer confirmed his company's role in the training of four members of the Khashoggi kill team last year in written answers to questions from members of Congress as part of his nomination for a senior Pentagon job in former President Donald Trump's administration, according to the Times.

But the lawmakers never received the answers because the Trump administration does not appear to have sent them to Congress before withdrawing Bremer's nomination, according to the Times, which said Bremer provided it with the document.

Bremer said the US State Department and other government agencies are responsible for vetting foreign forces trained on US soil, the Times reported.

SEA BREEZE: Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the incident showed that Russia's "aggressive and provocative policies" in the Black Sea and nearby Azov Sea constituted a "continuous threat to Ukraine and its allies". In a tweet, Kuleba called for more cooperation between NATO and Ukraine in the Black Sea. Western countries are conducting naval exercises this week in the Black Sea known as Sea Breeze. Hours before the incident, Russia's embassy in Washington had called on the United States and allies to cancel them.

The British destroyer visited the Ukrainian port of Odessa this week, where an agreement was signed for Britain to help upgrade Ukraine's navy.

Russia's defence ministry, quoted by Interfax news agency, said the British destroyer had left Russian waters soon after Russia fired the warning shots. A Russian bomber dropped four high explosive fragmentation bombs in its path, it said.

The Russian ministry said the British ship had ventured as far as 3 kilometres (2 miles) into Russian waters near Cape Fiolent, a landmark on Crimea's southern coast near the port of Sevastopol, headquarters of the Russian Navy's Black Sea fleet.

"The destroyer had been warned that weapons would be used if it trespasses the border of the Russian Federation. It did not react to the warning," the ministry said.

China condemns latest US warship transit of Taiwan Strait TAIPEI REUTERS

China condemned the United States on Wednesday as the region’s greatest security “risk creator” after a US warship again sailed through the sensitive waterway that separates Taiwan from China. The US Navy’s 7th Fleet said the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur conducted a “routine Taiwan Strait transit” on Tuesday in accordance with international law. “The ship’s transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the US commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.” The People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theatre Command said their forces monitored the vessel throughout its passage and warned it. “The US side is intentionally playing the same old tricks and creating trouble and disrupting things in the Taiwan Strait,” it said. This “fully shows that the United States is the greatest creator of risks for regional security, and we are resolutely opposed to this”. Taiwan’s Defence Ministry said the ship had sailed in a northerly direction through the strait and the “situation was as normal”. The same ship transited the strait a month ago, prompting China to accuse the United States of threatening peace and stability. The latest mission comes around a week after Taiwan said 28 Chinese air force aircraft, including fighters and nuclear-capable bombers, entered Taiwan’s air defence identification zone, the largest reported incursion to date. That incident followed the Group of Seven leaders issuing a joint statement scolding China for a series of issues and underscoring the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, comments China condemned as “slander”.

The US Navy has been conducting such operations in the Taiwan Strait every month or so.

No meeting planned between Blinken and China's Wang at G20: US official WASHINGTON REUTERS

There is no meeting planned between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at a G20 gathering in Italy next week, a State Department official said on Wednesday, after the Financial Times reported that Beijing and Washington were discussing such a meeting.

The newspaper, citing people briefed on the talks, said US President Joe Biden's administration had also informed counterparts in Beijing that it would like Wendy Sherman, deputy secretary of state, to visit China over the summer.

The White House had also held preliminary internal discussions about sending Blinken or Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser, to China later this year, which could set the stage for Biden and Chinese

President Xi Jinping to hold a bilateral summit on the margins of the G20 leaders meeting in Rome in October, the British newspaper reported.

"There is no meeting planned between Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Wang at the upcoming G20 Ministerial," a State Department official said in response to a query about the report, while not commenting on the other details.

Bonnie Glaser, an Asia expert at the German Marshall Fund of the United States who was cited by the Financial Times, said she had heard from sources that after a BlinkenWang Yi meeting there might be a phone call between Biden and Xi and then a visit by a State Department official to China over the summer.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Wang and Blinken have not met since

they and other officials were involved in fiery exchanges in Alaska in March during the Biden administration's first high-level meeting with its Chinese counterparts.

Blinken held a call with China's top diplomat Yang Jiechi earlier this month and stressed the need for cooperation and transparency over the origins of Covid-19 and raised other contentious topics, including China's treatment of Uyghur Muslims, Hong Kong and Taiwan. US-China relations deteriorated sharply under then-US President Donald Trump, and the Biden administration has maintained his tough approach, while stressing its interest in cooperation on areas of shared concern like climate change.

China this month denounced a joint statement by the Group of Seven leaders led

by Washington that scolded Beijing over a range of issues as a gross interference in the country's internal affairs.

Thursday, 24 June, 2021

SPORTS 11

ISLAMABAD

NZ prevail iN grippiNg fiNal agaiNst iNdia to claim Wtc title SOUTHAMPTON ReuteRs

N

EW Zealand won the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) title, beating India by eight wickets in a tense final at the Ageas Bowl on Wednesday. The weather-disrupted final marked the culmination of a twoyear cycle of the WTC, which was launched in 2019 to create test cricket’s pinnacle event.

Chasing 139 for victory in a low-scoring match, New Zealand romped home in the final session of the reserve day, which was activated to make up for lost time in the first five days.

Captain Kane Williamson was unbeaten on 52 and Ross Taylor on 47 as New Zealand became test cricket’s first official world champions. Their all-seam attack set up the victory by bowling out India for 217 and 170 in the game which lost two full days to rain.

New Zealand lost in the finals of the last two 50-overs World Cups. “Certainly it’s a very special feeling. After a couple of close ones (in ICC finals), nice to get one under the belt,” Williamson said at the presentation ceremony.

“I’ve been part of (New Zealand cricket) for a short while, but it’s a very special feeling, the first time in our history we’ve come away with a world title.”

The victory was also a fitting farewell for their wicketkeeper BJ Watling who is retiring after this match. India captain Virat Kohli blamed his team’s batting on the final morning for their defeat.

NEW ZEALAND 249 “We did really well with the ball to pull things back nicely, but I think this morning was the dif(CONWAY 54, WILLIAMSON 49, ference,” he said. “The Kiwi bowlers executed SHAMI 4-76) AND 140 FOR 2 their plans to perfection and kept putting us under pressure and did not allow scoring opportunities.

(WILLIAMSON 52 NOT OUT, TAYLOR 47, “I think in the end, we were 30-40 runs short of 2-17) BEAT INDIA 217 (RAHANE ASHWIN putting them under serious pressure in the last in49, KOHLI 44, JAMIESON 5-31) AND nings.” New Zealand seamer Kyle Jamieson, who claimed his fifth five-wicket haul in his eighth 170 (PANT 41, SOUTHEE 4-48) Test, was adjudged player of the match.

BY EIGHT WICKETS New Zealand took home the ICC test championship mace and pocketed $1.6 million.

EURO 2020

Daniil Medvedev Sterling on target as England beat reaches Mallorca Czech Republic to top group Open quarters

LONDON AFP

Raheem Sterling scored the only goal as England found an attacking spark to beat the Czech Republic 1-0 at Wembley on Tuesday and clinch top spot in Group D at Euro 2020.

The Manchester City forward, who kept his place alongside Harry Kane in a rejigged attack also featuring Jack Grealish and Bukayo Saka, settled fans’ nerves with an early headed goal, which ultimately proved decisive.

The result means Gareth Southgate’s side finish top of their group with seven points while Croatia are second with four points. The Czech Republic will join them in the last 16 as one of the best third-placed teams.

With just two goals scored, England are the lowest-scoring side to ever finish top of a group at a European Championship but their defence is yet to be breached.

England now have the dubious privilege of a potential match-up against world champions France, holders Portugal or Germany but will have home advantage on June 29.

“We are not fluent but we have moments where we look a good side,” Southgate told ITV. “Different sorts of tests. All of our next opponents will be different games. There is a lot of good things we are doing. We are getting minutes for a lot of the players. Ninety minutes for

Harry Maguire was important tonight. Jordan Henderson getting 45 minutes is a step forward.

A lot of positives.”

GREALISH STARTS: There was clamour before the match for Aston Villa captain Grealish to start to shake up a blunt attack that produced an insipid display in the 0-0 draw against Scotland. Southgate obliged, also bringing in Saka among four changes to his side.

Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount was unavailable as he was isolating due to coronavirus protocols while Southgate opted to leave Phil Foden out to prevent the risk of a suspension.

Manchester United defender Maguire made his first appearance of Euro 2020 alongside John Stones in central defence.

England started brightly in the evening sunshine and Sterling went agonisingly close in just the second minute but could only watch as his deft chip over the goalkeeper come back off the post after he collected a raking pass from Luke Shaw. As chants of “Football’s Coming Home” rang around the stadium, captain Kane – heavily criticised for his toothless performances in the tournament so far – shot from distance and Grealish let fly.

England broke the deadlock in the 12th minute, when Grealish, on the left side of the penalty area, lifted the ball to the back post, where Sterling headed in for his second goal of Euro 2020.

Grealish and man-of-the-match Saka were inventive and direct on either side of Kane, showing a willingness to run at their opponents.

Kane went close midway through the first half, forcing a fine left-handed save from Tomas Vaclik and thumping the ground in frustration.

But the Czechs carried a threat of their own on their forays forward, growing in menace as the half wore on. Tomas Holes forced a flying save from England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford just before the half-hour and Tomas Soucek fired wide of the left post.

Liverpool midfielder Henderson replaced Declan Rice at half-time and the Czechs made their own change, bringing on Petr Sevcik for Jakub Jankto.

The sides were evenly matched in the second half, with the reduced crowd making an impressive noise in the cavernous stadium.

Both sides made further changes as the match wore on and the intensity dipped, with fans having to wait until the 83rd minute for the first attempt at goal in the second half.

Henderson briefly thought he had scored his first England goal late on but it was ruled out for offside. On the other hand, Scotland’s hopes of reaching the knockout stage of a major tournament for the first time were ended in a 3-1 defeat to a Luka Modric-inspired Croatia at Hampden Park that took the World Cup runners-up into the last 16.

After ending a 23-year wait just to qualify for a major tournament, another historic feat was beyond Steve Clarke’s Scotland side who were undone by a moment of magic from Modric.

Callum McGregor cancelled out Nikola Vlasic’s early opener to give the hosts hope heading into half-time.

But Modric showed the class that made him the man to break Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s grip on the Ballon d’Or in 2018, a stunning strike with the outside of his foot just after the hour mark restoring Croatia’s lead. “No one is sure how Luka manages that,” Croatia boss Zlatko Dalic said of the 35-year-old.

“We expect that Luka will go down, lose his strength, but he is the force that pulls the whole team. Anything I would say about Luka would not be sufficient. I’m very proud to have such a player as part of our team.”

Ivan Perisic’s header rubbed salt into Scottish wounds 13 minutes from time as Croatia pipped the Czech Republic to second place in Group D behind England.

CMYK

MADRID AFP

Some of the world’s top tennis players had mixed fortunes as they warmed up for Wimbledon at the Mallorca grass-court event on Tuesday. World No 2 Daniil Medvedev eased into the quarter-finals, fifth ranked Dominic Thiem retired from his second-round game with a wrist injury, while No 1 Novak Djokovic barely survived on a rare excursion into doubles. Medvedev lost the first three games to Corentin Moutet, but found his rhythm to win 6-4, 62. The victory over Frenchman Moutet improved Medvedev’s career record on grass to 19-13. The Russian has previously reached the semi-finals at Eastbourne in 2017 and at Queen’s Club in 2019. His build-up to Wimbledon, which starts next Monday, will continue with a last-eight meeting with the young Norwegian, Casper Ruud.Thiem retired with a right wrist injury while leading 5-2 against Frenchman Adrian Mannarino. The Austrian was returning to the courts three weeks after a five-set loss in the first round of the French Open to Pablo Andujar. Djokovic, who won Roland Garros on June 13, did not enter the singles in Mallorca. Instead he opted to play doubles for the first time since the ATP Cup in Australia in February. He paired with 31-year-old Spaniard Carlos Gomez-Herrera, ranked 355 in singles, and they received a wild card entry. On Tuesday, they got a workout from another Serb Nikola Cacic and his partner from Bosnia Tomislav Brkic, before winning 5-7, 6-4, 13-11. In the deciding super tiebreak, the Djokovic pair saved two match points before advancing.

Thursday, 24 June, 2021

pRayeR tImINgs

NEWS

Two million Sinovac vaccine doSeS arrive from china ISLAMABAD

T

staff RepoRt

He government received a new batch of two million doses of Sinovac Covid-19 vaccines from China on Wednesday amid a shortage of jabs in some parts of the country.

The National Command and Operation Centre said that the procurement was part of a planned purchase deal signed.

“These doses will be deployed to all vaccine centres across the country for which arrangements are already in place,” the body said in a statement.

“The daily average administering of doses across the country will be enhanced considerably.”

The government portal on Wednesday reported 930 new infections of Covid-19 after testing 45,519 samples, receiving back a positivity rate of 2.04 percent.

The development came a day after Minister of State for Health Dr Faisal Sultan announced to have struck a deal with Pfizer to procure 13 million doses of its Covid-19 vaccine.

An exact timeline was not yet available, Dr Faisal told Reuters, but said the doses would arrive by the end of 2021, under an agreement the government has made with the manufacturer.

The government faced initial vaccination hesitancy and a shortage of vaccine supply but it started a mass vaccination campaign late last month that is now open to all adults. It has relied heavily on China for vaccine supplies.

In May, Pakistan received 100,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine through the COVAX facility, but authorities have only administered those to people who are immunocompromised and not suitable for other vaccines.

The government launched a nationwide vaccination drive, starting with older people and frontline healthcare workers, in March. The drive began with a focus on the oldest people in the community, generally over the age of 80, and worked its way down.

Battling a third peak of the virus, the Health Department began the campaign with Chinese Sinopharm and CanSino jabs.

Private hospitals in major cities are

using the Russian Sputnik-V vaccine that has been imported by a local pharmaceutical company.

Nearly 13 million doses of Covid19 vaccines have been administered so far, with about 3.5 million people fully vaccinated, according to the National Command Operation Centre, which is overseeing the pandemic response.

Pakistan has primarily used Chinese vaccines — Sinopharm, CanSino Bio and Sinovac — in its inoculation drive and, earlier this month, began allowing those under 40 to receive AstraZeneca, of which it has a limited supply meant for people travelling to countries that require it. earlier this month, the government approved spending $1.1 billion on procuring vaccines, part of its goal to inoculate at least 70 million people.

According to government data, as of June 9, the country had received 14.5 million vaccine doses, of which 11.06 million had been purchased from pharmaceutical companies, while China donated 2.7 million and a consignment of 1.34 million was contributed by COVAX.

TURKEY: Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa in a group photo with Turkish Minister of National Defence General (r) Hulusi Akar and Commander of the Turkish Land Forces General Umit Dundar after a meeting. INp

FAJR SUNRISE

ZUHR

ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

3:14

12:10

3:54

4:57

7:22

9:06

Watermills grind to a halt as erratic weather hits Kashmir grains

ISLAMABAD ReuteRs

Muhammad Latif never thought he would be washing buses for a living, but he took the job three years ago after shutting down the watermill that had been in his family for six decades.

Years of drought and erratic rains have devastated crops in his village of Chakothi, on the border of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, leaving locals with no grain to grind and no business for his mill, he said.

“When people stopped coming for grinding, I locked it up and started washing buses to buy bread for my family,” Latif, 50, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation, pointing at his deserted mill. “I am left with no option.”

Latif is among hundreds of millers who have had to abandon their trade as changing rain patterns shrink crop yields across the disputed Himalayan region, agricultural experts said.

Zahid Ahmed, business development officer with National Rural Support Programme, estimated the region has more than 2,000 watermills.

But most have had to shut as harvests declined by 40 percent over the past decade, with only about 250 still functioning, he said.

Last year, incessant rains close to harvesting time caused huge crop losses all over Kashmir, said Murtaza Gillani, deputy director at the agriculture department for Jhelum valley, where Latif’s village is situated.

“A farmer becomes dejected when his crop is lost near reaping, which forces him to switch to other jobs,” Gillani said, adding he once watched a farmer set fire to his entire field of failed crops in despair.

WHEAT PREFERENCE: Pakistan ranked fifth in last year’s Global Climate Risk Index published by environmental think-tank Germanwatch, which looks at countries suffering most from extreme weather events.

Those impacts, made worse by climate change, have had a knock-on effect on the hundreds of watermills, known locally as jandar, that were built decades ago along the brooks and streams of Kashmir, mainly for grinding wheat and maize, or corn.

Choudhary Muhammad Kareem, a farmer from Khaigaran village near Chakothi, remembers when there were a dozen watermills work-

ing along the brook near his farm – now only two are left.

Along with changing rain patterns, said Kareem, 65, shifting food habits are also putting a strain on watermills, with many young Kashmiris preferring wheat over corn.

As growing numbers of farmers swap from the hardy corn variety used in the region to wheat to meet demand, they lose more of their crops in dry spells or heavy rains, and watermills see less business, Kareem explained. For farmers who are still managing decent yields, watermill closures force them to spend added time and expense to get their grain ground into flour.

“It costs me Rs2,000 if I rent a car to take wheat or maize for milling to the nearest town, which is 8 kilometres (5 miles) away from Chakothi,” Kareem said.

WATER SCARCITY: Agriculture experts estimate about 80 percent of farmland in AJK depends on rain for irrigation, but water shortages across Pakistan mean even those using irrigation systems often find their crops going thirsty.

Zaheer Gardezi, a water harvesting expert and former director of the national government’s rainwater harvesting project, said 70 years ago the country’s annual per capita water availability topped 12,000 cubic metres.

Today, it has dropped to about 900 cubic metres per person per year, he said.

The United Nations defines a country as water-stressed if annual availability falls below 1,700 cubic metres per person, and water-scarce if it reaches 1,000 cubic metres.

With Kashmiri farmers struggling to grow enough to earn an income and feed their families, 3 million people are currently getting subsidised flour through a government programme, said Sardar Amanullah Khan, director of the Kashmir food department.

Demand for subsidised flour — which is ground at industrial, electrically powered mills — jumped 30 percent after last year’s heavy rains, he added.

NEW MILL USES: The vicious cycle of extreme weather and ruined crops has put a strain on Kashmir’s watermills for years, said Muhammad Naeem Ahmed, director of the Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialisation at the University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and a farmer himself.

Junkyard of empires: Afghans sift through leftovers of US occupation Squatting in the dust by the main road to Afghanistan’s biggest airbase, Mir Salam sifts through a pile of broken electronics in front of him, salvaged from departing US troops.

All around are heaps of junk and scrapped equipment — ranging from telephones and thermos flasks to computer keyboards and printer cartridges.

“This is what the Americans do,” the 40-year-old told AFP. “They destroy absolutely everything.”

The Pentagon is vacating Bagram airbase as part of its plan to withdraw all forces by this year’s 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the United States, and it could be completed by the end of the month.

Military gear is being taken home, or given to Afghan security forces, but tons of civilian equipment must be left behind.

The result is a booming scrap business that is making money for some, but leaving many resentful.

“They blow it up or are burning it,” says Salam of the equipment being discarded.

“There were lots of new things in this base — enough to rebuild Afghanistan 20 times — but they destroyed everything.”

For two decades, Bagram served as the nerve centre for US operations in Afghanistan.

A sprawling mini-city visited by hundreds of thousands of service members and contractors, it boasted swimming pools, cin-

emas and spas — and even a boardwalk featuring fast-food outlets such as Burger King and Pizza Hut. It also has a prison that held thousands of Taliban and jihadist inmates over the years.

Bagram was built by the United States for its Afghan ally during the Cold War in the 1950s as a bulwark against the Soviet Union in the north.

Ironically, it became the staging point for the Soviet invasion of the country in 1979, and the Red Army expanded it significantly during their near decade-long occupation.

When Moscow pulled out, it became

central to the raging civil war — it was reported that at one point the Taliban controlled one end of the three-kilometre runway and the opposition Northern Alliance the other.

NOTHING GOES TO WASTE: In recent months, Bagram has come under rocket attacks claimed by the Islamic State.

If the Taliban capture the base, it would be a significant step — perhaps even the decisive one — towards seizing control of Kabul itself.

Salam pays 1,000 afghanis ($12) a month to rent a modest fenced plot on the

Bagram road, where he stores base scrap that he searches for nuggets to sell to specialised dealers.

The road to the base is lined with dozens of similar enterprises — some ramshackle, but others featuring imposing warehouses with armed guards.

The big players have contracts to remove the scrapped equipment, which they cherrypick for items that can be repaired.

Anything they don’t use is left for smaller dealers such as Salam.

Cables are stripped for copper, circuit boards broken down for rare-earth metals, and aluminium collected to be smelted into ingots.

Nothing goes to waste, says Haji Noor Rahman, another scrap merchant.

“Anything re-usable, people buy it,” he told AFP. His warehouse is like a department store for scrap, with the floor covered by an astonishing array of items — broken chairs, busted TV screens, rusting gym equipment, an electronic piano keyboard, artificial Christmas trees and other festive decorations.

First aid kits have been gutted, spilling bandages and IV bags.

Picking through the selection is Abdul Basir, who came from Kabul with a friend and snapped up six warped metal doors for around 8,000 afghanis. elsewhere, a young man unearthed a pair of branded shoes that still appeared to

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

have a few miles left on them.

Another browser bought a teddy bear and a mini rugby ball.

‘Pessimistic’ futureIt isn’t just equipment that will be left behind when the Americans pull out — Bagram is surrounded by satellite communities that rely on the base for employment.

“The withdrawal of American troops will have a bad impact on the economy of the country and that of Bagram,” district governor Lalah Shrin Raoufi told AFP, adding he was pessimistic for the future.

“Their presence here has provided jobs for thousands and thousands of Afghans,” he said, ranging from mechanics to bakers.

“I met the employees of a company that provided basic food […] they are afraid of losing their jobs.”

Raoufi said everything is being done to take charge of the base and its security when the last US forces leave.

“We are working with the police, the army and the NDS (intelligence services),” he said.

“We have started to recruit soldiers […]

We will take those who meet the criteria.”

Meanwhile, the clear-out continues.

“They came to rebuild our country but now they are destroying it,” says Bagram resident Mohammad Amin, looking over a pile of scrap. afp