EpaperISB_21-06-30

Wednesday, 30 June, 2021 I 19 Dhul-Qadah, 1442 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XI No 360 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition

NatioNal assembly passes budget for fy22 with majority vote g

OppOsitiOn fails tO stOp budget frOm sailing thrOugh due tO lack Of required numbers

ISLAMABAD staff RepoRt

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key session of the national assembly session in islamabad to vote on the proposed budget for the fiscal year 2021-2022 has passed the proposed budget for, radio pakistan reported. prime minister imran khan was present for the session, while former president and pakistan people’s party co-chairperson asif ali Zardari and party’s chairman bilawal bhuttoZardari were also in attendance. the government rejected amendments to the finance bill proposed by opposition parties — wherein those proposed by opposition members have been rejected with a majority vote of 172-138 — but has accepted all those suggested by treasury mps. after the clause by clause reading was completed, a voice vote was conducted by the na speaker and the budget was passed. the opposition did not challenge the voice vote as they knew they did not have the required numbers.

the session was adjourned till Wednesday. finance bill, 2021 was passed after a fivehour, 10-minute long session on the bill. the budget exhaustive session comprised 244 members. in total discussions on the budget have taken sixty-nine hours and five minutes.

Within those hours, an additional 16 hours, five minutes were given to opposition members for discussion on the budget while 13 extra hours were used by the government members. moreover, 16 hours, 10 minutes were used up through demands for grants and cut-motions. One hour, 20 minutes were taken up by senate recommendations. moreover, one hour, 20 minutes were given for discussion on charged expenditure. almost 93 hours have been given to the budget and even more time will be given to the supplementary budget discussion on June 30, 2021. this is a record time so far and shows the seriousness of the members of parliament towards oversight and their constitutional responsibility in this regard. during the session, the opposition mps speaking on the document urged the government to focus on promoting education

CoroNavirus iN

pakistaN

CONFIRMED CASES:

956,392

LAST UPDATED AT 7:01 AM ON JUNE 29, 2021

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

NEW CASES:

23

735

RECOVERED:

DEATHS:

901,985 22,254 SINDH:

PUNJAB:

336,507

346,036

KPK:

BALOCHISTAN:

137,831 AJK/GB: 20,256/6,060

27,083 ISLAMABAD:

82,619

and controlling the explosive growth of the population. they said such an effective tax regime should be evolved to reduce the burden on the public. the parliamentarians further sought relief for the public and said that incentives be given to the agriculture sector in order to bolster production. taking the floor, minister for finance shaukat tarin earlier in the session said the targets set in the budget will be achieved in the said period. he said it was the first budget that provided a roadmap to help four million poor households out of poverty by provision of interest-free loans. he said these people will also be provided with healthcare cards and equipped with skills. tarin also said the inflation stood at seven percent. he acknowledged that the prices of food items have increased in the incumbent government but said it has happened so because the agriculture sector was ignored in the past. he said the government was spending rs62 billion for the uplift of the sector. he said we were also giving tax exemptions worth billions of rupees to farmers on fertilisers and pesticides. he pointed out that the provincial governments were also spending on agriculture. tarin stressed that the tax-to-gdp ratio had to be brought to 20 percent to lift the economy. he assured that the government did not believe in harassing the corporate sector but it will take strict action against wilful defaulters. the government was able to beat the opposition in the vote on tarin’s proposition.

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bilawal claims fY22 budget passed ‘illegally’ STORY ON PAGE 02

Nothing can change Pak-China special friendship, asserts PM in reply to western pressure ISLAMABAD staff RepoRt

prime minister imran khan on tuesday maintained that the “special relationship spanning over 70 years of friendship” between pakistan and china was time-tested ties and would not succumb to western powers that attempted to push pakistan into taking sides. the prime minister, in an exclusive interview with the chinese state tV station, cgtn, dilated upon the deep-rooted ties between the two countries. to a query, he emphatically reiterated, “Whatever will happen…relationship between our two countries, no matter what pressure is put on us, is not going to change.” in the region, he said, a strange and great power rivalry took place, which everybody knew. it could create problems. the united states formed a regional al-

US announces to send 2.5m doses of Moderna to Pakistan us president Joe biden’s administration will ship 2.5 million doses of the moderna covid19 vaccine to pakistan, White house press secretary Jen psaki has said. the White house earlier this month laid out a plan for the united states to donate 80 million surplus covid-19 vaccine doses to the world by the end of June. “i wanted to note for all of you that, today, thanks to the president’s commitment to playing a leading role in ending the pandemic everywhere, 2 million doses of the pfizer vaccine will begin to ship to peru from the united states, and 2.5 million doses of the moderna vaccine will ship to pakistan,” psaki told a press briefing. “the biden-harris administration is announcing the distribution list for 55 million of the 80 million doses of america’s own vaccine supply president biden has pledged to allocate by the end of June in service of ending the pandemic globally,” the White house had announced on June 21. “for these 80 million doses, the us will share 75 percent through cOVaX and 25 percent will be targeted to help deal with surges around the world.” early this month, on June

liance called ‘quad’, including india and couple of other countries. “so, from that point of view, pakistan thinks that it is very unfair of the us and other Western powers …… for countries like pakistan to take sides. Why should we take sides! We should have a good relationship with everyone,” he maintained. the prime minister categorically said if pressure was put on pakistan to change its relations or downgrade its ties with china, it would not happen. “relationship between pakistan and china is are very deep, it’s not just the governments, but it’s the people-to-people relationship,” he added. the prime minister further said that when pakistan had been in trouble politically or internationally or had conflicts, china always stood with them.

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more inside

Zardari urges govt to take parliament into confidence on alleged Israel contacts STORY ON BACK PAGE

ncOc decision lands thousands of pakistani expats stuck at airports 19, the united states agency for international development (usaid) delivered a shipment of emergency medical supplies to pakistan, including one million pieces of critical personal protective equipment to help protect pakistan’s frontline health care workers and medical professionals. according to the us embassy, since the start of the covid-19 outbreak in 2020, the “united states has delivered $ 49.7 million in assistance through our partnership with the government of pakistan.” pakistan has so far fully or partially vaccinated almost 15.5 million people, mostly with

the chinese sinopharm or sinovac jabs. separately, expressing satisfaction over availability of covid-19 vaccine in the country, the national command and Operation centre on tuesday discussed the rollout plan for three million doses of sinovac procured from china for the month of June. the session, chaired by national coordinator lt gen hamood-uz-Zaman khan, was attended by special assistant to prime minister on health dr faisal sultan, ndma chairman lt gen akhtar nawaz satti and other concerned officers. News Desk

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

STORY ON BACK PAGE

Pakistan wants to enhance multidomain ties with EU: COAS STORY ON PAGE 03

afghan taliban vow to not attack civilians, ngOs amid rising violence STORY ON BACK PAGE

02

Wednesday, 30 June, 2021

ISLAMABAD

NEWS

PreSiDent orDerS coMPenSation for coMPlainant awaitinG juStice for 24 YearS ISLAMABAD

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aPP

RESIDENT Dr Arif Alvi on Tuesday directed the Federal Ombudsman to execute its decision, that remained unimplemented for 24 years, and ordered a compensation for the complainant seeking justice for long.

The President took notice of an old case

of 1997, saying that the “injustice in the matter was obvious and evident” as the petitioner “ran from pillar to post, looking for justice”.

Mushtaq Ahmad Jadoon from district Abbottabad had filed an appeal with the President of Pakistan against nonimplementation of the decision of Federal Ombudsman passed in his complaint on 22.11.1997, where a direction was given to provide him job in Pakistan International

PakiStan-oriGin Man StabbeD, inSulteD over ‘bearD anD clotHinG’ in canaDa ANADoLu AgeNCy Just weeks after a Pakistani family was murdered in Ontario, a Muslim migrant was attacked in a Canadian province with a knife by two unidentified assailants, local media reported. In the city of Saskatoon in the Saskatchewan province, Pakistani national Muhammad Kashif was harassed and stabbed on Friday by two attackers. Starphoenix daily reported that Kashif, 32, was assaulted while he was returning to his home in the evening, wearing traditional Muslim clothing. He said the attackers stabbed him in the back as they shouted: “Why are you wearing this dress?”

“Why are you here?” and “Go back to your country. I hate Muslims.” They also shouted “And why do you have this beard?” before cutting off a part of Kashif’s beard. He was later stabbed in the arm and had to get 14 stitches. “A third attacker might have been waiting for the first two in a nearby green car,” Kashif said. An investigation was launched into the assault. Charlie Clark, the mayor of Saskatoon, said in a statement that he was “horrified and saddened” by the attack. “Groups that are spreading white supremacy, Islamophobia and any other form of discrimination need to be investigated and held accountable,” he said.

Mushaal fears Yasin Malik could be tortured to death NewS DeSK Mushaal Hussein Mullick, the wife of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front Chairman Yasin Malik, said that Indian fascist authorities used all brutal tactics to muzzle the voice of her husband who is the torch-bearer of Kashmiris freedom struggle. She said that despite all failed attempts by occupation authorities either to buy his loyalty or to keep him silent, they put him in death cell for his crime not to compromise on Kashmiris right to self-determination.

Mushaal, who is also chairperson of Peace and Culture Organisation, said in a statement on Tuesday that Yasin Malik was kept in the notorious Tihar Jail despite his fast deteriorating health condition. She added that Malik currently is suffering from several ailments, including heart disease, kidney stones and a backache but he was deprived of much-needed medicines. Mushaal lamented that the brutal authorities did not allow his family to meet him. The Hurriyat leader feared that since he was incarcerated in fake and fabricated cases, he might be tortured to death because the fascist Indian government has nothing to prove him guilty despite using all state machinery.

Airlines (PIA) for being suitable for the available position.

The petitioner in his request had mentioned that notwithstanding his fitness for the post of Technician in Engine Overhaul, he was selected as Engineering Assistant but was not appointed.

It was highlighted that the recommendation of the Federal Ombudsman remained unimplemented despite several applications submitted by the petitioner.

The PIA in response to the applicant had said that no relief could be granted to a person in 2019/2020, who was meeting the eligibility criteria for employment in PIA in 1996 but was not appointed. However, the PIA proposed grant of benefit or compensation as per rules, on special request. The complainant agitated the matter with the President of Pakistan after his request for implementation was closed by the Federal Ombudsman Secretariat on

08.10.2019 for being time-barred.

Terming it a “case of sheer neglect and defiance”, the President in his written order said the Federal Ombudsman should have taken notice of its own, however it “buried the complaint on the ground of limitation”.

“Such an approach to the matter is contrary to the object and spirit of the law which stresses to investigate, redress and rectify any injustice done to a person through maladministration,” he wrote.

The President pointed out that the Ombudsman Secretariat was vested with the power to implement the recommendations and punish for contempt. “The Wafaqi Mohtasib’s Secretariat could have at least proceeded to consider the grant of benefit or compensation to the complainant/ petitioner,” he said, referring to the proposal by the Agency (PIA) for a compensation.

Bilawal claims FY22 budget passed ‘illegally’ NewS DeSK Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Tuesday said that the budget for the fiscal year 2021-22 had been passed “illegally” and it had “no legal standing”.

He said this while addressing a press conference in Islamabad after the lower house of parliament passed the Finance Bill 2021-22 with a majority amid opposition parties’ protest, reported The Express Tribune. Bilawal said National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser had usurped the rights of the lawmakers by not holding recounting of the voice vote.

“I strongly condemn this act of speaker and if he [Qaiser] does not rectify his mistake then this budget would be considered illegal,” he added.

He also vowed to challenge the budget at all available fora. The PPP chairman said the government had passed the budget on the demands of the International Monetary Fund and did not allow the

opposition lawmakers to present cut motions and raise their objections.

Responding to a question regarding the absence of Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif, Bilawal said he was only answerable for his party’s MNAs. However, he added that the absence of PML-N president was not a “good precedent” and added that all PPP lawmakers including the party’s co-chairperson, Asif Ali Zardari attended the session.

PPP leader and daughter of former president Zardari, Bakhtawar Bhutto said in a tweet that his father attended the court hearing and NA session “despite underlining health conditions”. However, she added that only 14 out of 84 PML-N members came to oppose the “PTI-IMF budget”. “My father went to court this morning despite underlining health conditions and risk of exposure still went to National Assembly – so did 54 out of 56 #PPP members (missing two had Covid). We remain in #Pakistan. 14 out of 84 members from #PMLN came to oppose #PTIMF budget,” she wrote

on her official handle.

Meanwhile, responding to criticism over Shahbaz’s absence from today’s session, PML-N general secretary Ahsan Iqbal said that it was because his cousin had passed away, reported Geo News.

Iqbal said that the “vast majority” of PML-N members were in attendance.

He said that six members of the PTI were not in attendance, noting that 172 had come.

Iqbal also said that the opposition effectively highlighted the budget’s shortcomings.

“This was the first budget in Pakistan’s history in which the government was forced to take a U-turn,” he remarked. It appears to be a reference to the Finance Bill initially proposing a Re1 tax on each call if the duration exceeds three minutes, Rs5 tax for per GB usage of internet and 10 paisas on each SMS. Now, speaking over a mobile phone for more than five minutes will be taxed at 75 paisas, but there will be no tax on an SMS and mobile internet.

FO confirms theft of 1,000 Schengen visa stickers from Italy embassy ISLAMABAD Staff RePoRt

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has shared information with the concerned departments for an “appropriate action” on the theft of 1,000 Schengen visa stickers from the building of the Italian embassy in Islamabad.

In response to media queries, Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said Tuesday the theft of visa stickers was reported to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by the foreign diplomatic mission, after which the information was immediately shared with the concerned departments.

“The information was immediately shared with the concerned authorities for taking appropriate action in this regard,” he said. According to reports, the MoFA has informed the Interior Ministry and Federal Investigation Agency of the report of visa stickers stolen from the locker room of the Italian embassy this month.

The concerned departments have been requested to keep track of the visa stickers at all entry and exit points and report any seizure to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

As per available information, 750 stolen visa stickers have serial numbers from ITA041913251 to ITA041914000 and the 250 visa stickers have the numbers from ITA041915751 to ITA041916000.

Turkey reduces quarantine period for travellers from Pakistan ISLAMABAD Staff RePoRt

Turkey in her revised policy has reduced the period of mandatory quarantine from two weeks to 10 days for the travellers arriving from Pakistan and Afghanistan with effect from July 1. However, the passengers from India, Bangladesh, Brazil, Nepal, South Africa, and Sri Lanka will continue to observe the mandatory two-week quarantine period.

Ever since the quarantine requirements were first issued for passengers from Pakistan on June 1, the

Pakistan embassy in Ankara remained in touch with the Turkish government and continued to share details of the improving Covid-19 situation back home.

“Based on the scientific data, the Turkish authorities were requested to revisit the policy of mandatory quarantine requirement for passengers arriving from Pakistan,” the embassy said in a statement. Turkey has also informed that additional details on quarantine arrangements including options for passengers from Pakistan will be issued soon, the embassy said. The embassy advised the passengers travelling from Pakistan to review their travel plans in light of the revised regulations.

Desperate expats working in sheikhdoms overrun Islamabad vaccination centre ISLAMABAD MoNItoRINg RePoRt

Hundreds of desperate people overwhelmed a government-run coronavirus vaccination centre in Islamabad Monday as the nation grapples with a shortage of life-saving shots even as a decline in new infections has seen some restrictions eased.

Most of those clamouring to be vaccinated were people who work overseas — mainly in the Gulf Arab nations such as Saudi Arabia — who need a shot of the hard-to-find AstraZeneca vaccine to travel there.

“We have a very limited capacity here, but for the past few days the centre has been overwhelmed by those wanting to travel abroad,” senior police official Superintendent of Police Farooq Amjad Buttar told AFP. The government has so far fully or partially vaccinated nearly 12 million people, and mostly with the Chinese Sinopharm or Sinovac jabs.

Most Gulf nations, however, require incoming foreign workers to be vaccinated with the AstraZeneca or Pfizer brands, which are in short supply in Pakistan.

Millions of Pakistan nationals work abroad, and

their remittances are a key part of the economy and foreign currency reserves.

On Monday, a crowd of hundreds overwhelmed staff at a vaccination centre, smashing glass doors as they pressed to get in.

“It was not a protest or an attack,” Buttar said, downplaying the incident in which no one was injured.

Muhammad Shehzad travelled from Mardan to Islamabad in the hope of getting an AstraZeneca shot.

“Saudi officials say they will let us enter only after getting vaccinated,” he said “Before I got a Chinese vaccine, but they are saying they will accept American vaccines only,” Shehzad added. Earlier this month, the government received 1.2 million doses of AstraZeneca under the COVAX facility.

So far, the nation has dodged the worst of Covid19, but Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar have warned a fourth wave could hit the country next month. Deaths and new infections have come down, however, and social gathering restrictions have recently been eased, business hours extended and some school reopened.

Ghani denies rumours of marriage with Hareem Shah KARACHI INP

A day after the news of TikTok actor Hareem Shah’s marriage to an undisclosed member of the Sindh cabinet went viral on the internet, provincial Minister for Education Saeed Ghani Tuesday dispelled the rumours of him being the “lucky man”. In a Twitter post, Ghani said: “Neither do I know the lady [Shah] nor have I ever met her in my life […] or ever seen her.”

“Alhamdulillah! I’m living a happy life with my only wife and kids,” he said, advising the Twitterverse to avoid spreading “such speculations” without confirmation. Shah announced the news of her marriage on Monday but kept the identity of her spouse a secret. She “assured” her followers that she will reveal her husband’s identity “very soon”. While none of the MPAs accepted having tied the knot with Hareem, there were plenty who denied any such development in their lives. “Believe me, I am not the man,” PPP MPA Muhammad Yousuf Baloch assured a reporter when asked. “See my hand and wristwatch.” “As much as my heart wanted it, it is not me,” joked another lawmaker, Abdul Razak Raja.

10,000 ecstasy pills recovered from Dutch parcel ISLAMABAD INP

Anti-Narcotics Force has recovered 10,000 high-ecstasy pills from a parcel that arrived through a courier company from the Netherlands. According to an ANF spokesperson, the shipment weighed about 9.9 pounds (4.5 kilogrammes). “They were found after a staffer of the company in Rawalpindi examined it,” he said. The spokesman said that the pills were to be smuggled to Peshawar from Rawalpindi. “We have registered a case and will found out the senders and receivers of the package,” he said. Ecstasy, or MDMA, is known as a party drug. Ecstasy comes in a pill or powder form, and the pills have a variety of logos and colours. The drug can increase motor activity, cause muscle tension, euphoria, chills, confusion, anxiety, organ failure and even death. According to the US National Institute on Drug Abuse, ecstasy can interfere with heart rate and temperature regulation and can cause brain damage.

Wednesday, 30 June, 2021

islamabad

NATIoNAl SecurITy MeeTINg To FocuS oN AFghANISTAN: QureShI IsLAMABAD

F

STAff RePoRT

OREIGN Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Tuesday said the proposed meeting on national security, which will be attended by representatives of all parliamentary parties, will focus on the security situation in Afghanistan and its impact on the region.

In a statement, the foreign minister said the government had invited around 17 parliamentarians for the meeting on July 1.

Pakistan wants to enhance multi-domain ties with EU: COas TLTP

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa has said that Pakistan values its relations with European Union (EU) and is earnestly looking forward to enhancing mutually beneficial multi-domain relations based on common interests.

The army chief said this during a video call with General Claudio Graziano, Chairman European Union Military Committee (EUMC), on Tuesday, according to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations

(ISPR). According to the military’s media cell, matters of mutual interests, regional security situation including recent developments in Afghan Peace Process and enhanced bilateral cooperation with European Union (EU) came under discussion during the call.

The dignitary also appreciated Pakistan’s role in regional peace and stability especially the Afghan peace process. Both the dignitaries pledged to play their role for further improvement in cooperation at all levels, said the ISPR. Earlier in May, during a meeting with the EU Ambassador Androulla Kaminara at the General Headquarters (GHQ), General Bajwa said that Pakistan

03

Provision of relief to farmers top priority: PM IsLAMABAD TLTP

“The purpose of convening the meeting is to update the members of the parliament on the security situation in the region,” he said.

Qureshi said Pakistan will take decisions that better served its interest.

To curb the practice of money laundering, he said, the government had taken measures for its prevention. “We are committed to effectively control terror-financing,” he added.

He said Pakistan desired peace in Afghanistan and was playing a conciliatory role towards the success of the Afghan peace process.

RAwALPINDI

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values its relations with the European Union.

According to a statement issued by the ISPR, the two officials discussed matters of mutual interest, regional security situation including recent developments in the Afghan Peace Process.

“Pakistan values its relations with the EU and we earnestly look forward to enhancing mutually beneficial multi-domain relations based on common interests,” said the statement quoting the COAS. The visiting dignitary appreciated Pakistan’s sincere efforts for bringing peace and stability in the region, especially the Afghan peace process.

Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that provision of relief to farmers is amongst the top priorities of the government for which reforms are being introduced to the agriculture sector under a comprehensive strategy.

The prime minister said this while talking to Minister for National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam, who called on him on Tuesday. During the meeting, they discussed record production of all crops and a strategy for upcoming crops. Besides, it was decided to organise Farmers’ Convention in Islamabad on Thursday. Meanwhile, Minister for Information Technology Syed Amin-ul-Haq and Member National Assembly Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui also called on Prime Minister Imran Khan. Matters related to progress on ongoing IT projects, the government’s measures to increase IT exports and Karachi uplift projects came under discussion during the meeting.

Meanwhile, Minister for Housing Tariq Bashir Cheema and MNA Moonis Elahi called on Prime Minister Imran Khan. They discussed the positive outcomes of the budget relief measures for the common man and especially lifting of the poor people out of poverty and increasing employment opportunities through economic growth under development projects.

Johar Town blast: FM seeks FATF probe into terror financing in Pakistan IsLAMABAD

Former Sindh chief minister calls on Buzdar LAHORe APP

Former Sindh Chief Minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim called on Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar in Lahore Tuesday and discussed matters of mutual interest and the political situation.

Buzdar said his government carried out substantial development in the province, whereas the previous governments relied on theatricality. He regretted that the past governments destroyed institutions through political interference, whereas the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government made the institutions autonomous and ensured appointments on merit.

He said the culture of bias was weeded out by his government and merit policy was being promoted. Buzdar said the annual budget for education, health and other social sectors has been increased in the 2021-2022 budget, adding the annual development programme would ensure composite development in every district of the province. Arbab praised Buzdar’s vision of presenting a “people-friendly” and development focussed budget. He said Buzdar’s vision for equal development was praiseworthy as the Punjab government created a praiseworthy precedent of presenting separate development packages for every district. He said the Sindh government can follow the Punjab government’s model of development. He also appreciated that record development work was carried out in the short span of three years in Punjab.

TLTP

PM Imran’s 26 foreign trips cost the same as one of Zardari’s News Desk Prime Minister Imran Khan’s 26 trips abroad have cost the national kitty about Rs176 million or $1.1 million at the current exchange rate, which is the same as the expenditures of one of the visits paid of former president Asif Ali Zardari to New York, nine years ago and slightly higher than $901,250 on Nawaz’s one visit to the same city in 2016, Tribune reported.

12 foreign trips by the incumbent PM to three continents cost a total of $680,000 – less than half of the expenditures incurred on one visit each by former president Asif Ali Zardari and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to New York. Imran continued his austerity policy during the first three years in power, cutting the budget of his office and official residence by about 40 percent, according to the figures shared by the Prime Minister’s Office.

Some foreign destinations are not common among the three heads of the mainstream political parties, which have been excluded from this analysis. The data available of 12 trips to Asia, Europe and America by Prime Minister Imran showed the expenditures of $680,115 or Rs108 million. Covering only four destinations, out of these 12, by Zardari, the expenses amounted to $2.1 million or Rs318 million. Former prime minister Nawaz had visited 10 of these places, which cost $4.5 million or Rs712 million. The total expenditures on Nawaz’s all foreign trips were Rs1.8 billion However, the savings that Imran has been making by discouraging unnecessary expenditures on foreign trips and allowing only minimum expenditures are being lost by one wrong decision of the State Bank of Pakistan.

The central bank’s decision to set the interest rate at

13.25 percent in the last fiscal year added an additional over Rs1 trillion into debt servicing cost that jumped to Rs2.7 trillion, according to a petition filed by Dr Zubair Khan in the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

On average these 12 visits between 2018 to 2021 by Imran cost $56,676 per trip, as compared with $1.1 million incurred on Zardari’s trip to New York in 2012, and $901,250 expenses incurred on Nawaz’s visit to New York in 2016, according to the figures compiled by the Foreign Office.

Imran Khan had also visited Washington in 2019 that consumed $66,792, while Zardari’s 2009 trip to the same destination cost $602,948 and Nawaz’s visit in 2013 cost $360,557. Imran is following a policy of avoiding unnecessary foreign trips and having small delegation to avoid the high cost, without, what a government minister said, compromising on national objectives. However, the opposition has remained critical of the government’s foreign policy, particularly his Kashmir policy.

Imran went abroad 26 times in three years, Pervez Ashraf had nine foreign trips in one year stint, Yousuf Reza Gilani had 48 trips in four years and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had 19 foreign visits in over one year, according to the PM Office statistics.

The PM Office’s data also showed that Imran Khan’s 2020 trip to Davos, Switzerland, cost $53,914 as against earlier estimates of $68,000. Nawaz’s 2017 trip to Davos cost the exchequer $563,584.

Prime Minister Imran Khan’s 2020 visit to Afghanistan cost the national kitty less than $10,000 compared with former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s expenditure of $59,000. Former president Zardari’s 2009 visit had cost the national exchequer $44,000.

CPEC’s second phase helps boost economic growth: bOi official IsLAMABAD APP

The second phase of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has generated huge job opportunities and played proactive role to boost economic growth of the country. An official of Board of Investment (BOI) on Tuesday indicated that Chinese investment in multiple sectors had positive impact on employment, transfer of information and improving skills of Pakistani workforce.

In the second phase of CPEC, industrial and agricultural cooperation of both countries had made strides, he said and added “CPEC for All” was the epic depiction of its vision.

In next phase, both countries would be working on Gwader Port development, industrial parks, agriculture, science and technology projects, he added.

He said that CPEC was purely a development project which had specific benefits for Pakistan and China, in addition to positive spillover-effects for neighboring countries. It was reason that both countries intended to to accomplish CPEC projects in time, he added.

The official said : “We do ensure maximum facilitation to foreign investors through CPEC, besides carrying out speedy development work at Allama Iqbal Special Economic Zones (SEZs) of Faisalabad and Rashakai. Large number of foreign

investor have shown interest to invest in these Zones, he added.

Currently, both countries were working out modalities for 10th meeting of CPEC joint cooperation committee, he said and added China could supply inexpensive raw materials for local markets, specially Pakistan’s textile industry. This will also help in utilizing additional manpower in Kashgar, he said.

He said that preferential policies were vital to attract companies for investment in industrial parks.

Areas that required these preferential policies included land, tax, logistics and services, he added.

He said Chinese investors had special interest in steel, cement, energy, textiles and auto sectors.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has expressed concerns over the involvement of anti-state agencies in Johar Town blast in Lahore and sought an international probe by anti-terror financing investigation agencies in this regard. In a statement on Tuesday, the minister urged the agencies – such as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) – to conduct a comprehensive inquiry to expose elements involved in financing terror operations in Pakistan. Qureshi felicitated law enforcement agencies for exposing those responsible for destabilising Pakistan. He commended intelligence agencies, Punjab’s CounterTerrorism Department and police for conducting a scientific and prompt probe into the incident. The minister expressed concerns that some elements in Afghanistan were playing the role of spoilers and wanted to sow instability in Pakistan. He added that Pakistan had rendered unprecedented sacrifices against terrorism and had set a direction for the future. Qureshi further said that a meeting on national security will be held on Thursday, which will be attended by members of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security. The meeting is aimed at briefing the participants about the situation in Afghanistan and the region, he added. “Pakistan desires peace and stability in Afghanistan and Islamabad is playing its conciliatory role in the process”. He reiterated that Pakistan had been acting diligently to stop money laundering and terror financing. On Monday last, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar revealed that an intelligence agency of an enemy country is directly involved in last week’s blast in Lahore and that all the alleged culprits behind the bombing as well as their facilitators had been apprehended.

Minorities will be taught own religious curriculum, not Islamic themes: Shafqat IsLAMABAD INP

Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood has said minorities will not be taught Islamic Studies under the Single National Curriculum and the government will devise separate religious curriculum and values to teach them in educational institutions. Mahmood was speaking to British High Commissioner Christian Turner in Islamabad. Because of the lack of alternatives, students belonging to faiths other than Islam either have to study the religion of the majority, or learn about Islamic themes that are included in the textbooks of unrelated subjects.

During the meeting, the two also reaffirmed their resolve to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in the field of education. Admiring Pakistan’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Turner said the government has done well to curtail the spread of the contagion disease in the country.

Wednesday, 30 June, 2021

04 NEWS

ISLAMABAD Mobile, internet banking doubles in Q3FY21 MONITORING REPORT The value of mobile banking, internet banking and e-commerce transactions have more than doubled during the third quarter current fiscal year (Q3FY21) compared to the same period in FY20, the State Bank said in its latest report issued on Monday. According to the Payment System Quarterly report, the number of internet and mobile banking users has increased significantly, up 30.5 per cent and 20.3pc, respectively during Q3FY21 over the same period last year. During Jan-March FY21, bank customers performed 309.5 million e-Banking transactions, valuing Rs22.5 trillion and registering growth rates of 31pc by volume and 29pc by value over the same quarter in FY20, the report said. Overall the country’s total payment transactions increased by 2pc in volume and 10pc in value when compared to the previous quarter. The overall use of e-Banking channels has seen an increase of 4pc in volume and 5pc in value over the previous quarter. Similarly, mobile banking users have increased by 5pc quarter on quarter, while showing an increase of 20pc when compared with the same period last year.

Most of the uptake in e-banking transactions was seen in internet banking and mobile banking transactions. The volume of mobile banking transactions reached 51.7m, (up 144pc) valuing Rs1.3tr (up 178pc) compared to 21.2m transactions valuing 467.5 billion in the same quarter, last year. The number of registered mobile phone banking users reached 9.8m showing an increase of 20pc from the same period last year.

RAWALPINDI: Labourers work in high temperature to earn their livelihood. ONLINE

REAl EstAtE sEctoR REjEcts NEw tAx RAtEs LAHORE

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SHAHAB OMER

HE Real Estate Agents Association (REAA) and the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) have rejected the new taxes levied on the real estate sector.

In this regard, a press conference was held at the FPCCI office here on Tuesday in which the senior vice president of the federation, Khawaja Shahzeb Akram, along with Major (r) Muhammad Rafiq Hasrat, who is the convener of the FPCCI Central Committee for Property and Construction, jointly briefed the media.

Speaking to the media, the leaders of the federation said that 20 per cent gain tax on property and up to 35 per cent taxes by clubbing other taxes on income above Rs5 million were not acceptable.

“The proposed tax should be abolished immediately. Policies formulated without stakeholder consultation can never succeed. A move like a gain tax would adversely affect investment and the business community will take their investments to other countries. Millions of people in the real estate and construction sectors will lose their jobs. Section 203-A, which also gives the power to arrest businessmen on the basis of suspicion, should be withdrawn immediately,” they said.

NEPRA approves 28 paisa per unit decrease in power tariff ISLAMABAD: National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has decreased electricity price by 28 paisa per unit which will provide relief to the tune of Rs 3 billion and 60 crore to the electricity consumers in next month’s electricity bills. NEPRA on Tuesday conducted a hearing to take decision regarding the fuel price adjustment of May 2021 has so far approved reduction in electricity price under the head monthly fuel price adjustment for the month of May 2021. However, a detailed decision in this very regard will be issued later by the authority (NEPRA) while the relief in the form of reduction in power price will not be applicable on power consumers of K-Electric and the lifeline consumers who use 300 units a month. “It is estimated that power consumers will find billions worth relief in next month’s electricity bills, “said sources in the power sector. STAFF REPORT

The convener informed the media that with the operation of the construction sector, about 50 other sectors will also be active and new employment opportunities will be created for the people. He demanded from the government to immediately restore the old regime of property gain tax.

Speaking about the closure of gas to industries, Hasrat said that due to untimely action of the government regarding LNG and CNG, industries are facing shortage of gas.

“The current leadership of the FPCCI is fully supporting the business community in resolving the issues. Pakistan has received huge investment from abroad in the construction sector. Decisions like the 20 per cent gain tax would adversely affect foreign

investment. This move of the government is against the vision of the prime minister."

He went on to add that the second proposal that has been included in the current finance bill, according to which the profit more than Rs5 million will be added to other income and tax will be charged, should also be abolished immediately.

"Overseas Pakistanis should be given a special rebate on investing in Pakistan. The proposals in the current Finance Bill would be detrimental to the real estate and construction sectors,” he said.

Hasrat added that earlier, there was only 10 per cent gain tax which was reduced to 7.5 per cent in the second year, 5 per cent in the third year and zero in the fourth year while the current proposed tax will always have to be paid and due to which the sale and purchase of property will be stopped, investment of billions of rupees will be blocked and millions will be unemployed.

“The decline in real estate business will also reduce the government's income tax revenue. The property dealers should be registered and their 2 per cent commission should be protected,” he suggested.

Petroleum Division devises plan to mitigate LNG shortage ISLAMABAD AHMAD AHMADANI

The Petroleum Division has chalked out a plan to control the shortage of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) under which Terminal-II will provide a maximum 600 Million Cubic Feet per Day (MMCFD) re-gasified LNG during the closure of Terminal-1.

In a statement on Tuesday, the division said that normal supplies from the first terminal will resume from July 5, and the total supply from both terminals will be 1,152 MMCFD. During the shortage, gas companies are authorised to manage their load as per government approved gas

supply priority order whereby uninterrupted supplies will be made to domestic, commercial, power and export industry.

In order to meet the shortfall, gas companies are curtailing supplies to the non-export industry, fertiliser, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and cement.

According to the division’s RLNG shortfall mitigation plan during dry docking of existing Floating Storage Regasification Unit (FSRU) of a private LNG terminal, the Floating Storage Regasification Unit (FSRU) of the first terminal is going for dry docking from June 29 to July 5 during which there will be a reduction in LNG supplies from the first

terminal.

However, supplies from the second terminal will continue to be at its contracted capacity of 600 MMCFD. Similarly, during the first two days of complete closure of the first terminal, the second terminal will provide maximum supplies. The total supply from both the LNG terminals will gradually ramp-up to 824 MMCFD from July 4.

As per petroleum division, some additional indigenous gas supplies are also being injected in the system during this period. Similarly, the power generation demand during the dry docking will also be catered through Furnace Oil (LSFO/HSFO) and High-Speed Diesel (HSD).

BIO fOR ASST. PROf. DR. UfAq INAAM PHD (VIENNA, AuSTRIA)

Asst. Prof. Dr. Ufaq Inaam is a designer, educator, and researcher in the field of Design.

She has currently completed her PhD from University of Applied Arts Vienna, Austria in the field of Design Studies in 2020. She has also taught courses in Material Culture and Design at the University of Applied Arts Vienna, Austria with international faculty. Dr. Ufaq Inaam has international work experience in Graphic and Social Design and has worked on numerous projects across Europe, America and Pakistan as well. Dr. Inaam is currently teaching at College of Art & Design, Punjab University Lahore, Pakistan as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Design. She has also founded a research platform ‘Extreme Design Base’ to critically approach design and social innovation in the Global South.

Participatory Design Thinking and Design Forecasting are few areas in Design where she is interested to start future collaboration and real-time projects in Pakistan.

Telecom operators reject proposed tax on voice calls MONITORING REPORT Pakistan’s telecom operators Monday rejected the government’s proposed tax of Rs0.75 on voice calls exceeding five minutes, stating that it is impossible to collect such a tax.

In a letter addressed to IT and Telecom Minister Aminul Haq, telecom operators stated that major disruption and damage to the service model structure of the sector will be caused if the government forces the tax upon operators.

“This levy is not implementable and will result in withdrawal of free minutes and bundles which are used by the majority of our customers,” it said, highlighting that more than 90 per cent of voice minutes are consumed through bundles, so if this facility is

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consequently withdrawn and normal rates are charged to the customers, their call rates will go up by multiples.

“Forcing this tax on subscribers will lead to fundamental changes in consumption behaviours, which will lead to shrinkage of the industry’s revenue base (possible shifting of voice revenues to over-the-tops) and potentially erode other taxation revenue streams of the government of Pakistan,” said the letter.

“As you would be aware, the poor strata of our society, which constitute most of our subscriber/consumer base, are already paying more than their due share of taxation, through withholding tax as well as general sales tax and federal excise duty on calls,” said the letter. The letter called for the withdrawal of the “regressive” tax-

ation measures and sought a meeting to discuss the same with the IT minister.

“It is our earnest view that the tax relief measures approved by the federal cabinet shall further bolster the government’s efforts towards achieving inclusive economic growth, creating new jobs, digitisation of economy to transform Pakistan into a knowledge economy and therefore such regressive taxation proposals taxing the common man using voice calls for connectivity need to be withdrawn accordingly,” it added.

“We are very hopeful that your continued patronage will stimulate industry stability and a delegation of our CEOs would look forward to meeting with you both at your earliest convenience to further discuss the same accordingly,” said the letter concluded.

Wednesday, 30 June, 2021

ISLAMABAD

AJK UNVeIlS 2021-22 BUdGeT wITH RS141BN OUTlAY MUZAFFARABAD

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TLTP

HE Azad Jammu and Kashmir budget for the next fiscal year 2021-22, with total outlay of over Rs141 billion, was presented in the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday.

Presenting the budget in the assembly, AJK Finance Minister Dr Najeeb Naqi said that Rs113 billion have been allocated in the budget for non-development expenses while Rs28 billion are reserved for development expenses. He said the development budget shows an increase of 14 percent as compared to the outgoing fiscal year 2020-21.

The annual development plan (ADP) also includes Rs2 billion as foreign funds.

Moreover, Rs4 billion have been provided for ongoing schemes under the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs. Out of it, Rs1 billion have been set aside for welfare of Indian firing

affectees at the Line of Control (LoC).

The minister informed the house that a 35 percent enhancement in government employees' salaries has been proposed. It includes 25 percent disparity deduction allowance while 10 percent ad hoc relief allowance, he explained.

Dr Naqi said that next financial year's budget has been prepared after complete financial planning to project maximum financial resources for the overall development of the state. He said 66 percent of the developmental budget would be spent for the completion of 176 developmental projects while the work on 209 developmental projects would also be started during the next financial year.

Explaining the strategy of the developmental budget, he said top priority has been given to the communication sector with an allocation of Rs10 billion which is 36 percent of the total development budget earmarked for the next financial year. Under this sector, the road infra-

Violation of BTIO in Kakar death probe displeases CJ BHC

structure will be further improved besides completion of ongoing development projects.

The finance minister said that the power sector would receive Rs2 billion and more than 200 electricity transformers would be installed while 18,000 new service connections would be given to the consumers and new grid stations would also be set up in different parts of the state to provide uninterrupted power supply to the people.

The minister said that the government is giving special importance to utilise water resources to produce cheap electricity in the state. He said to achieve this objective, 23 hydel power projects have been completed and electricity of Rs1 billion has been produced. He said that Rs800 million would be spent during the next financial year to initiate work on new hydel power projects in different parts of Azad Kashmir.

He said that the education sector will

get Rs3.2 billion while the health sector will receive Rs1.750 billion during the next financial year. An amount of Rs200 million has been earmarked to control the corona pandemic in the state, he added.

He said that Rs400 million have been allocated for the tourism sector to boost the tourism activities in the state.

The minister said the social sector would receive 22 percent, the productive sector 10 percent and the infrastructure sector would get 68 percent financial resources during the next financial year.

He said that the physical planning and housing sector will get Rs4.8 billion while Rs1.7 billion have been earmarked for Local government and rural development sector for the next financial year.

The minister thanked the Federal government for extending Rs28 billion for the development of Azad Kashmir including the provision of two billion rupees foreign added projects despite the financial crunch.

UN report about violence against IIOJK children just tip of the iceberg: Masood

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The chief justice of the Balochistan High Court (BHC) has expressed ‘strong displeasure’ over the constitution of a judicial inquiry into the death of former senator without consulting him, on grounds of violating the principle of independence of judiciary and provisions of the Balochistan Tribunals of Inquiry Ordinance (BTIO) 1965. Two days ago, the government of Balochistan decided to form a judicial commission to probe into the death of former senator Usman Khan Kakar who passed away on June 21,2021. The provincial government has nominated two sitting judges of the Balochistan High Court for judicial inquiry into the death of Usman Khan Kakar.

Rafi Group hosts open house for bookings in Green Palms Housing Project Pakistan’s renowned Real Estate Developer Rafi Group is holding an Open House Event from July 01 till to July 03 at Marriot Hotel Islamabad for Green Palms Housing Project.

The event is being organized for investors seeking lucrative investment opportunity in Gwadar. Rafi Group will provide details on the current development status of the City of Gwadar as well as Green Palms Housing Project. Officials from Rafi Group are present at the Open House for the guidance and support of investors and will help them book their plot on the spot. The aim of the event is to reach to the clients in the proximity of the Islamabad and Rawalpindi, inform them about the fasttrack development happening in the Chinese Backed Smart Port City of Gwadar and provide them with a beneficial investment opportunity in Green Palms. Green Palms Housing Project Gwadar holds approved NOC of 1065 acres of land making it the largest Private Housing Project in Gwadar. It is a state-of-the-art project planned in order to meet the rising housing needs of Gwadar and provide opportunity for all Pakistanis to invest. PRESS RELEASE

President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Sardar Masood Khan on Tuesday welcomed the report of the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in which he expressed concern over state-sponsored violence against children, including the use of pellet guns.

Commenting on the report titled "Children and Armed Conflicts " unveiled by the UN secretary-general in which he mentioned the ill-treatment being meted out to the children of occupied Kashmir, the state president said that thousands of Kashmiri children have been orphaned by the Indian army during the last 30 years while hundreds of others were killed, injured, maimed or blinded.

“What the secretary general’s report about Indian Occupied Kashmir has stated is the just tip of the iceberg. The real situation is even worse as the occupation army is not only

abusing the rights of children but also is engaged in carrying out genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

He asserted there are children of 10 to 13 years of age among the 14,000 civilians the Indian Army had arrested during curfew and the lockdown in the different parts of the occupied territory since August 5, 2019.

These children are still in custody in different prisons in northern India and occupied Kashmir, and they are not being released even after the outbreak of coronavirus, he added.

He demanded an open debate on the UN secretary general's report in the UN Security Council along with other patterns of repression being let loose against the children in the held territory to prepare recommendations and to propose action against the perpetrators of these brutalities.

“To force India to respect human

rights, it is imperative for the international community to take concrete steps”, the state president asserted.

Describing children and women as the worst suffered segment of India's illegal occupation of a part of Kashmir, the AJK president demanded a comprehensive and indepth investigation to dig out the facts about the worst human rights violations in occupied territory.

"In the light of the reports of its own Human Rights Commission released in the years 2018 and 2019, the United Nations should constitute an international commission of inquiry to probe the worst human rights violations in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and its report should be tabled in the world body," he added.

Khan said the United Nations instead of making calls should hold India accountable for its crimes against humanity in IIOJK. NEWS DESK

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National Assembly passes budget for FY22 with majority vote conTinUED FRoM pAgE 01 Moreover, PPP leader Syed Khursheed Shah criticised the budget because of the addition of a multitude of taxes prior to the finance minister presenting it in the NA. He estimated that the government had proposed taxes collectively amounting to around Rs1,100-1,200 billion. The budget failed to meet expectations, he lamented, adding that a good budget ensured that people had food on their tables as “people’s wellbeing is symbolic of a good economy”. The PPP leader also said that the health and education sectors remained largely ignored in the budget this time around as well.

He particularly expressed concern over the fast population growth in the country, raising doubts that the government had any plan to meet the demands of this fast-growing population. The rapid population growth is an “atom bomb in the making”, he remarked, asking whether the finance minister considered this factor while devising the budget. “We need to think of incentives to limit the population growth,” and the federal government should address the issue, he stressed. He further said the government had failed to provide any relief to farmers in the budget. “Please make this budget a budget for the people,” he implored.

US announces to send 2.5m doses of Moderna to Pakistan conTinUED FRoM pAgE 01 The forum was apprised that Pakistan has so far received 21.13 million doses of different types of vaccines, of which over 17 million doses were procured on payment. The NDMA chairman briefed the meeting’s participants on the efforts to procure vaccines out of the allotted budget of $1.2 billion. The forum expressed satisfaction on the availability of vaccines in the country. It was also reiterated that all federating units can procure vaccines at their end. However, the participants expressed concerns over the rising positivity of disease in Gilgit-Baltistan and emphasised on stringent implementation of SOPs with regards to tourism in the northern region. It was reiterated that federating units have the discretion of planning summer holidays in their respective education institutions in view of their situation.

Karachi’s central district orders for removing billboards

LAHORE: Firefighters exitinguish flames that englufled several shops in Lahore's Barkat Market following a cylinder explosion. Z u bA i R M E h f o o Z

Fraught with illegal advertisements and hoardings, the District Central on Monday took cognisance of the matter ahead of monsoon season and in pursuance of the apex court’s orders asking concerned people to take them down immediately. The director advertisement of District Municipal Corporation (DMC) Karachi Central has written to concerned companies to take down their advertisements in the form of pasting, structures and hoardings for which they have not paid the due fees and taxes. The letters written to them warned of legal action if the warning is not timely heeded. Separately, DMC Central has also asked advertisers to take down hoardings ahead of rains and storms to avoid any damage to people and properties. In separate letters to police, advertisement office and deputy commissioner central, the director advertisement has notified crackdown against any violations starting from Tuesday midnight. It has also required the advertisement offices to furnish the record of earlier fee and tax payments against their spots to make estimations on the budget, it said. NEWS DESK

Nothing can change Pak-China special friendship, asserts PM in reply to western pressure conTinUED FRoM pAgE 01 The people of China had a special place in the hearts of the people of Pakistani, he said, adding, “You remember friends who stand with you at all times. In good times, everyone stands with you, but in difficult, tough and bad times, you remember those who stood by you.”

The people of Pakistan had that kind of fondness for the people of China, he added.

The prime minister, to another question,

replied that the relationship between the two countries grew stronger, even now politically and on the international fora Pakistan and China stood together.

About China Pakistan Economic Corridor, he said CPEC was “the biggest thing happening in Pakistan”, and where its economic future was moving.

This statement comes a week after Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Ambassador of China Nong Rong planted a Friendship Tree at the Ministry of For-

eign Affairs, as part of ongoing celebrations to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of the establishment of Pakistan-China diplomatic relations.

On Thursday last, Ambassador Rong also presented a Diplomatic Note to the Foreign Minister, regarding the donation of 7000 saplings to support the “Clean Green Pakistan Movement” and “Ten Billion Trees Tsunami Programme”, launched by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

On the occasion, the foreign minister

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highlighted that this year marked the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China.

He lauded Chinese leadership and the CPC for lifting 800 million people out of extreme poverty in a short span of 40 years and for spearheading the Chinese nation’s efforts for peace and development.

The year 2021 also marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China.

Unrelenting efforts of the successive

generations of the people and leadership has transformed this relationship into ‘AllWeather Strategic Cooperative Partnership’, the foreign minister said.

A wide range of events are being held in Pakistan and China to celebrate the landmark 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood and senior officers from the Ministry of Foreign Officers and diplomats from the Embassy of China participated in the ceremony.

Thursday, 30 June, 2021

06 COMMENT

Marriage is a Sunnah, partnership is adultery

A risky affair Relaxation amidst vaccine shortage

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he downturn in economic activity caused by covid-19 has deprived millions of their means of livelihood, added to the unemployed and increased the number of those living under the poverty line. With the third wave of the coronavirus receding, the NCOC has taken the decision to relax some of the restrictions imposed to control the pandemic. Business centres would be allowed to remain open till 10 pm from tomorrow, while important businesses including petrol pumps and medical stores will be allowed to operate round the clock seven days a week. The restaurants and hotels will resume indoor dining for vaccinated persons subject to 50 per cent occupancy. Both indoor and outdoor weddings would be permitted under prescribed restrictions. Cinemas will re-open with strict covid-19 protocols for vaccinated individuals only till 1 am.

The relaxations announced will help the wheels of economy pick up speed. In case the relaxations do not lead to a resurgence of the pandemic, one can expect further removal of restrictions on July 27 when the next meeting of the NCOC will take place The relaxations are a risk worth taking. While one expects the people not to drop their guard and adhere to wearing masks, keeping social distance and washing their hands frequently, the government has to ensure a speedy procurement of the vaccines which has remained its weak point all along. Initially the government failed to place orders for months, hoping to receive free vaccines from China or Covax. As hospitals were filled to their capacity and there were fears of oxygen shortages, the government belatedly placed orders for the purchase of vaccines.

Countries like Pakistan however had to stand in long queues to get covid-19 vaccine supplies.

Pakistan continues to face vaccine shortages. On Monday hundreds of people from KP and Punjab staged a protest in Islamabad and created a law and order situation at the F-9 Park vaccination centre over shortage of Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines. Shortage of vaccines has led the government to instruct that the gap between two doses would now be six weeks instead of four, causing confusion and indignation among thousands who had approached the vaccination centres for their second jab.

What is MalalaYusufzai’s agenda?

Kashif Mirza

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he controversy over Malala Yusufzai’’s views on marriage echoed in the mainstream national and international media, when she gave a very controversial statement over marriage, “I still don’t understand why people have to get married. If you want to have a person in your life, why do you have to sign marriage papers, why can’t it just be a partnership?” said Malala in her interview with British Vogue.

Being a Muslim, how can one give such irrelevant and peripheral remarks on marriage? Nikaah, for Muslims is primarily the completion of half of the Imaan. Living together with Non-mahrams, without marriage, is an unacceptable sin and is called Zina. No one can justify Muslims living together without marriage as it is strongly condemned in Islam. Marriage is one of the most beautiful things which will happen to you in your lifetime. This beautiful sunnah was practiced by Prophet Muhammad (PBUh) himself, and strictly ordered by the Almighty through the holy Quran as well.

Indeed Malala has categorically rejected the institution of marriage and suggested that ‘partnership’ is better than getting married. Malala attacked the institution of marriage and family structure by advocating that people should live in sin. Socio-psychologically, marriage is a legitimate process of lending credence to progeny. Marriage is a Sunnah, whereas, partnership is adultery. Marriage is designed to prevent this by introducing mahr (dower) and alimony. The illegal life partnership was not allowed in any religion and is considered adultery.

Malala favoured it, which was condemnable.

It’s not first time when Malala has expressed highly controversial views, and many times she did not show any respect for Islam and created a lot of controversies, perhaps as part of her agenda. In Malala’s book I am Malala, highly controversial material is found which is contrary to the teachings of Islam, Quranic injunctions, sayings of the holy Prophet (PBUh), Ideology of Pakistan, Quaid-eAzam, the Pakistan Army and so on. The controversial British journalist Christina Lamb, who wrote Malala’s book as co-author, has been de-

Mismanaged gas supply Shortage will hurt businesses the most

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S if the ongoing summer electricity loadshedding gripping the country for the past few weeks was not enough, distribution of gas across the country has been suspended to businesses and CNG outlets for the next six days following a severe shortage and low pressure in the system. This sudden and drastic drop in gas availability is not due to high demand, as is usually the case in winters when loadshedding becomes necessary, but rather appears to be a result of poor management and untimely decision-making. A combination of unplanned dry docking and shutting down of domestic gas fields for annual turnaround (regular maintenance) simultaneously has led to this supply crisis, with the country witnessing a complete closure of gas supply in June for the first time ever. While the duration of the suspension of gas supply is not that long and some industries like export will be exempt, a number of businesses will suffer considerable financial losses as they run their units on more expensive energy sources. To bridge the energy deficit, the government will have to burn furnace oil, prices for which have recovered from the crash of 2020, making it an expensive purchase and a drain on the exchequer that could very well have been avoided. What makes the timing of this bungle more problematic is the fact that it has happened during a heat wave, which means reliance on hydropower is simply out of the question as dams have dried up.

This is not the first time consumers have had to face distressing circumstances due to gross mishandling on part of the PTI government. Last year, a petrol crisis brought the country to a standstill and although various OMCs (Oil Marketing Companies) were blamed for the shortage, the petroleum division’s inability to keep a check on the petrol cartel in the country while also failing to maintain minimum required stock, allowed the situation to deteriorate into a full-blown disaster.

For all its talk of merit-based governance and hiring the ‘best people for the job’, the PTI government does get an awful lot wrong. Perhaps the strategy of blaming previous governments for its own debacles has reached its sell-by date. It is high time that the federal government learns to accept its mistakes and makes arrangements to ensure they aren’t repeated.

Washington Watch

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Editor Joint Editor

Umar Aziz Executive Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

Dr JaMes J zogby

Ne month after the end of the last hostilities between Israel and hamas, events on the ground demonstrate that little has changed. And once again the US media is ignoring Israel’s creeping annexation of Palestinian lands and their brutally aggressive behaviour toward the Palestinian people.

There appeared to be an awakening of the press last month— especially the extensive coverage given to Israel’s effort to evict Palestinians from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah and the Israeli military’s brutal assault on Palestinians at al Aqsa— signalling greater sensitivity to the Palestinian plight. Although these Israeli actions and the mass uprisings of Palestinian youth they precipitated were drowned out by the more familiar storyline of Israeli bombardments of Gaza in response to hamas rocketfire, after the ceasefire, positive coverage of Palestinian suffering continued, but only for a time.

Attention was soon diverted by the drama of Netanyahu’s defeat and the formation of the new Israeli government. At this point, the Israeli hasbara industry kicked into full gear. Newly inaugurated Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, a notorious hardliner, we are told, has become a pragmatist who wants to restore frayed relations with Democrats. In an appeal

Arif Nizami

Managing Editor

book that she and her father received Rs 1.1 million from the Pakistan Army but even then Malala also defamed the Pakistan Army and the motherland by discussing the false and fake video scandal of a woman in Swat who was allegedly beaten by Taliban, in her book.

Further in her book Malala also proudly says, “On Pakistan’s 50th anniversary on 14th August 1997, my father said there was nothing to celebrate as Swat had suffered only since it had merged with Pakistan. They wore black armbands to protest and were arrested and had to pay a fine they could not afford”. Moreover, the video in which Ziauddin can be seen raising anti-Pakistan slogans, which is a clear proof. Malala and her father Ziauddin also criticized the nuclear programme of Pakistan and showed doubt on the defense capability of Pakistan armed forces by saying that “Pakistan has more than 200 nuclear warheads and the USA were worried about who was going to control them.”

Pakistan is a nuclear power-the only one in the Muslim world. Despite the global pressure, Pakistan has achieved nuclear power, so it is part of the campaign to portray Pakistan as a failed state. The Pakistani army is the fifth largest army in the world.

Pakistan is the second-largest Muslim country, and the sixth largest nation overall in the world, with a population of 250 million. Pakistan is also the fifth largest democracy with a strength of about 100 million registered voters. included 45 million women. In the War on Terror, Pakistan’s martyrdom of more than 70,000 Pakistanis citizens, military officers and men is a clear proof of the sacrifices of the Pakistani nation. So far Pakistan has lost more than $82 billion in its economy. The West is questioning that after spending $4.4 trillion, has the world become a safe place after the so-called War on Terror?

In these circumstances, Malala’s comments were attempting to corrupt the minds of young people and to copy western culture which were against the tenets of Islam, and also propagating negative ideas about the sacred rules of holy matrimony. We should be teaching our rising generation that nikkah is sunnah, and getting a nikkah done with the blessings of the Almighty is beautiful, and getting future blessed in a halal way is wonderful. Marriage is a Sunnah, the practice of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUh) that all Muslims are expected to emulate.

The writer is an economist, anchor, analyst and the President of All Pakistan Private Schools Federation.

President@pakistanprivateschools.com

Netanyahu is out but nothing has changed

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Yousaf Nizami Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

clared persona non grata by Pakistan for her criminal activities. Christina Lamb once tried to book an air ticket under the name of Osama bin Laden just to malign Pakistan. This book was written at the behest of western forces who have used Malala for their ulterior motives. It is clear that she is playing in their hands.

Malala has declared Islam and the Pakisan Army ‘Militant’ in her controversial book. Malala criticized Quranic verses about two women’s testimony being equal to that of a man; and also about the four witness in rape cases; perhaps she does not know the orders of Allah. In her book, Malala also writes that “Where the Quran says that the women are dependent on men’’, whereas it is in An-Nisa that men are declared guardians of women. She objects to the laws of Allah Almighty and also to the ‘Namus-e-Risaalat (SAW) law. In Malala’s book, the blasphemous book of Salman Rushdie, The Satanic Verses, has been referred to, and supported, as freedom of expression while referring to her father’s views. A group photo with Tasleema Nasreen and sharing her Nobel Peace Prize with an Indian are enough to explain Malala’s designs and the West’s agenda.

A Swat-based woman former MNA, and also a member of the Swat royal family, Mussarat Ahmed Zeb, also exposed details of what she terms a conspiracy. She says: “The attack on Malala on 2012 was staged by top human rights organizations, and I was also asked to join the drama but I refused to be a part of it.” She adds when the blog by Malala under the name “Gul Makai” was written, Malala could not read or write. “It is well noted that Malala’s father Ziauddin admitted in a TV program that the said blog was written by BBC correspondent Abdul hai Kakar and the book I am Malala was written by Christina Lamb.” Malala and Ziauddin also met with the US Ambassador Richard holbrooke, and CIA’s station commander and other officials were present in this meeting. Relations with CIA agent Adam B elick is also very clear.

Malala criticized the Pakista Army and said that “many times the army and the militants look alike.” She further said “I’m ashamed of my army.” Criticizing the Pakistan Army’s development projects, she gives them the name of ‘Strange Business’. She also alleges that the vISI helped Fazlullah escape. Malala also severely criticized the Abbottabad Operation for recovery of Osama bin Laden and tried to malign Pakistani security forces and agencies. Interestingly, Malala admitted in her

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to the Biden Administration, a senior member of the Bennett-Lapid government said that their future “rests in Biden’s hands...we hope that they will understand the constraints under which we are operating...” In other words, “Don’t look at what we do or place demands on us; what should count is that we’re not Netanyahu.”

But, as a leading Israeli peace activist noted, US attitudes toward Israel “ought to be framed by Israeli policies, not Israeli politicians, and as long as the policies continue, there is no reason to cut Israel slack for the simple fact that Israel’s not being led

by Netanyahu.”

As for the policies, nothing has changed. In the aftermath of the unrest that rocked Israeli cities last month, Israeli police arrested 2100 citizens— 91 percent of whom were Palestinian citizens of Israel.

Shortly after being inaugurated, the new government issued a permit for flag-waving extremists to march through Arab neighbourhoods chanting “Death to Arabs,” “Your villages will burn,” and other incendiary taunts. Once again, Israeli police arrested Arab counter-protesters.

In an ominous development, Israeli police set up barricades around the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood and established a checkpoint for residents. They have also established guard posts near the Damascus Gate that the Israeli press notes are frequently being used to harass and beat young Palestinians who gather at the Gate’s plaza. As I had feared, with each passing day, it appears that the Israelis are intent on repeating in Jerusalem what they did in hebron. The Israeli press also reports that police have used brutal “crowd dispersal even when not necessary” and deployed skunk water hoses, spraying the plaza, the Old City walls, and homes in Silwan with a liquid that has a long-lasting “unbearable stench.”

Meanwhile, in the rest of the occupied lands, settlement expansion and creeping annexation continue.

Just this week, the new government gave the green light to 31 new projects in settlements across the West Bank. And in hebron, the Israelis have seized land adjacent to al Ibrahim Mosque to complete their takeover of this UNeSCO-protected site.

South of hebron, the fertile lands of Khirbet al Aida owned by Palestinians have been subjected to

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settler raids, demolition activity, and expropriation.

The Israeli government’s intent is to connect settlements around hebron, cutting it off from the rest of the West Bank. equally ominous are the activities of settlers, protected by the Israeli military, who have established an “outpost”— evyatar— on a hilltop to the south of Nablus, Jabal Sabih. While the military has declared this outpost “flagrantly illegal,” 60 homes have already been constructed, and soldiers have been seen assisting the settlers moving construction materials up the hill. The government has provided the outpost with water, electricity, and roads.

Palestinians, on whose land this “outpost” is being erected, have been protesting this blatant land grab. In the last six weeks, Israelis have shot and killed five young Palestinian protesters.

Like the development in hebron, Palestinians understand that what is illegal today becomes legal tomorrow. Once completed, evyatar will connect with other once-illegal outposts and will cut Nablus off from the rest of the West Bank.

One month after the end of the last “Gaza war,” Israeli settlers participated in 14 marches throughout the West Bank, protected by the Israeli military, demanding that the government expropriate Palestinian lands for settlement construction.

Meanwhile in Gaza, despite hamas’ hollow boasts of victory, tens of thousands of Palestinians in that impoverished strip remain homeless, many more without water and electricity, and the entire population without hope for the future.

In the Israeli Knesset, the new government is seeking renewal of a law to ban Palestinian “family unification” (forbidding Palestinian citizens of Israel and residents of Jerusalem from bringing spouses from the West Bank, Gaza, or outside to live with them) with Defense Minister Benny Gantz arguing that passage of this law “is necessary to maintain the security of the state and its Jewish democratic character.”

The bottom line: Netanyahu may be out, but creeping annexation and oppression continue. For Palestinians, nothing has changed.

The writer is President of the Arab American Institute

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Thursday, 30 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

‘Problems faced by the Karachiites’

PM right in regards to dress The PM’s remarks were in line with Quran and Sunnah

MaliK MuhaMMaD ashraf

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ePORTeDLY Prime Minister Imran Khan in an interview with Jonathan Swan of Axios on hBO, while responding to a question regarding sexual violence in Pakistan, said that provocative clothing provokes sexual violence and it was imperative to remove temptation from society to quell the rising number of rapes and sexual assaults in Pakistan. The statement has come under harsh criticism by his political opponents and the so-called liberal and progressive segments who contend that by saying women should dress in a certain way, he is giving a new narrative to the oppressors and criminals against women and shows the intent to absolve rapists of the responsibility for their actions.

Dilating on the subject in a two-hour-long, question-and-answer interaction with the public on live television in April, in reply to a question about the measures the government had taken to prevent sexual abuse, he had also remarked, “In any society where vulgarity is prevalent, there are consequences and women should cover up to prevent any temptation.” he was accused of being a ‘rape apologist’, blaming the victim instead of the rapist. The trolling went on for some time.

I think the flak directed at the Prime Minister is not fully justified. What he said may not be the only cause for a heinous act like rape but it surely is one of the causes for it. his statement needs to be understood in the context of Islamic injunctions and hadith. Pakistan was created in the name of Islam, a religion which is a complete of code life. Islam sees modesty as a sign of respect for oneself and others. The Quran and Sunnah have laid down certain principles regarding the dress code of both males and females.

The Almighty says in the holy Quran: “And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which necessarily appears thereof and to wrap a portion of] their head-covers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their sons, their husbands’

sons, their brothers, their brothers’ sons, their sisters’ sons and their women, that which their right hands possess, or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women.

And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment.

And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers that you might succeed.”

(Quran,24:31) The Prophet (PBUh) classified obscenity as a branch of hypocrisy saying, “Indeed, Allah hates indecent and obscene persons.

Modesty is from faith, and faith is in Paradise; [whereas], obscenity is from severity, and severity is in hell. A woman is supposed to be concealed. When she emerges outside (without covering herself properly), Shaytan makes her adorned in front of men.” (Tirmidhi) .

From the foregoing it can be safely inferred that vulgarity and obscenity are abominable sins and vulgarity does provide temptation to men to rape. It does have a correlation with this heinous male indiscretion. There can be situations where persons fail to resist the temptation and commit rape because they are not strong willed enough to resist it.

So the Prime Minister was not off the mark when he said that there were many people who could not keep their willpower in check. Islam emphasizes hijab and those who claim that observing or not observing purdah is an individual’s choice, are actually trying to negate the Quran and hadith. There is nothing wrong with being liberal and progressive but that has to be in consonance with the Islamic injunctions.

Yes, there are also many other factors responsible for rape and the victim is not invariably responsible for it. It also has something to do with the social conditions and the prevalent attitudes towards women. In our rural settings where feudal lords hold sway, rape is quite a common phenomenon, and usually the women belonging to the tenant class become easy prey for the rural elite. A colleague of mine once narrated an incident in his village. According

to him, the daughter of a tenant was raped by the son of the feudal lord, and the poor fellow went to complain about the incident to him.

After listening to him, the landlord said, “If the son of a landlord would not commit rape, who else would?”

Although rape is a universal phenomenon, it is more common in excessively male-dominated societies like ours where women unfortunately are regarded as sex symbols. As women are also regarded as a symbol of family honour, the people often rape women of the enemies to heap insult on them and to extract their revenge. This phenomenon is quite common in rural settings of Sindh and Punjab. We also often hear of rapes ordered by Jirgas as a recompense for any crime or wrongdoing committed by the sibling of the would-be victim of rape. The case of Mukhtaran Mai and many others testify to the existence of this practice of enforced rapes.

The rape of a woman on the LahoreSialkot motorway occurred not because it was a pre-determined act by the dacoits. It was a case of taking advantage of a situation where a woman was helpless and at the mercy of the rapists. hostility and aggression towards women can also motivate men to express their prowess and hate.

Recently many cases of rape of innocent children have also come to light. It surely has nothing to do with how they dress. It can only be explained in the context of the availability of pornographic material on the internet and its excessive watching by the young men whose sex desires are aroused by it.

To be honest, the PTI government has shown remarkable commitment in regards to dealing with the crime of rape by bringing in legislation prescribing severe punishments.

The speedy trial of the Lahore-Sialkot motorway culprits of rape and the award of the death punishment to them testifies to the urgency and priority given to this detestable crime. The government has also run a sustained awareness campaign among the masses in regards to how to protect their children from becoming rape victims.

The PTI government has shown remarkable commitment in regards to dealing with the crime of rape by bringing in legislation prescribing severe punishments. The speedy trial of the LahoreSialkot motorway culprits of rape and the award of the death punishment to them testifies to the urgency and priority given to this detestable crime. The government has also run a sustained awareness campaign among the masses in regards to how to protect their children from becoming rape victims.

Malik Muhammad Ashraf is an academic.

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

KARAChI, the largest city of Pakistan both in area and population. Once, it was the province of Pakistan but now it is the province of Sindh. The city has economical as well as geographical importance having two largest seaports and its location on Arabian Sea. Generating the most of the revenue (70%) for the country and paying the highest tax to the Government of Pakistan.

Karachi is one of the world’s fastest growing cities but its problems are also growing with the same manner. Pollution, traffic, water, electricity are the major issues faced by the Karachites. The bad conditions of the roads cause a lot of inconvenience to the people, causing traffic jams and frequent accidents. In the recent times of 2020, Karachi faced huge destruction due to the heavy monsoon rains. There was no proper system of sewerage, roads were flooded terribly. The authorities proved to be a total failure for the residents of Karachi. The awful conditions of public transport make the journey more exhausting. They are often operated by the reckless drivers who don’t even follow the traffic rules of the roads.

With such a big population there is no proper means of transportation.

Garbage and rubbish can be seen everywhere, making the environment polluted. The massive electricity crisis has crippled life in Karachi. The power breakdown of 10-12 hours is faced mostly without being announced to the residents. especially in summers and in the month of Ramzan Kareem load shedding is to be considered as a habitual issue. Water is also not provided properly to every citizen. There are a lot of water mafias, who charge so much money for the water which is directed to be supplied to the citizens without payment. The concerned authorities are therefore requested to look into these matters without any further delay and take suitable steps to solve these problems.

Numaira mir Karachi

Fashion revolution in Pakistan I want to draw your attention towards fashion revolution in pakistan. In Pakistan, fashion has a profound impact on social, cultural and political factors. Let me take you back on history where fashion actually started.

Before seperation of Pakistan,ghagra and lucknow kurta pajama suit continued from 1947-1960. Leading roles like Quaid-e-Azam and Fatima jinah used it as a matter of proud.

In late 60's; after years of seperation, London and American culture popped up in Pakistan. In 80's era, political stability provides codes with aimed to cover all body like kurta, Shalwar and dupatta. During 90-2000, because of tv commercials and movies the period was again stormed with Indian style which include chunri, saris and maxis. And 2000, was all about stylish Indian-American outfits. With passage of time, Pakistan adopt many fashions. Still, you can see the reflection of ethnicity of Pakistan culture in every era until now.

YamEENa JavEd Karachi

Perpetual protesting OUR politicians belonging to all parties do not learn any lesson from history or their mistakes. They never work to make the country strong and a harmonious state where rich and poor can lead life peacefully.

Instead of working collaboratively to lay the foundations of a strong economy, they are always fighting for power claiming that they are the only ones who can take the country out of crises. They tend to imply that they were immune to human error. every party delivers lengthy sermons glorifying themselves and blaming their opponents for all the ills. Little do they realize that they have all now had their go at power, yet they are unable to distinguish between good and bad. All parties proclaim to be the champions of democracy, but they have yet not been able to agree on an election process that would ensure a process everyone agrees to. every time elections are held; the winners claim the process to be fair and transparent and the losers cry foul. Our politicians are so selfcentered that they would term an election flawed where they lose while claiming fair victory in constituencies they win. In 2008 the PPP was happy with results while PMLN and PTI alleged rigging. In 2013, PMLN claimed victory in a fair manner but PPP and PTI called it ROs election.

PTI and PPP kept protesting and conspiring to dislodge the government. however, both PPP and PTI were perfectly fine with the same election in Sindh and KPK where they won the provincial governments. In 2018, PTI came victorious calling it a transparent process while PMLN and PPP termed it selection. This time around, PMLN, PPP, and others formed PDM to topple the government. From 2008 to date, our politicians have done little on the front of lawmaking and strengthen the country. Instead, the opposition spent most of the time protesting to topple the government and the party in power kept trying to cling on to it. This ugly game continues while the country is sinking to point of total collapse. It is ironic that our politicians fail to democratically agree on lawmaking for a fair election and still cry foul every time they lose. raJa Shafaatullah iSlamabad

Water scarcity WATeR scarcity is one of the biggest problems in Pakistan. The predictions are that the country may face acute water scarcity by 2025, and will be the most water stressed country in South Asia within two decades.

Almost 30 million Pakistanis have no access to clean water. Currently, Pakistan is categorized as a water scarce country because the yearly water availability is less than 1000 cubic meters per person.

There are several factors which have led to water scarcity, sudden changes in climate, wastage of water and natural calamities such as drought and floods. We have to educate our people, make them aware of this situation and its consequences. We should go for Rain Water harvesting and build infrastructure to help with that. Many things depend on our Government, as well, for instance, they can recycle waste water and introduce new conservation technologies to make our future safe. If these measures are not taken than Pakistan will not have clean drinking water or in a worst-case scenario, Pakistan may not even have enough water to carry out basic life-activities. armEEN aftab SariYo Karachi

Wednesday, 30 June, 2021

08 WORLD VIEW

a global model To Tackle violence againsT Women

Japan times

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ANTONIO GUTERRES

S the world grapples unevenly with the effects of COVID-19, a parallel and equally horrific pandemic has threatened half the world’s population. In the early months of the pandemic, the United Nations projected that quarantines and lockdowns could lead to a shocking 15 million additional cases of genderbased violence every three months. Sadly, those predictions appear to be coming true.

This week, world leaders and others will gather at the Generation Equality Forum in Paris and online in a massive push for gender equality. At that meeting, I will call on states, companies and individuals to join in a global initiative, with proven results, to end the fear and insecurity that threaten the health, rights, dignity and lives of so many women and girls.

From domestic violence to sexual exploitation, trafficking, child marriage, female genital mutilation and online harassment, violent misogyny has thrived in the shadow of the pandemic.

Full data will take time to collect and assess, but the trends are clear. In twelve countries tracked by the United Nations, the number of cases of violence against women and girls reported to various institutions increased 83% from 2019 to 2020, and cases reported to the police grew by 64%.

In the first months of the pandemic, calls to helplines increased by an average of 60% across the European Union. Calls to Peru’s sexual violence hotline almost doubled in 2020 compared to 2019.

In Thailand, the number of clients visiting domestic violence crisis units in hospitals in April 2020 was more than double the number from the same time period of the previous year.

IN THE FIRST MONTHS OF THE PANDEMIC, CALLS TO HELPLINES INCREASED BY AN AVERAGE OF 60% ACROSS THE EUROPEAN UNION. CALLS TO PERU’S SEXUAL VIOLENCE HOTLINE ALMOST DOUBLED IN 2020 COMPARED TO 2019. IN THAILAND, THE NUMBER OF CLIENTS VISITING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CRISIS UNITS IN HOSPITALS IN APRIL 2020 WAS MORE THAN DOUBLE THE NUMBER FROM THE SAME TIME PERIOD OF THE PREVIOUS YEAR Such statistics and stories span the world, adding to an existing epidemic of violence against women and girls. Before the pandemic, the World Health Organization estimated that one in three women would experience male violence in their lifetime.

Just over a year ago, I raised the alarm. Echoing my call for a global ceasefire, I appealed for peace in the home — an end to all violence everywhere, from war zones to people’s homes — to allow us to face the pandemic, humankind’s common enemy, with solidarity and unity.

More than 140 countries expressed support.

Some 800 measures have been adopted in 149 countries, the majority focused on shelter, legal assistance and other services and support.

But, in many cases, these actions have been limited and short lived. Worse, other countries are retreating, rolling back legal protections and standing by as violence is used to target women, including human rights defenders protesting these reversals.

The pervasiveness of violence against women and girls has led to acquiescence that it is somehow inevitable or impossible to end. This is as outrageous and self-defeating as it is plain wrong. Despite the challenges of the past year, the United Nations, with significant funding from and partnership with the European Union, has demonstrated that change is possible.

Over the course of 2020, the Spotlight Initiative to eliminate violence against women and girls has delivered notable results in 25 countries. Eighty-four laws and policies to protect women and girls were adopted or strengthened.

Prosecution of perpetrators increased 22%.

Some 650,000 women and girls received services despite lockdowns and mobility restrictions. Close to 900,000 men and boys — including traditional leaders, heads of religious institutions, male taxi drivers and young gamers — were engaged to be allies in finding solutions. And across these countries, national budget allocations for preventing and responding to violence against women and girls increased by 32%, a clear indication of future sustainability.

By coming together, in Paris, around a proven model, we can begin to ensure that the next generation of girls will not be expected to live with fear simply because we didn’t act. In time, there will be many lessons learned about what the world got right and wrong in handling this pandemic. One of the first must be to ensure that this disgraceful hidden pandemic facing half our population ends now.

Antonio Guterres is a Portuguese politician. He is the ninth secretary-general of the United Nations and has served in his current position since 2017.

War of Words: on TWiTTer’s blocking of ravi shankar Prasad accounT The government should require Twitter to follow rules, but not be vindictive for political reasons Hindu EDITORIAL

IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad’s censure of Twitter, after it temporarily blocked his account upon receiving a notice for copyright violation last week, is valid, but only to an extent.

Mr. Prasad was right in calling out Twitter, as he did over a series of tweets, for not giving him prior notice of the blocking, as required by India’s IT Act rules. The blocking was triggered because Twitter had reportedly received a notice for violations under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), filed by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, the content in question being A.R. Rahman’s song ‘Maa Tujhe Salaam’. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who is also the Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology, replied to Mr. Prasad, saying he had a similar experience. “Locking is a foolish response to a DMCA notice; disabling the video (which they’ve now done) should be enough,” Mr. Tharoor wrote. Having raised the issue, however, Mr. Prasad went on a needless attempt to make the issue look more than what it really is. One of his tweets in this regard was this: “It is apparent that my statements calling out the high handedness and arbitrary actions of Twitter, particularly sharing the clips of my interviews to TV channels and its powerful impact, have clearly ruffled its feathers.”

It is quite likely that this is just a case of a global platform struggling to adhere to the laws of multiple jurisdictions where it has substantial interests. Mr. Tharoor’s point in this regard needs highlighting. He tweeted, “But getting a notice from a UK-based organisation, citing @Twitter’s role as a ‘service provider’ under a US law, points to the challenges of @TwitterIndia’s operations in India.” Nothing more needs to be read into it. Mr. Prasad’s outburst is a pointer to the level of deterioration in the relationship between Twitter and the Indian Government. Their already strained relationship has worsened further after Twitter’s defiance in not accepting all of the Government’s takedown requests from time to time.

The problematic new IT rules have also contributed to this unease. But then Twitter also has to share some blame. It has opened itself up to attacks from all sides because of its inability to pull down or label problematic content consistently. It has also come across as being indifferent in adhering to the requirements of the new IT rules, including the timely appointment of a grievance officer. On the other hand, it would be best for the Government to just let the rules do the talking rather than take every opportunity to raise the pitch.

This only makes it look inefficient and cantankerous.

How palm oil became the world’s most hated and most used fat source PALM OIL IS IN EVERYTHING — FROM COSMETICS TO FOOD. TODAY THERE ARE ENOUGH OIL PALM PLANTATIONS WORLDWIDE TO COVER AN AREA LARGER THAN KANSAS

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JONATHAN E ROBINS

ALM oil is everywhere today: in food, soap, lipstick, even newspaper ink. It’s been called the world’s most hated crop because of its association with deforestation in Southeast Asia.

But despite boycott campaigns, the world uses more palm oil than any other vegetable oil – over 73 million tons in 2020.

That’s because palm oil is cheap. The plant that makes it, the African oil palm, can produce up to 10 times more oil per hectare than soybeans.

But as my new book on palm oil’s history shows, this controversial commodity hasn’t always been cheap.

It became that way thanks to legacies of colonialism and exploitation that still shape today’s industry and that make it challenging to shift palm oil onto a more sustainable path.

FROM SLAVERY TO SKIN CARE: Palm oil has long been a staple food in a region stretching from Senegal to Angola along Africa’s western coast. It entered the global economy in the 1500s aboard ships engaged in the transatlantic slave trade.

During the deadly “middle passage” across the Atlantic, palm oil was a valued food that kept captives alive. As the author of a 1711 book noted, traders also smeared captives’ skin with palm oil to make them “look smooth, sleek, and young” before sending them to the auction block.

By the mid-1600s, Europeans were rubbing palm oil on their own skin, too. European writers, learning from

African medicinal practices, claimed that palm oil “does the greatest cures upon such, as have bruises or strains on their bodies.” By the 1790s, British entrepreneurs were adding palm oil to soap for its reddish-orange color and violetlike scent.

As palm oil became increasingly common, it lost its reputation as a luxurious good. Exporters made it even cheaper with labor-saving methods that allowed palm fruit to ferment and soften, though the results were rancid.

European buyers, in turn, applied new chemical processes to strip away foul odors and colors. The result was a bland substance that could be freely substituted for more expensive fats and oils. After Britain abolished the slave trade in 1807, traders sought out legal products. In the following decades Britain slashed tariffs on palm oil and encouraged African states to focus on producing it. By 1840, palm oil was cheap enough to completely replace tallow or whale oil in such products as soap and candles.

PALM OIL COLONIALISM: By 1900, a new industry was gobbling up all kinds of oils: Margarine was invented in 1869 by the French chemist Hippolyte Mège-Mouriès as a cheap alternative to butter. It soon became a mainstay of working-class diets in Europe and North America.

Palm oil was first used to dye margarine yellow, but it turned out to be a perfect main ingredient because it stayed firm at room temperature and melted in the mouth, just like butter.

Margarine and soap magnates like Britain’s William Lever looked to Europe’s colonies in Africa for larger quantities of fresher, edible palm oil. However, African communities often refused to provide land for foreign companies because making oil by hand was still profitable for them. Colonial oil producers resorted to government coercion and outright violence to find labor.

They had more success in Southeast Asia, where they created a new oil palm plantation industry. Colonial rulers there gave plantation companies nearly unlimited access to land. The companies hired “coolies” – a derogatory European term for migrant workers from southern India, Indonesia and China, based on the Hindi

word Kuli, an aboriginal tribal name, or the Tamil word kuli, for “wages.” These laborers toiled under coercive, low-paying contracts and discriminatory laws.

The oil palm itself also adapted to its new locale.

While scattered palms grew to towering heights on African farms, in Asia they remained short in tight, orderly plantations that were easier to harvest efficiently.

By 1940, plantations in Indonesia and Malaysia were exporting more palm oil than all of Africa.

A GOLDEN GIFT? When Indonesia and Malaysia gained independence after World War II, plantation companies retained their access to cheap land. Indonesian authorities dubbed palm oil from their fast-growing plantation industry a “golden gift to the world.”

Palm oil consumption grew as competitors dropped away: first whale oil in the 1960s, then fats like tallow and lard. In the 1970s and 1980s, health concerns about tropical oils such as coconut and palm undercut demand in Europe and North America. But developing countries snapped up palm oil for frying and baking.

Plantations expanded to meet the demand. They kept costs down by recruiting poorly paid and often undocumented migrant workers from Indonesia, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Nepal, reproducing some of the abusive practices of the colonial era.

In the 1990s, U.S. and EU regulators moved to ban unhealthy trans fat, a type of fat found in partially hydrogenated oils, from foods. Manufacturers turned to palm oil as a cheap and effective substitute. From 2000 through 2020, EU palm oil imports more than doubled, while U.S. imports shot up almost tenfold. Many consumers didn’t even notice the switch.

Because palm oil was so inexpensive, manufacturers found new uses for it, such as replacing petroleum-based chemicals in soaps and cosmetics. It also became a biodiesel feedstock in Asia, although research suggests that making biodiesel from palms grown on newly cleared land increases greenhouse gas emissions instead of reducing them.

The EU is phasing out palm oil biofuels because of

concerns over deforestation. Undeterred, Indonesia is working to increase the palm component in its biodiesel, which it markets as “Green Diesel,” and to develop other palm-based biofuels.

BOYCOTT OR REFORM? Today there are enough oil palm plantations worldwide to cover an area larger than the state of Kansas, and the industry is still growing.

It is concentrated in Asia, but plantations are spreading in Africa and Latin America. A 2019 investigation of one company in the Democratic Republic of Congo found dangerous conditions and abusive labor practices that echoed colonial-era palm oil projects.

Endangered animals have received more press. According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, tropical forest clearing for oil palm plantations threatens nearly 200 at-risk species, including orangutans, tigers and African forest elephants.

However, the IUCN and many other advocates argue that shifting away from palm oil is not the answer. Since oil palm is so productive, they contend, switching to other oil crops could cause even more harm because it would require more land to cultivate substitutes.

There are more just and sustainable ways to make palm oil. Studies show that small-scale agroforestry techniques, like those historically practiced in Africa and among Afro-descendant communities in South America, offer cost-effective ways to produce palm oil while protecting the environment.

The question is whether enough consumers care.

Over 20% of palm oil produced in 2020 received certification from the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil, a nonprofit that includes oil palm producers and processors, consumer goods manufacturers, retailers, banks and advocacy groups. But barely half of it found buyers willing to pay a premium for sustainability. Until this changes, vulnerable communities and ecosystems will continue to bear the costs of cheap palm oil.

Jonathan E. Robins, Associate Professor of Global History, Michigan Technological University

Wednesday, 30 June, 2021

BUSINESS 09

ISLAMABAD corporate corner Xenith PR recognised at 8th AI Business Excellence Awards KARACHI: Xenith Public Relations (Pvt.) Ltd., one of the pioneers of the PR industry in Pakistan and an affiliate of FleishmanHillard (Omnicom PR Group), has been recognised as the “Leading Innovators of the Communications Industry – Pakistan” by Acquisition International (AI) at its 8th annual Business Excellence Awards. Sharing his thoughts on this major win, Xenith PR Chief Disruption Officer and Director Raheel Nabi said, “This is a major recognition for all of us at Xenith PR, and it goes to credit the hard work being put in by the entire team – especially during a period of immense global volatility due to the ongoing pandemic.

At Xenith PR, we have been focused on constant innovation, be it internal or external, to deliver results that matter the most to our clients and partners. This starts from adapting to a complete work-from-home structure and goes all the way to rapidly increasing our service offerings – all with the same passion, mastery, and quality that we have been known for, for almost 22 years.” Press release

BOP signs agreement with NdcTech for implementing next gen digital banking solution

KARACHI: The Bank of Punjab (BOP) has signed an agreement with NdcTech, an award-winning regional partner of Temenos. The agreement was signed by BOP Group Chief Consumer & Digital Banking Zahid Mustafa and NdcTech CEO and President Ammara Masood. As part of this agreement, NdcTech will be implementing the next generation digital banking solution by Temenos, that helps financial institutions to accelerate their digital transformation initiatives, bringing worldclass front and middle office transactional capabilities.

Through this implementation, BOP will be able to provide an omni-channel experience to its customers, accelerate digital customer onboarding, and become more agile and scalable. Press release

PTCL signs deal with Huawei Technologies Pakistan for transformation of IP Edge, OTN LAHORE: PTCL and Ufone Acting CEO and Group CFO, Nadeem Khan, and Huawei Technologies Pakistan CEO, Mark Meng, signed the contract at PTCL HQ, Islamabad. Jafar Khalid, GCTIO (Development), PTCL & Ufone, Ahmed Bilal Masud, Deputy CEO, Huawei Technologies Pakistan, also attended the ceremony, along with senior management from both organizations. Aimed to meet the exponential growth in traffic, this transformation involves modernization of existing inter-city and long-haul network, with a stateof-the-art OTN network. Combined with the existing Optical Transport Network backbone, PTCL long-haul capacity will become Multiple Terabits per seconds, capable of delivering better services across the country. Furthermore, PTCL, in-line with its vision to revolutionize widespread availability of IP connectivity in Pakistan, will deploy a Unified IP Edge network, spreading across more than 130 sites, for providing next generation IP services. This upgradation, along with PTCL’s recently modernized Multi-Service Core & Internet Gateway network, will enable provisioning of high-speed & reliable ICT services across Corporate, Carrier & Consumers segments, supporting future customer-end demands of 100-400 Gigabit per second scalability. Press release

KARACHI: Dawlance has collaborated with WWFPakistan to contribute towards environmental sustainability. Both these resourceful partners shall now take the partnership ahead by planting 5,000 mangrove saplings on the June 28, along the coastal belt. By nurturing and preserving mangrove forests and with the plantation, Dawlance shall contribute to sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide at an average of 61.1 metric tonnes per year. Pr

STEEL INduSTRy BLAmES RAw mATERIAL SHORTAGE fOR RISING COSTS ISLAMABAD

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GHUlaM aBBas

HE local steel industry has claimed that the shortage of raw material in the international market was one of the major reasons behind the increase in the cost of steel, adding that the current situation is beyond the control of steel makers.

According to Pakistan Association of Large Steel Producers (PALSP), during the last and current fiscal year (FY20 and FY21), international as well as domestic market remained highly volatile; major fluctuations in prices of steel products were witnessed due to a confluence of factors such as commodities super cycle, in addition to massive infrastructure spending by leading economies to boost their indigenous economies coupled with short supply due to the Covid pandemic.

According to a report from JP Morgan, erratic out of control prices of raw material and finished products in the international market were witnessed owing to an evident inflationary commodities super cycle.

The prices of steel scrap in the international market have almost doubled in a single year between June 2020 and June 2021. The continuous increasing trend was observed in international prices of steel products as well.

In a statement, PALSP said that the average monthly price of steel scrap as per London Metal Exchange (LME) in June 2020 was $260, whereas the latest price for the month of June 2021 is $515.

Similarly, prices of Steel Rebar as per LME last year was $420, whereas in June 2021 FOB prices (excluding freight charges, local duties and taxes) are Turkey $770, China $898, and CIS $780, the association added.

MANUFACTURERS DECRY SURGE IN ENERGY PRICES, WITHDRAWAL OF FED IN PATA Comparing prices with leading steel manufacturing nations, the local steel rebar prices being sold are still at 24 per cent discount to US domestic prices and approximately 17pc to 15pc less, than Turkey and China, respectively.

Computing the lowest June 2021 FOB price of rebars globally, Turkey at $770 FOB would equate to approximately $1120 CNF with 17pc GST without any duties added i.e. $770FOB including $60 freight, 5pc handling and LC charges, 10pc importers gross margin, and 17pc GST. Whereas local steel manufacturers are currently selling bars at prices of Rs150, 500 including 17pc Sales Tax, totaling $950, i.e. 17pc cheaper than the Turkish rebar.

Despite facing losses and operating at very low margins, a surge in international prices of raw material leaves no option for local steel manufacturers to pass on costs to the consumer, the statement explains.

Pakistan’s steel industry is selling bars at far less price in comparison to prices by absorbing massive cost increases through reducing their profit margins from 8pc to 3pc that were 19pc to 12pc form 20152018, respectively.

Further, the local steel industry has absorbed a majority of inflationary pressures such as increasing scrap prices in the international market and selling bars in the domestic market at far less price in comparison to prices world over. Despite incurring a mas-

WB approves $800m loan for Pakistan’s power sector reforms, human capital development The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors on Tuesday approved $800 million worth of loans for two programmes in Pakistan—the Pakistan Program for Affordable and Clean Energy (PACE) and the Second Securing Human Investments to Foster Transformation (SHIFT II).

According to a report by a local media outlet, the $400 million PACE initiative focuses on measures to improve the financial viability of the power sector and support the country’s transition to low-carbon energy.

It prioritises actions needed to initiate critical power sector reforms focused on: reducing power generation costs, better targeting of subsidies and tariffs for consumers, and improving efficiencies in electricity distribution with the participation of the private sector.

The programme will help improve health and education

services, increase income-generation opportunities for the poor, and promote inclusive economic growth.

The programme supports reforms to encourage women’s participation in the economy by improving working conditions and empowering those in the informal sector. It supports the enhancement of national safety net programmes and

better targeting to protect the most vulnerable, building resilience to shocks like the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The reforms underpinning PACE and SHIFT can contribute to facilitating sustainable investments and generate welfare gains for those most in need,” said Najy Benhassine, World Bank Country Director for Pakistan. MONITOrING rePOrT

Oil drops as Covid-19 surges threaten fuel demand outlook MELBOURNE aGeNCIes

Oil prices dropped for a second day on Tuesday on worries about slower fuel demand growth as outbreaks of the highly contagious COVID-19 variant Delta sparked new mobility restrictions around the world.

Brent crude futures fell 26 cents, or 0.4% to $74.42 a barrel by 0651 GMT, after slumping 2% on Monday.

US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell 19 cents, or 0.3%, to $72.72 a barrel, extending a 1.5% loss on Monday.

The flare-up in cases of the Delta variant comes as the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Russia and allies, together known as OPEC+, are set to meet on July 1 to discuss easing their supply curbs.

OPEC’s demand forecasts show that in the fourth quarter global oil supply will fall short of demand by 2.2 million barrels per day (bpd), giving the producers some room to agree to add output.

Analysts expect OPEC+ to step up supply in August as the market has tightened on strong growth in fuel demand in the United States and China, the world’s two biggest oil consumers.

CMYK

“We expect the cartel to release 250 (thousand barrels per day) of supply curbs from August onwards. Failure to turn on the taps further may see Brent top $80 (a barrel) by next month,” said Howie Lee, economist at OCBC Treasury Research in Singapore.

Spain and Portugal, favourite summer holiday destinations for Europeans, imposed new restrictions on unvaccinated Britons on Monday, while 80% of Australians faced tighter curbs due to flare-ups of the virus across the country.

Talks on a travel corridor between the United States and Britain also slowed, partly on concerns about a rise in cases of the Delta variant in Britain, the Financial Times reported, citing officials.

Investors will be looking to the latest US inventory data for cues on the outlook for demand.

Crude stocks likely extended their fall for a sixth straight week, while gasoline stocks also declined, a preliminary Reuters poll showed.

Seven analysts estimated, on average, that US crude stocks fell by about 4.5 million barrels in the week to June 25, in a poll conducted ahead of reports from the American Petroleum Institute, an industry group, on Tuesday and the Energy Information Administration (EIA), on Wednesday.

sive increase in the cost of electricity leading to an increased cost of doing business, local steel manufacturers are still providing cost effective material to the construction sector.

The energy cost in Pakistan, a vital cost component for steel making, is double to that of the regional peers. Industrial unit effective price in Pakistan ranges between 12.28¢/kwh -16.14¢/kwh, whereas in Vietnam (7.3¢/kwh), India (7.1¢/kwh and 7.8¢/kwh in Maharashtra and Punjab, respectively) and at 6.1¢/kwh in Xinjiang China.

Moreover, steel manufacturers, who were already experiencing shock waves of fluctuations in steel prices in the international market, along with a surge in energy prices, now face a withdrawal of FED in Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (PATA) as announced in the recent budget of FY22.

The associated lamented that the decision was taken without taking all stakeholders into account, warning that the irrecoverable consequences of the decision will result in closure of the domestic steel industry and immediate cancellation of Chinese and domestic investments, resulting in a lost decade for the Nation’s nascent steel industry.

“The irresponsible action of removal of FED on erstwhile FATA steel units will give huge advantage amounting to over Rs25, 000 to the steel industry of the tribal areas in comparison to the rest of the country. This will lead to more distortion and unfair competition in the domestic market.”

The statement urged the government to reconsider the industry’s proposed ‘One nation, one policy’ initiative, which claims to be able to bring down steel prices across Pakistan by Rs25,000 overnight to equate sales tax across the nation as in tribal areas.

Ghee, oil prices to rise from July 1 Ghee and oil is set to become more expensive following budgetary taxation measures made by the government through the finance bill.

According to details, prices will jump from Rs13 to Rs18 per kilogramme/litre, depending on their respective retail prices in the market, from July 1. Currently, the government has been charging Rs90 per kg/litre tax on ghee and cooking oil which is the highest in the region. Furthermore, an additional sales tax of 3 per cent has also been imposed on the sale of ghee and cooking oil to unregistered buyers, wholesalers and retailers. There would be 0.1 and 0.5pc withholding tax, while input sales tax adjustment of up to 90pc has been allowed. MONITOrING rePOrT

PACRA maintains entity ratings of Bank Islami, assigns positive outlook KARACHI: The ratings reflect Bank Islami's improving risk profile. The bank's profitability enhanced attributable to improved net spread earned despite attrition in advances and sustained service based income. The bank was able to achieve good operating profits; trend should continue. The bank's customer deposit recorded significant addition tilted towards current deposits. Hence, upward trend in CASA recorded (end-Dec 20: 62.5 per cent, end-Dec 19: 58.5pc). Key positions are headed by experienced individuals. The focus is on risk management, IT infrastructure, workforce strengthening and customer facilitation which is assisting the bank in achieving operational efficiency. The bank's CAR is at comfortable level of 16.1 percent in CY20. The relaxations related to CAR given by central bank will be withdrawn in CY21, 60pc amount have been deducted from CET I capital in CY20. The positive outlook captures improved profitability, enhanced liquidity, and sizable increase in funding base driven by deposits, largely sustained infection and better CAR. The ratings capture the need to sustain a growth trend in profitability and deposits.

Successful execution of the business strategy, while improving efficacy of the risk management framework to improve asset quality will remain vital. Going forward, the bank will continue with its pro-business and pro-tech strategy by placing emphasis towards escalation in trade business, enhancement in low-cost CASA deposits, widening its corporate and consumer financing book. Covid-19 is an ongoing challenge. While it has taken a toll on many businesses, its ramifications are still unfolding. The proactive measures are taken by the regulators and other concerning bodies have mitigated the potential damages much anticipated from this pandemic. As a result, the banking industry remained protected and in fact posted record profits.

Vigilance is required as the financing payment cycle remains stretched amid variants of the pandemic continue to re-emerge. Press release

Wednesday, 30 June, 2021

10 FOREIGN NEWS

ISLAMABAD

UndEclAREd conflIct? US’ BAttlES wIth ‘IRAn-BAckEd mIlItIA’ EScAlAtE, AgAIn WASHINGTON

U

REUTERS

S President Joe Biden’s latest strikes against ‘Iran-backed militia’ in Syria and Iraq were not the first nor likely the last of his young presidency.

For some of Biden’s fellow Democrats, the crucial question is: does the pattern of attacks and counter-attacks amount to an undeclared conflict?

If it does, they say, there is a risk that the United States could stumble into a direct war with Iran without the involvement of Congress, an issue that is becoming more politically fraught after two decades of “forever wars.”

“It’s hard to argue, given the pace of attacks against US troops and, now, the increasing frequency of our responses, this isn’t war,” Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat who leads a key Senate foreign relations subcommittee, told Reuters.

“What we always worry about is that the United States slips into war without the American public actually being able to weigh in.”

The two countries came close to the kind of conflict Democrats fear in January 2020, when the United States killed a top Iranian general and Iran retaliated with missile strikes in Iraq that caused brain injuries in more than 100 US troops. That followed a se-

ries of exchanges with ‘Iran-backed militias’.

In the latest round, US fighter jets on Sunday targeted operational and weapons storage facilities at two locations in Syria and one in Iraq, in what the Pentagon said was a direct response to drone attacks by militias against US personnel and facilities in Iraq.

On Monday, US troops came under rocket fire in Syria in apparent retaliation, but escaped injury. The US military responded with counter-battery artillery fire at rocket launching positions.

“A lot of people suggest that the term

US eyes more stable, profitable ties with Russia, Blinken tells paper ROME REUTERS

The United States hopes for more stable and profitable relations with Russia but if the latter continues to “attack”, then Washington will respond, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a newspaper interview published on Tuesday. “If Russia continues to attack us, or to act as it did with the SolarWind attacks, the intrusions into our elections and the aggression against Navalny, then we will respond,” he told Italian daily La Repubblica. Blinken — who was in Rome for a meeting on international efforts to combat militant groups — was referring to cyberattacks and the role of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. Earlier this month US President Joe Biden told Russian President Vladimir Putin at a summit in Geneva that certain critical infrastructure should be “off-limits” to cyberattacks. China was “the most complicated” when it came to relations Blinken added, but said the United States respected the different relations countries had with China and that it would not ask any of them to choose between the two countries. “It is, however, true that when we deal with China — as an opponent, a rival or a partner — we are much more effective if we act together,” he added. Blinken also said that Italy had made important efforts in drafting legislation aimed at protecting its 5G network from “unreliable sellers” and that it should continue to carry out checks should investments from other countries arrive. The United States has lobbied Italy and other European allies to avoid using equipment made by Huawei in their next-generation networks, saying the Chinese company could pose a security risk. Huawei has rejected the accusations.

Israeli foreign minister heads to UAE on first official visit REUTERS Israel’s foreign minister headed to the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday in the first official visit by an Israeli minister to the Gulf state since the two countries established diplomatic relations last year. Yair Lapid is set to inaugurate Israel’s embassy in Abu Dhabi and its consulate in Dubai during the two-day visit. Lapid posted on Twitter a picture of himself during take-off, calling the visit “historic”. The UAE, along with Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco, began normalising relations with Israel last year under accords brokered by then-US President Donald Trump.

‘forever war’ is just emotive, but it’s actually a decent descriptor of the kind of strike we saw again [Sunday]: no strategic goal, no endpoint in sight, just permanent presence and tit-for-tat strikes,” Emma Ashford, a resident fellow at the Atlantic Council, said on Twitter.

SALAMI-SLICE APPROACH: The White House has stressed that Sunday’s air strikes were designed to limit escalation and deter future militia operations against US personnel.

They were also legal, according to Biden.

“I have that authority under Article Two and even those up on the Hill who are reluctant to acknowledge that have acknowledged that’s the case,” Biden said, referring to part of the US Constitution that lays out the powers of the president as commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

Brian Finucane, a former official with the Office of the Legal Adviser at the State Department, said the current administration — like others before it — do not see the episodes as part of an ongoing conflict.

He called it a “salami-slice” approach.

“They would characterize these as intermittent hostilities. We had one strike back in February and then the 60-day War Powers clock essentially was reset,” said Finucane, now at the International Crisis Group.

He drew a comparison to the tanker wars with Iran in the 1980s, when the Reagan administration viewed “each round of fighting as sort of a closed event.” But experts say that view does not take into account that ‘Iran-backed militia’ are waging a sustained — and escalating — campaign against the US military presence in Iraq.

Michael Knights at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy cautioned that the militias’ use of drones appeared increasingly dangerous, employing GPS guidance and precisely targeting US-led coalition intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets, and missile defenses.

“In quantity and quality, Iraqi militia at-

tacks on coalition points of presence in Iraq are increasing. Unless deterrence is restored, US fatalities are increasingly likely,” Knights said.

Beyond pushing the United States out of the region, the militias’ secondary goal is to signal to the United States, the Iraqi government and others their mastery of more advanced weaponry, like the explosive-laden drones, said Phillip Smyth, also at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

“They live on some of the covert actions that they’re doing,” he said.

Members of Congress are currently working on repealing some of the war authorizations that presidents from both parties have used to justify previous attacks in Iraq, Syria and elsewhere.

But that wouldn’t necessarily prevent Biden or any other US president from carrying out defensive air strikes.

After he was briefed by Biden’s national security team, Murphy said he remained concerned. US troops were in Iraq to battle the so-called Islamic State, not ‘Iran-aligned militia’. If Biden is wary of going to Congress for war powers, then perhaps he needs to heed Americans’ scepticism about interventions in the Middle East, he said.

“If Congress had a hard time authorizing military action against Iranian-backed militias, it would largely be because our constituents don’t want it. And that’s what’s missing from this debate,” he said.

US commmander warns Taliban to stop Afghan offensive or face air strikes KABUL AFP

The top US commander in Afghanistan Tuesday did not rule out conducting air strikes against the Taliban if they pressed on with their campaign of capturing new territory across the violencewracked country.

Fighting has surged across the rugged countryside since early May when the US military began its final withdrawal of troops, with the Taliban claiming to have recently captured more than 100 of the over 400 districts across Afghanistan.

"What I like to see is no air strikes, but to get to no air strikes, you stop all violence," General Scott Miller told reporters in Kabul on Tuesday, according to video footage obtained by AFP from US-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

"The best way to stop those, and I have actually told the Taliban this, is stop the offensive operations and air strikes," he said, insisting that the US military still has the fire power to conduct air strikes against the insurgents even as it contin-

ues the withdrawal.

The remaining US troops are expected to be out by the September 11 deadline announced by President Joe Biden to end America's longest war.

The Taliban's claims of capturing districts are often disputed by government officials and are difficult to independently verify.

But experts say one of the main rea-

sons the Taliban has been able to capture scores of new districts in recent weeks is the lack of US air support to Afghan ground forces fighting across rural terrains.

Miller, who is soon to transition to another commander, acknowledged that any loss of territory has an impact on the overall security in the country.

"Because districts start representing

Could your face mask detect Covid?

PARIS AFP

Tiny sensors incorporated into wearable fabrics like masks and jackets could provide instant information on exposure to disease-causing pathogens such as the coronavirus, according to research published on Monday in the journal Nature Biotechnology.

The highly-sensitive tests that up to now have been restricted to laboratory use are integrated into smart wearables "beyond what a FitBit or Applewatch can offer", said study co-author Peter Nguyen a research scientist at the Wyss Institute at Harvard University.

"The concept is similar to how our own skin works, where you automatically sense your environment with exquisite sensitivity without needing to actively participate in the details of the process itself," he said.

In the new study, scientists were able to re-create the cell parts that sense dangerous microorganisms and freeze-dry them.

They are then re-activated to begin testing by adding water -- like a "package of instant ramen noodles", according to Nguyen.

Such tests have previously been based on living cells, which researchers said can be too fragile and sometimes dangerous in non-medical settings.

In the new study, researchers used cell-free reactions that contain the tools of a living cell without the cell itself. Since they are not alive, the sensors can be freeze-dried and stored for months until they are ready to be activated.

The authors showed that these sensors, which use CRISPR gene editing technology, could match laboratory virus detection and be woven into wearable fabrics.

Nguyen said the wearable detectors might be useful for "anyone working in an environment where they might be exposed to pathogens or toxins".

Researchers developed a prototype Covid-19 testing face mask with a patch of sensors attached to a pad that collects the user's breath particles.

After the wearer has used the mask for at least 15 minutes, they pierce a small pouch on the mask and water wicks the sample into the sensor for analysis.

A strip on the mask displays the result.

WEARABLE WARNING: The researchers also developed a jacket for a liquid "exposure event", for people working in dangerous environments.

It employs the gene-editing tool CRISPR -- which is used in medicine to target specific genetic material such as are found in viruses -- to create sensors that light up when exposed to the target pathogen.

Fibre optic threads in the jacket carry information

key terrain as it relates to security of the people, of the provincial capitals and certainly security of the capital," he said.

The Taliban recently captured a key border crossing with Tajikistan in the north along with other districts surrounding the city of Kunduz, effectively laying a siege to the city.

The insurgents have also encircled almost all major cities in the country, raising fears that they would also make a military push to capture Kabul after the US and NATO forces leave.

"A military takeover is not in the interest of anyone, certainly not for the people of Afghanistan," Miller said, adding that the overall security situation was "not good".

"That's something that's recognised by the Afghan security forces and they are making the appropriate adjustments as we move forward," he said.

Faced with the Taliban's blistering assault, Afghan interior ministry said Tuesday it has created a 4,000 member "rapid reaction force" to be led by retired army generals who would fight the Taliban along with regular security forces.

from tiny sensors in the fabric to a miniature detector within the garment that is the size of a small candy bar.

"In the short term, we see the wearables and especially the face masks being used in the clinic for specialised situations," he added.

But Nguyen also said that in the long run the garments could be used by regular people, especially in the case of local outbreaks for easy at-home testing.

BATTERIES NOT NEEDED: In another study published Monday in Nature Biotechnology, scientists at Northwestern University developed a small, flexible cardiac pacemaker that is completely absorbed by the body once it has fulfilled its use. Heart patients with short-term needs, such as those recovering from surgery, have typically relied on pacemakers that are only partially implanted.

Power and programming has to be transmitted to the devices via tubes and wires that penetrate the skin, increasing risks of infection or wounding due to movement. "Moreover, when pacing is no longer needed," the study notes, "removal of the implanted device carries the risk of damaging heart tissue."

The new device, which researchers tested on various animal subjects including mice and dogs, is made completely of bio-resorbable materials and can be programmed to be absorbed into the body after a specific timeframe. It is battery free and operates via "wireless energy transfer".

The study's authors said they hoped the technology would "provide safer solutions for patients requiring post-operative temporary pacing technology".

Wednesday, 30 June, 2021

SPORTS 11

ISLAMABAD

MEssi MovEs past MaschErano to bEcoME argEntina's Most cappEd pLayEr THE LEGENDARY ATTACKER PRODUCED TWO GOALS AND AN ASSIST AGAINST BOLIVIA IN HIS 148TH NATIONAL TEAM APPEARANCE

Loew focused on 'electrifying' England clash rather than farewell

BUENOS AIRES REUTERS

LONDON AFP

Germany coach Joachim Loew is not considering that Tuesday's Euro 2020 last-16 clash with England could be his last after 15 years in charge of his country as he targets a place in the quarter-finals. Loew will be replaced by his one-time assistant Hansi Flick, who led Bayern Munich to Champions League glory in 2020, after the European Championship. Despite winning the World Cup in 2014, the 61year-old has been fiercely criticised for his role in a humiliating group-stage exit from the 2018 World Cup and a series of poor results before the Euro. Germany needed a late equaliser from Leon Goretzka to snatch a 2-2 draw with Hungary just to reach the knockout stage, but Loew hopes his players will be inspired by facing familiar rivals England at Wembley. "All in all I thought about it two seconds," said Loew of potentially his last game. "I don't think about it because I have so many other thoughts in my head. "This is my passion. My whole focus is on the match tomorrow night and I hope we will succeed."

England have not beaten Germany in the knockout stages of a major tournament since the 1966 World Cup final, but will have the vast majority of a 45,000 crowd on their side.

"I think all the matches between England and Germany you talk about for years after," added Loew. "This is a match which electrifies everybody. For both teams, it's in or out, it's now or never, the loser goes home. There is a lot at stake tomorrow, I can feel the players are highly motivated and we have analysed the English side. "We are looking forward to this great encounter and a great evening ahead."

Germany's clash with Hungary was overshadowed by the political row which saw UEFA block an attempt by the city of Munich to light up the Allianz Arena in rainbow colours in support for the LGBTQ community. Manuel Neuer has sported a rainbow captain's armband during the tournament and will be joined by England skipper Harry Kane on Tuesday. England players have also made their case for equality by taking the knee before all matches at Euro 2020 to protest racial injustice, despite being booed for doing so by some of their own fans. Neuer confirmed the German players will join their English counterparts in taking the knee before kick-off. "Of course we stand for tolerance and are against discrimination. We will show solidarity to the English team, that's why we are also doing the same gesture," said the Bayern Munich goalkeeper. "As everybody knows during the Euro we have the captain's band with the rainbow colours. "The English team also show solidarity. Harry Kane is to do the same tomorrow. We take the same position, they also are in favour of tolerance and against discrimination so we didn't have to discuss it a lot."

With his inauspicious Argentina debut nothing but a distant memory, Lionel Messi became his country's most capped player on Monday in their 4-1 Copa America victory over Bolivia.

A perennial candidate in the 'Greatest of All Time' debate, Messi marked the occasion in style with a virtuoso performance, scoring twice and setting up another in his 148th national team appearance, surpassing Javier Mascherano's record. It was all a far cry from his debut in 2005 when he was sent off after just 43 seconds.

Coming on the pitch as a second-half

substitute in a friendly against Hungary in Budapest, the then 18-year-old was red carded for swinging an arm in an opponent’s face.

Argentina's record scorer, Messi's 74th and 75th international goals helped extend the side's unbeaten run to 17 games on Monday and booked a quarter-final tie against Ecuador on Saturday.

Argentina have not won a major title since lifting the Copa America in 1993 and Messi, who has won every honour available to him at Barcelona, is desperate for some success in a blue and white shirt.

"I've been lucky enough to win everything at club level and individual level and it would be lovely also to win something

with the national side,” the 34-year-old said on the eve of this year’s Copa. “That’s my dream.” His Spanish club were among those to send their congratulations for his record-breaking achievement on Monday: "A true legend, Leo! Congratulations".

Messi has appeared in three Copa

America finals, as well as the 2014 World Cup final, all of which Argentina lost.

However, they are in good form going into the last eight of the Copa and are undefeated since 2019. They next face Ecuador in Goiania on Saturday for a place in the semi-finals.

Federer and Serena primed for Wimbledon openers on Super Tuesday LONDON AFP

Roger Federer and Serena Williams hope to defy the doubters when they get their Wimbledon campaigns underway on 'Super Tuesday' at the All England Club where a backlog of matches needs to be cleared after the opening day downpours.

Serena, a seven-time Wimbledon champion, is still one shy of Margaret Court's Grand Slam singles record of 24. Williams remains in the top 10 in the world but bowed out early in the French Open and the days of her holding a psychological edge over players appear to have gone.

Eight-time winner Federer, like Williams edging closer to his 40th birthday, had a disappointing second round exit at Halle -- his traditional warm-up for Wimbledon which he has won 10 times.

He starts against Frenchman Adrian Mannarino who has reached the fourth round at Wimbledon three times.

Federer says his longevity was not something he planned. "Truthfully, I don't think my goal was to play till, whatever, 39 or 40 or more," he said.

"It was maybe more like 35 I was thinking, which was already a high number at the time."

Federer lost an epic final to Novak Djokovic two years ago despite holding two championship points.

Last year he underwent two knee surgeries.

Williams faces Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus on Tuesday. The American has never lost a first round match at Wimbledon, posting a 19-0 record.

Indeed, she has only ever lost one opening round match in 78 major appearances.

The American puts players generally being able to play longer down to technology. "I think technology has played a huge role in that," she said.

"The way we view the game, the way we recover, the way our shoes are made, the way the equipment is made. "Because normally people retire at 29, 30, before -- 29, 30, 32 was the max.

"I feel like there's several players at that age who are just hitting their stride."

Williams, though, acknowledges that with her legend status every player who faces her ups their game.

"I've had a big X on my back since '99, since I won the US Open," she said.

"When players play me that hard every single tournament, every single match, every single Grand Slam, it just doesn't matter where, you just get better.

"Yeah, it's been difficult mentally when someone might beat you and they lose directly in the next round almost every time." One of the big barriers to Williams's goal of equalling the controversial Court's record will be Ashleigh Barty. The 25-year-old world number one has the honour -- in the absence of 2019 champion Simona Halep -- of opening on Centre Court against Carla

Suarez Navarro. The 32-year-old Spaniard is likely to have the crowd on her side after being diagnosed and then beating Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Barty will be seeking to add senior Wimbledon glory to her 2011 junior title with the added symbolism of it being 50 years since her fellow indigenous Australian Evonne Goolagong Cawley won her first Wimbledon title.

Barty will be wearing an outfit inspired by Cawley's iconic scallop dress she wore when she won in 1971.

"It's a really special anniversary for a lot of Australians, but for indigenous Australians in particular," said Barty of the 50th anniversary of Cawley's triumph. Only 32 of the scheduled 64 singles matches were completed Monday.

Tuesday's bumper programme also includes second seeded Russian Daniil Medvedev, fresh from his first grass court title in Mallorca, facing Jan-Lennard Struff.

The German player defeated Medvedev in Halle earlier this month.

Coco Gauff, who made the last 16 in 2019 as a 15year-old qualifier, is seeded 20 and faces British wildcard Francesca Jones.

Venus Williams, the five-time winner, faces Romania's Mihaela Buzarnescu while French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova tackles Clara Tauson of Denmark.

Also on the schedule is Australian crowd-pleaser Nick Kyrgios who plays France's Ugo Humbert.

Mbappe apologises for shootout miss as France crash out BUDAPEST REUTERS

France forward Kylian Mbappe has apologised for missing the decisive spot kick in Monday's 5-4 shootout loss to Switzerland that saw the world champions crash out of the European Championship in the last 16.

Switzerland scored twice in the final 10 minutes in a thrilling 3-3 draw and, following a goalless extra time, prevailed in the shootout after goalkeeper Yann Sommer saved from Mbappe.

Mbappe said France were "incredibly sad" after exiting the tournament and that his miss would keep him awake at night.

"I'm sorry about this penalty. I wanted to help the team but I failed," Mbappe wrote on Instagram.

"It's going to be hard to sleep after this, but unfortunately these are the ups and downs of this sport that I love so much.

"The most important (thing) will be to get back up again even stronger for future commitments. Congratulations and good luck to the Swiss team." Switzerland face Spain in the quarter-finals on Friday.

‘WE SHOWED WEAKNESS’: France coach Didier Deschamps said his team had shown weakness after the world champions threw away a two-goal lead and were eliminated from Euro 2020 after a penalty shootout loss to Switzerland in the last 16 on Monday.

Having trailed 1-0 at the break, France got a reprieve when the Swiss missed a penalty and Deschamps' side then roared into a 3-1 lead with two goals from Karim Benzema and a wonderful strike from Paul Pogba.

But two late goals from Switzerland took the game into extra time and then penalties which ended in defeat after Kylian Mbappe failed with the final spot-kick.

"We did what we needed to in order to go 3-1 up and then we showed weakness, something unusual for us. Losing on penalties is always cruel for a team," Deschamps told TF1.

"Kylian Mbappe is incredibly sad, as are all the players, but nobody can be upset with him as he took on the responsibility of taking the fifth penalty," he added.

England face Germany in Euro 2020 blockbuster after France make shock exit LONDON AFP

England can avenge decades of hurt at the hands of Germany when they face their old rivals in a blockbuster Euro 2020 last-16 clash on Tuesday after the tournament was rocked by France's stunning exit.

Gareth Southgate's side host Germany at Wembley at 1600 GMT in what is England's biggest match on home turf for 25 years.

England beat the Germans to win the 1966 World Cup final, but their major tournament history has been littered with painful exits against them since then. A quarter-final loss at the 1970 World Cup ended England's reign as champions, while the 1990 World Cup semi-final defeat on penalties is still etched in the nation's psyche.

When England last played at home in a

tournament, Southgate was the Euro 96 fall guy as he missed a crucial penalty in the semi-final shoot-out defeat.

There was also a heavy defeat at the 2010 World Cup yet Southgate, aware of the debilitating weight of that history, insists the tie is not a chance to exorcise the ghosts of past England failures. Instead, he believe it is a chance for his players to add a memorable new chapter to their personal stories.

"This team, I've said for a long time, have had so many unique achievements and my focus is on this team and helping them to succeed," Southgate said.

"This is about our players. This is their moment and it's their opportunity."

Asked if perhaps his Euro 96 pain would give his players extra motivation to win it for him, Southgate said: "Good grief, no. I don't think we'll be relying on that!

"So, no, this is about them. This is about them having a chance to achieve something, and certainly not for me to take any shine off of that." England have never won the European Championship and a victory against Germany would be only their second knockout stage win in the history of the competition. In contrast, Germany have been crowned kings of Europe three times, with the most recent success coming in 1996.

However, Germany travelled to London in the unusual position of fearing defeat against England.

Joachim Loew's team stumbled into the last 16 after rescuing a 2-2 draw against Hungary in their final group game.

Germany are not the intimidating force of old and, with Loew stepping down at the end of the tournament, a defeat would signal the end of an era.

Despite winning the World Cup in 2014, Loew has been criticised for his role in a humiliating group-stage exit from the 2018 World Cup and a series of poor results before the Euro. "All in all, I thought about it for two seconds," said Loew ahead of potentially his last game.

"This is my passion. My whole focus is on the match and I hope we will succeed."

England will have the vast majority of a 40,000 crowd on their side at Wembley and Loew expects a spine-tingling encounter.

"This is a match which electrifies everybody. For both teams, it's in or out, it's now or never, the loser goes home," he said.

The winner will face a quarter-final in Rome against the winner of Tuesday's late tie between Sweden and Ukraine, which will be played in Glasgow.

Whatever happens on Tuesday it will

struggle to live up to the drama of Monday, when world champions France suffered a stunning defeat against Switzerland, losing 5-4 on penalties after a thrilling 3-3 draw in Bucharest as Kylian Mbappe missed the vital kick.

France trailed to Haris Seferovic's firsthalf header and could have fallen further behind when Ricardo Rodriguez's 55th-minute penalty was saved by Hugo Lloris. Karim Benzema scored twice in 244 seconds immediately after that miss to put France ahead.

Paul Pogba increased their lead with a stunning strike, but Seferovic struck again in the 81st minute and Mario Gavranovic equalised in stoppage time.

Yann Sommer was Switzerland's hero in the shootout as the goalkeeper saved Mbappe's penalty to seal an incredible giantkilling.

Wednesday, 30 June, 2021

prayer tiMiNgs

NEWS

FAJR SUNRISE

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ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

3:15

12:12

3:56

5:00

7:23

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ZArdAri urGes GOvT TO TAke PArliAmeNT iNTO CONFideNCe ON AlleGed isrAel CONTACTs ISLAMABAD

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NCOC decision lands thousands of Pakistani expats stuck at airports

staff report

ORMER president and Pakistan Peoples Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday said the government should take parliament into confidence on its alleged contacts with the state of Israel.

Zardari’s statement came a day after former adviser to prime minister Zulfi Bukhari denied secretly visiting Israel for meetings with senior government officials, following a report in Israel Hayom newspaper that an unidentified official with a United Kingdom passport had visited Tel Aviv last November.

Talking to reporters outside the National Assembly building where he had come to attend the budget session, Zardari called on the government to take the parliament into confidence if there is any attempt to establish contacts with Israel.

Pakistan does not recognise Israel and maintains no diplomatic relations with it. The Pakistani passport is the only one in the world that explicitly states that you can travel anywhere using the document except Israel.

On the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, the former president warned that it was precarious and hazardous and could impact Pakistan.

He was of the view that it was necessary to keep an eye on Afghanistan and “doing some thinking on the Afghan question” which he said was the need of the hour.

Since May, the Taliban have launched major offensives targeting government forces across the rugged countryside. On June 22, the militant group captured Afghanistan’s main border crossing with Tajikistan, with security forces abandoning their posts and some fleeing

Afghan Taliban vow to not attack civilians, NGOs amid rising violence The Afghan Taliban have assured the civilians and non-military foreign nationals that they will not face any “security risks” from their side as violence intensified across the war-torn country. “In continuation of past course and in view of current developments inside the country, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan [Afghan Taliban] would once again like to assure all civilian and non-military foreign nationals, diplomats, embassies and workers of humanitarian organisations that none shall face any problems or security risks on our part,” the group said in a statement on Tuesday. Violence has risen sharply in Afghanistan as foreign forces work towards withdrawing by September 11 and peace talks in Qatar have failed to make significant progress. Amid the rising violence, President Ashraf Ghani visited Washington last week to meet Biden, who pledged US support to Afghanistan but said Afghans must decide their own future. Taliban have launched a wave of offensives around the country, particularly in the north, outside of their southern strongholds. The Taliban said in a statement that NGOs and diplomats can continue their work as per routine adding that they fulfilled their “responsibility regarding their safety”. News Desk

ISLAMABAD MiaN abrar

across the frontier.

The seizure of Shir Khan Bandar, in the far north of Afghanistan, about 50 kilometres from Kunduz city, was the most significant gain for the Taliban since the US began the final stage of its troop withdrawal in May to exit the country after two decades.

Zardari further asked the government to take the parliament aboard on every matter.

Earlier in the day, he left the accountability court within minutes after the judge allowed him to leave during a hearing in the fake bank accounts reference against him.

Zardari’s counsel, Farooq H. Naik, presented the bail order to the accountability court. He said that Is-

lamabad High Court had granted bail to the former president in this case.

Zardari’s daughter Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari was also accompanying him.

The fake bank accounts case involves alleged money laundering worth billions of rupees through 29 accounts, which were found opened in three banks — Summit Bank, Sindh Bank and United Bank Limited.

The Federal Investigation Agency had named Zardari, his sister Faryal Talpur, Omni Group chief Anwar Majeed, his sons and over 10 others as suspects in an interim charge sheet filed in a banking court in August 2018.

PTI lawmakers stage sit-in after ‘disorderly conduct’ in Sindh Assembly Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf lawmakers staged a sit-in outside the assembly gates after being barred from entering the Sindh Assembly premises on Tuesday in view of their “disorderly conduct damaging the sanctity of the House” during yesterday’s session, reported Dawn.

According to the report, a group of PTI lawmakers arrived at the assembly, accompanied by supporters holding drums, while a few others banned from the session wore garlands, but they were stopped by the security staff. Opposition leader Haleem Adil Sheikh also joined them and attempted to pressure the staff to allow them entry, but did not produce any successful results.

Amid resistance from the guards, PTI’s Shabbir Qureshi, Muhammad Riaz Haider and Abdul Rasheed of the MMA [who was among the MPAs looking to enter the building] scaled the gate and managed to enter the assembly.

Meanwhile, two female legislators of the PTI — Sidra Imran and Rabia Azfar Nizami — made it to the assembly from another gate after security

staff cordoned the main gate due to commotion caused by the opposition.

As the assembly proceedings began, PTI leader Firdous Shamim Naqvi rose to speak first, but Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani refused permission to him, insisting the assembly business would be conducted first.

Naqvi resented the speaker’s direction and left the House.

Speaking to media outside the assembly, Naqvi said their leader was barred from speaking in the House yesterday, while a few other legislators were denied entry to the assembly today. “I announce to resign from my seat (PS-101, Karachi East-III) due to behaviour of the Sindh government and I have submitted my resignation on the floor of the House,” he said, adding that he could take to the streets to lodge his protest.

Haleem Adil Sheikh, while hitting out at the PPP, said it was regretful that Firdous Shamim Naqvi had resigned from his seat. He also accused the PPP government of “stabbing” democracy.

Meanwhile, the party’s leaders at the Centre also criticised the PPP and

the Sindh government for “not letting in the PTI MPAs”.

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry commented that with “the way the opposition’s voice was throttled in the Sindh Assembly, it is my opinion that Zardari dictatorship is established in Sindh, [it] has been strengthened”.

He said that not allowing opposition MPAs to enter the provincial assembly was the “worst dictatorship”.

Federal Minister for Shipping and Maritime Affairs Ali Haider Zaidi also condemned what he termed “fascist behavior of the PPP government in the Sindh Assembly”.

In a video message, Zaidi said: “The conditions of the Sindh Assembly we have seen in the budget session, the way the budget was passed through thuggery […] the opposition leader did not give a speech, opposition parliamentarians were not allowed into the Assembly, the way female MPAs were pushed and misbehaved with — I strongly condemn that.”

“We will teach them a lesson by taking revenge through democracy,” he vowed. News Desk

The sudden decision taken by the Aviation Division and National Command Operations Centre of closing down all flights coming from Doha, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates has landed many Pakistani overseas stuck at various airports while thousands who had bought tickets and granted holidays are also suffering due to the decision. The move looks to be a tit-for-tat decision against the decision of the UAE which on June 26 extended the ban on flights from Pakistan and 13 other countries till July 21, Gulf News reported, citing a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) issued in this regard.

Dubai had said on June 19 that an entry ban on those who in the past 14 days had visited India, Nigeria and South Africa would ease from June 23. Interestingly, the UAE government decided to ease out restrictions on other countries including India where Covid-19 conditions are worse. While Pakistani model of handling Covid-19 disease has been termed as a model for the world, Indian handling of Covid-19 has been termed worse. Under the changes, the entry would be permitted to UAE residents in India who were fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, anyone in South Africa who was fully vaccinated and those in Nigeria who had tested negative for coronavirus in the past 48 hours. This step may further impact our relations with our friendly countries like UAE and Qatar. Farhan Ahmed, a Pakistani expat living in Chicago, USA, told Pakistan Today that he had bought tickets to spend holidays in Pakistan but the sudden decision has badly impacted his decision. “You know, we stay here and wait for traveling to our homes once in a while. Now I have no clue what to do as no other flights are available while my tickets are not being refunded,” he said.

Several texts and phone calls made to officials of NCOC and Ministry of Foreign Affairs were not responded. However, Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri told media separately that the officials from Pakistan and the UAE were having talks over the travel ban issue. Chaudhri hoped that UAE would revoke the travel advisory as the coronavirus situation in the country is better than several other states. “Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi recently discussed the issue with his UAE counterpart, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed,” the spokesperson said.

Civil Aviation Authority Spokesperson Saad Ayub said according to the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority’s notification, flights from Pakistan, India, South Africa, Nigeria, and several other countries were banned July 21 — and after that, a decision will be taken on lifting or maintaining the ban. “Flights from Pakistan were banned by the UAE from May 12,” the spokesperson said. Meanwhile, diplomatic sources told this scribe that UAE’s decision to allow visa holders from India and other countries where the Covid-19 situation was worse than Pakistan — and denying Pakistanis the same rights has raised concerns.

Meanwhile, later in the day, the Turkish authorities issued a revised policy regarding the mandatory quarantine requirement on passengers arriving in Turkey. As per the new policy, which will go into effect on July 1, the quarantine period for passengers arriving from Pakistan and Afghanistan has been reduced from 14 to 10 days, a statement from the FO said.

Analysis: When do electric vehicles become cleaner than gasoline cars?

DETROIT reuters

You glide silently out of the Tesla (TSLA.O) showroom in your sleek new electric Model 3, satisfied you’re looking great and doing your bit for the planet.

But keep going – you’ll have to drive another 13,500 miles (21,725 km) before you’re doing less harm to the environment than a gas-guzzling saloon.

That’s the result of a Reuters analysis of data from a model that calculates the lifetime emissions of vehicles, a hotly debated issue that’s taking center stage as governments around the world push for greener transport to meet climate targets.

The model was developed by the Argonne National Laboratory in Chicago and includes thousands of parameters from the type metals in an electric vehicle (EV) battery to the amount of aluminium or plastic in a car.

Argonne’s Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions and Energy Use in Technologies (GREET) model is now being used with other tools to help shape policy at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Air Resources Board, the two

main regulators of vehicle emissions in the United States.

Jarod Cory Kelly, principal energy systems analyst at Argonne, said making EVs generates more carbon than combustion engine cars, mainly due to the extraction and processing of minerals in EV batteries and production of the power cells.

But estimates as to how big that carbon gap is when a car is first sold and where the “break-even” point comes for EVs during their lifetime can vary widely, depending on the assumptions. Kelly said the payback period then depends on factors such as the size of the EV’s battery, the fuel economy of a gasoline car and how the power used to charge an EV is generated.

NORWAY’S A WINNER: Reuters plugged a series of variables into the Argonne model, which had more than 43,000 users as of 2021, to come up with some answers.

The Tesla 3 scenario above was for driving in the United States, where 23% of electricity comes from coal-fired plants, with a 54 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery and a cathode made of nickel, cobalt and aluminum, among other variables. read more It was up against a gasoline-fueled Toy-

ota Corolla weighing 2,955 pounds with a fuel efficiency of 33 miles per gallon. It was assumed both vehicles would travel 173,151 miles during their lifetimes. But if the same Tesla was being driven in Norway, which generates almost all its electricity from renewable hydropower, the break-even point would come after just 8,400 miles.

If the electricity to recharge the EV comes entirely from coal, which generates the majority of the power in countries such as China and Poland, you would have to drive 78,700 miles to reach carbon parity with the Corolla, according to the Reuters analysis of data generated by Argonne’s model.

The Reuters analysis showed that the production of a mid-sized EV saloon generates 47 grams of carbon dioxide (CO2) per mile during the extraction and production process, or more than 8.1 million grams before it reaches the first customer.

By comparison, a similar gasoline vehicle generates 32 grams per mile, or more than 5.5 million grams.

Michael Wang, senior scientist and director of the Systems Assessment Center at Argonne’s Energy Systems division, said EVs then generally emit far less carbon over

a 12-year lifespan.

Even in the worst case scenario where an EV is charged only from a coal-fired grid, it would generate an extra 4.1 million grams of carbon a year while a comparable gasoline car would produce over 4.6 million grams, the Reuters analysis showed.

‘WELL-TO-WHEEL’: The EPA told Reuters it uses GREET to help evaluate standards for renewable fuel and vehicle greenhouse gases while the California Air Resources Board uses the model to help assess compliance with the state’s low-carbon fuel standard.

The EPA said it also used Argonne’s GREET to develop an online program that allows U.S. consumers to estimate the emissions from EVs based on the fuels used to generate electric power in their area.

The results of the Reuters analysis are similar to those in a life-cycle assessment of electric and combustion-engine vehicles in Europe by research group IHS Markit.

Its “well-to-wheel” study showed the typical break-even point in carbon emissions for EVs was about 15,000 to 20,000 miles, depending on the country, according to Vijay Subramanian, IHS Markit’s global director

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

of carbon dioxide (CO2) compliance.

He said using such an approach showed there were long-term benefits from shifting to electric vehicles.

Some are less positive about EVs. University of Liege researcher Damien Ernst said in 2019 that the typical EV would have to travel nearly 700,000 km before it emitted less CO2 than a comparable gasoline vehicle. He later revised his figures down.

Now, he estimates the break-even point could be between 67,000 km and 151,000 km. Ernst told Reuters he did not plan to change those findings, which were based on a different set of data and assumptions than in Argonne’s model.

Some other groups also continue to argue that EVs are not necessarily cleaner or greener than fossil-fueled cars.

The American Petroleum Institute, which represents over 600 companies in the oil industry, states on its website: “Multiple studies show that, on a life-cycle basis, different automobile powertrains result in similar greenhouse gas emissions.”

Argonne National Laboratory is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and operated by the University of Chicago.