EpaperISB_21-07-1

Thursday, 1 July, 2021 I 20 Dhul-Qadah, 1442 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 2 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition

PM asserts Pakistan will not Partner with Us in war efforts again D uRING his wide-ranging speech to the National Assembly, Prime Minister Imran Khan said that Pakistan may partner with the uS in peace, but it would not do so in war, leading to desk thumping by the MPs. “The uS was defeated in Afghanistan and they tried to shift the blame of their defeat on us,” said PM Imran Khan whilst addressing the National Assembly on Wednesday, a day after the government smoothly passed Finance Bill 2021-22.

The prime minister said the Afghanis were the brothers of Pakistanis, and that Islamabad knew them better than Washington. “We have decided to not comprise on the country’s sovereignty.”

The premier stressed that Pakistan

Cross-border attack from Afghanistan leaves two soldiers dead

ISLAMABAD staff report

Militants in Afghanistan fired across the border at a security checkpoint in North Waziristan, leaving two soldiers dead, the Inter-Services Public Relations said Wednesday.

The cross-border firefight took place in the Dwa Toi area of North Waziristan district, the military’s media wing said in a statement.

It did not say when the attack oc-

curred but said troops responded to the fire in a “befitting manner”, without elaborating.

During the exchange of fire, two soldiers — 35-year-old Lance Naik Pervaiz and 43-yearold Havaldar Saleem — embraced martyrdom, the statement said.

It was unclear whether there were any militant casualties.

In its statement, the ISPR condemned the continued “use of Afghan soil for terrorist activities

against” Pakistan and its security agencies, saying Islamabad had consistently asked Kabul to ensure effective border control on its side.

Isolated militant attacks on troops and such cross-border violence have intensified in recent months, raising fears the proscribed Afghanistan-based Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan was regrouping in the border region of the war-torn country.

The TTP is a separate insurgent group from the Afghan Taliban.

Bilawal, Qureshi trade barbs in NA session

Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi traded barbs during the National Assembly session on Wednesday.

The PPP chief heavily criticised the federal budget for the net fiscal year during the noisy lower house session, and condemned the way it was passed by the house on Tuesday. After concluding his speech, he staged a walkout from the NA.

Speaking on the floor of the house, Qureshi responded to Bilawal’s speech and walkout. “He spoke a lot about [parliamentary] procedures; I would also like to speak on procedures a bit,” he said.

“Where did he go after making his speech? I want him to return,” he added.

“I would like to ask Bilawal Bhutto to return to his seat; come back to the field and lis-

ten to us now,” the foreign minister stated.

The opposition benches in the National Assembly broke into huge applause when the PPP chairperson, with another lawmaker by his side, returned to his seat. Later, a war of words erupted between the two leaders when Bhutto took a dig at the foreign minister.

“I would like to request the prime minister to order the ISI to tap Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s phone,” taunted Bhutto. “When he used to be our foreign minister, he ran a campaign around the world to have him be the prime minister, instead of Yousaf Raza Gillani,” he added.

“That is why we sacked him from the post of foreign minister,” added the PPP leader.

The foreign minister responded to the PPP leader’s accusations, telling him that he also knew Bhutto “since he was a little kid”. News Desk

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

does not aim for strategic depth within Afghanistan and would respect the decision of the Afghanis, even while the uS was trying to force Pakistan to bring the Afghan Taliban to the negotiating table.

He added that Pakistan chose to aid America in the war against terror, adding, however, that the decision had resulted in the capture and imprisonment of their own people in Guantanamo Bay. “Former president Pervez Musharraf admitted this,” he said.

“We sacrificed 70,000 people and wasted $150 billion in the war against terror,” he added, further stating that after the Tora Bora incident, Al Qaeda started its operations in Pakistan.

He recalled how Pakistan had been directed to send its troops into tribal

areas to pursue a few hundred people, and how the collateral had resulted in a “hefty price” on the shoulders of the tribespeople.

PM Imran Khan said at the time of the war on terror, Pakistanis were unable to differentiate between their friends and enemies. “Does a country launch an attack on its ally?” he asked.

The premier said that the government at that time — during the war on terror — “did not have the courage to say no to the uS and kept on lying to the people”.

“We must understand that when a nation does not respect itself, it is not respected by the world […] we only want peace to prevail in Afghanistan, and that is in our best interest.” News Desk

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

02

Thursday, 1 July, 2021

ISLAMABAD

NEWS

President for fio’s outreach CPEC pivotal stepping stone to development, prosperity: minister exPansion to remote areas ISLAMABAD

P

aPP

REsIdEnT dr Arif Alvi Wednesday called for expanding the outreach of Federal Insurance Ombudsman (FIO) to remote areas of the country to provide relief to maximum number of policy holders against the maladministration of insurance companies. He said the FIO played a significant role in providing free of charge and prompt justice to complainants against the injustices done to them. He emphasized the need to create awareness through media about the services being provided by the institution for the complainants relief.

The president expressed these views while inaugurating FIO’s Regional Office in Quetta in a virtual ceremony, held at Aiwan-e-sadr, a press release said. The ceremony was attended by the senior officers of FIO, President secretariat and advisors. FIO dr Muhammad Khawar Jameel highlighted the achievements of his organization by providing economic relief amounting to Rs2.13 billion to the aggrieved policy holders during 2020-21 as compared to Rs740 million in 2019.

A number of resolved complaints had also significantly increased, he added. He apprised the president that 2,427 complaints were processed while 2,183 were disposed of during the year 2020. Appreciating the performance of FIO, the president underscored the need for further intensifying efforts by the ombudsman to provide maximum relief to aggrieved policy holders against the malpractices of

insurance companies.

He assured the FIO of his full support and cooperation in the performance of his duties. separately, President Alvi Wednesday said that Pakistan attached great importance to its ties with netherlands and wanted to further expand bilateral cooperation with it in the areas of trade and economy for the mutual benefits of the two countries.

He expressed these views while talking to Ambassadordesignate of Pakistan to netherlands, suljuk Mustansar Tarar, who called on him, at the Aiwan-e-sadr, a press release said.

The president said Pakistan offered tremendous investment opportunities and investors from netherlands needed to take benefit from the investment friendly policy of the country.

The president highlighted that Pakistan and netherlands enjoyed excellent relations in various fields and asked the ambassador to work for encouraging more investments from dutch companies in the fields of renewable energy, agriculture, wind and horticulture as well as water management.

In view of the increasing demand of Pakistani mangoes in the global market, he asked ambassador-designate to arrange a mango festival in netherlands to boost mango exports. He also congratulated suljuk on his appointment as ambassador of Pakistan to netherlands and expressed the hope he would utilize his services to further promote Pakistan relations with netherlands.

ISLAMABAD Xinhua

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a key component of the Belt and Road Initiative, is a pivotal stepping stone to Pakistan’s development and prosperity and a symbol of Pakistan-China friendship, Minister for Economic Affairs Omar Ayub Khan has said.

Over the years, the friendship between the two countries has flourished into an all-weather strategic cooperative partnership with the CPEC being the focal point, Khan told Xinhua.

With investments in the modern transportation networks including roads and railways, energy projects, ports and special economic zones, the CPEC has been offering tremendous potential for Pakistan to promote sustainable development and economic growth, the minister said.

A number of Chinese companies have been operating in various major sectors including energy and civil construction industries, he said, adding: “We want Chinese companies to relocate to Pakistan, use this as a springboard for producing goods and services and exporting them to the Central Asian countries, Middle East and Africa.”

“This can help Pakistan boost exports, generate employment and strengthen the national economy,”

Khan said.

Khan believed that the economic relationship between Pakistan and China is based on a win-win formula and beneficial for both countries.

Gwadar port, being ideally positioned, can link China to Africa, the Middle East and the rest of the world. It will be providing huge opportunities as it will cut down a lot of shipping time and cost for Chinese vessels, he said.

“I think Pakistan can serve as a springboard for China to utilize its areas for access to other countries, build trade linkages, make investments and make China an even more economically stronger country,” Khan said.

Talking about the assistance provided by China during the Covid-19 crisis, Khan said that it was a great contribution by Beijing when Islamabad was fighting against the disease.

“It just proves that our hearts beat as one […] and I would always say that in hard times and in good times the two iron brothers are always going to stand side by side, and we have already proven this to the world,” he said.

Pakistan had been under immense economic pressure due to complete or partial quarantines across the country, and the timely provision of vaccines and other aid by China has helped in bringing normalisation and economic prosperity to Pakistan, the minister added.

Thursday, 1 July, 2021

ISLAMABAD

FAwAd sAys ‘jUdIcIAL ActIvIsM’ cost coUNtRy deARLy IsLAMABAD

s

STaff RePoRT

LAMMING a decision this week by a court to ban popular social media platform TikTok, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry Wednesday stressed the need for judicial reforms to improve the fragile economy.

The Sindh High Court on Monday temporarily suspended TikTok, citing objectionable content on the shortform video application. This is the third time the

ByteDance platform has been banned in Pakistan, following a shutdown in March and a brief 10-day suspension in October last.

“If judicial reforms are not carried out, the country will never be able to get out of the economic crisis [it is facing] already the country is suffering billions of dollars in losses at the hands of such judicial activism,” he lamented in a tweet.

The minister also deplored Tuesday’s order of the Islamabad High Court order that set aside appointments of National Bank of Pakistan president Arif Usmani and chairman of its board of directors

Zubair Soomro, ruling that the appointments had been made in violation of the law.

“My head is spinning since yesterday after reading the court verdict on the ban on Tiktok and the removal of National Bank of Pakistan president,” he said.

State functionaries usually restrain from commenting on court orders to avoid the threats of being in contempt of court. A 2012 report of the Human Rights Watch accused the judges of using their contempt powers to prevent the media from airing programming critical of the judiciary.

Easing Covid-19 restrictions, Punjab opens cinemas, allows indoor dinning LAHORe STaff RePoRT

Punjab government has decided to ease Covid-19 restrictions across the province, allowing cinemas, indoor dining, shrines, amusement parks, and swimming pools to operate from Thursday.

A statement issued by the Punjab Health Department on Wednesday announced cinemas have been permitted to operate from Thursday and can remain open until 1:00 am.

However, anyone visiting the cinemas should be

Pakistan urges UN to protect children in occupied Kashmir New YORk STaff RePoRT

Pakistan has called on the UN Security Council to take immediate action to protect children in conflict zones, particularly Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. In a written statement to the world body, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Munir Akram said Indian forces have been deliberately targeting children with pellet guns. “The scale and intensity of today’s conflicts is stretching our capacity to protect children,” he said. “Nowhere is this grim reality starker than in today’s IOJK [Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir]. More than 300 innocent Kashmiris, including women and children, were killed in fake encounters and staged cordon-and-search operations.” Earlier on Tuesday, UN chief Antonio Guterres also raised concerns over rights violations in the occupied region and urged the Indian government to stop the use of pellet guns against children. “I call upon the [Indian] government to take preventive measures to protect children, including by ending the use of pellets against children, ensuring that children are not associated in any way to security forces, and endorsing the Safe Schools Declaration and the Vancouver Principles,” he said while presenting a

Pakistan wants peaceful Afghanistan, good ties with India: FM IsLAMABAD TLTP

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that Pakistan’s reconciliatory role in Afghanistan has made it clear to the world that the former wants peace.

In a statement on Wednesday, the foreign minister said that Pakistan wants good relations with all its neighbouring countries including India. Qureshi said unfortunately, in response to the peace offer from Pakistan, India acted unilaterally and took unconstitutional measures on August 5, 2019. He said this Indian illegal action, which created tension in the region, had been rejected by the Pakistan and Kashmiris as well and India is responsible for the current deteriorating situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The foreign minister said that Prime Minister Imran Khan and the PTI government have a clear policy on non-interference in internal affairs of any country, including India. He said, “On the diplomatic front, our position on Kashmir is clear and my letters to the Security Council are on record.” He said Pakistan has been demanding that the Kashmir issue should be resolved in accordance with the resolutions of the Security Council and the aspirations of the Kashmiris.

vaccinated, as per the guideline issued by the National Command and Operation Centre.

Following the NCOC orders, the business centres are allowed to operate until 10:00 pm while petrol pumps and medical stores will remain open round the clock. The department also allowed outdoor dining, besides also permitting 50 percent attendance for indoor dining. However, only those vaccinated can avail the indoor dining facility and the eateries have been asked to devise mechanisms in this regard.

400 people have been allowed to attend outdoor wedding ceremonies whereas 200 can attend an indoor

function. The shrines have been allowed to open with strict guidelines, however, cultural, religious, and other gatherings will remain suspended.

Public transport is allowed to operate with 70 percent attendance while amusement parks, swimming pools will operate with 50 percent capacity.

The ease in restrictions has been approved after the positivity rate in the province has come down to 0.8 per cent. “The positivity ratio in Lahore stands at 1.4 per cent, 0.5 per cent in Rawalpindi, 0.6 per cent in Faisalabad, and 0.8 per cent in Multan,” the Health Department said.

Iqbal asserts it’s opposition’s job to point out budget shortcomings News Desk Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz General Secretary Ahsan Iqbal has said that it is the job of the opposition to point out the shortcomings of the budget for fiscal year 2022, adding that the opposition forced the government to take back taxes of Rs350 billion.

Talking to the media outside the Parliament House on Wednesday, he maintained that it is the job of the opposition to point out shortfalls in the budget and predicted that prices of petroleum products, gas, and electricity will go up after budget.

The PML-N leader further said that government did not present the actual budget as the real budget are the terms decided with International Monetary Fund.

The government has destroyed perfectly functioning institutions including Higher Education Commission,

he added.

Talking about the government’s accountability drive, Ahsan Iqbal said that today he is appearing before the court to attend a hearing of another false case. The government is using accountability to cover up its political revenge, he added.

Moreover, the PML-N leader termed the statement of Pakistan People’s Party Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari about the absence of opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif from the National Assembly “childish”. A day earlier, Bilawal, in response to a question on the NA opposition leader’s absence, 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.

Pakistan rejects Indian minister’s statement on alleged drone attack IsLAMABAD TLTP

Pakistan has categorically rejected an irresponsible and misleading statement by Indian Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy regarding an alleged drone attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

In a statement on Wednesday, Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said while conveniently choosing not to share any evidence, the Indian government has once again levelled serious allegations against Pakistan. “Pakistan calls upon India to refrain from its reprehensible propaganda campaign as no amount of Indian falsehoods can succeed in diverting attention from India’s serious crimes in IIOJK,” he said.

He said this is yet another manifestation of the unsubstantiated propaganda and smear campaign against Pakistan that is characteristic of the Indian government and an obliging Indian media.

He said this is a familiar Indian ploy to externalise any blame, use baseless allegations against Pakistan as a smokescreen, and seek to undermine the indigenous struggle for self-determination of the Kashmiri people.

He said the latest allegations further confirm what Pakistan has consistently pointed out that the BJP government stages “false flag” operations to malign Pakistan with terrorism-related allegations for narrow political gains. He said the use of Pakistan cards either to win an election or to divert attention from an electoral defeat has also, unfortunately, become standard practice.

DRAP approves another domestically developed ventilator IsLAMABAD INP

The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan has approved another domestically developed intensive care unit ventilator, reports said on Wednesday.

The National Engineering and Scientific Commission developed the equipment, Pakvent-1.

The Medical Devices Division of the drug regulator registered the machine.

Confirming the news, DRAP Chief Executive Officer Dr Asim Rauf said the ventilator with a life expectancy of ten years has been registered for a five-year period.

He hailed the development as a major step towards self-reliance.

Last week, the regulator had also registered a ventilator — “i-LIVE”. Its Medical Devices Registration Board registered the machine in a meeting on Friday.

NEWS

03

Petrol price hiked

by Rs2 per litre IsLAMABAD TLTP

The government on Wednesday approved an increase of Rs2 per litre in the price of petrol. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Political Affairs Dr Shahbaz Gill took to Twitter to share the news. Gill said, “The price of petrol has been increased by Rs2 per litre while high speed diesel price has been hiked by Rs1.44.” He said that the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) had proposed Rs6.05 per litre increase in petrol price and Rs3.44 per litre increase in diesel price due to hike in international crude prices; however, the prime minister rejected the proposed increases. After the increase, the price of petrol reached Rs112.69 per litre, whereas the per litre prices of diesel would be Rs113.99. Petrol and HSD are two major products that generate most of the revenue for the government because of their massive and yet growing consumption in the country. Earlier, the federal government on June 1 increased the price of petrol by Rs2.13 per litre. The government had approved Rs2.13 per litre increase on petrol and Rs1.79 per litre on diesel. The price of kerosene oil was increased up to Rs1.89 per litre while the rate of light diesel was jacked up to Rs2.03 per litre.

PPP to boycott joint app meeting over ‘lack of seriousness’ from PML-N News Desk It emerged on Wednesday that the Pakistan Peoples Party would be boycotting the joint meeting of the opposition after witnessing the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s “lack of seriousness” during yesterday’s budget session in the National Assembly. Tribune reported that decision was taken after the absence of the PML-N President and Leader of the Opposition in the NA Shehbaz Sharif during the budget session in spite of Shehbaz’s earlier claims of the opposition working collectively to stop the “anti-people budget”. During the proceeding, the government showed its strength and defeated the opposition when Minister for Finance Shaukat Tarin moved a motion for taking up the bill with a majority of 172 against 138 votes. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari while calling the budget approval “unconstitutional and illegal” said “all the PPP members are present” and that “I am responsible for my own party.” The PPP chairman said that he will raise the issue of absence of a number of opposition members with Shehbaz Sharif. According to reports, party sources maintained that the absence of more than 14 PML-N NA members, including the opposition leader, during the session was a “sign of lack of seriousness”. While addressing the house today, the PPP chairman said that the absence of the PML-N members made it easier for the treasury to approve the budget FY22. Bilawal said NA Speaker Asad Qaiser had robbed the members of their votes, adding that what had happened in the National Assembly on Tuesday had set a bad precedent. The PPP chairman said the speaker verbally approved the bill and when he challenged a voice vote, the speaker violated the rules and deprived him of his right. “It is sad to say that the speaker has violated the sanctity of the parliament,” Bilawal said.

“Today’s budget approval is unconstitutional and illegal and will remain illegal if this mistake is not rectified.” Commenting on the absence of Shehbaz and others in a Twitter post, Bilawal’s sister’s, Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari, said her father – former president Asif Ali Zardari – attended both a court hearing and the NA session “despite underlying health conditions.” “So did 54 out of 56 PPP members (missing two had Covid). We remain in Pakistan. [However, only] 14 out of 84 members from the PML-N came to oppose the PTI-IMF budget,” she wrote. Responding to the criticism, PML-N Secretary Information Marriyum Aurangzeb also took to Twitter to clarify that the opposition leader could not attend the session due to the death of his cousin, Mian Tariq Shafi, as he was busy with funeral rites in Lahore.

Thursday, 1 July, 2021

04 NEWS

ISLAMABAD

wCla Completes 95pC of restoration worK of aKbari hammam LAHORE

t

shahab oMeR

HE Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) has completed almost 95 percent of the restoration work of Akbari Hammam, situated inside Lahore Fort.

Pakistan Today learnt on Wednesday.

The cost of the project is estimated at Rs8 million and it will be completed

by July this year. It was further learnt that the Akbari Hammam, situated adjacent to the Jahangir’s Quadrangle, was recently discovered by the WCLA during excavation work in the Lahore Fort.

According to officials, the bath was discovered when the site was being cleaned after it had turned into a dumping ground. “The WCLA team spotted a chimney at the back of the Jahangiri compound while cleaning almost 100,000 cubic feet of debris. Layers of waste and debris were removed,” the officials explained.

The officials said that there were two garages on the same site, which had

been built by the archaeology department. “These garages were demolished to shed off load from the top of Akbari Hammam as it was buried underneath,” they said. The officials further stated that the bath was part of the Akbari Palace. The bath had been buried under rubble for a long time and people had no clue of it, they added.

WCLA Director Conservation Najam Usaqib said that the experts sug-

gested that the use of red stone in the building, lime plaster and the design of the building resemble a royal bath. The material used in the making of the bath also dates back to the earliest settlements inside the fort during Akbar’s reign.

“The WCLA, after completing documentation work of the Akbari Hammam, had started the restoration of the site in 2020. The project would be completed by July this year. There were

some delays in the work because of Covid-19 lockdowns and other related issues,” Najam added. He endorsed the statements of the officials on site and said, “The area of Akbari Hammam was a waste dumping site of quarters’ residents in Lahore Fort. The entire site was filled up with waste. The Akbari Hammam was discovered when all the waste was removed.”

He mentioned that 95 percent of the restoration work has been completed as only finishing work is left to be done.

“Grassing of the place has been completed and a drainage system has also been laid to save adjacent Jahangir Quadrangle during rains and otherwise,” he added. WCLA Director General Kamran Lashari said, “It was a brilliant find inside the Lahore Fort. The place was badly maintained previously.

No one could imagine that such a beautiful structure would be discovered underneath debris and waste. We are restoring several monuments of Lahore Fort in parts and the entire fort will be restored to its original glory soon.”

Renowned scholar Maulana Razzaq passes away TlTP

Renowned Islamic scholar Maulana Abdul Razzaq Iskander, president of Wafaqul Madaris Al-Arabia, passed away on Wednesday after protracted illness.

He was 87. His funeral prayer was offered at Binori Town Mosque. He was considered among one of the most influential scholars of the country, having authored several books in both Arabic and Urdu. The religious scholar had served as the Shaikh-ul-Hadith of the Binori Town Madrassa after the martyrdom of late Mufti Nizamuddin Shamzai.

China ambassador, Cda Chairman disCuss islamabad’s development ISLAMABAD: A meeting was held between China Ambassador Nong Rong and Capital Development Authority (CDA) Chairman Amer Ali Ahmed at the CDA headquarters. The CDA chairman welcomed the ambassador and briefed him about the working of the organisation. The chairman acknowledged the cooperation received from China from time to time for the residents of Islamabad. The ambassador thanked the CDA chairman for the briefing and assured of continued cooperation from China. The same was reciprocated by the Pakistani side. The ambassador appreciated commitment of CDA to develop Islamabad and simultaneously preserve the environmental balance. The ambassador offered to explore the initiative to transform Islamabad into a smart city with introduction of automation in supervision as well as management. The ambassador and the chairman also visited the Pak-China Friendship Centre, which is a landmark of cooperation and friendship between the two countries. PRess Release

indus motor unveils hilux revo

KArAchI: Indus Motor Company (IMC) announced the launch of its facelifted Toyota Hilux Revo 2021. With more robust features, off-road driving capabilities and modern design, the new Revo V, Revo G AT and Revo G MT variants will be hitting the market with a price tag ranging between Rs6.54 million and Rs7.49 million. The Company’s Chief Executive, Ali Asghar Jamali, said, “Over the years, 4x4 pickup trucks in Pakistan have garnered popularity and the Revo clearly takes the lead, preferred by both male and female drivers alike, whether for urban driving or off-roading in the deserts of Cholistan.” He added, “Following Toyota’s global philosophy of putting “customer first”, we focus on advancing our products that cater to the modern world requirement. The new Revo will soon be hitting the roads, sporting the powerful contemporary look, added technology as well as enhanced driving pleasure for our customers.” The new Hilux Revo has been revamped with a New Generation 1GD engine with improved power and torque output across a wider power band (150 kW peak power &500 Nm of peak torque). Other enhancements include the advanced Variable Flow Control power steering, refined suspension and cabin mounts, redesigned 18” alloy wheels and an upgraded 9” audio system to ensure an ultimate driving experience. Under the government`s ‘Roshan Apni Car’ scheme, overseas Pakistanis wishing to purchase Hilux Revo for their families back home, will also be able to make a purchase through the ‘Toyota Smart Purchase’ online portal. These customers will have the added advantage of preferential vehicle delivery time. PRess Release

LAhOrE: Students come out of a school ahead of summer vacations, starting from Thursday (today). ZubaiR MehfooZ

KARACHI

CORPORATE CORNER

He was also the president of Iqra Roza-tul-Atfal Trust and Emir of the Aalami Majlis Tahaffuz Khatame-Nabuwwat Pakistan.

The renowned scholar is said to have spent his entire life in teaching and propagation of Islam. He was born in 1935 into a religious family in the village of Kakul and he had completed his primary education and matriculation in his native village of Abbottabad.

He had later joined the Darul Uloom Chauhar Sharif Madrassa in Haripur before joining Ahmad-ulMadaris in Sikandarpur.

In 1972, Maulana Iskander had completed PhD from Al-Azhar University in Egypt. He had been

serving as the president of Wafaqul Madaris Al-Arabia since 2017, and was also the chairman of its curriculum and examination committee. Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa expressed heartfelt condolences on the sad demise of Maulana Razzaq.

“May Allah bless his soul and give strength to the bereaved family to bear this irreparable loss, Ameen,” the chief of army staff was quoted by ISPR in a tweet.

Mufti Nauman Naeem, the Mohtamim of Jamia Binoria Aalamiya and other scholarly figures also expressed their condolences over Maulana Iskander’s demise, terming it a great loss.

Ke, dha jointly inaugurate two sub-stations

Kamran Kamal takes charge of HUBCO KARACHI PRess Release

HUBCO, Pakistan’s largest IPP, has announced the appointment of Kamran Kamal as its new CEO. Kamran has succeeded Khalid Mansoor, who had led the company for eight years.

Kamran has already been a part of HUBCO for the past six years as the CEO of Laraib Energy Limited, a hydel subsidiary of the company. Previously, he held the position of Vice President China Power Hub Generation Company (CPHGC), a joint venture between HUBCO & China Power International Holding (CPIH). Kamran’s appointment as the new CEO (from within the company) is a testament of confidence of HUBCO’s shareholders in its homegrown talent. “Pakistan’s energy landscape is full of

possibilities. HUBCO’s unparalleled technical expertise, pioneering approach to business and strategic geographical presence provides us with a unique set of capabilities to realize these possibilities for our country,” said Kamran.

“I am excited to lead HUBCO in transforming our approach to creating long-term shared value without ever losing sight of the future of our society,” Kamran added. Kamran is a competent leader with over 18 years of progressive responsibility and leadership experience in energy, infrastructure, commodities, business development and strategy.

He has been responsible for large capital projects, building organisational capabilities and for overall business delivery in both management, executive and board roles. Kamran holds a masters degree from Harvard and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering

from Georgia Tech, USA. Previously, Kamran was head of commodities trade at Engro EXIMP FZE, where he managed fertiliser, coal, oilseeds and sugar trading portfolio. He led the company’s growth into new geographies and commodities portfolio. During his tenure at Engro, Kamran was also involved in major energy and infrastructure projects, including Thar coal mining and power plant, LNG floating terminal and RLNG-based power plant. Under Kamran’s leadership, HUBCO will focus on retaining its position as a market leader by focusing on renewables, merchant market model for the power sector and diversification into sustainable solutions.

Kamran’s understanding of the power sector, regulatory environment and his experience of closely working with key external stakeholders will strengthen HUBCO’s standing in the power sector.

CMYK

LAhOrE: The K-Electric (KE) and the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) jointly inaugurated two newly elevated sub-stations located within DHA’s Phase 4 and 8 locales to reduce the risk of damage to critical power infrastructure from waterlogging in monsoon. The inauguration ceremony for two of the sub-stations was chaired by the DHA Administrator Brigadier Rai Asim Mustafa. Others in attendance were DHA’s Chief Engineer Col Rashid Javed Butt, DHA Project Development Director Col Arshad Qadeer Sheikh (R), DHA Director Marketing Col Kashif Afzal (R), DHA Director Coordination Col Bilal Ahmed Sheikh (R) and DHA’s Additional Director Electrical Lt Col Mohammad Faraz (R). From KE, Chief Executive Officer Moonis Alvi, Chief Distribution Officer Amer Zia, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer Sadia Dada, and other key members of the management were present. PRess Release

Thursday, 1 July, 2021

iSlaMabad

AUTo INdUsTry hAIls INITIATIvEs BEINg TAkEN UNdEr UpcomINg polIcy iSLamaBad

T

GHULAM ABBAS

He auto industry has lauded the government’s initiatives of relaxing taxes and allowing new technologies in the auto industry, as the government has promised to accept various demands of the local auto sector while framing the new auto policy.

According to sources, the government has almost finalised the upcoming auto policy (2021-26), which was becoming a contentious issue among various stakeholders. Unlike the previous auto policy, interventions taken by the government in the new policy will not only increase the market size, but also encourage OeMs to bring in new technologies like Hybrids (HeV) and Plug in Hybrid electric Vehicles (PHeV) in the domestic market.

According to reports, the industry was advocating for reducing very high taxes on locally produced vehicles, with

30 per cent Customs Duty, 7pc to 15pc Additional Customs Duty (ACD) on parts and subcomponents together with 17pc Sales Tax and up to 7.5pc FeD at retail stage, the cumulative tax on locally produced vehicles was as high as 40pc of their retail selling price.

The government was cognizant of the fact that such high taxes are choking the demand and not conducive for the growth of the industry.

The ADP (2016-21) policy envisioned local vehicles production of 350,000 units by 2021 whereas the demand currently stands at less than 230,000 units including volumes of new entrants which is not very encouraging.

With several new entrants entering the market due to lucrative policy incentives, the industry now has installed production capacity of well above 500,000 units per annum.

According to Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association (PAMA) Chairman, Ali Jamali, the government has decided to rationalise some of the

Net zero goals need revival of ‘forgotten giant’ hydropower, IEA says

taxes in the new policy which will make locally produced vehicles more affordable, thereby improving the demand and also help in maximising the industry’s installed capacity utilisation.

“The industry is extremely appreciative of the government’s decision to reduce duties and taxes on locally produced vehicles which shall help spur growth in the industry,” he said.

Sources in the industry informed that the government has decided to reduce ACD from 7pc to 2pc and FeD by 2.5pc across the board. In addition, GST on small vehicles of up to 1000 cc has been reduced to 12.5pc from 17pc which will give major relief to buyers of entry level vehicles.

The Ministry of Industries is talking with all players to ensure that this duty and tax reduction should translate into equitable price reduction for the consumers.

Furthermore, the most promising aspect of the new policy, which is being welcomed by the entire industry, is the

government's decision to encourage all new technologies including, Hybrids (HeV) and Plug-in Hybrids (PHeV) vehicle production in Pakistan.

Moreover, recognising the fact that hybrids are established technology globally which can help achieve government objectives of reducing emissions whilst conserving fuel, the government wants industry to introduce this technology at the earliest.

Upcoming policy includes incentives for PHeV and HeV local production by allowing its specific parts at 3pc and 4pc customs duty respectively. In addition, the GST for both PHeV and HeV would be 8.5pc, same as being given to HeV CBUs. Duty structure for non-localised and localised parts for HeV remains the same at 30pc and 46pc, respectively, for existing players. earlier the government allowed incentives for electric vehicles whose specific parts are allowed at 1pc Customs Duty, non-localised parts at 10pc and localised parts at 25pc and GST at 1pc.

KP local govt seeks Rs4.8bn as TMAs advised to waive property tax again

pariS AGENCIES

Low-carbon hydropower capacity is vital for a faster integration of wind and solar power, but its growth is set to slow by 23% this decade without a sweeping policy and investment push, the International energy Agency (IeA) said on Wednesday. “Hydropower is the forgotten giant of clean electricity, and it needs to be put squarely back on the energy and climate agenda if countries are serious about meeting their net zero goals,” said IeA executive Director Fatih Birol in a statement. In addition to producing massive quantities of low-carbon electricity, many hydropower plants can ramp generation up and down very rapidly, allowing for the integration of more intermittent wind and solar power output, the Paris-based agency said when presenting its Hydropower Special Market Report. But new projects often face long lead times, lengthy permitting processes, high costs and risks from environmental assessments, as well as opposition from local communities, it said. In 2020, hydropower supplied one sixth of global electricity generation and more than all other renewables combined, meeting the majority of electricity demand in 28 emerging and developing economies with a total population of 800 million, the IeA added. Global hydropower capacity is expected to increase by 17% or 230 gigawatt (GW) between 2021 and 2030, led by China, India, Turkey and ethiopia, but this was nearly 25% slower than expansion in the previous decade, according to the report.

Around half of hydropower’s economically viable potential worldwide remains untapped, especially in emerging and developing economies, the IeA said.

newS

05

Bilawal, Qureshi trade barbs in NA session continued from page 01 ‘INSULT OF PEOPLE’: Separately, Bilawal, terming the whole budget session an insult to the people, said that due to the role of the government and the attitude of the speaker, what should have happened did not happen.

Addressing a press conference at the Zardari House in Islamabad, he said, “We were deprived of our rights, we could not even bring a record. The people want to hear what is happening in Lahore, Quetta, Karachi and Multan. You had to give a three-year record, you are lecturing us, and you are trying to fool the nation. All the ministers were cheering on this kind of budget.”

Bilawal said that every step made by the government is benefitting the rich not the poor. He said, Assembly employees are committing suicide. The people for the past three years have been hearing the same thing over and over again, he added. He said that the public doesn’t want to hear about the NRO and how bad it was before.

You have given tax amnesty for these people. This budget is also NRO, there is relief for the rich and distress for the poor. The people must have confidence in the state and democracy. You are giving arrest powers in the name of FBR, he maintained. The PPP chief said that the PM should give account for past three years, not say what he will do next. “Now the prime minister has no time, the people will hold him accountable. We will hold you accountable for all these wrongdoings.

Instead of telling stories, the speech should tell us the solution to problems,” he said. Bilawal said that Asad Qaiser has been the “worst speaker” in the country’s parliamentary history. “Leader of the House means accountable to the nation and parliament. Shahbaz Sharif could not attend the session due to a death in his family. It is hoped that JUI-F and PML-N will issue show cause notices to their members. Will send notices to members who were not in the House,” he added. He said that no other agency should interfere in the work of NAB. Unless the chairman and all officers bring their assets, they have no right to check the assets of others, he added.

International tourism not seen rebounding until 2023: UN report geneVa AGENCIES

peSHaWar AZIZ BUNERI

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Local Government department has sought Rs4.80 billion from the provincial government after it advised Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMAs) to waive next year’s property tax.

According to sources, the provincial government has advised not to collect property tax next year and had sought the opinion of the local government

in this regard.

Sources said that Rs4 billion has been provided to TMAs as compensation for the non-collection of property tax this year on the basis of data collected during the financial year 2019-20 (FY20) whereas the department has now demanded a 20 per cent increase in the amount for doing the same in 2022. It is worth mentioning that the KP government has waived property tax till June 30 because of Covid-19 lockdowns due to which TMAs were

facing financial difficulties due to reduction in revenue.

The local council board sources said that the provincial government had promised a grant of Rs4 billion for TMAs in return for waiving 2 per cent property tax. However, the money was transferred to the local government department after some delay which created financial difficulties for the TMAs. Officials said that because of the delay in transferring of funds, TMAs were unable to pay employees’ salaries.

International tourism arrivals are set to stagnate this year, except in some Western markets, causing up to $2.4 trillion in losses, a UN study said on Wednesday, adding the sector is not expected to rebound fully until 2023. COVID-19 vaccination and certificates are key to restoring confidence in foreign tourism, which provides a lifeline for many countries, especially small island states that rely heavily on the sector to provide jobs, it said. In 2020, international arrivals plunged by 73% from pre-pandemic levels in 2019, causing estimated losses of $2.4 trillion in tourism and related sectors, according to the report by UNCTAD and the UN’s World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). “The outlook for this year doesn’t look much better,” Ralf Peters of UNCTAD’s trade analysis branch, told a news conference. “The first three months were again bad, there was not much travelling happening,” he said. “There is an expectation of a certain recovery in the second half of the year, at least for North America and europe to a certain extent,” he told Reuters, crediting vaccinations.

PM asserts Pakistan will not partner with US in war efforts again continued from page 01 Prime Minister Imran Khan has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to take the economy towards export-led growth, Radio Pakistan reported.

Speaking on the occasion, he said that initiatives in this regard are being taken in different sectors including agriculture, livestock and small and medium enterprises.

The prime minister said that Rs60 billion have been allocated in the federal budget for the uplift of the agriculture sector. Tax exemptions worth Rs100 billion are also being given to enhance the productivity of this sector and ensure food security.

“We protected the crops, and as a result, there was record growth of wheat, rice, and corn,” the prime minister said, adding that the sugar mills made timely payments to the farmers, which helped them invest back into their fields.

“Unfortunately, we have not paid attention to the agricultural sector in the last few years,” he said.

“We also gave incentives to the export industry, and it grew by 17 percent,” he added.

The premier said the government tried to help the farmers get fully compensated. “When the farmers had money to invest, the wheels of economic growth began to turn and we saw a rise in growth rate.”

The premier said Pakistan’s exports hit a record $2.7 billion in June, and the country’s

GDP reached 4 percent as the government took important steps to revive the economy after coronavirus battered it.

He said that the Punjab government has launched Kissan Card Scheme under which the farmers will be registered to extend their facilitation. He also said that the small farmers will be given direct subsidies on inputs such as fertilisers and pesticides. He added that Kissan Markets will also be established so that the farmers get the due price of their produce.

Rs500 billion has been earmarked to uplift four to five million people belonging to the weakest segments of society, he said while elaborating on the uplift scheme. Moreover, he said the government would provide people with interest-free loans, health cards, and technical training, and they will be made part of the lowcost housing programme.

Commenting on the revolutionary potential of the health cards scheme, PM Imran remarked that the private sector will be fully facilitated and that the government would also allow duty-free import of medical equipment.

Speaking on the ehsaas programme, the prime minister said 12 million deserving households would be given direct subsidy on the purchase of essential commodities from the utility and general stores.

The prime minister appealed to the people to honestly pay their taxes, as this would help the country move towards economic stability.

“Willful tax defaulters will be put into jail,” PM Imran Khan said on the occasion, referring to the ambitious Rs5,800 billion tax collection target set for the next fiscal year. The prime minister added that this was an ambitious target, but through FBR reforms, the government could achieve it.

Furthermore, he maintained that the Small and Medium enterprises sector is being incentivised to generate economic activity and provide job opportunities to the youth.

Regarding overseas Pakistanis, he commended them for the record remittances sent and asked them to make investments in different sectors of the economy as well, assuring them the obstacles in their way would be removed.

Prime Minister Imran invited the opposition parties to sit with the government for talks on electoral reforms. This, he said, is important for the future of democracy in the country. He said that it has been his effort over the last two years to bring reforms so that the election results are acceptable to all.

“The time has come to make the country’s elections acceptable to everyone,” he said, adding that in the US, when former president Trump had cast aspersions on the elections, their media and people demanded proof.

“We did the same in 2013. We had asked the then government to hold recounting in four constituencies, and in all four, the rigging was proved.

“After trying our best […] we came to the

cmYK

conclusion that eVMs (electronic voting machines) are the only solution,” he said.

Lauding Minister for Finance Shaukat Tarin and his team, PM Imran said they had presented the budget in line with his vision. “When we had begun our struggle 22 years back, we had one aim in mind: to build an Islamic welfare state — the objective of our founding fathers.”

The premier said if the country steps back from this aim, then there would be “no justification for Pakistan’s existence”.

PM Imran Khan said that the budget reflected the PTI’s three core principles — justice, humanity, and self-sufficiency — and lauded his financial team for ensuring the budget embodies all three.

He also said that the opposition has so far not responded to the reforms proposed by the government. He stressed that the use of electoral voting machine is important to check the irregularities that take place at the close of voting process. He, however, added that if the opposition has some other suggestions on electoral reforms, “we are ready to listen to them”.

The premier recalled that the starting days of the PTI were difficult and they had to make tough decisions. Comparing the situation to when Recep Tayyip erdogan had come into power in Turkey, even his government took loans from the International Monetary Fund and had to face a tough time for three years.

He commended UAe, Saudi Arabia, and

Thursday, 1 July, 2021

06 COMMENT

Catch me if you can?

The new cold war A new foreign policy in the making

I

T appears that the establishment is unwilling to support the US strategic aims in the region. These include making India a regional overlord acting on behalf of the USA to check the rising influence of China in South Asia. China is a time-tested friend and it does not suit Pakistan to be a part of conspiracies being hatched against it. Instead it is in Pakistan’s interest to maintain a strategic neutrality by maintaining friendly ties with both China and the USA. This is what Prime Minister Imran Khan told China Global Television Network (CGTN) during an interview. The PM also underlined the importance of CPeC for Pakistan’s economy, the peopleto-people friendly ties and the joint stands taken by the two countries at international forums.

Despite Pakistan’s suggestion that the USA arrange a political settlement between the Afghan government and the Taliban before withdrawing troops from Afghanistan, the Biden Administration decided to quit within months, abandoning Afghanistan and the region to their fate. The USA now wants to set up military bases in Pakistan to launch attacks on the Afghan Taliban who continue to advance and are likely to threaten Kabul within months.

Any military action launched against the Talban from Pakistan would cause problems for Islamabad. What is more, bases in Pakistan are likely to create misunderstandings with China which is against Pakistan’s national interest.

The Senate Committee on Defence and National Security on Tuesday asked the government to adhere to the recommendations given in the 2012 report of Parliamentary Committee on National Security while setting the future course of ties with the USA. The recommendations were unanimously approved by Parliament on 12 April 2012 and sent to the Defence Ministry with a note that these should be considered as Pakistan’s state policy guidelines. The prescribed terms of engagement deal with issues like bases, foreign boots on the ground and foreign intelligence operations on Pakistani territory. It was decided that no covert or overt operations inside Pakistan were to be permitted, no private security contractors and/or intelligence operatives allowed and that Pakistan’s territory would not be provided for the establishment of foreign bases. The Senate defence committee has now reminded that it is necessary to abide by Parliament’s directive.

The Sharifs have bent the law for a long time

Dr FariD a Malik

T

he Sharifs have repeatedly proven to be above the law. While the judicial assissination of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto will remain the biggest blot on our legal system, the attack on the Supreme Court in 1997 exposed the inherent weakness of the state when it faces the vandalism of the mighty.

Recently, Nawaz Sharif could dodge the entire medico-judicial system to escape to London. Shahbaz Sharif almost succeeded in slipping away, when he was stopped at the last moment from boarding the plane at the Lahore airport. During the ‘ Platelets Period ‘of Nawaz there were daily bulletins about the seriousness of his ailment, which vanished once he stepped on the ambulance equipped luxury plane of the Qatar royal family. Since then there has been no update on the count of the life-threatening platelets.

Since the UK and Pakistan do not have extradition treaty, he cannot be brought back to justice. It does not end here, and the entire clan is there (hussain, hasan, Salman, Ali Imran, Ishaq Dar, Abid Sher Ali), all enjoying the looted money in the safe haven of London.

The speed limit on the M-2 Motorway was suddenly changed for a day. As the tale goes, hussain was travelling in violation of the speed limit. he was stopped by the Motorway Police for speeding. As heir of the Sharif dynasty he called the PM Secretariat.

To evade the challan, orders were issued to enhance the speed limit to 140 kph for a limited period. Once the royalty crossed the toll plaza, the original speed limit was restored for the public. I am sure the agencies must have recorded this event and noted the sign indicating the new limit. The Ministry of Commerce can publish a list of SROs (Statuatory Regulatory Orders) that were issued on the special request of the Sharif Group to clear their imports and exports.

While personal business activities were carried

The Day After After passing the Budget, the real test

W

hILe Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin was naturally self-congratulatory after the passage of the 2021-2022 Federal Budget, which is after all the highlight of the legislative year, but he must be preparing himself for the test ahead, in which Pakistan dickers with the IMF over continuing the extended Fund Facility it is presently on. The Opposition had vowed to stop the passage of the budget, but it sailed through the house without a division, and was no doubt helped by the absence of Leader of the Opposition Shahbaz Sharif. Mr Tarin has to deal with two major issues with the IMF, which will not be as easy as the Opposition to handle, when its team arrives in Islamabad in August. The first will be resolution of the circular debt issue, and the second would be the power tariff increase.

Mr Tarin and his colleagues have claimed that the Budget makes unprecedented allocations for spending on agriculture and welfare. That might well show the good intentions of the government if the money comes from somewhere to become available. This concern is particularly relevant in the agriculture sector, where the country has become a net food importer after a period of self-sufficiency, largely because the government looked the other way at the wrong time. The IMF will like to ensure that its conditions will be met, and especially at this place in the eFF, it would want Pakistan to take the measures it has promised, increasing the power tariff hike.

It is to be hoped that Mr Tarin finds a way out, but the IMF will not now be fobbed off with promises.

The need to remain on the IMF programme requires not just the usual conditions, like improving the tax-toGDP ratio, or carrying out tax reforms, but finding a solution to the circular debt issue. Whether or not the federal government can hold to its promises under IMF pressure remains to be seen. For the sake of the hardpressed citizen, the government can only be wished well.

Today is the centenary of the founding of the CPC ZaMir ahMeD awan

T

he Communist Party of China (CPC) was founded on 01 July 1921, in Shanghai. It is one of the oldest political parties in the world, as also one of the largest with its current membership of 82 million approximately. It was established in a very tough environment, in reaction to the atrocities and brutalities of imperialism, feudalism, capitalism, colonialism, the Western world’s coercion, and the helplessness of the ruling party of that time in China– the Guo-Min-Dang, or Nationalist Party.

China is an ancient civilization has passed through many ups and down in its history, but in the last two centuries, it was the victim of foreign aggression, suppression and coercion. The public was desperate and especially the youth were fed up with the ruling party, which proved helpless and incompetent to pull China out of severe crisis. On the other hand, the Russian Revolution in 1917, inspired many youths around the globe and projected an alternate political system based on Marxism. China was also not an exception and youth in China were convinced that Marxism was a solution to many of their problems, or escape from the cruelties of imperialism, capitalism, feudalism and colonialism.

Since the early days of the founding of the CPC, it faced many challenges and opposition from Ruling party, the Guo-Min-Dang, and resistance from Western world, but it was the high spirit and strong determination of the CPC, which made for its survival and ensured success after success.

Initially, the CPC worked with the Guo Ming Dang to fight against Japanese aggression, but soon found different objectives and kept on fighting against Japanese aggression alone. After victory against Japan, the CPC launched a civil war to push the Guo Ming Dang out of power and finally liberated China in 1949.

Arif Nizami Editor Managing Editor

Joint Editor

Umar Aziz Executive Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

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

The Communist Party of China turns 100

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Yousaf Nizami Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

out by the members of the Sharif dynasty from the safety of the PM and CM Secretariats that included money laundering as well, yet the brothers claim their innocence and ignorance. On his last day as CM, Nawaz doled out thousands of plots to party workers to gain their loyalty, and even the land attached to the shrine of hazrat Baba Farid in Pakpattan was not spared.

After shutting down the Settlement and Rehabilitation (S&R) department in 1975, the entire record was archived, only pending cases were being heard.

In 2014 a strange directive was issued under which no property transaction could take place without verfication of property documents from the S&R department which meant opening of all settled cases.

Recently it was alleged that the Jatti Umra estate of the Sharifs has 127 Kanals of land that belonged to the S&R department. To avoid takeover, the Sharifs have taken a stay from the Civil Judge, but sooner or later the stay will be vacated.

Currently the Rawalpindi Ring Road scandal is being probed. earlier the Lahore Ring Road was repeatedly rerouted for the favourites. Only a small portion of the Southern Loop remains to be finished to link it with the M-2 Motorway. To avoid any scrutiny the entire record was burnt. Record burning became a normal routine during the PML(N) days. Almost all of the city records of Lahore have been destroyed by either shortcircuiting or mob infernos. even the election Commission of Pakistan’s record of the 2013 elections of Khawaja Saad Rafique consitituency were burnt in storage. however Khawaja Sahib was deseated by the election tribunal, but finally he got a stay from the Supreme Court to stay in office. When Tariq Malik, the then Chairman NADRA, agreed to conduct a forensic audit of the votes, he was removed from office. Though the Islamabad high Court restored him, yet he was driven out of the country. Now after the expiry of the term of Usman Mobeen, Malik has been reappointed Chairman. Certainly NADRA will now be able to play its role in ensuring free and fair elections in the next elections scheduled for 2023.

The Chakri Loop on the M-2 Motorway is another disaster. It has not only increased the distance between Lahore and Islamabad by over 100 km, it is also a serious safety risk for the heavy traffic that has to cross the prohibitive gradient of the Salt Range.

Sooner or later the axis of this important thoroughfare will have to be corrected to mitigate public suffering and expenses.

The building of the Sports Complex at Narowal is being investigated by NAB. Utilization of public funds is mandated by strict rules which cannot be overruled to gain political mileage. Projects are ap-

proved and funded through a document called a PC1 (Planning Commission-1). The agreed framework has to be followed to ensure transparency otherwise audit objections are raised by the office of the AGPR (Accountant General of Pakistan), with only the Nuclear Programme is exempted from this audit.

When objections were raised by the auditors, the PML-N decided to remove the Auditor General in total violation of rules. Most civil servants, in order to save their jobs, either bend the rules to please the rulers or become evasive. Most civilian institutions have been rendered non-functional due to these pressures to please vested interests.

The victims of the Model Town massacre are still waiting for justice after the passage of over seven years. The report of the judicial inquiry has been stalled by the Lahore high Court. On June 17, the workers of the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) staged a public demonstration to protest the injustice. The Punjab Police, assisted by Gullu Butt, were let loose on the unarmed workers of PAT. It was an 11-hour standoff in which several protesters were killed.

Though it was termed an anti-encroachment drive, human lives were lost with widespread damage to private property. Five policemen were arrested while the Superintendent of Police concerned was allowed to leave the country. Rana Sanaullah, the Punjab Law Minister, briefly stepped down but soon returned to his job. The Principal Secretary to CM was sent abroad on a lucrative post, now he is back in the news due to the Rawalpindi Ring road scandal. Despite the change of government, the Sharifs remain untouched despite serious breaches of law. The writ of the state has been seriously dented by such unscrupulous acts of the elected public office holders.

Weak prosecution and delayed justice has been exploited by the Sharifs and their followers. Corruption has taken place while public resources have been squandered and misused to gain loyalty. There is some attrition due to the accountability cases but in the absence of convictions through due process, the ‘ evil empire ‘ remains intact with all its thrust and fanfare.

There is a Persian saying “ Follow the right path even if it increases the distance “, but in the land of the pure, such a path leads nowhere, it is a dead end.

Without justice and rule of law human society cannot function, chaos takes over. even the jungle has rules which are followed by all living species but humans flout them for personal gains. For normalcy to return, the thugs have to be caught and pushed out of the arena. Without neutral umpires the game cannot continue. As a nation we can no longer survive with the prevalent ostrich approach. Let us catch them before it is too late.

I

Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

I

CPC has been the ruling political party in China since its establishment as the People’s Republic of China on 1 October 1949. The CPC is a very well organized, disciplined, and open-minded political party. It was lucky enough to be blessed with visionary and sincere leadership throughout.

During the period of 1949-1978, the CPC under the great leader Chairman Mao Zedong, united the whole nation under one umbrella and on one ideology. This was a mega-achievement, as China was a huge country, had a diverse society, and was a mixture of many ethnic groups or minorities. The major achievement of that era was uniting the nation, and transformation of political systems.

During the time period of 1978-2013, the CPC introduced economic reforms, and the opening up of China to the rest of the world. Pre-1978, the economy was suffering and the nation was hard-hit by the menace of poverty, which reached 88 percent almost. But with the reforms introduced in the agriculture sector only, approximately 500 million people were lifted out of poverty just within six years, from 1978 to 1984. Later reforms in the Industrial, trade, business and other sectors, turned China to the second-largest economy of the whole world. China has emerged as a geopolitical power.

Since 2013, CPC has been continuing its struggle under the great leadership of President Xi Jin Ping, who is also the Secretary-General of the CPC and Chairman of the Military Commission. Based on Marxism, Leninism, Mao Ze Dong Thought, and Deng Xiao Ping’s theory, President Xi evolved “Socialism with Chinese Characteristics,” which is the biggest climax of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and an extraordinary contribution to the Party’s development.

This critical Thought represents the newest achievement in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and is a vital component of the system of theories of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The advancement of the Thought into the Party’s guiding principle is of great political, theo-

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

I

Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

I

retical and practical significance. All Party members are called to study hard Xi’s “new era” approach in terms of its traditional background, scientific system, and functional requirements.

The approach on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New era builds on and further improves Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, Three Represents, and the Scientific Outlook on Development. The new Thought brings the understanding of socialism with Chinese characteristics to a new height, and it turns into a new era.

As China enters a new stage of development, the CPC must write a new chapter of the 21st century.

That is Marxism with a broader vision to achieve its goals of basically realizing socialist modernization in the first stage from 2020 to 2035, before developing China into a “great modern socialist country” that is “prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful” after another 15 years. The CPC has a history of making the impossible possible. It is expected that the CPC will resolve all-new challenges and succeed in achieving the next goals, and overcome any difficulty in the way to move forward.

Recently, the two biggest achievements of CPC are: “Poverty eradication” and “Defeating COVID19.” These two achievements has lifted China to new heights and got it recognition as a global power.

The whole Pakistani nation joins the happy and joyful celebrations of the 100th anniversary of founding the CPeC. Many activities are being organized, and everywhere in China there is an environment as of a festival. The people of Pakistan share the excitement and joys of the celebrations with Chinese brothers and sisters equally and sincerely wish them all the best and good luck in their future endeavours. May the traditional and unique friendship between China and Pakistan to grow further.

The writer is a Sinologist (ex-Diplomat), Editor, Analyst, Non-Resident Fellow of the Center for China and Globalization at the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad, and can be contacted at awanzamir@yahoo.com).

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Thursday, 1 July, 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

Lessons from 2020

Why India isn’t a world power It isn’t even unchallenged in the region

aMjeD jaaveD

I

NDIA dreamt of being an undisputed successor to the pre-partition Imperial India.

It harboured the ambition of emerging not only a South Asian hegemon but also a world power. however, its ambition suffered many setbacks. A review of the vicissitudes of India’s “greatness” ambition in the historic context is useful.

Ayesha Jalal in a paper Why Jinnah Matters in Pakistan: Beyond the Crisis State recalls: “Just before his own death, Jinnah proposed a joint defence with India as the Cold War started to shape the world and the two power blocs began to form.

Jinnah was still thinking as a South Asian nationalist…had Jinnah’s vision prevailed and found an echo in India, we would have seen a very different South Asia...there would have been no crippling defence expenditures.”

“There would have been no reason to join one or other camps of the Cold War. There would have been open borders, free trade and regular visiting between the two countries…a more humane sub-continent might have emerged.”

India’s cold shoulder compelled Pakistan to challenge her self-conceited “primacy” at every footstep. Accession of some princely states either to India or to Pakistan became a bone of contention between the two next-door neighbours, always at daggers drawn. Jammu and Kashmir was, particularly, a hard nut to crack.

Pakistan posed a formidable adversary to India’s hegemony at every international forum.

To pacify Pakistan, India’s then home minister, Vallabhai Patel offered Kashmir literally on a platter to Pakistan in exchange for Junagadh.

But, Liaquat Khan, then Pakistan’s prime minister, spurned the offer. he mused `what shall I make of the Kashmir mountains’.

Faced with the raiders in Kashmir, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru approached the United Nations for “mediating”, not for “declaring Pakistan an aggressor”. The stark, nay brutal reality then was that India realised that at the UN not only the permanent but also the temporary members supported Pakistan’s position. India did not approach even the International Court of Justice as it perceived it had a weak case.

India remained nominally non-aligned while Pakistan joined security alliances with the USA. Military and quasi-military confrontations took place between the two neighbours. But the Kashmir dispute remained unresolved. even today, Kashmir is a nuclear tinderbox.

India’s disastrous defeat in the 1962 Sino-

Indian War buried India’s dream of world leadership. India was able to dismember Pakistan’s eastern wing in 1971. Yet, her dream of becoming a world power or even a South Asian hegemon remained unfulfilled. Political instability coupled with erratic economic policies whittled down Pakistan’s clout in the comity of nations.

In contrast, India, post-1991, adopted such economic policies that rejuvenated its tottering economy. Still, India could not get recognised as a paramount power in South Asia as the Imperial successor to the British raj.

While Pakistan remained defiant, India managed to coerce Nepal, Bhutan and Sikkim to sign treaties in 1949 and 1950 that made “New Delhi in charge of their foreign policy” (Manjeet S. Pardesi, Is india a South Asian or Asian Power; Knut A. Jacobsen, Routledge Handbook of India, page 136). Sikkim was absorbed into the Indian Union in 1975. About Bhutan, there are strong voices in India demanding India should annex it before China does. To tame Nepal, a landlocked country, India blockaded it and annexed its Kalapani territory. But, Nepal is steadfastly resisting India’s pressure.

Diplomacy is like the acrobatics of balancing on a tightrope.

Though the USA opposed it, India recognised de jure the People’s Republic of China. The USA, under harry S. Truman (1956), began to suspect India was a Communist-China sympathiser.

Throughout the 1950s, India supported China’s inclusion in the UN Security Council.

Besides, it introduced Communist China to the Afro-Asian countries at Bandung in 1955.

India even legitimized China’s invasion and annexation of Tibet by signing the 1954 panchsheel agreement. India under Nehru also acted as a diplomatic interlocutor between China and Tibet after India had granted refuge to the Dalai Lama.

India continued making goodwill gestures to both China and the USSR. But, both countries construed Indian policies as a conundrum. To their chagrin, India supported the US-sponsored resolution on Korea. This gesture annoyed both the USSR and China. They became skeptical of India’s non-alignment credentials.

China suspected India was bent upon reverting Tibet to its pre-1951 status as a buffer state between India and China. India’s disastrous defeat in 1962 Sino-Indian War buried India’s ambition to emerge as a major Asian power for the remainder of the Cold-War period.

India hails the Galwan (Ladakh) unarmed clashes as a “victory”. But, in actual fact, the clashes were a storm in a teacup. India’s stand in the media contradicted its official stand. India admits China “did not annex an inch of Indian territory” (so said Indian prime minister Narendra Modi at the all-party political moot).

The 1962 Sino-Indian War and the Galwan clashes portrayed India as a power that could not stand China without external military support.

India was forced to revert conceptually to the Subcontinent as her primary area of concern.

Despite Pakistan’s vivisection in 1971, India remained a regional power.

Pakistan facilitated the USA’s tacit alliance with China. It achieved nuclear parity with India. It prevented India from emerging even as an undisputed regional bully.

In 1972, the then Shah of Iran declared “any attack on Pakistan would be tantamount to an attack on Iran and Teheran is committed to the territorial integrity of Pakistan”.

In the aftermath of India’s “victory over Pakistan”, India embarked upon the Indira Doctrine, is akin to the USA’s Monroe Doctrine. It postulated “South Asia was India’s sphere of influence and India would not tolerate the intervention of any extra-regional power here unless it was on India’s terms. At the same time, India would not intervene in the domestic affairs of the regional states unless requested to do so”.

Within the framework of this doctrine, India intervened in the Sri Lankan Civil War (19831990), forestalled a coup in Maldives (1988) and blockaded Nepal during 1989-90 to force it to toe India’s diktat in economic and diplomatic relations.

Subdued by several events, India appears to have now abandoned world-power ambition.

It is concentrating on consolidating its position as a major Asian power. Under Manmohan Singh, India undertook structural economic reforms that banked on Japan, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the Asian Development Bank.

India strengthened its naval command in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and began conducting joint naval exercises with Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore (Lion King annual bilateral submarine warfare exercise). India trained Malaysian pilots to fly MiG-29 aircraft and upgraded defence cooperation with Vietnam.

India sees itself as “indispensable to the strategic balance of power in Asia”. It abhors China’s dominance in the region.

A series of jolts reduced India’s world-power inspiration to major Asian-power ambition.

Nehru declared, ` India was bound to play the role of “leading and interpreting Asia and specifically South east Asia to the wider world’ Manmohan Singh, the architect of India’s Look east policy, stressed, ‘India’s Look east Policy was not merely an external economic policy, it was also a strategic shift in India’s vision of the world and India’s place in evolving global economy’.

India’s great-power dream will remain unrealized unless it mends its fence with Pakistan.

Sandwiched between China and Pakistan, India is unlikely to win a two front war.

Quad is unlikely to be of much help as American mothers are no longer fond of contributing more aluminium caskets to the USA’s future wars.

India’s great-power dream will remain unrealized unless it mends its fence with Pakistan. Sandwiched between China and Pakistan, India is unlikely to win a two front war.

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

2020 was the worst year which we all experienced. It was tough and full of uncertainties. We lost many living legends, faced many troubles and difficulties. everyone says goodbye to the departed year with many good and bad memories and welcomes new year with many many hopes and expectations. however, this is not an event to celebrate and party but to learn something from it. Amidst last year many of us lost their loved ones, relatives and friends. But look we are alive even after sustaining many losses and deprivations. It is proof that time and life stops for nothing. Neither time breaked for anyone nor life paused for someone.

Last year, everyone committed many sins and mistakes willingly or unwillingly. But we can’t undo them. One mistake once done can’t be reversed but wisdom is to learn from that and strive not to make that mistake again. Doing a mistake is not a big mistake but not learning any lesson from it, is the biggest mistake. So, promise yourself to be something better than your old version. Try to make your 2021 better than 2020. Don’t waste even a single moment of the new year. Utilize your time for achieving your goals and targets.

At the commencement of every new year, we set news plans and goals.

We hope that the new year will bring many improvements in us. But an alteration in the calendar can’t change your life unless you yourself want to change yourself. Change doesn’t come from only gossiping about it but you have to work for it.

I wish this year brings prosperity and happiness to every individual who is seeking it. May this year pass quietly and peacefully!

MUzAFFAR KhoSo SUKKUR

Vandalising sacred places ACCORDING to the constitution of Pakistan, every individual has equal rights to live one’s own life in accordance with the law of the state whether one is a muslim or a non-muslim. Similarly, minorities, being citizens of Pakistan, have the same rights as others have. But it is sad to state that condition is conversely adverse in the land of pure; where they people are treated as second class citizens; where minorities have been become soft targets either in the form of forced conversions or vandalizing their sacred places whether in the name of religion or personal enmity by extremist minded people. Though, demolishing holy places of other religions also lie in the ambit of blasphemous law. The recent incident of setting fire to a shrine (demolished in 1997 too by another mob) of a hindu saint by mobs in Karak, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, is also an intolerable and condemnable act. however, no law has been passed to fight this peril out-and-out from our society. No serious action is taken against those ill-minded people who are involved in these ill-planned acts. hence, it’s a dire need of hour for the ruling government as well as concerned authorities of the state to take pragmatic measures for overcoming this cruelty, and look into this matter for the protection of the vulnerable as well as marginalized sections of the society and its sacred places.

KAMlESh BANSARI. SUjAwAl

Making the most of 2021 INITIALLY, I had thought it to be just another New Year. But my mindset had started changing for better perspectives immediately after watching some New Year eve programmes live on CNN. And a lot of laugh, plenty of wishes and a plethora of love had then been exchanged between the CNN anchormen and a few other people including certain New Yorkers during that beautiful TV programme on the Times Square ball drop. On the whole, it seemed like they were all laughing away that bloody pandemic.

What a good start to 2021 just born! This could be a positive call to everyone out there.

On the other hand, the universe has been facing a lot of business and trade challenges straight from time immemorial. Additionally, the current COVID-19 crisis has just added to the trade issues across the globe. however, continents like Asia, America and europe have started taking steps to reconcile the current fiasco. More to the point, the intercontinental business/trade activities are the need of the hour in the current context. economically speaking, the current business statements from the Asian region have been pretty encouraging. Furthermore, sincere efforts and mutual business cooperation are badly needed to expand the potential trade platforms like APeC-Asia Pacific economic Cooperation, RCeP-Regional Comprehensive economic Partnership all aimed at encouraging regional business activities through free trade. Free trade has been deemed to be the best way out of economic slump in contrast to the trade war intended to harm other countries. My first-ever job was in fact into export and import activities through the Tuticorin Port in Tamil Nadu. Any attempt to place an embargo on trade activities will only entail a strong backlash. My native areas like Korkai, Tiruchendur, Tuticorin, Nagercoil, Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli have been thriving on easy and free trade, selling the locally procured farm produce like paddy, bananas, betels within the region and to outside areas too.

Plus, the idea of protectionism will never go down well with the people and countries. Getting down to free trade is the way forward and well ahead. Countries from the east and the West should come forward to strengthen the global economic status through bold business steps like multilateral negotiations and transboundary free trade.

P SENThIl SARAvANA DURAI MUMBAI

Unpaid teachers The schools in the Sindh have been closed since after the first case reported in the country of coronavirus. But there are many teachers like me who are working in private schools, and are still waiting for their salaries.

The school’s management has declined to pay the salaries for the month of March and giving the excuses like- the students didn’t pay them the fees of the month of March and will release the salaries the moment they think they are in a position to do so. Through the column of your esteemed newspaper, I want the education department authorities to look into the issue and all the private schools teachers should be paid on time.

RABIA KhAN KARAChI

Thursday, 1 July, 2021

08 WORLD VIEW

What is CritiCal raCe theorY? IF YOU DO NOT ALLOW THE DEFIANCE AGAINST THAT RACISM TO REASON AND ARTICULATE ITSELF, IT WILL SING, IT WILL DANCE, IT WILL SCREAM, IT WILL PROTEST AND MARCH ITSELF INTO THE STREETS AND SQUARES OF THIS AND ALL OTHER NATIONS. FOR, FACTS ALWAYS RISE VALIANTLY TO MEET ANY TRUTHFUL THEORY Al JAzeerA

t

hamid dabaShi

He culture of settler-colonial societies, of people coming from across the world and overpowering the original inhabitants of a vast or small territory to form a garrison state around themselves, has enduring and insurmountable maladies and misanthropies. this does not mean people in england, France, turkey, Iran, India, or China do not have their own sedentary predicaments. they do. But those predicaments are of a different genealogy.

One thing settler colonialists do is act as if they are the native inhabitants of the lands they violently conquered, and brand all those who come after them as “immigrants”. they engage in a strange, possessive type of historiography, in an effort to convince themselves and the world that they have a righteous claim to the land they stole.

Fully aware of their recent origins, these settler colonialists feel threatened and start acting strangely every time there is a rise in critical awareness about who’s who and what’s what in the land they claimed as theirs and theirs alone. and this is exactly what is happening today in the settler colony we call the United states of america. so often you wake up in this strange habitat to find the inherently racist settler colonists having a tantrum about a word, a mantra, or something they perceive as a magical spell that could suddenly and irrevocably delegitimise their origin myths. these days, it is “Critical race theory” and, given their bizarre obsession with abbreviations, they are referring to it as “Crt”. right now, in their eyes, “Crt” is profanity, a curse word. It represents the latest attack on their sense of self, their “homeland”.

NOW, WHAT EXACTLY IS CRITICAL RACE THEORY? It does not really matter. It means what donald trump told them it means. It means a bad thing.

It means white people are in danger. It means if americans do not re-elect trump, or another equally reactionary and racist republican, then Black people, Latinx, feminists, Marxists, Jews, Muslims, gays, transgender people and all those godless commies will come and take over their country.

Critical race theory – a school of thought that holds that major institutions in the Us are inherently racist and constructed by their nature to perpetuate white supremacy – would have remained an entirely obscure ac-

ademic preoccupation were it not for trump and his allout bigoted warfare to win a second term. today, Critical race theory is a discussion topic in the Us only because trump decided to attack it for exposing his and his supporters’ incurable racism.

FROM POSTCOLONIAL THEORY TO CRITICAL RACE THEORY: In september 2020, as trump was trailing Joe Biden in most opinion polls, the Office of Management and Budget issued a directive: “all agencies are directed to begin to identify all contracts or other agency spending related to any training on ‘critical race theory,’ ‘white privilege,’ or any other training or propaganda effort that teaches or suggests either (1) that the United states is an inherently racist or evil country or (2) that any race or ethnicity is inherently racist or evil.” so there you have it: if you tell the truth and expose the structural roots of racism in this country, then you are in trouble and the federal government will come after you.

Using the federal government and its enormous power to curtail critical thinking of any sort of course did not start with trump. about two decades earlier, american Zionists used the same tactic to try and silence criticism of Israel in Us universities. their main target then was edward said and his critical scholarship.

In October 2003, as Michelle Goldberg explained in the salon, the Us House of representatives “unanimously passed a bill that could require university international studies departments to show more support for american foreign policy or risk their federal funding. Its approval followed hearings [that] summer in which members of Congress listened to testimony about the pernicious influence of the late edward said in Middle eastern studies departments, described as enclaves of debased anti-americanism.” the same forces that tried to ban edward said’s scholarship, and any other form of critical thinking that exposes the roots of fundamental injustices crippling the Us and the world, have now turned their attention to Critical race theory – an idea that has been around for decades and which seeks to expose and dismantle the underlying social forces that frame racism, without allowing it to be reduced to individual acts of racism on daily display by the likes of trump, Benjamin Netanyahu, emmanuel Macron, or Boris Johnson.

DEEPER ROOTS OF CRITICAL THINKING: the proposition that legal, political, and even educational systems are among the ideological forces at work to sus-

tain the class structure of a society are of course much older than Critical race theory and go back at least to the eminent Italian Marxist theorist antonio Gramsci’s notion of “hegemony” and before him in Marx’s seminal text on German Ideology.

We can go back further to Nietzsche and from there all the way to thrasymachus’s iconic encounter with socrates in the first book of Plato’s republic, in which he disrupts socrates’s arguments regarding “justice” by defining it as the will of the powerful. so the scholars engaged in Critical race theory did not invent critical thinking or even employ it for the first time to dissect racism. the significance of Critical race theory at this particular juncture in american history is the way a sustained course of the theoretical groundwork now informs a massive social movement known as Black Lives Matter. this fruitful dialectic between an academic theory and a grassroots social uprising is what frightens the custodians of the status quo who are fighting tooth and nail to protect and preserve their race and class privileges. It is class warfare, pure and simple. those who identify as “white” wish to protect the privileges they automatically obtain by merely being “white”, and categorically oppose any critical awareness of the terror they systematically and consistently inflict on those who are subjected to their power. the way Critical race theory came to prominence was not that different to the ways in which other academic movements and fields came to be commonly known and discussed. a landmark event in the widespread reception of Critical race theory was the publication in 2001 of richard delgado and Jean stefancic’s book, Critical race theory: an Introduction, detailing the origins, key themes, and the leading voices in the field. the authors subsequently revised and updated the book to include more recent developments.

Like the fields of Liberation theology, or subaltern or Postcolonial studies before it, Critical race theory too is not the cause of but a response to existing social realities – realities that needed detailed historical and theoretical articulations. defunding, censoring or demonising a field of scholarship will not erase the social conditions that gave birth to it in the first place. It in fact proves its importance and legitimacy.

Consider the fact that Us senate republicans just voted to block major legislation that had sought to secure

the voting rights of non-white americans. In doing so, they proved the underlying veracity of Critical race theory. It is class warfare, of rich people mobilised against poor people, with a specific racial twist to it.

TARGETING PUBLIC SCHOOLS: defunding the study of racism is now actively on the republican agenda. Just last month, representative dan Bishop of North Carolina introduced what he calls “stop Crt act and the Combatting racist training in the Military act”, which, as he explained in a press release, “would ban federal funds from being used to promote and teach Critical race theory (Crt) and stop our military members from being subject to it as well.”

“Critical race theory is a poison to the psyche of our nation,” rep Bishop claimed. “this destructive ideology has no place in america’s institutions, and the bills I’m introducing will help ensure that our government isn’t spending resources on promoting it.” He argued that the Biden administration is aided and abetted by “the radical Left” and is “committed to pushing this neoMarxist propaganda into our classrooms, places of work, and even the military.” these powerful republican politicians are targeting public schools in particular because that is where most common lower- and middle-class people and their children are in direct contact with poorer communities. they do not mind if private schools and rich communities are exposed to any “radical ideas” – because their wealth and privileges compromise their learning. But in lower- and middle-class communities and public schools, these ideas resonate with the realities both students and their parents and teachers live. that means the eventual transformation of the critical consciousness of people. demonising, censuring, censoring, defunding, and even criminalising Critical race theory will not erase the systemic racism at the roots and extended into the branches and the bitter fruits of this country’s history and current realities. If you do not allow the defiance against that racism to reason and articulate itself, it will sing, it will dance, it will scream, it will protest and march itself into the streets and squares of this and all other nations. For, facts always rise valiantly to meet any truthful theory.

Hamid Dabashi is the Hagop Kevorkian Professor of Iranian Studies and Comparative Literature at Columbia University.

The obscenely rich of the 21st century are exposed as wannabe aristocrats THE ARISTOCRAT IS NOT ONLY A POLITICAL MONOPOLIST, HE IS A MORAL AND CULTURAL THREAT TO THE REPUBLIC AS WELL. THE ARISTOCRAT IS IDLE AND SHOWS CONTEMPT FOR WORK. THE MERELY RICH WERE UNOBJECTIONABLE, BUT THE “IDLE RICH” WERE INTOLERABLE. THE GREAT DIVISION AMONG MEN IN SOCIETY WAS NOT BETWEEN POOR AND RICH, BUT BETWEEN “DO-SOMETHINGS” AND “DO-NOTHINGS” AlterNet

Y

John Stoehr

esterday, I left you thinking about centibillionaire Warren Buffett’s contempt for democratic morality. the sixth-richest person in the world paid 0.10 percent in federal income taxes over the course of four years, according to an analysis by ProPublica. the nonprofit news group obtained 15 years’ world of tax returns for thousands of the country’s richest people, including the top 25, which includes the sage of Omaha. He said it’s OK for him to pay virtually nothing, because he’s giving his fortune away. that’s contempt. In saying philanthropy is better than paying a fair share for a national government of, by and for the american people, Warren Buffett is saying, though of course without saying it out loud, that he’s separate from and unequal to american citizenry—on account of normal people paying more than their fair share for a government serving him more than it does them.

But there’s another layer of contempt I want to draw your attention to today. that’s the contempt for work. the republicans Party has for decades been successful at portraying the poor (read: nonwhite people) as those who do not work. Because they do not work, the poor look to the government for things they won’t provide for themselves. republican-controlled states still use work

as a requisite for the accessing of relief. this requisite amounts to proving one is a worthy enough american citizen. If you can work, you can get help. If you don’t work, you don’t get help, because only worthy americans are deserving of help. anyone who is not worthy of citizenship is someone who is worthy of contempt. the thing about being poor, however, is that it’s work. Hard work. this is so plainly true, I’m not going to bother proving it. the poor are rarely idle, because to be idle is to flirt with death. (that’s how close to the bone a chronically impoverished existence is.) Obviously, the poor do not earn incomes with the nonstop labor that comes with being poor, but let’s not confuse earning an income with work. If we accept the republican view that working is a requisite for being a worthy citizen, the poor are the worthiest of all. the poor are deserving of state relief by simple dint of being poor.

But we shouldn’t accept the republican view, because it does not apply equitably or universally. the very obscenely rich are exempted. always. yet they are idle. yet they are unproductive. yet they sure as hell take more than they give. as the ProPublica expose revealed, the income of the 25 wealthiest people is not derived from labor but from “the skyrocketing value of their assets, like stock and property.” the republicans Party idolizes them as models for us to emulate. tyler Cowen said that taxing capital gains (the stuff making the very obscenely rich so very obscenely rich) would be un-american. He said that in-

stead we “should prioritize” the “valorization of wealth.”

No, the Us should prioritize the valorization of work.

(In this I mean any kind of work, whether it’s compensated or not.) and taxing capital gains is totally american. to be clear, being wealthy isn’t the problem. the problem is political. the very obscenely rich of the 21st century are the wannabe aristocrats that americans feared in the early 19th century. as aristocracy threatened everyone’s liberty back then, the wannabes threaten everyone’s liberty now. But before we get to the point of using government policy to break their choke-hold, we must demonstrate a depth of contempt for the very obscenely rich that’s at least as robust and enduring as their contempt for us. again, it’s not because the very obscenely rich are so very obscenely rich.

Judith N. shklar, author of american Citizenship: the Quest for Inclusion explained andrew Jackson’s view of an aristocracy as ‘’...any group that by its use of its wealth “exercises more than its just proportion of influence in political affairs.” It was not wealth as such that was reprehensibly aristocratic, but wealth either gained through governmental favor or used to buy political power and influence. all monopolists and holders of license and charters were aristocrats because they owed their wealth to government grant, and had not earned it by their own efforts. they enjoyed unearned advantages. the aristocrat is not only a political monopolist, he is a moral and cultural threat to the republic as well. the aristocrat is idle and shows contempt for work. the

merely rich were unobjectionable, but the “idle rich” were intolerable. the great division among men in society was not between poor and rich, but between “dosomethings” and “do-nothings.” Failure to work was not merely immoral in and of itself, it also expressed a social ideology, the contempt for labor. Jacksonian democrats were acutely aware of the traditions that treated work as defiling. that is why so many insisted that by “we the people, we mean emphatically the class which labors.”

ProPublica revealed that the very obscenely rich are so very obscenely rich because most of their money is not taxed. It is not taxed because the government does not see “the skyrocketing value of their assets, like stock and property” as income. they use this wealth to maintain their advantages politically. In other words, they “owed their wealth to government grant, and had not earned it by their own efforts. they enjoyed unearned advantages.” they should be, therefore, seen as “reprehensibly aristocratic.” the Jacksonian democrats did not view the poor the way I do. even so, they are useful in that they give us a history and heritage to draw from. the republicans and their ideological comrades (think libertarian economist tyler Cowen) want us to believe that taxing the very obscenely rich is un-american. that’s a lie. It’s the most american thing of all. the point of using the government to break their power isn’t about envy or revenge. It’s about the duty of the government to protect the citizenry from tyranny.

Thursday, 1 July, 2021

buSineSS 09

iSlAmAbAd corporate corner Telenor Pakistan wins five awards at Cannes

KPD gAS FIElD In SSgC nETworK bACK onlInE: AzhAr

M

ISLAMABAD: Telenor Pakistan places the country under the spotlight at the largest and most prestigious awards festival for creative excellence the world over The Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity 2021 The annual 5-day event is recognised as the global benchmark for brands, organisations, and marketing agencies when it comes to innovative and impactful communication. And this year for the first time Pakistan has won, not one but FIVE awards for Telenor Pakistan's Digital Birth Registration - ‘Naming the Invisible’, in the following categories: 1. Grand Prix (Mobile) 2. Grand Prix (Media) 3. Gold Lion (sustainable development) 4. Silver Lion (Mobile) 5. Silver Lion (Direct) The global recognition for Telenor's Digital Birth Initiative has highlighted Pakistan's efforts in tackling monumental social and administrative challenges. This prestigious recognition places the country's talent and penchant for innovation on the global map. By winning 2 Grand Prix, 1 Gold and 2 Silver awards against the best in the world, Telenor Pakistan alongside their communication partner Ogilvy Pakistan has proven the abilities of Pakistani brands and talent at the global stage. With this win, Telenor has paved the way for other brands and organisations to take on challenges that are holding Pakistan back and manifest a more inclusive and sustainable future for the country. PRESS RElEASE

KARACHI: K-Electric (KE) and the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) jointly inaugurated two newly elevated sub-stations located within DHA’s Phase 4 and 8 locales to reduce the risk of damage to critical power infrastructure from waterlogging in monsoon.

The inauguration ceremony for two of the substations was chaired by the DHA Administrator Brigadier Rai Asim Mustafa. PR

INISTER for Energy Hammad Azhar Wednesday said that the Kunnar Passaki Deep (KPD) gas field has resumed supply to the Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) network after the completion of its annual turnover.

In a statement on Twitter, the energy minister also announced the start of dry docking of Engro’s LNG terminal, which he said, will be completed by Monday, adding that Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) gas diversions will mostly take place during this time.

Meanwhile, Special Assistant to Prime Minster (SAPM) on Power and Petroleum Tabish Gohar on Tuesday said that the current gas crisis is temporary and a major improvement in supply is expected within two to three days.

“I am expecting a major improvement in the coming two to three days as a major shipment of liquified natural gas (LNG) has arrived and will be transmitted and distributed through Sui Southern Gas Company

ISLAMABAD SHAHZAD PARACHA

The Ministry of Finance has directed the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) to furnish details of four most senior officials from the bank for the position of acting president.

Sources said that the Ministry of Finance will likely give the acting charge to one senior official of NBP on Thursday as the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has directed the federal government to remove incumbent President Arif Usmani as well as Chairman Board Zubair Soomro from the positions in an illegal appointment case.

Presently, SEVP Naheed Sultana, Abdul Wahid Serhi, Jamal Baqir and Rehman Hassni are the

most senior officials.

Naheed Sultana is the only permanent employee of the bank while the other three have been appointed on contractual basis.

Interestingly, Sultana Naheed retired on January 18, 2021; however, her services were extended till July 18, 2021. Some officials of NBP think that Sultana Naheed has become junior most as she has been re-hired on contract.

As per the rules, the competent authority can re-employ any employee after the date of retirement for a period not exceeding one year at any one time.

On the other hand, seniority is also determined from the date of last promotion, for which Sultana Naheed is the senior most.

Previously, Masood Kareem

Sheikh was appointed as acting president after Iqbal Ashraf resigned. Masood was on a three year renewable contract and of 62 years of age but was appointed as acting president being the senior most.

Meanwhile, Rehmut Hasni, who was promoted as SEVP on October 16, 2017, is also on a three year renewable contract.

Sources said that Arif Usmani was on leave and soon after the decision, he reached Karachi from Islamabad.

It is worth mentioning here that former employees of the bank including Syed Jahangir, Javed Iqbal, Fazal Raheem and Latif Quershi had challenged the appointments of Usmani and Soomro.

Scandal-hit Credit Suisse considers creating single private bank ZURICH

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has announced to operate flights to Skardu from Faisalabad in a bid to push tourism in the country. According to details, the national airline’s flights on the newest route will begin from July 7. Earlier, the airline had announced to operate flights to Skardu from Sialkot. PIA has already been operating flights to Skardu from Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore.

Furthermore, the airline also launched its Air Safari flights on Saturday to promote local tourism tourism in the country. The airline’s first scenic Air Safari flight took off from the Islamabad International Airport with 91 tourists, including foreign nationals from as many as 13 countries, on board. MONITORING REPORT

Limited (SSGCL) system within few days,” Gauhar had said during a meeting with leading businessmen and industrialists in Karachi.

Speaking to the business community at the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), he added that repair and maintenance works at gas fields were “mandatory and unavoidable”.

According to a press release issued by the apex body, FPCCI President Mian Nasser Hyatt Magoo demanded immediate resumption of gas supply to Karachi’s industry.

“The industry has suffered unbearable losses due to the closure of gas supply to all industrial areas of Karachi,” he added.

The Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Govt seeks portfolios to replace NBP president, BoD chairman

AGENCIES

PIA announces direct flights between Faisalabad, Skardu

LNG SHIPMENT TO EASE GAS CRISIS IN COMING DAYS, SAPM TABISH SAYS

Credit Suisse is considering centralising the management of its bankers to the world’s wealthy, replacing a regional structure, three sources said, as part of efforts to fast-track an overhaul after a series of scandals.

The Swiss bank and its board are looking to decide on a fresh strategy as soon as October after meeting in the mountain town of Bad Ragaz, two sources familiar with the thinking of senior executives said.

Re-imagining the most prized part of Credit Suisse illustrates how deep this overhaul is likely to be, with executives discussing folding the private banking business and other services managing money for the world’s rich into one global division, the three sources told Reuters.

Targeting the client managers

who deal with its wealthiest clients, many of whom are worth tens of millions of dollars, would scrap a regionalised structure introduced in 2015. Such a change would reel local managers in Asia and internationally, who have enjoyed considerable autonomy, under tight Swiss control as well as making it easier to cut costs. Credit Suisse declined to comment.

Its larger Swiss rival UBS adopted a unified global wealth management structure by combining its businesses servicing American and international clients into one global division in 2018, allowing it to trim costs.

DEFENCE STRATEGY: Credit Suisse executives and board members convened recently in Bad Ragaz, best known for its spas and thermal baths, for an annual strategy meeting.

The executives are concerned that Switzerland’s second-largest

bank, which has been hit by two scandals this year, could face breakup calls from investors, or that its shrinking stock-market value makes it a foreign takeover target.

A domestic merger with UBS, something that has been discussed in the past, is viewed as a more palatable option, three sources also told Reuters last week.

Managers did not formally discuss mergers at Bad Ragaz, with the possibility of a tie-up “the elephant in the room”, one source said after the meeting.

Under the direction of its new chairman Antonio Horta-Osorio, Credit Suisse is looking to overhaul operations and prime its businesses to protect it from investor pressure.

By combining its wealth management businesses, Credit Suisse would be able to streamline products, while also becoming more attractive to a potential merger partner, one source said.

(KCCI) and all town associations put forward a unanimous charter of demands pertaining to the gas crisis in the country.

Chairman of Businessmen Group Zubair Motiwalla said the industry was paying up to 40 per cent more than international competitors and yet it was not getting enough gas supply. Urging an investigation, he said the government should look at exports and tax collection numbers of Karachi and give due preference accordingly.

The PM’s aide said that a new power distribution system is in works which is set to be ready by February next year in which one would be at liberty to choose whose connection they want.

“It is not feasible to rely on a single distributor to a city with a population of over 25 million,” he said, adding that it’s like entrusting one body with the key to an entire metropolis.

“We are not including private sector in the distribution system so business groups can too invest and foray into the power sector,” he said. NEWS DESK

Energy Ministry blames terminal firm for dry-docking ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The Ministry of Energy has blamed an LNG terminal operator for installing an old Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) on a new terminal, which has been damaged and has to be shut down for seven days.

In a statement, the Ministry of Energy said that a used FSRU was installed by the previous government in March 2015. It was developed in 2009 and was installed in Pakistan after overhauling. A new FSRU needs to be overhauled twice in 15 years. When experts came to Pakistan for the Engro terminal in March 2021 and inspected the FSRU of the terminal, they declared it unsuitable in Pakistan. The real damage came from installing the old FSRU on the new terminal, which has now to be shut down for seven days.

The Ministry of Energy said 70 per cent of the country’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports are due to the previous government’s 15-year expensive contracts. Only 30pc of the gas can be taken at the spot, whose prices fluctuate regularly in the international market.

“Therefore, it is not correct to say that the present government is buying expensive gas because 70pc of it is the same gas that is coming due to the long-term agreements of the past government,” it said.

Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) has recently announced the suspension of gas supply to CNG, cement and fertiliser plants following shutdown of the Engro LNG terminal. Power outages also started on Tuesday following the suspension of LNG supply due to dry-docking of Engro FSRU. The Ministry of Energy said that it was an old FSRU that Engro had installed on a new terminal. Therefore, it resulted in the shutdown.

MoE further said that if some power plants are currently running on the furnace oil and diesel, it is because of the severe water shortage in Tarbela this year, which has led to an electricity shortfall of 3,500 MW. On June 28, Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL), in a memorandum, announced to suspend gas supply to CNG, cement, and fertilizer plants owing to dry dock activities at Engro LNG Terminal from June 29 till July 5.

Power outages started on Tuesday following the suspension of LNG supply due to drydocking of Engro FSRU. The Ministry of Energy said that it was an old FSRU that Engro had installed on a new terminal. Therefore, it resulted in the shutdown.

Saudi Arabia plans second national airline as it diversifies from oil CAIRO AGENCIES

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced plans on Tuesday to launch a second national airline as part of a broader strategy to turn the kingdom into a global logistics hub as it seeks to diversify from oil.

The creation of another flag carrier would catapult Saudi Arabia into the 5th rank globally in terms of air transit traffic,

official state media reported, without giving details on when and how the airline would be created.

Prince Mohammad has been spearheading a push for Saudi Arabia, the biggest Arab economy and the largest country in the Gulf geographically, to boost non-oil revenues to about 45 billion riyals ($12.00 billion) by 2030.

Making the kingdom a global logistics hub, which includes the development of ports, rail and road networks, would increase

the transport and logistics sector’s contribution to gross domestic product to 10% from 6%, state news agency SPA said.

“The comprehensive strategy aims to position Saudi Arabia as a global logistics hub connecting the three continents,” Prince Mohammed was quoted as saying in the SPA report.

“This will help other sectors like tourism, haj and umrah to achieve their national targets.”

CMYK

The addition of another airline would increase the number of international destinations from Saudi Arabia to more than 250 and double air cargo capacity to more than 4.5 million tonnes, the SPA report said.

With current flag bearer Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia), the kingdom has one of the smallest airline networks in the region relative to its size. Saudia has struggled with losses for years and like global peers, has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.

Local media reported earlier this year that the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund, (PIF), planned to build a new airport in Riyadh as part of the new airline launch, without giving further details.

The fund is the main vehicle for boosting Saudi Arabian investments at home and abroad as the young prince, known in the West as MbS, seeks to diversify the kingdom’s oil-heavy economy through his Vision 2030 strategy.

Thursday, 1 July, 2021

10 FOREIGN NEWS

ISLAMABAD

ScoreS dead aS record-breakINg heat wave grIpS caNada aNd US VanCoUVER

S

AFP

CORES of deaths in Canada’s Vancouver area are likely linked to a grueling heat wave, authorities said Tuesday, as the country recorded its highest ever temperature amid scorching conditions that extended to the US Pacific Northwest. At least 134 people have died suddenly since Friday in the Vancouver area, according to figures released by the city police department and the Royal Canadian Mounted police. The Vancouver Police Department alone said it had responded to more than 65 sudden deaths since Friday, with the vast majority “related to the heat.”

Canada set a new all-time high temperature record for a third day in a row Tuesday, reaching 121 degrees Fahrenheit (49.5 degrees Celsius) in Lytton, British Columbia, about 155 miles (250 kilometers) east of Vancouver, the country’s weather service, Environment Canada, reported. “Vancouver has never experienced heat like this, and sadly dozens of people are dying because of it,” police sergeant Steve Addison said.

Other local municipalities have said they too have responded to many sudden death calls, but have yet to release tolls. Some Vancouver locals said they had never experienced such temperatures before. “It’s never this bad. I’ve never seen anything like this,” said a Vancouver resident who only gave her name as Rosa.

“I hope it never becomes like this ever again. This is too much.” Others lamented that some residents were more vulnerable to

the heat than others. “I feel for those people whether they’re the elderly demographic or people who live on the downtown eastside of Vancouver who don’t have a cool spot to live or sleep,” said river swimmer Graham Griedger.

Climate change is causing record-setting temperatures to become more frequent.

Globally, the decade to 2019 was the hottest recorded, and the five hottest years have all occurred within the last five years. The scorching heat stretching from the US state

of Oregon to Canada’s Arctic territories has been blamed on a high-pressure ridge trapping warm air in the region.

Temperatures in the US Pacific Northwest cities of Portland and Seattle reached levels not seen since record-keeping began in the 1940s: 115 degrees Fahrenheit in Portland and 108 in Seattle Monday, according to the National Weather Service. Vancouver on the Pacific coast has for several days recorded temperatures above 86 degrees Fahrenheit (or almost 20 degrees above sea-

sonal norms).

The chief coroner for the province of British Columbia, which includes Vancouver, said that it had “experienced a significant increase in deaths reported where it is suspected that extreme heat has been contributory.” The service said in a statement it recorded 233 deaths between Friday and Monday, compared to 130 on average.

‘Hottest week ever’: “We are in the midst of the hottest week British Columbians have ever experienced,

Inaugurating embassy in UAE, Israel tells region: ‘We’re here to stay’

and there are consequences to that, disastrous consequences for families and for communities,” British Columbia Premier John Horgan told a news conference. He urged “checking up on those people we know might be at risk, making sure we have cold compresses in the fridge or we’re staying in the coolest part of our homes, and making sure that we’re taking steps to get through this heat wave.”

Environment Canada has issued alerts for British Columbia, Alberta, and parts of Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon and the Northwest Territories, saying the “prolonged, dangerous and historic heat wave will persist through this week.” The heat wave has forced schools and COVID-19 vaccination centers to close in the Vancouver area, while officials set up temporary water fountains and misting stations on street corners.

Stores quickly sold out of portable air conditioners and fans, so several people without cooling at home told AFP they hunkered down in their air conditioned cars or underground parking garages at night. Cities across the western United States and Canada opened emergency cooling centers and outreach workers handed out bottles of water and hats.

The extreme heat, combined with intense drought, also created the perfect conditions for several fires to break out over the weekend, and one blaze on the CaliforniaOregon border had already burned about 1,500 acres (600 hectares) by Monday morning. “Dubai would be cooler than what we’re seeing now,” David Phillips, a senior climatologist for Environment Canada, told AFP on Monday.

UN chief urges US to remove Iran sanctions as agreed in 2015 Washington ReuteRs

DUBai ReuteRs

Israel’s new foreign minister inaugurated its embassy in the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday and offered an olive branch to other former adversaries, saying: “We’re here to stay.”

Yair Lapid’s two-day visit, in which he will open an Israeli consulate in Dubai on Wednesday, is the first to the Gulf state by an Israeli cabinet minister since the countries established ties last year. The trip is also an opportunity for the twoweek-old Israeli government of Naftali Bennett, a nationalist who heads an improbable cross-partisan coalition, to make diplomatic inroads despite long-stymied talks with the Palestinians.

“Israel wants peace with its neighbours – with all its neighbours. We aren’t going anywhere. The Middle East is our home,” Lapid said during the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Abu Dhabi high-rise office serving as a temporary embassy.

“We’re here to stay. We call on all the countries of the region to recognise that and to come to talk to us,” he said.

Brought together by shared worries about Iran and hopes for commercial boons, the UAE

and Bahrain normalised relations with Israel last year under so-called “Abraham Accords” crafted by the administration of then US-President Donald Trump.

Sudan and Morocco have since also moved to establish ties with Israel. Lapid and his Emirati counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed alNahyan discussed building on the accords to achieve peace and strengthen security in the region, state news agency WAM said.

They signed an agreement for economic and commercial cooperation, which an Israeli spokesman had earlier said would be the 12th since last year’s move to forge ties.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, welcoming Lapid’s visit, said Washington “will continue to work with Israel and the UAE as we strengthen all aspects of our partnerships and work to create a more peaceful, secure, and prosperous future for all the peoples of the Middle East”, the State Department said.

The regional rapprochement was deplored by the Palestinians, who want their demands for statehood free of Israeli occupation addressed first. President Mahmoud Abbas dismissed the accords as “an illusion” and asserted that colonial powers had “implant(ed) Israel as a foreign body

in this region in order to fragment it and keep it weak,” according to a report on Tuesday by the official Palestinian news service WAFA. Lapid’s plane transited through Saudi airspace. Riyadh, although not having normalised relations with Israel, last year opened its skies to Israel-UAE flights.

Lapid will on Wednesday visit the site of Expo 2020 Dubai, a world fair opening in October where Israel has built a pavilion.

The UAE formally opened its embassy in Israel, temporarily located in the Tel Aviv stock exchange, this month.

Israel’s Abu Dhabi embassy still has only three diplomats and a head of mission, Eitan Na’eh, yet to be confirmed as full ambassador. Its Dubai consulate is similarlylocated in temporary premises.

Lapid was conciliatory toward former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose attempts to organise a trip to the UAE while in office were scotched by Covid-19 restrictions and who has sought to cast his ouster by Bennett as illegitimate.

Thanking Netanyahu as “the architect of the Abraham Accords”, Lapid said: “This moment is his, no less than it is ours.”

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appealed to US President Joe Biden's administration to lift or waive all sanctions on Iran as agreed under a 2015 deal aimed at stopping Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon. In a report to the UN Security Council, Guterres also urged the United States to "extend the waivers with regard to the trade in oil with the Islamic Republic of Iran, and fully renew waivers for nuclear non-proliferation projects." The 15-member council will discuss on Tuesday the secretary-general's biannual report on the implementation of a 2015 resolution that enshrines the nuclear deal between Iran, the United States, France, Britain, Germany, Russia and China. Guterres' appeal to Washington comes amid talks to revive the deal – known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action – under which Iran accepted curbs on its nuclear programme in return for a lifting of many foreign sanctions against it. Former US President Donald Trump abandoned the pact in 2018 and re-imposed harsh sanctions, prompting Tehran to start violating some of the nuclear limits in 2019. "I appeal to the United States to lift or waive its sanctions outlined in the plan," said Guterres, who also appealed to Iran to return to full implementation of the deal.

Iran has refined uranium up to a purity of roughly 60 per cent, far above the deal's limit of 3.67pc and much closer to the 90pc suitable for atom bomb cores, though it maintains that it seeks only civilian nuclear power and could quickly reverse its moves if Washington rescinded sanctions and returned to the 2015 deal. Guterres said: "I continue to believe that a full restoration of the Plan remains the best way to ensure that the nuclear programme of the Islamic Republic of Iran remains exclusively peaceful."

Thursday, 1 July, 2021

SPORTS 11

ISLAMABAD EURO 2020

UKraine edge oUt Sweden to reach firSt ever qUarterS GLasGOw AFP

Artem Dovbyk’s header in the 121st minute sent Ukraine through to a Euro 2020 quarter-final clash with England as they beat Sweden 2-1 after extra time in Glasgow on Tuesday. This is the first time Ukraine will be playing in the quarters of the European Championships.

Ukraine squeezed through to the last 16 despite taking just three points in the group stage, qualifying in part because Sweden beat Poland to top Group E ahead of Spain.

But Andriy Shevchenko’s side were determined to show they deserved their place in the knockout phase as Oleksandr

Zinchenko fired them into an early lead.

Emil Forsberg’s deflected strike brought Sweden level before half-time and the RB Leipzig midfielder twice hit the woodwork in the second half.

However, a red card for Marcus Danielson nine minutes into extra time left Sweden hanging on for penalties until Dovbyk latched onto Zinchenko’s inviting cross to spark wild scenes of celebration among the small band of Ukrainian fans at Hampden Park. “With this performance and commitment, our team has deserved the love of the whole country,” said Shevchenko, who in the last eight will return to Italy where he enjoyed the best years of his stellar playing career with AC Milan.

Majlinda Kelmendi: Judo superstar who unites Kosovo Peja AFP

When Majlinda Kelmendi's hometown unveiled a bronze statue of her last year, they were honouring not only an Olympic judo champion but also a broader symbol of hope for Kosovo. The 30-year-old fighter, in the latter stages of her career, won gold at the Rio Games and is hoping to repeat the trick this summer in Tokyo. But she faces more pressure than most athletes -- she is the only Olympic medallist in Kosovo's history and is idolised by her compatriots, from the president down. She carries the expectation lightly, though, remaining rooted in the small city where she grew up -- Peja, or Pec to Serbs, which used to be more famous for its mountainous landscape, monastery and local beer than its sporting achievements. "It was much harder for me before Rio than it is today, getting ready for Tokyo," she says, pointing out that she was the only judoka in the team back then. "All the pressure was on me," she tells AFP, sitting on the red and gold tatami of the dojo, or judo club, where she has trained since the age of eight. "Today, I am much more relaxed. I'm not alone anymore. There are five of us. We are all competing for medals and at least one of us will succeed." Kelmendi has earned the right to be relaxed. Aside from the Olympics, she has been crowned champion in her weight class of 52kg at all levels of competition.

"Whatever happens, my dream has come true," she says.

'SHE wAS SPECIAl': She began training in 1999, when the war between Kosovo separatists and the extreme Serb nationalist regime of Slobodan Milosevic had barely ended. Her coach knew she was a talent from her first lessons on the tatami. "She was special when she entered the dojo for the first time and continues to be so," says Driton 'Toni' Kuka. Peja had been badly damaged and the dojo was ill-equipped, with a leaking roof and Kuka serving as coach, physio and every other role.

But Kelmendi, who was persuaded to take up the martial art by her sister, quickly became hooked. "When we started I felt very good. My parents were happy that we were playing sports," she recalls. "I remember skipping family holidays for 10 years in a row. I would stay with my grandmother because I wanted to train and I didn't want to miss a single session." It helps that her parents were both sporty. Her mother, Fikrete, was the first in the family to try martial arts, practising karate for a few months in her youth before being told to stop by her parents. Both Fikrete and Kelmendi's father, Ismet, a former professional footballer, have always encouraged their children's hobbies. 'You forget everything': Family support has been vital as Kelmendi has travelled the world and garnered praise as well as medals -- culminating in the Olympic triumph that has propelled her to legend status.

Shevchenko said before the game his side had already achieved their objective by making it through the group.

But the former Ballon d’Or winner got the reaction he desired after a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Austria in their final group game with a fast start.

Andriy Yarmolenko has been his country’s driving force all tournament, scoring or assisting in all but two of their six goals.

The West Ham United winger’s teasing cross with the outside of his left foot fell kindly for Zinchenko on 27 minutes and the Manchester City man drilled in a low shot that had too much power for Olsen.

Zinchenko will come up against a number of his club teammates in the quarter-

final, and he urged Ukraine to believe they can make history by reaching the semi-finals of a major tournament for the first time as an independent nation. “I know a lot of those players personally,” said Zinchenko. “They have a really good set of players, their substitutes bench probably cost the same as three Ukrainian teams. “This should not scare us, this should motivate us. I sense myself that everything is possible in this life and we will try everything for it.”

REd CARd COSTS SwEdEN: Forsberg has been just as influential for Sweden as Yarmolenko for Ukraine and he equalised two minutes before the break with his fourth goal of the tournament.

He then hit the woodwork twice after the

break, curling a shot onto the base of the post before a more powerful effort from the edge of the box cannoned back off the bar.

In between times, Georgiy Bushchan produced a stunning save to tip over Dejan Kulusevski’s dipping shot.

“In the second half we had four great chances, hitting the post and crossbar,” said Sweden boss Janne Andersson. “It felt like we would score eventually, but unfortunately we didn’t and in the extra time it went the way it did. The red card really decided the game.” Danielson won the ball but followed through with a dangerous challenge on Artem Besedin that forced the Dynamo Kiev striker to come off with a serious knee injury.

Shamsi inspires South Africa to thrilling one-run win against West Indies GreNaDa AFP

Tabraiz Shamsi enhanced his reputation as the top T20 bowler in the international game by inspiring South Africa to a thrilling one-run victory over the West Indies in the third of their fivematch series at the National Cricket Stadium in Grenada on Tuesday.

Defending another moderate total of 167-8 after they were put in to bat for the third time in the series, the left-arm wrist spinner bowled his most economical four-over spell in conceding just 13 runs for the important wickets of Evin Lewis and Shimron Hetmyer.

Yet as well as he bowled, and as much as the vaunted West Indies power-hitters stuttered for the second consecutive match, the duel still came down to the final over bowled by Kagiso Rabada with 15 runs needed.

Fabian Allen struck an early boundary and then a six off the last ball of the match but the pacer had held his nerve in between those wayward deliveries to limit the home side to 166 for seven.

South Africa now take a 2-1 lead going into the fourth match at the same venue.

Lewis and Nicholas Pooran were the jointtopscorers for the West Indies with 27 while Andre Russell contributed 25.

“We faced a lot of criticism after we lost the first match so badly so I am really proud of how we have fought back in the last two matches,” said Shamsi after receiving the man-of-thematch award.

“These pitches are getting harder and harder to score runs and while I would have obviously liked a bigger total to defend, I felt we had a good chance once we stuck to our plans, and on this occasion, it all worked out well for us in the end.”

Earlier Obed McCoy and veteran Dwayne Bravo combined for seven wickets as South Africa faltered from a promising position.

Quinton de Kock, playing in his 50th T20 International, led the Proteas batting effort once again with a topscore of 72 while Rassie van der Dussen contributed 32 and Aiden Markram, brought into the middle order at the expense of Heinrich Klaasen, chipped in with 23.

However it was the 24-year-old Vincentian McCoy who stole the show with his assortment of cleverly-disguised deliveries earning the seamer the impressive figures of four for 22, bettering his haul of three for 25 just two days earlier.

Bravo, again charged with the responsibility

of bowling in the final overs of the innings, made his experience under pressure count in taking two late wickets to finish with three for 25.

After McCoy removed opener Reeza Hendricks and captain Temba Bavuma in the fifth over, de Kock put on 43 with Markram and 60 with van der Dussen to put South Africa in position for a total closer to the 180-run mark.

However de Kock’s demise to Bravo, for an innings which came off 51 balls and included two sixes and five fours, triggered a slide from 147 for three in the 16th over with the tourists losing five wickets for 17 runs.

Wimbledon ends in tears for injured Serena LONDON ReuteRs

Tennis great Serena Williams limped out of Wimbledon in tears on Tuesday after her latest bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles crown ended in injury. The American sixth seed and seven-times Wimbledon winner was clearly in pain on a slippery Centre Court and sought treatment while 3-2 up in her first-round match against unseeded Belarusian Aliaksandra Sasnovich.

Williams returned after a long break but the distress was evident.

She grimaced and wiped away tears before preparing to serve at 3-3 after Sasnovich had pulled back from 3-1 down.

The 39-year-old, who had started the match with strapping on her right thigh, then let out a shriek and sank kneeling to the grass sobbing, before being helped off the court.

“I was heartbroken to have to withdraw today after injuring my right leg,” Williams

wrote on Instagram.

“My love and gratitude are with the fans and the team who make being on centre court so meaningful. Feeling the extraordinary warmth and support of the crowd today when I walked on — and off — the court meant the world to me.”

GREAT CHAMPION: Sasnovich, who practised her serve while Williams was getting treatment, commiserated with an opponent who had never gone out in the first round at Wimbledon in her previous 19 visits.

“I’m so sad for Serena, she’s a great champion,” said the world number 100. “It happens sometimes.”

Eight-times men’s singles champion Roger Federer expressed shock at Williams’ departure and voiced concern about the surface, with the roof closed on Centre Court on a rainy afternoon.

His first-round opponent Adrian Mannarino of France also retired with a knee injury after a slip in the match immediately before Williams’.

“I do feel it feels a tad more slippery maybe under the roof. I don’t know if it’s just a gut feeling. You do have to move very, very carefully out there. If you push too hard in the wrong moments, you do go down,” Federer said. “I feel for a lot of players, it’s super key to get through those first two rounds because the grass is more slippery, it is more soft. As the tournament progresses, usually it gets harder and easier to move on.”

Williams has been a Wimbledon finalist in her last four appearances but her bid to equal Margaret Court’s record 24 Grand Slam singles titles has stalled since her last in Australia in 2017.

With the absence this year of world number two Naomi Osaka and third-ranked Simona Halep, hopes were rising of another year to remember for the American. “It was hard for me to watch that,” said compatriot Coco Gauff.

“She’s the reason why I started to play tennis.

It’s hard to watch any player get injured, but especially her.”

Thursday, 1 July, 2021

PRAyeR timings

NEWS

FAJR SUNRISE

ZUHR

ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

3:15

12:12

3:56

5:00

7:23

9:06

Civilians take up arms as us exits afghanistan

KABUL

g

ReuteRs

UN in hand, 55-year-old Dost Mohammad Salangi recites poetry as he leads a small group of men to a look-out post high in the rugged hills of Parwan province, north of the Afghanistan capital Kabul.

Heavily bearded and wearing a traditional circular pakol hat to keep off the sun, he has a warning for the Islamist militant Taliban movement, which has increased attacks on Afghan forces and claimed more territory as foreign troops withdraw.

“If they impose war on us, oppress us and encroach on women and people’s property, even our seven-yearold children will be armed and will stand against them,” he told Reuters.

Salangi is one of the hundreds of former “mujahideen” fighters and civilians who have felt compelled to take up arms to help the army repel a growing Taliban insurgency.

The group’s ascendancy on the ground comes as the last US-led international forces prepare to leave after two decades of fighting that ended with no clear victory for either side.

“We have to protect our country […] now there is

no choice as the foreign forces abandon us,” said Farid Mohammed, a young student who joined a local antiTaliban leader from Parwan.

He was speaking as the German military concluded the withdrawal of the second-largest contingent of foreign troops after the United States with around 150,000 soldiers deployed over the past two decades, many of them serving more than one tour in the country.

US President Joe Biden and NATO said in midApril they would pull out the roughly 10,000 foreign troops still in Afghanistan by September 11, the 20th anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York that prompted the mission.

The United Nations envoy for Afghanistan said this week the Taliban had taken more than 50 of 370 districts and was positioned to control provincial capitals as the country looked increasingly unstable as foreign military support ended.

Armed mainly with old assault rifles, pistols and grenade launchers, men like Salangi and Mohammed have joined local shopkeepers and traders as part of a loosely-formed Public Uprising Force trying to reclaim some of those areas.

Ajmal Omar Shinwari, a spokesman for the Afghan defence and security forces, said Afghans keen to take up arms against the Taliban were being absorbed into the structure of territorial army forces.

But some political analysts warn of the growing risk of a return to civil war as more groups took up arms.

Faced with rising violence, President Ashraf Ghani visited Washington in June to meet Biden, who pledged US support to Afghanistan but said Afghans must decide their own future.

Talks to try and find a political settlement in Afghanistan have stalled, although the head of the Afghan peace council has said they should not be abandoned despite the surge in Taliban attacks.

Pakistan proud of high ethical standards of its peace missions: ambassador NEW YORK APP

Pakistan has reaffirmed its support to a zero-tolerance policy for sexual misconduct at a high-level meeting on strengthening the conduct of United Nations peacekeeping troops. “Protectors of vulnerable, under no circumstances, can be allowed to become the abusers,” Ambassador Aamir Khan, acting permanent representative to the UN, said as he renewed Islamabad’s strong commitment to combat the menace of sexual exploitation and abuse across the UN. “The exemplary work of thousands of brave men and women cannot be allowed to be sullied by the abhorrent acts of a few,” he added.

At the outset of the meeting, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said through video-link that successful peacekeeping requires the “highest standards of conduct” by civilian and uniformed peacekeepers.

In his remarks, Khan commended Guterres’s proactive approach in addressing instances of sexual abuse by bring-

ing greater accountability and transparency on this issue.

“The secretary-general’s advocacy and practical measures,” he said, “have produced results: complaints of sexual abuse in peacekeeping missions are below the average for the last 10 years.”

“Conduct of peacekeepers is indeed vital to preserving the credibility and integrity of the United Nations,” Khan said. Pakistan, he said, takes immense pride in the high standards of conduct set by its peacekeepers in the last six decades.

“Despite serving in some of the most challenging peacekeeping missions, Pakistan’s contingents have a rich history of professionalism, devotion and commitment to the UN Charter and to the UN code of conduct”, he said.

Currently, Pakistan serves in 9 out of 12 peacekeeping missions, executing a host of multidimensional mandates — from the protection of civilians to humanitarian assistance and infrastructure development,” it was pointed out.

“Our personnel oversee peace agreements while engaging in robust peacekeeping to deter miscreants and assisting the host states in rule of law, institution-build-

ing and security sector reform,” Khan said.

They have built schools and continue to hold free medical camps. Such initiatives are part of a holistic peacekeeping approach that is centred on protecting the most vulnerable, especially women and children.

With a growing focus on responsible community engagement, he said, Pakistan has deployed female peacekeepers as doctors, nurses, gender advisors and vocational trainers. In 2019, Pakistan dispatched its first all-female community engagement team to Africa. This team undertook several successful initiatives for the local population, including vocational training for students, teachers and women and psychological workshops for police officials, he recalled.

In addition, Pakistan has made a concerted effort to ensure impact-driven peacekeeping training, based on the standards and materials developed by the UN Secretariat, the envoy said, adding that the Centre for International Peace and Stability, Islamabad offers training programmes with specialised modules on prohibited behaviour, including sexual exploitation and abuse.

us military days away from completing afghan withdrawal: sources WASHINGTON ReuteRs

The US military appears just days away from completing its withdrawal from Afghanistan, well ahead of the Sept. 11 deadline set by President Joe Biden to end America’s longest war, US officials told Reuters on Tuesday, speaking on condition of anonymity. The withdrawal of troops and equipment from Afghanistan would not include forces that will remain to protect diplomats at the US embassy and potentially assist in securing Kabul airport. US officials have told Reuters that embassy presence could be around 650 troops. The US military stopped publicly detailing the pace of its withdrawal after it was more than 50 percent complete earlier in June. The disclosure of the brisk pace of the US withdrawal comes as the Taliban insurgency ramps up its offensive throughout the country. The Pentagon now estimates the Taliban control 81 of the country’s 419 district centres. Peace talks in Qatar, meanwhile, have failed to make significant progress. The Pentagon said earlier on Tuesday that the US withdrawal would not necessarily signify the end of NATO’s Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan, but referred further queries to NATO. The withdraw of US-led NATO forces has raised concerns that the country could erupt in full-scale civil war, potentially providing al Qaeda space in which to rebuild and plan new attacks on US and other targets. A United Nations report in January said there were as many as 500 al Qaeda fighters in Afghanistan and that the Taliban maintained a close relationship with the Islamist extremist group. The Taliban denies al Qaeda has a presence in Afghanistan. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is expected on Wednesday to meet his Germany counterpart at the Pentagon. Germany, which had the second-largest contingent of troops after the United States in Afghanistan, announced on Tuesday that it had concluded its withdrawal from Afghanistan. It was unclear if the pace of the US withdrawal would still allow first for a planned evacuation of thousands of vulnerable Afghan interpreters and their families, something that had been expected before the US pullout.

Pakistan endorses push to protect 30pc of planet ISLAMABAD ReuteRs

A growing global push to safeguard nature by pledging to protect about a third of the planet’s land and oceans by 2030 will fall short unless biodiversity-rich Southeast Asian nations get behind the ambitious proposal, environmentalists have warned.

Leaders of the G7 wealthy nations this month backed a coalition of about 60 countries that have already promised to conserve at least 30 percent of their land and oceans by 2030 (30×30) to curb climate change and the loss of plant and animal species.

Cambodia is the only Southeast Asian nation to have signed up to the goal so far, although it has been endorsed by countries in other parts of Asia-Pacific, including Japan, Pakistan and the Maldives.

Brian O’Donnell, director of the USbased Campaign for Nature, which is calling on world leaders to back the pledge, said it was “very important” to get governments in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on board.

“Given the incredible biodiversity in

the region, much of which is facing pressure, ASEAN countries are a key voice to support 30×30,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Southeast Asian countries cover just 3 percent of the Earth’s surface but are home to three of the world’s 17 “megadiverse” countries — Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, according to the Campaign for Nature.

These “megadiverse” nations have been identified by conservationists as being the richest in species, in a bid to raise awareness and spur protection efforts.

Southeast Asia’s land and ocean contain 35 percent of mangrove forests and 30 percent of coral reefs, while more than 2,000 animal and plant species have been discovered there over the past two decades.

The region is also home to about 18 percent of the world’s endangered species, according to the Campaign for Nature.

In Indonesia, for example, the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve is a high-priority conservation area and critical wildlife habitat, dubbed the “orangutan capital of the world”, while the endangered pygmy ele-

phants live in the rainforests of Borneo.

But several ASEAN countries are experiencing high deforestation rates, with Indonesia, Malaysia, Laos and Cambodia among the top countries for primary forest loss, according to monitoring service Global Forest Watch.

NEW GLOBAL ACCORD: The 30×30 goal is included in the draft text of a new global treaty to protect the planet’s plants, animals and ecosystems, due to be agreed at an Oct. 11-24 summit in China, according to officials at the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.

But much of Southeast Asia is currently battling to contain a sharp rise in coronavirus cases, with new restrictions, business closures and attempts to rapidly scale up vaccinations.

The crisis has rightly become a higher priority for policymakers than nature conservation, said Ravi Sharma, a former CBD director, adding regional talks had also been disrupted.

But research shows that maintaining intact ecosystems can help avert future infectious disease outbreaks, he added.

Investing in nature and adopting policies

for a green Covid-19 recovery could generate 395 million jobs and about $10 trillion in business opportunities by 2030, according to the World Economic Forum.

But the economic benefits of biodiversity conservation are not yet clear to all of Southeast Asia’s political leaders, many of whom are relying on natural resources to lift their people out of poverty, green groups say.

Malaysia and Indonesia are the top two producers of palm oil, the world’s most widely used edible oil, which environmentalists blame for forest destruction.

“ASEAN countries are conscious that the actions needed for 30×30 would have economic implications as well as costs for implementation,” said Tony La Viña, a prominent Philippine environmental lawyer and activist.

“These fears have a basis but can be overcome once they realise the long-term economic and development benefits of the goal, as well as identify the opportunities (it) would open up in terms of conservation and sustainable livelihoods,” he said.

A delay in Southeast Asian nations backing the 30×30 target could be a tactic to se-

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

cure more funding from richer countries to invest in nature, conservationists said.

A key part of the pledge will be to respect the rights of indigenous groups and communities living in protected areas, many of whom play a vital role in conservation, said O’Donnell.

Southeast Asian countries have developed innovative nature projects involving local communities and by joining the 30×30 group, they could lead that work, he added.

The best incentive for them would be if the proposal included payments to local communities and indigenous peoples for looking after their natural environment, La Viña said.

GREEN GRABBING: Biodiversity loss is directly linked to how rich nations have benefited economically from exploiting nature – and so they bear a greater responsibility for fixing the problem, said Arie Rompas, a forest campaigner at Greenpeace Indonesia.

But even ASEAN governments have often overlooked indigenous communities when pursuing economic growth, and have not done enough to guarantee their land tenure and other rights, he said.