EpaperISB_21-07-10

Saturday, 10 July, 2021 I 29 Dhul-Qadah, 1442 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 11 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition

‘Clear early signs of fourth wave starting’, says asad umar g

Minister blaMes poor coMpliance with sops for spread of coronavirus variants

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ederal Minister for planning, development and special initiatives asad umar on friday said that “there are clear early signs of a fourth wave starting” in pakistan. “two weeks ago, i had tweeted that our artificial intelligence models are showing the possible emergence of a fourth wave. now there are clear early signs of a fourth wave starting,” he said in a tweet. the minister blamed poor compliance with coronavirus-related standard operating procedures (sops) and spread of virus variants, particularly delta variant that was first detected in india, for the looming fourth wave of covid-19. in another tweet, the minister said field reports were showing a complete disregard of the condition of vaccination for those attending indoor weddings, and going to indoor restaurants and gyms. “if the owners of these facilities do not show responsibility and ensure com-

Pakistan

CONFIRMED CASES:

969,476

LAST UPDATED AT 7:27 AM ON JULY 9, 2021

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

NEW CASES:

25

1,737 DEATHS:

911,383 22,520 SINDH:

PUNJAB:

344,223

347,553

KPK:

BALOCHISTAN:

139,008 AJK/GB: 20,811/6,700

unvaccinated citizens won't be allowed to travel by air, ncoc decides

pliance, there will be no choice but to shut them down,” he said. the minister’s warning has come just a day after prime Minister imran khan expressed worry in a video message over a looming fourth wave of covid-19 and termed the delta variant the “biggest concern”. in his message to the nation, the premier had referred to afghanistan, indonesia and other countries hit by the delta variant and expressed concern over the upward trajectory of covid-19 cases in pakistan, just days after they were on the decline. “we fear the indian variant could strike pakistan and as a precautionary measure, we need to adhere to the sops,” he had said. earlier, the national command and operation centre (ncoc), the nerve centre of pakistan’s coronavirus response, had confirmed the presence of different variants of coronavirus in pakistan, including the delta variant, beta variant that was first detected in south

Coronavirus in

RECOVERED:

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27,781 ISLAMABAD:

83,400

africa, and the alpha variant that was discovered in the united kingdom. the ncoc had said that these variants were detected in pakistan in May and June. the confirmation came amid an uptick in covid-19 cases in the country. according to the government’s covid-19 portal, the number of daily covid-19 cases dropped from four digits to three digits on June 25. the daily cases being reported remained close to the 900 mark till June 27 and further fell to 735 on June 28. then the number of cases gradually started increasing and doubled in just one week. the positivity rate, which stood at less than 2 per cent in June, crossed 3pc after a gap of 20 days on wednesday. on friday, pakistan reported over 1,000 covid-19 cases for the third straight day. the country recorded 1,737 coronavirus cases and 27 deaths during the last 24 hours. despite a rise in cases, asad has said the government will not impose a complete lockdown during the fourth wave of the pandemic. addressing an oath-taking ceremony of newly appointed members of the national youth council on thursday, the minister had, however, added that a proposal for smart lockdowns was on the cards.

NO AIR TRAVEL FOR UNVACCINATED CITIZENS: Meanwhile, the ncoc on friday announced that unvaccinated people will not be allowed to travel by air starting august 1. in its review of the measures put in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus, particularly in view of the impending spread of the delta variant, which it termed “extremely dangerous”, the ncoc also declared it mandatory for adult students to get themselves vaccinated by august 31. News Desk

Power sharing best way to avert civil war in Afghanistan: FM g

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Qureshi stresses 'shared responsibility' in call with blinken nsa says situation in afGhanistan GettinG 'out of our hands' afGhan fM seeks pakistan's help to persuade taliban to return to talks

foreign Minister shah Mahmood Qureshi on friday told a senate panel that a power-sharing formula in afghanistan is the best way to avoid a civil-war-like situation in the neighbouring country. briefing members of the senate’s standing committee on foreign affairs, shah Mahmood Qureshi said that pakistan is already handling afghan refugees in its limited resources and could not deal with more influx. “we do not want afghan refugees here as they should stay in their country,” he said and added that they even want three million refugees currently in pakistan to return to their homeland. he also affirmed that he would not be “apologetic” during an important conference on afghanistan he was due to attend in uzbekistan in the coming days. “the situation in afghanistan is worsening and holding pakistan responsible for the [worsening] situation was not fair,” he said on the occasion.

Taliban say they control 85pc of Afghan territory g

all borders now in taliban control 'will reMain open and functional' MOSCOW AFP

the taliban said on friday they now control 85 per cent of afghanistan’s territory as the group mount an offensive amid a us military withdrawal, though the group’s claims cannot be independently verified. at a press conference in Moscow, taliban negotiator shahabuddin delawar said that “85 percent of afghanistan’s territory” is under the group’s control, including some 250 of the country’s 398 districts. “all administrative bodies and hospitals continue their work on this territory. we ensured their functionality,” he said, calling on international organisations “not to interrupt their missions.” delawar said that the us withdrawal was a result of the taliban bringing afghanistan’s population over to its side under the “principle of islam”. “the united states was forced to leave our territory,” he said. he added that there was no agreement with the united states for the taliban not to at-

the foreign minister said the taliban had objections over afghan president ashraf Ghani’s participation in negotiations, adding that they were “intelligent and had grown wise” over time. he added that the taliban had changed after the doha talks. the minister said afghanistan lacked the resources to ensure its security and pakistan would have to prepare for dealing with the changing situation in the war-torn country as india wanted to sabotage the peace process there. he added that india neither wanted stability in afghanistan nor in pakistan. “and we have informed america, european nations and others about this,” he said. the minister also said that another briefing to lawmakers on national security by the military leadership would be organised before eid-ul-adha. an earlier briefing on the issue had taken place on July 1. News Desk

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

more inside

PM accused by Maryam of buying votes ahead of AJK election STORY ON PAGE 02

exams to start from saturday; pMl-n playing politics with students: shafqat STORY ON PAGE 03

tack administrative centres remaining under kabul’s control. “these are our internal affairs,” delawar said. on thursday, a taliban delegation in Moscow met with the kremlin’s envoy for afghanistan, zamir kabulov, while the russian foreign ministry released a statement saying that it had received assurances central asian borders would not be violated. suhail shaheen, the group’s spokesperson, said the two sides discussed new developments in “our country”. he added that the peace process and other matters of mu-

tual interest were also discussed in the meeting with kabulov. “the iea delegation reiterated its well-known stand that it will not allow anyone to use the soil of afghanistan against any other country, nor will tolerate the intervention of others in our internal affairs. shaheen said delawar assured the russian government that all borders now in taliban control “will remain open and functional”. “we assure all, we are not going to target diplomats, embassies and consulates, nGos and their staff.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

$650bn SDR allocation to be completed by August-end: IMF MD STORY ON BACK PAGE

Govt to link performance reports of officials to resolution of public complaints STORY ON PAGE 03

02

Saturday, 10 July, 2021

ISLAMABAD

NEWS

PM aCCused By MaryaM of BuyINg voTes ahead of aJK eLeCTIoN

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NewS DeSk

RIME Minister Imran Khan has been accused by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Vice President Maryam Nawaz of buying votes for the upcoming Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections, it emerged on Friday.

Maryam, while addressing a rally in Pattaka, AJK, said PM Imran was now again talking about approaching the International Monetary Fund (IMF). She claimed that while the premier did not have the resources to provide people with food supplies, it appeared that he “has enough resources and

money to buy votes in the AJK elections”.

She asked people to catch those that would interfere in the AJK elections the same way the people had stepped up and ensured democracy in the Daska by-election.

She took another shot at the government by pointing out the increase in power outages, with some areas experiencing up to 12-hour load shedding, to which she also claimed that former premier Nawaz Sharif had contained the issue with his effective policies.

“Perhaps this is the first summer when Pakistan is witnessing gas load shedding.

The selectors who are now supporting Imran were against Nawaz Sharif when he was

taking measures to provide relief to the masses,” alleged Maryam Nawaz.

She also rebuked the premier for “letting people suffer during the last Ramadan just to get a 1kg sack of sugar.” She insisted the PML-N would not allow the “sun of selection” to rise in Kashmir.

She claimed that a concert had been underway at the Foreign Office on July 8 — the day when the country was observing the fifth death anniversary of Burhan Wani, Hizbul Mujahideen leader and a revered figure in Indian-occupied Kashmir.

Moving on the Kashmir issue, she said Imran Khan was changing the names of roads, observing mourning once a week to

fight the case of Kashmir under his “foreign policy”. She said that PM Imran had claimed Trump would mediate in the Kashmir issue, “but how we let Kashmir go is all that we have now.”

The PML-N VP continued to slam the prime minister and said merely asking people to observe “two-minute silence” in solidarity with Kashmiris, alleging “this is all that has been doing for the cause of Kashmir”.

Asserting that a man who only has a cricket background could not understand foreign policy, she asserted that “He keeps on ruthlessly hitting the people of Pakistan with the same bat that he would use in the ground”.

Accusing the prime minister of “giving away” Kashmir to India, she claimed measures were afoot to bifurcate Azad Jammu and Kashmir as well. Earlier, she thanked the people of Pattaka for turning up in large numbers at the PML-N rally.

She insisted that the PML-N was still a popular political party in the AJK. “You can suppress the voice of Nawaz Sharif, you can

Akhtar Mengal thinks govt isn’t serious about talking to insurgents NewS DeSk Sardar Akhtar Mengal, the chief of the Balochistan National Party-Mengal, has expressed skepticism over the possibility of a dialogue between the government and the insurgents in the province, saying that he thinks the government is not serious.

On Monday, Prime Minister Imran Khan, while addressing elders and notables of Gwadar during his visit, said that the government is planning to reach out to the estranged Baloch youth for the sake of peace in Balochistan., He added that foes of Pakistan had used these elements in the past, but now the situation has entirely changed.

Two days later, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday appointed Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP) chief and MNA Shahzain Bugti as his special assistant on reconciliation and harmony in Balochistan.

PTI, PML-N confused over Kashmir issue, claims Bilawal NewS DeSk Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday alleged that both Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) are confused over Kashmir issue and are taking “U-turns”. Addressing an election rally, Bilawal said that Kashmiris will not take dictation be it from New Delhi or Bani Gala. “Our Jiyalas [PPP workers] will make them (PML-N and PTI) run away from Kashmir… we’re not like them… we do not take Uturns like these two parties,” he added. The PPP leader said that the PTI’s policy about Kashmir has been confused from day one. “Imran Khan takes Uturn on Kashmir. First, he says that until the August 5 move is not reversed, we will not talk [with India] but later, he says trade with India is necessary.” He said that the PTI policy on Kashmir is confused and therefore such rulers do not deserve to govern either Pakistan or AJK. “Only you can save Kashmir [with your votes] from these puppets,” he added. He said that PM Khan was trying to issue an ordinance to give NRO (amnesty) to Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav but PPP disclosed the scheme. “The PPP will never be a part of any such move.” Bilawal also said that he had heard that PM Imran is giving away money to buy votes in the AJK election. “Don’t they know they cannot buy the vote of honourable Kashmiris? The Kashmiri people are honourable and loyal. They are not for sale,” he added. Taking aim at former ally the PML-N, he said that the party is also confused. “The PML-N has two narratives. We ask them, ‘are you following the narrative of Nawaz Sharif or Shehbaz Sharif, but we don’t get a clear answer. Do you want to give your vote to such a confused party?” he asked the participants. The PPP chief further said that his party wants to get rid of Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and PM Khan but the PML-N did not support them. “We do not invite Modi to our weddings. We believe whosoever is against Kashmiris, we’re against them as well.” He said that the PPP has always maintained that Kashmir’s destiny would be decided only by Kashmiris themselves and to this day, we have continued this policy. “If you want to save Kashmir then vote for teer (arrow – the election symbol of PPP).” Bilawal said that PML-N’s Vice President Maryam Nawaz was also campaigning in AJK, asking his party workers not to use foul language against her. “We all have to give her respect.

No PPP worker will say any bad word about her. We might be against their politics and we should never get personal.”

The BNP-M chief, while speaking to a DawnNewsTV, said, “If I am not wrong, he said he has only thought about it, not decided. And a person’s thoughts can change at any time.” Mengal said that rulers in Pakistan change their decisions often. “I don’t think the government is serious.

These are not muzakrat (dialogue), they are mazakrat (a joke),” he said, adding that the people of the province have been a victim of this “joke” since 1947.

He stated that the government did not have the power or the authority to hold talks with insurgents. “There are two areas in the region where the establishment has kept powers to itself. One is occupied Kashmir, and the second is Balochistan.

“No political government has ever been given the powers to resolve the issues of Balochistan,” Mengal said, adding that ground realities needed to be accepted.

“Has the establishment ever expressed remorse over what happened to the people of Balochistan?” he asked.

Pointing towards the issue of missing persons, he called on the government to address the problems being faced by the people. “You won’t need a ticket to London or Switzerland to achieve this.”

Mengal said that work on the six-point agenda his party presented to the prime minister did not require permission from the establishment.

“However, when we used to meet him, he used to say ‘go and talk to the army chief or the director general of the Inter-Services Intelligence’. From his language and from his actions, it is clear that the military establishment does not want to resolve the issue of Balochistan.

“They have a golden bird in their hands […] they will never let it go,” he said. National Party leader Dr Abdul Malik said that the province had been burning for the past 15 years, holding former military ruler General (r) Pervez Musharraf responsible for the current wave of militancy in the province.

‘Politically immature’ Bilawal, Maryam ignorant of Kashmir’s history: Fawad ISLAMABAD APP

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain on Friday said PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz were politically immature, and totally ignorant of the history of Kashmir and Kashmiris’ struggle for freedom. Commenting on the speeches of Bilawal Bhutto and Maryam Nawaz during the AJK election campaign, he said both of them were trying to replace their parents in politics, who had looted and plundered of billions of rupees from the national exchequer while in power.

Mariyam’s father had even been declared as an absconder by the courts, he added.

Fawad said the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had ruled the Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) for ten years and they should have better informed the public about their governments’ performance. As they had nothing on their credit in that regard, that was why they were hurling political satires, he added.

The two parties had neither any political ideology nor any objective, as evident from the direction less speeches of their leadership, he said. Those who had ruled the country for over 30 years did not know about their policy.

The minister questioned how could the opposition leaders, who were afraid to mention the name of Indian spy Kulbhushan Sudhir Jadhav even during their respective tenures in government, devise policies for the country. On the contrary, he said, Prime Minister Imran Khan was the true ambassador of Kashmir. Even today Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was being given a befitting answer as a leader like Imran Khan was ruling the country, he added.

It was Prime Minister Imran Khan, who had again internationalized the Kashmir issue, by raising it all fora, including OIC and UN Security Council, Fawad said.

He said how could those having money and assets abroad, protect the ideology of Pakistan.

The people of Kashmir could no more be deceived as the broken roads along with lack of health and education facilities all across the AJK spoke volumes about the two parties apathy towards them, he added.

declare him absconder… but the people of AJK still admire him,” she added.

As many as 32 political and religious parties are vying in the polls — prominent among them PML-N, PPP and PTI — for the 45 direct seats of the assembly, 33 of which are located in AJK territory and 12 in Pakistan.

On the other hand, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib said PML-N leader Maryam is trying to deceive the people of Azad Kashmir by claiming herself a Kashmiri.

Addressing a news conference in Islamabad, Farrukh said the people of AJK will reject PML-N in upcoming elections. He said Prime Minister Imran has proved himself a true ambassador of Kashmir.

The minister said the prime minister raised the voice of Kashmiris at all international forums including the United Nations and OIC adding that Imran Khan has exposed the real face of India in front of the world.

Covid-19 positivity rate jumps to 3.65pc with 1,737 fresh infections NewS DeSk The country witnessed an uptick in new coronavirus cases during the last twenty-four hours as 1,737 new coronavirus cases were detected According to the National Command and Operation Centre's data issued on Friday, 1,737 new coronavirus cases were detected after 47,528 tests were taken. A steady increase has also been seen in the positivity rate, which reached 3.65 percent. The number of active cases in the country has also gone up to 35,573.

Another 25 people died of Covid-19, pushing the nation's death tally to 22,520. The total number of cases from the virus since the pandemic started have reached 969,476, while 911,383 people have recovered from the virus so far. According to a province-wise breakdown, the active cases in Sindh so far are 16,102, in Punjab 17,196, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 9,547, in Islamabad Capital Territory 1,978, in Balochistan 1,397, in Gilgit-Baltistan 475 and in Azad Jammu and Kashmir 833. Sindh reported at least 1,046 new coronavirus cases during the last 24 hours, taking the tally to 345,252. According to Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, 17 more patients succumbed to the deadly virus as the death toll jumped to 5,583. He further said that 579 more patients recovered overnight, taking the total to 316,860. At least 206 new coronavirus cases were recorded in Punjab during the past 24 hours, taking the provincial tally to 347,553. According to the Punjab Primary and Secondary Health Care Department, at least 7 more patients succumbed to the pandemic as the total death count reached 10,805. The department added that at least 328,437 patients had recovered from the deadly virus as of yet, with 36 people recovered in the past 24 hours.

Tributes pour in for Mother of the Nation on death anniversary NewS DeSk

Pakistanis stranded in Europe, Middle East to be brought back by July 20, NA told ISLAMABAD INP

Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan has assured that all the stranded Pakistanis in Europe and the Middle East will be brought to the country by 20th of this month.

Speaking in the National Assembly on Friday, he said Pakistan International Airline (PIA) has operated special flights to bring overseas Pakistanis to the country from the Middle Eastern Region.

By now, 54,116 stranded Pakistanis have been brought to the country in a dignified manner, he said adding that those in Europe and the UK are also being transported to the country through chartered flights.

Ghulam Sarwar Khan said overseas Pakistanis are our precious asset and they are contributing immensely to the country’s economy. He said their remittances reached 29 billion dollars during the last fiscal year.

Responding to a calling attention notice, Adviser on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan said several

projects have been initiated in different cities under Naya Pakistan Housing Scheme to provide low cost houses to the common man.

Construction of 45 thousand housing units is underway and work on them will be completed in eighteen months’ time, he added.

Babar Awan said loans on low interest rates are also being provided to the people to construct houses. He said the banks have so far received 33506 loan applications amounting to 110 billion rupees.

He said loans worth 35 billion rupees have been approved. Parliamentary Secretary for Defense Malik Anwar Taj laid before the house the Pakistan Maritime Zones Bill, 2021.

The opposition parties staged a walk out from the house for not agreeing to their suggestion to delay the board exams.

Earlier, the Parliamentary Secretary for Education Wajiha Qamar said exams cannot be delayed. She said the decision to hold board exams was taken in consultation with the provinces. She said exams have already been held in Balochistan whilst these are underway in Sindh province.

The 54th death anniversary of Madar-e-Millat Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah was observed with reverence and respect across the country on Friday. Late Fatima Jinnah is still remembered for her passionate support for civil rights and devoted struggle in the Pakistan Movement.

She is referred to as the Madar-e-Millat or Mother of the Nation for her dynamic role in the Pakistan freedom movement. She passed away in Karachi on 9th July 1967. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan has paid tribute to Fatima Jinnah on her death anniversary, saying: “She valiantly fought for Jinnah’s vision of Pakistan”. “Remembering Madr-e Millat Fatima Jinnah: A woman of strength & iron will, she was a source of strength for her brother Quaid-e-Azam, till he breathed his last,” the premier wrote in a tweet from his official handle on Friday. She valiantly fought for Jinnah's vision of Pakistan even when she was old and at a time when dictatorship had taken over, he added. Meanwhile, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry paid tributes to Fatim Jinnah, saying it is a great honour for his family that his paternal uncle Chaudhry Altaf was one of the key leaders of her caravan in West Pakistan in the 1964 elections. Sharing a rare group photo of Fatima Jinnah on the occasion of her arrival in Jhelum, he said this memorable picture was an asset of his family.

Saturday, 10 July, 2021

ISLAMABAD

NEWS

ExAMS TO STArT frOM SATurdAy; PML-N PLAyINg POLITICS wITh STudENTS: ShAfqAT IsLAMABAD

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APP

EDERAL Minister for Education and Professional Training, Shafqat Mehmood on Friday said exams would start in the federal capital as well as provinces from Saturday, terming Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz, which is allegedly breaking apart, as playing politics with students to gain cheap popularity by demanding cancellation of examinations.

In a series of tweets, Shafqat Mahmood said people like Ahsan Iqbal and Saad Rafiq knew that exams have already started in Baluchistan and Sindh, therefore other students could not be treated differently.

“They know that decision to take exams was taken unanimously by all federating units including PML-N Govt in AJK, and PPP in Sindh”. They knew

that students could not be promoted on the basis of previous exams as there were no exams last year, he mentioned.

Saad Rafiq and Ahsan Iqbal should know that for educating people, exams are the best measure to evaluate students ability, adding, class 12 is much

COAS thanks Chinese envoy for unwavering support to Pakistan amid pandemic RAwALPINDI APP

important as the students have to go to universities and professional colleges on the basis of HSSC results, Shafqat Mahmood added. He stressed that why should hardworking students be discriminated and asked PML-N leaders to stop cheap politics. He went on to say

that both PML-N leaders should know that after the 18th amendment, out of 30 educational boards, only one board, the federal board is under the federal government. Yet they were pretending that one order from the federal minister could stop exams across the country.

He said that PML-N leaders have attempted again a failed attempt at cheap politics. Shafqat Mahmood added that exams were starting from Saturday in the remaining provinces and federating units.

He also wished all students who would appear in exams good luck.

While offering an opportunity to those students who wanted more time for preparations, he said they could avail themselves of the chance of appearing in supplementary exams that would be taken after two to three months by all boards.

“Why should these exams be postponed and students who have been studying be penalised,” he questioned PML-N.

Islamabad IGP briefs PM about progress in couple harassment case News Desk

incident, it took place within the limits of Golra police station at an apartment building in sector E-11/2.

“The video clip of the incident went viral on social media. In the video, five to six men can be seen keeping the victims in custody under gunpoint. The accused also stripped the man and the woman naked while threatening them,” the FIR said, adding that the suspects were also performing “vulgar acts”.

The main accused, Usman Mirza, and his two accomplices — Hafizur Rehman and Farhan Shaheen Awan — were arrested shortly after the video clip started trending on social media platforms.

The fourth accused was arrested later in the day, according to an update posted by the Islamabad police on its Twitter account.

The police, while rejecting as erroneous the reports of suspects being granted bails, asserted “any person no matter how influential was not above the law”.

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa Friday thanked the Chinese ambassador Nong Rong for unwavering support, extended to Pakistan during the testing times of pandemic. The Chinese ambassador called on the COAS here at GHQ, said an Inter Services Public Relations news release. During the meeting, matters of mutual interest, regional security situation, bilateral cooperation in various fields and update on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor were discussed. Ambassador appreciated and acknowledged Pakistan’s positive role in the region and pledged to play his role for further improvement in diplomatic cooperation between both the countries.

Islamabad Inspector General of Police Qazi Jameel-urRehman called on Prime Minister Imran Khan in the federal capital on Friday and briefed him about the progress made so far in a case regarding harassment of a couple in E-11/2 sector of the federal capital.

The inspector general is personally monitoring this case following the arrest of the accused persons. The prime minister was informed that all scientific resources are being utilised to collect more evidence in the case.

The IGP also apprised the premier of the law and order situation of Islamabad.

On Thursday, four men who were arrested after a video of them thrashing and stripping naked a young couple went viral on social media were remanded into police custody, Islamabad police said.

According to the first information report of the

Pakistan welcomes Iran’s mediation efforts between Taliban and Afghan govt

CPEC JCC to meet later this month, says Chinese ambassador

News Desk

News Desk

Pakistan on Friday welcomed Iran’s engagement with the Taliban and the Afghan government in search of a negotiated settlement in the war-torn country. “Pakistan welcomes Iran’s engagement with Afghan parties to achieve a negotiated political settlement,” said Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri in a statement. Chaudhri said that Pakistan views Iran as an “important country in the Afghan peace process. “Iran, like Pakistan, is a neighboring country of Afghanistan and host to millions of Afghan refugees,” Chaudhri noted.

He expressed the hope that the Afghan parties would make use of the opportunity to “achieve an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political settlement”.

AFGHAN GOVT DELEGATION MEETS TALIBAN REPRESENTATIVE IN TEHRAN: As fighting rages in Afghanistan, Taliban representatives met an Afghan government delegation in Tehran on Wednesday.

The news was confirmed by the Tehran foreign ministry, as the Taliban make massive gains in Afghanistan. Opening the Tehran talks, Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif welcomed the departure of its US foe from its eastern borders but warned: “Today the people and political leaders of Afghanistan must make difficult decisions for the future of their country.” Leading negotiator Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai headed the Taliban delegation while former vice president Younus Qanooni represented the government, the Iranian ministry said. Zarif hailed the “defeat” of US troops after two decades of war that had caused “extensive damage” but warned of the “unfavourable results of continuing the conflict in Afghanistan”. Iran hosts several million Afghan refugees and migrant workers and is deeply concerned about the intensifying turmoil in the neighbouring country.

Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong has announced that a long-awaited meeting of the Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would be convened later this month.

The CPEC has seen Beijing pledge over $60 billion for infrastructure projects in Pakistan, central to China’s wider Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to develop land and sea trade routes in Asia and beyond.

The JCC is the highest decisionmaking body for CPEC projects, co-chaired by Pakistan’s minister for planning and development and the chairman of China’s National Development and Reforms Commission.

The JCC makes decisions on the inclusion of new projects into the CPEC framework and also tracks project implementation.

In November last year, the JCC was delayed after both countries could not

agree on the future roadmap for industrial cooperation.

Speaking at the concluding session of a conference titled “Pakistan-China At 70: Vision for the Future” held at the PakistanChina Institute (PCI) on Thursday, Nong said CPEC had moved from just focusing on infrastructure and energy, to developments in the sector of agriculture, industry, IT, science and technology.

“Urbanisation, digitization, and modernisation are the prerequisites for rapid development in the years to come,” he said at the conference, as quoted by the Express Tribune.

In a keynote address via video, Chinese senior diplomat Wang Yi urged Pakistan to promote strategic communication with China and closer coordination on all issues of common interest. “No matter how the world or the region changes, China will always stand firmly with Pakistan,” the Chinese state councilor and foreign minister said.

Govt to link performance reports of officials to resolution of public complaints News Desk Prime Minister Imran Khan decided on Friday to make performance reports of government officials conditional to their resolution of public grievances.

According to a letter issued to the establishment division on his instruction, a status and number will be assigned to the performance of government officials in the annual confidential report (ACR) in accordance with how many public complaints they resolved.

“Resolving the grievances of the people should be the first responsibility of any government official,” the letter read.

It added, “Prompt resolution of grievances and public satisfaction is the best measure of a government official’s performance.”

In his letter, PM Imran further instructed to work out the modalities, saying the Establishment Division has been directed to evolve a mechanism regarding linking the performance report of government officials with the resolution of public complaints.

03

PM discusses dialogue initiative with Baloch senators IsLAMABAD TLTP

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday held a meeting with Balochistan senators and discussed the overall situation of the province with them. Those who called on the prime minister included Senator Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti and Senator Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar. The political situation of the province and proposed talks with angry Baloch were discussed during the meeting. The participants also talked about the impact of the government’s development package on the economy and lives of the common people in the province and deliberated on the decision as having an impact on improving the law and order situation. Admiring the decision of the premier, the senators assured him of complete support in this regard. Earlier on Wednesday, the prime minister appointed Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP) chief Nawabzada Shahzain Bugti as his Special Assistant (SAPM), a move seen as laying the groundwork for initiating a dialogue with the ‘angry’ Baloch elements. The appointment of Bugti, a grandson of former Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Akbar Bugti, is part of major changes in the province announced, which included the replacement of Governor Amanullah Yasinzai with Zahoor Agha. The move also comes after back-to-back initiatives at the highest level to try to bring the disgruntled Baloch elements into the mainstream and restore the law and order in the province. On Monday, the prime minister himself indicated that he was considering holding talks with the “angry Baloch”. And on Tuesday, Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa said that Balochistan was in sharp focus of the national leadership and that the army was fully engaged in enabling the national and provincial response in synergy with other institutions of the state.

Pakistan committed to cleaner fuels, green energy: SAPM News Desk Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Petroleum and Power Tabish Gohar has reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to cleaner fuels and green energy.

Talking to the US Chargé d' Affaires a.i Angela Aggeler on Friday, the SAPM gave an overview of the country’s energy sector and the endeavours of the incumbent government to reform it. He said that the government would forge a massive addition of renewable capacity i.e. 30 percent by 2030 with 45 percent share of hydel power generation.

Saturday, 10 July, 2021

04 NEWS

ISLAMABAD

Punjab judges barred from using social media Platforms LAHORE

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INP

HE district judges of Punjab have been barred on Friday from using social media platforms to communicate court-related information. In a notification issued after approval of Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court,

Justice Ameer Bhatti, the use of social media for the spread of content related to the judiciary has been restrained by terming it against the code of conduct of the judges.

The judges have been advised to communicate in legal matters through the Lahore High Court’s Registrar Office and immediately leave the non-governmental WhatsApp groups.

The use of social media for communication of legal issues is against the prestige of the judges and departmental action would be taken against those judges who are found violating the orders, the notification read.

Such messages are spread and displayed in print and electronic media without any proof of the cred-

ibility of said messages and no judicial officer should be doing so through any of the social media means, especially with reference to the judiciary.

The LHC CJ has directed the judicial officers to restrict their social life and avoid using social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and others.

Punjab govt decides to set up emergency centres LAHORE INP

The Punjab government has decided to set up rural emergency centres at Patwar circle level in all districts of the province to provide immediate relief during natural calamities and disasters. This was announced by Punjab Minister for Provincial Disaster Management Authority Mian Khalid Mehmood during a briefing in Lahore on government measures for immediate redressal of losses after natural calamities and accidents. The minister said the centres will later be given the status of "Dehi Mall Marakiz" where revenue facility will also be available. He said the centres will resolve public problems at their doorstep. The minister said that preparations are being made to cope with any untoward situation during the upcoming monsoon rains.

nab prepares to challenge rana sanaullah’s bail in sc LAHORE TLTP

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Friday decided to invoke Supreme Court’s jurisdiction to cancel Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Punjab President and MNA Rana Sanaullah’s bail in the assets beyond means case. Sources disclosed that the NAB has drafted an appeal against the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) decision that granted bail to Rana after allowing his bail application. Opposing the bail application before the LHC, NAB prosecutor Faisal Bukhari had argued that Rana Sanaullah has received Rs127 million salary while performing duties on different public positions from 1990 to 2019, whereas, he do not have any other sources of income. He contended that Rana Sanaullah’s inherited properties include a 10-kanal agricultural land and two houses, saying Rana has not mentioned his 14 properties anywhere and it is necessary to arrest the accused for the purpose of investigation. However, on April 5, the LHC had granted interim bail to the PML-N leader in the assets case, which was later confirmed by the court. The NAB has decided to assail the bail in the matter before the top court on the grounds that PML-N lawmaker was granted bail in negation of the facts. Opposing the bail, the NAB will contend that Rana Sanaullah owns more assets than his means of income justify.

LAHORE: A trader grazes the cattle in the provincial capital. Online

NTDC sets up office in Nowshera for CASA-1000 power project LAHORE PR

In pursuit of early completion of the project, the National Transmission and Despatch Company Limited (NTDC) has set up its camp office at ±500 KV HVDC Converter Station site in Nowshera along with Grounding Electrode for CASA1000 Power Project near Azakhel Bala, Nowshera. Managing Director NTDC Engr. Muhammad Ayub inaugurated the

NTDC camp office today. He also inspected the ongoing construction work of the project and directed to complete the convertor station on war footing. The project is a part of cross border power project CASA-1000 which is being executed by Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan. He said that the establishment of camp office will help to improve coordination and communication between NTDC and other stakeholders of the project. HVDC Convertor Station for CASA-1000 Power

Project was handed over to the contractor 3 months ago, which has achieved overall 45 percent progress of Engineering & Design, Procurement of Material and Civil Work. Engr. Muhammad Ayub said that the projects will be completed on fast track to achieve its timeline.

While talking about the CASA-1000 Power Project, he said that 1300 MW clean power will be transmitted from Tajikistan to Pakistan during summer season and will be helpful in maintaining the required voltage level and to meet the in-

creasing load demand of the country.

1270 km long transmission is also under construction. Whereas, NTDC is constructing 113 km long HVDC transmission line from Torkham border to Nowshera Converter Station. The transmission line will be completed by end of 2022.

He said that as per the contractual completion period, the HVDC Converter Station Project will be completed

by August 2024. Both the projects, the transmission line and converter station will be completed with the cost of $ 205 million.

Later, MD NTDC also planted a tree at aforementioned project as part of ongoing tree plantation campaign started in line with Prime Minister vision, “Clean and Green Pakistan”.

LHC orders CAA to restore flight operation at Walton Airport LAHORE TLTP

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday directed the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to restore flight operation at the Lahore Flying Club, Walton Airport, which was suspended since May 25 this year. A firm that runs a flying school at the airport had moved a petition before the LHC, seeking restoration of flights at the airport. The petitioner had informed the court that flight operation was suspended following a notification of the CAA, saying pilots and other staff are suffering due to the suspension of the flight operation. Taking up the plea, a single-member bench of Justice Ali Baqar Najafi directed the concerned authorities to resume the flight operation at the Lahore Flying Club. During the course of proceedings, a government lawyer had apprised the bench that eight to 22 weeks are required to prepare a report on the relocation of the airport and related infrastructure. It is pertinent to mention that on May 25, the CAA had issued notification for permanent closure of Lahore’s oldest Walton Airport, while issuing directives to all flying clubs to ground their planes as the airport would be permanently shut down for all operations from May 26.

According to CAA officials, a business hub would be constructed at Walton Airport’s place.

11 Pakistani illegal immigrants held in turkey NEWS DESK At least 11 illegal immigrants from Pakistan were held in Turkey’s Kocaeli province on Friday, the provincial security directorate said. The Pakistani nationals were found in a bus at a security checkpoint, it added. The police also arrested the bus driver. Turkey has been a key transit point for asylum seekers, who want to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution. It hosts nearly 4 million refugees, including over 3.6 million Syrians, more than any other country in the world.

Saturday, 10 July, 2021

ISLAMABAD

NEWS

President upholds ombudsman verdict in internet banking fraud case President Dr Arif Alvi on Friday rejected the representation of Muslim Commercial Bank (MCB) challenging the order of the Banking Mohtasib to credit the lost money to its account holder, who had fallen victim to internet banking fraud. The President said the bank’s argument on declaring the unauthorised funds transfer as the customer’s liability for divulging his personal information to an unknown caller, is “not tenable”. “The ‘strange and evasive stance of the MCB that this being a matter of internet fraud and the bank is not responsible for the loss of its customer’s money owing to compromised credentials by customer himself is just shrugging off bank’s fiduciary responsibilities to an innocent account holder,” he wrote in his order.

The president, in his decision, pointed out that MCB failed to explain how an aggregate amount of Rs497,600 was transferred in a day from the complainant’s account against the default per day limit of Rs100,000 set on his Visa Debit Card. “This is a serious gap where the system has allowed fund transfers beyond the assigned per day internet banking limit on a transaction,” he said, adding had the internet banking system been properly functioning, it could have prevented transfer of funds. A sum of Rs497,600 was transferred from the account of Shaukat Ali, a bank account holder with MCB Karachi, after he received multiple calls on his mobile phone on October 28, 2018, posing to be from the census department and the bank. The unknown callers sought from Shaukat Ali (complainant) the details of his bank account, which he admittedly shared assuming the calls were from the bank. For retrieval of his lost funds, he filed several complaints with the bank, however on finding no redressal of his grievance, he approached the Banking Mohtasib. The finding of the Banking Mohtasib revealed that the complainant had never requested for the internet/mobile banking facility and also had no knowledge about its use. However, on his request to enhance the limit of his Debit Card in 2016, the bank activated the said feature without his consent. NEWS DESK

Crude prices go up over rising demand euphoria Oil prices rose on Friday over rising demand euphoria after US crude and gasoline oil inventories recorded huge falls although the lack of consensus at the latest OPEC+ meeting is leaving oil markets without direction. At 1130 GMT, Brent, the international benchmark for twothirds of the world's oil, gained 0.86 percent to reach $74.76 a barrel. Similarly, the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) reached $73.79, up 1.17 percent. The price for Opec Basket was recorded at $73.58 a barrel with 3.11 percent decrease, Arab Light was available at $74.28 a barrel with 1.60 percent increase, while the price of Russian Sokol reached $73.32 after gaining 1.68 percent. The upward price movement came in response to the hefty drop in US crude and gasoline inventories, which are considered solid signs of a demand rise in the world's largest oil consumer. Crude oil inventories decreased by 6.9 million barrels last week relative to the market expectation of a 3.9 million-barrel draw while gasoline inventories also recorded a massive drop by 6.1 million barrels to 235.5 million barrels over that period.

The dispute among OPEC+ members occurred after the UAE objected to the group's plans to boost output by 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) from August to December. The group also wants to prolong the term of its production cut agreement, which was inked in October 2018, from April to December 2022. NEWS DESK

DollAr sliPs To rs159.17 As ruPee snAPs losing sTreAk

Taliban say they control 85pc of Afghan territory continued from page 01 This week more than 1,000 Afghan troops fled into Tajikistan after a blistering offensive by the Taliban in the north of Afghanistan. Afghan authorities have vowed to retake all the districts lost to the insurgents and deployed hundreds of commandos to counter their offensive in the north. Moscow is closely watching the offensive, concerned about the security of Central Asian countries where it maintains military bases. Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Friday that the Taliban “currently controls about twothirds” of Afghanistan’s border with ex-Soviet Tajikistan. US President Joe Biden on Thursday defended his country’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, though he admitted that it was “highly unlikely” Kabul would be able to control the entire country.

Cryptos remain mixed with Bitcoin surging to $32,811

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AKISTAn rupee appreciated against the US dollar in the interbank after four straight days on Friday and gained 16 paisas (+0.10 percent).

According to the State Bank of Pakistan, the US dollar opened at Rs159.33 and closed at Rs159.17.

Within the open market, the US dollar was traded at 159.50/160.30.

Overall, Pakistani rupee shed Rs1.33 against the US dollar during this week, while depreciation during the fiscal year 2021-22 has been Rs1.63. However, the local unit has so far gained Rs0.94 in the current year 2021.

Currency experts said that a substantial increase in foreign exchange reserves reported by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) a day earlier

helped the local currency make gains during the day.

A day earlier the SBP reported that the foreign exchange reserves of the country increased to $24.415 billion by the week ended July 02, 2021. The foreign exchange reserves increased due to inflows of $1 billion as loan disbursement from China and $440 million from the World Bank. NEWS DESK

The prices of major cryptocurrencies remained mixed on Friday, with the market cap decreasing to $1.41 trillion (-1.4 percent) as of 1150 GMT. The price of Bitcoin (BTC), the largest cryptocurrency, increased to $32,811 after gaining 0.62 percent. With this increase in price, the market capitalisation of the BTC has reached $615 billion. However, ethereum (ETH) price shed 3.28 percent to reach $2,084. With this decrease in price, the market capitalisation of ETH has reached $243 billion. Similarly, XRP shed 1.93 percent to reach $0.610. The market capitalisation of XRP stands at $60.9 billion after this decrease. On the other hand, Cardano (ADA) price reached $1.33 with a 3.05 percent decrease in its price. NEWS DESK

Power sharing best way to avert civil war in Afghanistan: FM continued from page 01 Regarding the idea that Pakistan has been isolated, he said while quoting US State department Spokesperson ned Price: “US State Department has termed Pakistan a ‘helpful and constructive partner’.”

The FM added this was coming from the US that once used to “point fingers” at Pakistan.

He further quoted Price as saying that the US and Pakistan had shared interests in peace and stability in Afghanistan and that the shared interest of both the countries went beyond Afghanistan.

The minister added that while the US had set a deadline of August 31 for pulling out all its troops from Afghanistan, it was willing to continue to work in the region and with Pakistan on broader counter-terrorism initiatives.

Qureshi pointed out that the international community was now recognising that a military method was not the solution, adding that Prime Minister Imran Khan had been labelled “Taliban Khan” when he did so earlier.

Moreover, the recognition of peacemaking as the solution was accredited as the success of Pakistan’s perspective, according to the minister.

The minister said the US had expressed willingness to work towards a solution through rapprochement, which he said was also Pakistan’s stance.

“I am expecting a call from the US state secretary and I will inform him about Pakistan’s stance,” he added.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi further warned that in the case of the Afghan Taliban strengthening across the border, TTP could also increase its influence that could harm Pakistan.

He further highlighted the important role Turkey had in the Afghan peace process and said that better initiatives were taken under the banner of the Istanbul peace process.

Qureshi added that he, the prime minister and security officials had had meetings with the Uzbeks, Tajiks and Hazaras so as to make it clear to them that “there is no favourite in Afghanistan”.

“We want to play the role of a good neighbour and are not thinking about strategic depth [in Afghanistan],” he said. “Our policy on Afghanistan is clear. We want peace and stability in the country and not repeat our mistakes.”

The foreign minister further said that they had a better relationship with Iran and border markets have been established on the Pakistani side to improve trade ties between the two sides.

Speaking during the meeting, national Security Adviser Dr Moeed Yusuf said that they want the end of violence in Afghanistan in order to prevent any fall out of it on Pakistan.

He further warned that if refugee influx was not stopped then it could lead to the arrival of TTP elements in Pakistan in their guise. “The situation in Afghanistan is going out of our hands,” the nSA said.

Denying the presence of the Taliban in Pakistan and terming the reports “Indian propaganda”, he said: “India is financially facilitating the propaganda and agencies have even made arrests in this regard”.

Yusuf said that Pakistan was very concerned about the changing situation following the US drawdown and would be adversely affected by the growing violence and civil war in Afghanistan.

“The region’s peace is conditional on peace in Afghanistan,” he added.

Yusuf further said that the Afghan government needed to work on improving relations with Pakistan if it wanted peace in the country. “[Also], I don’t see the US offering a financial package to Afghanistan and in that case, only Pakistan can provide a trade route to the landlocked country,” he said, adding that the Un Refugee Agency needs to step up camps for the Afghani people.

FM STRESSES ‘SHARED RESPONSIBILITY’ TO BLIKNEN: During his call with US State Secretary Anthony J Blinken, FM Qureshi said that the assurance of peace in Afghanistan “is the shared responsibility of all stakeholders inside Afghanistan as well as key regional and international players”.

A statement issued by the FO read that the two discussed matters of bilateral importance and developments in the region, during which the FM stressed the need for all relevant stakeholders to press all Afghan parties to constructively engage in achieving an “inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive” political settlement, reported Dawn.

In the face of the volatility within Afghanistan due to the withdrawal of the US troops, Qureshi maintained that

Pakistan would be a reliable partner for peace. He highlighted the steps taken by Pakistan in the peace process and further underscored the “fundamental convergence” between Pakistan and the United States on the need for a peaceful settlement in Afghanistan.

According to the FO statement, the two senior leaders stressed the need for both sides to continue close coordination and collaboration to ensure meaningful progress in the peace process.

On bilateral relations, the foreign minister emphasised Pakistan’s commitment to forging a long-term and sustainable relationship with the US that was anchored in “deep economic cooperation, regional connectivity and peace in the region”, according to the press release.

He highlighted Pakistan’s focus on geo-economics and reiterated the importance of enhancing economic, trade and investment ties between Pakistan and the US. The two sides also exchanged views on regional connectivity and other key issues as well.

AFGHAN FM SEEKS PAKISTAN’S HELP: Meanwhile, Geo news reported that Afghanistan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Hanif Atmar has sought Pakistan’s help to end the raging conflict in Afghanistan, saying that he hoped Islamabad would persuade the Taliban to return to talks again.

In an interview with the news channel, Atmar said that Kabul had great expectations from Pakistan. “We are hopeful Pakistan will help Afghanistan disrupt the Taliban’s supply and ‘brutal campaign’,” said the Afghan minister.

Responding to a question about whether the Afghan government thinks the US betrayed it, Atmar said that Washington signed an agreement with the Taliban with honest intentions.

“The Taliban did not fulfil their part of the deal and deceived the whole world,” he said. “The Taliban are making a huge mistake. All of us have extended a hand of friendship towards them,” he added.

He said that the Afghan government was telling the Taliban to honour the Doha peace deal, adding that Kabul had fulfilled its obligations of the deal when it came to the prisoners exchange and ensuring foreign troops leave the country.

With additional input from InP

Envoy calls for promoting Pakistan-Palestine trade ties Palestinian Ambassador Ahmed Ameen Rabaie has said that Pakistan and Palestine should focus on improving bilateral trade to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes and create new opportunities of progress and prosperity for their people.

The ambassador said this during his visit to Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) on Friday, according to a statement.

He said that Pakistan and Palestine should promote business linkages between their private sectors to explore all untapped areas of mutual cooperation. He said that both countries should expand existing political cooperation to other areas including economy, agriculture, banking, health, edu-

05

cation, social and cultural sectors.

He thanked the government and people of Pakistan for showing strong support to Palestine during Gaza crisis, which was a source of encouragement for Palestinian people. He also thanked ICCI for donating a significant amount for the Palestinian people affected by the recent aggression of Israel.

Speaking at the occasion, ICCI President Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan said that ICCI is already in touch with Palestinian Business Association (PBA) to encourage and promote direct contacts between the entrepreneurs of Pakistan and Palestine so as to develop strong commercial and industrial cooperation between the two brotherly countries.

He said that ICCI and PBA intend to

work jointly for promoting the exchange of trade delegations that would help in exploring new avenues of enhancing trade, JVs and investment between the two countries. He said that both trade bodies are interested in assisting each other in the participation of private sectors in each other’s trade fairs and exhibitions.

He said that ICCI and PBA would also try to hold roundtable conferences and seminars for business communities of both countries and encourage setting up of business partnerships in areas of interest.

Both sides also discussed a wide range of topics to strengthen the trade and economic cooperation between Pakistan and Palestine. NEWS DESK

cmYK

Saturday, 10 July, 2021

06 COMMENT

The Imminent Fall of Kabul

Fighting over Kashmir Will the election advance liberation?

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t was perhaps a consequence of the major parties getting involved, but the PtI cannot escape the examination that is being made of Pakistan’s Kashmir policy under him, in the course of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections. there is perhaps a lack of choice for PPP Co-chairman Bilawal Zardari Bhutto and PML(N) Vice-President Maryam Nawaz pitched in to Mr Khanfor his Kashmir policy. the election may be about how AJK is being run, but the involvement of the Pakistani parties made it inevitable that the election would be about the Kashmir policy. It should not be forgotten that the purpose of AJK’s existence is to act as a base camp for the liberation of Indian-Occupied Kashmir. Mr Khan would find that criticism particularly galling, because he has prided himself on his championing of the Kashmir cause, and has said that he wanted to be known as Kashmir’s ambassador thie election rhetoric will build up before the actual polling takes place on July 25. By then, not only will Ms Sharif and Mr Zardari have further opportunities to address the electorate, but Mr Khan will also give his reply when he addresses the election rallies planned for him.

An interesting aspect of the election has been the doubts expressed by Ms Sharif about the fairness of the polls. AJK has generally been very consistent in yielding victories in all elections for the party ruling in Islamabad.

By that measure, the PtI should be accounted the frontrunner. However, Ms Sharif, whose party is the incumbent, has said that if anyone tried to steal the polls, her party would fight to the end. this was a reference to the vote ko izzat do (respect the vote) slogan her party used in the 2018 elections.

AJK elections are not just differentiated from Pakistani elections because they are out of synch with Pakistani general elections, and thus allow more concentration on the performance of the state government, but because they provide a more intense discussion of the Kashmir issue, which is the main issue, virtually the sole issue, on which the federal government is judged. this is the first time that the PtI will come up against this particular test, and the initial rallies bny Mr Zardari Bhutto and Ms Sharif show that the opposition intends to put Mr Khan though the wringer.

Mustafa abdullah baluch

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t was the late 1980s when the USSR pulled back its troops from Afghanistan after nine years of direct involvement. today a similar situation is being witnessed as the long-drawn-out “War on terror'' comes to an end as the USA withdraws its forces from Afghanistan leaving the region in a hostile atmosphere. the taliban have started to reclaim major areas of northern Afghanistan, which was a stronghold of the NAtO forces since 2001. Panjwai, a key district in the southern province of Kandahar, fell into hands of the taliban just two days after the US forces left Bagram Air Base which is close to Kabul. Having a lack of ammunition supply the Afghan forces are left with no option but to flee, and hundreds of them have already fled to tajikistan as the taliban marches towards the north. the majority of the districts have been recaptured by talibans without any fight, as the governor house and police headquarters are taken over, and the writ of the Afghan government is shrinking day by day. the startling situation has raised the concerns of the entire region after the USA has pulled back. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani is losing his grip as Afghan forces are crumbling across the country and his writ is merely around Kabul’s Presidential palace.

Fourth wave looming

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Education is the key

He federal government seems to be trying its level best to ring the alarm bells regarding a possible fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic hitting the country. Will the rise and fall of the virus in different waves has become something of a norm, it presents a greater threat on this occasion because of the different variants that are spreading their way through the country.

On top of the government’s concern list is the Indian origin Delta variant, which has been popping up in Pakistan more regularly. Head of the National Command and Control Center (NCOC) Asad Umar has said that a fourth wave is in the offing for sure, with the government already ruling out the possibility of a complete lockdown.

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar said on Friday that there are clear signs of a fourth Covid-19 wave starting in Pakistan. In a message on twitter, the minister said: "two weeks ago, I had tweeted that our artificial intelligence models are showing the possible emergence of a fourth wave. Now there are clear early signs of a fourth wave starting." Umar blamed poor compliance with coronavirus-related standard operating procedures (SOPs) and spread of virus variants, particularly Delta variant that was first detected in India, for the looming fourth wave of Covid-19.

In the face of such conditions, it is more important than ever for the public to respond with social distancing and mask wearing. this has been stressed over and over through the course of the pandemic but it can clearly not be stressed enough because compliance continues to stay low. Pakistan might face a harsher sentence in terms of a fourth wave, because the already low number of people have been vaccinated with either Sinopharm, Sinovac, or Cansino - vaccines that have proven less effective for the new variants.

Already some measures have been taken. the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Friday announced that unvaccinated people will not be allowed to travel by air starting August 1. In its review of the measures put in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus, particularly in view of the impending spread of the Delta variant, which it termed “extremely dangerous”, the NCOC also declared it mandatory for adult students to get themselves vaccinated by August 31.

Now, it will be incredibly important for the public to step up. So please wear your masks, wash your hands regularly, stay socially distanced, do not leave home unnecessarily, and most importantly get vaccinated.

ajMal Meer Mehdi

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He Indus civilization is one of the oldest civilizations in the world. today, a peaceful land is surrounded by carnage. On one hand, the Indus valley has been progressive, and gives education of resilience, peace, love, and prosperity but on other hand, some repugnant facts cannot be eluded. In the digital era of science and technology, the world is turning out to be a global village and languages of interaction are becoming operational entities where emotional issues are sidelined by print and electronic media, an assumption of a malicious society seems to be ended or paused. Despite this moving ahead, people are busy in combating each other in the oldest civilization of peace and felicity. the prideful identity of people has died down, but old-fashioned havecustoms are sustaining and traditional hostilities have continuously flowed in a customary manner. People are likely to attend local settlements of disagreements and disputes in sittings of so-called burgomasters of localities. trends of the “Jirga System” can’t be denied in Sindh even though they have eroded the peaceful culture, pride, and hospitality, breaking the bonds of primary love, and have destroyed the beloved relations among the community of Indus valley. the feeble writ of the provincial government makes people prefer to feel safe in the system of socalled barons, burgomasters, feudals, and landlords. these are the awful circumstances of the northern parts of Sindh where people are murdered, daughters and mothers are abducted; ransom for kidnapping is demanded; and all put adverse impacts on the progress and development of the province.

A horrible concept is in progress about the peaceful land of the Indus River. Different quarrels and feuds are grabbing the precious lives of many innocent men, women, and children of the local areas, and people are seen helpless in front of a few landlords or tribal chiefs in the constituencies of northern parts of Sindh. It may not be wrong to say, the “whole of Sindh is spindled with the fold of these outdated troubles since many decades”. the northern areas of the Indus civilization are fertile in agriculture. Unfortunately, due to the worst law and order situation, unemployment, poverty, and frustration among the people prevail unanimously with great growth. In the affected localities no genuine security measures have been taken by the provincial government, and people are playing in the hands of a few influentials. there is a need for an inevitable social change via quality education in the masses. education alone can

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami Editor Managing Editor

Joint Editor

Umar Aziz Executive Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

the taliban are anti-democratic; therefore they will try to bring hurdles in the democratic process of Pakistan for which the stakeholders in Pakistan must gear up and keep their own house in order so that the external rising forces do not get a chance to spoil the hard-earned peace. Ironically Prime Minister Imran Khan remained absent from the national security meeting, giving a wrong message. Pakistan has lost thousands of innocent lives, including soldiers and political leaders like Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, during the War on terror. the situation is sensitive hence every step must be taken with collective discussions and wisdom. the Pak-Afghan border fence will decrease the influx of terror from Afghanistan but still there is a lot to be done as there are many like-minded groups and parties in Pakistan who have a soft corner for the taliban and can become vulnerable for the peace of the country. the unfolding events are making it obvious that sooner or later Kabul might fall into the hands of the taliban, therefore it is important for Pakistan to engage with the USA so that the after-effects of their withdrawal could be nominal. the international powers need to revisit their Afghan policy and put in sincere efforts for stability in Afghanistan other than the use of force as in the past the gigantic Soviet and the powerful allied force NAtO could not bring permanent stability and change in Afghanistan. On the other hand Pakistan needs a solid foreign policy which should be in its own interest as Pakistan will be facing repercussions of any instability in Afghanistan.

The Pak-Afghan border fence will decrease the influx of terror from Afghanistan but still there is a lot to be done as there are many like-minded groups and parties in Pakistan who have a soft corner for the Taliban and can become vulnerable for the peace of the country

The writer is a columnist and member of the PPP, and tweets @MustafaBaloch

Tribal disputes in Northern Sindh

New variants present the greatest threat

Yousaf Nizami Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

there is panic both within and outside Afghanistan, and the neighbours are brainstorming on future geopolitical strategies to maintain law and order. So far the Biden Administration has not bothered to talk with Prime Minister Khan on the recent major development which will definitely have severe effects in Pakistan which shares strategic borders with Afghanistan.

In the past the taliban penetrated and influenced from the northern borders of Pakistan and were the key reason for instability.

Recently there was a national security discussion in Parliament regarding the changing atmosphere in the north. However the common response from all across the country was to not provide any base to the USA and avoid being a party in the post Afghan war, as Pakistan with a weak economy cannot afford to engage in a direct conflict with the taliban.

Not just Pakistan but other stakeholders of this region like China and Russia are also closely monitoring the situation but so far not coming up with a clear stance. the US intelligence predicts the fall of Kabul in six months after the US withdrawal. Ghani’s visit to the USA was not fruitful as the Biden Administration is not keen to lend further support to the fragile Afghan government; apparently it seems the USA was already having backdoor diplomacy with the taliban and silently agreed to their takeover. Otherwise there was no point in calling back the troops at this stage knowing that the taliban have gained control in most parts of the country.

After the taliban gains control back in Afghanistan there are possibilities that Afghanistan might turn into a safe haven for the terror outfits from across the world, making this region more hostile, and increasing the tense environment on the Pak- Afghan border.

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Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

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eradicate the ill practices from the northern localities of Sindh. Shikarpur city was once called “Paris of Sindh” but now ignorance carries the day and dacoits rule the rural belt of forest, today. Chieftains of communities cover the role of a good player with the law and enforcement agencies, meanwhile people are gunned down in the name of honour. At the same moment, these so-called white-collar and blue-blooded lords are tangled in land-grabbing, massive corruption, and tribal disputes. In addition to this, the influential, landlords, and politicians are sponsoring people for the white-colour crimes in the cities. this whole scheme is designed to entertain the vested interests of lords in power. the role of lawmakers in power and bureaucracy in tribal conflicts cannot be denied in tribal clashes, as without their directions massive killings cannot be committed. they do not want to control and eradicate from different communities so that their business of blackmailing in the region can continue.

In north Sindh, many tribes have their existence in small villages and towns.

About 320 tribes live in the districts of Kashmore, Jacobabad, and Shikarpur. Among them, a few tribes are not involved in conflicts and feuds.

Disputes in northern Sindh have been practised for many years till today.

Politically, socially, and economically people are facing regressive settings in many towns, villages, and cities. Many women have become widows, children have become orphans, and mothers are deprived of their grown sons.

In the rural areas, a man represents his whole tribe across its boundary as its chief or lord. tribe chief has authority to control the tribe or community for the vested interests and resolve the queries of tribe members with their own will. Five fingers are not equal yet many tribal influentials across Sindh are trying their best to end tribal conflicts. they have positive consent and they are in favour that everybody could breathe peacefully and enjoy their life in a sound manner with their loved ones. there are many causes of tribal conflicts in northern Sindh. Some of the causes are bad governance, illiteracy, poverty, ignorance, the diplomatic role of

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

political leaders or politicians, lords, chiefs of tribal communities, honour killings, agricultural lands, theft of cattle, distribution of water for agricultural lands, and love marriages. the chiefs, lords, barons, politicians of concerned constituencies, and influentials of the northern areas implement practically the British motto of “divide and rule”. they are not willing to provide better infrastructure because of their interests. No society is free from crime and troubles, but resolving tribal conflicts must be the first priority of the government in the northern areas of Sindh. People there are frustrated, jobless, homeless, and have lost their loved ones in tribal clashes.

Many innocents are suffering in the wake of this curse. Farmers are badly affected and their fertile lands have become barren because of the law and order situation in the region. Government must take serious measures to eliminate the feudal system. Law enforcement agencies must play their pivotal role to curb tribal clashes.

It is often said that “a rising tide lifts all boats”.

So, without quality education and eradication of illiteracy, the dream of peace in those areas cannot come true. Provision of lethal weapons must be stopped for the maintaining of law and order situation for the long term. Providers of arms must be brought to book.

Undeterred dacoits, their facilitators and well-wishers, must be held accountable by the law. Besides this, the adjoining borders of Balochistan from where smuggling of weapons and drugs is reported, must be carefully tackled to save precious lives. Rome was not built in a day; things will take time to restore.

Articulate the designed law to be put into practice and take off a strict code of conduct which must be served to ensure peace in the northern areas of Sindh. the people there are undergoing a day of sorrow that is longer than a month of joy. the provincial government should address the problem in a comprehensive search on an urgent basis for the peace and prosperity of the region.

Articulate the designed law to be put into practice and take off a strict code of conduct which must be served to ensure peace in the northern areas of Sindh. The people there are undergoing a day of sorrow that is longer than a month of joy. The provincial government should address the problem in a comprehensive search on an urgent basis for the peace and prosperity of the region

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Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

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The writer can be reached at ttps://twitter.com/AjmalMeerMehdi

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Saturday, 10 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

A case against zoology/botany

BIMSTEC: Emerging Hopes and Expectations A grouping to rival SAARC

dr rajkuMar singh

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N April 1, the virtual meeting of the foreign ministers of member countries of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral technical and economic Cooperation (BIMSteC) was held in Sri Lanka, in which agenda for the forthcoming Fifth Summit, likely to be scheduled for Colombo by mid-August of this year, was discussed in detail. At the end of the meeting it was announced that the agenda of the meeting would include the approval of the BIMSteC Charter, its master plan for transport connectivity and convention on mutual legal assistance, finalization of the coastal shipping agreement and the motor vehicle agreement.

In an earlier development, with the fading out of the expectations from the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) in recent past and particularly from the year 2016 when, due to the terror attacks in Pulwama, all members of the organisation under unavoidable circumstances declined to participate in the summit to be held in Islamabad, Pakistan, which took place for the first time in the history of this body, New Delhi, decided to move slowly with SAARC and, in place, showed interests in strengthening BIMSteC, a regional organisation and an economic bloc of the countries surrounding the Bay of Bengal with four initial members, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and thailand.

It had come into being on 6 June 1997 through the Bangkok Declaration. Its primary objectives, set at the time of its inception, focused on accelerating economic growth and social progress among members in multiple sectors that included trade, technology, energy, transport, tourism, agriculture, public health, poverty alleviation counter-terrorism, environment, people to people contact, and climate change. After formation its nomenclature has been changing due to expansion in its membership with Myanmar in 1997 and with the entrance of Nepal and Bhutan at the 6th Ministerial Meeting in 2004, its membership rose to 7 and it was renamed finally as the Bay of Bengal Initiative for MultiSectoral technical and economic Cooperation

(BIMSteC).

Of the total seven members five, India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, belong to the South Asia region while two, Myanmar and thailand, are in Southeast Asia, but all are situated on the shores of the Bay of Bengal and hence are dependent thereon. the Bay of Bengal itself is the largest bay of the world, having pivotal importance for the countries in the domain of demography, economy and security.

One-fourth of the world’s population live in these seven countries around it, and half a billion people directly live on its coastal rim and despite adverse global financial environment, the combined GDP is close to $2.7 trillion and they were able to sustain annual rates of economic growth of between 3.4 percent to 7.5 percent between 2012 to 2016. In addition, the Bay of Bengal is also rich in untapped natural resources, seabed minerals and connectivity. It has the world’s largest reserves of gas, large fishing stocks and is able to link Indian and Pacific Oceans and as a result, one-fourth of the world’s traded goods cross the Bay of Bengal every year.

While for China it is crucial to preserving its route to the Indian Ocean, for India, it is an avenue for projecting its new naval capabilities.

However, despite these geographical and natural facts the seven countries that encircle the Bay of Bengal are varied in politics, economy, infrastructure and above all in internal connectivity, and therefore, integration among the nations is more urgent today than anything else to make the BIMSteC, a great success.

In today’s context, there is a need to revive the spirit and enthusiasm existed at the time of its foundation almost 24 years ago when the four original members expressed a desire for common action to promote sub-regional cooperation in areas of trade, investment technological exchange and other interrelated areas in a spirit of equality and partnership. With this agenda and keeping in view the long-standing divide and country-wise imbalances the BIMSteC emerged as a major advocate for regional cooperation between South and Southeast Asia and in the context the member countries began to search for a common heritage around the Bay of Bengal.

Although, for a long time the organisation was in stagnation since its inception, no regular or periodic summit had been held so, until the

first on 31 July 2004 at Bangkok (thailand), the second on 13 November 2008 at New Delhi (India), the third on 4t March 2014 at Naypyidaw (Myanmar), the fourth 30-31August 2018 at Kathmandu (Nepal) and the fifth scheduled to be held in 2022 at Colombo (Sri Lanka).

Despite previous odd events and irregularities, it is a good and encouraging sign for the organisation that the new leadership of member countries, particularly of India, is taking interest in its revival and it has enjoyed a great deal of visibility since 2016 and 2017. After 2014, its ministerial and senior officials’ meetings were held in 2017 and in the same year a new secretary general was appointed in August and the summit, several times postponed, took place in 2018. earlier to all, the BIMSteC got its permanent secretariat opened at Dhaka, Bangladesh, in 2014 and India contributes 32% of its expenditure. It was followed by the first BIMSteC leaders’ retreat convened in Goa, India, in October 2016. they all pledged to work collectively towards making the organisation stronger, more effective, and result oriented. the sign of support for regional connectivity and the growing sense among the member countries testify to the hopes and aspirations as well to integrate the region in their mutual respect and national interest. Now, the member countries of the organisation have begun working beyond bilateralism to work closely in furthering a regional/sub-regional cooperation process, a genuinely right step in the right direction. especially for India, it is a test of its ‘Neighbourhood First’ and ‘Act east’ policies, where New Delhi is all powerful without its rival China and enemy Pakistan.

It is a great opportunity for India to show its interest and endeavour by overlooking SAARC due to irritants with Pakistan. Wider connectivity will benefit directly in India’s four coastal states adjacent to the Bay of BengalAndhra Pradesh, Orissa, tamil Nadu and West Bengal, where almost one-quarter of India’s total population lives, apart from opening a new avenue for its landlocked northeastern states.

It is a great opportunity for India to show its interest and endeavour by overlooking SAARC due to irritants with Pakistan.

Wider connectivity will benefit directly in India’s four coastal states adjacent to the Bay of Bengal-Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, where almost one-quarter of India’s total population lives, apart from opening a new avenue for its landlocked northeastern states

The writer is head of the political science department and dean of the Social Sciences faculty of the Bhupendra Narayan Mandal University, Madhepura, Bihar, India. He can be reached at rajkumarsinghpg@gmail.com

SINGLe national curriculum initiative is a good step but it mainly aimed at eradicating inequality and discriminatory feelings amongst the diversified population of Pakistan at the primary level only. Our education system is going through plenty of drawbacks which require reforms. But here I want to draw the attention of government to an overshadowed unnoticed plight in our education system. that the government should not let our youth get wasted by putting their energies and time in useless, fruitless degree programs. We are producing a massive amount of useless workforce that could give no contributions to the socioeconomic development of the country. I want to point out at the bachelors, masters, MPhil and PhD programs in Zoology and botany in Pakistan. Approximately half million students take admission in these disciplines every year. Neither a single student come out as a potential contributor to the society till now, in both disciplines. there is a fruitless cycle going on since decades, that a student gets admission in zoology/botany at bachelor level then does masters, MPhil or PhD in the same discipline and started teaching the same in any college or university and the cycle repeat itself again and again. that youth, energy, time and money could be invested in a more skilled or productive work which could bring some utility to the society and the state. When it comes to zoo services, there are only 14 zoo in Pakistan, which don't require any services of a zoologist in reality, they need a veterinary doctor there. there is no need of such ridiculous degree programs when there are prevailing other parallel programs like veterinary sciences, environmental science, agricultural science, microbiology, biochemistry, genetics, wildlife management etc.

I am not arguing to discard the zoology/botany degree programs completely from Pakistan but atleast the Government should immediately take some measures to reduce such useless degree programs to a short diploma course levels. this will eventually persuade a shift of fresh-energetic youth towards the other disciplines which are not that useless. For those students who have no interest in studies, but still want to be known as graduates due to social pressure and their integrity, should avail the option of "BA" and "MA" degree programs as they are not that unproductive as the above mentioned degree programs.

HEEra KHalid laHorE

Functions of student societies SOCIety is a group of folks that commonly proportion values, requirements and pastimes. scholar is an important pillar in building and educated society as schooling is the idea for dwelling in a world network as change, industry, financial or political.

For the prosperity and betterment of a society, the foremost position of pupil is to acquire expertise and wisdom and should now not waste his/her treasured time carelessly. He ought to put up himself to the regulations of discipline to construct a civilized society. they have to understand their roles and duties in the direction of a elegant society. they must expand conduct of self-reliance and attempt no longer to apply unfair approach in each thing. A scholar can recognize and help common humans to understand their rights. he is expected to be properly informed as well as balanced in his perspectives. He have to recognise that he is ready to offer his co-operation and services for the well being of the society. As he's conscious of right and wrong, top and awful; he will no longer comply with any other guy dictates blindly. scholar must contribute himself for improvement, choose and act for a civilized society. they will stand for the strength of will, truthfulness, high sense of obligation and honor, spirit of provider and sacrifice. A pupil have to recognise his skills and put it to use in a proper manner. fabric attention and getting reputation ought to not pass him from the right direction.

If we had a look on records, we see that students played essential function in the course of struggle for independence. but sadly, now-a-days students waste their time and attention in pastimes, as education is most effective away to get academic stages. these days the conduct of college students is very casual, which if no longer diverted right into a healthy channel could take form of destruction. college students of today are leaders of the next day so they have to perform their duties for the goodness of their society and in the long run for his or her cherished native land. the university and college college students are just like the sinews of society. they are matured, extra responsible and aware socially and politically. accordingly, they could carry out their responsibilities and help in developing a healthful tone of the society, sadly, they have got evolved bad, as a substitute unfavorable altitudes. they take pride in bunking faraway from the lessons, in jogging truant and in sowing wild oats. they overlook their studies; use unfair way in the examinations and try and skip with the aid of hooks or crooks. they overlook that they're the future hopes of the us of a.simplest patriotic, law-abiding and disciplined youths (college students) can uplift the society and construct the state. they could make a contribution to social work in diverse ways. in preference to wasting energy in regional and political rivalries, they can assist in positive programmes. they are able to educate the illiterate and take person training inside the night. they can assist in preventing against social evils. they are able to do lots in maintaining the city easy, in producing site visitors feel most of the humans. they can render helping hand to the sick, old and terrible. they could play the position of second for the police.

KaSHif ali KHoSSo dadu

Baldia Town and its problems BALDIA town has no infrastructure, poor road maintenance. And there's no authorities clinic or another making plans infrastructure in Baldia. Basic facilities isn't always to be had to humans here.

Home of Baldia are low pay individuals, they're not getting their essential necessities and that they are suffering for an all-encompassing time. the issue of water is terrible individuals do not get water at all and what they get is not spotless for drinking. Individuals gets sick because of the inaccessibility of clean water. While, water was seen overflowing out of the haggard lines, shaping water pools to a great extent and causing challenges for people on foot and the traffic. Roads aren't totally developed and their condition is very awful. Mishaps happen each day in light of the fact that the roads and streets are broken. Roads development and fix projects are begun yet never finished.In entire Baldia town not have a solitary public hospital. Individuals likewise travel to get a great deal their treatment. Individuals here become ill due to trash dumps, residue and heaps of contamination.

SEEma Ejaz KaracHi

Saturday, 10 July, 2021

08 WORLD VIEW

Why is the indiAn gOvernment sO AfrAid Of tWitter? indian express chriStoPhe jaffrelot and aditya Sharma

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FEW months ago, India’s Covid19 surge had surpassed all superlatives. The greatest public-health crisis in Indian history has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives — maybe more — and exposed the country’s dire healthcare infrastructure. Amid the horror, as armies of medical staff and volunteers concentrated their efforts on combating the virus, the government appeared to be focused on a different sort of threat: Twitter.

The immediate source of the crisis was a tweet posted on May 18, by Sambit Patra, the BJP spokesperson. In this tweet, Patra brandished a document he called a “toolkit”, apparently an internal Congress document, laying out the procedures to undermine the BJP’s response to the pandemic and boost coverage of the party’s efforts.

After fact-checking organisations deemed the document to be forged, Twitter tagged Patra’s tweet with a label warning that it was “manipulated media”. Days later, the Delhi Police, which, in this not full-fledged state reports to the Union government, visited Twitter’s offices in Delhi and Gurugram, apparently to investigate why the firm had chosen to affix the warning label to Patra’s tweet.

THE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM IS A CASUALTY OF THE GOVERNMENT’S FEAR OF DISSENT — AND IT’S NOT THE ONLY ONE Railing against the alleged left-leaning bias of social-media firms has been a consistent message among national-populist leaders. American Republicans, for example, still largely in thrall to former president Donald Trump and his long list of grievances, continue to characterise Twitter, Facebook, and others as running a lefty conspiracy to silence conservative views, and demand more regulation to counter this alleged censorship.

But the BJP’s outright attack on Twitter is beyond the pale for a democratic country.

The most recent events are not the only time during the pandemic that the government has chosen to focus on digital image management. In April, Twitter and Facebook took down around 100 posts after receiving government orders to do so. Many of these tweets were critical of the government’s response to the pandemic. After the farm protests, too, Twitter acceded to BJP demands to block some 500 accounts permanently, and some temporarily, including those of opposition politicians and journalists.

Critics have portrayed Twitter and its boss, Jack Dorsey, as being too willing to

kowtow to the BJP’s demands to suppress their opponents. It is not as straightforward as that: After giving in to the government’s initial request to mass-block accounts related to the farm protests, Twitter chose to reverse course, citing its users’ freedom of speech, but then flip-flopped again, re-suspending most of those accounts, in some cases permanently. The firm released a statement on the matter — “will continue to advocate for the right of free expression on behalf of the people we serve. We are exploring options under Indian law — both for Twitter and for the accounts that have been impacted. We remain committed to safeguarding the health of the conversation occurring on Twitter, and strongly believe that the Tweets should flow.” While Twitter’s values may be shaped by a commitment to free speech and the right to dissent, the barrage of blocking orders that have become a regular feature of the IT Ministry’s operations leave them little legal leeway. The firm has also been engaged in a long-term spat with the government over the new IT rules, which significantly increase social-media sites’ liability for content posted by their users.

The government, despite its talk of building an Atmanirbhar Bharat and its support of amateurish indigenous social networks like Koo, clearly cares a great deal about the way it is portrayed on huge platforms like Twitter, which has some 17.5 million Indian users.

Governments in many parts of the world have long viewed platforms like Twitter with suspicion, fearful of the raucous public forum that they provide for debate and dissent. The company’s recent willingness to stand up to digital misbehaviour by world leaders has increased the hostility it has faced from dictators and their understudies.

On June 4, Muhammadu Buhari, the president of Nigeria, blocked Twitter in that country after the company removed one of his tweets for the “abusive” content it contained.

In America, Trump had his entire account suspended after consistently violating Twitter’s policies. India is only the latest arena of discontent.

But Twitter is not the only collateral casualty of the government’s fear of dissent. In 2016, the country registered more internet shutdowns than any other. In 2017, the gov-

ernment amended the Indian Telegraph Act of 1885 to specify that the law now allowed “the temporary suspension of telecom services”. Data compiled by the Software Freedom Law Centre (SFLC), a Delhi-based digital rights group, shows that the number of internet shutdowns has jumped from three in 2012, to five in 2013, six 2014, 14 in 2015, 34 in 2016, 79 in 2017, 134 in 2018, 106 in 2019 and 129 in 2020. The rise of the number of internet shutdowns after 2014 reflects the BJP’s policy: Between Narendra Modi’s election in 2014 and the autumn of 2017, out of 89 internet shutdowns, 74 were due to the BJP and its allies at the national, state or district levels. Since 2016, every year India has resorted to more internet shutdowns than any other country for two official reasons — public safety and public order.

Ironically, social media — including WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter — have helped the BJP to saturate the public space thanks to an army of trolls. How will these companies, which claim that they are deeply attached to freedom of expression, assess the current situation?

Jaffrelot is senior research fellow at CERI-Sciences Po/CNRS, Paris, professor of Indian Politics and Sociology at King’s India Institute, London; Sharma is a freelance writer on politics and technology.

The forever war in Modi’s caste of characters Afghanistan is far from over PM’S RESHUFFLE WAS PRIMARILY DRIVEN THE US AND UK MILITARY INTERVENTION IN THE COUNTRY IS ENDING IN A HUMILIATING DEBACLE – THIS WAS ALWAYS LIKELY

independenT

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Patrick cockBurn

VER the last week, I have been watching the Taliban sweep across the map of northern Afghanistan, capturing places that I first visited in 2001 at the beginning of the US-backed war. Taliban fighters have seized the main bridge to Tajikistan on the Amu Darya, a river that I crossed on an unwieldy raft a few months into the conflict.

The last US commander of the giant Bagram airbase north of Kabul, once headquarters for 100,000 American troops in the country, left in the middle of the night last weekend without informing his Afghan successor – who has said he did not learn of the final US evacuation until two hours after it had happened.

The most immediate cause of the implosion of Afghan government forces was the announcement by President Biden on 14 April that the last US troops would leave the country by 11 September. But the complaints of US and British generals that this is all happening too quickly for them to prepare the Afghan security forces to stand alone are absurd, since they have spent two decades failing to do just that.

As western military intervention ends, it is worth asking what are the causes of this humiliating debacle. Why are so many Taliban willing to die for their cause, while government soldiers take flight or surrender? Why is the Afghan government in Kabul so corrupt and dysfunctional? What happened to the $2.3 trillion spent by the US, trying, and failing, to win a war in a country that remains miserably poor?

More generally, why did what was presented as a decisive victory by US-backed anti-Taliban forces twenty years ago turn into the present rout?

One answer is that Afghanistan – like Lebanon, Syria and Iraq – is not a country where the word “decisive” should ever be

used about any military victory or defeat.

Winners and losers do not emerge, because there are too many players, inside and outside the country, who cannot afford to lose, or to see an enemy win. Simple-minded analogies with Vietnam in 1975 are misleading. The Taliban does not have anything like the military might of the North Vietnamese army. Moreover, Afghanistan is a mosaic of ethnic communities, tribes and regions, which the Taliban will struggle to rule whatever happens to the Kabul government.

The disintegration of the Afghan army and security forces has accelerated the Taliban’s attack, which has often faced little resistance, and has enabled it to make spectacular territorial gains. Such rapid changes of fortune on the battlefield in Afghanistan are traditionally fuelled by individuals and communities swiftly changing to the winning side. Families send their young men to fight for both the government and the Taliban as a form of insurance. Swift surrenders by cities and districts avoid retribution, while over-long resistance leads to massacre.

There was a similar pattern in 2001.

While Washington and its local allies in the Northern Alliance were trumpeting their easy victory over the Taliban, the latter’s fighters were returning unscathed to their villages, or slipping across the border into Pakistan to wait for better days. These came four or five years later, when the Afghan government had done enough to discredit itself.

Other strengths of the Taliban are a core of fanatical, experienced commanders and fighters who are rooted in the Pashtun community, which makes up 40 per cent of the Afghan population. A Pakistani colonel commanding irregular Pashtun troops just across the border from Afghanistan once queried me about American and British efforts “to win hearts and minds” in heavily Pashtun southern Afghanistan. He thought their chances of success were low, since, he said, experience had taught him that a central feature of Pashtun culture was that “they really hate foreigners”.

Propaganda about “nation-building” by foreign occupiers in Afghanistan and Iraq was always patronising and unrealistic. National self-determination is not something that can be fostered by foreign forces, whatever their supposed good intentions. They invariably consult their own interests first and last, and the Afghan government’s reliance on them delegitimised it in the eyes of Afghans, depriving it of roots within Afghan society.

The vast sums of money available because of US expenditure produced a kleptocratic elite. The US has spent $144bn on development and reconstruction, but some

54 per cent of Afghans live below the poverty line, with earnings of less than $1.90 a day.

An Afghan friend who had once worked for United States Agency for International Development (USAID) explained to me some of the mechanics of how corruption was able to flourish. He said that American aid officials in Kabul thought it too dangerous for them personally to visit projects they were financing. Instead, they stayed in their heavily defended offices and relied on photographs and videos to show them the progress of the projects they were paying for.

On occasion, they would send an Afghan employee like my friend to see for himself what was happening on the ground.

On a visit to Kandahar to monitor the building of a vegetable-packing plant, he discovered that a local company akin to a film studio would, for a fee, take convincing pictures of work in progress. Using extras and a suitable backdrop, they were able to show employees in a shed busily sorting carrots and potatoes, though no such facility existed. On another occasion, the Afghan aid official had discovered evidence of a fraud, though this time there had been little attempt to conceal it. After looking in vain for a well-funded but non-existent chicken farm near Jalalabad, he met with its proprietors, who pointed out to him that it was a long road back to Kabul. Interpreting this as a threat to murder him if he exposed them, he kept quiet and resigned from his job soon afterwards.

Foreign aid has built real schools and clinics, but corruption has corroded every government institution. On the military frontline, it means “ghost” soldiers, and the garrisons of threatened outposts left without enough food and ammunition.

None of this is new. Visiting Kabul and other cities over the years, I came to feel that the Taliban had limited support, but that everybody viewed government officials as parasites to be circumvented or bribed. In Kabul, a prosperous real-estate dealer – not a business normally sympathetic to radical change – told me that it was impossible for a system so saturated by corruption “to continue without a revolution”.

Instead, government failure has enabled the Taliban to believe that they can return to power within a year. Such a prospect frightens many people. What, for instance, will be the response of the 4 million Hazara minority, who are Shia by religion and are close to Iran? Earlier this year, bombs in Kabul killed 85 Hazara girls and teachers as they left their school. As in 2001, the forever war in Afghanistan is far from over.

BY SOCIAL CALCULUS. THAT APPLIES TO EVEN EXITS OF SOME NON-PERFORMERS Times of india Sanjaya Baru

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combination of an economic slowdown, a poorly handled pandemic, political setbacks in a series of provincial elections, external security challenges, growing international criticism of domestic politics, and the consequent decline in the popularity of the ruling dispensation’s top leadership define the context of the expansion and reshuffle of the Union council of ministers. We have been informed that this is a younger team, the youngest in recent history, with average age down from 61 to 58; and that it is a professionally more qualified team with better educated ministers, business leaders and former civil servants manning it. However, the more interesting political fact is that BJP sources chose to draw the attention of political reporters to the new caste composition of the Modi government. With the exit of the old Vajpayee team, that had a high level of Brahmin and upper castes representation, there has been an increase in the number of ministers from the ranks of ‘other backward classes’ (OBCs).

It was ironic that a party defined by the ideology of Hindutva, that rose to power seeking to unite the Hindu majority against the divisive politics of caste identity pursued by its opponents, should draw the media’s attention to the fact that the new council would have 12 ministers belonging to Scheduled Castes, 8 to Scheduled Tribes and 27 OBCs. There has been considerable speculation about the role of incompetence and proclivity for avoidable controversy in the exit of senior ministers. Making an example of Dr Harsh Vardhan, the minister for health, science and technology, and dropping him was the least the PM could do to atone for the Union government’s disastrous handling of the Covid pandemic and the vaccination programme. Health policy analysts have, quite understandably, asked why others in the policy making system, like Niti Aayog member VK Paul and lesser mortals, have also not been sacked. It is interesting that Harsh Vardhan has been replaced by a member of Parliament from Gujarat, Mansukh Mandaviya. Repairing the political damage of the pandemic must begin in Gujarat, where Covid management was particularly poor. It is also a state that heads for assembly elections next year.

Much is being read into the exit of senior ministers Prakash Javdekar and Ravi Shankar Prasad. That the PM would have been less than impressed by the minister for information and broadcasting, given the decline in his own and his government’s popularity ratings, is understandable.

He may not have also approved of the high decibel campaigns of his minister for law, justice, communications, electronics and information technology. Apart from reassuring friends in the United States the PM may also want to adopt a different approach to the handling of social media and the judiciary.

However, a simpler political explanation for these high profile exits could well be that at senior levels in the Union council of ministers Maharashtra is now represented not by the Brahmin Prakash Javadekar but by the Maratha Narayan Rane and Bihar not by the Kayasth Ravi Shankar Prasad, but by the Scheduled Caste Pashupati Kumar Paras and the Kurmi RCP Singh. This is not making much of a muchness – the shift in caste equations within PM Modi’s BJP is obvious. The new caste and regional composition of Modi’s team has been shaped less by the requirements of the 2024 elections strategy and more by the needs of provincial elections due in the interregnum. In Lok Sabha elections Modi has deployed very different firepower and he does not as yet have a national adversary of any consequence to worry about.

The focus right now remains on state assembly elections, especially after recent setbacks and where caste and other regional factors play a bigger role. Elections to state assemblies of Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand and a few others are due in 2022 and to Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Telangana in 2023. How the BJP performs in these elections will define the context for the 2024 elections. It is also in the provinces that the foundation of Modi’s real opposition is being constructed.

What will clearly define the political context for the 2024 elections will be the state of the economy and the polity. On both fronts the leadership has to come from the PM himself.

The writer was media advisor to PM Manmohan Singh.

Saturday, 10 July, 2021

BUSINESS 09

ISLAMABAD G20 finance chiefs back global tax crackdown VENICE REUTERS

Finance chiefs of the G20 club of large economies have backed a landmark move to stop multinationals shifting profits into low-tax havens and win back hundreds of billions of dollars in lost revenues, a draft communique showed. The agreement at talks in the Italian city of Venice is set to be finalised on Saturday and caps eight years of wrangling over the issue. The aim is for country leaders to give it a final blessing at an October summit in Rome. The pact to establish a minimum global corporate tax rate of at least 15% is an attempt to squeeze more money out of tech giants like Amazon and Google as well as other multinationals able to shop around for the most attractive tax base. While tax campaigners point to loopholes in the proposals and wanted a more ambitious crackdown, the move is a rare case of cross-border coordination in tax matters and could strip many tax havens of their appeal. read more "We invite all members that have not yet joined the international agreement to do so," the communique seen

by Reuters said of a number of countries still resisting the move. Two sources said the statement was expected to be released at the end of talks on Saturday without changes.

That would represent political endorsement of an agreement this month among 131 countries at talks hosted by the Parisbased Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. Momentum for a deal accelerated this year with the strong backing of the Biden administration in the United States and many public treasuries around the world stretched by the massive fiscal support needed to shield pandemic-ravaged economies. Geoffrey Okamoto, First Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, called it a "net win for the world" but said work was still needed to simplify the agreement for countries, especially poorer ones, to take it on board. "It has to be simple enough for the vast majority of the world to actually implement and administer it," he told Reuters.

CARBON FRICTIONS: If all goes to plan, the new tax rules should be translated into binding legislation worldwide before the end of 2023. However, a fight in the U.S. Congress over President Joe Biden's proposed tax increases on corporations and wealthy Americans could yet create hurdles. read more Equally, there could be difficulties because European Union member states Ireland, Estonia and Hungary are among the countries that have not yet signed up. "I am convinced that in the end we will come to a joint decision in the EU," German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz told radio station DLF before heading to the talks. The meeting of G20 finance ministers and central bankers in Venice is their first face-to-face encounter since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. The G20 members account for more than 80% of world gross domestic product, 75% of global trade and 60% of the population of the planet, including big-hitters the United States, Japan, Britain, France, Germany and India. In an addition to earlier drafts, the communique said the support measures being put in place by wealthier countries to shield their economies from the ravages of the pandemic must be in line with central bank commitments to keep inflation stable. "We will continue to sustain the recovery, avoiding any premature withdrawal of support measures, while remaining consistent with central bank mandates -- including on price stability," it read. Concerns have been rising recently that ultra-loose monetary policy in many countries following the pandemic could unleash a surge in inflation, possibly testing major central banks' commitment to maintain stable prices. The statement also urged faster distribution of Covid-19 vaccines, drugs and tests across the world, but made no new commitments to that end, and called on the International Monetary Fund to come up with ways for countries to steer IMF resources towards needier nations. The IMF said on Friday its executive board had backed a $650 billion allocation of IMF Special Drawing Rights, advancing the distribution of currency reserves to the Fund's 190 member countries towards a targeted completion by the end of August. Climate change policy will also feature at the Venice talks. Speaking at a climate tax forum there before the G20 meeting, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen called for better international coordination to avoid trade frictions. She was speaking days before the EU unveils next week a so-called carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) imposing levies on the carbon content of imported goods. The scheme is an attempt to discourage "carbon leakage", the transfer of production to countries with less onerous emissions restrictions, but some trading partners fear it could act as a protectionist tool.

"Recognising the different paths countries are taking to address climate change could help avoid policy measures to address carbon leakage that inadvertently create new international risks and spillovers," Yellen said.

US Set to add more ChineSe CompanieS to blaCkliSt over XinjianG WASHINGTON

t

REUTERS

HE Biden administration is set as early as Friday to add more than 10 Chinese companies to its economic blacklist over alleged human rights abuses and high-tech surveillance in Xinjiang, two sources told Reuters.

The U.S. Commerce Department action will follow its announcement last month adding five other companies and other Chinese entities to the blacklist over allegations of forced labor in the far western region of China. The additions to Commerce Department's Entity List are part of the Biden administration's efforts to hold China accountable for human rights violations, the sources said.

China dismisses accusations of genocide and forced labor in Xinjiang and says its policies are necessary to stamp out separatists and religious extremists who plotted attacks and stirred up tension between mostly Muslim ethnic Uyghurs and Han, China's largest ethnic group.

"The Chinese side will take all necessary measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies and rejects U.S. attempts to interfere in China's internal affairs," said foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin on Friday.

One of the sources for the economic blacklist additions said the Commerce Department plans to add 14 Chinese companies to the Entity List over reported abuses in Xinjiang.

The identity of the companies being added was not immediately known. Some companies from other countries will also be added to the department's blacklist as soon as Friday.

The White House declined to comment, while the Commerce Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

RIGHTS ABUSES: The latest action shows President Joe Biden aims to press China over what the administration says are worsening human rights abuses against the Uyghur population in Xinjiang.

Generally, entity-listed companies are required to apply for licenses from the Commerce Department and face tough scrutiny when they seek permission to receive items from U.S. suppliers.

Last month, the Commerce Department said it was adding the five Chinese entities "for accepting or utilizing forced labor in the implementation of the People’s Republic of China’s campaign of repression against Muslim minority groups in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region."

The department said the action in June targeted the ability of the five entities, including Chinesebased solar panel material firm Hoshine Silicon Industry Co, "to access commodities, software, and technology ... and is part of a U.S. Government-wide effort to take strong action against China’s ongoing campaign of repression against Muslim minority groups" in Xinjiang.

This is not the first time the U.S. government has

targeted Chinese firms linked to allegations of hightech surveillance activity in Xinjiang.

In 2019, the Trump administration added some of China’s top artificial intelligence startups to its economic blacklist over its treatment of Muslim minorities.

The Commerce Department under Trump targeted 20 Chinese public security bureaus and eight companies including video surveillance firm Hikvision, as well as leaders in facial recognition technology SenseTime Group Ltd and Megvii Technology Ltd. The Commerce Department said in 2019 the entities were implicated in "high-technology surveillance against Uighurs, Kazakhs, and other members of Muslim minority groups.”

UN experts and rights groups estimate more than a million people, most of them Uyghurs and members of other Muslim minorities, have been detained in recent years in a vast system of camps in Xinjiang.

Wall Street set to open higher as banks, energy stocks rebound U.S. stock indexes were set to open higher on Friday, as energy and banking shares rebounded from a sharp selloff that was triggered by growth worries and has put the indexes on track for their biggest weekly fall since mid-June.

Energy firms such as Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N), Devon Energy Corp (DVN.N), Schlumberger NV (SLB.N), Occidental Petroleum Corp (OXY.N) and Halliburton Co (HAL.N) rose between 0.9% and 1.4% in premarket trading, tracking firmer oil prices.

Rate-sensitive lenders Wells Fargo & Co (WFC.N), Morgan Stanley (MS.N), JP Morgan Chase & Co (JPM.N), Citigroup Inc (C.N), Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N) and Bank of America Corp (BAC.N) gained between 1.5% and 1.7%, as the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield snapped an eight-day losing streak.

Among companies benefiting from economic reopenings, cruise operators Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (RCL.N) and Carnival Corp (CCL.N) added more than 2.5% each, while carriers United Airlines Holdings (UAL.O) and American Airlines Group Inc (AAL.O) rose about 2% each.

Wall Street's main indexes slid on Thursday, with the S&P 500 (.SPX) and the Nasdaq (.IXIC) pulling back from record closing highs as investors flocked to bond markets on concerns

that the domestic economic recovery was losing steam.

"The market was at a high point and it needed to pull back a little bit and it did yesterday," said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Spartan Capital Securities in New York.

The focus will now shift to secondquarter earnings, with big banks reporting next week. Analysts expect

earnings growth of 65.4% for companies in the S&P 500 index in the quarter, up from a previous forecast of 54% growth at the start of the period, according to Refinitiv IBES data.

"Once we enter earnings season, we will expect a sort of cushion for the market ... it won't just be a certain group of companies that are expected to report strong earnings, it will be most sectors

of the market," Cardillo said.

The S&P 500 is down 0.7% so far this week, while the Dow has declined 1%. The Nasdaq is set to post a smaller weekly decline of 0.5%, helped by a recent move into growth companies, but was still on course for its worst week since mid-May. At 8:19 a.m. ET, Dow e-minis were up 253 points, or 0.74%, S&P 500 eminis were up 21 points, or 0.49% Nasdaq 100 e-minis lagged its peers as it rose 11.75 points, or 0.08%, with mega-cap technology stocks Google owner-Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O), Facebook Inc (FB.O), Apple Inc (AAPL.O), Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) and Amazon.com (AMZN.O) trading mixed.

Levi Strauss & Co (LEVI.N) gained 3.7% as it forecast a strong fullyear profit after beating quarterly earnings estimates on improving demand across its markets for jeans, tops, and jackets. read more U.S.-listed shares of Chinese ridehailing company Didi Global Inc (DIDI.N) rose 3.1% after four sessions of losses as it was recently hit by an investigation from China's internet watchdog.

General Motors Co (GM.N) firmed 3.7% after Wedbush started coverage of the automaker's stock with an "outperform" rating. REUTERS

Musk trial asks the $2bn question: Who controls Tesla?

Does Elon Musk control Tesla Inc or does Tesla control Elon Musk?

More than $2 billion hinges on that question as a trial kicks off on Monday.

Shareholders allege that Musk used his control of Tesla to force the company in 2016 to rescue SolarCity, saving the solar panel maker - and Musk's investment in the company - from bankruptcy.

The union pension funds and asset managers leading the case want Musk to repay to Tesla the cost of the $2.6 billion deal and to disgorge the profits on his SolarCity stock.

If they win, it would be one of the largest judgments against an individual.

The two-week trial in the Court of Chancery in Wilmington, Delaware, will boil down to whether Musk, who owned about 22% of Tesla at the time of the deal, is that rare controlling stockholder who does not hold a majority stake.

"I think it's going to be very hard for the court to ignore the reality that Elon Musk is Elon Musk and his relationship with Tesla," said Ann Lipton, a professor at Tulane University Law School.

She said the case might present an unusual situation given Musk's celebrity status, his personal ties to Tesla board members and those board members' financial ties to SolarCity.

"Put it all together, and it might be enough to count as a controlling shareholder," she said.

Few executives dominate their company's image as much Musk, known for taunting regulators, battling naysayers and personally engaging with his 57 million Twitter followers. "We are highly dependent on the services of Elon Musk, Technoking of Tesla and our Chief Executive Officer," said Tesla's 2020 annual report.

Plaintiffs allege that Musk drove the negotiations and even pushed Tesla's board to raise, not lower, the price for SolarCity.

A higher price benefited Musk, who

was the largest shareholder of SolarCity, with a stake of about 22%, as well as four members of Tesla's board, who directly or indirectly owned SolarCity stock, according to court records. Board members settled allegations against them last year for $60 million and did not admit to any fault.

Plaintiffs also allege the deal benefited two of Musk's cousins who founded SolarCity, saving a company that was rapidly running low on cash.

Musk has said he was "fully recused" from board negotiations and that shareholders voted to approve the deal because it was central to his "Master Plan, Part Deux" that

aims to integrate sustainable solar energy with electric self-driving cars.

He has said that what plaintiffs see as evidence of control is little more than strong management. "Taken to its natural conclusion, virtually all 'hands-on' and 'inspirational' CEOs with minority stock ownership would be deemed controllers," Musk's lawyers wrote in a court filing.

If Vice Chancellor Joseph Slights determines Musk was a controlling shareholder, it will fall to Musk to prove the SolarCity deal met the high bar of the "entire fairness" standard, which examines process and price, said legal experts. REUTERS

Saturday, 10 July, 2021

10 FOREIGN NEWS

ISLAMABAD

Fire at BaNgladeSh juice Factory killS 52, maNy Feared trapped DHAKA

a

AFP

massive blaze that killed 52 people in a Bangladesh factory and forced workers to leap for their lives from upper floors set off angry recriminations on Friday over the country’s industrial safety record.

About 30 other people were injured in the fire, and hundreds of distraught and angry relatives clashed with police on a highway outside the food factory even as the building continued to burn.

The inferno was the latest to tarnish Bangladesh’s safety record, which has been marred by a series of disasters in factories and apartment buildings.

The country pledged reforms after the Rana Plaza disaster in 2013 when a ninestorey complex collapsed, killing more than 1,100 people.

But in February 2019, at least 70 people died when an inferno ripped through Dhaka apartments where chemicals were illegally stored.

Critics said lax safety standards have been exposed again by the new disaster at the Hashem Food and Beverage factory in Rupganj, an industrial town outside Dhaka.

Highly flammable chemicals and plastics had been stockpiled inside and enabled the fire to quickly take over the building, according to Dhaka fire chief Dinu Moni Sharma Sharma.

The blaze started on Thursday afternoon and was still not controlled 24 hours later.

RESCUED ON ROPES: Normally, there are more than 1,000 workers in the building but many had left for the day when the fire started.

The overnight toll of three dead rose dramatically as firefighters reached the third floor and found 49 more bodies.

“The workers could not go to the rooftop because the exit door to the staircase was padlocked. They could not go down because the lower floors were already engulfed by fire,” said fire service spokesman Debashish Bardhan.

The victims were taken away in ambulances amid anguished shouts and tears from people watching in the streets.

Hundreds of relatives of the dead took over a nearby highway to protest at the slow pace of the rescue.

“They threw rocks and stones at police.

And police fired tear gas to disperse them,” district government administrator Mustain Billah told AFP. Firefighters using ropes rescued 25 people from the roof of the factory, which made noodles, fruit juices and candy.

“On the third floor, gates on both stairwells were closed. Other colleagues are saying there were 48 people inside. I don’t know what happened to them,” said Mohammad Saiful, a factory worker who escaped.

Mamun, another worker, said he and 13 others ran to the roof after the fire broke out on the ground floor and black smoke quickly choked the whole factory.

He told how they had been brought down on ropes attached to a crane.

Other workers said there had been

Nine found dead in Swedish airplane crash: police STOCKHOLM

smaller fires in the building in recent years and that the factory had only two staircases for people to escape.

Union leaders blamed poor government safety enforcement for the new disaster.

Kalpon Alter, executive director of the Bangladesh Center for Worker Safety rights

group, called the fire “yet another ugly tragedy which frequently visits our manufacturing sector”.

“The government has not made any improvement in workplace safety in thousands of factories, resulting in the avoidable deaths of many workers.”

As clouds of black smoke billowed from the building, many of the waiting relatives said they feared the worst.

Nazrul Islam said: “We came here because my niece was not answering our phone calls for a while. And now the phone is not ringing at all. We are worried. “

Magnitude 5.9 earthquake strikes Northern California near Nevada

REUTERS

NORTH CAROLINA

All nine people onboard were found dead in the crash of an airplane outside Orebro, Sweden, on Thursday, Swedish police said. "It's a very severe accident," Swedish police said on their website. "Everyone on board the crashed plane has died." Police said the plane, a DHC-2 Turbo Beaver, was carrying eight skydivers and one pilot. It crashed close to the runway at Orebro airport shortly after takeoff and caught fire at impact. "It is with great sadness and sorrow that I have received the tragic information about the plane crash in Orebro," Prime Minister Stefan Lofven wrote on Twitter. "My thoughts are with the victims, their families and loved ones in this very difficult time." In a similar accident, nine people died in northern Sweden in 2019 when a plane carrying skydivers crashed shortly after takeoff. The crash investigation showed the plane had been improperly loaded.

REUTERS

A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck a mountainous region of Northern California near the border with Nevada on Thursday, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS), but no injuries or serious damage were immediately reported.

The quake, initially registered at a magnitude 6.2, struck at a depth of 6 miles (10 km) and was centred near the town of Walker, California, about 150 miles east of state capital Sacramento, the USGS said on its website.

The quake was followed by a cluster of smaller tremors in the same region of the eastern Sierra Nevada range, the USGS reported. Weak to light shaking

was reported as far away as San Francisco, some 200 miles (322 km) to the east, and as far west as the Nevada capital of Carson City, according to the crowdsourced "Did You Feel It" map posted by the USGS. "While there are no preliminary reports of damage or injuries, this is a rapidly evolving situation & more details will emerge in the coming hours," the California governor's Office of Emergency Services said on Twitter.

"We are working closely with local officials to ensure they have the resources and support to rapidly respond to these earthquakes."

While earthquakes registering magnitudes between 5.5 and 6.0 are capable of causing some damage to buildings

and other structures, Thursday's flurry of tremors struck in a relatively sparsely populated area.

Quakes of that size are not uncommon in seismically active California.

But Thursday's temblor rattled local residents.

"It shook us good," Sue Wood, a waitress who was serving plates of hamburgers to customers at a general store in Smith Valley, Nevada, near the quake's epicentre, was quoted by the San Francisco Chronicle as recounting minutes afterward.

A loud crack was heard as the floor rolled, and then merchandise on store shelves shook for about 20 seconds, Wood told the newspaper, calling the incident "scary."

Covid cases climb as Southeast Asia feels force of Delta variant JAKARTA REUTERS

Having escaped the worst when the coronavirus pandemic erupted last year, Southeast Asia is now suffering dramatic rises in deaths and cases, while vaccination shortfalls and highly contagious variants derail containment efforts.

As countries like Britain, Germany and France prepare to remove most remaining restrictions after devastating outbreaks, governments in Southeast Asia are tightening measures, hoping targeted lockdowns will act as circuit-breakers in arresting record jumps in cases and deaths that started rising in May. Indonesia, the region’s hardest hit and most populous country, recorded more than 38,000 cases on Friday for a second successive day, six times the number a month earlier, in a week when its daily death toll as much as doubled from the start of July.

Authorities extended restrictions to 15 new locations across

the archipelago on Friday, hoping to avert the crisis seen on the island of Java, where hospitals are being pushed to the limit, oxygen supplies are low, and four of five designated Covid-19 burial grounds in the capital Jakarta are close to full.

A record 9,180 cases were reported on Friday in Malaysia and a similar number in Thailand, where authorities announced tougher measures in and around the capital Bangkok to slow the spread of the Delta variant, including a curfew, travel curbs, mall closures and limits on gatherings.

Neighbouring Myanmar saw 63 deaths and 4,320 new cases on Friday, both record highs, while Cambodia has seen its highest number of cases and deaths in the past nine days.

Health experts say low testing rates in the most populous countries Indonesia and the Philippines are also likely disguising the full extent of outbreaks, while Myanmar has seen a collapse in testing since Feb-

ruary’s coup.

Vietnam’s reputation as a coronavirus success story is under threat, with more cases in the last five days than during the first 14 months of the pandemic, although the record 1,625 cases on Friday were a fraction of those in Indonesia.

Panic-buying preceded Friday’s imposition of movement restrictions in the epicentre Ho Chi Minh City, while the capital Hanoi has announced measures to insulate itself

from outbreaks in other regions in the country of 98 million people.

LAGGING BEHIND: Dicky Budiman, an epidemiologist at Griffith University in Australia, said the region was struggling to cope with the Delta variant and paying for inconsistencies in strategy, messaging, and enforcement of protocols.

He cited the need to broaden the range of vaccines, noting the dominance of the China’s Sinovac (SVA.O), owing to its vaccine diplo-

macy when Western brands were unavailable.

“In handling the pandemic at a bigger scale … vaccines can’t stand alone,” he said. “Vaccines need to be diversified. Resources need to be diversified.”

Immunisation rates remain low, with 5.4 percent of Indonesia’s 270 million population fully inoculated, about 2.7 percent of people in the Philippines and 4.7 percent of the population in Thailand. Malaysia has vaccinated 9.3 percent of its 32 million people and has introduced an enhanced lockdown in its capital and industrial belt.

Indonesia and Thailand on Friday said booster shots with mRNA vaccines would be administered to health workers – most of which were given Chinese vaccines like Sinovac – amid concerns about their resistance to variants.

Thailand said the Pfizer (PFE.N) and BioNTech (22UAy.DE) shot would be given to its medical workers, while Indonesia said Moderna (MRNA.O) vaccines would soon ar-

rive for use among health staff.

With a worsening outbreak and worries about the efficacy of vaccines offered locally, appetite has quickly grown in Thailand for mRNA vaccines, which are not available until near the end of the year.

A Thai hospital on Friday said booking slots for 1,800 shots of Moderna’s vaccine were sold in minutes, after it offered it on e-commerce platform Shopee.

Singapore is among the few bright spots, with authorities to soon ease restrictions imposed when the Delta variant was detected, and complete the immunisation of half of the population later this month.

Alex Cook at the National University of Singapore’s Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health said the city-state was an exception, with its neighbours far behind.

“This shows the need to redouble global efforts at fair vaccine deployment to ensure higher risk individuals in lower income countries can also be protected,” he said.

saturday, 10 July, 2021

sports 11

islamabad

DjokoviC DoWnS ShapovaLov to reaCh WimbLeDon FinaL LONDON

Sri Lanka batting coach Flower tests positive for Covid-19 COLOMBO AFP

Sri Lanka batting coach Grant Flower is in isolation after testing positive for Covid-19 ahead of a home series against India, the cricket board in Colombo said Friday. Flower, 50, had returned from England where Sri Lanka played a one-day and Twenty20 international series and was preparing for next week’s India games when he showed coronavirus symptoms. “Immediately upon identification, Flower was isolated from the rest of the team members who are undergoing quarantine following their return from England,” the board said. It said Flower showed “mild symptoms”, prompting a Covid-19 test. Soon after the Sri Lanka team’s return, three players and four support staff members of the England team tested positive for Covid-19. The trio of Sri Lankan players, who violated their bio-secure bubble just before the start of their one-day international series in Durham, were recalled and are facing disciplinary action.

Fury tests positive for Covid-19, fight with Wilder postponed

LAS VEGAS REUTERS

The trilogy fight between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder in Las Vegas this month has been called off after Fury tested positive for COVID-19, the World Boxing Council (WBC) announced on Friday. WBC heavyweight champion Fury had signed a contract in May to fight American Wilder for a third time on July 24. "Fury vs Wilder III will be postponed. We wish Tyson Fury's team and him speedy recovery from Covid," the WBC said. Fury tested positive earlier this week. A source close to the promotion said the fight will be postponed until the autumn. Fury, 32, had been set to face fellow Briton Anthony Joshua in Saudi Arabia in August in a world heavyweight unification title fight, but an American arbitrator ordered Fury to fight Wilder again before Sept. 15. Fury first fought Wilder, who is now 35, in 2018 and took the WBC title from him in a rematch in February 2020 with a seventh-round stoppage.

D

REUTERS

EFENDING champion Novak Djokovic absorbed a barrage of powerful hitting from Canadian Denis Shapovalov to reach his seventh Wimbledon final on Friday with a 7-6(3) 7-5 7-5 victory that kept the indefatigable Serb on course to write history.

The 34-year-old was eclipsed at times by his 22-year-old opponent on an overcast Centre Court but as he almost always does, converted his chances in clinical fashion to set up a Sunday showdown with Italian Matteo Berrettini.

Tenth seed Shapovalov was bidding to become only the second Canadian man to reach the Wimbledon final and despite producing some scintillating tennis, he was left pondering what might have been after failing to crack the toughest nut in the business.

He struck 40 winners but whenever Djokovic found himself in peril, he manned the barricades, saving 10 of the 11 break points he faced and making only 15 unforced errors as he refused to be derailed in his pursuit of a 20th Grand Slam title.

Djokovic won the opening set despite Shapovalov serving for it at 5-4, then saved several break points in the second

as his opponent threw the kitchen sink at the five-time champion.

Even in the third set Shapovalov con-

tinued shooting from the hip but eventually his fire blew out as Djokovic claimed one of the toughest straight sets wins of his Wimbledon career.

Shapovalov left the court with tears in his eyes but he showed enough in a marvellous run to suggest that he is ready to challenge for the biggest prizes in tennis.

BERRETTINI DOWNS HURKACZ: Berrettini stayed solid in the face of a spirited fightback from Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz to become the first Italian to reach the Wimbledon final with a 6-3 60 6-7(3) 6-4 victory.

The 25-year-old took two hours and 36 minutes to get past the 14th seeded Hurkacz on Centre Court to reach the championship match on Sunday – the same day Italy play in the Euro 2020 soccer final a few miles up the road at Wembley Stadium against England.

“I have no words,” Berrettini said in his on-court interview. “I need, I think, couple of hours to understand what happened. I just know that I played a great match. I’m really happy. I’m really glad to be here.

“I think I never dreamed about this because it was too much for a dream.”

Mehidy, Shakib put Bangladesh in command against Zimbabwe HARARE REUTERS

Bangladesh looked to build an imposing lead over Zimbabwe with two days remaining as it was 45 without loss in its second innings at stumps on the third day of the oneoff Test at the Harare Sports Club on Friday.

Bangladesh takes a 237-run lead into the fourth day after dismissing its host for 276 just over an hour before stumps, with Mehidy Hasan Miraz taking 5-82 and Shakib Al Hasan 4-82.

The spin pair decimated Zimbabwe’s tail with the last five wickets falling for a meagre 15 runs, precipitated by the end of a patient innings BANGLADESH of 87 off 311 balls by debutant opener Takudzwanashe Kaitano.

468 (MAHMUDULLAH Zimbabwe had resumed on its NOT OUT, LITON 95, 150 overnight score of 114-1 with Kaitano MUZARABANI 4-94) AND 45 FOR and captain Brendan Taylor compiling a promising 115-run second 0 (SHADMAN 22 NOT OUT, SAIF 20 wicket partnership before Taylor NOT OUT) LEAD ZIMBABWE 275 went for 81, following which Bangladesh slowly began to exert (KAITANO 87, TAYLOR 81, control.

MIRAZ 5-82, SHAKIB 4-82) Bangladesh, which scored 468 in its BY 237 RUNS first innings, faced 17 overs before Friday's close, with Shadman Islam 22 not out and Saif Hassan unbeaten on 20.

TASKIN, MUZARABANI FINED: The heated confrontation that took place between Bangladesh's Taskin Ahmed and Zimbabwe's Blessing Muzarabani on the second day of the Test has resulted in both players being fined 15 percent of their match fees.

Match referee Andy Pycroft also slapped them with one demerit point each as further punishment for getting in each other's faces and making physical contact as well, which goes against article 2.1.12 of the ICC code of conduct.

Both Taskin and Muzarabani accepted their sanctions.

messi, Neymar to battle in dream Copa america final RIO DE JANEIRO AFP

Former Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi and Neymar will line up opposite each other in Saturday’s Copa America final looking to end a hoodoo that has also affected some of their countries’ greatest players.

Like Brazil’s Pele and Diego Maradona of Argentina before them, neither Messi nor Neymar has ever won the Copa. That statistic will change for one of them in the dream final at Rio de Janeiro’s iconic Maracana stadium.

For six-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi, this will be his fourth Copa final and perhaps his last chance to finish on the winning side. He’s been his team’s standout performer, as ever, scoring four goals and creating five more — the tournament leader in both categories.

But at 34, this may well be his last Copa and next year’s World Cup could be his last major international tournament altogether.

So far, finals have led only to disappointment for Messi having lost in 2007, 2015 and 2016 at the Copa,

and seen his side beaten 1-0 by Germany at the 2014 World Cup. Some people believe winning something with Argentina is Messi’s only remaining professional goal.

“We’ll try to stop him achieving this objective,” said Brazil centre-back Marquinhos.

“As much as Messi, we also have players that deserve this title … like our own ‘Ney’ who wasn’t there for the last Copa,” he added.

At 29, Neymar has a bit more time on his side but he was injured and absent two years ago when Brazil won their ninth title on home soil, beating Peru 3-1 in the final. But as well as the two superstars lining up on opposite sides on Saturday, this is a classic match between two world heavyweights.

“We’re going to play a final against our eternal rivals, the lifelong ones, the two most powerful national teams in South America and we hope … it will be a great match,” said Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni.

“Brazil versus Argentina is much more than a simple game of football … these jerseys make the world stand

still to watch their games. That represents the history of Brazil-Argentina,” added Marquinhos.

Incredibly, these two sides are not even the two most successful ones in Copa history, with Uruguay having won 15 titles to Argentina’s 14 and Brazil’s nine.

In what is the 47th edition of the Copa, this is also just the fourth time these two have met in the final, with Argentina triumphing the first time in 1937 and Brazil coming out on top in 2004 and 2007.

And that is despite having faced each other more than 100 times in their history.

They have been by far the strongest two sides in the competition, even if Argentina rode their luck a touch in

their semi-final penalty shoot-out win over Colombia.

The two squads are impressive for their strength in depth. In their semi-final victory over Peru — and despite Manchester City forward Gabriel Jesus being suspended — Brazil left the likes of Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino, Flamengo hot-shot Gabriel Barbosa and Real Madrid starlet Vinicius Junior on the bench.

In midfield, Liverpool’s Fabinho has been kept out of the side by a resurgent Fred, of Manchester United.

Likewise, Paris Saint-Germain winger Angel Di Maria — a bright spark when he came on in the semifinal against Colombia — has mostly started on the bench while new Barcelona signing Sergio Aguero has hardly had a look in for Argentina.

Messi and Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez (three goals) have provided Argentina’s main attacking thrust but they have quality and creativity throughout.

“Argentina are not just Lautaro and Messi, we cannot only concentrate on those two,” said Brazil and Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro.

“They’re great players, world class players, but if Argentina have reached the final it’s because of the (whole) group, we have to respect this.”

As well as looking to end his career-long trophy drought with Argentina, Messi could make history in another way on Saturday.

He currently sits on 76 goals for Argentina, one shy of Pele’s South American record of 77 national team goals.

Saturday, 10 July, 2021

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NEWS

$650bn SDR allocation to be comPleteD by auguSt-enD: imF mD WASHINGTON

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ELCOMING the executive board’s backing for a new $650 billion special drawing rights (SDRs) allocation, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Kristalina Georgieva hopes the allocation to be completed by the end of August.

Pakistan is expected to get $2.8 billion from the IMF under the new allocation of special drawing rights for frontier markets.

“The IMF executive board concurred in my proposal for a new general SDR allocation equivalent to US$650 billion – the largest allocation in the IMF’s history – to address the long-term global needs for reserves during the worst crisis since the Great Depression. I will now present the new SDR allocation proposal to the IMF’s board of governors for their consideration and approval. If approved, we expect the SDR allocation to be completed by

the end of August,” said the IMF managing director in a statement issued on Friday.

She said that this is a shot in the arm for the world. The SDR allocation will boost the liquidity and reserves of all member countries, build confidence,

taliban capture key border crossing with iran: spokesperson

and foster the resilience and stability of the global economy, she added.

“In 2009, an SDR allocation contributed significantly to recovery from the global financial crisis and I am confident that this new allocation will have a similar benefit now,” she said.

She said the SDR allocation will help every IMF member country – particularly vulnerable countries – and strengthen their response to the Covid-19 crisis.

“We will maintain active engagement with our membership in the months ahead to identify viable options for voluntary channelling of SDRs from wealthier members to support our poorer and more vulnerable countries to help their pandemic recovery and achieve resilient and sustainable growth, which will also help boost global economic recovery,” she further said.

External liquidity strains ease in Pakistan, as in the last six months, official reserves have increased. The country has benefited from the disbursement of IMF resources under its $6 billion extended fund facility with the completion of the combined second through fifth reviews last March, and more recently from Saudi Arabia’s agreement in June to an oil assistance package that could be worth up to $1.5 billion. The country raised $2.5 billion in bonds in the international market in March.

Talks with IMF on sixth review going on smoothly: SBP chief

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The Taliban said on Friday they had captured Afghanistan’s biggest border crossing with Iran, as the insurgents continued a blistering offensive across the country. “The port of Islam Qala is now under our full control and we will try to put it back in operation today,” Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesperson for the insurgents, told AFP. There was no immediate confirmation of the border crossing’s fall from the government, and the Taliban’s claim could not be independently verified.

Islam Qala is one of the major ports in Afghanistan, through which Kabul conducts most of its official trade with Iran. It is the second key border crossing the insurgents have captured since they launched a sweeping offensive in early May as US-led foreign forces began their final withdrawal.

Last month the Taliban captured Shir Khan Bandar, Afghanistan’s main border crossing with Tajikistan, after fierce fighting that saw hundreds of Afghan troops flee over to the neighbouring country.

State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor Reza Baqir has said that talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the sixth review of the $6 billion loan programme are going on smoothly.

Speaking to the Pakistani media in Washington, the central bank governor said that Pakistan and the IMF share the same goals, which include bringing non-taxpayers to the tax net.

“We too want to expand our tax net and improve the tax-to-

GDP ratio,” the SBP governor said, adding that Pakistan and the IMF also share the same goals in other sectors too, like energy and circular debt.

Dwelling on the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) action plan, he said that Pakistan has been taking measures to come out of the Paris-based money laundering watchdog’s grey list.

About the SBP Amendment Bill 2021, Reza Baqir said it was not the first time that the bill was

introduced as it was previously done five times. The bill was a first step towards the central bank’s autonomy, he added.

Talking about the Roshan Digital Account, he said Pakistani expatriates were benefiting from the initiative. As many as 180,000 Pakistanis have benefited from the RDA since it was launched. Around 800 to 1,000 Roshan Digital Accounts were opening on a daily basis, he pointed out. News Desk

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Pfizer pushes for third shot as Delta variant drives global outbreaks Pfizer and BioNTech announced on Thursday they would seek authorisation for a third dose of their Covid-19 vaccine to boost its efficacy, as the Delta variant drove devastating outbreaks in Asia and Africa and cases rose again in Europe and the United States. With the pandemic once again regaining intensity, Japan banned fans from most Olympic events and placed Tokyo under a virus state of emergency throughout the Games. The decision comes just two weeks before the opening ceremony. Delta is the most infectious strain of the virus since the start of the global pandemic in early 2020. Originally detected in India months ago, it has quickly spread and today is accelerating outbreaks even in countries with high vaccination rates. This led the World Health Organisation to warn that the world was at a “perilous point” as the official global death toll passed four million. Pfizer and BioNTech said they expect that a third dose will perform well against the Delta strain, and that they will be seeking authorisation in the United States, Europe and other regions in coming weeks. Initial data from an ongoing trial showed a third shot pushed antibody levels five to 10 times higher against the original coronavirus strain and the Beta variant, first found in South Africa, compared to the first two doses alone, according to a statement. The companies said they expected similar results for Delta — but added they are also developing a Delta-specific vaccine against the strain. A day ago, US regulators said they were still studying the need for booster shots.

“Americans who have been fully vaccinated do not need a booster shot at this time,” the Food and Drug Administration and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a joint statement. “We are prepared for booster doses if and when the science demonstrates that they are needed.” The news came after Japan, where the strain currently accounts for around 30 per cent of cases, on Thursday banned spectators from Olympic venues in Tokyo, where most competitions will take place. Earlier, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced that the capital will be under a state of emergency throughout the Games, until August 22, though far looser than the lockdowns seen in other parts of the world such as Australia. In Australia the government said it would rush 300,000 vaccine doses to Sydney as the country’s largest city — in its third week of lockdown — struggled to bring a Delta outbreak under control.

WHO SAYS ‘WORST YET TO COME’ FOR AFRICA: South Korea, once considered a coronavirus response model along with Australia, reported nearly 1,300 new infections, the highest since the pandemic began. Elsewhere in Asia, Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City has gone into lockdown. The virus threat also forced organisers to postpone the Southeast Asian Games set to take place in Vietnam. Indonesia has become a global Covid-19 hotspot, with death rates rising tenfold in a month to more than 1,000 on Wednesday (July 7).

Hospitals in the vast archipelago of 270 million have been pushed to the brink by the flood of coronavirus cases. The out-of-control virus surge has led to a run on ivermectin, an anti-parasite drug backed by leading politicians and social media influences as a “miracle cure” despite little evidence and health warnings. Meanwhile in Brazil, which has the world’s second-highest known Covid-19 death toll after the United States, authorities have said the variant is spreading rapidly in the country’s most populous state Sao Paulo. And in Africa, the WHO warned the worst was yet to come after the most disastrous week in its history of pandemics. “The fastmoving third wave continues to gain speed and new ground,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO’s regional director for Africa. Tunisian authorities said the country’s health system has “collapsed” under the weight of the pandemic, describing the situation as “catastrophic.”

‘PERILOUS’: The WHO said more than 4m people have died from Covid-19, but cautioned that the figure was likely an underestimate.

Analysis: Biden lost faith in the US mission in Afghanistan over a decade ago WASHINGTON ReuteRs

President Joe Biden’s frustrations with Afghanistan boiled over more than a decade ago, and they never again eased.

On a trip to Kabul in January 2009, shortly before he was sworn in as vice president, Biden warned Afghanistan’s then-President Hamid Karzai at a dinner that he could lose Washington’s support unless he started governing for all Afghans, hinting at corruption allegations targeting Karzai’s brother.

Karzai shot back that the United States was indifferent to the deaths of Afghan civilians.

As the dispute went on, Biden threw down his napkin and the dinner ended abruptly, according to several people in attendance.

Biden had previously supported strong military and humanitarian efforts to rebuild Afghanistan after the United States toppled the Islamist militant Taliban government in retaliation for its aiding al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.

But the clash with Karzai and the rest of a discomforting trip left Biden filled with a sense that Afghanistan’s war was ensnaring

Washington and could be unwinnable.

He returned to Washington with a stern warning to President-elect Barack Obama: Now is not the time to put more troops in Afghanistan. “It wasn’t simply impatience,” said Jonah Blank, a longtime former Biden aide who was with him on the 2009 trip. “Year after year, his optimism started to drain away.”

Biden lost that policy dispute as Obama eventually ordered a surge of new troops into Afghanistan and extended the war through his term in office, which ended in 2017.

But Biden is now in charge at the White House and he is overseeing a near-total troop withdrawal despite the objections of some military experts, Democratic and Republican lawmakers and humanitarian officials.

Biden’s Republican predecessor, Donald Trump, struck a deal with the Taliban under which all U.S. troops would leave by May of this year. Sources say Biden worried that reneging on that deal would court further attacks on U.S. troops and extend the war.

Biden acknowledged on Thursday that a new civil war could erupt in Afghanistan, but reiterated his commitment to pulling out U.S. troops. While the United States will maintain diplomatic and humanitarian sup-

port for Afghans, Biden said their future was up to them.

It was the Democratic president’s most public effort yet to reassure Americans on the Afghanistan strategy as the Taliban takes over swaths of a country at the precipice of chaos.

“I made the decision with clear eyes,” Biden said. “I will not send another generation of Americans to war in Afghanistan with no reasonable expectation of achieving a different outcome.” read more About 2,400 U.S. service members have been killed in America’s longest war – and many thousands more wounded.

A majority of Americans support Biden’s decision to move troops out of Afghanistan, according to an Ipsos poll from April, but only 28% of respondents agreed the United States accomplished its goals in Afghanistan, while 43% said the U.S. withdrawal now helps al Qaeda.

NO GUARANTEES: Critics, including some U.S. government officials, warn the withdrawal is occurring without guarantees that the Taliban will participate in a peace process or democratic elections, or cut ties with al Qaeda.

The Pentagon says the withdrawal of

U.S. forces is 90% complete, and the Taliban has launched an offensive taking areas where it had once been kept at bay. On Thursday, it captured a major border crossing with Iran. read more Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who accompanied Biden on the 2009 Afghanistan trip, said this week that al Qaeda could re-emerge in Afghanistan and lay the groundwork for another attack on the United States. “It is not in America’s national security interest for the Taliban to take over Afghanistan.” Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat, said she is “deeply concerned” by conditions in Afghanistan.

Heather Barr, an interim co-director of the women’s rights division at Human Rights Watch who spent years in Afghanistan, also had a grim assessment: “It feels like a complete disaster, as if the country is collapsing.”

The decision to leave was not easy, but current and former aides said Biden’s concerns about getting bogged down in Afghanistan began in the final stages of the George W. Bush administration and crystalized over the years. The 2009 trip persuaded him that the policy was failing.

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

“What he saw and heard on the trip,” Obama wrote in his 2020 memoir, “A Promised Land,” “convinced him that we needed to rethink our entire approach” and that Afghanistan was a “dangerous quagmire.”

Biden was sometimes the only senior White House official opposing troop surges to back the counterinsurgency strategy.

Yet the years that passed only sharpened Biden’s concerns and those of close aides, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

The 2011 killing of bin Laden, in a U.S. raid that Biden was skeptical of in neighboring Pakistan, was a major accomplishment for Obama. But it also removed another reason for the United States to maintain a strong presence in the region.

“Biden argued throughout the process, and would continue to argue, that the war was politically unsustainable at home,” Robert Gates, a defense secretary under Obama who clashed with Biden, said in a 2014 memoir.

Biden’s administration hopes it can maintain some leverage over the Taliban in U.S.-backed peace talks with threats to withhold financial assistance that the poor, landlocked country needs.