01 FRONT PAGE (18-9-2021)_ISB

Saturday, 18 September, 2021 I 10 Safar, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 79 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition

New ZealaNd abaNdoN PakistaN series at last miNute over ‘security threat’ g

INTERIoR MINIsTER sEEs 'CoNsPIRACy'; loCAl CRICkET sTARTs BlAsT kIwIs FoR BAIlINg oUT

ISLAMABAD

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AkIsTANI authorities on Friday smelled a ‘well-conceived conspiracy’ behind the cancellation of New Zealand’s cricket series in Pakistan but the officials stopped short of naming the country who conspired to get the trip cancelled.

Minister for Interior sheikh Rasheed Ahmed told a press conference here that there was a ‘conspiracy’ behind the cancellation of New Zealand tour to Pakistan — the team’s first in 18 years. However, he did not divulge further details.

An official source, however, said that there was ‘no substantial evidence’ about any threat shared with Pakistan while the New Zealand team had taken a ‘unilateral decision’ to cancel their trip which suggested that there may be some ‘political reasons’ behind the cancellation of the trip.

“It looks to be a well-conceived plan aimed at political vendetta. There was no terrorist threat and neither any evidence was shared with Pakistan,” the official source said.

Asked what could be the possible reason for the cancellation, the official said that the enemy would be hatching a conspiracy to spoil Pakistan’s achieving peace in the region.

Meanwhile, Rasheed also stopped short of sharing the name of the country or agency involved in the conspiracy but hastened to add that the tour cancellation ‘an attempt to damage Pakistan’s efforts for peace in the region’.

“The [New Zealand] team’s security incharge spoke to our officials in the morning and informed them of a threat. when the officials asked for further details, the New Zealand security in-charge did not have any information to share with us,” he added.

The minister said that the country had deployed commandos from Pakistan

coroNavirus iN

PakistaN

CONFIRMED CASES:

1,218,749

LAST UPDATED AT 7:22 AM ON SEPTEMBER 17, 2021

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

NEW CASES:

68

2,928

RECOVERED:

DEATHS:

1,125,952 27,072 SINDH:

PUNJAB:

448,658

419,423

KPK:

BALOCHISTAN:

170,391 AJK/GB:

32,707 ISLAMABAD:

33,628/10,222

103,720

Army’s special services group (ssg), soldiers and 4,000 policemen for the matches in Rawalpindi. “we also tried to convince them to play the match without spectators. But they did not agree to it,” he said.

Rasheed said that the government’s team also reached out to Prime Minister Imran khan, who is currently in Dushanbe to participate in the 20th shanghai Cooperation organisation Council of Heads of state (sCo-CHs) summit and requested him to intervene.

“The PM also called New Zealand’s Prime Minister [Jacinda Ardern] and assured [her] of [providing] complete security to the kiwis. The New Zealand prime minister said there was no issue of a threat,” said the interior minister, adding that the New Zealand Prime Minister said her government had ‘received intelligence’ that the team could be attacked when it steps out to go to the stadium.

“It is their decision. we had deployed heavy security for the New Zealand team.

Pakistan is a peace promoter in the world.

And this tour was cancelled through a conspiracy. It is their (NZ’s) problem and what they decide,” asserted the minister.

The minister said that the National Crisis Management Cell had also tried to convince the Black Caps not to call off their tour but they did not agree.

The minister noted that New Zealand’s security team had visited Pakistan four months ago and the tour itself had been scheduled months before the Aug 31 deadline for withdrawal of international forces from neighbouring Afghanistan.

He said that none of our intelligence agencies, which are among the best in the world, have any information about a threat.

“Pakistan is playing a major role in the region and the enemy does not want us to prosper. Indian media has been defaming Pakistan,” the interior minister said, adding that Indian designs would be foiled.

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UK removes Pakistan from travel red list In a major development, the United kingdom has removed Pakistan from its “red list countries” for travel, British High Commissioner Christian Turner announced.

“Pleased to confirm Pakistan is off the red list. I know how difficult the last 5 months were for so many who rely on close links between Pakistan & Uk,” he wrote on his official Twitter handle on Friday.

“From oct 4, if you’re fully [vaccinated] you won’t need a pre-departure test before arrival into England from a non-red country and from later in oct, will be able to replace the day 2 PCR test with a cheaper lateral flow,” he added.

He also thanked Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umer, Prime Minister’s aide on health Dr Faisal sultan, National Command and operation Centre and other relevant departments for their close “for their close collaboration”.

In a follow-up tweet, Turner said the Uk will continue to work closely with Pakistan to ensure data sharing and safeguard public health in both countries. “No one is safe until everyone is safe.” welcoming the decision, NCoC head Asad Umar said, “good to know finally the right decision taken to take Pakistan off red list. Uk high commission in Pak has been supportive throughout.”

He also appreciated Uk parliamentarians’ “for conveying facts about the Covid-19 situation in Pak-

We have to resolve Afghan issue collectively, PM Imran tells SCO nations DUSHANBE staff report

Prime Minister Imran khan on Friday has asked sCo nations to work collectively for resolution of the Aghan issue.

The summit gathered the Presidents of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, kyrgyzstan, kazakhstan, Iran, leaders of observer states, foreign ministers, and heads of international and regional organizations.

Vladimir Norov, sCo secretary-general and Jumakhon giyasov, Director Executive Committee of sCo Regional Anti-Terrorist structure were also present.

Prime Minister said addressing the threats to international and regional peace and security was a vital interest for sCo, alongside Foreign Minister shah Mahmood Qureshi, National security Adviser Moeed yusuf and Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry.

Addressing the sCo Head of states summit, PM Imran khan said that the region is facing numerous challenges and we have to work collectively to resolve the issues including the Afghan problem.

istan”.

“Ambassador your efforts are commendable….. good news after depressing day for cricket,” Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said. special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal sultan termed the decision “great news” for travellers. He also appreciated the British high commissioner and Uk government officials for engaging with Pakistani officials for an “indepth understanding of our epidemic response and systems as well as the ongoing sharing of data and information to enable disease security”.

The news comes a day after concerns were raised by the Uk about the lack of genomic surveillance and the low testing rate in Pakistan, which had been speculated as a potential reason to keep Pakistan on the red list.

Minister for Human Rights shireen Mazari, who had previously criticised the Uk government’s “feeble excuse” for retaining Pakistan on the red list, credited Prime Minister Imran khan’s “strong stance” on the issue, Uk MPs and databased responses by the sAPM on health and the National Command and operation Centre, for the change in travel status.

“Pak was dealt with unfairly so it was time for the Uk govt to put things right!” she said. news Desk

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more inside

Pakistan maintains downwards trend in daily Covid-19 cases STORY ON PAGE 03

Major work on CPEC projects done by PTI govt: Asad Umar STORY ON PAGE 02

It is time for the world to stand with Afghanistan, as we know that the past kabul government was running on 75 percent international aid.

The world should accept ground realities about Afghanistan, he maintained. on Pakistan’s stance about the new Afghan government, the premier said, Islamabad respects the sovereignty of Afghanistan and we think that any decision regarding Afghanistan should be taken by the people of the country.

Afghanistan is a country, which cannot be ruled from outside neither it can be left all alone.

He pointed out that a “new reality” has been established in Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover and the world should accept that.

“The Taliban must fulfill the pledges made, above all for an inclusive political structure where all ethnic groups are represented. This is vital for Afghanistan’s stability,” he said.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

COAS awards degrees, medals to graduating students at GCU Lahore STORY ON BACK PAGE

No extension will be granted in returns filing date: FBR STORY ON BACK PAGE

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Saturday, 18 September, 2021

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MAjoR WoRK oN CPEC PRojECtS doNE

by PtI Govt: ASAd UMAR ISLAMABAD

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APP

INISTER for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Asad Umar on Friday dispelled the impression of slowing down the pace of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects saying that major work of the CPEC projects was completed during the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) government.

He said in the first phase of CPEC, two major sectors- power and infrastructure, were under the main focus.“Power projects with an installed capacity of 3,340 MW were completed during the previous government while 5,864 MW of power projects were completed during the current government’s tenure.” Apart from it, he said work on another 1824 MW project had also been started recently that would

be completed after the tenure of the current government.

In the infrastructure and road sector, the minister informed that the PML-N government completed 394 kilometres long motorways and highways under CPEC while the current government had so far completed 413 km of the motorways and highways.

Asad Umar said the PML-N government ignored the Western Corridor that was the heart of CPEC. He said Gwadar-Hoshab road was completed by the previous government while the Hakla-Dera Ismail Khan motorway was initiated by the PMLN government who completed 42 per cent of the project while the rest was completed by the current government.

Apart from these two projects, the previous government could not even reach the initial approval stage of the road projects on the Western alignment, he added.

The minister said the DI Khan-Zhob road (210 km) was approved, and a loan

application had been submitted while negotiations for the loan were in process.

Similarly, the contractor for the ZhobQueta project had been mobilized and PC-1 of the Quetta-Khuzdar road was approved while funding for this project had already been allocated in the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2021-22.

He informed that the current government had completed 67pc of the work of the 110 km Khuzda-Basima road while it would also complete the rest work soon.

Likewise, the 146 km Hoshab-Awaran road project had also been approved, and the contractor had been mobilized. The Hoshab-Awaran project is an integral part of the CPEC central alignment that connects the port city of Gwadar with Sindh. “Real work on Western Corridor of CPEC was started during the PTI government,” he said, adding that it did not wait for the Chinese investment and started work on the projects with its

resources under PSDP. The minister informed that the government was also starting work on the connecting roads to the Western Alignment. Peshawar-DI Khan motorway project is one such project which has recently been approved. Similarly, the 460 km Karachi-Quetta-Chaman road has also been approved and one of the portions would be completed by the government itself while the other sections of this project would be constructed under Public-Private Partnership. Likewise, the government has also accorded approval to other such roads such as Nokundi-Mashkel road, Mashkel-Panjgur road, Awaran-Jhal Jhao road.

The minister said these connecting roads and the Western Alignment were being built to take maximum benefit of the opportunities to be opened up in Afghanistan after peace and stability prevailed in the country.

Asad Umar said after the completion of the first phase, we are entering the

Govt committed to grant FBR complete autonomy: finance minister ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The incumbent government is fully committed to grant the Federal Board of Revenue operational and financial autonomy to rule out the possibility of political interference and thus make it an efficient, merit-based, service-oriented and public friendly organization. This was stated by Federal Minister for Finance & Revenue Shaukat Tarin while addressing the senior officers at FBR Headquarters Islamabad. He appreciated last year’s commendable performance of FBR regarding the collection of revenue targets despite challenges posed by Covid-19. He also stated that FBR was on track for the achievement of this year’s target of Rs5829 billion as FBR had already surpassed the target with a margin of Rs160bn in the first two months.

“The Broadening of Tax Base is one of the top

priorities of my team for the current year and we have constituted committees of private sector experts, NADRA and FBR officers who are working tirelessly."

While elaborating the function of these committees, he added that these committees are also working on the assessment of resource constraints of FBR, especially the finances and the logistics, and they would be recommending the ways and means to overcome these constraints. “The other flagship initiative is Point of Sales Integration which aims at recording the real-time transactions at the retail level and has huge potential to increase the revenue of the state,” he continued.

Tarin also briefed about the progress on the Track & Trace project which would be rolled out from November as the stay granted by one of the Honorable High Court had been vacated and he had also approved funds of Rs432 million for the project.

Bid documents of SukkurHyderabad motorway approved ISLAMABAD APP

The board of Public-Private Partnership Authority (P3A) on Friday approved the bid documents of the landmark Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway Project proposed to be constructed on a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) basis at an approved construction cost of approximately Rs191 billion (US$1.23bn). Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives (MoPD&SI) Asad Umar presided over the meeting of the board held here.

The P3A Board previously approved a commercial feasibility study and revised the transaction structure of Sukkur Hyderabad Motorway Following the Board’s approval of the bid documents, the project will be floated in the market and the bidders would be given

adequate time to prepare their proposals. The project entails the construction of a 306 km green-field 6-lane access controlled toll road on a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) basis.

The project is expected to be completed in 30 months following financial close. The concession period of the project is spread over 25 years.

The private sector will be given the tolling and other ancillary development rights of the project to cover its life-cycle costs and earn an adequate rate of return on investment.

Government is supporting the financial viability & bankability of the project through the provision of capital and operational Viability Gap Funding (VGF) by committing to provide a maximum of Rs43bn during the construction period and operational VGF payments spread over the first 7 operational years. The Board also approved the Public-

Private Partnership Working Party (P3WP) Regulations, 2021. Asad Umar and other members of the P3A appreciated the performance and efforts of the P3A team on the occasion.

The minister highlighted that the development of transportation corridors was critical to the present Government’s development strategy and the Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway would be a vital section of the NorthSouth connectivity and would also have a far-reaching social and economic impact.

Planning Commission, Secretary Deputy Chairman, the nominee of Secretary Finance Division, Secretary Communications, Member Private Sector Development, NHA Chairman, P3A CEO and two private members of the Board, Huma Ejaz Zaman and Akbar Ayub Khan attended the meeting.

second but very important phase of CPEC under which investment would come to a range of sectors including industrialization, agriculture, livestock, science technology, and other social sector development sectors.

He said when the current government took over, not a single Special Economic Zone (SEZ) under CPEC was operational but now two SEZs Allama Iqbal Industrial Zone in Faisalabad and Rashakai in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were operational while another SEZ named Dhabeji would also be functional soon once the Sindh government has selected the contractor for the SEZ. He said agriculture was an important sector in which the Chinese had vast experience who would help Pakistan in strengthening the sector.

So far eight important initiatives in the agriculture sector have been approved under CPEC under which the Chinese would help Pakistanis to develop the sector.

He said the Chinese would help Pakistani farmers in increasing the per acre yield of the crops. Similarly, he said the Chinese would help in removing foot and mouth disease from the animals as this disease was the major hurdle in exporting Halal meat to the world.

Chairman NEPRA Comments Graduation of KE’s First Women Certified Electricians Cohort KARACHI: On a visit to K-Electric, NEPRA Chairman Tauseef H. Farooqi presided over the graduation of Pakistan’s first cohort of certified women electricians. The ceremony was also attended by Rafique Ahmad Shaikh, Vice Chairman, Maqsood Anwar Khan, Member, and Huma Zafar, Consultant CSR from the Authority.

This program, launched as a collaboration between K-Electric and Hunar Foundation, focused on enhancing the skill set of these women, empowering them to support their communities and is an extension of K-Electric’s Roshni Baji community ambassador program also launched by Chairman NEPRA in February of this year. Since their induction into the program 7 months ago, the Roshni Bajis have been engaging at a grassroots level with communities across Malir, Orangi, Surjani and Lyari among others, and have educated over 100,000 households on practices for safe use of electricity inside their homes. PRESS RELEASE

SCCI chief censures govt over increase in PoL products prices PESHAWAR AZIZ BUNERI

Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) President Sherbaz Bilour has censured the government over an unprecedented increase in prices of petroleum commodities and warned that the business community will strongly protest if the decision wasn’t taken back immediately. Bilour while chairing a meeting of small traders and industrialists here at the chamber house on Friday said that the recent hike of Rs5 per litre in the price of petrol is highly worrisome, saying that the whopping hike in PoL products is unacceptable, which was completely rejected. SCCI chief noted the country’s economy has already been brought on the brink of a complete collapse as a result of ‘antibusinesses’ and industries policies of the present government, while the inconsistency in prices of patrolmen products, electricity and gas would be further deteriorating the situation after an increase in prices of petroleum commodities.

Govt to facilitate investors for revival of SOEs ISLAMABAD APP

Federal Minister for Privatization Mohammed Mian Soomro on Friday reiterated the government's resolve to facilitate foreign as well as local investors in line with the vision of the Prime Minister to revive state-owned enterprises and turn them into profitoriented enterprises.

“We welcome the foreign investment in Pakistan and as per the vision of the PM. We will provide all possible facilities and support and necessary information to investors,” he added.

In this regard, he said roadshows are the most effective way of reaching out to

potential investors in an efficient manner, this strategy has the potential to take the marketing to the next level.

He said that the Ministry of Privatization has started a series of roadshows with international and national investors for the revival of Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM).

The meetings with renowned investors consortium from Korea and China were held on Friday as well, he said adding that so far leading investors consortium from China, Korea and Russia have been interacted with, which have shown keen interest in the investment potential of Pakistan in general and Steel Mills in particular.

Federal Minister for Privatization

Mohammed Mian Soomro, Federal Secretary Privatization, financial and legal advisers and senior officers of the ministry responded to the queries from the potential investors. PSM has been non-functional since 2015, and the government has come up with a unique and most feasible transaction structure for the revival of PSM, the 51 per cent to 74pc shares of a newly carved out subsidiary of PSM namely Steel Corp would be divested through a competitive and transparent bidding process.

After the publication of EOIs renowned national and international investors, consortiums responded; consequently, the Ministry has arranged for the roadshows starting from

September 13 and will continue till September 23. The revival of PSM and its functioning at its full capacity is the prime focus of this whole process, its revival would augur well for the economy of the country by fulfilling the indigenous demand for iron and steel, which currently is imported from China, Germany and Japan.

The revival of PSM would be a unique transaction since, after the closure of Steel Mills and various attempts to revive it, this is the first time after 16 years that we have come this far due to the unrelenting efforts from the Ministry.

The transaction is expected to be completed in the second quarter of next year.

Saturday, 18 September, 2021

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PAKIStAN MAINtAINS doWNWARdS tRENd IN dAILy CovId-19 CASES

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NEWS DESK

OR the first time since July, Pakistan has reported less than 70,000 active cases across the country, marking a continuation of the downward trend of coronavirus in the current wave.

The national tally of active Covid-19 cases was recorded 65,725 on Friday with 2,928 more people tested positive for the deadly virus and 13,716 people recovered from the disease during the last 24 hours.

Sixty-eight coronavirus patients have died during the past 24 hours, including those who were under treatment in the hospitals and also in their respective quarantines or homes, according to the latest update issued by the National Command and Operation Centre.

There were 4,960 Covid infected patients under treatment in critical condition in various Covid dedicated healthcare facilities of the country.

The National Covid positivity ratio during the past 24 hours was recorded at 5.08 percent. Some 57,626 tests were conducted across the country on Thursday. Around 1,125,952 people have recovered from the disease so far across Pakistan making it a significant count with over 90 percent recovery ratio of the affected patients. Since the pandemic broke out, a total of 1,218,749 cases were detected that also included the perished, recovered and under treatment Covid-19 patients so far, including AJK 33,628, Balochistan 32,707, GB 10,222, ICT 103,720, KP 170,391, Punjab 419,423 and Sindh 448,658. About 27,072 deaths were recorded in the country since the eruption of the contagion.

A total of 18,740,356 coronavirus tests have been conducted so far, while 640 hospitals are equipped with Covid facilities across the country.

Moreover, the NCOC took notice of carrying out coronavirus rapid testing by private laboratories at airports.

According to details, the authorities have directed the Health Department to review the standard and prices of the tests. Earlier, NCOC announced to ease restrictions following the decline in the coronavirus cases amid the fourth wave of the pandemic.

The meeting chaired by Asad Umar, head of the National Command and Operations Center, reviewed the coronavirus situation in detail across the country and important decisions were taken.

According to a notification issued by the NCOC, markets across the country will remain open till 10 pm except in the districts with increased cases, while indoor and outdoor dining will be allowed till 12 pm.

Indoor events will be allowed up to 200 vaccinated people while 400 vaccinated people will be allowed to attend outdoor events.

It bears mentioning that another 0.5 million doses of Russia’s Sputnik V

vaccine have arrived in Pakistan, the National Disaster Management Authority said on Friday.

In a statement on its official Twitter handle, the authority said the vaccine purchased by it arrived on September 16 and has been handed over to the Ministry of National Health and Services, Regulations and Coordination.

The first consignment of the Russianmade Covid-19 vaccine Sputnik V reached Pakistan on Sept 01.

It is noteworthy that Pakistan has begun free of cost administration of Sputnik vaccine at a Lahore Covid vaccination centre as previously private health institutes were charging fees for its jab. According to details, the Sputnik vaccine is administered free of cost at Expo Centre Lahore and its second dose will be administered after a period of 21 days.

Previously, Sputnik was administered at private health institutes where they charged Rs12,000 for the two doses.

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“Allied bank Limited and Maria b has signed an agreement for “door Step banking Service – Cash Pick up Arrangement” PRESS RELEASE Maria Butt, CEO Mr Wasif and CFO Zubair attended the ceremony from Maria B’s side while the Chief HRG Saria Shahid Hussain, Chief BSG Imran Maqsood, Chief CRBG Shahid Amir and Chief DBG Sohail Aziz Awan represented the bank at the occasion.”

bank Alfalah launches the first-ever digital banking portal in Pakistan KARACHI PRESS RELEASE

PSX sheds 284 points on poor trade, inflationary data KARACHI TLTP

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) turned bearish on Friday amid disappointing trade data and inflationary figures, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index shedding 284.38 points (-0.61 percent) to close at 46,636.08 points.

The market opened on a positive note and remained bullish during the first session; however, the news of August trade data attracted bears back to the bourse and the market witnessed strong selling pressure. The KSE-100 Index moved in a range of 625.9 points, showing an intraday high of 47,181.7 points and a low of 46,555.8 points.

Among other indices, the KSE All Share Index shed 162.25 points (-0.5 percent) to close at 32,010.2 points, while All Share Islamic Index shed 169.09 points (-0.73 percent) to close at 22,864.41 points.

A total of 380 companies traded

shares in the stock exchange, out of them shares of 146 closed up, shares of 213 closed down while shares of 21 companies remained unchanged. Out of 98 traded companies in the KSE-100 Index, 34 closed up, 60 closed down, while four remained unchanged.

The overall market volumes decreased by 17.89 million to 387.29 million shares. Total volume traded for the KSE-100 Index was 163.22 million shares. The number of total trades decreased by 3,942 to 126,616, while the value traded decreased by Rs0.28 billion to Rs16.23 billion.

Among scrips, WTL posted top volumes with 42.42 million shares, followed by TRG (25.23 million) and BYCO (20.91 million). Stocks that contributed significantly to the volumes include WTL, TRG, BYCO, TPLP and BOP, which formed around 33 percent of total volumes.

Ahsan Mehanti at Arif Habib Corporation said that Pakistan stocks

witnessed selling pressure, as the investors remained uncertain regarding the monetary policy announcement next week, amid rising trade deficit and declining rupee.

He said that the stocks closed lower on speculation over the State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) policy rate announcement next week and investors’ concerns on foreign outflows.

“Rising current account deficit to $1.476 billion in August 2021, weak global crude oil prices, and uncertainty over the rupee parity played a catalytic role in the bearish close.”

An analyst at JS Global Capital said the KSE-100 witnessed a volatile session with a high and low of +261 points and 365 points, respectively, to close at the level of 46,636 points. “Selling pressure was seen in the market due to rebalancing of the FTSE Index. Millat Tractors Limited (MTL), up 2.3 per cent, declared its FY21 results, where the company posted an EPS of Rs117.13 along with a

cash dividend of Rs50/share and a bonus of 20 percent.”

From the steel sector, Mughal Steel declared its FY21 results, posting an EPS of Rs12.85 and a bonus of 15 per cent. Selling pressure was witnessed in the technology sector where Avanceon Limited, down 3.5 per cent; Telecard Limited, down 3.1 per cent, Netsol, down 2.8 per cent and TRG Pakistan, down 1.5 per cent, lost value to close in the negative territory. Going forward, analysts recommend investors to book profits and wait for further buying.

The companies, which reflected the highest gains included Gatron Industries, up Rs36.32 to close at Rs527.5/share; and Ismail Industries, up Rs29.01 to close at Rs449 per share. The companies that reflected the most losses included Nestle Pakistan, down Rs77 to close at Rs5,910 per share; and Rafhan Maize, down Rs200 to close at Rs10,800 per share .

FDI falls 20.3pc to $203.1m in July, August: SBP NEWS DESK The foreign direct investment (FDI) witnessed an increase of 26 percent in August on a month-on-month basis to reach $113.2 million against $89.9 million recorded in July 2021.

However, the FDI decreased by 10 percent on a year-on-year basis as compared to $126.1 million net inflows

during August 2020, according to the data released by the State Bank of Pakistan on Friday.

Overall, during the first two months of the current fiscal year, FDI declined by 20.3 percent to $203.1 million against $254.8 million inflows reported in the same period of the last financial year.

According to the central bank, the foreign private investment in August

PM, Chinese FM discuss Sino-Pak ties, CPEC DUSHANBE

amounted to $99.6 million, out of which, $113.2 million were attributed to direct investments, whereas disinvestment of $13.6 million was attributed to equity securities, a part of foreign investors portfolio investments (FIPI). Within the direct investments, there was an inflow of $183.2 million and an outflow of $70 million during the month, said the SBP.

Under the foreign public investment, $25.5 million worth of disinvestment was witnessed in debt securities during August 2021 against the investment of $1.002 billion recorded in July 2021. Overall, the foreign investments in the country during the month amounted to $74 million when compared to net inflows of $1.09 billion recorded in July 2020.

Bilawal slams govt’s ‘unilateral decision’ of offering ‘amnesty’ to TTP

APP

Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Friday on the sidelines of SCO Council of Heads of State in Tajikistan’s capital Dushanbe and discussed China-Pakistan bilateral relations, economic corridor and regional situation. Terming Pakistan and China as ‘iron brothers’ and strategic partners, the prime minister conveyed cordial greetings for Chinese President Xi and Premier Li. He appreciated China’s support for assisting Pakistan’s fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. PM Imran Khan underscored that CPEC was a transformational project and both sides were working for its timely completion. He underlined that a peaceful and stable Afghanistan was of critical importance for Pakistan and the region. In this perspective, he said, Pakistan had assiduously supported the Afghan peace process. The prime minister said the international community should remain engaged in support of the Afghan people and take steps to prevent a humanitarian crisis and to stabilise the economy.

It was agreed that the two sides would maintain the momentum of high-level exchanges and closely coordinate on all issues of common interest.

NEWS DESK PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has taken exception to the federal government’s “unilateral decision” to offer “amnesty” to terrorist groups, terming it an “insult to the victims of terrorism”.

The PPP chairman, in a Twitter post, said Friday that the decision would encourage terrorist groups present in Pakistan.

“The unilateral decision to offer amnesty to terrorist groups within Pakistan is an insult to the thousands of victims of terrorism,” wrote Bilawal.

For Bilawal, Prime Minister Imran Khan’s policy to “appease the religious fascists” in Pakistan and on its Eastern and Western borders will make the country pay the price in the near future.

“Imran’s policy of appeasement to religious fascism within Pakistan as well as on our eastern & western borders will haunt us in [times] to come,” the leader added.

On Thursday, speaking of the outlawed

Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had said that the interim Afghan government had declared an end to the war, and thus, the TTP should review its policies.

“Our issue with TTP is that they targeted innocent, unarmed citizens,” the foreign minister told a local news outlet.

The TTP should think about its future, keeping in mind its past actions, Qureshi said, adding: “If the TTP responds in a positive manner, so will Pakistan.”

“But if they respond negatively, we will deal with them as we have before.”

The foreign minister said Pakistan had time and again informed the ousted Afghan president Ashraf Ghani about TTP’s presence in Afghanistan and its involvement in terrorist activities, but his regime did not take action against them.

However, the incumbent government has provided assurances that Afghan soil would not be used against any country, including Pakistan, the foreign minister noted.

State Bank of Pakistan has taken a radical initiative that encourages the banks to launch their digital onboarding platforms to offer customers the convenience to do all their banking without visiting any branch. Bank Alfalah is regarded as a pioneer in the industry through several digital banking solutions that enable customers to enjoy an exceptional and hassle-free banking experience. The Bank has taken the lead to introduce digital technology for its complete banking portfolio. Bank Alfalah has become the first bank in Pakistan to launch a safe & secure digital banking portal called Bank Alfalah Rapid; which provides customers with the means to open an array of banking accounts anytime, anywhere, as well as apply for credit & debit cards, download e-statements, subscribe for SMS alerts, and a lot more with just a few clicks.

EFU LIFE RECEIvES CoNSUMERS ChoICE AWARd 2021 KARACHI: EFU Life Assurance Limited, the leading private sector life insurance provider in Pakistan, has been honoured with the prestigious ‘Consumers Choice Award 2021’ for Best Life Insurance Company at the 15th Consumers Choice Award 2020-21.

Mustafa Hussain Oonwala, National Sales Director, EFU Life received the award on behalf of the company from Syed Amin ul Haque, Federal Minister for IT & Telecommunication and Chief Guest for the event.

This is the 12th consecutive year that EFU Life has been conferred with the Consumers Choice Award.

The award reflects the company’s customer-centric approach, innovative products catering to the evolving needs of customers and the latest practices it adopts for providing superior services. PRESS RELEASE

Saturday, 18 September, 2021

04 NEWS

ISLAMABAD

WEEkly inflAtion up by 1.31pc As ElEctricity, oil pricEs surgE ISLAMABAD

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He Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) based weekly inflation for the week ended on September 16, 2021 for the combined consumption group witnessed an increase of 1.31 percent as compared to the previous week while it went 14.33 percent up on a year-on-year (YoY) basis.

According to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Friday,

the combined index was at 157.30 on September 16, 2021 as compared to 155.26 on September 9, 2021 while the index was recorded at 137.59 a year ago on September 17, 2020. The SPI is computed on a weekly basis to assess the price movements of essential commodities at a shorter interval of time so as to review the price situation in the country. The SPI comprises 51 essential items and the prices are being collected from 50 markets in 17 cities of the country.

During the week under review, out of 51 items, prices of 22 (43.14 percent) items in-

Gold price falls to Rs94,600 per 10gm NEWS DESK Gold prices edged up in the international market on Thursday after facing heavy selling pressure a day earlier amid a modest pickup in the US Treasury bond yields and dollar’s strength. Gold in the international market was available at $1,756.50 per ounce after gaining $1.80 at 1400 hours GMT. Meanwhile, the price of 10 grams of yellow metal in Pakistan decreased to Rs94,600 after shedding Rs300. The closing prices of the yellow metal in the country remained Rs94,900 on Thursday last.

The prices in the local market decreased due to overnight decrease in international prices when the local market was closed. According to experts, the overnight slump below strong horizontal support near the $1,780 shifted the near-term bias back in favour of bearish traders. The emergence of fresh selling on Friday added credence to the negative outlook and supported prospects for further losses. Moreover, technical indicators on the daily chart drifted lower and were still far from being in the oversold territory, they opined.

creased, prices of 10 (19.61 percent) items decreased while prices of 19 (37.25 percent) items remained constant.

The SPI for the current week recorded an increase of 1.31 percent with most of the items increased, mainly, electricity charges for Q1 (7.23 percent), diesel (4.37 percent), petrol (4.19 percent), chicken (3.40 percent), eggs (3.10 percent), LPG (2.58 percent), washing soap (2.43 percent), tea Lipton (1.73 percent), cooking oil 5 litre (1.43 percent), Georgette (1.35 percent) and sugar (1.23 percent) with joint impact of (1.68 per-

cent) into the overall SPI for combined group of (1.31 percent). On the other hand decrease in the prices of tomatoes (18.59pc), onions (7.22pc), bananas (4.92pc), potatoes (3.90pc), pulse Moong (2.24pc), garlic (1.53pc), pulse gram (1.20pc), rice Irri (1.05pc), pulse Mash (0.85pc) and pulse Masoor (0.03pc) was observed.

According to the PBS data, the year-onyear trend depicts increase of 14.33pc with most of the items increased, mainly, electricity for Q1 (57.14pc), LPG (51.06pc), vegetable ghee 1-kg (40.15pc), vegetable ghee

Imports surge over 74pc in July, August: PBS NEWS DESK The imports of the country during August 2021 increased by 18.26 percent to $6,593 million on a month-on-month basis as compared to exports worth $5,575 million in July 2021. According to the provisional figures released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Friday, the imports on a year-on-year basis increased by 98.82 percent in August 2021 as exports in August 2020 remained $3,316 million.

In terms of Pakistani rupee, imports during August 2021 amounted to Rs1,081,961 million against Rs889,779 million in July 2021 and Rs556,064 million during August 2020, showing an increase of 21.60 percent over July 2021 and of 94.57 percent over August 2020.

According to the PBS data, imports during July–August 2021 totalled Rs1,971,740 million (provisional) as against Rs1,168,727 million during the corresponding period of last year showing an increase of 68.71 percent. In

terms of US dollars, the imports during July–August 2021 totalled $12,168 million (provisional) as against $ 6,990 million during the corresponding period of last year, showing an increase of 74.08 percent.

The main commodities of imports during August 2021 were petroleum products (Rs146,370 million), medicinal products (Rs74,712 million), petroleum crude (Rs72,609 million), liquefied natural gas (Rs62,316 million), palm oil (Rs53,005 million), plastic materials (Rs43,624 million), iron & steel (Rs38,773 million), electrical machinery & apparatus (Rs35,333 million), power generating machinery (Rs28,834 million), and iron & steel scrap (Rs28,731 million).

Trade deficit in services jumps to $355m in August NEWS DESK Pakistan’s trade deficit in services increased to $355 million in August 2021 against a deficit of $123 million recorded in the same month of the last financial year.

According to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the exports of services during August 2021 valued at $531 million, showing 53 percent increase on a year-on-

year basis.

According to the SBP data, amongst the total exports, telecommunications, computer and information services made the largest contribution with an amount of $224 million, showing an impressive growth of 81 percent on a year-on-year basis in August 2021.

This was followed by other business services that brought $136 million into the

country. Receipts from the exports of said services swelled by 47.8 percent on a yearon-year basis during the said month. The country witnessed the export earnings of $57 million from government goods and services that plunged by 7.54 percent on a year-on-year basis, said the central bank.

Moreover, the country earned $53 million from travel services, while the export of transport contributed an amount of $28

Textile exports surge 28.7pc to $2.9bn in July, August NEWS DESK The exports of textile commodities surged by 28.67 percent during the first two months of the current fiscal year as compared to the corresponding period of last year and surged by 45.19 percent on a year-on-year basis.

According to the data released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Friday, the textile exports were recorded at $2933.938 million in July-August (2021-22) against the exports of $2280.119 million in July-August (202021), showing growth of 28.67 percent, .

The textile commodities that contributed in trade growth included cotton yarn, the exports of which increased from $115.136 million last year to $193.389 million during the current year, showing growth of 67.97 percent.

Likewise, the exports of yarn cotton cloth increased by 24.74 percent, from $294.724 million to $367.624 million whereas, exports of cotton increased by 100 percent to 0.770 million.

The exports of yearn (other than cotton yarn) increased by 123.73 percent, from $3.473 million to $7.770 million whereas the exports of knitwear went up by 34.12 percent, from $564.343 million to $756.883 million and bed wear by 24.50 percent, from $424.187 to $528.109 mil-

2.5-kg (38.14%), cooking oil 5 litres (38.03pc), mustard oil (37.59pc), chicken (36.52pc), chillies powder (35.71pc), gents sandal (33.37pc), eggs (27.60pc) and gents sponge chappal (25.13pc), while a major decrease was observed in the prices tomatoes (40.51pc), potatoes (29.03pc) and pulse Moong (27.24pc).

The weekly SPI percentage change by income groups showed that SPI across all quantiles ranged between 0.77 percent and 1.36 percent. The lowest income group witnessed a weekly increase of 0.77 percent while the highest income group recorded an increase of 1.36 percent.

On a yearly basis, analysis of SPI change across different income segments showed that SPI increased across all quantiles ranging between 13.58 percent and 17.10 percent. Yearly SPI for the lowest income group increased by 17.10 percent while the highest income group recorded an increase of 13.88 percent.

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The exports of towels during the period under review increased by 20.67 percent, from $133.104 million to $160.612 million, readymade garments by 22.57 percent, from $477.216 million to $584.913 million, art, silk and synthetic textile by 34.08 percent, from $51.613 million to $69.202 million, made up articles (excluding towels and bed wear) by 21.26 percent from $109.846 million to $133.194 million whereas exports of other textile materials increased by 37.44 million, form $86.743 million to $119.222 million. The commodities that witnessed negative growth in trade during the period under review included raw cotton, exports of which decreased by cent percent whereas the exports of tents, canvas and tarpaulin declined by 37.19 percent, from $19.504 million to $12.250 million.

Meanwhile, on a year-on-year basis, the textile exports increased by 45.19 percent during the month of August 2021 as compared to the same month of last year. The exports during August 2021 were recorded at $1462.753 million against the exports of $1007.509 million during August 2020.

On a month-on-month basis, the exports from the country however witnessed a slight decrease of 0.57 percent during August 2021 when compared to the exports of $1471.185 million in July 2021.

million in August 2021. On the other hand, the imports of services during August 2021 amounted to $886 million, showing a surge of 89 percent on a year-on-year basis as opposed to $469 million reported in August 2020.

Amongst the total imports, the largest expenditure was incurred on Transport services for an amount of $313mn i.e., up by 78 percent YoY when compared to the same period last previous fiscal year. This was followed by Other Business Services which cost the country around $302mn i.e., surged by 92% YoY in August 2021.

Exports decline 3.93pc to $2.34bn in August on monthly basis NEWS DESK The exports during August 2021 declined by 3.93 percent on a month-on-month basis to $2,248 million as compared to $2,340 million in July 2021.

However, on a year-on-year basis, the exports increased by 41.92 percent as compared to exports worth $1,584 million in August 2020, according to the provisional figures released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Friday. In term of Pakistani rupee, exports during August 2021 amounted to Rs368,847 million as against Rs373,412 million in July 2021 and Rs265,600 million during August 2020, showing a decrease of 1.22 percent over July 2021 but an increase of 38.87 percent over August 2020. According to the PBS data, exports during July–August 2021 totalled $4,587 million against $3,584 million during the corresponding period of last year showing an increase of 27.99 percent. In terms of local currency, exports during July–August 2021 totalled Rs742,259 million as against Rs599,255 million during the corresponding period of last year showing an increase of 23.86 percent. According to the PBS data, main commodities of exports during August 2021 were knitwear (Rs59,761 million), readymade garments (Rs46,565 million), bedwear (Rs43,448 million), cotton cloth (Rs30,880 million), cotton yarn (Rs16,987 million), rice others (Rs14,765 million), towels (Rs.13,586 million), made-up articles (excluding towels & bedwear) (Rs10,845 million), Basmati rice (Rs.8,285 million) and fruits (Rs6,355 million).

Food exports jump 48pc to $326m in August NEWS DESK The trade value of food exports from the country in August 2021 stood at around $325.75 million, showing a robust surge of 48 percent on a year-on-year basis from $220 million in August 2020.

However, on a month-on-month basis, the export volume of this group dropped by 3% compared to the same period last year.

The overall contribution of this group remained 14.5% of the total exports during August’21, as per the latest data revealed by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

Commodity-wise, rice remained to be the

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major source of foreign exchange earnings in August’21 as its exports valued at $140.5mn, jumped by 42% YoY. However, on a monthon-month basis, the same product witnessed a meagre increase in the export volume, up by only o.5%.

The export of fish & fish preparations stood at $10.71 million, showing a decline of 24.71 percent MoM and 22.64% YoY. Meanwhile, the export volume of meat and meat preparations clocked in at $25.5mn, moved up by 9.67% YoY while, on a MoM basis, the export volume of similar products expanded by 6%.

Vegetable exports’ have seen a notable growth during the month as the export vol-

ume of vegetables climbed up by 27% MoM while, on YoY basis, the same commodity observed a massive surge by 2x to stand at 21.42mn. Likewise, exports of fruits increased by 34.5% YoY, whereas on a MoM basis, the exports have come down by 20.43% compared to the same period last year.

On the import side, the total import bill of the food group amounted to $826mn, depicting a surge of 83% on a YoY basis against the same period of last year. Collectively, the group accounted for almost 12.52% of the total imports during August’21 as per the data released by PBS.

Saturday, 18 September, 2021

ISLAMABAD

New ZealaNd abaNdoN PakistaN series at last miNute over ‘security threat’ continued from page 01

“w

E have sacrificed before and peace will prevail here at all costs,” he emphasised. Talking about the upcoming tour by the England team, the interior minister said that the English team would make its own decision.

“My ministry has [done] all arrangements. In our country, there is no security issue for cricket,” the minister concluded.

CRICKETERS BLAST NEW ZEALAND FOR ‘ABRUPT POSTPONEMENT’ OF TOUR: Top Pakistani cricketers blasted New Zealand cricket board for its ‘unilateral decision’ to call off Pakistan tour at the last minute, citing security reasons has drawn massive criticism from cricket fraternity in the country.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ramiz Raja expressed his disappointment at the New Zealand decision.

“Crazy day it has been! Feel so sorry for the fans and our players,” Ramiz said on his twitter handle moments after the series was abandoned by the Black Caps.

remit training on the wto tFa For smes

“Walking out of the tour by taking a unilateral approach on a security threat is very frustrating. Especially when it is not shared! Which world is NZ living in? NZ will hear us at ICC,” he added. Former pacer Shoaib Akhtar lambasted the New Zealand cricket authorities for pulling out of the series unilaterally, saying Pakistan’s image had been hurt before the whole world.

“We stand firm with our government, the PCB, our army and security agencies,” he said.

Shoaib said that it was unfortunate for PCB Chief Ramiz Raja, who took over the reins of the board a few days ago. “You have to understand that Pakistan’s image has been damaged. I am not concerned about Pakistan cricket at the moment, I care for the country’s image,” he said.

Former Pakistani fast bowler Sikander Bakht also lashed out at the New Zealand authorities, saying that their security alert was indeed an excuse to abandon the tour.

“They practiced here for five days. Not a single stone was hurled at them. Withdrawing at the last minute is very disappointing,” he said.

He said that Pakistan had facilitated countries around the world by playing Test matches in difficult

We have to resolve Afghan issue collectively, PM Imran tells SCO nations continued from page 01

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) / UK Aid funded “Revenue Mobilisation for Investment and Trade Programme” (ReMIT), being implemented by the International Trade Centre (ITC) conducted a Two-Day Seminar on the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) of the World Trade Organization (WTO), on 15th and 16th September, 2021. Around 30 participants including women representing Small & Medium Enterprises (SME’s), participated and benefitted from gaining comprehensive knowledge of the TFA with a view to identify obstacles to cross-border trade and advocate for their removal Speeding up the movement, release and clearance of goods, the WTO’s Trade Facilitation Agreement presents a viable option to resolve cross-border trade challenges in Pakistan, while strengthening trade facilitation reforms to make its business environment more conducive. Explaining the FCDO funded ReMIT / ITC Project initiatives Dr. Jawwad Uwais Agha the Advisor Trade Facilitation elaborated upon the global experiences of the ITC in being a WTO body for TFA accession, ratification and implementation reform. Stressing that the simplification, modernization and harmonization of export, import and transit procedures are a key to Pakistan’s economic progress, he informed that ITC/ReMIT programme will continue to support Pakistan and its trade stakeholders to derive benefits from the TFA, to implement trade facilitation reforms in the country. Mr. Basit Maqsood Abbasi, Collector ,MCC (Enforcement & Compliance) and the Chief Guest appreciated the ITC’s initiative and laid stress on the importance of trade in economic development of the country and how simplification of rules, procedures and regulations governing trade can boost the economic growth. He highlighted that Customs is the lead agency in ensuring cross border trade facilitation. He informed that being a public sector representative he strictly follows an open door policy. He suggested that in future ITC may consider holding training workshops for public sector as well At the closing ceremony certificates were distributed amongst participants. About the ITC/ReMIT programme for Pakistan The Revenue Mobilisation, Investment and Trade (ReMIT) for Pakistan is a large four-year technical assistance programme (2020-2024) funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), aimed at supporting Pakistan to implement reforms that lock in macroeconomic stability and improve conditions for high and sustained growth, mutual prosperity, job creation and poverty reduction. Implemented in its trade component by the International Trade Centre (ITC), ReMIT aims to promote and enhance international trade competitiveness and transparency in Pakistan by enhancing the understanding and public availability of cross-border requirements, removing regulatory and procedural barriers to trade, strengthening business capability to comply with trade formalities and standards, as well as by improving the overall cross-border trade environment. Press release

conditions, in England and elsewhere.

“We went the extra mile for them, we played Test matches for them. And they are the ones who hit us. I was saying at the time that they will not come to Pakistan and the same has happened now. For God’s sake, do not help them [New Zealand] again,” he said.

Pakistan captain Babar Azam took to twitter to express his frustration over the New Zealand’s decision to withdraw from the series. “Extremely disappointed on the abrupt postponement of the series, which could have brought the smiles back for millions of Pakistan cricket fans. I’ve full trust in the capabilities and credibility of our security agencies. They are our pride and always will be! Pakistan Zindabad” Babar remarked.

Fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi said that he was lost for words after the news of the postponement broke out.

“Wish I had words to describe my disappointment.

We not only have the best security forces in the world but many foreign teams have successfully and peacefully completed their cricket tours in Pakistan. Can feel for the cricket lovers in Pakistan & around the world,” he said.

“It is relieving that all of this happened without bloodshed, civil war, and a mass exodus of refugees.”

It is now the international community’s responsibility to prevent any new conflict in the war-torn country and ensure that its security situation is stabilised, the PM said.

He called preventing a humanitarian crisis and economic meltdown “urgent priorities” for Afghanistan. “We must remember the country was primarily dependent on foreign aid and there’s a need for humanitarian assistance.”

He stressed that the Afghan Taliban should fulfill their promises and assured Pakistan’s support for a peaceful and stable Afghanistan, adding that the country is aiding evacuation efforts and providing support.

“This is an opportunity to end the 40-year war in Afghanistan and this moment should not be abandoned.”

PM Khan warned that spreading negative propaganda at such a sensitive time can prove to be fatal, especially for the Afghan people.

“Why is terrorism associated with religion?” he asked.

Talking about the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, the prime minister said that in all these years the world has witnessed the destruction ensued by terrorism. Its threats are still alive today.

He raised concerns over associating terrorism with one religion.

“This has enabled far-right, populist, and supremacist groups around the world to propagate, mul-

tiply and accumulate influence.”

Pakistan has, over these years, suffered from terrorism that was “planned, supported, financed and orchestrated by state entities from across the border”.

“No other country has suffered more than Pakistan. We have suffered over 80,000 casualties and economic losses in excess of $150 billion.” Despite all this, the country’s resolve remains undeterred when it comes to fighting terrorism and extremism.

PM Imran Khan added that the peace in Afghanistan will benefit the region. “Our new economic security paradigm has three central pillars: peace, development partnerships, and connectivity.”

He said that Pakistan has offered a number of trade routes to countries in the region.

“The web of rail, road, sea and air links across the SCO region will usher in a new era of enhanced trade, energy flows, and people-topeople exchanges.” These linkages will be strengthened by CPEC. Proposing a way forward, the premier said that the world should come together to mitigate the adverse economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic. “We must also advance the agenda of regional connectivity. In this regard, taking the process forward, Pakistan would like to host a virtual conference on the theme ‘Transport Connectivity for Regional Prosperity’ in 2022,” he concluded.

Prime Minister Imran Khan said the Covid-19 pandemic afflicted the world in unprecedented ways and said in sheer human suffering, the

cost just cannot be calculated.

He pointed that a staggering 4.6 million have lost their lives; 223 million have been infected, public health systems overwhelmed, economies worldwide faced downturns and recessions. He said the poor were hit the hardest everywhere – whether living in the impoverished South or the affluent North and for the first time in 20 years, the world saw a rise in absolute poverty.

Imran Khan shared with the regional leaders how Pakistan, adopted a calibrated strategy of ‘smart lockdowns’ – with a simultaneous focus on saving lives, securing livelihoods, and stimulating the economy, and described it as “a very difficult road to navigate.”

He said Pakistan’s social protection programme Ehsaas (compassion) helped millions of families to survive. “I also launched a ‘Global Initiative for Debt Relief’ to help create fiscal space for the developing countries to mitigate the negative effects of the pandemic and achieve sustainable development,” Khan said.

He described the advent of the Covid19 vaccine in a relatively short time as a miracle of science and said “we believe science should continue to guide the world’s efforts as it combats the pandemic.”

He however said the attempts to politicize the question of virus origin should be avoided as it was divisive at a time when the world needs to unite. He urged that the vaccine be made available to everyone on an equitable basis, and as a global public good.

UK removes Pakistan from travel red list continued from page 01 A day earlier, it had been reported that both Pakistan and UK shared full details of the Red List review and therein the progress made and the continuing issues around the Covid-19 response of the Pakistani authorities were explained.

The UK’s action of putting Pakistan on the Red List continuously has caused friction between the two countries to the extent that Pakistan refused to allow permission to a chartered flight on September 7, which was set to take off from London for Islamabad.

25 Pakistani national deportees were on the flight.

The report, originally published

by Geo News, cited diplomatic sources as confirming that Pakistan told the Home Office that it will not accept the flight as a token of protest over its action to keep the country continuously on the Red List.

The Pakistan High Commission denied the flight cancellation was linked with the Red Listing. How-

ever, a source in the UK government linked the flight cancellation – which cost the UK govt over £100,000 – with the Red Listing.

The report also cited diplomatic sources as confirming that since the last review three weeks ago during which the UK decided to keep Pakistan on the Red List, SAPM Dr Faisal Sultan had held meetings with UK scientists at the Joint Biosecurity Centre. Scientists at the JC make the final decision on the UK’s traffic light system of Red, Green and Amber countries.

Reportedly, Dr Sultan explained to the UK technical team the measures taken to control the Covid-19 spread by Pakistan. However, the UK scientists told him that Pakistan’s genomic sequencing response lacked.

The report stated that Pakistan was told that the overall testing rates were also low and the lack of genomic surveillance posed serious problems. Dr Faisal Sultan was also told that the UK couldn’t afford to take risks as it would pose a whole

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new threat to public health if an unknown variant enters the UK. Quoting sources privy to the high-level meeting, the media outlet reported that JBC experts informed the Pakistani health official that the UK was concerned about the beta variant which was first found in South Africa.

Dr Faisal Sultan, according to the report, told the UK govt that Pakistan was doing everything it can but the UK should focus only on those who will be travelling and not on the country as a whole.

In another development on Tuesday, UK Minister for Aviation, Maritime and Security, Robert Courts defended the UK’s decision to keep Pakistan on the Red List while lifting the ban from India.

In a letter to Afzal Khan MP, Robert Courts said safeguarding public health is the UK’s priority and the “combination of a deteriorating epidemiological situation, combined with low testing rates and lack of genomic surveillance in Pakistan is a concern”.

NEWS

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corporate corner uNdP amn-o-insaf Programme makes legal education viable for women law students

PESHAWAR: Pakistan faces a significant gender imbalance in the legal profession. Women lawyers in positions of power are even less. Till date, Pakistan has not had a female Supreme Court judge or Attorney General of Pakistan. To increase women’s representation in the legal profession, UNDP Amn-o-Insaf Program actively works to encourage women law students to complete education and to pursue the legal profession. The programme held a scholarship and stipend distribution ceremony at the Sarhad Rural Support Program (SRSP) office at Hayatabad on 15 September 2021 where young women law students were awarded scholarships and stipends to enable them to pursue legal education. During the ceremony, 32 LLB and LLM students were awarded scholarships and stipends. These students hail from Merged Areas and are studying law at different universities of KP and practicing law in different districts of KP. It is hoped that as these young law graduates will begin to seek professional placements, these stipends will encourage them to stay dedicated, get their license to practice law, and practice in the field.

Member of Provincial Assembly Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ms. Ayesha Bano distributed cheques and thanked USAID, UNDP, SRSP, KP Bar Council, and Universities for extending support to increase women in the legal profession. “Women’s representation is important in every field of work but in it is crucial in the legal profession because it not only helps women lawyers become financially independent but increases access to justice for other women by making it comfortable for them to seek legal assistance in times of need. With more women in law, we can ensure women’s influence in law and policy development as well”, she added. “I really appreciate the opportunity extended to me, which has increased my courage to stay and continue in the legal profession”, said Saba, a law student pursuing her education in Peshawar. ‘’I am thankful to UNDP and USAID for providing me this opportunity. This scholarship will help me to complete my education and later join legal profession. I really wish to become a judge in future”, added another law student, Maryam. Chief Executive Officer SRSP Mr. Masood ul Mulk thanked USAID and the UNDP Rule of Law for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies in Pakistan (Amn-o-Insaf) Programme for their efforts and stressed on the importance of increasing women’s representation in the legal profession. SRSP is UNDP’s partner for raising awareness, empowerment of women, and encouraging women to join legal profession in the Merged Areas. In past UNDP Amn-o-Insaf Program has enabled over one hundred and eight women law students and graduates in KP to pursue the legal profession through educational scholarships and professional stipends. Press release

Saturday, 18 September, 2021

06 COMMENT

The growing impact of hybrid war

The CPEC slowdown Lack of capacity or lack of interest?

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Senate panel on Thursday expressed concern over the slow pace of development on the ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Recently appointed Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on CPEC Affairs Khalid Mansoor also endorsed Committee Chairman Mandviwalla’s view that the Chinese companies were not satisfied with the government institutions on account of their pace of work. What is more even he himself was disappointed with the progress of work at gwadar Airport.

He assured the panel that things were now on recovery mode.

But are they? Attempts are being made at the instance of the iMF and World Bank to seek the revision of power purchase agreements brokered with the Chinese companies, meanwhile withholding their payments. it suits the PTi leadership to blame the former PML(n) administration for negotiating costly power purchase deals. At a time when no other country was willing to invest in power production at iMF-proposed rates and the country suffered several hours long daily blackouts, closing industries and making life hell for the common man, should the PML(n) government have gone to seek the iMF permission instead of providing electricity to the country?

The Chinese power companies are right to ask why the agreements were brokered if the country was not able to honour them. There is a need to urgently settle the accounts with Chinese power companies.

While the CPEC projects were mostly completed on time under the previous government, their pace has significantly slowed down under the PTi. The new gwadar international Airport (ngiA), which was to be fully operational by 2022, would now be on track by September 2023. There is still no arrangement for potable water or local production of power for the tens of thousands of extra workers who would be needed to make the port city functional.

The lack of capacity in the government, combined with bureaucratic hurdles, continues to retard the CPEC progress. in February, a meetings of the Cabinet Committee on CPEC ended within minutes due to lack of progress on issues identified in a meeting a week earlier. At times a CPEC project takes months of committee work as summaries move between various ministries. The PTi is in a dilemma. The CPEC has to be completed because it is the country’s economic lifeline. But once completed, it will carry nawaz Sharif’ nameplate.

This form of warfare can be savage KHADIJA BILAL

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iving in the world of conflicts, every hideous action, terrible decision, hopeless thought or horrendous mistake can ruin your state in a second, such is the “art of war”. The art of war involving tactics and strategies exploiting and worsening situations, causing damage within the national boundary ranges, are encountered on severe levels which is today known as Hybrid War. Many Countries including Pakistan are facing such asymmetric conflicts, named hybrid war, under such critical situations, with conditions are getting worse day by day due to which hybrid war is now becoming a serious threat around the globe.

What we really need to know about hybrid war is that it actually involves activities conducted or featured by non-state or state actors to destabiliz and sabotage, and cause confusion and destruction within a certain country. A number of tactics, strategies and techniques influenced by non-state parties create disruption and chaos within the society. With emerging modern hybrid warfare strategies and technologies, one can achieve one’s objectives and aims against enemies without an upfront enmity and maintaining one’s own peace while affecting others.

A series of hybrid warfare roots can be, misleading through false information, fake propaganda, cyber attacks such as attacks damaging the country’s situation in the times of crisis, financial influences, economical pressure, military actions and so on. good examples are the US involvement in the vietnam War, the Syrian civil war and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The countries lacking flexibility and pliancy in controlling and handling such warfare tactics are easily defeated and torn down, as hybrid war takes place in an interrelated operating atmosphere found within a society which highly affects and exploits the war on battlefields.

With advances in technology and increased use of the internet as well as social media platforms, our dependence and reliance has increased on the internet’s information too, that has led us mainly to false information and misinterpretations available on certain websites. Likewise, a large number of countries have banned the use of Wikipedia, as incorrect and making wrong information available, which faces vandalism nearly everyday.

Whereas certain platforms developed in the name

New Zealand go home The tour cancellation leaves a bad taste in the mouth

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UST hours before the start of the first match of the one-day series between Pakistan and new Zealand, the touring team dramatically pulled out, citing a terrorist threat to the team. it had been with much painstaking effort that Pakistan had lived down the attack on the Sri Lankan team in 2009, and not just international cricket, but the country’s premier T20 tournament, the Pakistan Super League, had to be shifted to Dubai. it was not until 2015, with a visit by Zimbabwe for oDis and T20is, that a foreign team came back. it was appropriate that Sri Lanka had returned to play Tests later as well. Tours by other teams followed, such as South Africa. The new Zealand decision means that Pakistan might once again enter the limbo of not being eligible for sporting tours.

The crying shame is that Pakistan has proven safe for sports tours, more general tourism and even for visits by intending investors. if there is still a perception that Pakistan is unsafe, it can only be because the government has failed to dispel the perception created that Pakistan is an unsafe place. it cannot escape notice that the surprise decision comes in the backdrop of the West dithering about what to do about the Taliban regime that has taken over Afghanistan. There is also some mystery over what exactly was the threat. Where did new Zealand’s intelligence agencies, not exactly world beaters, get their information, which was no doubt of some credibility, as it led to the cancellation of a tour they had previously approved? Could the source have been india, which would only be too ready to chortle over Pakistan’s plight, all the while saying, “We told you so.”

Pakistan had already faced down one crisis, for the series had originally been scheduled for the iCC World Cup Super League, but then had to be downgraded, because the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had failed to obtain the requisite Decision Review System. This took the sheen off what would have been PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja’s inaugural series after appointment. The series was thus declared a bilateral series, having nothing to do with the League. This might have made it easier for new Zealand to pull out, but the damage to Pakistan, not just Pakistan cricket, has been immense.

Consensus on EVMs Only consensus will let EVMs be useful

AttIyA MunAwer

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LECTRoniC voting is a way for a person to cast his or her vote via an electronic voting machine in place of the ballot paper. Human perfection is not a reality and technological errors are inevitable as the electronic voting machine claims to be highly accurate, anonymous, scalable and speedy. it results in flawless voting and also ensures comfort on the part of a voter with the e-voting system.

Tensions are running high between the government and the Election Commission of Pakistan over the issue of electronic voting machines. Federal ministers have lashed out at the ECP, calling it a mouthpiece of the opposition. if the objections to electronic voting had been put in front of the public by a team of experts, it would have been possible to know what are the advantages and disadvantages of it technically, and to what extent it is a reliable system, but everyone is speaking their own language, so that it is difficult to determine whose position is right and whose wrong. As far as a disagreement between the opposition and the government is concerned, they have rarely been able to resolve issues by consensus, except in cases where national institutions intervene and consult. if electronic voting is also treated as a technical issue instead of a political issue, then this issue can be resolved, otherwise this issue will remain tangled and no solution will be able to come to the fore.

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Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

of spreading self and social awareness are misleading and circulating false information, blurring the visions and mindsets seeking awareness and knowledge, creating absolute confusion and dual realities. Such acts are recognised as cyberwars. Cyberwars are increasing at an alarming and dangerous rate. Every electronic device used in banks, educational institutions, multinational and national companies, government institutions and departments, even our mobile phones, computers and laptops are a great threat and challenge to national security.

There are even a fine number of apps present that can instantly hack your phones and laptops resulting in the leak of your personal photos and information, numerous apps that have your face and fingerprints access, many more apps that ask about your personal account and credit card details which are later sold to the agencies, including Facebook. instagram and other social networking apps being a part of hybrid war are especially highly designed according to algorithms.

As we are aware of the fact that instagram’s algorithm calculates how likely someone is to interact with a post, known as a score of interest, which determines the order in which posts are displayed in their feed and timelines. not only that, apps like YouTube and instagram restricted certain posts and videos by claiming them to be used against community guidelines or applying an age restriction on them, such as YouTube and instagram taking down all posts and videos supporting Palestinians, but happily spreading israeli content throughout the internet.

Another example of cyberattack was recently discovered, that an israeli app was being used by india to monitor and supervise politicians all over the globe. This app was installed in their mobiles, which collected confidential information and data not only through their voice recordings but also through phone call information and messages. in 2019, the USA began to attack Russian power grids through online hacking whose main aim was to physically destroy all Russian power grids and plants, all situations serving to be the part of hybrid war.

The hype that the media creates, the prophecies that anchors tell, the secrets in between the sports teams that players expose, the intelligence information that politicians leak, never quite happens on its own.

Sudden rises in prices, loadshedding, sudden decreases in water supply and food resources, underdeveloped areas, malfunctioning institutions and unemployment or even drone strikes, sending spies as non-state actors, such as the identification of Kulbhushan Jhadav as an indian agent, fake propaganda, fake movements such

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Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

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There is no doubt that holding free and fair elections in the country is the desire of all and like other issues, there is no problem with the use of technology, but to create a more conducive atmosphere, it would be good to take a closer look at the reservations that are certainly not impossible to resolve. The ECP has raised 37 objections to the electronic voting machine.

The Ministry of Science and Technology has responded to all the objections of the ECP and as the Federal Minister for Science and Technology has said that further explanations and recommendations will be offered by the Ministry at the meeting of the Technical Committee of the ECP. This seems like a reasonable position to take, and it is possible that the briefing of the experts of the Ministry of Science would have persuaded the experts of the Election Commission to consult their opinion, but the controversial statement of the Federal Minister for Railways has ruled out all possibilities. it is not surprising that there is a difference of opinion between the government and the opposition, but this difference of opinion is considered the beauty of democracy. However, it is wrong for government ministers to accuse the ECPof being the voice of the opposition. This could lead to escalating political tensions and institutional clashes. The ECP is also an independent body established under the Constitution. The appointment of its Chairman and members is carried out after consultation between the Prime Minister and the Leader of the opposition in the light of the 18th Amendment.

The ECP has to prevent the possibility of any kind of fraud in the electoral process across the country. if the

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

as the recent Balochistan separatist movement created a huge ethnic conflict in Pakistan, with all such artefacts being a part of cyberwar, mostly perceived as ‘hybrid threats’. Such a mixture of tactics and techniques results in the terror, pressure and confusion among the nation and an unidentified opponent.\ Hybrid wars have a great financial influence on the nation in certain ways, and such warfare tactics are used as hurdles for states racing towards prosperity. investments are made through third parties or non-state actors, including uncertain energy supply deals, major foreign investments are halted for some obscure reasons, certain loans are offered to the country descending in financial crisis with the emphasis on consideration of certain conditions.

Pakistan had to face a severe economic crisis as Pakistan exporters faced difficulties with restrictive regulations, non-tariff measures affected imports and exports resulting in decline of the economy. Major industries including textile and automobile industries, faced downfall due to high oil and energy costs, shortage of electricity, decreasing quotas, high utility bills, and more. not just this, india ruined Pakistan’s reputation all around the world, claiming it was a terrorist country and not a safe place for travelling, and partially ended tourism in Pakistan, directly affecting Pakistan’s economy. nonetheless the attack on Sri Lanka’s cricket team played a vital role in india’s tactics for ending tourism. Such hybrid war policies makes the country vulnerable in the long political run, especially an underdeveloped state like ours.

Pakistan has handled itself quite well under the influence of Hybrid War tactics by promoting peace and harmony, not only in its own region but around the globe as well. The hybrid war today faced by many countries including Pakistan may be an old notion but new technology and a new approach has made hybrid war quite treacherous and savage.

A vicious challenge for progressive countries is posed, as conformist, irregular and terrorist modules are now increasingly a part of hybrid war. Hence to survive and avoid such factors a country mustn’t stand alone, a state must associate itself with other nations not only on political basis but a wider range of interactions such as societal, diplomatic, economical, atmospherical, and more. Such notions define the strategies and decision making of the respective states, which can be done by forming fair and subtle foreign policies. The role of non-state actors must be diminished completely, as such actors are keystones of destruction within a country. The countries must prepare themselves for the worst as well as the best.

The writer is a freelance columnist

government itself expresses distrust in the ECP and various allegations are leveled, it will make it difficult for the ECP to discharge its responsibilities freely.

The opposition is trying to take full advantage of the clash between the government and the ECP. However, the strength of the opposition parties is evident from their movements so far. it has not been able to raise a strong voice on the basic issues of the people, but despite all the differences to protect its interests, it seems united and determined to block the path of the electronic voting machines. Seeing the rhetoric of the government and opposition parties, it does not look as if there may be a consensus on electoral reforms in the coming days, so the political temperature seems to be getting higher.

Electronic voting machines can play a key role in keeping the voting process transparent, as the Prime Minister himself has tested the machine, wherever the Prime Minister wants the elections to be transparent through modern technology.

Members of parliament were also invited to check the performance. The government is responding satisfactorily to the objections raised by the opposition and the ECP after seeing the performance of the electronic voting machine and is also promising to allay concerns, but the allegations leveled by the government ministers against the ECP on this occasion prove that the issue is being deliberately made controversial.

These issues are moving towards new controversies instead of reforming the situation. That in order to exercise the people’s right to vote in a transparent and full manner, the government, the opposition and the Election Commission should find a way of achieving consensus instead of indulging in disagreement for dissent, which would also remove objections and ensure transparent elections through modern technology.

This task is certainly difficult, but not impossible.

These issues are moving towards new controversies instead of reforming the situation. That in order to exercise the people’s right to vote in a transparent and full manner, the government, the opposition and the Election Commission should find a way of achieving consensus instead of indulging in disagreement for dissent, which would also remove objections and ensure transparent elections through modern technology.

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Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

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The writer tweets @AttiyaMunawer

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Saturday, 18 September, 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

Rain washes away government claims in Karachi

Potential alliance of five countries versus the Quad group There is an alliance developing, but it faces problems

Dr MuHAMMAD AKrAM ZAHeer

Q

UADRiLATERAL Security Dialogue is known as the Quad (A Strategic Dialogue between the USA, Australia, Japan and india). The dialogue was arranged by Japan with the support of the USA in 2007 and was paralleled by a joint military exercise of an exceptional scale.

These military and diplomatic arrangements were viewed as the response to growing Chinese economic and military power. That’s why Beijing protested to the Quadrilateral Dialogue member states. in 2017, the member states revived the quadrilateral agreement and agreed to counter China diplomatically and militarily in the South China Sea. it seemed to be the beginning of a new cold war. in 2021, a joint declaration, “A shared vision for a Free and open indo Pacific and a Rule based maritime order in the east and South China Sea,” was issued, which member states wanted to counter Chinese maritime claims. So, China has been reacting negatively towards QUAD. As the QUAD continued cementing its role in indo Pacific and beyond, there have been discussions to counter the QUAD groups arrangements. iranian envoy to Pakistan last year had proposed a potential China, Russia, Pakistan, iran and Turkey regional security arrangements (Penta).

Such arrangements are very much supportive to China because it is building physical presence and creating dependency in the region through its Belt and Road initiative and notably the port of gwadar. Since the CPEC project has started, China-Pakistan regional security concerns have also been growing. it is also speculated that China, Russia, Pakistan, iran and Turkey are thinking of a bloc. Such groupings may also be aimed to counter the growing influence of the Quad. However, the Penta, a group of five countries, can be highly impractical due to many reasons. in fact, the arrangement between China, Russia, Pakistan, iran and Turkey (Penta) has only been proposed so that it may counter the arrangement and influence of Quad in the region.But according to analysts and experts,the possible arrangement of five countries has raised many question marks as the countries do not share the same values and interests. They have their diverse grievances and strategic interests.

The arrangement may be complicated due to mistrust among them.

China and Russia have been opposed to Quad group management and the two countries have often cooperated to establish a balance against the Quad, particularly US ambitions. in

response to this year’s Quad group conference, China has sharply criticized it. on the other hand, Russia also has made similar comments that Western countries are trying to “suppress China and Russia” by promoting the “indo-Pacific Strategy” and the Quad group, which is questionable. Furthermore, during the clash with Ukraine in 2014, heavy sanctions by the West on Russia have led Moscow to embrace Beijing to deal with its economic challenges. However, it does not seem possible to achieve the possible results because Beijing and Moscow have also a lot of fears of, and anxieties about, each other and also there is a lack of trust in each other. iran’s relations with the USA have been worsening since 1979 and iran faced the negative effects of sanctions imposed by the Washington administration. But in the midst of such a tumultuous situation, China has violated US sanctions by importing oil from iran and positioning itself as a key partner of iran. in addition, in March 2021, the two countries have agreed on a major strategic agreement worth $400 billion to purchase iranian oil, increase investment and deepen military cooperation. Along with China, Russia has also clarified its position as a key security partner of iran‫۔‬ Despite being a member of the north Atlantic Treaty organization (nATo), Turkey’s dissatisfaction with the USA continues to grow.

Last year, Turkey imported 400 missiles from Russia to challenge the Trump administration’s decision of imposing sanctions. in addition, Turkey’s support for Pakistan in internationalizing the Kashmir issue and Turkey’s interference in india’s internal affairs in favor of Pakistan, has forced india to side with the Quad group. on the other hand, Pakistan always supports any organization or group that opposes or challenges indian influence. According to former indian Ambassador vishnu Prakash, “islamabad is ready to jump on any bandwagon against new Delhi or to do anything that is damaging to indian interests from afar”.

China has been a key pillar in Pakistan’s efforts to strike a balance against india. Furthermore, Pakistan continues to support Turkey’s ambitions to assume a leading role in the islamic world, as Turkey is Pakistan’s strongest supporter on Kashmir. Furthermore, Pakistan has been trying to strengthen its strategic relationship with both Russia and iran and has been taking advantage of the warmth in india-US relations. no, it is not in Pakistan’s interest to leave a strong and balanced alliance against the Quad group. Despite some common strategic goals that bring these five countries together at one point, these five countries do not share some of the values and principles that can strengthen such an arrangement. Because these values and differences are dictatorial and religious in nature, there is no room for flexibility in these countries

in the long run. Furthermore, there is a constant dilemma of suspicion against each other in every country.

China and Russia can be important strategic partners in pursuing certain strategic goals.

However, a closer look reveals that Beijing’s engagement with Moscow is significantly selective and based on its own interests. China has refused to back Moscow over Crimea and Ukraine. on that occasion, it did not even express a desire to support Russia. in addition, China is expanding its strategic influence in Central Asia.

Through arms sales, training programmes and new military outposts, China is pushing for entry into the former Soviet republics, which could significantly weaken Russia’s influence and interests in Central Asia in the years to come. on the other hand, although economic relations between Turkey and iran are improving, the same cannot be said for the scope of strategic interests, as Turkey and iran are mostly concerned with regional geopolitical issues such as the Syrian conflict, and the situation in iraq and israel. There have been opposing sides in the relationship. Furthermore, Turkey’s reduction in iranian oil purchases is a mixed indication of the viability of its bilateral relations.

Turkey’s relations with Russia are not ideal either. Despite efforts by both sides to improve relations, there are signs of mistrust between the two countries. As Turkey seeks to increase its influence in the South Caucasus and Central Asia, active military assistance from Ukraine continues to weaken Turkish-Russian relations. on the other hand, Pakistan also faces many obstacles in bridging the gap with iran. Due to its heavy reliance on Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, it is difficult for Pakistan to maximize its partnership with iran on various issues. in addition, China’s relations with Turkey are embroiled in conflict, especially over its treatment of the Uighurs.

The reality of this situation is that a possible five-nation alliance and regional arrangement cannot go much further in presenting itself as a strong counter-group against the Quad. Many issues of mistrust and narrow-mindedness stand in the way of the proposed five-nation alliance forming a strong and united group. A possible alliance of five countries, which is an effort towards achieving strategic goals as the Quad, focuses on overall stability, transparent development and discipline among all countries in the region.

This arrangement of five countries can get caught up in each other’s intentions, as a result of which no country can achieve significant positive benefits or compromise on its goals. That would be disastrous for regional peace and its overall balance‫۔‬

The reality of this situation is that a possible five-nation alliance and regional arrangement cannot go much further in presenting itself as a strong countergroup against the Quad.

Many issues of mistrust and narrow-mindedness stand in the way of the proposed fivenation alliance forming a strong and united group

The writer has a PhD in Political Science and can be reached at akramzaheer86@yahoo.com

FoR the fourth time in around a month, Karachi lay in chaos in the aftermath of another spell of monsoon rains on Thursday. Flooded roads, power breakdowns, toppled trees, roads choked with traffic, damaged structures and authorities’ negligence and hollow promises – nothing was out of the ordinary for the city’s residents as heavy downpours lashed the metropolis.

For the earlier part of the day, the city sizzled as temperature soared past 39 degrees celsius and sea breezes remained suspended. With humidity levels rising from 79 per cent to 89 per cent later in the day, the port city’s residents languished, anticipating that the predicted rainfall would add to their misery. Multiple roads, including Sharae Faisal - the city’s main artery - were soon flooded by rainwater, which disrupted traffic on thoroughfares in the apparent absence of preemptive measures. Besides Sharae Faisal and areas in its vicinity, other localities worst affected on Thursday included nursery, Soldier Bazaar, garden, Saddar, Burnes Road, north Karachi, new Karachi, Mehmoodabad, gulshan-e-iqbal and others.

Shafiq Ur rEhman Karachi

Pakistan’s environmental challenge THE majority of Pakistan industrial sectors for example fishing and agriculture , which count for more than one for of the output and two fifth of employment in Pakistan are highly dependent on country natural resources. Hence in order to sustain economic growth there is a high demand on already scarce resources. However it is ironic that what the country depends on for growth is also what threats the future welfare and success of the country. The World Bank report in 2013 started in Pakistan top environmental issues air pollutions inadequate supply of uncontaminated drinking water noise pollution and the health detritions of urban and rural populations due to pollutions.

These environmental concems not only harm Pakistani citizens but also pose a serious threat to the country economy. The report also state that the increase in industrialization, urbanizations and motorization will inevitably worsen this problem. Pakistan is classified as a water stressed nation by the world bank there are seven main river that enter Pakistan from upper riparian states including the Kabul River that enters from Afghanistan and the indus river, Jhelum river, Chenab river and Sutlej river that enter from india. Among these Ravi and Sutlej and diverted in upstream india, for which consumptive use was awarded to india under the indus water treaty.

The magnetic of Pakistan such as Karachi, Lahore, islamabad and Rawalpindi face the issue of noise pollutions. The main source of this pollution is the traffic noise caused by busses, cars, trucks, rickshaws and water tankers. A study showed that on one Karachi main roads the average noise level around 90 dB and was capable of reaching about 110dB. This high level of noise pollution can cause auditory and nonauditory health issues. Auditory issue include the loss of auditory sensory cell, non-auditory health issues include sleep disturbance noise and cardiovascular disease.

ShEhzadi haSan ali Karachi

Monsoon destruction THE term moonsoon is used to refer the rainy phase of a seasonally changing pattern . it’s effects are visible in such a way that it causes wet and dry season throughout the year . Monsoon is likely to be start on July to September vanishing most important parts of country with the adequate rainfall. it has been active in most parts of Karachi now seeing the roads flooded and causes of unhiegenic environment . it is to be consider a fact that every find rain destruction is hitting Pakistan very hardly especially the monsoon heavy rain and urban flooding.

Karachi was the most affected city of Pakistan receiving monsoon ràin and the problems of sewerage hurts the residents very much. There is seen the mixture of rain water and sewerage making the situation harsh. now we are taught to be alert by a monsoon warning and tropical storm in majority parts of Sindh and areas of Balochistan.Consequentl the rain situation has created bundle of issues. From the 1st of July weather system is likely to interact with monsoon . The meteorological department has issued an alert for thunderstorms in more than a dozen . So therefore government should maintain the preparations of monsoon this time and the problem of citizens too.

BarKatUllah tUrBat

Karachi’s sewage THRoUgH the column of your well-known newspaper, i would like to draw attention towards the bad condition of the sewage system in our city . i’m a citizen of Karachi .Majority of the city’s roads and streets are filled with sewage water. it has damaged the infrastructure and continues to cause a traffic gridlock on almost all the main arteries of the city.

There are two main reasons for accumulation of sewerage water on the roads: a deteriorated sewerage infrastructure and blockage of sewerage lines by cloth, bags of sand and solid bricks placed by some “unidentified” elements. The blockage of the sewerage system is becoming a sensitive issue with every passing day with the responsible parties – Karachi Water and Sewerage Board, DMCs and KMC – doing little over nothing to remedy the problem.

Whenever a rain spell hits Karachi, water accumulates for hours on the roads and streets. Due to the absence of a proper drainage system . mir mEharUllah mEnGal Karachi

Saturday, 18 September, 2021

08 WORLD VIEW

The wesT CannoT abandon afghanisTan – poliTiCally or eConoMiCally I RECOGNISE THAT ENGAGEMENT WITH THE TALIBAN MAY BE A POLITICALLY DIFFICULT CHOICE FOR SOME COUNTRIES, BUT WE ARE AT A CRITICAL POINT

independent

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Moeed Yusuf

S president Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw troops and end the international military presence in Afghanistan marks the logical conclusion of a war that never had a military solution. however, questions about the future of Afghanistan remain.

Will the military exodus be matched by reinvigorated diplomatic and economic engagement? Or will the world repeat past mistakes by abandoning Afghanistan and the region, disregarding the humanitarian and security crises that will inevitably follow?

Worryingly, the signals thus far have been mixed.

For years, Pakistan supported the idea of a negotiated political settlement as the only way to end the war in Afghanistan responsibly. We knew we were going against the

grain of the predominant thinking in the west, where notions of victory on the battlefield were never truly discarded. But as the country with the deepest links to Afghanistan, we understood the local context, and the fallacy of attempting military victory in a country that has never tolerated foreign imposition for too long.

Our advice was ignored, and rather than the sacrifices Pakistan made during the war in Afghanistan being acknowledged, we were accused of playing a “double game”. The reality is that, since 2001, Pakistan has been the principal victim of the war in Afghanistan.

We have suffered over 80,000 casualties and more than $150bn in economic losses, with more than 3.5 million of our own people internally displaced at the height of the terrorist onslaught inside Pakistan.

This backlash was a direct consequence of our partnership with the west in Afghanistan, as anti-Pakistan terrorist outfits, often based in Afghanistan, justified their attacks on innocent Pakistanis by presenting Pakistan as an enabler of the US “occupation” of Afghanistan. No other country has had to bear such pain – and for a war in a neighbouring country, which was not of our making.

The final days of the Ashraf Ghani pres-

Congress must uncover truth about Milley allegations

idency validated our view by laying bare just how disconnected both the Afghan government and international assessments were from reality on the ground. The chaos of the military exit from Afghanistan was avoidable. Unfortunately, Ghani, and regional spoilers like India, created false narratives aimed at masking the reality that international efforts in Afghanistan lacked legitimacy in the eyes of the Afghans. Kabul’s misgovernance and massive corruption left it devoid of all credibility and, unsurprisingly, led to the security forces refusing to fight against the Taliban – something that was accepted by many in Afghanistan as a political reality.

The all too convenient popular narrative used Pakistan as a scapegoat, and this was the pretext President Ghani used to stall peace talks in Doha. By the end, virtually every Afghan political leader of note had confided in us that the Ghani administration was not serious about finding a negotiated settlement with the Taliban. The world left it too late to realise and correct this folly. The rest is history.

Today, Afghanistan and the world are at an inflection point. Pakistan’s view may once again be against the grain of political expediency. But it is as sincere as it was in

laS vegaS revieW-Journal

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Dr Moeed Yusuf is national security adviser for Pakistan.

The strategic implications of the new USUK-Australia defence partnership

“GENERAL LI, YOU AND I HAVE KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR NOW FIVE YEARS,” MR. MILLEY REPORTEDLY SAID. “IF WE’RE GOING TO ATTACK, I’M GOING TO CALL YOU AHEAD OF TIME. IT’S NOT GOING TO BE A SURPRISE” Stratfor WorldvieW

editoRial

IVIlIAN control of the military is a non-negotiable American principle.

Gen. Mark Milley is alleged to have sidestepped that vital tenet during the last months of the Trump administration. On Tuesday, excerpts came out from “Peril,” an upcoming book on the Trump administration by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa, both of The Washington Post. Mr. Woodward is among the most well-known journalists in the country, dating back to his work on the Watergate scandal. he’s also written numerous books filled with insider details on presidential administrations. Understandably, his reporting is taken seriously. That’s why his revelations about Mr. Milley, who currently serves as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are so concerning. Mr. Milley also served in the same role under President Donald Trump. The book alleges that Mr. Milley secretly twice called Gen. li Zuocheng, a top general in the Chinese military. One call took place shortly before the election and one call happened after the Jan. 6 riots, according to book excerpts. Mr. Milley is alleged to have assured the Chinese general that the United States wasn’t planning to attack China. “General li, you and I have known each other for now five years,” Mr. Milley reportedly said. “If we’re going to attack, I’m going to call you ahead of time. It’s not going to be a surprise.” The problems here should be obvious, regardless of one’s opinion of Mr. Trump. The president is commander-in-chief. If top generals don’t like his orders, they can resign. They can refuse to follow a non-lawful order. The alternative isn’t to secretly call America’s adversaries behind his back. Pledging to alert our country’s enemies about a forthcoming attack is dangerous. Surprise can be a vital component of a successful military action. letting the enemy know you’re about to fight is a way to increase American causalities. If an enlisted soldier did something similar before his unit attacked, he would be tried for treason. If Mr. Milley did these things, he should resign. After the blowback started, there were competing leaks attempting to explain or contradict the book’s reporting. It’s also possible Mr. Milley exaggerated his actions, thinking that subverting the constitutional order would earn him plaudits. Congress needs to find out what happened, and it has the power to investigate. Review the transcripts of calls. Interview witnesses under oath. Dig into the details. The military should investigate this as well. These allegations are serious, and finding the truth is of paramount importance. Military leaders must not subvert civilian control of the military.

the past. For the sake of the average Afghan, and in the purely selfish national interest of western countries, it must be given fairer treatment now.

As unexpected as the pace of the transition in Afghanistan has been, it has spared Afghans a protracted conflict and more meaningless bloodshed. An immediate refugee crisis has consequently been averted.

The Taliban have also signalled their intention to engage with the world, even asking western countries not to close down their embassies. This opens up space for the international community to engage constructively with Afghanistan.

Pakistan’s expectations of the new government are identical to those of the west.

We have repeatedly called for a government that caters to and protects the rights of all Afghans while ensuring that Afghanistan’s territory is not used for terrorism against any country. This is a goal we share in full with the international community.

The prudent way to ensure this is for the international community to incentivise the Taliban, through engagement and assistance, in return for commitments on a moderate style of government. While it is ultimately up to the Taliban to decide how to govern, the world must not underestimate the lever-

age it has to shape their behaviour given the new regime’s need for international support and legitimacy. The international community should coordinate its efforts, with major powers and Afghanistan’s immediate neighbours developing a consensus on constructive engagement as the way forward.

I recognise that this may be a politically difficult choice for some countries. But the alternative of walking away from Afghanistan would be tantamount to giving up on the millions of Afghans that remain inside the country. With no money, and limited internal capacity, Afghanistan risks collapse.

This would inevitably lead to mass migration and a security vacuum that would allow Isis, al-Qaeda, and other international terrorist groups to thrive once again. Neither of these groups remained confined to Afghanistan or the region last time around. It would be foolish to think that the entire world would not be affected again.

Abandonment of Afghanistan has consequences that the world, and most of all Pakistan, has lived through for the past four decades. Afghans have been ravaged by war, and Pakistan still houses approximately 4 million Afghan refugees.

It is the international community’s collective responsibility to avert a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, and to ensure that the threat to all of us from terrorism is ended once and for all. This requires constructive engagement with the new political reality in Afghanistan.

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RodgeR BakeR

he United States, United Kingdom and Australia on Sept. 15 announced the formation of AUKUS, bringing together three Anglo maritime democracies in a mutual multilayered defense partnership, focused primarily on the Indo-Pacific, and — though not explicitly stated — against China. As part of the arrangement, AUKUS is launching an 18-month program to accelerate Australia's acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines, undercutting a French sale of conventional submarines to Canberra and ending a decades long Australian struggle with submarine development and procurement. As such, the United States is now granting Australia access to technologies previously only shared with the United Kingdom.

AUKUS is designed to bring together the U.S. shift to an Indo-Pacific focus, give some clarity to the idea of Global Britain and commit Australia to a proactive security role in the Pacific. Given the initial focus on nuclear propulsion technology, AUKUS is unlikely to be the nucleus of a larger grouping.

Rather, it will remain a trilateral initiative that allows greater collaboration and strategic focus without the complexities of large coalitions, which often fall victim to diverging priorities and interests.

As AUKUS takes shape, here are some of the initial questions we are exploring. how does AUKUS relate to the Fiveeyes partnership and the QUAD initiatives?

• The ANZUS treaty has long fallen into disuse due to shifts in New Zealand's strategic policies, and the Five-eyes partnership has seen strains from New Zealand-U.S. relations. Does the new AUKUS reflect a concern with New Zealand's foreign policy,

or is it more an acknowledgment that Wellington has withdrawn from U.S.-led regional initiatives?

• The United States had been working through the QUAD to define its multilateral approach to the Indo-Pacific, but AUKUS appears to be a much more focused, and Anglo-centric initiative. Will AUKUS diminish the QUAD, or does it represent a shift in focus, with AUKUS being a core security relationship while the QUAD takes a more multifaceted approach that ultimately allows for more regional powers to participate?

What are the implications for other countries in the region, particularly those balancing U.S. security assistance and Chinese economic connections?

• One of the U.S. challenges in forging a new strategic path in the Indo-Pacific is the local fear of a new Cold War mindset.

Most countries in the region (and even beyond) are reluctant to pick sides, and Washington has tried to reassure them that it is not necessary. Could AUKUS ease that concern by allowing other multilateral initiatives to slide away from a military focus?

• The announcement of AUKUS is likely to be greeted with mixed views in the region. On the one hand, it is a concrete step demonstrating that the United States is finally making the shift to greater strategic attention toward the Indo-Pacific, something that has not been entirely certain. On the other hand, the clear strategic military focus of this initiative may lead to greater friction between the United States and China, and heighten Chinese efforts to force countries to slide away from cooperation with Washington. how will China respond?

• By creating a military partnership between three Anglo countries, China is likely to interpret this partnership between three Anglo countries as a clear challenge not only to China's regional role, but as running counter to Chinese ideology and an attempt to reinforce traditional U.S./U.K.-centric ideas of democracy and economic liberalism.

This is likely to intensify the ideological component of strategic competition, not only in China's periphery, but across the globe.

• China has often countered strategic or defense initiatives with economic tools. In regard to Australia, has Beijing nearly exhausted those tools, at least those that do not harm China's economy as well, e.g., iron ore imports? With the existing challenges of COVID-19 and Brexit, are there levers China can pull to exert significant pressure on the United Kingdom, which con-

ceptually has the least immediate interest in the Indo-Pacific? Where does China see the weak link in the tripartite arrangement?

• Beijing has applied for membership in the CPTPP trade agreement, initially an economic grouping designed to coerce change in China or exclude Beijing from a larger economic partnership. how else may Beijing try and strengthen its relations throughout the Indo-Pacific in order to insulate itself and reduce space for U.S. strategic expansion and cooperation?

With a refocus on the "Pacific" part of the Indo-Pacific, how will AUKUS shape its interaction with the Pacific Island nations over the next decade or two?

• One of the values of nuclear submarines is the ability to travel long distances relatively quickly while remaining submerged, making them less noticeable and less vulnerable. This is critical for Australia, which sits far from most things, and has interests and potential responsibilities stretching from the Indian Ocean to the North Pacific to the far reaches of the South Pacific. But even at the earliest, Canberra doesn't expect the first nuclear submarine until 2040. What are the ways AUKUS may increase its presence in the far reaches of the Pacific in the meantime?

• China has expanded its cooperation with Pacific Island nations, reawakening Canberra's and Washington's interest and involvement, given their strategic locations. Are we likely to see an even more active competition emerge for influence in the Pacific Islands with the emergence of AUKUS, and do the strains in the Pacific Island Forum create greater opportunities for foreign interference?

Given France's comments on the abrogation of the submarine deal, will there be any ripple implications within NATO or the eUU.K. relationship?

• The French have been rather vocal in their disappointment over the canceled submarine deal, blaming the United States primarily, but clearly recognizing the role of Australia and the United Kingdom. Will this be just a passing moment of ire, or may this spill over into the French role in eU-U.K. relations (with many thorny post-Brexit issues still unresolved), or even into the balance between France's NATO commitments and its focus on its own interests or an eU defense initiative?

• The French are also a Pacific nation, and have recently reengaged with their territories in the region. how deep is the French-Australian spat, and does that further strain space for cooperation among the Pacific Islands?

saturday, 18 september, 2021

business 09

islamabad corporate corner Zong and PSDF lead the way to train 10,000 youth in Digital Freelancing Skills ISLAMABAD: A A A In an ongoing effort to promote youth education and employment, Pakistan’s cellular and digital services front runner, Zong 4G, has joined hands with Punjab Skills Development Fund (PSDF) to launch an online course called ‘How to E-lance’. The course will equip 10,000 youth with the knowledge to become professional freelancers, equipping these young learners to launch online careers on the world’s top two freelancing platforms; Fiverr and Upwork. Through the course, students will gain critical knowledge on the best ways to set up their online profiles to gain customers and create a network of clients. The partnership is part of Zong's #LetsGetDigital campaign that aims to support youth in achieving the national digital agenda. Mobile users that are Zong customers will be provided free internet data to complete the e-lancing course online.

Learners will be rigorously trained for three weeks to develop the skillset required to become successful freelance service providers. For PSDF, the initiative is part of their e-Tayyar, the brand pillar dedicated to preparing youth invaluable digital skills, for readiness in employability and income-generating opportunities in the emerging digital world. As Pakistan becomes a top destination for procuring freelancing services, a skilling strategy to help the upcoming workforce is imperative to maximize its rise in the international market. “Leading Pakistan’s ICT-led digital transformation, we take it upon ourselves to upskill the Pakistani youth to make them job-ready in today’s increasingly digital world,” shared Mr Wang Hua, Chairman and CEO Zong 4G. “We’re pleased to have collaborated with PSDF to design the ‘How to E-lance’ course to make our youth future-proof when it comes to employability in a hyper-digitalized marketplace,” he added. Jawad Khan, CEO PSDF, reiterated, “This is the ideal time to take robust action and direct our youth towards earning opportunities available in the global freelance market.” “Our partnership with Zong actively supports them by providing the necessary resources and technical knowledge they need to successfully initiate their journey,” he added. Zong is also collaborating with PSDF to provide 300 smart tablets to PSDF top students, encouraging them to use this platform to the fullest and make their futures. This will expand the digital learning outreach and support even more young people, especially women, who face mobility and safety challenges to get digitally connected and establish online careers. press release

16.4pc tax on petrol charged by Govt: Asad Umer Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar tweeted that the federal government is only charging 16.4 per cent tax on petrol which is one-third of the tax rate as compared to the 52pc tax rate charged by the previous government. The tweet was sent out as a response to Pakistan People’s Party leader Murtaza Wahab Siddiqui tweet in which he questioned Asad Umer about the current tax rate on petrol. Asad Umer replied, “The current Petroleum Development Levy (PDL) is Rs5.62 and sales tax is Rs11.76 and total tax is Rs 17.38 per litre of petrol” He also clarified that the base price of one litre petrol is Rs105.92 at present and the total price is Rs123.3, therefore the taxation rate per litre is equal to 16.4pc.

The series of tweets ended with Siddiquie responding, "as per news reports, govt is charging 10pc CD & 10.54pc ST on petroleum and 17pc on diesel along with PDL. Taking oil price to 123 and yet you have the audacity to make such utterances. You and your govt likes to only create new records of annihilating poor people". Monitoring report

PRESiDEnt imPoSES nEw PEnAltiES on non-tAx FilERS P

RESIDENT Arif Alvi has enforced new tax laws that would allow the relevant authorities to disconnect mobile phones/SIMS, electricity and gas connections of persons who are not on the Active Taxpayer List (ATL).

Tax Laws (Third Amendment) Ordinance 2021 has been implemented by the president to broaden the tax net. It would require the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to share its data with the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).

The Ordinance contains a fine worth Rs 1,000/per day for persons who do not file tax returns.

Penalties have been increased for tier-1 retailers who are not integrated with the FBR and an additional advance tax on rates ranging from 5 per cent to 35pc has been imposed on professionals using domestic electricity connections.

The Ordinance also contains a 16pc reduction on sales tax on supplies made by POS integrated outlets.

Additionally, a 14pc reduction on meltable scrap imported by steel melters, a 5pc reduction on import of

electric vehicles on Completely Built Up (CBU) condition and a 16.9pc sales tax reduction on businessto-business digital transactions.

Under the Ordinance, income tax exemption is granted on foreign remittances received through foreign currency accounts of Overseas Money Service Bureaus (MSB), Exchange Companies (ECs), and Money Transfer Operators (MTOs).

Right of appeal to importers against valuation ruling with the FBR Member Customs Policy has been added in the Ordinance. Monitoring report

Kamyab Pakistan programme design finalised ISLAMABAD app

The Steering Committee and Advisory Board of Kamyab Pakistan Program (KPP) on Friday jointly reviewed the programme design and finalised contours of KPP in consultation with all relevant stakeholders.

Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Shaukat Tarin on Friday presided over the joint meeting of the Steering Committee and Advisory Board of KPP. According to the statement, after extensive discussion, it was decided that a robust bidding process would be undertaken for the selection of Wholesale Lenders (Banks) who in turn would exclusively engage with Executing Agencies (Microfinance Providers).

There will be a quarterly performance review of Wholesale Lenders with reference to the disbursement of funds and the government will extend the guarantee to wholesale banks up to 50 per cent on a risk-sharing basis.

This will ensure transparency and due diligence in evaluating the performance of Wholesale Lenders concerning disbursement of funds, the statement added.

Another landmark feature is the formation of the KPP Portal called Kamyab Pakistan Information System (KPIS), it said adding there would be a toll-free number which would be integrating KPIS through Telecos via NTC. The portal will be integrated with Ehsaas Data and NADRA for verification of beneficiary’s eligibility to facilitate the Executing Agencies (Microfinance Providers) for finalizing the financing modalities most efficiently and seamlessly.

In his remarks, the finance minister stated that Kamyab Pakistan Program was a flagship initiative of the government which is designed to transform the lives of the marginalized segments of the society and ensure their financial empowerment.

This is the first program of its kind in Pakistan’s history wherein the banks are being connected to the lowest income segment through microfinance institutions.

Therefore, utmost care is being taken before the launch of KPP he said adding the underlying rationale was to ensure all stakeholders are on board for the ultimate success of the program.

The program will be launched in phases to cover all the areas of Pakistan effectively, the statement added.

During the first phase, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Baluchistan and the poorest of the poor districts of Punjab, Sindh, GB and AJK would be covered.

The revised proposal will be submitted before ECC for due deliberation and requisite approval for onward submission before the Cabinet.

SAPM Usman Dar stated that Kamyab Pakistan Program will be of great significance in creating income generation opportunities for our talented youth and will go a long way in breaking the vicious cycle of poverty in the country.

Dar; Deputy Governor SBP Sima Kamil, Chairman SECP Aamir Khan, Chairman Akhuwat Dr Amjab Saqib, CEO NRSP Dr Rashid Bajwa, Chairman RSPN Shoaib Sultan, Convenor KPP Zafar Masud, Chairman PBA Muhammad Aurangzeb, President Meezan Bank Irfan Siddiqui, President Bank Al-Falah Atif Bajwa and other senior officers participated in the meeting.

Chinese dissatisfied with CPEC progress According to reports, the Senate Standing Committee on Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives directed the government to fast-track China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects as Beijing is "not happy with the current progress”. Committee's chairman, Saleem Mandviwalla elaborated, "According to my sources, the Chinese are not happy with the current progress of CPEC projects as they have approached me to help remove the bottlenecks" Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on CPEC Affairs Khalid Mansoor was given the responsibility of timely completion of projects. Mansoor claimed, "My number one priority is to regain the Chinese confidence. I will take responsibility for the implementation of the projects and I will go personally to all the concerned ministries and divisions to implement the CPEC projects." According to the data provided by Mansoor 36 projects worth $28 billion were under consideration. While 21 projects worth $9.3bn were under implementation and 21 projects worth $15.2bn have been completed so far. Monitoring report

Rupee remained steady against USD The rupee remained steady against the USD in the inter-bank market on Friday as investors await an announcement from the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC). The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) MPC meeting is scheduled for Monday, September 20 in which the policy rate for the next two months will be announced.

Previously in this week, the rupee had reached a record low against the dollar however the rupee regained some of its value against the greenback and closed at Rs168.19 with a slight dip of 0.01 per cent compared to a close of Rs168.18 on Thursday. Monitoring report

CCoE approves winter incentive package on incremental consumption ISLAMABAD: The Cabinet Committee on Energy (CCoE) on Friday approved the summary submitted by the Power Division on the winter incentive package on incremental consumption for all domestic, commercial and general services consumers of XW- DISCOs and K- Electrics from November 01, 2021 till February 28, 2022. The meeting of CCOE was held under the Chairmanship of the Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar here. The CCoE also considered the revision of gas tariff slabs for the domestic consumers during the winter season of FY 21-22 submitted by the Petroleum Division. The forum discussed the agenda in detail and outlined that gas is a precious energy resource and resultantly import of LNG is a large drain on Pakistan’s foreign exchange. It constitutes a major part of the country’s total imports and consumer spending. It is now critically important to realize both on an individual and national level that energy resources need to be conserved by switching to energy-efficient appliances.

Keeping in view a committee headed by Minister for science and technology Shibli Faraz has been formed. This committee will give its recommendations within 30 days on the measures to ensure the use of energyefficient appliances through various fiscal and administrative incentives along with regulatory actions to be taken to promote these appliances to rationalize the consumption, reduce consumer’s monthly expenses and resultantly reduce the country’s energy import bill. The meeting was attended by the Minister for Energy, Minister for Maritime Affairs, SAPM on Power. app

italian investors keen to invest in Pakistan: ambassador Jauhar ISLAMABAD app

Ambassador of Pakistan to Italy, Jauhar Saleem on Friday said that Italian investors and various companies were ready to invest in different sectors of the country’s economy, which would further strengthen economic ties between the two countries.

Saleem mentioned while talking to the media that Italian companies new to the Pakistani market are now investing in different sectors such as food, steel, leather, textile, tourism, Information Technology (IT), electric vehicles and allied equipment.

The ambassador appreciated the role of the Italian government, embassy and private sector companies in providing technical assistance and technology transfer, especially in the leather and textile sectors which are of

prime importance for Pakistan’s economy, particularly in terms of export capacity.

While talking about bilateral investment cooperation,Saleem stated that previously Italian investment in Pakistan was highly concentrated in the hydrocarbon market.

He said the embassy was endeavouring to help build a more diversified investment portfolio from Italy and has pitched Pakistan’s priority sectors for investment so that Pak Italy bilateral investment portfolio could experience sustainable growth.

He highlighted some of the main factors that are fueling the unprecedented growth streak in remittances in the last 4 quarters.

He named the user-friendly financial products of State Bank of Pakistan like Roshan Digital Account (RDA), restrictions on cross border travel due to the pandemic, favourable exchange rate, legalization of un-

documented Pakistani workers in Italy, Pakistan’s inclusion in seasonal work visa program in Italy and ‘Remittances Promotion Drive of the Pakistan Embassy in Italy’ as some of the leading factors that are helping remittances growth to record heights.

He informed that the major indicators of bilateral economic relations namely trade cooperation and workers’ remittances are reflecting extraordinary growth.

Pakistani workers’ remittances from Italy increased by a staggering 92 per cent in August 2021 as against August 2020, making Italy the largest contributor in remittances from the European Union, he said.

Keeping in view the growing trend of the last 12 months, Italy could be expected to join the so-called Billion Dollar Club for remittances for Pakistan which could help address the current account gap being faced by

Pakistan. He shared that Pakistan has been included in Italy’s Seasonal Work Visa Programme for 2022 as well which would help our semi-skilled workers to come through legal channels and work in the agriculture and services sectors of the Italian market.

As for Pakistan’s exports to Italy that have registered 64 per cent growth in August 2021 year on year, he mentioned that the export growth was mainly led by value-added sectors like garments, leather products, home textiles and footwear, he said.

The ambassador said that Italy was Pakistan’s 8th largest export market where Pakistan is the market leader in some products such as rice.

Pakistan’s share in Basmati supply to the Italian market has risen to 82pc whereas India supplies only 12 per cent.

Despite the false Indian claim over ex-

clusive rights for Basmati in the EU market, Pakistan is the largest exporter of Basmati not only to Italy but the entire European Union.

The Ambassador noted that Pakistan’s exports to Italy reached an all-time high of $786 million during the FY 2020-21 and this year they are endeavouring to have an even better growth figure.

He added, “Despite the pandemic related restriction, the Embassy was extending all possible support to our businesses to facilitate their access to the Italian market.”

Saleem informed that a delegation of around 40 Pakistani businessmen from the leather sector will be visiting Italy next week where besides participating in an internationally acclaimed trade fair they will have meetings with Italian buyers, investors and visit some state of the art leather manufacturing facilities.

Saturday, 18 September, 2021

10 FOREIGN NEWS

ISLAMABAD

ChInese astronauts return to earth aFter 90-day MIssIon BEIJING

C

AFP

HINESE astronauts returned to earth on Friday after completing the country's longest-ever crewed mission, the latest landmark in Beijing's drive to become a major space power.

The capsule carrying the three astronauts was suspended on a parachute and landed in the Gobi desert at 1:35pm local time (05:35 GMT).

The crew of the Shenzhou-12 spacecraft were in “good health” after the 90-day mission, a record duration for China, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

Live footage showed medical crew and support staff in a helicopter rush to a landing site in the Gobi desert. One staffer planted the Chinese national flag near the capsule.

The taikonauts — as Chinese astronauts are known — will undergo a 14-day quarantine before they can go home “because their immune systems may have weakened after the long mission,” Huang Weifen, chief designer of China's manned space project told CCTV. The mission was part of China's heavily promoted space programme, which has already seen the nation land a rover on Mars and send probes to the moon.

The launch of Beijing's first crewed mission in nearly five years coincided with the 100th anniversary of the ruling Communist

Party on July 1, and was the highlight of a massive propaganda campaign.

The crew stayed for 90 days at the Tiangong space station, conducting spacewalks and scientific experiments.

“The successful completion of the mission [...] paves the way for future regular missions and utlisation of the [Chinese space] station (CSS),” said Chen Lan, an independent analyst at GoTaikonauts, which specialises in China's space programme.

“It is a very important and very much needed start for the CSS.” Tiangong, meaning “heavenly palace”, is expected to operate for at least 10 years.

The mission is headed by NieHaisheng, a decorated airforce pilot in the People's Liberation Army who previously participated in two space missions.

The two other astronauts, Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo, are also in the military.

SPACE RACE: The Chinese space agency is planning a total of 11 launches before the end of next year, including three more crewed missions that will deliver two lab modules to expand the 70-tonne station.

China has poured billions of dollars into its military-led space programme in recent years as it tries to catch up with the US and Russia.

Beijing's space ambitions have been fuelled in part by a US ban on its astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS), a collaboration between the US, Russia, Canada,

IMF, WB urge more Covid-19 vaccination doses to go to poor countries WASHINGTON REUTERS

International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and other multilateral-organisation leaders on Thursday urged countries with high Covid-19 vaccination rates to boost efforts to send doses to low- and middle-income countries. Georgieva and the heads of the World Bank Group, World Health Organization and World Trade Organisation expressed concern in a joint statement that it would not be possible to vaccinate at least 40 percent of the population in all countries by the end of 2021 without urgent action.

Wide disparities in vaccination rates in advanced economies and developing countries will be a key issue raised during a virtual global summit that the United States is organising on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. IMF spokesperson Gerry Rice told reporters on Thursday that President Joe Biden had invited Georgieva to speak at the September 22 event, which has not yet been formally announced by the White House. A White House spokesperson declined to comment. Reuters reported this week that the United States was pushing global leaders to endorse an even more ambitious vaccination target at the summit: getting 70 percent of the world's population vaccinated by the time of the 2022 General Assembly. The leaders said countries with high vaccination rates - which have collectively pre-purchased over 2 billion doses more than needed - should urgently swap their near-term delivery schedules with global distribution programs to help address gaps in low- and middle-income countries. They urged high-income countries to fulfill their dose donation pledges and release vaccine companies from contracts so those doses can be delivered to people in need.

Europe and Japan.

The ISS is due for retirement after 2024, although the US' National Aeronautics and Space Administration has said it could potentially remain functional beyond 2028.

“Compared to the US, China is still technically somewhat behind,” Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics, told AFP.

“The main US lead in human spaceflight is in total experience,” he said. “For example, two spacewalks is not the same as hundreds of ISS spacewalks. Quantity makes a difference. “

Iran joins expanding Asian security body led by Moscow, Beijing TEHRAN REUTERS

Iran joined a rapidly expanding central Asian security body led by Russia and China on Friday, calling on the countries in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation to help it form a mechanism to avert sanctions imposed by the West.

The body, formed in the 2001 as a talking shop for Russia, China and ex-Soviet states in Central Asia, expanded four years ago to include India and Pakistan, with a view to playing a bigger role as counterweight to Western influence in the region.

In a sign of its growing influence, the body's summit in Tajikistan was the first appearance abroad of Iran's new hardline president, EbrahimiRaisi, since taking office in August.

Raisi hailed the opportunity that membership would provide for Iran, as a country along China's "Belt and Road" route, to join important trade links across Eurasia. Iranian television described Iran's membership as giving it access to huge markets across the continent.

In his speech to members, Raisi compared sanctions on Iran to terrorism, and said the organisation should design a mechanism that helps Tehran avert

them. Russia and China, along with Western countries, are parties of a 2015 agreement between Iran and world powers under which Tehran agreed to curbs on its nuclear programme in return for the lifting of sanctions.

Washington abandoned that deal in 2018 and unilaterally re-imposed financial sanctions. Negotiations this year to revive it have been stalled since Raisi's election. "Nothing can stop Iran's peaceful nuclear activities that are within the framework of international regulations," Raisi said. "Diplomacy is only effective when all parties adhere to it. Threats and pressure tie diplomacy’s hands and render it ineffective."

Japan issues alert after volcano erupts TOKYO AFP

Japan issued an alert on Friday after a volcano in the southwest of the country erupted, jettisoning large rocks hundreds of metres away from the crater, Kyodo news agency reported.

There were no immediate reports of injuries after the eruption of Mount Otake in Kagoshima prefecture, according to Kyodo.

The Japan Meteorological Agency set the alert level at three -- on a scale of five, where five triggers evacuation -- to restrict access to the area around the mountain after the eruption around 2:00 am (1700

GMT Thursday).

Multiple initial "explosions" had taken place at the crater on Thursday, the agency said, cited by Kyodo.

The agency warned large rocks hurled from the volcano could land within a two kilometre (1.2 mile) radius.

A similar eruption took place at Mount Otake in March, with the meteorological agency also issuing a level-three alert at the time.

Japan, with scores of active volcanoes, sits on the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire", where a large proportion of the world's earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are recorded.

Putin's foes accuse Google and Apple of caving to Kremlin pressure MOSCOW REUTERS

Russian opposition activists accused Alphabet's Google and Apple of caving to Kremlin pressure on Friday after the U.S. tech giants removed an anti-government tactical voting app from their stores on the first day of a parliamentary election.

The app, devised by allies of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, gives people detailed recommendations on who to vote for in an effort to thwart the ruling United Russia party which supports President Vladimir Putin.

Members of the upper house of parliament met Google (GOOGL.O) and Apple (AAPL.O) representatives in the run-up to the election to tell them to remove the app, or face consequences including fines and criminal prosecution.

John Sullivan, the U.S. ambassador to Russia, was also called to the foreign min-

istry before the vote to hear complaints that the companies' behaviour amounted to U.S. meddling in Russia's internal affairs.

A court outlawed Navalny's political movement as extremist in June, backing complaints from Moscow's prosecutor that its activists were trying to destabilise Russia, a ruling condemned by the West at the time as a blow against freedom.

Google decided to remove the app after being told its local staff could otherwise face jail time, one person familiar with the situation said on condition of anonymity.

Apple and Google did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Russia has for years sought sovereignty over its segment of the internet, where anti-Kremlin politicians have followings and critical media operate.

Leonid Volkov, an ally of Navalny, accused Google and Apple of buckling

under what he described as a Kremlin campaign of blackmail.

"This shameful day will live long in the memory," Volkov, who is based outside Russia, said on the Telegram messaging service.

Ivan Zhdanov, another Navalny ally who is abroad, called the companies' action "a shameful act of political censorship."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow welcomed the move and that the U.S. companies had acted in the "spirit and letter of (Russian) law".

Reuters independently verified that the app was unavailable on Apple's AppStore and Google Play for Russian users.

Previously downloaded versions of the app were not working.

The move is not a knockout blow for the Navalny camp's tactical voting campaign. His allies published detailed lists online two days ago of how they want

people to vote.

Some activists also use virtual private networks to skirt restrictions and were still able to download and use the app.

State communications regulator Roskomnadzor has demanded that Apple and Google remove the app, and threatened fines for non-compliance.

DRY-RUN FOR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: The election, which runs until Sunday evening, is a test of Putin's grip on power during a malaise over faltering living standards and when ties with the West are bad.

United Russia faces a ratings slump but is expected to win the vote, which follows the biggest crackdown on the Kremlin's domestic political opponents in years. The election is the first in Russia to use electronic voting widely. A government ministry said the system had been hit by denial-of-service attacks carried out using foreign IP addresses from the

United States, Germany and Ukraine.

The vote is seen as a dry-run for the presidential election due in 2024. At stake is United Russia's super majority in the 450-seat State Duma, which last year helped Putin ease through constitutional reforms that allow him to run for office again and potentially stay in power until 2036.

Putin, who turns 69 next month, has not said whether he will seek re-election.

He has served as president or prime minister since 1999.

Navalny, 45, was jailed in March in a case he called trumped up after recovering from a poisoning with a Soviet-style nerve agent.

His allies were barred from running for office because of their association with Navalny's network.

The Kremlin denies any politically driven crackdown and says individuals are prosecuted for breaking the law.

Saturday, 18 September, 2021

SPORTS 11

ISLAMABAD

EurOpa LEaGuE: NapOLI raLLy tO draw wIth LEICEstEr, LyON dOwN raNGErs IN OpENEr LEICESTER AFP

V

ICTOR Osimhen scored twice as Napoli came from 2-0 down to salvage a 2-2 draw at Leicester, while Lyon cruised to a 2-0 win at Rangers on the opening night of the Europa League group stages.

Earlier, Celtic threw away a two-goal lead to lose 43 to Real Betis and West Ham were convincing 2-0 winners away to Dinamo Zagreb.

Leicester just missed out on Champions League football for a second consecutive season as they finished fifth in the Premier League last term. But the Foxes are keen to go further than their run to the last 32 of the Europa League last season and got off to a great start against the Italian giants.

Ayoze Perez fired home at the back post from Harvey Barnes’ cross after just nine minutes. Patson Daka then saw his first Leicester goal ruled out by a VAR review for a marginal offside call, but Barnes quickly put that disappointment behind Brendan Rodgers’ men with an excellent finish to double Leicester’s lead.

Napoli boss Luciano Spalletti held nothing in reserve with his strongest side and the visitors responded in the final quarter thanks to Osimhen.

The Nigerian, who cost €70 million ($83 million) from Lille last year, brilliantly flicked the ball over the imposing presence of Jannik Vestegaard and Kasper Schmeichel to get Napoli back in the game. Osimhen then outjumped Caglar Soyuncu to power home a head for a deserved equaliser.

And Leicester’s night got even worse in stoppage time when Wilfred Ndidi was sent off in stoppage time

for a second bookable offence.

“The crime isn’t giving away the two goals, the crime is if you don’t learn from it,” said Rodgers. “I’m sure that is something this young team will do.”

RANGERS OUTCLASSED: At Ibrox, Lyon spoiled Steven Gerrard’s 50th European game in charge of Rangers.

Toko Ekambi curled home from long range to open the scoring midway through the first-half and a goal-

mouth scramble early in the second period ended with the ball ricocheting off Rangers captain James Tavernier into his own net.

“At the domestic level you can sometimes give the ball away in certain areas but not at this level in the Europa League,” said Gerrard after Rangers were outclassed by the French side.

Celtic returned to Seville 18 years on from reaching the UEFA Cup final and got off to a dream start at the

Benito Villamarin.

Albian Ajeti bundled home the opener thanks to a VAR review after the goal had initially been ruled out for handball before Josip Juranovic buried his first Celtic goal from the penalty spot.

But two goals in three minutes wiped out Celtic’s lead as Juan Miranda slotted home before Borja Iglesias unselfishly teed up Juanmi to equalise.

Iglesias completed the comeback with a near post flick early in the second-half before Juanmi’s shot flew in off the inside of the box.

Anthony Ralston pulled a goal back three minutes from time to give Celtic some hope, but Betis held on for all three points. “We had our moments in the game where it could have got away from them and unfortunately we didn’t do that,” said Postecoglou. “They have some quality up front that punished us.”

Bayer Leverkusen were also winners in Group G as the Germans came from behind to beat Ferencvaros 2-1 thanks to a second-half winner from 18-year-old star Florian Wirtz.

West Ham enjoyed a far more comfortable return to European football in the Croatian capital that had manager David Moyes dreaming of how far they can go.

“I’m really excited about the prospect of slightly not knowing how good they could be. We brought in some new players tonight and didn’t look any the worse for it,” said Moyes. “It’s only one game, but the players are in a good place.” Michail Antonio pounced off a slack back pass to continue his early season scoring streak with his fifth goal in as many games.

Declan Rice then galloped from inside his own half before producing a powerful finish five minutes into the second-half.

England tour of Pakistan in doubt as ECB reassesses security arrangements

Beijing 2022 Games to have rigorous Covid-19 measures: IOC BERLIN REUTERS

NEWS DESK The chances of England going ahead with their proposed tour to Pakistan in October would appear to have receded sharply, in the wake of New Zealand's decision to abandon their ongoing tour due to a security threat, ESPNcricinfo reported.

England's men and women teams are currently due to play two T20Is in Rawalpindi on October 13 and 14, with the women due to stay on for a three-match ODI series as well. But, in the wake of New Zealand's decision - minutes before the scheduled start of their first ODI in Rawalpindi - the ECB have confirmed they are reviewing their plans, with a decision expected in the next "24-48 hours".

A statement from NZC said: "Following an escalation in the New Zealand Government threat levels for Pakistan, and advice from NZC security advisors on the ground, it has been decided the BLACKCAPS will not continue with the tour."

Given that NZC and the ECB use the same security consultants - ESI Risk - to advise on such matters, it would be a major surprise if England proceeded with the tour.

"We're aware of New Zealand's decision to pull out of the Pakistan tour due to a security alert," an ECB spokesperson said. "We are liaising with our security team who are on the ground in Pakistan to fully understand the situation. The ECB Board will then decide in the next 24-48 hours whether our planned tour should proceed."

The tour would have been a significant moment for Pakistan cricket. England have not visited the country since 2005 due to security concerns, but agreed this two-match series as a sign of gratitude at Pakistan's assistance in helping them stage cricket during the English

summer of 2020 when the nation was in lockdown. Pakistan's players were obliged to spend an extended period of time in a bio-bubble to ensure the ECB were able to stage the series.

It may be premature to cast doubt over the viability of England men's Test tour to Pakistan in late 2022, but the resurfacing of security issues in the region is likely to have ramifications for the staging of that series as well.

Any cancellation may also hit both teams' preparations for the T20 World Cup which follows. It could be,

however, that the ECB allow their IPL players to remain at the tournament during the knock-out stages. The ECB had previously intimated that players involved in the T20 World Cup would be obliged to leave the tournament early.

It also leaves England's plans for the winter up in the air. They have already seen their tour of Bangladesh cancelled and are currently waiting for assurances from Cricket Australia before confirming their Ashes plans.

Originally published on ESPNcricinfo

The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics will have tight Covid-19 countermeasures in place to ensure the safety of all participants, the International Olympic Committee said on Friday. Just over a month after the closing ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Games, IOC President Thomas Bach said in an open letter that next year's Winter Games would also require strict measures amid the ongoing pandemic.

"While the pandemic is far from over, I would like to reassure you that together with our Chinese partners and friends, we are sparing no effort to make these Olympic Winter Games safe and secure for everyone," Bach said. The Beijing Winter Olympics will be held from February 4-20. "As we did in Tokyo, we are putting in place rigorous Covid-19 countermeasures to ensure the health and safety of all Olympic participants in Beijing," the IOC president said, urging teams to get vaccinated and offering support in this process. The vast majority of athletes and participants at the Tokyo Olympics were vaccinated. Athletes were confined to the venues and the athletes' village while other stakeholders were also monitored in their movements, as polls had showed the majority of Japanese wanted the Games postponed or cancelled for fear of becoming a superspreader event. The Tokyo Games had been delayed by a year and were eventually held in a state of emergency and without spectators or international visitors as Japan struggled with rising cases. "The excellent cooperation that we are enjoying with our Chinese partners and friends, as well as the relevant Chinese health authorities, gives us all great confidence that we will again have safe and secure Olympic Games," Bach said.

Former players back Rohit to replace Kohli as India's T20 captain NEW DELHI REUTERS

Opener Rohit Sharma has demonstrated his leadership qualities in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and is an obvious choice to succeed Virat Kohli as India's Twenty20 captain, according to several former players.

Kohli, who has led India across formats, has decided to relinquish Twenty20 captaincy after the 20-overs World Cup scheduled in the United Arab Emirates and Oman from October 17.

Kohli has a 27-14 win-loss ratio as India's Twenty20 captain, while his Royal Challengers Bangalore team continue to chase their maiden IPL title.

While the Indian cricket board is not in any hurry to name a successor now, Rohit, IPL's most successful captain, is likely to be elevated as India's Twenty20 skipper.

For former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar, it is a no-brainer.

"Rohit deserves to be India's next T20 captain because he has done well whenever he's been given an opportunity to lead India," Vengsarkar told Times of India newspaper on Friday.

"In 2018, India won the Asia Cup under his captaincy. Beside that, he's been an exceptional captain for the Mumbai Indians, having led them to five IPL titles."

Former player Sandeep Patil also backed IPL's most successful captain for the job.

"Rohit has proved his mettle," Patil, part

of India's 1983 World Cup winning squad, told the same newspaper.

Kohli cited his "immense" workload as the reason behind his decision but Indian cricket board president Sourav Ganguly said the decision was made "keeping in mind the future roadmap."

Former captain Sunil Gavaskar said while Rohit was the best man to lead in 20overs cricket, India should groom KL Rahul, who leads Kings XI Punjab in IPL, as a future white-ball captain.

"It's important to think ahead," Gavaskar told Sports Tak programme.

"He has been performing well in IPL and 50-overs cricket as well at the international stage. He can be made vice-captain," added the former batting great.

Saturday, 18 September, 2021

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NO eXteNSiON wiLL be GrANted iN retUrNS FiLiNG dAte: Fbr ISLAMABAD

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HE Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has reiterated its resolve for not extending the last date for filing annual returns beyond September 30, 2021. In a statement issued on Friday, the FBR said that improvement

of tax compliance culture is the prime objective of the government and the FBR is actively trying to achieve it with the cooperation of taxpayers.

The decision of non-extension in the due date for filing of return last year saw an overwhelming response from taxpayers. In view of this the Iris portal for filing of return this year was operationalized w.e.f 1st of July, 2021 in order to facilitate the compliant taxpayers.

The FBR has advised all taxpayers required to file tax returns by September 30, 2021, to fulfil their legal obligation without waiting for the last date to avoid system delays which occur when a large number of taxpayers log in for submission of returns near the deadline. The FBR has reiterated that there will be no extension in the due date for the filing of income tax returns.

‘Economic governance major challenge for interim Taliban gov’t’ KABUL AnAdoLu Agency

China’s Xi Jinping urges Afghanistan to stamp out terrorism, vows more aid BEIJING ReuteRs

China’s President Xi Jinping urged “relevant parties” in Afghanistan to eradicate terrorism and promised to provide more help to the wartorn nation, state news agency Xinhua said on Friday. China shares a land border with Afghanistan, where the Taliban named a new government this month. The group retook control in August as US-led foreign forces ended their 20-year presence there.

Afghanistan should be guided to be more open and inclusive, and pursue moderate domestic and foreign policies, Xi told a meeting of leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and another regional grouping, the agency said in a report. “Certain countries” should assume their due responsibilities for Afghanistan’s future development as “instigators” of the situation, Xi added, in an apparent reference to the United States and its allies. Experts say Afghanistan’s economy is in crisis and a humanitarian disaster looms.

Western nations have been reluctant to provide funds to the Taliban without assurances that it will uphold human rights, especially those of women. China, which has pledged aid and Covid-19 vaccine doses to Afghanistan, has said the United States and its allies have a duty to supply the war-torn nation with economic and humanitarian aid. China is also known to be worried about militants from its far western region of Xinjiang, some of whom are based in Afghanistan, where they have long been allies of the Taliban. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization groups China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Afghanistan is an observer state.

Pakistan has offered technical support to the new interim Taliban administration in different sectors, including banking and commerce, the country’s ambassador in Kabul said, adding economic governance would be a major challenge for the interim government.

In an exclusive interview with Anadolu Agency in the capital Kabul, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan Mansour Ahmad Khan said banks and businesses are facing difficulties in Afghanistan, adding that if the Taliban require assistance from Pakistan, it will provide it as a “brotherly neighboring country.”

Khan said he met with acting Foreign Minister Ameer Khan Muttaqi and acting Finance Minister Gul Agha Ishaqzai to discuss the challenges Afghanistan is facing.

RECOGNITION OF TALIBAN GOVERNMENT: This is a process that takes place in stages, the ambassador said, adding that the first step was an evacuation, followed by the present phase of humanitarian assistance, and lastly, increased participation to help the new interim administration fulfill the needs of the Afghan people through good governance.

“The international community has expectations from the interim administration, particularly genuine inclusivity,” Khan said, referring to the inclusion of various ethnic groups in the government.

Human rights and humanitarian issues must also be taken into account. Pakistan would analyze “how women will participate in different national activities – of course, within the context of Afghanistan’s religious and cultural traditions,” he added.

“So, when they recognize (Taliban as) a government, it’s not relevant today,” he said, and added that currently “several countries are engaging with the new (interim) Afghan government to stabilize the system.”

SECURITY SITUATION: Khan said the security situation in all provinces has been stable since the pullout of US forces, although there were some incidents at the airport during the evacuation.

Khan was one of the few ambassadors who chose to stay in Kabul when the Taliban captured the capital on Aug. 15, and the US forces were restricted to Kabul airport until their withdrawal on Aug. 31.

He said they were worried since they did not know what would happen. “We decided to stay here and assist with the evac-

uation efforts during that period,” Khan said, adding that the embassy assisted “those Pakistanis and Afghans who wanted to return to their respective homelands.”

Other embassies were also present, including Russian, Chinese, Turkish, Iranian, and Qatari, the ambassador observed, and that they were all working hard to help and assist the process in their own ways.

“So, I would say the international community remained active largely,” he said, noting: “Even those Western countries who shut their embassies in Kabul were covering Afghanistan from Doha.”

PANJSHIR VALLEY: In response to a query about alleged Pakistan’s involvement in backing the Taliban forces in their fight against the Panjshir resistance group, Khan replied that there has been a lot of unfounded misinformation coming from certain quarters, and alleged that “it was mostly initiated from India.” “I totally refute (these allegations). Our engagement was to support political efforts to resolve the issue,” he explained.

“Pakistan had no involvement in any way,” he claimed, adding: “We just advised the two sides to hold talks for a political arrangement to resolve the Panjshir issue.”

LAHORE: While global warming creates unusual weather patterns, bees carry on with their jobs. AkIF RAsHId

COAS awards degrees, medals to graduating students at GCU Lahore Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Friday visited the Government College University (GCU) Lahore and awarded degrees and medals to various graduating students. Per a statement released by the InterServices Public Relations (ISPR), the COAS was invited as the chief guest at the University’s convocation, while GCU’s Chancellor and Governor of Punjab Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar was also present on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, the COAS paid rich tributes to both the faculty and management of the university for their role in grooming and honing the country’s brilliant youth.

The COAS said that the GCU is “a jewel in the crown of Pakistan’s education institutions” as it has always played a key role in producing icons of international acclaim, who have contributed immensely in their respective domains.

The Army chief stressed the youth to always aim for high goals and strive for excellence with sheer hard work and dignity in line with Quaid-i-Azam’s vision. General Bajwa, while expressing his hope of a brighter future for Pakistan, said: “We are a resilient nation and our youth is our real asset. With great sacrifices against all odds, we have laid a strong foundation for the peace and progress of the country.” news desk

No polio case detected in last seven months: Faisal

Special Assistant to the PM on National Health Services Dr Faisal Sultan has said that no polio case has been detected in the country for the last seven months. Addressing an event on Friday, he said this is an important milestone which will be taken forward. He said, “Our future campaigns will focus on high risk areas in order to completely rid the country of this disease.” The special assistant clarified that polio drops are completely safe, appealing to the parents to get their children administered anti polio drops whilst giving no ears to propaganda. Dr Faisal Sultan was appreciative of international organizations including Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for extending cooperation to Pakistan in anti-polio campaigns. news desk

Bamboo economy helps Zimbabwean farmers to earn living HEADLANDS AnAdoLu Agency

Once considered a parasite that feeds on forests, bamboo has become a major source of living for farmers in Zimbabwe.

In eastern Manicaland province, farmers like Hapias Shwede, 52, have switched to grow bamboo, which is used in building houses, furniture, pulp, charcoal, while also addressing climate change issues.

Coinciding the World Bamboo Day which is being observed on Friday, a woman farmer Mavis Sithole from Mount Selinda, 56, told Anadolu Agency that she along with other women has been earning hundreds of

dollars by selling bamboo to indigenous furniture manufactures.

“We have stopped using poles from trees to construct our huts now. We use bamboo which even when cut down, quickly shoots up than other trees which take years to grow back,” she said.

In Manicaland’s Chipinge district, a decade ago six women had come together to form Mount Selinda Women’s Bamboo Association to promote bamboo plantation and entrepreneurship.

According to the International Network of Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR) – an intergovernmental organization –, the bamboo economy in Zimbabwe has grown to $60 bil-

lion and has turned into a credible income generator for rural communities.

Unlike other trees, bamboo plants are known to be naturally growing and sustainable ones, thereby addressing climate change issues, said climate change expert Happison Chikova.

“Bamboo grass absorbs carbon dioxide and acts as carbon reduction. The woody grass can also be used as firewood and saves other indigenous trees from being used as fuel,” he said.

According to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), Zimbabwe had been losing on an average 327,000 hectares (808,034 acres) of forests annually from 1990-2010. He said with the attention now

turning to fast-growing bamboo, the country may recover its lost forests.

“Once it starts growing, bamboo remains rooted in the ground helping to secure the soil. The woody grass is unlike forests because when cut, bamboo grows back quickly. The more one cuts it, the more it grows,” said Chikova.

NOTE OF CAUTION FROM ACTIVISTS: According to Bio-Innovation Zimbabwe – a research organization specializing in underutilized plant species – bamboo is native to this Southern African nation, with the giant grass staying green all year round and its woody, hollow stem growing again rapidly after it is cut down.

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

“People have fallen in love with the furniture, the chairs and tables I make using bamboo and I have grown my business to dizzy heights, earning more than $1,500 monthly selling furniture made from bamboo,” Pritchard Hove, a carpenter in Harare, told Anadolu Agency.

But the human rights activists like Elvis Mugari have expressed a note of caution, by over-promoting the cultivation of bamboo.

“Let us not be too excited about bamboo because if people will grow this grass in large numbers thinking they will save forests, they may forgo growing crops to feed themselves and will starve now and again,” he said.