EpaperISB_21-10-11

Monday, 11 October, 2021 I 4 Rabi-ul-Awwal, 1443 I Rs 40.00 I Vol XII No 103 I 48 Pages I Islamabad Edition

Rule of law must foR economic development, says pm Khan g

Forms rehmatul-lil-aalamin authority to help portray true image oF islam

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rime minister imran Khan on sunday said that no nation can progress if it lowers its moral standards as rule of law is must for economic development. he also announced the formation rehmatul-lil-aalamin authority aimed to portray the true image of islam to the world. “many scholars will be a part of it (authority). one of the tasks of the authority would be to tell the world what islam really is,” he said while addressing the ashra-e-rehmatul-lil-aalamin (pBuh) conference in islamabad. the premier said that renowned scholars would be part of the authority that will monitor the curriculums of the schools. “they will tell us whether it (curriculum) needs to be changed. other religions will also be taught [at educational institutes],” he added. he said that one of the scholars will deal with issues related to the media and social media.

“Cartoons we are showing to our children depict alien culture. We cannot stop them but we can give an alternate.”

he said that the authority will conduct researches in the universities that have never been done in pakistan before, adding that it will also assess benefits and downsides of the “western culture” and its effects on pakistani society.

“When you bring the western culture [to the country], it needs to be assessed what are the benefits and what are the disadvantages because they have better morals [than ours] but it is also affecting our family system. We have not done any research on it,” he explained. pm imran said that no nation can progress if it lowers its moral standards. “if the society does not object to corruption then how can the system improve? entire society fights corruption. a government has limitations but if a society rises then corruption cannot exist,” he said. he said that the moral standards in the West are higher than ours. “their moral standards are higher than ours. their judicial system is better… there is humanity. i saw that many values of islam were present

coRonaviRus in

paKistan

CONFIRMED CASES:

1,257,955

LAST UPDATED AT 10:02 AM ON OCTOBER 10, 2021

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

NEW CASES:

19

767

RECOVERED:

DEATHS:

1,187,308 28,106 SINDH:

PUNJAB:

462,466

435,882

KPK:

BALOCHISTAN:

175,735 AJK/GB:

33,072 ISLAMABAD:

34,339/10,348

106,113

there. if morals are lowered, no nation can rise.” the top leadership in the Western countries, he said, are expected to maintain an even higher moral standards than the general public, adding that if they are caught lying, then they are forced to resign. “When hitler attacked Britain, people asked Churchill if they will be saved [from destruction], he said is our judicial system working? someone replied yes, he said yes then we will be saved.” the premier said that the FaCti panel reached the conclusion that the poor nation’s leadership take away money from the country and that is how they become poor. “if someone loots your country, he flees to london but still people shower rose petals on him… how can such a society move forward?”

NEuTRAlITy IN ElEcTIONs: he said that China has lifted the most number of people from poverty in the human history and they have done it by curbing the menace of corruption. “in China, tens of thousands were put in prisons over corruption and look how it [China] is leading the world today,” he added. pm imran said that all elections after the 1970s polls, have been marred with rigging allegations and the government in power never wants to change the system because it is easier for it to manipulate the system. however, he added, pti is the first ruling party that is seeking electoral reforms. “all those who are saying that [2018] elections were rigged are against the electronic voting machines (eVms).” he said that pakistan was the first country to introduce neutral umpires in cricket against the most powerful teams in the world and added that he wanted to bring the same neutrality in the elections as well. News Desk

CONTINUED ON PAGE 03

Dr AQ Khan laid to rest amid tears, prayers ISLAMABAD staff report

abdul Qadeer Khan, lionised as the father of pakistan’s atomic bomb, passed away at his home in islamabad sunday morning. he was 85.

Khan was buried in the h-8 graveyard in islamabad amid tears and prayers after a state funeral inside the Faisal mosque compound held at 3:30 pm and attended by members of the federal cabinet and top military officers. he was admitted to a local hospital where his health deteriorated early morning. pakistan television said he died after being transferred to a hospital with lung problems. minister for interior sheikh rasheed ahmed said the state funeral was given under the directions of prime minister imran Khan. he confirmed the prime minister had also directed the cabinet to attend the funeral.

Khan was admitted to Khan research laboratories hospital on august 26 after he tested positive for coronavirus. he was later shifted to a military hospital in rawalpindi. a september 13 report quoting people close to the nuclear scientist said his health was “now improving and he is likely to be shifted to his home soon”. “[i] am better today than yesterday,” Khan said in a message to arab news the following day. “may god be with you and

Probe against 700 Pakistanis named in Pandora Papers begins ISLAMABAD staff CorrespoNDeNt

the federal government has launched a formal probe against the 700 pakistanis whose name appeared in the pandora papers last week. the country’s top investigation agencies have been tasked to investigate those individuals. the agencies will also seek help from the provincial revenue departments and nadra. on october 3, the international Consortium of investigative Journalists (iCiJ) opened a pandora’s box – a massive trove of private financial records, dubbed pandora papers. the leaks also named some 700 pakistanis, including cabinet members, allegedly hiding financial secrets via offshore companies. the iCiJ stated that key members of prime minister imran Khan’s inner circle, including cabinet ministers, their families and major financial backers had secretly owned an array of companies and trusts holding millions of dollars of hidden wealth. the government had announced it will establish a highlevel cell under the prime minister’s inspection Commis-

protect you.”

FATHER OF NuclEAR PROGRAMME: Khan was born in 1936 in Bhopal city of British india and immigrated along with his family to pakistan in 1947 after the partition of the sub-continent. he did a science degree at Karachi university in 1960, then went on to study metallurgical engineering in Berlin before completing advanced studies in the netherlands and Belgium. the crucial contribution to the nuclear programme was the procurement of a blueprint for uranium centrifuges, which transform uranium into weapons-grade fuel for nuclear fissile material. he secured it from the netherlands while working for anglo-Dutch-german nuclear engineering consortium urenco and bringing it back to pakistan in 1976. on his return to pakistan, then prime minister Zulfikar ali Bhutto put Khan in charge of the government’s nascent uranium enrichment project. Bhutto famously said: “We will eat grass, even go hungry, but we will have our own [nuclear bomb].”

By 1978, his team had enriched uranium and by 1984 they were ready to detonate a nuclear device, Khan later said in a newspaper interview. the 1998 nuclear tests saw pakistan slapped with international sanctions and sent its economy into freefall.

CONTINUED ON BACK PAGE

more inside

Tarin to begin policy level talks with IMF this week STORY ON BACK PAGE

sion to question all individuals, who are part of the pandora papers with the aim to present the facts before the nation. the iCiJ’s investigation was the result of 600 journalists in 117 countries, studying for months roughly 11.9 million leaked documents. in light of the investigation, reports will be provided to the Fia, naB and FBr so that legal action could be taken against the pakistanis who invested in the offshore companies according to the pakistani law. the pandora papers investigation has been divided into two parts according to which current or former public office

holders and the business figures will be investigated separately. in the first phase, details of pakistanis who names appeared in the pandora papers are being collected pertaining to their businesses, bank accounts and properties in the country along with their daily expenses, children’s education and marriage expenses. apart from this, the details of their foreign trips, medical treatment and shopping are also being collected. the agency will also gather specifics about their public and private bank accounts, mobile data, travel agents and booking details of private hotels.

pDm’s crucial leadership huddle due in islamabad today STORY ON BACK PAGE in today’s issue

attention Some readers have complained that they are not getting the magazine with their newspaper copy. Please call or WhatsApp us at the following number to register a complaint.

Contact: 0307-7338168 irfan.farooq@pakistantoday.com.pk

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Monday, 11 October, 2021 | ISLAMABAD

NEWS

KP recommends inclusion of tribal districts in Rs150 billion urban development plan PESHAWAr

INdIAN ARResTs 500 KAshmIRIs IN A fResh wAve of sTATe oPPRessIoN

Aziz Buneri

NEWS DESk

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government recommended the Asian Development Bank to the inclusion of tribal districts in Rs 150 billion urban development plan.

Recommendations have been made to expand the largest urban development project in across the province, while work has been started to include tribal districts in the project, officials sources said. Adding that a loan of $1 billion would be taken from the Asian Development Bank for an urban development project worth over Rs150 billion, out of which more than half of the loan has been approved by the ADB. Under the project, several projects will be launched in Peshawar, Abbottabad, Swat, Kohat, Bannu and DI Khan. It has been decided to extend the projects to tribal districts of province and the matter has been taken up with the Asian Development Bank and work on it will start after getting its approval. According to sources, KP government has secured billions of rupees in loans from the ADB for various projects, including the Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit Service, urban development and power projects.

OVERNMENT forces have detained at least 500 people in a sweeping crackdown in IIOJK, local officials said on Sunday, following a string of suspected attacks and targeted killings in the disputed region.

Assailants fatally shot three Hindus and a Sikh person in the region’s main city of Srinagar this week in a sudden rise in violence against civilians that both pro and anti-India Kashmiri politicians widely condemned.

Local police blamed the spate of killings on elements fighting against Indian rule in the region for decades. Officials said they had detained in the last three days over 500 people across the Kashmir Valley for questioning, with the majority of detainees from the main city of Srinagar.

Police say individuals belonging to The Resistance Front (TRF) group have shot and killed seven people since last week, pushing up the death toll from such attacks this year to 28 people. While 21 of those slain were Muslims, seven of them belonged to Hindu and Sikh minority communities.

Speaking with reporters recently, the region’s top police officer Dilbag Singh described the killings as a “conspiracy to create terror and communal rift”.

On Thursday, TRF in a statement on social media claimed the group was targeting those working for Indian authorities and was not picking targets based on faith. The group’s statement could not be independently verified. The TRF was formed after India stripped IoK in 2019 of its semi autonomous status, scrapped its

Govt, businessmen of Turkey, Azerbaijan warmly welcome NLC's TIR initiative rAWALPiNDi inP

The government and business communities of Turkey and Azerbaijan have extended warm welcome to the first ever road movement of NLC trucks under Transports Internationaux Routiers (TIR). To mark establishment of the historic road connectivity between the brotherly countries in the region, special ceremonies were held at Istanbul and Baku on Sunday. The reception ceremony held at Murat Bey Customs Post, Istanbul was attended by senior officials of Turkish Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, Ministry of Trade, Chamber of Commerce & Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB), ECO Secretariat, Transport Ministry of Iran and representatives of Turkish logistics industry. Pakistan Ambassador to Turkey, Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi and Umberto de Pretto, Secretary General of Geneva based IRU were also present on the occasion. The participants termed the initiative by NLC as a major step towards markets integration and enhancing trade between Pakistan and Turkey. Ambassador Syrus Qazi highlighted the Government of Pakistan's focus on geo-economics and how regional connectivity was crucial to achieve this end.

"The landmark step will strengthen road connectivity between Pakistan and Turkey which will ultimately help in promotion of bilateral trade", he said. The Ambassador noted that operationalization of TIR will reduce the cost and transportation time for the business communities of both the countries. A similar ceremony was also held at Baku Hilton to welcome the launching of TIR operations by NLC to Azerbaijan. Senior representatives of Azerbaijan's government departments (Customs, transport service, ABADA, export promotion organization (Azpromo)), Ambassadors of Pakistan to Azerbaijan and Azerbaijan Ambassador to Pakistan, exporters and representatives of logistics companies attended the ceremony. Exporters and logistics companies of Azerbaijan evinced keen interest in the TIR operations. Both the Ambassadors lauded NLC for establishing road connectivity between the two brotherly countries. The ambassadors vowed to play their due roles in further facilitation of TIR operations. Anar Razyev Deputy Head of Road Transport Service of Azerbaijan felicitated NLC for providing new avenues to business community for enhancing bilateral trade. He hoped that TIR will immensely facilitate linkage of Azerbaijan to East and Far East, whereas Pakistani exporters would benefit through existing links of Azerbaijan with Europe, Russia and other CARs.

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statehood, and undertook a massive security and communications lockdown for months. IoK has remained on edge ever since as authorities also put in place a slew of new laws, which critics and many Kashmiris fear could change the region’s demographics.

This last week’s killings appeared to trigger widespread fear among minority communities, with many Hindu families opting to leave the Muslimmajority Kashmir Valley. Those killed included a prominent Kashmiri Hindu chemist, two schoolteachers

of the Hindu and Sikh faiths, and a Hindu street food vendor from India’s eastern state of Bihar.

According to police, those detained in the ensuing crackdown include members of religious groups, antiIndia activists and “overground workers”, a term Indian authorities use for sympathisers and collaborationists of freedom fighters.

Freedom fighters in IIOJK have been fighting New Delhi’s rule since 1989. Most Muslim Kashmiris support the goal of uniting the territory, either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country.

Pakistan to continue support Kashmiris' in their struggle for right to self-determination: says Qureshi MULTAN APP

Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi Sunday said Pakistan was committed to continue providing political, diplomatic and moral support towards Kashmiris in their struggle for right to self-determination. In a statement issued here, the foreign minister stated “We stand side by side with the Kashmiri brethren in their struggle for their right to self-determination."

A "dossier" based on irrefutable evidences of the atrocities and war crimes of Indian Occupying Forces in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) has been presented to the world, said FM Qureshi. Foreign Minister Qureshi stated that they would continue to raise voices against oppression and barbarism by Indian army in IIOJK at every forum.

The foreign minister maintained “Kashmir has become a global issue rather a regional one and it must be resolved in accordance with United Nations resolutions.” He stressed “the international community must come forward to stop ongoing serious human rights violations in IIOJK and save the oppressed Kashmiris from tyranny of Indian occupying forces.”

The foreign minister, highlighting

the Afghanistan issue stated "Peace in Afghanistan is our top priority and we believe that if there is peace in Afghanistan then there will be peace in the whole region.”

The world was witnessing our efforts for peace in Afghanistan, said FM Qureshi. He added “Pakistan will continue its conciliatory efforts for peace and stability in the region, including Afghan peace process.”

The foreign minister remarked that corona epidemic had hit world's strongest economies hard. To meet the

challenges, Pakistan was focusing on economic diplomacy, promoting economic cooperation and enhancing regional ties. Qureshi said that Pakistan's economy was on the right track with encouraging economic indicators. The Pakistanis have emerged as a strong nation after overcoming major challenges such as terrorism and the coronavirus, said Shah Mahmood Qureshi adding, Pakistan was emerging as a prosperous country in the world.

The significant progress was being made in the field of exports and

agriculture. Due to effective policies of incumbent government, sustainable development will continue in the public interest.

The foreign minister maintained that Pakistan would achieve prominence in the world soon due to its progressive policies.

He mentioned that welfare of the Pakistani community abroad was one of the government's top priorities. The Pakistan embassies around the world were working for welfare of overseas Pakistanis and trying to resolve their problems. The FM added “I have directed diplomatic missions abroad to strive hard for the welfare of Pakistani community therein.” Earlier, the foreign minister spent a busy day in Multan.

He listened speeches delivered in the Prime Minister's Seerat Conference live at Raza Hall, Multan. On this occasion, Special Assistant to PM on Political Affairs and Chief Whip National Assembly Malik Amir Dogar, Moin Riaz Qureshi, MNA Malik Ahmad Hussain Dehar, MPA Wasim Khan Badozai, MPA Nadeem Qureshi, MPA Malik Saleem Labar, MPA Zaheeruddin Alizai, Commissioner Multan Dr. Irshad Ahmed, Deputy Commissioner Amir Karim Khan, Khalid Javed Warraich, Qurban Fatima and civil society workers were also present.

Covid-19: China leads race in vaccinating its people, US lags far behind MiAN AbrAr China administers over 2.22 bn doses of Covid vaccines In a bid to help secure people from Covid-19 pandemic, countries around the world have till date administered 6.48 billion doses upon the people in across the globe.

China leads the race for vaccinating its people while the United States of America lags far behind. China has administered over 2.22 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccine on its citizens in mainland China as of Saturday.

According to China’s National Health Commission, China is about to complete vaccination of its population.

US administers nearly 402m vaccine doses on the contrary, the United States has administered 401,819,240 doses of Covid19 vaccines in the country as of Saturday morning and distributed 487,277,035 doses, the US Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention said.

Those figures are up from the 400,669,422 vaccine doses the CDC said had been administered by Friday out of 485,713,525 doses delivered.

Independent advisers to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will meet later this month to make recommendations on booster doses of Moderna Inc and Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccines, the agency said on Friday.

The meetings, on October 20-21, are scheduled a week after advisers to the US Food and Drug Administration weigh in on the need for booster doses of the two vaccines.

The United States will accept the use by international visitors of Covid-19 vaccines authorized by US regulators or the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said late on Friday.

On September 20, the White House announced the United States in November would lift travel restrictions on air travelers from 33 countries including China, India, Brazil and most of Europe who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19. It did not specify then which vaccines would be accepted.

Pakistan administers 89.7m vaccine doses Pakistan has administered 89.7 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines in across the country as of Sunday. Meanwhile, Punjab recorded 370 Covid cases and 10 more deaths due to the virus during the past 24 hours.

According to provincial health secretary Imran Sikandar Baloch, eight deaths were reported from Lahore during the period.

He said that active cases in Punjab now total 13,739, adding that the tally of the positive cases in the province stood at

435,896.

The official further stated that the total number of deaths due to the virus is currently at the 12,777 mark.

The health secretary said that some 409,380 patients have recovered from the disease so far.

“As many as 19,281 tests were conducted in Punjab in the past 24 hours, totalling 7,556,480 tests,” he added.

The official informed that positivity ratio in the province is currently at 1.9 per cent, adding specific SOPs have been issued for various sectors.

He urged the public to take strict precautions and get vaccinated, terming it the only and effective solution against the virus. Italy hits target of fully vaccinating 80% of over-12s Italy reached the target of fully vaccinating 80% of the population over the

age of 12 against Covid-19, according to official data, achieving a goal Rome had set as a safety cut-off point, government data showed on Sunday.

According to a government website showed 43,229,551 people over-12, out of a total population of around 60 million, had completed their vaccination cycle as of Oct 10. Tanzania receives over 1m vaccine doses from China Tanzania on Friday received 1,065,600 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine from China under COVAX, boosting the east African nation’s vaccination campaign against Covid-19.

Speaking shortly after receiving the vaccines, Minister for Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children Dorothy Gwajima expressed gratitude, saying the donation will help accelerate the campaign launched by President Samia Suluhu Hassan on July 28.

Monday, 11 October, 2021 | ISLAMABAD

CPEC POwEr PrOJECt IN SINdh mAKINg StEAdy PrOgrESS: SAyS ChINESE AmbASSAdOr ISLAMABAD

C

MIaN abrar

HINESE Ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) power project in Sindh province was making steady progress.

TheChinese envoy Sunday appreciated the work on the Thar Energy Limited (TEL) Power Plant under CPEC. “Good news that the TEL 330MW Power Plant Project in Thar Block-II is making steady progress by joint efforts of both Chinese and Pakistani staff,” he tweeted with pictures of the project.

"Sound safety SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) at the construction site are strictly followed, the safety of all staff at the site is fully ensured," he added. The TEL power plant is a 330MW mine-mouth lignite-fired power project being built by Thar Energy, which is owned by Hub Power Company (Hubco), China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC), and Fauji Fertilizer Company (FFC).

The TEL power plant will supply electricity to the national grid under a 30-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). Two more coal-fired power plants named Engro Thar Block II power plant and Thal Nova

are also being developed in Thar Block II. The Engro Thar Block II power plant is a coal-fired power station in the Tharparkar district, Sindh. It is Pakistan's first power plant to use the indigenous coal reserves of Thar.

The 660MW power plant, which is part of CPEC, is developed by Engro Powergen Thar (EPTL), a joint venture of Engro Powergen (EPL), China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC), Habib Bank, and Liberty Mills.

Construction on the Engro Thar Block II power plant commenced in April 2016. Trial operations at the plant began in July 2018 while commercial operations began in July 2019. The coal-fired subcritical power plant is located 5 kilometres away from Thar Block II near Thar coalfields in Sindh province. It consists of two 330MW subcritical units, which integrate circulating fluidised bed (CFB) boilers, tandem compound steam turbine units, and generators.

CFB is an ideal option for the low-calorific-value Thar lignite coal. It helps to regulate the plant's environmental footprint by reducing nitrogen oxide emissions and capturing sulphur oxides.

The 20kV, 50Hz, three-phase intercooled generators feature a hydrogen-cooled rotor and stator core, as well as water-cooled rotor windings.

The power plant is also equipped with associated

Dengue Challenge: Will health dept, district administration be able to control dengue?

SHAHAB OMeR Due to poor strategy of Punjab Health Department and District Administration of Lahore, dengue is on the rise in the provincial capital and according to the latest data obtained by the health department, the number of confirmed patients in Lahore only has exceeded 2,708 while the number of patients in Punjab is more than 3,475. Imran Sikandar Baloch, Secretary, Primary and Health Secretary, informed that 442 dengue patients were admitted in the hospitals of the province while 173 dengue patients were admitted in the hospitals of Lahore.

On the other hand, an official of the health department claimed that 430,624 indoor places across Punjab have been checked and in Lahore only, 8,725 outdoor places were checked. The official added that larvae were also destroyed from 1,530 indoor and outdoor places in Lahore. On the other hand, the sources in district administration Lahore believed that dengue outbreaks in the city was not checked in a timely manner.

“It has been raining recently and these areas have not been fully inspected. If you look closely, most of the areas in the city have poor sanitation while drainage system is also inadequate. The District Administration and Health Department staff was busy campaigning for polio, typhoid and coronavirus diseases. Hence, the risk of dengue was overlooked,” he said.

Even now, the officials added, most of the areas of the city, especially the vicinity of Band Road, are hotbeds of dengue mosquito generation. Similarly, there are areas near Dubanpura, Ichhra, Samanabad, Gulshan-e-Ravi,

Muslim Town, Walton Road, Ferozepur Road, Harbanspura, Shad Bagh and Wagah border where sewage water has inundated roads and teams from the administration do not arrive in these areas on time, that is why Lahore has the highest number of dengue cases this time. Punjab Health Minister Dr. Yasmeen Rashid also admits that this time around, Lahore has the highest number of dengue cases. According to minister, Rawalpindi was the epicenter of the last wave of dengue while Lahore is the epicenter of the current wave.

She informed that the highest number of dengue cases were reported from DHA in Lahore while 55,000 houses have been surveyed in Lahore out of which dengue larvae have been found in 1719 houses. The minister added that around 50 houses where larvae are found are also sprayed with anti-dengue spray. The Health Minister inaugurated the 280-bed Dengue Field Hospital at the Expo Center Lahore here on Sunday and visited various counters of the hospital to inspect the medical facilities for the patients. Later, speaking to the media, the minister informed that the health department was using all its resources to control dengue. Speaking about the field hospitals, she said that all facilities including doctors, nurses, paramedical staff, oxygen supply and medicines have been provided there for the convenience of the patients. Prof. Dr. Aslam Khan was also appointed as the focal person of Dengue Field Hospital. While giving the number, the minister informed that in Lahore, 28 dengue patients were undergoing treatment in critical condition whereas during the last 24 hours, 177 cases of dengue have been reported in Lahore.

Big powers misusing FATF for political purposes: Report ISLAMABAD INP

Big powers and their favoured countries are misusing the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) as a political tool to coerce countries like Pakistan to toe their line.

A report released by Kashmir Media Service, today, said putting Pakistan on FATF’s grey list is definitely more political than anything else and urged the FATF to stop showing prejudice against Pakistan to maintain its credibility.

The watchdog has itself recognized that Pakistan has complied with 26 out of 27 demands but the western powers are using FATF to pressurize Islamabad to follow their agenda, it added.

It said, FATF continues to place Pakistan on grey list despite Islamabad having met almost all condition of the Paris-based watchdog but it has shown favoritism towards India by continuing to place Pakistan on its grey list. The report deplored that India had long been using the global forums for its petty political designs against Pakistan and the global watchdogs were looking the other way when it come to countries like India.

It said, the FATF is losing its credibility by ignoring India’s money laundering activities as it has been sponsoring/financing terrorism in Pakistan but FATF is taking no action against New Delhi. Arrest of Kulbhushan Jadhav from Balochistan and his confession that he carried out terrorist activities in Pakistan proves India’s terror financing, it maintained.

Only fully vaccinated pilgrims allowed for Umrah, prayers at grand mosque RIYADH INP

The Saudi Arabian Hajj and Umrah ministry has announced that only fully vaccinated pilgrims with two doses will be allowed to apply for the permit for performing Umrah and prayer at the Grand Mosque in Makkah starting Sunday, Oct. 10.

The Saudi local media reported that the same requirements will apply for the permits to visit the Rawdah Sharif at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.

The Hajj and Umrah ministry said that categories

exempted from taking vaccinations, as shown by Tawakkalna application, will not be affected by the rule.

One must take the second dose 48 hours before the date of the permit to avoid cancelation, the ministry asked applicants. The media further said the appointments for getting the Covid shots are available at the vaccination centers throughout the Kingdom. This means that the categories of pilgrims who only got the single shot or have recovered from the infection will no longer be able to obtain permit for performing Umrah and prayer at the Grand Mosque as well as for the visit of the Rawdah Sharif through the Eatmarna and Tawakkalna applications.

equipment and systems such as cyclones, air preheaters, and water walls.

Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) supplies approximately 3.8 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) of coal for the coal-fired power plant from a new opencast mine.

SECMC is a joint venture (JV) by the Government of Sindh (GoS) and Engro Powergen (EPGL). The JV was formed to extract the coal reserves available at the seventh biggest coal mine site in the Thar Desert in Sindh province. The new coal-fired power plant feeds electricity to a 500kV double-circuit transmission line of the grid network between Thar and the Hesco grid station in Jamshoro.

The estimated cost of the Engro Thar power plant is US $995.4 million - funded by a syndicate led by China Development Bank (CDB) with support from China Export and Credit Insurance Corporation (Sinosure). The syndicate includes Habib Bank, United Bank, Bank Alfalah, National Bank Pakistan, Faysal Bank, Construction Bank of China, and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC).

Thal Nova is a second similar 330MW power plant being developed in the same block. The financial closing for the power plant was achieved in September 2020 and the commercial operations are scheduled for 2022.

NEWS

03

NIA court frames charges against Aasiya Andrabi, 8 others IN IIOJK SRINAGAR INP

In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian infamous National Investigation Agency (NIA) court has framed charges against illegally detained Chairperson of Dukhtaran-e-Millat (DeM) and eight others in a three years old fake case. According to Kashmir Media Service, the special judge designated under NIA, Javed Alam put Aasiya Andrabi and her two close incarcerated associates, Nahida Nasreen and Fahmeeda Sofi besides six others on trial for various offenses punishable under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). FIR had been registered against them at Police Station, Islamabad. “On 18 April 2018, you along with other accused persons hatched a criminal conspiracy at Khiram village of Bijbehara and then moved to Islamabad and instigated students of Government Women’s College, Islamabad, to resort to violence,” the charge-sheet said. It said that the unruly mob equipped with stones attacked the government vehicles and forces personnel deployed on law and order duties. The three DeM leaders are already at New Delhi’s Tihar Jail since 2018. The six other named in the case are Samiya Rasool of Khiram; Tanfi of Khiram, Bijbehara; Tawheed Ahmad Shah of Manigam, Kulgam; Showkat Ahmad Butt of Arwani, Bijbehara; Tawhed Ahmad Rather of Larkipora, Islamabad, and Junaid Sikandar of Brenar Lamad Kund, Devsar.

Monday, 11 October, 2021 | ISLAMABAD

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NEWS

‘Information about all Ehsaas programmes now on a single platform’ ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection Dr Sania Nishtar said on Sunday that the Ehsaas Digital Portal had been launched to facilitate deserving families understand their eligibility and procedure to apply for various pro-poor programmes.

All information related to various Ehsaas programmes is available through the web portal ehsaasdigital.pass.gov.pk, that can be accessed through an android phone, she said in a video message. The SAPM said that this web portal would provide all information about Ehsaas programmes at a single platform, in Urdu. The programmes include Ehsaas Interest-Free Loans, Educational Stipends, Ehsaas Undergraduate Scholarship Programme, Ehsaas Nashonuma, Ehsaas Amdan, Ehsaas Survey, Ehsaas Koi Bhooka Na Soye, Ehsaas Panahgah, Ehsaas Langar and more. Dr Sania said that if, for example, someone lacked financial resources and wanted to apply for the Ehsaas Kafalat programme, they could get all the required information through the web portal; including details on eligibility, payment mechanism, district-level offices, payment centre addresses, contact numbers for getting additional information and a direct link to the web portal for resolving biometric and other issues.

Similarly, she said if anyone wants to start a small business, they could click on Interest-Free Loan scheme on the portal to get all the details including eligibility and procedure to apply for the said programme. Dr Sania maintained that it was important to educate citizens about the portal so that the underprivileged could benefit from the many Ehsaas initiatives and stay farther from corrupt elements. The Ehsaas programme has been featured as an international best practice in the recently released edition of the UN Principles for Responsible Digital Payments 2021 report. Ehsaas emerged as the largest social protection programme in the history of the country in times of the Covid-19 pandemic last year by benefiting almost half of the country’s population. News Desk

Death toll in Harnai quake rises, government announces relief package QUETTA: The death toll in the Balochistan earthquake that rocked Harnai district increased to 24, officials said Sunday. An injured woman, who was admitted to the CMH, Quetta late Saturday night via an army helicopter after her health deteriorated, couldn’t sustain the wounds and died. The powerful 5.9 magnitude earthquake collapsed at least one coal mine and dozens of mud houses in early Thursday, killing at least 23 people as the death toll continued to creep higher. At least another 300 people were injured, officials said. The epicentre was about 15 kilometres (9 miles) north-northeast of Harnai, according to the US Geological Survey. The initial measurement of the quake’s strength was 5.7 magnitude. It struck about 9 kilometres (5.5 miles) below the Earth’s surface — shallower quakes tend to cause more damage. On Sunday, the federal government approved cash relief for the families affected by the disaster. Adviser to Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar visited Harnai and approved Rs12,000 in immediate assistance for all the victims. The relief will be mobilised under the Ehsaas cash programme. The people of Harnai have, on the other hand, demanded that the Harnai-Quetta highway, demolished during the earthquake, be immediately restored. staff report

PIonEEr of PakIstan’s nuclEar Program: abDul QaDEEr kHan

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AKISTAN’s leading atomic scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, who died in the capital Islamabad on Sunday after a protracted illness, carried a mixed bag of acclaims and controversies.

Hailed as an icon for creating Pakistan’s military nuclear capability in the face of a four-time bigger India, Khan, commonly known as AQ Khan, had been a villain for different countries for various reasons.

For longtime rival India that joined the nuclear club long before Pakistan, in 1974, he was responsible for following the suit, whereas, for the US and Europe, he was allegedly involved in “selling” nuclear secrets to the “rogue” nations like Libya, Iran, and North Korea.

The allegations gained weight by Khan’s “sorry” to the nation in an unscheduled broadcast in February 2004, taking “full responsibility” for his actions.

“I take full responsibility for my actions and seek your pardon,” a somber and disturbed Khan said, reading from a previously prepared statement, “admitting” that he had been involved in nuclear proliferation.

His supporters, nonetheless, believed he was forced to take the responsibility for the actions of “others,” whereas Pakistan’s then military ruler Gen. Pervez Musharraf claimed that the “confession” had not only “saved” Khan himself but the country’s nuclear program as well.

Pakistan silently developed its own nuclear capability in the 1980s, when it was an ally of the US in the first Afghan war against the crumbling Soviet Union.

According to the Sweden-based Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, India currently possesses between 80 and 100 nuclear warheads, while Pakistan holds between 90 and 110.

Meanwhile, a number of international think tanks, which blame China for assisting Pakistan’s nuclear program, believe the size of Islamabad’s nuclear arsenal will cross the 200-mark within the next five years.

FROM hERO TO hOUSE ARREST: Khan had

been taken to his house located in a high-end Islamabad neighborhood and put under house arrest in 2004. Although he was officially released in 2009 after the Islamabad High Court declared his detention illegal, his movement remained deeply restricted, but he was allowed to use phone.

Anadolu Agency interviewed him over the phone in March 2017, following New Delhi’s claims that Islamabad’s alleged “patronage of international terrorists” might enable them to get hold of weapons of mass destruction.

In his interview, which was perhaps the last of his life, Khan had rejected the Indian claims.

“This kind of talk is simply ridiculous. Those who are issuing such warnings consider nuclear arsenals like a weapon shop where militants can break into and get away with them in a suitcase,” Khan, who is credited with initiating the country’s nuclear weapons program in the 1970s, had told Anadolu Agency.

“Numerous phases are involved in assembling of nuclear arms. Only top nuclear scientists can do that,” he had further said.

Born in 1936 in Bhopal, India, and later immigrated to Pakistan with his family in 1951, four years after the partition of the sub-continent, Khan got his early education in the southern port city of Karachi and attended prestigious DJ Science College Karachi.

Khan graduated from the University of Karachi in 1960 with a degree in metallurgy. In 1967, he received a master’s degree in metallurgy in Delft, the Netherlands.

In 1972, he earned a doctorate in metallurgical engineering from the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium. Khan married Hendrina Reterink, a British national who had been born to Dutch expatriate parents in South Africa, in 1964. The couple had two daughters.

He joined Pakistan’s fledgling nuclear program in 1976 on the reported request of then Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, two years after India conducted its first

“successful” nuclear test in 1974.

Khan at that time was working in the Netherlands.

Under Khan’s leadership, Islamabad is believed to have silently developed its nuclear program in the 1980s but did not officially test it until May 1998.

In 1986, tensions soared between the two countries as India launched Operation Brasstacks – a major combined military exercise in the deserts of Rajasthan state amid insurgency and the Sikh separatist movement in the Indian province of Punjab.

Global security experts have described these war games as “bigger than any NATO exercise – and the biggest since World War II”. Pakistan quickly responded with maneuvers of its forces, first mobilizing the entire 5th Corps and then the Southern Air Command, near the Indian state of Punjab. In January 1987, Pakistan put its entire nuclear installations on “high alert”.

As the crisis heightened, Pakistan’s then-President Zia-ul-Haq secured an invitation from the Board of Cricket Control of India to watch a cricket match between the two countries in February 1987. Although Ziaul Haq did not meet formally with then Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, both of them met briefly at the airport lounge. According to the BBC reports, he told Gandhi that Pakistan had a nuclear bomb.

Behra Manan, an advisor to Rajiv Gandhi, later wrote that Ziaul Haq delivered a stern message that in case the conflict goes out of hand, he will use nuclear buttons. The tensions diminished soon and a month later both countries agreed to withdraw 150,000 troops in the Kashmir region, followed by a second agreement to withdraw more troops in the desert area.

TRIBUTES pOUR IN: Also known as “Mohsin-ePakistan,” complaisant of Pakistan in English, Khan was the only Pakistani to receive the country’s top civilian awards thrice.

Tributes poured in as soon as the news of his death broke on national and international media. ageNcies

Abdul Qadeer Khan: Nuclear hero in Pakistan, villain to the West ISLAMABAD afp

Abdul Qadeer Khan, who died Sunday, was lauded in Pakistan for transforming it into the world’s first Islamic nuclear weapons power.

But he was seen by the West as a dangerous renegade responsible for smuggling technology to rogue states.

The nuclear scientist, who died at 85 in Islamabad after recently being hospitalised with Covid-19, was revered as “the father of Pakistan’s nuclear bomb”.

He was seen as a national hero for bringing the country up to par with India in the atomic field and making its defences “impregnable”.

But he found himself in the crosshairs of controversy when he was accused of illegally proliferating nuclear technology to Iran, Libya and North

Korea.

Khan was placed under effective house arrest in Islamabad in 2004 after he admitted running a proliferation network to the three countries.

In 2006, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer but recovered after surgery.

A court ended his house arrest in February 2009, but his movements were strictly guarded, and he was accompanied by authorities every time he left his home in an upscale sector of leafy Islamabad.

CRUCIAL CONTRIBUTION: Born in Bhopal, British India on April 1, 1936, Khan was just a young boy when his family migrated to Pakistan during the bloody 1947 partition of the sub-continent at the end of British colonial rule.

He did a science degree at Karachi University in 1960, then went on to study metallurgical engineering in Berlin before completing advanced studies in the

Netherlands and Belgium.

The crucial contribution to the nuclear programme was the procurement of a blueprint for uranium centrifuges, which transform uranium into weaponsgrade fuel for nuclear fissile material.

He was charged with stealing it from the Netherlands while working for Anglo-Dutch-German nuclear engineering consortium Urenco and bringing it back to Pakistan in 1976.

On his return to Pakistan, then prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto put Khan in charge of the government’s nascent uranium enrichment project.

By 1978, his team had enriched uranium and by 1984 they were ready to detonate a nuclear device, Khan later said in a newspaper interview.

The 1998 nuclear test saw Pakistan slapped with international sanctions and sent its economy into freefall.

Khan’s aura began to dim in March 2001 when then-president Pervez Musharraf, reportedly under US pressure, removed him from the chairmanship of Kahuta Research Laboratories and made him a special adviser.

But the nuclear establishment never expected to see its most revered hero subjected to questioning.

The move came after Islamabad received a letter from the International Atomic Energy Agency, a UN watchdog, containing allegations that Pakistan’s scientists were the source of sold-off nuclear knowledge.

Khan said in a speech to the Pakistan Institute of National Affairs in 1990 that he had dealings on world markets while developing Pakistan’s nuclear programme.

“It was not possible for us to make each and every piece of equipment within the country,” he said.

‘NATIONAL HERO, PATRIOTIC SON’

Pakistan strongly remembers Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan following death Condolences and tributes poured in after Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, the father of Pakistan’s nuclear programme, passed away in Islamabad on Sunday.

He is widely regarded as the founder of gas-centrifuge enrichment technology for Pakistan’s nuclear deterrent program. Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program is a source of extreme national pride. As its “father”, A.Q. Khan, who headed Pakistan’s nuclear program for some 25 years, is considered a national hero. His planning and policies will still head all metaphysicals.

Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan was born in 1936 in Bhopal, India. He immigrated with his family to Pakistan in 1947. After studying at St. Anthony’s High School, Khan joined the D. J. Science College of Karachi, where he took physics and mathematics. His teacher at the college was famous solar physicist Dr. Bashir Syed. Khan earned a B.Sc. degree in physical metallurgy at the University of Karachi in 1960.

Khan accepted a job as an inspector of weight and measures in Karachi after graduation. He later resigned and went to work in the Netherlands in the 1970s. Khan gained

fame as a talented scientist at the nuclear plant he worked in. He had special access to the most restricted areas of the URENCO facility. He could also read the secret documentation on the gas centrifuge technology.

In December 1974, he came back to Pakistan and tried to convince the Prime Minister, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, to adopt his Uranium route rather than the Plutonium route in building nuclear weapons. According to media reports, A.Q. Khan had a close and cordial relationship with President General Mohammad Zia-ul-Haq and the Military of Pakistan. He also maintained a close relationship with the Pakistan Air Force.

After his role in Pakistan’s nuclear program, Khan re-organized the Pakistani’s national space agency, SUPARCO. In the late 1990s, Khan played an important role in Pakistan’s space program, particularly Pakistan’s first Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) project and the Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV). Khan’s unrestricted publicity of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile capabilities brought humiliation to Pakistan’s government. The United States began to think that Pakistan

was giving nuclear weapons technology to North Korea, to get ballistic missile technology in exchange. Khan also came under renewed scrutiny following the September 11, 2001 attacks in the U.S. He allegedly sold nuclear technology to Iran. However, he was pardoned in 2004, but placed under house arrest.

On the 22nd of August 2006, the Pakistani government declared that Khan had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and was undergoing treatment. He was released from house arrest in February 2009.

Khan was also a key figure in the establishment of several engineering universities in Pakistan. He set up a metallurgy and material science institute in Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology. The place, where Khan served as both executive member and director, has been named as Dr. A. Q. Khan Department of Metallurgical Engineering and Material Sciences. Another school, Dr. A. Q. Khan Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering at Karachi University, has also been named in his honor. Khan thus played a vital role in bringing metallurgical engineering

CMYK

courses to various universities of Pakistan.

Despite his international image, Khan remains widely popular among Pakistanis

and he is considered domestically to be one of the most influential and respected scientists in Pakistan. News Desk

Monday, 11 October, 2021 | ISLAMABAD

NEWS

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ISlamaBaD-Tehran-ISTanBul rOaD cOrrIDOr BegInS OperaTIOnS iSLamaBad

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Sindh reported 377 dengue cases in October: report KaracHi inp

Sindh has recorded 377 dengue fever cases in October with most cases reported in Matiari district, the provincial health department said in a report on the disease. As per the statistics released by the Sindh Health Department on Sunday, 377 cases of dengue hemorrhagic fever were reported in the first week of the month. 132 cases were reported in the Matiari district. In Karachi, 48 cases were reported in the Central district, 46 in the East district, 42 in Korangi, 18 in District South, 21 in the West district and 13 in Malir district, according to the report. Dengue fever also spreading in Tharparker and Hyderabad districts, according to the report. The province had recorded 603 cases in September, the health department said.

Per the statistics, the majority of dengue hemorrhagic fever cases were reported from Karachi division in last month. The health department had reported five deaths in Sindh including four in Karachi with three in the Central district and one in the East district of the city.

Balochistan experiences first signs of changing weather with light cold snap Quetta inp

An initial cold snap hinting at a change in weather in Balochistan was experienced in Quetta and some other parts of the mountainous province. According to Pakistan Meteorological Department, the minimum temperature in Quetta dropped to 10 degrees Celsius.

Mercury reduced to 3 degrees in Ziarat, 7 in Kalat and 6 degrees in Mastung, Met Office said. Dry and cool weather will prevail in several districts of Balochistan in the next 24 hours, it added. The Met Office earlier informed that a westerly wave is likely to enter upper parts of the country on Sunday. Rain with wind and thunderstorm, while isolated heavy falls with light snowfall over high mountains are expected in Chitral, Dir, Swat, Malakand, Kohistan, Shangla, Buner, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Gilgit Baltistan and Kashmir from Sunday (today) to Tuesday. Rain with wind and thunderstorms is also expected in Haripur, Swabi, Mardan, Nowshera, Peshawar, Charsadda, Bajaur, Kurram, Kohat, Mianwali, Khushab, Sargodha, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Mandi Bahauddin, Hafizabad, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot, Narowal and Lahore from Sunday and Monday.

Moreover, rain with wind and thunderstorms was also expected in Central and South Punjab Sunday and Monday. The weather conditions are likely to transit from summer to autumn in the upper parts of the country. Day temperatures would be mild in upper parts of the country, while night temperatures are expected to fall gradually in coming days, the Met office predicted.

city notes M a niazi

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HE only problem with the breakdown of Facebook, Whatsappand Instagram that happened last week was that it didn’t last long enough. I mean,all of those toxic posts about the Pandora Papers did not come to a stop, did they?

Nor did all of those about the change in the NAB law. There are some good things about the change, and some bad things. The good thing is that the Chairmancan be subordinated to civilian control, and if the Prime Minister takes his time consulting the Leader of the Opposition, he can keep on the present Chairman. The present Chairman, as we all have seen in the recent past, has got a firm grip on the job, and knows who are the corrupt elements he must go after.

The Pandora Papers seem to be a conspiracy against him, as well as the PTI. Its

anadolu agency

welcoming ceremony was held by the Turkish Trade Ministry in Istanbul after the IslamabadTehran-Istanbul Road Transport Corridor Project successfully carried commercial cargo on Pakistan trucks to Turkey.

The trucks departed September 27 from Karachi and reached the Turkish metropolitan city of Istanbul on Thursday, covering 5,300 kilometres (3,293 miles).

Pakistan’s ambassador to Turkey, senior Iranian officials, Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), International Road Union (IRU), Turkey’s Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB) and other participants representing the public and private

sector attended the ceremony.

The Project was launched by Turkey’s Trade Ministry and counterparts in Iran and Pakistan under the aegis of ECO. drops when theY are taken together become a river: “I would only like to say there is a saying in almost every language, in our language, Urdu, also, that drops, when they are taken together become a river,” Pakistan’s ambassador to Turkey said at the event.

These are the first drops that will become a river of commerce between and among Pakistan, Iran and Turkey, and bring all three people together, said Syrus Sajjad Qazi.

Asli Calik, head of department, transport and logistical systems at TOBB, said: “It is an extremely important corridor for the development of our road trade with

the Middle East and regional countries.”

Calik said that thanks to the project, Pakistan is now more integrated into international trade and also Turkey’s exports to China will be able to be developed through Pakistan on the route.

Shaukat Abbas, General Manager Marketing at National Logistics Cell (NLC), said the project would enhance the relationship between all three countries.

Javed Hedayati, General Director at Iran Transport Ministry, also emphasized Iran’s full commitment to supporting the project, adding “it’s a good sample for doing with other neighbours and regional collaboration.”

The decision to establish the road transport corridor was made at the 8th Meeting of ECO Ministers of Transport and Communications in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, in 2011.

Rule of law must for economic development, says PM Khan continued from page 01 ‘Youth needs to fight corruption’ The premier said that as a society we need to nurture the youth so that they fight against corruption. “I came here today because I wanted to address the youth since they are the majority in Pakistan.

He said that when he went to Aitchison College in Lahore, the role models depicted in the schooling system were very different from our real role models. “They were pop stars, movie stars, sportsmen… and their lives were very different.”

He said that when he went to England for the first time as an 18 year-old boy, he saw with his own eyes the role models of that society following a path of self-destruction.

“I saw many of them following the path of destruction… there was a footballer who later became my friend… he got into drugs… he went into rehabilitation but could not recover… he died at 50,” he said and added that in later stages of his cricketing career he too went down this path.

The prime minister said that our real role models are not taught in schools. “Have we ever followed the Prophet’s (PBUH) life? We have Quran in our houses but we never bother reading it… we are ready to give our life over the Prophet’s name but we never follow his teachings… He was a blessing for entire humanity not just Muslims.”

“Can you imagine Hazrat Ali (RA) as caliph of the whole Muslim world losing his case against a Jew? Can you imagine this kind of justice even in modern democracies? This concept was given by Islam.”

He said that the world is talking about climate change but this concept was given by Islam 1,400 years ago.

He said that despite the Byzantine Empire being a superpower of its time, people used to come to Muslims as they had a better judicial system by following the guidelines of the Prophet (PBUH). “The weak needs justice, wealthy never want justice to prevail as it doesn’t suit them… they only want NRO.” Judicial sYstem and rule of law: PM Imran said that all successful nations today have a great judicial system and rule of law. “Riyasat-e-Madina was the first welfare state [in the world], where especial emphasis was given to education and not only for men but for women also… unfortunately many conservatives still object to it today,” he added.

He said that the message of our religion should be taught to the children in school and our real role models and their efforts should be highlighted.

The premier said that millions follow the teachings of Nizamuddin Auliya, Data Ganjbaksha and Baba Farid Gunj Shakar among other Sufi saints because the message they gave was of humanity and unity. He said that during Urs, hundreds and thousands throng to their shrines to pay respect. However, he added, many of them do not know the teaching of the saints.

Muslims were debating about children rights in the 9th century but today we are not doing any research on it, said the prime minister.

“I don’t want youth to fall into the same trap I fell into when I visited Britain. We are being programmed that we are backwards and the West is way ahead of us.”

He said that Pakistan was a big ideology and a big dream. “If we want to lift Pakistan then it’s necessary we follow the Sunnah,” he further said.

Rafi Group & IGI Insurance Co signed an agreement for Green Palms housing project,on this eve Chairman Imtiaz Rafi Butt,Tahir Masood,Shazil Rafi Butt,Shehryar Rafi Butt & Abdul Sami Shaikh seen in the group photo. pr

OpenIng a panDOra’S BOx inclusion of members of the PTI Cabinet is nothing short of a disgrace, but the biggest insult of all is naming Faisal Wawda. This is the second conspiracy against him, the firs being the attempt to unseat him for having foreign nationality. He foiled this by getting a Senate ticket, but this new conspiracy can only be foiled by the support of the Chairman NAB. Vawda, the reader might remember, is the guy who thought that corrupt people should be kicked until they confessed. He was a strong voice for accountability. Somehow, that now sounds like a cry for help.

The good thing about the Pandora Papers is that they don’t mention the Prime Minister. More importantly, they don’t mention Shehbaz Gill. There are a number of generals’ relatives Clearly, a conspiracy

against Pakistan’s defence. And clearly, the Pandora people are Indian agents. Why are there 700 Pakistanis on the list and only 380 Indians, and no Indian military men? And why are there no Indian politicians?

Vawda must be wondering how good Imran Khan is at giving amnesties. I mean, if he can give an amnesty to the Tehrik Taliban Pakistan,why not to the affectees of the Pandora Papers? And while the TTP carried out the APS Peshawar massacre, Vawda didn’t even get to kick anyone.

While Vawda is standing firm, that other PTI luminary from Karachi, Amir Liaquat Hussain,has again resigned from the National Assembly. The last time was last June, and it was resolved after he got a oneon-one meeting with Imran. Let’s see if history is repeated or if rats are beginning to desert a sinking ship.

cmYK

I know what old amnesties were like.

Tribesmen in serried ranks, coming forward to add to the pile of old 303 rifles, then shaking hands with the Burra Sahib. What will the militant amnesty be like? What will they pile up? Bombs? IEDs?More important, who will be the Burra Sahib?

Well, there’s trouble in Balochistan. No, I’m not talking about the earthquake that hit Harnai. No law enforcers seem to have been killed, just people, so no one seems moved in Islamabad. Maybe there’s more concern there about shoring up Jam Kamal’s government. That’s in danger of collapse, and it seems part of some arcane game that Baloch Sardars like to play. Jam Kamal,apart from being our history’s only third-generation CM, is also the 13th Jam of Lasbela, his ancestor Arradin having come to Lasbela in the reign of Jehangir. I

Youth inclusion in national job market foremost priority: Dar iSLamaBad app

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Youth Affairs Usman Dar on Sunday said the government was striving to include the maximum number of youth into the national job market by creating ambitious employment opportunities under the Kamyab Jawan programme. In a statement, he said so far over 33,000 youth secured jobs as there has been a massive increase in the economic activity due to the disbursement of a large number of soft loans amounting to Rs21 billion under the Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme of KJP. He said concessionary loans of Rs2.6 billion has been disbursed among youth during the last two weeks as the partner banks of KJP had expedited the loan disbursement process. Dar said efforts were being made to ensure equal distribution of the resources among the youth in line with the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan who wanted to make the young people successful by providing gainful employment and meaningful engagement. Meanwhile, he tweeted the success story of one Mehwish Hayat who succeeded to open her own beauty salon after getting a soft loan under the Kamyab Jawan programme. In a video message, Hayat, who is from Karachi, extended gratitude to Prime Minister Imran and the KJP team for helping in fulfilling her dream of establishing her own business. think the only family which hasn’t held the chief ministership is that of the Khans of Kalat.

But then, like Punjab, Balochistan has got a Speaker who was once CM. Does Abdul Quddus Bizenjo still harbour ambitions?

Footnote to these notes: I see they’ve given the Nobel Peace Prize to journalists.

I’ve never thought of us as Peace Prize material, but it seems hat there are numerous precedents. Then, the Prize was awarded to pacifists. They didn’t stop either World War I or II. I am somehow saddened that this year’s prize went to defenders of the right to free speech. It’s in danger, right?

Somehow, I thought a journalist would win the Literature Prize (even though my first Chief Reporter taught us that our work was wrapping paper by 7 am), but ever since it went to Bob Dylan, I hear Snoop Dogg, Fifty Cent and Pitbull are among those rappers who think it’s just a matter of time, .So I’m afraid that’s a category we’re left out of.

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Monday, 11 October, 2021

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Global corporate tax agreement

Abdul Qadeer Khan End of an era

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he death of Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan marks the end of an era. Dr Qadeer will always be associated with Pakistan’s achievement of a nuclear weapon, and while he may not have been quite the ‘Father of Pakistan’s Bomb’ as portrayed in some quarters, he certainly played a key role in making the device. It should be kept in mind that Dr Khan was a metallurgist of high calibre, and was in charge of the uranium enrichment process that was a crucial part of the manufacturing process. he had brought the technology for enrichment from europe, and the components used to make the enriching centrifuges had to be brought in off the grid. he was never forgiven for this, and the West, prompted by India, seemed anxious to portray him as the ‘Father’ of the Pakistani bomb. This may have been helped by his being given a separate facility, the Khan Research Laboratories, which was not under the Pakistan Atomic energy Commission, which was actually tasked with making a bomb. Apart from uranium enrichment, KRL has also done impressive work in missile technology, which has proved another contribution to the national missile programme.

This miasma of illegality hung over him even after Pakistan declared its nuclear status in 1998, and in the Musharraf years he was removed from KRL, after some of his activities came to light, which seemed to show that he was giving enrichment technology to such countries as Iran and North Korea. Whether the allegations were true or not, they certainly provided ammunition to all those enemies of Pakistan, especially India, which tried to portray Pakistan as an irresponsible nuclear power, a proliferator, and thus a sponsor of Islamic terrorism.

The dispute over whether he was the ‘Father of the Bomb’ obscures two important things. The first is that while nuclear status was fiercely opposed by the Great Powers, and did bring sanctions raining down on our heads, it also saved Pakistan from falling into Indian subservience. The 1998 test by India almost immediately resulted in its throwing its weight around against Pakistan. A second issue is that to declare one man ‘Father of the Bomb’ detracts from the collective achievement of a high scientific order. Dr Khan himself, by no means averse to publicity, would not have wanted his own achievements, which were indeed amazing, to obscure that of others.

The UN must get involved in the implementation Dr. Omer JaveD

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he world’s most powerful nations agreed on Friday to a sweeping overhaul of international tax rules, with officials backing a 15 percent global minimum tax and other changes aimed at cracking down on tax havens that have drained countries of much-needed revenue. The Organization for economic Cooperation and Development, which has been leading the negotiations, said the new minimum tax rate would apply to companies with annual revenue of more than 750 million euros ($866 million) and would generate around $150 billion in additional global tax revenue per year.’ – Excerpt from a recent New York Times article ‘Global deal to end tax havens moves ahead as nations back 15% rate’ In his recent address to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Prime Minister Imran Khan, like a number of times before at various international forums, had asked for steps to be taken to stop or reduce money being laundered from poor countries into tax havens abroad.

Moreover, the recent ‘Pandora Papers’ revelations have once again, after the previously leaked information on a number of offshore accounts in ‘Panama Papers’, underlined the need for steps to be taken to stop money laundering and tax avoidance.

On both counts, the agreement on a minimum global tax rate recently, is a very important step in this direction. Commenting on the agreement, Janet Yellen, who is the US Treasury Secretary, reportedly called it as ‘a once-in-a-generation accomplishment for economic diplomacy.’

A recent article ‘136 nations agree to biggest corporate tax deal in a century’ in The Financial Times pointed out in this regard: ‘More than 130 countries have signed up to a ground-breaking global deal on corporate tax reform aimed at eliminating tax havens while bringing in $150bn more a year from multinationals. …The agreement– the biggest corporate tax reform for more than a century orchestrated by the OeCD– includes a 15 per cent global minimum effective corporate tax rate, plus new rules to force the world’s multinationals to declare profits and pay more

Dengue danger The government must act before the crisis worsens

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ITh hospitals turning away dengue patients, it has become clear that the crisis this year is getting worse rather than better and the government has not paid enough attention to the health crisis it represents. The focus on the covid-19 pandemic seems to have been taken as a free pass for other diseases.

There have been some half-hearted attempts at spraying, but there have been suspicions that the spray has not been properly supplied. That implies a lack of proper supervision by those in authority, because they can certainly ensure proper spray. however, the level of interest can be seen in the casual approach to draining stagnant water, which is the only known way of controlling the spread of dengue: stopping the spread of its vector, the aedes aegypti mosquito.

The usual government strategy, of awaiting the winter, and the killing off of the vector by the cold, will not work as global warming renders the climate ever more tropical.

In fact, the spread of the aedes aegypti is because the warming temperature has made Pakistan more hospitable to it after the monsoons, when water is stagnant and plentiful. The government should thus assume that dengue is a permanent feature, and should dread the day when global warming leads to a winter so mild that the aedes aegypti survives it, and dengue becomes a perennial disease, as it is in so much of tropical Africa.

Covid-19 shows some signs of being controlled, but remains a killer. The fight to eradicate polio is not over.

Before they are eliminated, dengue is entering the field.

The government has to take immediate measures to prevent its becoming the next big killer. If it has to take punitive measures to ensure the public helps eliminate the stagnant water where the disease vector breeds, then so be it. The only thing worse than dengue mixing itself up with covid-19 would be for human-to-human transmission to begin, which it has not so far. however, it is only by slogging away now against the disease that some such future disaster can be avoided. Or does the government want to wait until that happens?

Hamza muHammaD

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he US and european troops, and Afghan troops under the patronage of their Western allies, also called the occupation or allied forces, have allegedly carried out war crimes against the civilian population in Afghanistan during the so-called wWar on Terror. These crimes include killing innocent civilians, torturing opponents, molesting children, and raping women.

Time and again, the Western media and think tanks have provided the public a glimpse of the atrocities committed by the so-called saviours of humanity.

According to the Watson Institute of Brown University, from 2007 to 2016, the occupation forces killed an average of 582 civilians each year. From 2017 through 2019, this increased to 1,134 civilians killed each year, a nearly 95 percent increase.

We hear a lot about the allied forces’ ambition of promoting education amongst Afghan children. however, this promotion has consisted of bombing schools and massacring children; a 2007 airstrike on a religious school killed 7 children (Reuters); an April 2018 bombing on a Quran memorization school in Kunduz killed and wounded nearly 200 civilians (BBC); a October 2020 bombing of a religious school in Takhar killed 11 children and their teacher (BBC). And the list goes on.

We also hear a lot about the allied ambition of promoting women’s rights. According to the BBC, Afghanistan consistently ranks as one of the worst countries for women, with women being subject to sexual crimes and violence. however, this was years after the so-called liberation of Afghan women from the Taliban regime, with the allied forces and the proUS Afghans running the affairs of the country. Another article by the BBC in 2019 detailed how the allied-backed Afghan government treated women as sexual commodities, exchanging employment opportunities for sexual favors. Countless bombings on Afghan weddings also caused the deaths of several women attending them.

When specifically asked about the civilian casualties in Afghanistan, the allied spokesperson answered, “if innocent people were killed in this operation, we apologize and express our condolences (Fox News).” That was it. That was the response.

Needless to say, the allied war crimes during the war in Afghanistan have been similar to those during the

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overseas. … To comply with the new global minimum tax requirements, Congress will have to pass legislation raising the tax that American companies pay on foreign profits to 15 percent, or higher, from 10.5 percent.’

An article ‘Amazon had sales income of €44bn in europe in 2020 but paid no corporation tax’ published in The Guardian in May this year indicated for instance that ‘Fresh questions have been raised over Amazon’s tax planning after its latest corporate filings in Luxembourg revealed that the company collected record sales income of €44bn (£38bn) in europe last year but did not have to pay any corporation tax to the Grand Duchy. …

Margaret hodge, a Labour MP who has long campaigned against tax avoidance, said: “It seems that Amazon’s relentless campaign of appalling tax avoidance continues. … These big digital companies all rely on our public services, our infrastructure, and our educated and healthy workforce. But unlike smaller businesses and hard-working taxpayers, the tech giants fail to pay fairly into the common pot for the common good.”’ The currently agreed upon corporate tax agreement is indeed a right step in stopping this type of tax avoidance.

While the agreement is significant in dealing with tax avoidance and deterring money laundering, a number of developing countries reportedly have reservations, whereby according to the same FT article ‘Developing countries have complained about the lack of revenue they stand to make from the deal on fairer distribution of profits and taxing rights. They point out that this is worsened by the removal of digital service taxes, which was a deal-breaker for Nigeria and Kenya despite OeCD estimates showing they would gain.’ Moreover, according to the same NYT article ‘Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan and Sri Lanka did not sign on to the agreement.’

The writer holds PhD in Economics degree from the University of Barcelona, and previously worked at International Monetary Fund.Prior to this, he did MSc. in Economics from the University of York (United Kingdom), and worked at the Ministry of Economic Affairs & Statistics (Pakistan), among other places. He is author of Springer published book (2016) ‘The economic impact of International Monetary Fund programmes: institutional quality, macroeconomic stabilization and economic growth’.He tweets @omerjaved7

Can the ICC hold the US accountable for Afghanistan?

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Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

in the countries where they do business.’

Moreover, with regard to the deal itself, the same article indicated the following details, whereby ‘The deal finalised the details on sharing the profits of the largest multinationals so they pay more tax where they do business. Companies with turnover exceeding €20bn will be required to allocate 25 percent of their profits in excess of a 10 percent margin to the countries where they operate, based on their sales. The 10 percent profitability margin will be calculated using an averaging mechanism, based on profit before tax.’

Although an important step in stopping a ‘race to the bottom’ in terms of countries attracting capital by keeping lower rates of tax previously, it would be important to raise the minimum corporate tax rate to at least 25 percent, to have some sort of meaningful impact in avoiding money laundering and tax avoidance. having said that, while countries have agreed to a floor of 15 percent, concessions have also started to appear from certain individual countries.

So, for instance, although it is good that Ireland has signed on to the agreement, yet according to the same FT article ‘Ireland succeeded in its demand for the tax to have a maximum of 15 percent, instead of the original wording of the deal that said “at least 15 percent” and in contrast to the original 21 per cent first mooted by the Biden Administration.’ In any case, at least, Ireland through the agreement ended its policy of keeping corporate tax rate at 12.5 percent since 1 January 2003.

Now, the next effort should be by the OeCD and others, and especially the United Nations, which should play a greater role, being a greater forum in terms of membership and overall functions, to increase the floor of minimum tax to more meaningful levels, in terms of tax avoidance and stopping money laundering.

Moreover, according to the same FT article, ‘China also succeeded in having a clause inserted that will limit the effect of the global minimum tax on companies who are starting to expand internationally– because of concerns that its growing domestic companies would be clipped by the measures.’

Moreover, passing the agreement into law will be important for the USA, as pointed out in the above NYT article that ‘As the Biden Administration prepares to try to raise corporate rates in the United States, getting a global minimum tax in place has become critical to prevent companies from simply moving their headquarters

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previous US expeditions.

On 5 March 2020, judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) gave the ICC prosecutor authority to investigate possible war crimes during the war in Afghanistan. The court will scrutinize the alleged murder, imprisonment, torture, and intentional targeting of civilians committed by the occupation forces. however, the question at hand is whether the ICC can hold the mighty USA accountable for its role in committing war crimes against the civilian population in Afghanistan.

To answer this question, one needs to define the jurisdiction of the ICC. The ICC’s jurisdiction is based on the Rome Statute, which created the court in 2002 and has been ratified by 123 countries. Afghanistan ratified the Rome Statute in 2003. however, the USA never ratified this treaty and has consistently used this as an argument to help its citizens escape the accountability of the ICC over various crimes against humanity.

Article 12 of the Rome Statute unambiguously states that its jurisdiction includes acts committed within the territory of any state that has accepted its authority, regardless of the nationality of the alleged perpetrators. Despite this, the USA has taken measures to ensure that the ICC cannot prosecute its citizens. One of these measures is to sanction members of the ICC that investigate alleged war crimes of the US nationals.

Fatou Bensoda (ICC prosecutor) and Phakisa Mochochak (ICC head of jurisdiction) are the recent victims of such sanctions for investigating war crimes in Afghanistan. During her pre-trial submissions, Miss Bensoda reported, “there is a reasonable basis to believe that, since May 2003, members of the US armed forces and the CIA have committed the war crimes of torture, cruel treatment, outrages against dignity, rape,

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and other forms of sexual violence pursuant to a policy approved by US authorities.” In reaction, the US sanctioned both these individuals by freezing their assets and banning their visas.

There are other sorts of measures as well. The American Service Members Protection Act of 2002 approves the President “to use all means necessary,” including force, to release American soldiers detained or imprisoned by the ICC. The former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called the ICC “a thoroughly broken and corrupted institution.”

Trump’s advisor on national security also threatened the ICC with sanctions. he said, “today, on the eve of September 11, I want to deliver a clear and unambiguous message on behalf of the President. The United States will use any means necessary to protect our citizens and those of our allies from unjust prosecution by this illegitimate court.”

In essence, despite all the efforts by the ICC in prosecuting the US war criminals in Afghanistan, it seems as if the ICC is not powerful enough to fulfill the task it has taken up. The USA has not ratified the treaty. Beyond that, it continues to sanction ICC members, calls it a corrupt body, and has pledged to use any means necessary to protect its citizens against possible accountability by the ICC. Countries such as China and India have not ratified the treaty, putting a question mark on the legitimacy of the ICC. Given the circumstances and the lack of resources that the ICC has, it seems difficult if the ICC would ever hold the US citizens, even their allies, accountable for their crimes against humanity during the Afghan war.

Countries such as China and India have not ratified the treaty, putting a question mark on the legitimacy of the ICC. Given the circumstances and the lack of resources that the ICC has, it seems difficult if the ICC would ever hold the US citizens, even their allies, accountable for their crimes against humanity during the Afghan war

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America and Taliban controversy

Hindu Fascism and Indian Muslims Fascism need not be of the classic Itallian or German kind

Dr muHammaD akram zaHeer

F

ASCISM is a political philosophy known for its radical form of authoritarian nationalism. It is also known as a regime or movement that boosts the nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation and forcible suppression of opposition. As a theory, it demands an authoritarian state where political power is wielded by a leader using state-controlled media and political coercion, including terrorism. Fascism is generally described as a political movement that embraces far-right nationalism and the full-blown repression of any opposition, overseen by an authoritarian government. Fascists strongly oppose Marxism, liberalism and democracy and believe that the state takes precedence over individual interests.

A state might not be a full-fledged fascist state with all its features like those of the classical Nazi state, but it can still demonstrate the conduct of a semi-fascist state and society against the principles of modern constitutional democracy.

Despite some differences from previous fascist governments, the current Indian ruling RSS-led BJP has the potential to define and characterize fascism. Scholars differ on the definition of fascism and do not agree on a single definition of the term. however, it is possible to identify a number of general characteristics that characterize fascist movements. Therefore the present situation of the Indian government looks much like the fascist states of the 20th century.

The fascist tendencies of the RSS, the BJP and other organizations and parties pursuing the hindutva agenda, are nothing new. The mother organization of BJP has repeatedly exemplified thinking, and the aspirations of Benito Mussolini and Adolf hitler have led to a similar strategy in India.

The present BJP government led by Narendra Modi has made the backwardness of Muslims a state policy in which the Supreme Court, the election Commission, the Reserve Bank of India, the Army and almost every institution is full of BJP supporters. Thus these institutions turned out to be the greatest facilitators of the ongoing fascist agenda of hindutva in India.

The anti-Muslim policy is reflected in the measures that have far-reaching effects on Muslims living in India. In the general elections during the first quarter of 2019, the BJP gained more power in Parliament through its campaign of ha-

tred and racism, and it had the potential to take government steps to make India a hindu country.

In August 2019, Article 370 of the Indian Constitution was repealed shortly after the formation of Narendra Modi’s second government. The removal of the controversial Indian-Occupied Kashmir from its specific position under international law has paved the way for the RSS and the BJP to take legal and administrative steps to bring about demographic change against the Muslim majority. On 31 August 2019, the last version of the National Register of Citizens was released to Muslims living in the northeastern state of Assam. Shortly afterwards, the Indian Supreme Court announced its long-awaited decision on the Babri Masjid / Ram Mandir case in Ayodhya on 9 November 2019.

Towards the end of 2019, the amendment to the 1955 Citizenship Act proved to be a new attempt to discriminate against India’s Muslim minority. Under the Citizens Amendment Act 2019 (CAA 2019), citizenship is constitutionally granted to minority communities allegedly persecuted in neighboring Muslim countries, such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. According tso CAA 2019, communities eligible for Indian citizenship include hindus, Persians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Christians, but not Muslims. The move was to review the NRC, mainly for the northeastern state of Assam, which shares Muslim residents with Muslim-majority Bangladesh. The NRC restricts the right to Indian citizenship to those who can provide proof of residency in India before 24 March 1971, the Pakistan War in 1971 in which Indian forces intervened and helped create Bangladesh. The majority of these immigrants were Muslims. Assam has become a new home for them and their descendants. however, the revised NRC has excluded more than 1.9 million citizens, meaning they are now considered “illegal immigrants” in India.

According to the policy, victims can appeal to a foreign court against de-registration, but it is not easy to establish their identity as Indians decades after their arrival in India. People who do not produce any original documents are transferred to detention centres set up for the same purpose.

The courts that hear victims’ complaints are allegedly biased and inexperienced in dealing with immigrants. Amnesty International has called the work of these organizations flawed and inappropriate. At the social level, public opinion is formed by convincing hindus that Muslims are deliberately trying to achieve a high birth rate in order to ultimately gain control and enforce Islamic rule, while the actual figures show that the fertility rate of Indian Muslim families is declining as compared to the past. The National Family health Survey shows that the fertility gap between hindu and Muslim families, which was 30.8 per cent in 2005-6. As Muslims have pro-

gressed, it has narrowed to 23.8 per cent.

The decision on the Babri Masjid and Ram Mandir dispute in Ayodhya, issued by the Indian Supreme Court on 9 November 2019, reflects the extent of hatred against Muslims and the seriousness of their deprivation. The BJP has successfully exploited anti-Muslim sentiments by demolishing the Babri Masjid and has emerged in the national arena of Indian politics. Since then, hindu nationalists have been anxious to get legal action for the act and to avoid any criminal chargesheet against its perpetrators. The fivemember court directed the government to allocate an alternative five acres to Muslims as compensation for the illegal destruction of the Babri Masjid. however, in a 30 September 2020 judgment, a special Lucknow court acquitted all 32 people accused of demolishing the mosque.

Former Indian high Court Justice Markandey Katju sees the notorious decision as a surrender of the hindutva powers of the Indian high Court. In short, he argued that power was right, and he set a dangerous precedent for respect for aggression.

It’s like a bully who snatches a child’s sandwich at school, the teacher makes a balanced decision by allowing the bully to have a sandwich, and gives the child a piece of bread instead, for this devastating example.

With an apology, he launched a campaign against mosques in Varanasi, Mathura and Kansi as well. he has no choice but to accept the decision as he seeks to escape the wrath of hindu nationalists.

The December 2019 law to amend the 1955 citizenship law is also a step towards discrimination against Muslims. Citizenship based on religious jdentity alone did not effectively promote itself as a hisndu state, the 2019 amendment enabled hindu and Sikh immigrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan to claim Indian citizenship. In the context of the NRC’s expulsion of Muslims, the law is so controversial and disturbing that it excludes Muslims as well.

International civil society must play its due role in the global arena in order to create a strong voice against the oppression of Indian minorities and human rights violations in India. There is an urgent need to work on diplomatic and educational paths that embody the fascist hindutva agenda.

The problem of Indian Muslims is very troubling for Pakistan as well because the Muslims living on both sides of the border are not only found in the same religious tradition but also because a significant part of them are of the same race.

Therefore, the problems for Muslims living in India are naturally a concern in Pakistan as well. Despite great results for Pakistan and the region, the required educational and media attention has not yet been devoted to the Indian Muslim community and the developing society around them.

the problems for Muslims living in India are naturally a concern in Pakistan as well. Despite great results for Pakistan and the region, the required educational and media attention has not yet been devoted to the Indian Muslim community and the developing society around them

The writer has a doctorate in political science and can be reached at akramzaheer86@yahoo.com

AFTeR 9/11 the Taliban and America controversy became the most serious issue in the world. When the American army took part in Afghanistan to fight and wanted to end the Taliban’s history. That time 28 centuries took part against the Taliban 19 years ago. American never considered that he has been weaker but in 2008 according to an estimation that America had lost 6 trillion on the wars. Since 2014 till now Afghanistan has 45000 security, 35000 other countries and 300 American soldiers were killed by Taliban. On the other side, 70% areas are covered by the Taliban and 30% areas covered by the force of America. however, in 2020 the American President Dollar Trump decided to end the war.

Where more than 50 countries had participated including Pakistan. In that agreement America decided to take out or withdraw his military from Afghanistan. In 14 months it is going to take out 8600 troops. While America will release up 5000 in exchange for 1,000 afghan security forces and the American army.

The Taliban will continue their own religion and America is not created for foreign policies. The Taliban will make their own government.

America will remove all resistance which was not allowed. he is going to convince UNO to remove the berries from the Security Council. America will not utter political words on Taliban governance. This agreement was done on 29 February 2020 in Qatar by Mulla Ummer. Yet nothing happens but the political war continues.

Mahtab abdul latif turbat

Why only women?

IT is a common fact that women are being demotivated and abused by every individual everywhere and especially in Pakistan. Pakistan is such a worst country where women are being abused and killed openly as they are deprived of many rights; they are not allowed to choose their careers and lifestyles according to their wishes. In fact, they are forced to marry in very early ages, they are forced to born babies, they are forced to not read, they are forced to suicide, they are forced to be silent, they are forced to bear all the situations silently and especially they are forced to kill their dreams and wishes. Nevertheless, they are the victims of violence and they are not safe anywhere as nowadays they are also not safe in their houses, work places, educational institutions, etc.

Thus, we women really want justice and need our rights and we want to be treated well by individuals as men as we need your love, respect, support and help to go hide and achieve our goals. rahat Murad turbat

Baldia Town and its problems BALDIA town has no infrastructure, poor road maintenance. And there's no authorities clinic or another making plans infrastructure in Baldia. Basic facilities isn't always to be had to humans here. home of Baldia are low pay individuals, they're not getting their essential necessities and that they are suffering for an all-encompassing time. The issue of water is terrible individuals do not get water at all and what they get is not spotless for drinking. Individuals gets sick because of the inaccessibility of clean water. While, water was seen overflowing out of the haggard lines, shaping water pools to a great extent and causing challenges for people on foot and the traffic. Roads aren't totally developed and their condition is very awful. Mishaps happen each day in light of the fact that the roads and streets are broken. Roads development and fix projects are begun yet never finished.In entire Baldia town not have a solitary public hospital. Individuals likewise travel to get a great deal their treatment. Individuals here become ill due to trash dumps, residue and heaps of contamination.

SEEMa Ejaz Karachi

Vaccination drive The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) announced on Wednesday that coronavirus vaccines will be mandatory for all public and private sector employees, adding that government employees must be fully vaccinated by June 30. The directives were issued after a meeting of the NCOC, chaired by Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar, which reviewed the ongoing vaccination campaign and implementation of Covid-19 SOPs. The body decided to ease some of the Covid-19 restrictions in view of the declining number of cases in the country. Besides, the meeting also decided the following: Introduction of certain incentives for various sectors to encourage vaccinations All vaccination centres to remain open from 8am to 10pm daily from June 11 (except Sundays) From June 11 onwards, citizens above 18 years of age will be able to avail the walk-in facility at vaccination centres. During the meeting, the NCOC also decided to ease some restrictions that were put in place earlier to stem the spread of the virus.

Restriction on closure of two days a week to be relaxed to one day.

Choice of day will be at the discretion of federating units existing 50 per cent work from home policy to be relaxed to 100pc office attendance Selected non-contact sports to be permitted Partial opening of indoor gyms for vaccinated members only Ban on closure of shrines to remain in place Cinemas to remain shut Pakistan’s coronavirus positivity rate has been recorded at 2.54 per cent in the past 24 hours — the second day in a row that the positivity rate remained below 3pc.

According to the health ministry, 43,900 tests were conducted during the last 24 hours, of which 1,118 people tested positive. Besides, 335,790 people were administered Covid-19 vaccines on Tuesday, according to the NCOC. “The more [people] we vaccinate, the better we will be protected [against Covid-19],” said Umar, appealing to people to partake in the vaccination campaign. Pakistan also held a ceremony today to mark the deliverance of the 10 millionth vaccine dose. On the occasion, Umar said that the government aimed to inoculate 70 million people by the end of the year.

Sohail Khan lahorE

Monday, 11 October, 2021

08 WORLD VIEW

indiA needs A GeorGe floyd moment THE DEVASTATING CYCLE OF HATRED, BLOODSHED AND GRIEF SHOWS NO SIGN OF ABATING

FINANcIAl TImEs

t

aMY kaZMiN

heRe are things I wish I could unsee. among them is a recent viral social media video from India’s tea-growing state of assam, where the ruling bharatiya Janata party has mounted an eviction drive against Muslims it deems “illegal settlers”.

In the deeply disturbing footage, heavily armed state police, ordered to demolish huts built mainly by impoverished Muslims on

public land, open fire on a villager running towards them armed only with a bamboo stick. The man, later identified as Moinulhaque, a 30-year-old father of three, falls to the ground, and is beaten by police with batons. he lies unmoving, blood from an apparent bullet wound to his chest spreading across his white vest.

Then, a burly civilian, later identified as a photographer hired by local officials to document the demolition drive, runs and stamps on the dying man, punches him, and backs away. Moments later, he takes another running leap, lands on haque and again punches him. Finally, cops pull him away, and the video ends.

It is tempting to see such brutality as a reflection of poor police training and the aberrant behaviour of an unhinged individ-

ual. but just as George Floyd’s killing by a Minneapolis police officer reflected america’s deep-rooted problems of racial inequality and police violence, the barbarity in assam is a window into India’s growing culture of hatred, violence and impunity.

India never fully recovered from the 1947 partition along religious lines, and communal prejudices run deep. In the past, political leaders sought to dampen animosities, with public campaigns stressing communal harmony and unity in diversity. but the ruling bharatiya Janata party — and the rightwing hindu nationalist organisations at its base — are fanning old hatreds, demonising the Muslim minority as a threat to the hindu majority, and suggesting violent remedies.

In recent years it has branded interfaith

filipinos Are reAdy to see duterte Go

relationships between Muslim men and hindu women as “love jihad”, a conspiracy to erode hindu’s numerical superiority.

Muslims’ slightly higher fertility rate is depicted as “demographic jihad”, while the spread of Covid-19 was initially blamed on a Muslim “corona jihad”. even when touting their welfare programmes, bJP leaders use communal dog whistles. Yogi adityanath, chief minister of Uttar Pradesh state, claimed that subsidised food was previously monopolised by “those saying ‘abbajaan’,’’ a sly reference to Muslims.

In recent months, rightwing hindu extremists have held incendiary anti-Muslim rallies in and around the capital, calling for the elimination of Islam from India. With Covid receding, verbal hostilities are threatening to boil over, as they did during deadly Delhi riots in February 2020. In Chhattisgarh state this week, several thousand rightwing hindus, armed with swords, lathis and other weapons, marched through a Muslim neighbourhood, attacking people and vandalising cars and homes.

AfricA must reinvent its cities DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND POLLUTION, ENTIRE NEIGHBOURHOODS AND CITIES ON THE CONTINENT ARE DESTINED TO VANISH. A NEW VISION OF AFRICAN URBANISM IS NEEDED TO REPLACE THE ILLUSION OF THE "CITY WITHOUT LIMITS"

THE PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT TOYED WITH OPTIONS FOR STAYING IN POWER, BUT THE WRITING IS ON THE WALL NATIoNAl

o

richard Javad heYdariaN

Ne thing we've learned about populists in recent years is that it’s best to take their words seriously, but not literally. With Rodrigo Duterte, however, it is best to take his words seriously, and at times also literally.

For example, the Philippine president has over the past five years overseen a drug war that's been as bloody as he had warned it would be during his 2016 presidential campaign. but given his flair for the dramatic, Mr Duterte can be rhetorically playful and sometimes even selfindulgent with facts. Capturing headlines with clickbait comments is second nature to populists like Mr Duterte. It's precisely why some observers have been circumspect about his bolt-from-the-blue announcement this week to retire from politics after he steps down next year. after all, this is the same person who once said he would retire at the end of his term as a city mayor, only to change his mind at the 11th hour.

Mr Duterte also has strong motivations to remain in government, given his concerns about a potential prosecution by the International Criminal Court. he may also be mindful of possible blowback over his perceived mismanagement of the pandemic, with the Philippines posting one of asia's highest Covid-19 infection rates and deepest economic recessions.

Nevertheless, there are compelling reasons to believe Mr Duterte really is entering his twilight months in politics, at least as an elected official. amid his declining popularity and widespread opposition to his original plan to run for vice president next year, he is instead set to mobilise support for his anointed successors. his daughter, Sara Duterte, and lifelong aide, Senator Christopher “bong” Go, are expected to run for the presidency and vice presidency respectively. Mr Duterte's suspected aim to retain power through proxies could, however, face headwinds; Mr Duterte's rivals, including former allies, are formidable.What a difference a few months can make in politics. In June, a potential “Duterte-Duterte” tandem was seen as almost unbeatable in the 2022 election, with Sara Duterte, currently mayor of Davao City, holding a commanding lead in the polls.at the time, Mr Duterte was the top choice for the vice presidency.

It is worth mentioning that unlike in the US, where the presidential and vice presidential candidates run on single ticket, the Philippines has separate elections for the top two offices. This way, the country's elite determined decades ago, most prized offices and the election spoils could be shared by competing parties.however, it soon became clear that Mr Duterte preferred a “tandemocracy”, whereby he would run for vice president after the end of his presidency and Mr Go would run to take his place in the top job. That enraged Sara Duterte, who began calling her father out over it in public.

Infighting between the Dutertes alienated many of their supporters, who began to gravitate towards other

likeminded contenders. Former allies such as Manny Pacquiao, the boxer turned statesman, revolted against Mr Duterte. Mr Pacquiao recently announced his own bid to run for president.

The result of all this has been infighting within the ruling party that eventually splintered it into multiple factions and undercut its advantage.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A FEW MONTHS CAN MAKE IN POLITICS: To make matters worse, a series of corruption scandals have rocked the Duterte administration, which was elected on an anti-corruption platform. Sensing an opening ahead of this election season, Mr Duterte's critics and rivals have begun scoring political points. Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, a onetime Duterte ally, accused the government of plundering scarce resources amid a raging pandemic, calling it a “plundemic”. although he is still popular, Mr Duterte’s approval ratings have suffered a steep decline in recent months, dropping by 21 per cent between last November and June. a vast majority of Filipinos opposed his initial plans to run next year. according to one poll, around 60 per cent of them – including a majority of potential voters from Mr Duterte’s home island of Mindanao – believe that his vice presidential bid “violates the intention of the Constitution, which should first be amended before he may run for office again".

They have a point. after the collapse of the Marcos dictatorship in 1986, the Philippines had introduced strict provisions to curtail the power of presidency, confining it to a single six-year term. and Mr Duterte’s intention to run has prompted some experts to suggest that it would violate those constitutional restrictions by providing a "back door" to the presidency, especially if an anointed successor were to win the top job.

Mr Duterte seems to have read the writing on the wall. Over the weekend, the president conceded that the “overwhelming sentiment of the Filipinos is that I’m not qualified [to be vice president], and it would be a violation of the constitution".

While announcing his retirement plans, Mr Duterte threw his weight behind the idea of his daughter and Mr Go running on a single ticket. and yet, even this goal is far from an assured success. Latest surveys show Sara Duterte's chances have declined significantly; she is now virtually tied with her two main rivals, Mr Moreno and former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Mr Pacquiao is not far behind either.

To be fair, Sara Duterte is known for her independent streak and a more inclusive, multi-stakeholder approach to governance in contrast to her more authoritarian father. but should she choose to run – which we may not know before November 15, the final deadline for candidates – she will be up against a host of ambitious, charismatic and well-funded rivals who will paint her as her father’s proxy.

In what is likely to be a high-stakes election next year, the presidential daughter will almost certainly stand at the receiving end of all criticisms for her father’s shortcomings.

Richard Javad Heydarian is a professorial chairholder in geopolitics at Polytechnic University of the Philippines.

Chronicling India’s deepening climate of hatred can carry a high price, especially for Muslim journalists. Siddique Kappan, a Delhi-based Muslim reporter, has been in jail for a year, accused of sedition, terrorism, and “inciting Muslims” after writing about police brutality and other sensitive topics for news outlets in his home state of Kerala. Media organisations see Kappan’s arrest as a sign of the criminalisation of journalism.

Muslims aren’t the only victims of the culture of impunity. On Sunday, a vehicle allegedly owned by a junior home minister rammed into farmers protesting the government’s controversial agricultural laws. Four farmers were killed — another shocking video — while four others, including the minister’s driver, were killed in a furious melee afterwards. Days before the deadly incident, the minister had warned farmers in a viral video that he would “discipline them in two minutes” if they failed to “change [their] acts”.

Violence is begetting violence. In troubled Muslim-majority Indian Occupied Kashmir — under direct rule by New Delhi since June 2018, five civilians, mostly hindus, were gunned down by unidentified assailants in the capital, Srinagar, in the past week. India’s devastating cycle of hatred, bloodshed and grief shows no sign of abating.

JEUNE AFRIQUE Tarik OualalOu

s

ebha is bound to disappear. The capital of Libya's hydrocarbon-rich Fezzan region has become the largest city in the Sahara. For years, it has seen the convergence of public and private capital, and a steady flow of migrants. Subjected to major demographic pressure, the city of the sands is now doomed. Sooner or later, the lack of water will empty it of its inhabitants — and return its territory to nature.

Sebha is not an isolated case. everywhere, districts and cities face similar fates. Some because of rising water levels, others subject to rampant desertification, mega-fires or repeated cyclones. These are the devastating and unprecedented consequences of climate change, of course, that the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has just reminded us of. but that's not the only cause. by participating in toxic production systems, we have degraded nature and altered climates. at the same time, since the industrial era, we have readily adhered to this crazy fantasy of the limitless city, capable of absorbing ever more inhabitants, without questioning its capacity to meet their basic needs.

AFRICAN CITIES LIKE LOS ANGELES: Look at Los angeles: For a long time now, California's largest metropolitan area has not had enough water resources.

It gets its water from the Sierra Nevada, nearly 600 kilometers (373 miles) away. even in one of the richest regions in the world, this infrastructure, which does not care about borders and distances, is running out of steam. Los angeles has been suffering from water shortages for two decades, a problem out of step with its residents' standard of living.

In rich countries, the system is breaking down more quickly than we thought. In africa, it is an absolute emergency. It is the last continent to urbanize, and the one that is doing so the fastest, without a state structure capable of financing the infrastructure that this implies. between high birth rates and rural exodus, africa is home to 86 of the 100 fastest growing cities in the world. at least 79 of them — including 15 capitals — are facing extreme risks due to climate change.The 13.2 million inhabitants of Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, are already regular victims of flooding. They will be twice as many by 2035. In ethiopia, the number of city dwellers will increase from 24 to 74 million in the next three decades. egypt's urban population will then reach 85 million, compared to 43 million today. It's so much growth that the authorities will have to create a new capital to relieve the urban hell of Cairo. how to provide housing and equipment, roads and

transport, drinking water and sanitation at such a sustained rate? It is impossible. Tensions over access to water, energy and telecommunications will increase as cities continue to have needs that exceed their territorial production capacity. Conflict is inevitable.

We are heading for disaster.

That is unless we radically change the way we build our world. In africa as elsewhere, this means first of all putting an end to the illusion of the city without limits. Some, like Sebha, will have to be abandoned to nature, and thousands of new ones will have to be built. but the thinking must be reversed, to find a balance between populations, resources and territories.

The new city must be appropriately sized, limited by its own resources: if a given territory can provide water and energy for 50,000 people, then the future city must not exceed that size.

NOMADS NOT REFUGEES: To do this, we must reconnect with the visible infrastructure of the past, which was part of the landscape, calling for collective governance. This was the case of the Roman aqueducts and also of the agdal basins, which integrated urban agriculture, as well as the wells located in each neighborhood, as is still the case today in Venice. This is now being tried in Morocco, with the creation of the city of Mazagan, near el-Jadida, which we already know will not have more than 200,000 inhabitants.

The consequences of climate change, demographic pressure and rampant urbanization leave us no choice: africa must be the scene of the reinvention of the city in the 21st century. and for that, it is urgent that it becomes again a laboratory of architectural and urban experimentation, with all the more legitimacy that it will no longer be, as in the past, a colonial laboratory.

On the contrary, we must tap into what africa is capable of offering the world through modes of organization, traditional resource management and the use of materials that have fallen into oblivion. This kind of experimentation is, for example, the raison d'être of the Moroccan Pavilion at the Dubai 2020 World expo. Made of raw earth, the building stretches 34 meters tall, an unprecedented height. More durable than concrete, raw earth, an african material par excellence, also makes it possible to do without air conditioning in one of the hottest places on earth.

If africa continues to impose urban planning models thought up elsewhere, without a critical dimension, it will end up in chaos. here too, we must decolonize our thinking and imagine collective organizations that will enable us to adapt to the major displacements that climate change is already imposing on us. It is in africa that we can learn to be nomads again, so as not to become refugees.

Monday, 11 October, 2021 | ISLAMABAD

NEWS

corporate corner IGP for providing quality food at police mess and canteens

RIcE ExPoRTS To RuSSIA RESToRED AfTER Two-yEAR BAn BAN WAS IMPOSED DUE TO INSECTS FOUND IN CONSIGNMENT IN 2019 ISLAMABAD

ISLAMABAD: Inspector-General Police (IGP) Islamabad Qazi Jamil ur Rehman has directed the concerned officials to provide quality food at police mess and canteens. According to the details, InspectorGeneral Police (IGP) Islamabad Qazi Jamil ur Rehman along with SSP (Headquarters) visited Regimental store, police mess and canteen at police line headquarters. He reviewed the situation of food, water, sanitation and hygienic situation there and directed SSP (Headquarters) for further improvement. Islamabad police chief said that welfare steps for policemen boost their morale and ensure efficient working. He also directed the senior police officials of other divisions to care their subordinates and ensure provision of quality food to them at mess and canteens. IGP Islamabad said that policemen are assets of the force and it should be our top priority to facilitate them. He said that welfare steps are being taken for them and every possible effort would be made to ensure quality working through provision of facilities to them.

PRO Islamabad Police 10-10-2021. Press releAse

Business community condoles over demise of Dr A. Q. Khan ISLAMABAD: The business community on Sunday expressed deep grief and sorrow over the demise of nuclear scientist and national hero, Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan, terming his demise a great loss to the country. In a condolence message Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) President Muhammad Shakeel Munir, Senior Vice President Jamshaid Akhtar Sheikh and Vice President Muhammad Faheem Khan expressed their condolences with the bereaved family and prayed that his family members have courage to bear the loss. Muhammad Shakeel Munir said that the whole nation including the business community of the entire country was grieved over the loss of Dr. Khan. He said the nation was heavily indebted to him as he was the one who played a key role in making Pakistan an atomic power. He said a peaceful Pakistan was the key requirement to promote business and investment activities in the country and paid rich tribute to the great contributions of Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan for making Pakistan an invincible country. APP .

SMEDA invites applications for earlystage start-ups grants

ISLAMABAD: Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority (SMEDA) has invited applications for small business grants for "early stage start-ups" with a maximum limit of each organisation on first come first served basis to promote and encourage the SMEs sector. The grant is aimed at providing financial support to entrepreneurs for meeting capital or operating needs of their business, an official source said, adding that interested enterprises had been requested to submit their applications by October 27. APP

09

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GhUlAM ABBAs

HE exports of rice to Russia have been restored with officials of the Department of Plant Protection (DPP), an attached department of Ministry of Food Security and Research (MFS&R), claiming that the development was a result of the government’s efforts to increase the country’s exports.

However, Profit learnt that Russia had actually re-allowed import from Pakistan in the mid of this year, under stiff conditions, as the product was banned for negligence of DPP in 2019.

As per details, the ban was imposed in August 2019 after insects were found in the rice.

It is pertinent to mention here that a number of similar incidents of Pakistani products being banned has been reported in the past due to the DPP's alleged role wherein they clear consignments without the due fumigation process. This has earned the country a very bad name apart from resulting in losses of revenue through exports.

For example, Mexico banned the

DPP PORTRAYING FALSE IMAGE OF INCREASING EXPORTS DUE TO GOVT EFFORTS

import of Pakistani rice in 2013 due to the presence of the Khapra beetle, Vietnam has banned Pakistani wheat, the UK destroyed one consignment of bitter melon (karela) due to the presence of a sort of bacteria in July this year, while Malaysian Quarantine Authorities (MQA) found turtles in a potato container sent by DPP with a fake Phyto certificate.

Interestingly, the officials accused of negligence which caused huge losses to the national exchequer were never probed.

Speaking with Profit, a leading exporter of rice who did not want to be named informed this scribe that exporters are allowed to fumigate their consignments themselves and pay charges to DPP. "This clearly shows the negligence and violation of rules by DPP officials and there is no doubt that they are damaging the country’s exports," they added.

On the other hand, a complaint to the Prime Minister Office against DPP officials sent by trade bodies states that the department even asks importers to fumigate already fumigated items.

Regarding this matter, although the

DPP is mandated to fumigate hundreds of consignments both exported and imported, only a single company, National Chemicals, is allowed to import methyl bromide, a chemical that is necessary for carrying out the task.

In similar wrongdoing, there are 54 fumigation companies that are registered with the DPP; however, only sister fumigation companies of National Chemical, namely Adeel Pesticides, Pak Pansy, Pest Management Pentagon Fumigation Services, and Tahir Fumigation Expert are carrying out fumigations and charging sky high rates due to their monopoly.

Documents available with Profit show that there are 54 fumigation companies registered with the department, but only 8 of them are active, which are actually firms set up under different names of three companies whereas about 46 registered companies are either inactive or closed due to the nonsupply of methyl bromide.

Furthermore, citing ongoing irregularities in the department, Iranian authorities had earlier blacklisted fumigation companies Ramadan Associates and Millat Trading, stating in a

Spain to evacuate more Afghanistan workers, families via Pakistan

MADRID The AssociATed Press

Spanish authorities said Sunday the country has started a new evacuation operation to extract from Afghanistan more people and their families left behind following the Taliban takeover of that country.

Spain’s Defense Ministry con-

firmed to The Associated Press media reports that it is working with the foreign ministry on a new evacuation mission.

The ministry said it would not give any more details in order to protect the mission, but Spanish news agency EFE reported that the plan was to get out some 200 people via Pakistan.

Spanish Foreign Affairs Min-

ister José Albares visited both Pakistan and Qatar last month to ask for their assistance in extracting more Afghanistan workers who had not been included in the first airlifts from Kabul.

Spain successfully evacuated some 2,200 people — Spaniards and Afghans — in the frantic days following the takeover of the Taliban in August.

letter that insects were found in a consignment of mangoes which had been imported from Pakistan.

Sources said that a monopoly has been established on the international trade of agricultural products under the auspices of DPP officials, yet the food ministry has turned a blind eye to the department's performance.

On Friday, DPP officials claimed that the Russian Ministry of Commerce, in collaboration with the department itself, would monitor more rice mills via video link.

Plant Production Director Sohail Shahzad told Profit that several countries including Russia, China, Japan and Australia have lifted the import ban from Pakistan and are also issuing online confirmation certificates to Pakistani exporters.

He said that by visiting the factories online, several countries are releasing orders for rice and fruits.

Previously, Pakistan had about 34 rice export outlets in the Russian market. But now the number has increased to 53. Pakistani exporters are allowed to export 150,000 tonnes of rice to Russia.

GST on petrol, diesel reduced to 6.84pc, 10.32pc The federal government has slashed the general sales tax (GST) on supply of petrol to 6.84 per cent from 10.54 per cent whereas the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has issued to revise the rates of sales tax on petroleum products.

According to the latest notification the new sales tax rates are: sales tax rate on petrol supply has been reduced to 6.84 per cent from 10.54 per cent; sales tax rate on high speed diesel (HSD) has been reduced to 10.32 per cent from 11.64 per cent.

However, the rates of sales tax on supply of kerosene oil and Light Diesel Oil (LDO) have been kept unchanged at 6.70 per cent and 0.20 per cent.

The government on September 30 had announced an increase in petroleum prices due to significant rise in international oil prices.

In a press conference a day after the price hike announcement, Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin said that the government was absorbing the impact of the decade’s highest price-hike at international level to provide relief to people through various measures including direct food subsidy to the poor.

The federal minister said that the Covid-19 pandemic had triggered price hikes all across the globe, adding that since Pakistan was importer of some essential commodities, hence it was impacted too yet still the government had absorbed most of the impact. NeWs desK

Bitcoin reaches $55,259 as market remains mixed ISLAMABAD TlTP

The cryptocurrency market remained mixed on Sunday, with the market capitalisation losing 0.4 percent to reach $2.4 trillion as of 1325 hours GMT. Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency, which hit the highest level since May 12 of $56,100 on Friday last, gained 0.31 percent to reach $55,259. With this increase in price, the market capitalisation of the biggest cryptocurrency has reached 1.04 trillion.

However, ether (ETH) price shed 1.52 percent to reach $3,560. With this decrease in price, the market capitalisation of ETH has reached $417.9 billion.

However, XRP price jumped by 7.02 percent to reach $1.19. The market capitali-

sation of XRP stands at $119 billion after this increase. On the other hand, cardano (ADA) price shed 0.93 percent to reach $2.26. Its market capitalisation has decreased to $73 billion after this decrease.

Similarly, dogecoin (Doge) price went down by 1.40 percent to reach $0.244. With this decrease in price, the market capitalisation of doge has reached $32.1 billion.

According to experts, bitcoin price appears to have hit a minor top, with selling pressure pouring in during the trade session.

A bearish hammer candlestick pattern is developing, indicating a high is likely in. If the Relative Strength Index returns below the 65 level, a continuation move towards south for bitcoin may extend beyond $48,000.

Likewise, ether shows some mixed behaviour on its chart. Despite having an ex-

tremely bullish Ichimoku chart, buyers are not pursuing any follow-through to propel ether price higher. If sellers take control, then bears will most likely retest the $3,000 level.

However, if buyers continue pushing ether higher and beyond the all-time high, nothing stops it from rallying to the $6,200 value area, they said.

On the other hand, XRP price remains in a very stagnate position, they opined. XRP price remains constricted inside the Ichimoku Cloud and continues to experience very choppy trading conditions. XRP will be in danger of further sell-side pressure if it closes below the Cloud at $0.99. From there, bears may push XRP to test prior support near $0.84. If a breakout above the Cloud occurs, then the path to $3.00 should be relatively smooth, they opined.

US won’t ban cryptocurrencies: SEC chief WASHINGTON: The US Securities and Exchange Commission chairman Gary Gensler has said the US won’t follow China’s lead in banning digital tokens.

Gensler said last week that the government’s focus is on ensuring that the industry follows investor and consumer protection rules, anti-money laundering regulations and tax laws. He made the comments at a House hearing after a Republican politician asked whether a China-like prohibition was on the table in the US. “Our approach is really quite different,” Gensler said. Any ban would probably have to be legislated by Congress, he said. China issued its ultimatum against cryptocurrency trading last month, saying all transactions were off limits and that it would move aggressively to root out token mining. The announcement followed months of escalating Chinese warnings about virtual currencies. Gensler’s remarks mirror those of Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell, who said during a September 30 congressional hearing that he had “no intention” of banning cryptocurrencies. AGeNcies

Monday, 11 October, 2021 | ISLAMABAD

10 FOREIGN NEWS

AfghAnS In cAtch 22 AS WeSt SqUeezeS SpAce isLAMABAD

A

Agencies

FGHAN citizens, evacuated by the United States and other Western countries, are now experiencing an uncertain situation as the outpouring sympathies have started to dwindle and overshadowed by political gimmickry in the host countries.

The future of these refugees is by no means certain as most of the countries have been reluctant to grant them asylum and other facilities they were promised and entitled to under the international law, various leading writers, researchers and analysts observed.

A recent report in The Guardian said Afghans who recently arrived in the UK after fleeing the Taliban takeover have asked to be sent back, casting doubt over the success of Operation Warm Welcome, the government’s Afghan resettlement programme.

Boris Johnson launched the programme on August 29 to help Afghan refugees arriving in the UK by providing support so they could “rebuild their lives, find work, pursue education and integrate into their local communities”.

However, a widespread lack of housing means hotels have been commandeered as emergency temporary accommodation for 7,000 Afghan refugees, the report added.

The report quoted one doctor as saying, “I’ve had a few patients telling me they want to go home.”

Another individual, 67, said, “I can’t take this anymore. I have to get out of this [hotel] room.”

There are also concerns over healthcare for those held in hotels following the evacuation from Kabul airport, with one charity describing confusion over access.

One council leader described the government’s programme as a “shocking failure”. Councilor Danny Thorpe of the Royal Borough of

US general who commanded in Iraq dies of cancer at age 67 WASHINGTON: Raymond T. Odierno, a retired army general who commanded American and coalition forces in Iraq at the height of the war and capped a 39-year career by serving as the Army’s chief of staff, has died, his family said Saturday. He was 67. “The general died after a brave battle with cancer; his death was not related to COVID,” a family statement said. “There are no other details to share at this time. His family is grateful for the concern and asks for privacy.” Odierno died Friday; the family declined to say where. It said funeral and interment information was not yet available. President Joe Biden lauded Odierno as a “hero of great integrity and honor.”

In a joint statement, the president and First Lady Jill Biden recalled that Odierno spoke at the funeral of their son Beau, who served under Odierno in Iraq and died of brain cancer in 2015. “Ray was a giant in military circles — dedicated first and always to the service members he commanded and served alongside,” the Bidens said, adding that Odierno and his wife Linda were advocates for military children and families. “We stand with the Odierno family and all our brave service members who were shaped and molded by General Odierno over his lifetime of service,” they said. At 6-foot-5, Odierno was an imposing figure. He played football as a cadet at West Point and retained a lifelong interest in the sport. Army Secretary Christine Wormuth wrote on Twitter Saturday evening that Odierno embodied the values of West Point and of the Army itself. The AssociATed Press

Iraqis vote in general election, a test for democratic system BAGHDAD: Iraqis were voting on Sunday in a general election that many said they would boycott, having lost faith in the democratic system brought in by the US-led invasion of 2003. The election is being held several months early under a new law designed to help independent candidates – a response to mass anti-government protests two years ago. But the established, armed and dominating ruling elite is expected to sweep the vote. The result will not dramatically alter the balance of power in the country or the wider Middle East, say Iraqi officials, foreign diplomats and analysts. “I’m not going to vote and my family won’t vote either, said Murtadha Nassir, a 27-year-old man in the southern city of Nassiriya, who participated in protests and watched friends gunned down by security forces. “These groups being voted in, they’re all the ones who targeted us.” Nonetheless, some Iraqis were keen to vote in the election – the country’s fifth parliamentary vote since 2003 – and are hopeful of change. In the northern city of Kirkuk, Abu Abdullah said he showed up to vote an hour before polling stations opened. “I came since early morning to be the first voter to participate in an event that will hopefully bring change,” he said. “We expect the situation to improve significantly.” At least 167 parties and more than 3,200 candidates are competing for 329 seats in parliament, according to the election commission. Iraqi elections are often followed by months of protracted negotiations over a president, a prime minister and a cabinet. Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, widely viewed as Western-friendly, told reporters as he cast his ballot: “I call on Iraq people: there’s still time. Go out and vote for Iraq and vote for your future.” Kadhimi’s government called the vote early in response to anti-establishment protests in 2019 that toppled the previous administration. Protesters’ demands included the removal of a ruling elite most Iraqis view as corrupt and keeping the country in disrepair. The demonstrations were brutally suppressed and some 600 people were killed over several months. Some of Iraq’s top political leaders and officials voted at a secured hotel in Baghdad’s Green Zone — which hosts foreign embassies and government buildings — but trickled in at a rate of one every 20 minutes. Agencies

Greenwich, south-east London, said the lack of organised government support when 700 Afghans arrived in the borough in August was “unforgivable”.

Jill O’Leary, lead doctor at the Helen Bamber Foundation, which is working with 650 clients, said the situation was “muddled and confused”. Andrea Mammone, a historian at Royal Holloway, University of London and visiting fellow at the European University Institute, in his article posted on Al Jazeera TV website, said that European politicians had done relatively little to help Afghans in view of their moral responsibility for their plight.

The writer said for a country like Afghanistan, that was facing an imminent humanitarian catastrophe and an exodus of people seeking asylum, this is by far not enough.

“Worse still, some European politicians have started using the Afghan crisis as an opportunity to score political gains. The EU’s

stance on the situation in Afghanistan, and the plight of the Afghan people, appears to be identical to that of the far right,” Mammone opined while criticising the approach.

He observed that proposals to externalise migration management and humanitarian protection through the creation of “buffer zones” or offshore reception centers

were not new.

The historian further stressed that the EU should show to the world that it was not escaping from its responsibilities and that its member states were indeed working together to uphold the self-declared core values of the bloc: human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law and human rights.

Chico Harlan, senior bureau

staffer at the Washington Post, in his article said the path out of Afghanistan and toward Europe resembled the one experienced by those now in Athens — rife with obstacles and dangers, sometimes created intentionally by a continent that has sought to prevent the historic waves of refugees it saw in 2015 and 2016.

“The obstacles include alleged pushbacks, a violation of international law, in which Greek border forces try to prevent migrants from reaching European shores, returning them to international waters and abandoning them,” he said drawing a parallel between the situation of Afghan people with other asylum seekers.

Nasrat Sayed, an Afghan based in the Netherlands who researched Afghan migration, suggested that the EU countries were reluctant to grant asylum to people fleeing a nation where billions had been invested in security.

Russian plane carrying parachutists crashes, 16 killed MOscOW reuTers

A plane carrying a group of parachute jumpers crashed in the Russian region of Tatarstan on Sunday, killing 16 people and injuring six, the Emergencies Ministry said. The aircraft, which came down near the city of Menzelinsky, had been carrying 20 parachutists and two crew members. Six people were in a serious condition, the Health Ministry said. A Let L-410 Turbolet twin-engine short-range transport aircraft, the plane was owned by an aeroclub in the city of Menzelinsk, the TASS news agency reported. Cosmonauts use the area for training and the aeroclub has hosted local, European and world championships, the club’s director Ravil Nurmukhametov was quoted by TASS as saying. The state-run Cosmonaut Training Facility has suspended its ties with the aeroclub pending an investigation, TASS cited a source as saying. The RIA agency cited local authorities as saying one of the engines could have failed. Photographs of some of the parachutists on board posing in kit or with a plane were circulated on the REN TV channel and on social media.

Russian aviation safety standards have been tightened in recent years but accidents continue to happen, particularly in remote regions.

An ageing Antonov An-26 transport plane crashed in the Russian far east last month killing six people. All 28 people on board an Antonov An-26 twin-engine turboprop died in a crash in Kamchatka in July.

Taliban say they won’t work with US to contain Islamic State isLAMABAD The AssociATed Press

The Taliban ruled out cooperation with the United States to contain extremist groups in Afghanistan, staking out an uncompromising position on a key issue ahead of the first direct talks between the former foes since America withdrew from the country in August.

Senior Taliban officials and US representatives are meeting this weekend in Doha, the capital of Qatar. Officials from both sides have said issues include reining in extremist groups and the evacuation of foreign citizens and Afghans from the country. The Taliban have signalled flexibility on evacuations.

However, Taliban political spokesman Suhail Shaheen told The Associated Press there would be no cooperation with Washington on containing the increasingly active Islamic State group in Afghanistan.

IS has taken responsibility for a number of recent attacks, including a suicide bombing Friday that killed 46 minority Shi’ite Muslims and wounded dozens as they prayed in a mosque in the northern city of Kunduz.

“We are able to tackle Daesh independently,” Shaheen said, when asked whether the Taliban would work with the US to contain the Islamic State affiliate. He used an Arabic acronym for IS. IS has carried out relentless assaults on the country’s Shiites since emerging in eastern Afghanistan in 2014. It is also seen as the terror group that poses the greatest threat to the United States for its potential to

stage attacks on American targets.

The weekend meetings in Doha are the first since US forces withdrew from Afghanistan in late August, ending a 20-year military presence as the Taliban overran the country. The US has made it clear the talks are not a preamble to recognition.

The talks also come on the heels of two days of difficult discussions between Pakistan officials and US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman in Islamabad that focused on Afghanistan. Pakistan urged the US to engage with Afghanistan’s new rulers and release billions of dollars in international funds to stave off an economic meltdown. Pakistan also had a message for the Taliban, urging them to become more inclusive and pay attention to human rights and minority ethnic and religious groups.

Later on Saturday, Doha-based Al-Jazeera English reported the talks had kicked off. The news outlet cited Ameer Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban-appointed foreign minister for Afghanistan, as saying the Taliban had asked the US to lift its ban on the reserves of the Afghan central bank. There was no immediate word from Washington on the talks.

Following Friday’s attack, Afghanistan’s Shiite clerics assailed the Taliban, demanding greater protection at their places of worship. The IS affiliate claimed responsibility and identified the bomber as a Uyghur Muslim. The claim said the attack targeted both Shiites and the Taliban for their purported willingness to expel Uyghurs to meet demands from China. It was the deadliest attack since US and NATO troops left Afghanistan

on Aug. 30. Michael Kugelman, deputy director of the Asia Program at the US-based Wilson Center, said Friday’s attack could be a harbinger of more violence.

Most of the Uyghur militants belong to the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, which has found a safe haven in the border regions of Afghanistan for decades.

“If the (IS) claim is true, China’s concerns about terrorism in (Afghanistan)—to which the Taliban claims to be receptive — will increase,” he tweeted following the attack.

Meanwhile, the Taliban on Saturday began busing Afghans who had fled from the insurgents’ blitz takeover in August and were living in tents in a Kabul park back to their homes in the country’s north, where threats from IS are mounting following the Kunduz attack. A Taliban official in charge of refugees, Mohammed Arsa Kharoti, said there are up to 1.3 million Afghans displaced from past wars and that the Taliban lack funds to organize the return home for all. He said the Taliban have organized the return of 1,005 displaced families to their homes so far.

Shokria Khanm, who had spent several weeks in one of the tents in the park and was waiting Saturday to board the Taliban-organized bus back home to Kunduz, said she isn’t concerned about the growing IS threat in the northern province.

“At least there we have four walls,” she said but added that she was nervous about the future after fighting between the Taliban and Afghan government troops had destroyed her house.

Son of Indian govt minister arrested, accused of killing farmers Agencies Ashish Mishra, son of India’s junior home minister Ajay Mishra Teni, has been arrested on accusations that he killed four farmers last week, a senior police official said.

The farmers, killed on Oct 3 in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, were part of India’s longest-running agricultural protest, opposing laws they fear will reduce guaranteed minimum prices for their crops.

Police arrested Mishra late on Saturday after questioning him for more than 10 hours, said Deputy Inspector General Upendra Agarwal, who is heading the probe. Mishra had not responded to a police summons on Friday.

“We are taking Ashish Mishra in custody. He was not cooperating in the investigation,” Agarwal said.

Mishra’s lawyer and father could not be reached for comment.

Farmers say the car that crashed into the protesters, about 130 kilometres

north of the state’s capital Lucknow, was owned by the son of the junior home minister. Ajay Mishra Teni said at the time his son was not at the site and that a car driven by “our driver” had lost control and hit the farmers after “miscreants” pelted it with stones and attacked it with sticks and swords.

The incident sparked protests that claimed four more lives, including that of a local journalist.

Tens of thousands of farmers have camped for months on major highways

to New Delhi to oppose the three laws.

They say the legislation will erode a longstanding mechanism that gives farmers a minimum guaranteed price for their rice and wheat.

The government says the laws will help growers get better prices.

The protests have gained momentum in UP head of a state assembly election next year, with a group of influential farmer leaders ratcheting up pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to roll back the laws.

Monday, 11 October, 2021 | ISLAMABAD

SPORTS 11

T20 World Cup: ICC AnnounCes $5.6 mIllIon prIze money for TournAmenT kARAcHi

T

news Desk

HE International Cricket Council (ICC) on Sunday announced a prize money pool of $5.6 million for the T20 World Cup, with the winning team taking home $1.6 million.

“The winners of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 will take home a winners’ cheque of $1.6 million while the runner-ups will get half that amount,” said an offi-

ICC adopts wait-andwatch approach on Afghanistan

cial statement issued by the ICC. It stated that the two losing semi-finalists will receive a prize of $400,000 each from the games taking place on November 10 and 11.

In addition to this, the break down announced by the ICC suggests that the teams that win round matches will earn additional prize money.

Teams will also get a prize of $40,000 for winning each match in round 1 and super 12 stage matches, whereas teams failing to

reach the semi-finals will receive $70,000 guaranteed money.

Moreover, the statement said that the teams which get eliminated from the tournament in the first round will be awarded $40,000 as a guaranteed participation prize.

It said that the team that manages to win the tournament, staying undefeated in all super 12 stages will earn at least $1.8m, which is worth over Rs320m.

Apart from the prize money for the 2021 edition of the tournament, the ICC also announced a drinks

break which will take place during each and every match to be played in UAE and Oman from October 17.

According to ICC, there will be a 2 minutes and 30 seconds break at the midway point of each innings, with teams also getting the opportunity to hold strategic talks during the drinks.

The ICC has tweaked its playing condition 11.5.1 which previously didn’t allow any special drink breaks during innings of T20 international matches.

T20 World Cup: Matches against both India and NZ are crucial, Hassan Ali says

AgeNcies

News Desk

The governing International Cricket Council (ICC) has taken a wait-and-watch approach on Afghanistan but will discuss the game’s fate in the country in a board meeting next month, ICC acting chief executive Geoff Allardice said on Sunday. Afghanistan risk isolation since the country’s Taliban takeover in August, with Cricket Australia threatening not to host for a one-off Test in Hobart next month if the new government in Kabul did not allow women to play the sport. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has said it is committed to women’s cricket but was awaiting instructions from the government on its future. “Our primary function is to support the development of cricket in that country through the member board,” Allardice told a virtual news conference ahead of the Twenty20 World Cup which begins on October 17. “We have said all along that we are waiting to see how things unfold under the different regime in that country.” “The ICC board will consider it when they next meet which is looking like at the end of the T20 World Cup.” Afghanistan are currently training in Qatar and will begin their Twenty20 World campaign against a qualifier in Sharjah on Oct 25. When the Taliban last ruled Afghanistan two decades ago, girls were not allowed to attend school and women were banned from work and education.

Australia Test captain Tim Paine said teams might refuse to play Afghanistan at the T20 World Cup, but Allardice said there was no doubt over their participation in the showpiece event.

“They are a full member of the ICC and the team is preparing for the event at the moment and will be playing in Group B,” he said. “As far as their participation in the event, it’s proceeding as normal.” The ICC official also confirmed that the 20overs World Cup, last staged in 2016, will embrace the Decision Review System with each team having a maximum of two reviews per innings.

Pakistan fast bowler Hassan Ali, who has been named part of the T20 World Cup squad, on Sunday said that the side’s matches against India and New Zealand at the outset of the mega cricket event are crucial. “The hype for Pakistan vs India matches has always been high but this time Pakistan’s match against New Zealand has also gained popularity after their pullout from the Pakistan tour,” Ali said, while addressing a virtual press conference.

“We have to beat not only India but New Zealand.”

He went on to say that the team will not take the matches lightly and will plan a strategy for the opponents.

Ali resolved for the team to open the event with a victory against India. He said that results are not in the team’s hands but the effort is, which they will make.

“Every match puts pressure on the team but we are professionals and know how to overcome it,” said Ali. While speaking about the ground conditions in the United Arab Emirates, the cricketer said that the pitches there

are slow, therefore there will be low-paced scoring during the matches in the upcoming event.

“A score of 170 runs is a winning score which can be achieved,” said Ali. He said that his role in this is a simple one and he has to “prevent the run-scoring and take wickets”.

Commenting on the replacement of coaches before the T20 World Cup, Ali termed it “bad luck”.

He said that the “management shouldn’t have changed before the event and Waqar Younus should have been there”.

“Change of management is not in our hands and this is unfortunate,” said Ali. He, however, said: “I have met Vernon Philander [former South African cricketer] and though he hasn’t played T20 cricket much but he still is a good bowler.”

Ali said that the squad still has time and they will try that they work on whichever area needs improvement.

“Delayed changes won’t affect us much and we will make a good combination,” he said enthusiastically.

According to Ali, senior players have a big role in the team. “We have three to four senior players and I’m sure that we will win the trophy by playing well,” said Ali.

Southern Punjab ends disappointing campaign with a win in National T20 LAHORe APP

The ATF Southern Punjab ended their National T20 campaign on a high as they defeated defending champions Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa by 11 runs in their tenth and final match (27th match of the tournament) at the Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday evening. Despite the victory Southern Punjab exited the tournament before the semi-final stage as they could only register three wins (six points).

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa remain in the semi-final hunt as despite the defeat they are on course for a top-four finish (five wins and four defeats in nine matches). The Iftikhar Ahmed-led side play their last group match against Northern on Monday.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa faltered in their 194-run chase despite solid contributions from Nabi Gul, Kamran Ghulam and Iftikhar. Nabi top-scored with 54 off 31 balls (five fours, three sixes). The right-hander added 79 for the fourth-wicket with Kamran who scored 46 off 33 (four fours, two sixes). The two joined hands with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reeling at 32 for three after 6.5 overs.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa lost their way as Kamran and Nabi perished in quick succession, the lower-order batters struggled to manage the mounting asking rate. Needing 30 off the final over bowled by Mohammad Ilyas, Iftikhar and Niaz Khan managed 18 runs. Iftikhar remained unbeaten on 33 (21 balls, one four, three sixes).

Earlier, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa won the toss and opted

He said that they haven’t made a claim for winning the series but they will try their best. to field. Southern Punjab openers Tayyab Tahir and Sharoon Siraj (18) added 39 for the first-wicket in five overs.

Tayyab then combined with Salman Ali Agha in a 56run second-wicket stand. Salman was dismissed for 16, wicketkeeper Azam Khan joined Tayyab for a breezy 35run third-wicket stand. Azam hit three sixes and one four in his quickfire 25 off 13 balls.

Tayyab was dismissed by Imran Khan Snr for a career-best 78 off 48 balls, the right-hander’s attacking innings included eight fours and three sixes.

Captain Aamer Yamin scored 24 off 13 balls while Yousuf Babar remained not out on 14 off six as Southern Punjab finished their 20 overs with a formidable total on the board.

ScoreS in Brief: ATF Southern Punjab win by 11 runs ATF Southern Punjab 193 for 5, 20 overs (Tayyab Tahir 78, Azam Khan 25, Aamer Yamin 24; Imran Khan Snr 235, Niaz Khan 2-42) Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa 182 for 6, 20 overs (Nabi Gul 54, Kamran Ghulam 46, Iftikhar Ahmed 33 not out; Mohammad Ilyas 2-38)

‘Best of era’ Fury hailed after Wilder classic LAs VegAs Agencies

Tyson Fury believes he is the greatest heavyweight of his era after producing a scintillating display to beat Deontay Wilder in a boxing classic on Saturday.

The 33-year-old undefeated Englishman recovered from two knockdowns against the hard-hitting Wilder before knocking out the American in the 11th round to retain his WBC crown.

“I know I’m the greatest heavyweight of my era, without doubt. Number one,” Fury said following an epic battle at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

“I’ve fought the most devastating puncher in the history of our sport, not once, not twice, but three times.”

At a towering 6ft 9in tall and weighing in at 277lbs, Fury is unarguably one of the biggest heavyweight champions of all time.

Icons of the heavyweight division like Muhammad Ali or Joe Frazier would be giving away massive advantages in height and weight in any theoretical matchup with the reigning champion.

Fury was initially reluctant on Saturday to rank his chances against past greats.

“I don’t like competing with fighters from the past because it’s fantasy, not reality,” he said. “I can only beat the best of my day. And I’ve done that. I’m the best fighter in my era.”

However, he later could not resist comparing him-

self favorably to the greatest heavyweights to have graced the division.

“There’s been so many of them, so many great champions,” he said.

“Without sounding too clever, I place myself at the top of the pile. I believe I can beat any man in history, any man.”

Saturday’s thriller meanwhile left many at ringside struggling to think of a better heavyweight contest in boxing history.

“Listen, I’ve been in this business 57 years promoting fights and I truly have to say I have never seen a heavyweight fight as magnificent as this,” said Fury’s US promoter Bob Arum, who promoted 27 of Muhammad Ali’s fights including the 1975 classic “Thrilla in Manila” against Joe Frazier.

Frank Warren, Fury’s veteran English promoter, said Saturday’s bout was “boxing history.”

“It’s the best live heavyweight fight I’ve seen,” Warren said. “It was just amazing. Two warriors and just so absorbing. Tyson is the standout heavyweight of his generation.

“I have seen him box better. But the heart and the bravery he showed tonight were just amazing. Boxing should be proud of what he did tonight.”

Fury, who now plans to take a break from the sport before contemplating a potential unification fight with WBA, IBF and WBO champion Oleksandr Usyk, or British rival Anthony Joshua, insisted he had never felt in danger against Wilder.

“He caught me twice. But I was never like thinking ‘Uh oh, this is over.’ I thought ‘Okay, good shot — but I will get you back in a minute, and I did’,” he said.

“He shook me and he put me down, but that’s boxing. And that’s life as well — no matter how many times you get put down, it’s all about getting back up.”

Monday, 11 October, 2021

prayer tiMings

NEWS

Tarin To begin policy level Talks wiTh iMF This week TECHNICAL-LEVEL TALKS WITH FUND CONCLUDED

F

INANCE Minister Shaukat Tarin will leave for Washington on Tuesday to kick off policy level talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for finalising an agreement on completion of sixth and seventh reviews under the $6 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF).

The finance minister will be heading a delegation from Pakistan including senior officers and State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor Dr Reza Baqir.

Earlier on Saturday, Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded technical-level discussions on a ‘positive note’ and agreed to continue talks at a higher level in Washington from next week to put $6 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) back on track.

According to media reports, the next 10-days policy level talks will cover remaining issues related to taxation and power sector.

Pakistan has partially complied with

its commitments by taking a few measures in the budget 2021-22 while ignoring other steps, including increasing power tariff, due to fear of political backlash from opposition parties.

The IMF has asked Pakistan to manage the financing of the current account deficit (CAD) through non-debt creating dollar inflows or take corrective measures to allow adjustments in the exchange rate and further hiking of discount rate in order to discourage demands by making imports expensive.

In July 2019, the IMF had approved a 39-month $6bn EFF arrangement for Pakistan to support Islamabad’s economic reform programme. The government paused the programme in June 2021 for three months and implemented its indigenous policy measures to shore up revenue instead of putting an extra burden on the existing taxpayers.

In June, Tarin had assured the Fund of achieving all targets set by it without additional measures as suggested by the IMF, asserting that his strategy of revenue generation was better than the one prescribed by the Fund, which paid dividends. staff report

PDM’s crucial leadership huddle due in Islamabad today

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Dr aQ khan laid to rest amid tears, prayers contInueD froM pAge 01 He led Pakistan’s nuclear program for some 25 years and was considered a national hero.

NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION: In 2004, Khan found himself at the centre of the world’s biggest nuclear proliferation scandal when he confessed to — reportedly under pressure — selling nuclear secrets to Iran, North Korea and Libya. He was pardoned but placed under house arrest in 2004 by then-president Pervez Musharraf. The government relaxed restrictions on him in 2009 but his movements were limited. The authorities denied any connection to Khan’s purported smuggling ring but never let foreigners question him. There is a widespread belief in Pakistan that Khan was the victim of an international conspiracy against Islamabad’s nuclear programme. Many hailed Khan as the man who enabled Pakistan to respond to India’s nuclear detonations with its own tests in 1998.

POLITICS: In 2012, Khan announced to try his hand at politics to rescue a country he declared had “become worse than a banana republic”. Khan’s movement, Tehreek-e-Tahafuz Pakistan, or Movement For Protection of Pakistan, urged the youth to be heard through national elections and break the stranglehold of traditional political dynasties. “The youth is 47 percent of this country’s population, they can bring the change,” said Khan at the time.

CONDOLENCES POUR IN: Prime Minister Imran Khan said he was saddened by the scientist’s passing.

He praised Khan for being a national icon and for providing Pakistan with security against an “aggressive much larger nuclear neighbour.” Prime Minister Khan said Khan’s body would be buried in Faisal Mosque in Islamabad. President Arif Alvi offered his condolences, saying he knew Khan personally since 1982. He added that Khan developed “nation-saving nuclear deterrence” and Pakistan would forever be indebted to him for that. A statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations said Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee chairman Gen Nadeem Raza and all services chiefs expressed sorrow over Khan’s passing. The statement also quoted Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa as saying that he had rendered invaluable services to strengthen Pakistan’s defence capabilities. Fellow scientist Dr. Samar Mubarakmand said Khan was a national treasure who defied Western attempts to stifle Pakistan’s nuclear program. “It was unthinkable for the west that Pakistan would make any breakthrough but finally they had to acknowledge Dr. Khan’s achievement of making the country’s nuclear weapons,” he said.

Former air chief Farooq Feroze passes away

pTi, ppp candidates win in azad kashmir by-polls

A former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and former chief of air staff passed away of cardiac arrest in Islamabad on Saturday. He was 82. The funeral prayers for retired Air Chief Marshal Farooq Feroze Khan will be offered today after Asr prayer. Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar expressed his grief on the sad demise of Khan. Babar extended his “heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family” and prayed for the eternal bliss of the departed soul. Lauding the meritorious services of Khan, Babar said Khan was an epitome of Professional excellence and grace and would remain a role model for the coming generations of Pakistan Air Force officers, airmen and civilians alike. Born on August 17, 1939, Khan joined PAF after completing his Senior Cambridge from PAF Public School, Sargodha and was selected for training at the USAF Academy. He was commissioned in PAF on January 4, 1959 in the 27th GD-P course. A graduate of Fighter Leaders School, Khan commanded 9 Squadron, 33 Wing and two fighter bases-PAF Bases, Sargodha and Masroor. He also had the distinction of commanding a Fighter Wing in the United Arab Emirates air force for three years. He also participated in both the 1965 and 1971 wars and was awarded Sitara-e-Basalat for his valour. He was also decorated with Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Military), Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Military) and Sitara-eImtiaz (Military). Monitoring report

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) candidates were able to retain their seats in the by-polls held for two constituencies of Azad Kashmir Assembly on Sunday.

According to details, by-elections were held in the constituencies of Mirpur and Kotli, AJK where PTI won in LA-3 Mirpur while PPP candidates won in LA-12 Kotli. Polling was held at 12 Kotli and LA 3 Mirpur for by-elections. The polling process continued uninterrupted from 8 am to 5 pm. Strict security arrangements were made during the polling and the army was also ordered to be ready to deal with any untoward incident. The total number of registered voters in LA-3 Mirpur is 85,917, 148 in the constituency. Polling stations were set up, with the main contest being between PTI’s Yasir Sultan Chaudhry and PML-N’s Chaudhry Muhammad Saeed.

According to unconfirmed and unofficial results, PTI candidate Yasir Sultan Chaudhry won the election securing 20,142 votes while PML-N candidate Chaudhry Saeed got 11,608 votes. The total number of voters in LA-12 Kotli constituency of Azad Kashmir is 1,06,428. 198 polling stations were set up in the constituency, out of which 101 polling stations were declared as most sensitive and 36 as sensitive. Per unofficial results, Aamir Yaseen defeated PTI’s Shaukat Farid Advocate by securing over 23,000 votes while PTI’s candidate Chaudhry Shaukat Farid could manage around 19,000 votes. staff report

ISLAMABAD staff report

A crucial meeting of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) led by its chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman will be held in Islamabad tomorrow (Monday).

The meeting will be participated by heads of all political parties of the alliance formed against the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

According to reports in this regard, Fazl called prominent PDM leaders, wherein it was decided to offer the incumbent government a tough time from every front using the platform.

The huddle will mull recommendations made in the meeting held in Karachi, and seek conclusive opinion of the members regarding the aspects related to the long march planned for Islamabad.

The participants of the all-crucial meeting will also consider the opposition’s role in the upcoming joint session of the parliament.

It would also consult on Afghanistan’s current situation and opposition’s joint strategy in this regard.

A day earlier, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif stepped up pressure on the government, seeking ‘transparent early elections’ in

the country to steer it out of its current crises.

The development came after JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who heads the opposition alliance, met the opposition leader in National Assembly at the latter’s residence in Lahore. The two leaders discussed various issues including political situation of the country and rising inflation, particularly the recent hike in the prices of petrol and electricity.

Speaking on the occasion, Fazl said the anti-government alliance was serious and strengthened in its goal of toppling the Imran Khanled government.

Afghanistan to plunge into crisis if promised aid not delivered, impacting Pakistan ISLAMABAD reuters

The world should urgently provide promised aid to Afghanistan, the UN refugee agency said, warning that a lack of resources is hampering efforts to avert an economic crisis that could push fresh flows of refugees to its neighbours and beyond.

“The humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan remains really dire,” Babar Baloch, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said in an interview in

Islamabad.

“The focus has to be inside Afghanistan to avoid and avert another refugee crisis.”

Since the Taliban took over Afghanistan on August 15, the country — already struggling with drought and severe poverty from decades of war — has seen its economy all but collapse.

Most of the nation’s international assistance has been cut off, though there are exceptions for humanitarian aid. Billions of dollars in central bank assets held abroad have also been frozen, which has put pres-

sure on the banking system.

“Our worry is Afghan suffering will increase, the impact will be inside […] but also it could be beyond Afghanistan […] in terms of displacement not only to countries like Pakistan and Iran that have been generous hosts of refugees for decades, but beyond.”

The total needed for humanitarian operations in Afghanistan in the next few months is $600 million, Baloch said, and only 35% of that had been provided by international donors, despite promises at a recent conference in Geneva where donors pledged more

than $1 billion in aid.

“Those pledges have to turn into reality, the cash has to be there for us to step in and support […] Afghans,” he said.

Baloch added there were new challenges since the collapse of the government and the takeover of the country by the Taliban administration. The lack of commercial flights meant supplies needed to be taken in on special flights or by road.

He said a humanitarian hub had been set up in Uzbekistan to fly in supplies which were then driven across the border into

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

northern Afghanistan.

UN agencies are engaging with members of the Taliban administration, he said, adding there were some positive signs but one key issue was ensuring female local staff were able to get back to work in all parts of the country.

In Qatar, Taliban representatives asked the United States to lift a ban on Afghan central bank reserves at a meeting with US counterparts, Afghanistan’s acting foreign minister said on Saturday in remarks reported by Al Jazeera television.