EpaperISB_21-11-18

Thursday, 18 November, 2021 I 12 Rabi-us-Sani, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 140 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition

Govt ‘bulldozes’ leGislation on evMs, votinG riGhts to expats aMid opp’s ruckus g

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g Qureshi says legislation staunchly critical pml-n calls voting machines 'evil, aimed at 'washing away vicious machines darkness of past' Bilawal assures support on voting rights to overseas pakistanis But on aJk model

ISLAMABAD

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staff report

he pti-led government wednesday achieved a crucial victory in the parliament’s joint session as it got the elections (amendment) Bill, 2021 passed through a majority vote, granting voting rights to overseas pakistanis and the use of electronic voting machines (evms). the opposition, in protest, tore copies of the day’s agenda and walked out of the session in protest. the bill on the use of evms was earlier deferred at the request of adviser to the prime minister on parliamentary affairs Babar awan but it was later put up for a vote. the joint session of both chambers of parliament was convened to debate two dozen legislative items, including the contentious electoral reforms bills which last week witnessed 11th-hour postponement of a similar sitting following tensions in the ruling coalition over the long-

promised reforms. following the protest, leaders of opposition parties gathered in the chambers of the opposition leader shehbaz sharif to ponder over a future course of action. the rather unanticipated development came hours after the government deferred voting on one of the proposals related to the introduction of evms following fierce resistance from the opposition benches which warned it would reject the results of the 2023 polls ‘right away’ if the government attempted to ‘bulldoze’ the legislation. in order to avoid a situation where lawmakers from the opposition and government got into a physical altercation, the sergeants-at-arms were seen standing shoulder-to-shoulder to create a barrier between the two sides. the bills were passed through a majority vote as 221 lawmakers supported the bills while opposition managed to poll 203 votes.

coronavirus in

pakistan

CONFIRMED CASES:

1,280,362

LAST UPDATED AT 9:52 AM ON NOVEMBER 17, 2021

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

NEW CASES:

10

270

RECOVERED:

DEATHS:

1,229,347 28,628 SINDH:

PUNJAB:

473,293

442,068

KPK:

BALOCHISTAN:

179,276 AJK/GB: 34,517/10,403

33,422 ISLAMABAD:

107,383

the opposition argued that as per the rules of procedure and conduct of Business in the national assembly, 2007, the government required a majority of the total membership of the na and senate to get a bill passed in a joint session, which amounts to 223 members. however, the government side contended that as per article 72 of the constitution, it required a simple majority of the members present during a joint sitting to get a bill passed. na speaker asad Qaiser ruled that the constitution held precedence over the rules. pakistan tehreek-i-insaf (pti) government said it aimed at introducing electoral reforms to ensure transparency in the next general elections to be held in 2023. the use of evms and an internetbased voting regime, for pakistan nationals living abroad, are two main points of the reform package proposed by the government. these reforms have been suggested in the context of the controversymarred last general elections in 2018 whose results were objected to by the opposition parties. the last general polls, like the previous ones, were held in the country while using the conventional voting system. one of the major controversies surrounding the conduct of the last polls was the near-breakdown of the result transmission system (rts) developed by the election commission of pakistan (ecp) for electronic dispatch of results of every polling station for its compilation by the electoral officials. earlier, the bill on the use of evms was deferred at the request of adviser to the prime minister on parliamentary affairs Babar awan, but it was later taken up again and put up to a vote.

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Opposition geared up to challenge constitutional amendments in SC ppp chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, while addressing the media after the opposition walked out from the session in protest, jeered at the the government for making amendments and said the opposition would raise a voice against the move on all relevant forums. the ppp chairperson stated that “the entire nation must be informed that the government did not win but lost during the joint session today” Bilawal further elaborated there were separate rules for a joint session of parliament and a normal session. “and i tried my best to draw the attention of treasury benches and national assembly (na) speaker towards rules pertaining to a joint session in the 1973 constitution,” he stated. he further explained that as per the rules, the government required more than half the votes of the combined strength of the two houses of parliament to pass a bill through a joint session. the ppp chairperson elaborated that if there were 342 members in the na and 100 in the senate, the government needed at least 222 votes to get a bill passed through a joint session. “if the treasury benches are unable to cross this number, no law is

Electoral reforms to ensure fair, transparent elections: Fawad ISLAMABAD staff report

minister for information and Broadcasting fawad chaudhry on wednesday felicitated the nation, particularly nine million overseas pakistanis, and said the passage of electoral reforms package would ensure free, fair and transparent elections in the country. talking to media outside parliament house, fawad said the passage of bills related to use of electronic voting machines (evms) and grant of right to vote to overseas pakistanis has proved once again that the pakistan tehreek-e-insaf (pti) is the largest party of the country, having broad-based support of the masses from every nook and corner of the country. he said the majlis-e-shoora has approved unprecedented legislation related to basic rights of citizens, adding that foundation of free and fair elections has been laid. he thanked the coalition partners for extending support to the government. there will be i-voting system for pakistanis living abroad, adding that election is the responsibility of the election commission of pakistan while

passed,” he continued, saying that the opposition’s stance was that no laws were passed today, be it a law for the use of electronic voting machines (evms) or “giving an nro to kulbhushan Jadhav — an indian spy.

Bilawal went on to assert that if the government would insist that the new legislations were according to the law, “we will challenge them in the supreme court” and contest them at every forum. “today, no law has been passed for evms, no nro was given to kulbhushan Jadhav, because the government did not have the [required] numbers.” he added that the government had set aside all parliamentary procedures and norms to show that they had succeeded.

“But it is my appeal to the media, and it is its responsibility [as well], to make the people understand that the government has not been successful.” while speaking about the ruckus witnessed during the joint session, he stated that the country was going through a difficult time and the nation was looking to parliament to address and solve its problems. news desk

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more inside

TRG Pakistan shares tumble as CEO Chishti gets embroiled in sexual assault case STORY ON BACK PAGE

legislation is the responsibility of parliament. he said the legislation would help protect the rights of women and children. special courts for women and children would be set up. he said that government made optimum effort to evolve consensus with the opposition on electoral reforms and adopt the bill unanimously, but the opposition played a negative role in the legislation process.

EVM TO Play aS NEUTRal EMPIRE; SayS ShIblI FaRaz: federal minister for science and technology, senator syed shibli faraz wednesday said that the

electronic voting machine (evm) will play the role of neutral umpire in the electoral process. “the way prime minister imran khan brought a neutral umpire in cricket to end controversies; evm will play the role of neutral umpire in the electoral process”, the minister said while talking to the media after passage of a bill in the joint session of parliament related to the use of evms in election. the federal minister said that elections in the country have always been controversial due to which democracy could not be strengthened.

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peace time training mandatory to meet any eventuality: gen Bajwa STORY ON PAGE 03

Rupee surge against US dollar continues STORY ON BACK PAGE

dg-isi gen faiz pays farewell call on president alvi STORY ON PAGE 03

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Thursday, 18 November, 2021 | ISLAMABAD

NEwS

PAKIStAN SLAMS reStrIctIoNS oN FrIDAy PrAyerS IN INDIA StAte ISLAMABAD

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AnAdolu Agency

AKISTAN on Wednesday strongly condemned the restrictions imposed on Friday prayers and attacks on Muslim worship places in India. In a statement, the Foreign Office said the restrictions on offering Friday congregational prayers were imposed by the ruling Hindu nationalist party, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in Haryana.

“We are also deeply concerned over continued vandalization of mosques and attacks against prayer places of Muslims by Sangh Parivar extremists with the complicity of the BJP-ruled states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana,” said Foreign Office spokesman Asim Iftikhar Ahmad.

“In another abhorrent act of sacrilege of Muslim religious places, radical Hindu groups reportedly dumped cow dung at several places of Friday prayers,” he added.

For a month, the right-wing Hindu groups in the Gurugram district of Haryana, adjacent to the capital New Delhi, are trying to bar Muslims from Friday prayers at the government-designated locations.

On October 29, local police arrested several workers of right-wing Hindu groups in Gurugram after they tried to disrupt prayers.

Later on November 2, the local administration of Gurugram district withdrew permission for Friday prayers at eight locations out of 37 over objection from local residents, local daily The Indian Express reported.

The latest violent attacks against Muslims began last month from India’s northeastern state of Tripura when radical Hindu mobs vandalized Muslim worship places and shops.

According to the Association for Protection of Civil Rights, a civil rights group, at least 16 mosques were vandalized

London affidavit of former judge ‘testimony of Nawaz’s innocence’: Maryam ISLAMABAD stAff report

The alleged affidavit of former Gilgit-Baltistan chief judge Rana Muhammad Shamim was “the third major testimony from within the judiciary” proving the innocence of deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif and her, declared Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz. A Monday report published in The News, citing the affidavit filed in London, said former chief justice Saqib Nisar did not want Sharif and his daughter to be released on bail ahead of the general elections in July 2018. The two were convicted in a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) reference related to their ownership of four multi-million-dollar London apartments weeks before the elections on July 25. When their counsels moved the IHC for suspension of the conviction, the case was adjourned until the last week of July. Shamim, who submitted the document, claimed that Nisar directed Justice Aamer Farooq, part of the IHC bench hearing the reference against Sharifs, to ensure the fatherdaughter duo remains behind bars until the elections.

The explosive development came days before Nawaz was scheduled to appear before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in connection with the Avenfield House apartments case. Speaking outside the court which conducted a hearing on her appeal seeking annulment of her conviction in the reference, Nawaz said former IHC judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui and the late accountability judge Arshad Malik were the other two “witnesses” who “spoke the truth”. But “instead of his statement being taken seriously, he [Siddiqui] was expelled from service and his case was referred to the Supreme Judicial Council”, she said. He is still waiting for justice, Nawaz said and claimed the case of Arshad Malik was “deliberately ignored”. In July 2018, an accountability court ruled that Sharif and his family laundered money in the 1990s to pay for four luxury apartments in Park Lane, central London, drawing on allegations that resurfaced in the 2016 Panama Papers.

Accountability Court judge Mohammad Bashir sentenced Nawaz to seven years’ imprisonment, fined the family £10m and ordered the seizure of the Avenfield properties. She also received an additional one-year sentence for presenting forged documents in court. The family has long struggled to explain how the Avenfield flats came into their possession. Family members initially told different stories.

and houses and shops belonging to Muslims were set ablaze in Tripura last month.

The group said there were at least 27 confirmed incidents of right-wing mobs attacking mosques, houses, and individuals in Muslim areas.

“The senseless attacks against Muslims and their places of worship, houses, and businesses are continuing in Tripura as well despite international concern. The BJP-ruled states have arrested hundreds of individuals, including well-known advocates and journalists, under the draconian laws such as Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for raising voice against gross and systematic human rights violations of minorities particularly Muslims,” said the spokesman.

He added that right-wing Hindu groups affiliated with BJP also carried out violent attacks and destroyed Muslims’ shops, mosques, and shrines in Maharashtra state.

Islamabad called on the international community to take notice of growing

Islamophobia and violent attacks against Muslims in India and take immediate steps

Parliament approves three SECP bills including companies amendment bill ISLAMABAD MAriAM ZerMinA

The parliament on Wednesday approved three bills of the Securities Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), including the Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2021, which proposes to promote startups, business innovation, entrepreneurship, and improve general business climate and promote ease of doing business (EoDB).

The bill will now be tabled in the Senate.

As per the details, the joint sitting of parliament also approved the Secure

Transactions Act (Amendment) Bill as well as the Corporate Restructuring Companies (Amendment) Bill.

The amendment allows special privileges to be granted to startup companies engaged in technologyenabled products and services and are estimated to be the backbone of the economy going forward.

Article continues after this advertisement Similarly, private companies were allowed to issue shares other than cash, while all companies were allowed to issue employees stock option schemes and buy back their shares; earlier this

was restricted to public and public-listed companies.

In addition, private companies having paid-up capital up to Rs1 million are exempted from filing of unaudited financial statements.

To protect minority shareholder’s rights, discovery of any documents from the defendant during court proceedings is allowed whereas the threshold for member resolution has been proposed to be reduced from 10 per cent to 5pc.

Other important amendments include board resolution through circulation that is required to be signed by all directors. The proposed

Sugar prices to decline in coming days, NPMC informed ISLAMABAD stAff report

The meeting of the the National Price Monitoring Committee (NPMC) on Wednesday was told that sugar mills in Sindh and Punjab have started production, hence with arrival of new stocks of sugar in the market the prices will be lower in the coming days.

This was informed by the secretary Ministry of Industries and Production after Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Shaukat Tarin expressed concern on the high prices of sugar at retail level in Sindh and Balochistan despite the start of crushing. As per details, he stated this while presiding over the National Price Monitoring Committee (NPMC) meeting held at the Finance Division. Federal Minister for National Food Security & Research Syed Fakhar Imam, Federal Secretaries, Chairperson CCP, MD Utility Stores Corporation, Chairman TCP, Provincial Chief Secretaries, Chief Statistician PBS and other senior officers participated in the meeting.

While reviewing the price of sugar in the country, the secretary Finance informed that prices are easing out in Punjab, KP and Islamabad due to the start of crushing of crop of sugar and proactive measures of the government.

The committee also reviewed the prices of wheat, sugar, pulses, chicken and other essential food items in the country. The secretary Finance briefed the NPMC that the weekly SPI situation had increased by 1.81 per cent last week. While reviewing the price trend of eessential commodities, h apprised that prices of six essential commodities registered a decline whereas the prices of 15 items remained stable during the week under review.

He also apprised the meeting that prices of essential commodities registered decline as compared to the same period last year.

The NPMC emphasised on building strategic reserves of moong and providing incentives to farmers to produce maash pulse domestically to lessen import dependence.

The secretary Finance further updated the meeting that the prices of wheat flour bags remained consistent at Rs1,100 per 20 kg due to the proactive measures of the Punjab, KP governments and ICT administration.

Tarin expressed concern over the significant price difference of wheat flour in Sindh and Balochistan as compared to other provinces. He advised the provincial chief secretaries of both provinces to increase the daily releases of wheat to improve the supply situation in the markets and make efforts to bring the prices to a lower level.

Celebrations for Sikh founder’s birthday begin in Pakistan LAHORE AnAdolu Agency

Thousands of Sikh pilgrims from across the globe have gathered in Punjab to celebrate the 552nd birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak, the founder of their religion.

The 10-day celebration began on Wednesday in Nankana Sahib district — the birthplace of Baba Guru Nanak — located around 80 kilometres (49 miles) from Lahore.

The celebrations began with Akhand Path — a reading of 1,430 pages of Granth Sahib, the holy book of Sikhism.

Some 3,000 Sikh pilgrims from India

for the protection of minorities and their places of worship.

entered Pakistan through the Wagha border crossing to take part in the celebrations.

Despite heightened tensions, longtime rival nations have facilitated the Sikh community on the occasion of Nanak’s birth anniversary, one of the main festivals of Sikhism.

Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi issued 3,000 visas to pilgrims, enabling them to attend the celebrations, whereas New Delhi, for its part, reopened the visa-free Kartarpur crossing, which connects the two Punjabs.

An official source told AFP Tuesday the corridor had never been closed on the Pakistan side, and that they were waiting for confirmation from Indian authorities

that the pilgrims would be allowed to cross. The pilgrims will also visit their holy sites in several parts of Punjab, including Kartarpur Sahib, where Nanak settled and died in 1539. Sikh Yatrees are being welcomed upon arrival from India Notwithstanding a chill in bilateral ties over disputed Kashmir, Islamabad and New Delhi after tough negotiations had signed a landmark agreement in November 2019 to open the corridor to allow Sikh pilgrims from India to visit the holy shrine in Pakistan.

The distance between Kartarpur and the town of Gurdaspur in India is merely 3 kilometres (2 miles). But the closure of this crossing meant that Sikh pilgrims from

India had to travel, hundreds of kilometres to cross the border at Wagah, near Amritsar and then travel to Lahore, to reach Kartarpur. Kartarpur crossing was shut last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Sikh special association with Pakistan The number of Sikhs in Pakistan is estimated between 30,000-40,000, out of some 200 million population of this country. Pakistan is also home to some of the most important pilgrimage sites for Sikhs. They include the birthplace of Nanak, who was born in 1469, Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara and Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Hasan Abdal, where the handprint of Nanak is believed to be imprinted on a boulder.

amendment allows that board resolution through circulation approved by all directors shall be valid. However, keeping in view the recommendation of BoI (PRMI) and similar practice in other jurisdictions, it is proposed that board resolutions approved by the majority of directors may be considered valid.

To meet benchmarks of the World Bank’s ‘Women, Business and Law’ report, additional requirements to mention husband’s name by a married woman or widow for registration of a company have been proposed to be abolished.

6 severely burned after fire breaks out around Korangi Industrial Area NEwS DESk Six people were severely burned after a fire broke out on Wednesday in the underground line of the National Oil Refinery (NOR) near the Korangi Industrial area in Mehran Town, Karachi. As per the details, the explosion occurred when work was being done on the refinery’s underground line, which led to the blaze where six people, including four labourers and a security officer were burned. It is pertinent to note that the incident occurred near Mehran Town’s sector 15. Ambulances from the Chhipa Foundation rushed to the location after the fire was reported and shifted the injured to the hospital, with the help of the area’s residents. As per the spokesperson of the fire brigade, the fire was brought under control by two fire tenders from the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation and one from the NOR.

DG-ISI Gen Faiz pays farewell call on President Alvi ISLAMABAD news desk

Director-General of Inter-Services Intelligence (DG ISI) Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed paid a farewell call on President Dr Arif Alvi at the Aiwan-e-Sadr in Islamabad on Wednesday.

The president appreciated the efforts and services of Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed as DG ISI for security of the country, according to an official statement. Alvi also expressed his best wishes over his appointment as Peshawar Corps Commander. Prime Minister Imran Khan on October 26 notified the appointment of Lt Gen Nadeem as the new ISI chief. A notification issued by the PM’s Office last month read: “The Prime Minister has seen and approved the appointment of Lt Gen Nadeem Ahmed Anjum, HI (M) as Director General Inter-Services Intelligence, with effect from November 20, 2021.”

Thursday, 18 November, 2021 | ISLAMABAD

PeAce tIMe trAINING MANDAtory to Meet ANy eveNtuALIty: GeN BAjwA ISLAMABAD

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stAff report

HIEF of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Wednesday witnessed the culmination phase of a corps level exercise in Kharian, aimed at validating operational concepts as a sequel to Army War Games, the Inter Services Public

Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.

It said that the exercise aimed at enhancing operational preparedness of formations, encompassing defensive and offensive tasks for various contingencies.

The military’s media wing said that the exercise involved the employment of the latest weapon systems including VT4 tanks and combat air support.

Speaking on the occasion, according

ISPR statement, General Qamar appreciated the operational readiness and professionalism of participating troops.

He expressed his complete satisfaction with the performance of newly inducted Chinese VT-4 tanks equipped with sophisticated technology and the latest weapon system coupled with enhanced mobility.

The army chief stressed that realistic training in peace time is

mandatory to meet any eventuality.

“Continued practice of operational drills is imperative for effective response to wide-ranging threats,” he emphasised.

Earlier, the army chief was received

by Commander 1 Corps Lieutenant General Shaheen Mazher Mahmood upon his arrival in the exercise area followed by a comprehensive briefing on the exercise.

Top British official announces new UK immigration system for Pakistan ISLAMABAD stAff report

The UK government on Wednesday announced a new immigration system to enable the “best and brightest” to visit UK to study, work or live.

According to a statement from the British High Commission, British Permanent Home Secretary Matthew Rycroft, who is on a two-day visit to Pakistan, made the announcement for UK Home Office’s new immigration system that will “level the global playing field” for the people willing to travel to the UK. The UK and Pakistan have a long and shared history that is bolstered by the 1.6 million Pakistani diaspora in the UK that is at the heart of the ties between the two countries, and it is these people to people ties that make Pakistan a particularly important partner for the UK Home Office, the statement said.

“These ties are reliant on an effective and wellfunctioning migration relationship and the UK is committed to strengthening our visa routes and facilitating those wishing to travel between the two countries,” the statement quoted Rycroft as saying.

It said that the Pakistani students will benefit from the new graduate routes, providing an excellent opportunity for them to enter into skilled roles in the UK job market.

Rycroft said that the Home Office is delivering an immigration system that offers clear opportunities to the “brightest and best” from Pakistan to come to the UK to study, work and live.

Moreover, the top official in a range of engagements and meetings at the Ministry of Interior and associated agencies, discussed the shared priorities and future cooperation between the two countries to affirm bilateral ties.

He conferred challenges affecting operational cooperation and identified areas of mutual interest to expand collaboration.

Highlighting the ground-breaking collaboration between Metropolitan Police and Pakistani authorities last year, which resulted in getting justice for the murder of Dr Imran Farooq, Rycroft expressed his desire to work closely with the government of Pakistan to tackle shared threats and bring criminals to justice.

On recent developments in Afghanistan, Rycroft discussed various security issues including narcotics smuggling, human trafficking, and illicit finance.

This is the second visit of a senior British representative to Pakistan in the last three months.

Former Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab visited Islamabad in early September and met senior Pakistani leaders including Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

Govt ‘bulldozes’ legislation on EVMs, voting rights to expats amid Opp’s ruckus CONtINuED fROM pAgE 01 The government then moved ahead with numerous other important bills including: The International Court of Justice (Review and Re-consideration) Bill, 2021. The Islamabad Capital Territory Charities Registration, Regulation and Facilitation Bill, 2021 The National College of Arts Institute Bill, 2021.

ICJ review and reconsideration bill passed The parliament also passed a bill to provide for the right of review and reconsideration in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case to bring into effect the judgment of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

The International Court of Justice (Review and Re-consideration) Bill, 2020, was moved by Law Minister Farogh Nasim. It was passed with a majority vote.

The statement of objects and reasons of the bill says that the government of India initiated proceedings against Pakistan in the ICJ concerning alleged violations of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations in the matter of the detention and trial of an Indian national, Commander Kulbhushan Sudhir Jadhav of Indian spy agency RAW, who was sentenced to death by a military court in Pakistan in April 2017.

The ICJ gave its judgment on July 17, 2019, wherein it observed that Pakistan was under an obligation to provide by means of its own choosing effective review and reconsideration of the conviction and sentence of Jadhav, so as to ensure that full weight was given to the effect of the violation of the rights set forth in Article 36 of the Vienna Convention, taking account of paragraphs 139, 145 and 146 of the judgment. In order to give full effect to the said judgment, it is necessary that a mechanism for review and reconsideration of Pakistan’s own choice be provided.

‘EVIL, VICIOUS’ VOTING MACHINES: In his address, Shehbaz Sharif slammed the government for ‘bulldozing’ the legislative process and said the voting machines were ‘evil and vicious’ in nature.

“I have received your [speaker’s] letter. We have carefully considered it

and given you the full response. I commend the opposition members for not coming under government pressure,” he told Qaiser.

Sharif said the government and its coalition partners wanted to bulldoze the bills as they did in the past and declared the government was not sincere in creating a consensus on proposed reforms. “The nation and history will not forgive the speaker if these bills were bulldozed today, he said. In response, Qaiser said he will never violate the rules of business.

Sharif then said that in order to prove his impartiality, Qaiser should quit the PTI and the opposition parties “will welcome him with open arms”.

Only three meetings were held on the subject of electoral reforms in June, August and September, he observed, adding that during the tenure of PML-N, at least 117 meetings were held on the topic to achieve consensus.

The PTI is avoiding dialogue on these reforms because it wanted to get these ‘black laws’ passed, he reiterated.

Sharif further said the proposed electoral law was an attempt of the PTI party to prolong its tenure, adding that never in its history, Pakistan had such a “fascist” regime in power corridors.

The opposition leader also urged the speaker to prorogue the joint session so that proper debate could be held on the subject.

POLLS TRANSPARENCY SOLE AIM OF REFORMS: QURESHI Taking to the floor, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the government wanted to introduce a credible and transparent regime for elections through legislation.

He said the reforms were aimed at protecting the electoral process from being stolen. He asked the opposition parties to also vote in favour of the bills.

He pointed out that questions have always been raised on the elections held since the 1970s. He said the time had come to set a straight course and ensure the transparency and credibility of the process.

Qureshi said the government, on its part, time and again approached the opposition parties on the reforms. He recalled it repeatedly attempted to give demonstrations to the opposition parties

on the machines.

He added the aim of introducing EVMs was to ‘bury the evil designs and vicious mindset’ of imposing the sitting government’s will.

The foreign minister said the ruling coalition was fully united and had the majority in the House to get the reforms bills passed.

He said the Pakistan nationals living abroad were the country’s precious asset and they will be involved in the decisionmaking process. He said the overseas Pakistanis will be given the right to vote.

PPP SEEKS CONSENSUS: The PPP chief, who spoke before Qureshi, urged the government to achieve consensus on electoral reforms after consultations with the opposition parties.

Criticising the ‘one-sided’ electoral reforms which he said have never before been seen in Pakistan’s history, Zardari advised against haste on the matter, asserting the legislation should be impartial and give anyone the opportunity to raise objections or point fingers.

He said that if the government had followed in the footsteps of its predecessor, the PML-N, then the opposition would have taken part in the legislation process.

“If we carried out reforms together then the next election would not be controversial and it would have been the prime minister’s success.”

However, he said the opposition would not accept the results of the next election if the government continued in the manner it was proceeding in now.

He said that the PML-N and the PPP supported giving voting rights to overseas Pakistanis and noted they had representation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJ&K), calling for introducing a similar system in the rest of the country.

“How can we accept your suggestion where Pakistanis sitting in Paris, California and Britain decide for the people of Karachi and the tribal areas?

They should have their own electoral college.”

“If you have to give relief to anyone then it should be the poor people of Pakistan who are facing a multitude of problems […] how can you expect that we will permit you to use this House to

give an NRO to that Indian spy?”

CRUCIAL SESSION: Prime Minister Imran Khan arrived at Parliament House shortly before the session began.

Also before the sitting, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday, met with National Assembly Opposition Leader and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif at the latter’s chamber.

A similar session scheduled for November 11 was postponed at the last minute after the opposition MPs twice defeated the government during voting on two motions for the admissibility of the proposals.

Ahead of today’s session, Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry expressed hope MPs would adopt the law to grant voting rights to overseas Pakistanis.

In a tweet, the minister said that the PTI would complete another one of its election promises once this is done.

“The laws on electronic voting machines and voting rights for overseas Pakistanis will prove to be a milestone in strengthening democracy in Pakistan,” he said.

Today’s session was convened after the government addressed the reservations of its coalition partners and evolved consensus on the matter, said Chaudhry.

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Khan held back-to-back meetings with the leaders of allied parties including Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and Pakistan Muslim LeagueQuaid (PML-Q). However, no politician from the allied parties has spoken to the media on the matter.

Also, on Monday, Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed said the coalition allies had agreed on the bills that are to be tabled in the sitting today.

Ahmed had said it is the prime minister’s dream to introduce EVMs in elections as it would ensure transparency and resolve the issue of mistrust in the electoral system.

OPPOSITION ‘FINE TUNES’ STRATEGY: On Tuesday, Sharif contacted major leaders of the opposition and discussed with them a unified strategy for today’s session.

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PM Imran Khan finally meets attention seeker Amir Liaquat NEwS DESk Prime Minister Imran Khan met the ‘icon of Karachi’, MNA Amir Liaquat, on Wednesday after he posted a despairing message on Twitter that the premier had met several lawmakers but had no time to meet him. The prime minister gave audience to Amir Liaquat at his chambers at the Parliament House. Taking to Twitter before the session kicked off, Liaquat said: “PM met every member but [did] not have time for the ICON of Karachi.” The MNA added that he was “the man” who had won the seat for PTI from the “most crucial constituency” after he defeated his ex-senior colleague, Farooq Sattar. In the 2018 general elections, Liaquat had secured the NA245 constituency by bagging 56,615 votes, while Sattar was the runner up, who got 35,247 votes. “I have defended PM and First Lady (bhabhi) every time but he (has) no time,” the lawmaker lamented, adding: “It is OK”.

FIA takes action over sharing lady MPA’s video on social media LAHORE Agencies

Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested a man allegedly involved in sharing a video of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MPA Sania Ashiq on social media. According to the FIA, a raid was carried out in Taxila to arrest the suspect on the complaint of the MPA Sania Ashiq at the cybercrime wing of the agency. It said that an FIR has been registered against the suspect and a probe was launched against him. On October 26, PML-N MPA Sania Ashiq approached Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) cybercrime wing over TikTok and other social media content aimed at harassing her.

The Punjab MPA submitted an application with the FIA cybercrime cell saying that unidentified people have launched a defamation campaign against her on social media. “They have made my videos viral on TikTok besides also posting images on other social media platforms,” she said. The Punjab MPA further alleged that she had been receiving threatening calls and messages from multiple numbers on a daily basis. “Obscene videos have been shared with my name on social media platforms,” Sania Ashiq said in her complaint with the FIA.

SBP to be granted autonomy as parliament passes amendment bill ISLAMABAD news desk

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) is soon be granted autonomy as an amendment bill was approved in the parliament on Wednesday, bringing Pakistan a step closer to reviving the $6 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan programme. According to a report by Bloomberg in this regard, the majority of lawmakers gave an approval to amend the Banking Services Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2021, during a joint meeting of the parliament’s upper and lower houses.

The bill seeks to reduce the Finance Ministry’s oversight of the SBP by removing its nominee on the central bank’s board. As per the report, the passage of the bill would help the government in clearing at least one hurdle in the deal with the IMF for resuming the extended fund facility.

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Thursday, 18 November, 2021 | ISLAMABAD

04 NEWS

KP govt APProveS PMU to FASt trAcK gANdhArA vALLey cIty Project

Shahzad Nawaz appointed as PM’s special assistant on culture, arts islamabad: Celebrated actor and filmmaker Shahzad Nawaz has been appointed as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Culture, Arts and related Communications. A notification has also been issued in this regard by the Cabinet Division. According to the notification, the appointment has been made in terms of rule 4(6) of the Rules of Business, 1973 read with Serial No. 1A of Schedule V-A of the said Rules. staff RepoRt

Punjab Minister asks FIA to take action against online rumours about air quality index

PESHAWAR

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aziz BuNeRi

HE Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has formally approved the establishment of a dedicated Project Management Unit (PMU) to fast track the completion of proposed Gandhara Valley City project.

The approval was accorded in the 7th board meeting of Peshawar Development Authority held here the other day with Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan in the chair.

The chief minister directed the Peshawar Development Authority to immediately advertise the key positions for the establishment of the PMU and set timelines to complete hiring process in minimum possible time.

These key positions include one post of Project Manager, four positions of Deputy Project Managers, seven posts of Assistant Project Managers and two positions of Land Revenue Experts. He further directed the quarters concerned that professionals and

experts of the relevant field be hired from market for the PMU and ensure strict adherence to the relevant rules and regulations in vogue.

The forum was told that the proposed “Gandhara Valley City” covering 108000 Kanals of land would have residential and commercial portions in addition to media enclave and provincial secretariat etc adding that state of the art civic facilities would be available in the city.

It was informed that land acquisition process for the project has been started under the land sharing formula and consultant has been hired for the master planning of the project, and master plan of the project would be completed by April next year. The Chief Minister assigned Commissioner Peshawar to lead and overseas all the matters related to the fast track implementation of the project.

Provincial cabinet members Taimur Saleem Jhagra and Kamran Bangash, MPA Pir Fida Muhammad, Additional Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah, administrative secretaries of concerned departments, Commissioner Peshawar, DG PDA and

other board members attended the meeting. The forum approved to rename the Gandhara Valley City as New Peshawar City.

It also approved setting up of a Service Delivery Unit with the aim to enhance the capacity and improve service delivery of PDA. Similarly, the forum approved allotment of additional 55 Kanal land in Hayatabad for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Judicial Academy and 40 kanal of land in Regi Model Town for Forensic Science Laboratory on the notified rates of PDA. The board has decided to constitute a committee to be headed by Secretary Local Government to devise a uniform policy for installation of Base Transceiver System Towers of cellular companies in the jurisdiction of Peshawar Development Authority.

The board also approved in principle the draft of PDA Private Housing Schemes (Management & Regulations) Rules, 2021 which would be presented before the provincial cabinet for final approval. The board accorded conditional approval to the Budget estimates of PDA for fiscal year 2021-22.

lahore: Punjab Minister for Environment Protection Department (EPD) Muhammad Rizwan has said that FIA should take action against those spreading fake/unauthorized data of air quality index on social media and the internet. In a letter, Muhammad Rizwan said EPD was administering the Punjab Environmental Protection Act, 1997 to provide protection, conservation, rehabilitation and improvement for the prevention and control of pollution and promotion of sustainable development. During smog season, some unscrupulous elements had been trying to report misleading/false readings of the Air Quality Index from different unauthorized sources in Lahore on different media platforms contrary to the information by EPD, he added. The provincial minister has asked the FIA to take legal action against individuals/organizations involved in issuing fake/unauthorized data on social media and the internet without the approval of EPA. staff RepoRt

PM Imran Khan finally meets attention seeker Amir Liaquat Prime Minister Imran Khan met the ‘icon of Karachi’, MNA Amir Liaquat, on Wednesday after he posted a despairing message on Twitter that the premier had met several lawmakers but had no time to meet him. The prime minister gave audience to Amir Liaquat at his chambers at the Parliament House. Taking to Twitter before the session kicked off, Liaquat said: “PM met every member but [did] not have time for the ICON of Karachi.” The MNA added that he was “the man” who had won the seat for PTI from the “most crucial constituency” after he defeated his exsenior colleague, Farooq Sattar. News Desk

TikTok launches global report on impact of harmful challenges, hoaxes Zahir insists on counsel of own choice in Noor Mukadam case Primary accused in the Noor Mukadam murder case, Zahir Zakir Jaffer, has again refused to receive legal representation, saying that his lawyer, namely Babar, will represent him in the case. During the hearing of the case on Wednesday, Additional District & Sessions Judge Ata Rabbani instructed a lawyer named Malik Amjad to get the power of attorney signed by Zahir.

However, despite the judge’s directives, Zahir did not sign the document and refused to authorise Amjad as his attorney, saying: “He is not my lawyer. I won’t sign. My lawyer is Babar, who is a barrister [and] he is coming.”

Amjad was recommended by a relative of the accused.

Following Zahir’s refusal to grant consent for legal representation as well as the no-show of the attorney he wanted appointed, the judge remarked that his signature should now be secured at the jail. 27-year-old Noor Mukadam, daughter of a former Pakistani diplomat, was found beheaded in a posh neighbourhood of Islamabad on July 20. Police had charged Zahir, a US national and scion of one of Pakistan’s wealthiest families, with murder. After the arrest of the accused, the police had decided to add relevant clauses of the law in the case.

The case of Noor’s murder had sparked nationwide outrage with thousands of people calling on the authorities to take the case to its logical end. News Desk

31% OF TEENS EXPOSED TO THESE OF THOSE, 63% SAID NEGATIVE IMPACT WAS ON HOAXES HAD EXPERIENCED A THEIR MENTAL HEALTH NEGATIVE IMPACT ISLAMABAD staff RepoRt

TikTok, the world’s leading video platform, is designed to advance joy, connection and inspiration to millions around the world.

Fostering an environment where creative expression thrives requires that the platform also prioritizes safety for the online community, and especially younger community members. In this vein, TikTok shares the interests of parents and caregivers in this mission, and is committed to listening and working with external experts to inform its efforts.

As per a statement of TikTok, consequently, the video platform has launched a global report to better understand young people’s engagement with potentially harmful challenges and hoaxes. While not unique to any one platform, the effects and concerns are felt by all, which is why TikTok set about to learn how it might develop even more effective responses as it works to better support teens, parents, and educators.

It also hopes to contribute to a wider understanding of this area.Through this first step and the encouragement of discourse on the subject, TikTok aims to use this work with world-leading experts to make a thoughtful contribution to safety and safeguarding of families online. TikTok will continue to explore and implement additional measures on behalf of the community.

In addition to this, TikTok launched social media awareness campaigns like #AapSafeTohAppSafe to

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promote safety on the platform and recently also launched its online Safety Center in Urdu which provides resources, guidelines and policies to educate users on safety, security and privacy. TikTok has also held public webinars with leading publications in Pakistan to promote safety and continues to make efforts to make the platform a safe place for its users.

The study surveyed more than 10,000 people (including teens, parents, and teachers from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Germany, Italy, Indonesia, Mexico, UK, US, and Vietnam) and consulted experts from around the world. It commissioned Praesidio Safeguarding, an independent safeguarding agency, to write a report to capture key findings and recommendations.

The report was written by Dr. Zoe Hilton, Director and Founder of Praesidio Safeguarding. The study convened a panel of 12 leading youth safety experts from around the world to review and provide input into Dr. Hilton’s report. It partnered with Dr. Richard Graham, a clinical child psychiatrist specializing in healthy adolescent development, and Dr. Gretchen Brion-Meisels, a behavioral scientist specializing in risk prevention in adolescence to guide and advise us.

Key learning about how online challenges and hoaxes are experienced: Online challenges: Online challenges or dares typically involve people recording themselves doing something difficult, which they share online to encourage others to repeat. The majority are fun and safe, such as the Ice Bucket Challenge or #Blinding-

LightsChallenge, but some promote harmful behaviors including the risk of serious injury.

When asked to describe a recent online challenge, 48% of teens said recent challenges they had seen were safe, categorizing them as fun or light-hearted, 32% included some risk but were still safe, 14% were described as risky and dangerous, while 3% of online challenges were described as very dangerous. Just 0.3% of teens said they had taken part in a challenge they categorised as really dangerous.

Teens use a range of methods to understand the risks that may be involved in online challenges before they participate, such as watching videos of others taking part in challenges, reading comments, and speaking to friends – 46% said they want “good information on risks more widely” and “information on what is too far.” suicide and self-harm hoaxes: Some challenges are hoaxes. A hoax is a lie intentionally planted to trick people into believing something that isn’t true. The purpose of a malicious hoax is to spread fear and panic. 31% of teens have felt a negative impact of internet hoaxes and, of those, 63% said the negative impact was on their mental health. 56% of parents said they wouldn’t mention a hoax unless a teen had mentioned it first, and 37% of parents felt hoaxes are difficult to talk about without prompting interest in them. removing warning videos: The research showed how warnings about self-harm hoaxes – even if shared with the best of intentions – can impact the wellbeing of teens since they often treat the hoax as real.

While TikTok already removes and takes action to limit the spread of hoaxes, to further protect the community the platform will start to remove alarmist warnings.

Thursday, 18 November, 2021 | ISLAMABAD

OPPOsITIOn gEArEd uP TO chAllEngE cOnsTITuTIOnAl AmEndmEnTs In sc contInueD froM pAge 01

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T is a pity […] that politicians, when they gathered for the joint session, instead of addressing the difficulties faced by people were adding to their problems,” he remarked.

On the other hand, Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif said, “Today is a black day in parliament’s history.”

He also explained that the rules for a joint session stated that the government needed around 222 votes to pass a law and it did not have the required votes today.

Referring to the pandemonium in the joint session, he said the opposition cited references from the law and Constitution to show that the government did not have the required number of votes to pass the amendments.

“But the speaker did not listen to us,” he complained. “They were bent on getting the bill for the use of EVMs and other bills passed.”

The opposition leader continued that they had approached the speaker during the session and told him about their reservations and objections.

“I told him that you are being unfair, that you had assured of not toeing the party line, but he did the opposite. He did not listen to us.”

Shehbaz went on to state that, “Today, we saw a speaker-PTI nexus as we have seen the NAB-Niazi nexus in the past.”

“I kept on asking him to open my microphone,” but to no avail, he added.

While reiterating that today was a “black day in parliament’s history”, he stated that the opposition had also pointed out that just eight countries in the

world had adopted the use of EVMs for elections and nine had even rejected it.

“Laws and rules were trampled today and consequently, we were compelled to boycott the session and come here to tell the nation how they (government) is playing with its fate in parliament.”

Contrary to that, Information and Broadcasting Minister Fawad Chaudhry later said that opposition “sound defeated”.

Criticising the opposition for not supporting the bills, he remarked: “They will remember this defeat for long.”

“Their speeches were those of exhausted pehalwans (wrestlers), and they have lost all hope,” he said while speaking to the media in Islamabad.

The minister stated that the government had made all-out efforts to develop a consensus on electoral reforms and other bills and invited the opposition multiple times for talks.

“But unfortunately, due to the opposition’s negative attitude, we had to pass the bills without its participation.”

Chaudhry continued that the opposition’s dreams of moving a no-confidence motion against Senate Chairperson Sadiq Sanjrani had also shattered today and they were forced to wake up to the reality.

“Today, they must have realised where they stand and what is their political status.”

He added that those who used to allege that “institutions were supporting the PTI government” would have also realised today what the reality was.

The minister further stated that the passing of the bills through the joint parliamentary session was a confirmation of the PTI being the biggest party in the Senate and NA. Chaudhry said the government was

again inviting the opposition to hold talks on the matter and change its strategy.

“Stop being stubborn as you cannot oust us.”

While speaking about the bills presented in the joint session today, he said the most important of them were the amendments that would allow the use of EVMs and grant voting rights to overseas Pakistanis. He assured that the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP’s) reservations on the amendments had been addressed and its recommendations incorporated in the bills.

“And if the MQM (Muttahida Qaumi Movement) has any recommendations, we will incorporate them as well.”

And, he added, parliament would decide how elections would be held. “The ECP will only [make arrangements] for holding elections.”

Moreover, he stated that the bill for amendments to the anti-rape law had also been presented during the session for the creation of special courts for rape case proceedings and special cells for investigating these cases.

The minister revealed that around 70 bills had been presented and lawmakers were to vote on them today.

While replying to a question, he admitted that the amendments could be challenged in the court, but added that since the bills had been passed through a joint session, it would be difficult to challenge them.

He added that even if the required number of votes added up to 222, the Constitution considered votes cast by “members of the present” and hence, the passing of the bills was in accordance with the law.

The minister further announced that Prime Minister Imran would not address

the parliament’s joint session today, saying that voting on bills was to continue for long.

Earlier in the day, the opposition formed a committee to challenge the constitutional amendments made by the ruling government in the Supreme Court (SC).

The opposition parties’ strong objections to the government bills and amendments continue unabated.

Following a meeting ahead of the session, the opposition decided to challenge the constitutional amendments in the SC and set up a committee, which includes PPP leaders Farooq Naik and Kamran Murtaza, and PML-N’s Ata Tarar.

The nerve-wracking contest in the parliament has begun with the NA Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif calling EVMs ‘evil and vicious machines.’

According to the data obtained from political parties, the ruling party and its allies have a total of 221 voters, including 179 MNAs and 42 senators.

The opposition, on the other hand, has a total of 219 members, including 162 MNAs and 57 senators.

It is to note that two members of the parliament from the ruling coalition, Faisal Sabzwari and Khalid Magsi, were unable to return to Pakistan in time, while PPP’s Syed Naveed Qamar from the opposition was diagnosed with dengue and will not be able to attend the session.

Other opposition members, PPP MNA Nawab Yousuf Talpur and BNP’s Akhtar Jan Mengal were unable to reach the parliament, while Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement’s (PTM) leader Ali Wazir will not participate due to the non-issuance of production orders.

NEWS

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Electoral reforms to ensure fair, transparent elections: Fawad contInueD froM pAge 01 “EVM will strengthen democracy and bring political stability in the country”, he added. “Today is an important day for democracy and the whole nation deserves congratulations”, Shibli Faraz said.

Opposition leaders are ‘political dwarfs’ Criticising the opposition, Fawad Chaudhry said the opposition leaders are political dwarfs, adding that those considering to move no-confidence motion against government functionaries should have a second thought about their assessments. He said he has predicted in the morning that Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif are the ‘defeated people’.

PTI fulfilled promise of granting voting rights to overseas Pakistanis: Asad ISLAMABAD staff report

After a landmark victory in Parliament’s joint session on Wednesday by passing the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2021, Planning and Special Initiatives Minister Asad Umar said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) long struggle over several years to get overseas Pakistanis the right to vote, finally achieved success.

After getting the bill passed, the government has enabled voting rights to overseas Pakistanis and the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs). According to the bill, moved by Adviser on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) shall, with the technical assistance of NADRA and any other authority or agency, enable overseas Pakistanis in prescribed manner subject to secrecy and security to exercise their right to vote during the general elections. It also authorises the ECP to procure electronic voting machines for the casting of votes in general elections. “Special congrats to all overseas Pakistanis who despite strong opposition by the PDM parties today got the right to vote thru [through] an internet based voting system,” Asad wrote on his official Twitter handle.

New Khanki Barrage improving agri output, income of farming families: ADB ISLAMABAD app

The New Khanki Barrage has increased agricultural output and income of over half a million farming families in addition to providing far-reaching social and economic benefits, particularly for women and girls, through new health, education, recreation, and other community infrastructure, according to a report by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The New Khanki Barrage was replaced the Khanki Headworks, one of the oldest bar-

BOI starts e-Kachehry on regular basis for interacting with investors IISLAMABAD staff report

The Board of Investment (BOI), has began conducting regular ekachehry programs in a bid to address investment related issues.

The interaction program conducted by Secretary BoI, Fareena Mazhar here Wednesday, was participated by a large number of investors and members of the business fraternity who shared their queries.

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rages in Pakistan as the old barrage was no longer able to safely regulate the river during strong floods, thus risking serious loss of life and property in the event of a major flood. The replacement is among the latest government efforts to implement its long-term investment plan of rehabilitating and improving Punjab’s irrigation infrastructure.

The report states that New Khanki Barrage has achieved its objectives of providing increased and sustained agricultural production and income, and increased resilience against damage from future natural disasters.

The impact of improved agriculture production and farm income in the Lower Chenab Canal command area was measured by two target indicators. The first was a 10 per cent increase in cropping intensity over the 2011 baseline by 2020. The overall irrigated area under crops growing in the project districts increased from 3.32 million ha in 2011 to 3.56 million ha by 2016, a gain of more than 7pc, and 10pc by 2020.

The second target was a 10pc increase in average farm income of 25,000 farming families in the same period.

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Thursday, 18 November, 2021

06 COMMENT

Dealing with the gas crisis

Forcing decisions will lead to confrontation Avoid polarizing the country

The gasification of Thar coal is also needed

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night before the joint session of Parliament those with magical powers brought back the PTI’s dissenting allies to the fold. “The government has addressed the reservations of the coalition partners and will now carry out the pending legislations in the house with their support,” Fawad Chaudhry said. The move strengthens the view that the establishment still backs the PTI despite recent fracas on the appointment of the DG ISI. After assurances of support from its coalition partners followed by some behind-the-scenes management, the government appeared confident of getting some two dozen bills passed in one go in the Joint Session on Wednesday despite having a mere two-vote majority. With a partisan Speaker bent upon announcing as passed whatever bill was presented without proper counting according to Opposition, the Second Election Amendment bill was declared to have been passed with 221 votes in favour with 203 against. The opposition challenged the count, tore the copies of resolution and announced boycott. Similarly passed were the bills for right of vote to Pakistanis abroad and the bill supporting use of EVMs. The ECP has rejected the EVMs on solid grounds.

The Commission has already conveyed 37 objections in writing to Parliament. These include the possibility of introducing changes in the EVM software any time.

Also, since EVMs can be hacked, the machines cannot conduct free, transparent elections. In a letter written to the Senate committee chairman last month the ECP warned that EVMs can open up possibility of ‘more sophisticated fraud’.

With serious objections from the constitutional body assigned the task of conducting the elections, the government cannot get away by passing a resolution with the help of its parliamentarians while opposed by nearly as many opposition parliamentarians. The issue could end up at the Supreme Court as well as provide the combined opposition a cause célèbre for agitation.

Dr FariD a Malik

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n the year 1952, one of the largest (12 TCF) gas deposits were discovered in the Dear Bugti area of Balochistan. Since then there has been no looking. Pakistan remained an Energy Surplus nation till around 2004. Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) a joint venture company of Government of Pakistan and Burmah Oil Company, a multinational, started pumping out gas.

Two public sector corporations are responsible for transmission and distribution of this important national resource through an extensive state of the art network of underground pipelines built through indigenous technical knowhow. Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) covers Sindh and Balochistan while Sui northern Gas Company Limited (SnGPL) has been tasked to provide gas to Punjab and KPK. It was a gift of the founding generation of the new land which was supposed to last for a century but due to mismanagement and overuse, it has depleted much before its time.

Initially the gas shortfall was around 1200 mmcfd (Million Cubic Feet Per Day) now it stands at 2000 mmcfd. Liquified natural Gas (LnG) is being imported from Qatar to meet the shortfall. It is a complicated mechanism. The gas is first liquefied for transportation in special vessels. It is then delivered at the port terminal and then regasified (RLnG) to be added to the transmission network. Due to worldwide shortages the prices have hit the ceiling (Above $ 30 per mmbtu) which has created serious challenges for gas-dependent countries like Pakistan.

In 2004, the Planning Commission formed an En-

Getting an IMF deal The conditions placed are harsh, but does the government have a choice?

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M’s Finance Adviser Shaukat Tarin explained, while talking to the press after the Corporate Philanthropy Awards on Tuesday in Islamabad, that the IMF demanded that Pakistan carry out five steps before the IMF Extended Fund Facility of $6 billion could be resumed. Perhaps the one the government is going ahead with first is the hike in the policy rate by 75 to 100 basis points, from 7.25 percent to 8 or 8.25 percent. This would explain the urgency with which the State Bank of Pakistan has summoned a meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee, which sets the policy rate, ahead of schedule.

One of the IMF demands has to do with the SBP’s independence, which it wants legislated, by Parliament, and not through an ordinance. As there is a current of opinion within the government that sees such an amendment as untenable unless the Constitution is amended, the cooperation of the Opposition would be needed, something not politically feasible when it so strongly opposes the IMF package.

Other steps include a further devaluation of the rupee as well as hike in power tariffs, the current devaluation and recent tariff hike being seen by the IMF as inadequate. Both steps would be directly inflationary, and would be almost impossible to bear for the masses, which have already borne the burden of a massive devaluation, but have not yet absorbed the shock of higher energy costs.

The government is clearly in a bind. On the one hand, it badly needs the resumption of the ESAF. not only will it provide it the money it needs to stay afloat, but it will also keep it in good standing with other lenders like the World Bank and the ADB. It will also mean that it will borrow from the financial institutions at a better rate than without the package. However, while it may have learnt that it cannot get an easing of conditions merely by negotiations, it also will have to find some way of avoiding punishment at the hustings for the conditions it has accepted.

Today is World Philosophy Day

MuhaMMaD ali alvi

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society is the sum of all social, political and economic contributions of individuals living together by sharing a common culture, language, belief or religion. And, an individual is the cornerstone of society. Both society and individuals are interdependent.

Philosophy is defined as the love of wisdom or the search for wisdom. It is an attempt in pursuit of knowledge. According to Fichte, philosophy is the science of knowledge. A society that gives importance to philosophy is a rational and prejudice-free society.

In philosophy, it is said that every individual is a philosopher by nature. Because human beings are inquisitive. And, when they try to find answers to their questions they are indeed striving for knowledge. As philosophy is the search for knowledge so basically they are adopting a philosophical method. And when they find an answer to those questions, it becomes their philosophy. It can be right, wrong, prejudiced or prejudice-free.

Philosophy is divided into two kinds: a) Personal philosophy, and b) Systematic philosophy.

Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor

Yousaf Nizami M. A. Niazi

Umar Aziz

Joint Editor

Joint Editor

Executive Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

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

Society survives on the heels of philosophy

Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami

Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

ergy Foresight committee under the Chairmanship of Engr Munawar Baseer Ahmad (Late) who was then the Managing Director (MD) SSGC. As Chairman Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF) I was tasked with exploring the use of coal as a fuel alternative.

I called a meeting of all the Coal Miners in the country to agree on the way forward. There was consensus that large scale commercial mining was the biggest challenge. A proposal was formulated to form a Mining Company to start digging at Thar, one of the largest Coal deposits of the world (175 billion tons). As minerals are a provincial subject, I travelled to Karachi to meet the minister with an offer to form a Public Sector company funded by the Federal Government headquartered in Karachi under the Chairmanship of the Chief Minister under professional management. The minister insisted on producing electricity with no plans for extracting coal. Despite my insistence and very benevolent offer he did not budge, clearly indicating a vested approach. My term ended in 2005 but I kept going.

In 2009, Sardar Assef Ahmed Ali was appointed Deputy Chairman Planning Commission. I approached him with a proposal to start digging at Thar for a test mine to establish mineability of the deposit and to obtain bulk samples for testing. He was very supportive of the approach, but in the meeting Member Science of the Commission floated the idea of Under Ground Gasification (UGC) without the need for mining. As a small pilot project it was also approved with my nod. Unfortunately the UGC Project kept the entire development hostage and no digging took place. Then EnGRO jumped in under the leadership of Engr Khalid Mansoor and Asad Umar the MD. An MOU was signed with the Government of Sindh to provide Coal while EnGRO desired to produce power by burning it. We had a meeting with the group in Karachi in which their flawed approach was opposed. neither the provincial government was in a position to provide coal nor funding for producing power generation by burning it was possible. The deadline for financial closure in 2012 was missed.

Finally sense prevailed, under the leadership of Shamsuddin Sheikh EnGRO formed SEMEC (Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company) under public private partnership. Then CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor) came to the rescue and funding was provided.

In August 2018 I was invited to visit the first mine and touch the Black Gold, for me it was a dream come true. Since then I have been working on converting this gift of nature into clean fuel through the time tested above ground Gasification process to pro-

duce SnG (Synthetic natural Gas) to replace the expensive, imported LnG. The President, Prime Minister, former Chairman CPEC, former SAPM, Sindh Minister for Energy were all in favour of Gasification of Thar Coal yet it has not started. Former Chairman CPEC agreed to form a Gasification Group with all the major Urea Companies (FFC, EnGRO, Fatima). Urea production after Gasification seems to be the most viable option together with providing gas to the CnG sector. My paper titled, “Producing SnG from Thar Coal in Pakistan” was presented in the International Pittsburgh Coal Conference in 2018.

It includes all the details including the visit report to the Dakota Gas Company that produces 170 million cubic feet of gas daily from their Lignite Coal deposit very similar to Thar Coal. If the cost of LnG crosses $ 8 per mmbtu, SnG becomes viable.

With the current selling price of LnG above $ 30, SnG is very reasonable. All homework has been done, I am in touch with all the players, a green signal and some funding can launch the project which has been repeatedly hijacked by old vested interests.

The Gasifiers can be put into operation at Thar and then connected with the main gas transmission line 230 Kilometers away.

Challenging times call for out-of-box solutions.

Unfortunately in the land of the pure even within-box alternatives are not pursued.

I was involved with a CnG project in Ireland where imported natural gas was to be used as CnG for all trucks of the European Union (EU). Gas networks Ireland (GnI) had launched a a programme called Alternate Fuel Infrastructure Development (AFID). As a short term arrangement Gas Storage was planned together with special transportation vehicles to deliver CnG on the EU routes. There was a concept of establishing a Mother Station connected with Daughter Stations for distribution of CnG. Such an approach can also be considered for Pakistan to pick up gas from Turkmenistan, Iran, Russia and then tranported through the land route as a quick short term fix of our gas crisis. Also most Oil Companies produce gas which is wasted as the price offered is very low. With LnG above $30 per mmbtu all alternate options should be explored including speeding up our own gas exploration and transmission including shale gas also. no crisis is insurmountable if the right players combine with the will to deliver. CnG through land route can effectively compete with the expensive LnG being shipped from Qatar at an exorbitant, unaffordable cost.

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Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

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When an individual has a point of view or an opinion, it is its personal philosophy. And, when its philosophy fulfils universal standards and rational parameters it transforms into systematic philosophy.

When personal philosophy transforms into systematic philosophy, all prejudices, rigidness, narrow-mindedness, strictness, fanaticism, extremism and myths are removed and it no longer remains a personal approach as it becomes universal, common and collective wisdom and it is acceptable to all.

The same applies to society. When individuals and groups live together and engage in dialogue it results in a systematic philosophy of a society that is universal and acceptable for all and leaves behind all ills which would be regressive for society otherwise.

When individuals or groups live together they are bound to have differences of opinion, approaches and views regarding religion, politics, economy or other social phenomenons. And when these differences are not debated with reason and rather addressed with emotions then a culture of prejudices, extremism, rigidness, myths and intolerance takes control of society.

“The man who has no tincture of philosophy goes through life imprisoned in prejudices derived from common sense, from the habitual beliefs of his age or his nation and from convictions which have grown up in his mind without the cooperation or consent of his deliberate reason” (Bertrand Russell).

It is at this point philosophy plays an important role. Philosophy removes superstitions, prejudices, myths, rigidness and intolerance from individuals and ultimately from society by valuing reason instead of emotions. It gives courage to question, dissent and helps in revealing truth based on reason. It cultivates tolerance, rationality, ethics and common wisdom in society.

Philosophy provides a base for the evolution of society through dialect. A society has to evolve with time. It cannot remain constant. But in the absence of philosophy, neither revolution nor evolution takes place. As negation of philosophy is also a philosophy so with dialect and dialogue a society progresses with systematic evolution and collective wisdom.

A society in a relationship with philosophy cannot be controlled, fooled or coerced easily. As reason is at the heart of philosophy, it gives courage to individuals to identify and support the truth and expose

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Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

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and shun the lie. It gives power to the individuals to place a check on the governments as it is difficult for the governments and politicians to trick the individuals with the weapon of emotions.

The absence of philosophy in a society gives space to the emotions and passions that run the individuals. Emotions become the basis of fanaticism which disintegrates society. As philosophy promotes reason, it unites individuals on commonalities between them rather than dividing them on differences.

On the other hand, uncontrolled emotions, passions and pseudo dogmas give rise to social viruses like racism, extremism and prejudice.

Today’s age is the age of disinformation and misinformation. It is very easy for individuals or groups to fall prey to disinformation. But, philosophy through reason inspires them to search for the truth and find reality based on truth.

The lack of debate, dialect and dissent culture and a reason-based environment has contributed to rising extremism, fanaticism and rigidness in Pakistan. The balance between reason and emotion has tilted towards emotions.

Philosophy as a discipline should be introduced in the curriculum for students at school, college and university levels. It will bring a culture of tolerance by creating a balance between reason and emotions, by creating a reason-based environment for dialogue and dissent and by discouraging fanaticism and extremism.

Pakistan must give importance to philosophy as the majority of its population is young so it will give them a conducive environment to play their part in the progress of the state.

It is need of the hour to endorse philosophy globally and every society should value philosophy and give importance to it as the world today is plagued by social evils and viruses such as racism, classism, extremism, discrimination, inherent prejudices, and intolerance. The only solution is to cultivate tolerance by promoting the culture of dialogue, debate, dialect and mutual acceptance of all. It is only possible by promoting philosophy in society.

Lastly, it should be kept in mind that philosophy is oxygen for society and little or no oxygen leads to suffocation and death.

The writer is freelance columnist

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

06-07 Comments - 18th November 2021_Layout 1 11/18/2021 12:30 AM Page 2

Thursday, 18 November, 2021

COMMENT 07 Editor’s mail Send your letters to: Letters to Editor, Pakistan Today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan.

E-mail: letters@pakistantoday.com.pk Letters should be addressed to Pakistan Today exclusively

Technological development is essential

Bangladesh needs Sri Lanka in Rohingya refugee crisis solution Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Myanmar cooperation would boost the whole region Pathik hasan

F

OR decades, Myanmar has gone through extreme cruelty to the Rohingya, never cared about the law. The Rohingya problem is not new to Bangladesh. This problem, which started in 1978, became apparent in August 2017. More than 1 million Rohingyas fled to Bangladesh to save their lives when the Myanmar army launched a brutal operation against the Rohingya ethnic group. Bangladesh is seeking the intervention of the USA, the European Union and the United nations as well as the regional alliance, ASEAn, for a lasting and acceptable solution to the Rohingya problem. now Bangladesh is facing serious problems because of this artificial crisis created by Myanmar. Some socio-economic threats are rising in Bangladesh. Bangladesh has given shelter to Rohingyas for humanitarian reasons. But because of this humanity, the country is now at risk. As a result, there is a danger of Rohingyas spreading all over the country, and there are also many challenges The forest is being uprooted, they are cutting down the mountains and destroying them. There are also long-term economic risks. Soci-economic and political problems may also be evident, and security risks may increase. Illegal narcotics trade, human trafficking, prostitution, terrorism in Rohingya camps is increasing in camps.

Bangladesh and Myanmar signed an agreement to repatriate the Rohingya to Myanmar within two years in 2017 and 2019 respectively.

The Myanmar authority did not take back the Rohingyas according to the agreement. It is true that they don’t want to repatriate Rohingyas back to Myanmar. Bangladesh raised the issue in every international forum. Many countries have supported Bangladesh. But Myanmar has no respect for international law and norms. Some mighty powers may have influence behind the scenes.

The Bangladesh Prime Minister has raised the issue at UnGA on September 25 to draw attention in solving the Rohingya crisis. She has focused especially on the engagement of ASEAn leaders. It is ASEAn which can solve the Rohingya refugee problem easily.

As a South Asian country and well trusted friend of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka can easily solve it. Sri Lanka can be a mediator in this regard. Sri Lanka has very warm relations with both Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Various countries and international organizations have taken various measures to solve the Rohingya problem. Former Un Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has criticized Myanmar authorities for being lax in repatriating displaced Rohingya. Un Secretary General Antonio Guterres has expressed deep concern over the ongoing Rohingya crisis. Yang Lee, the Un special envoy for human rights in Myanmar, said all major countries in the world had a responsibility to resolve the Rohingya crisis.

In this regard, Sri Lanka can and should play a very significant role to solve the crisis such ways: 1. Sri Lanka can support Bangladesh at every

2.

3.

4.

5.

international forum such as at UnGA, regional conference. They can vote in favour of Bangladesh. They can raise the issue in BIMSTEC and SAARC platforms.

Sri Lanka can negotiate with Myanmar diplomatically and bilaterally. It has good bilateral relations with Myanmar) Sri Lanka can engage with others regional states to solve the crisis.

Sri Lanka’s Buddhist society can play an effective role in this regard. The relations of Theravada Buddhists between Myanmar and Sri Lanka are well established. Sri Lankan Buddhist can do it very easily. Buddhism is more related to establishment of Peace and non-violence. Sri Lankan Buddhists can play a significant role in this regard. They can exercise the path shown by the founder of Buddhism, Gautama Buddha. Buddhist will be recognized as the Avatar of human rights if the Buddhist community plays a role in solving the Rohingya crisis. It will ensure the regional, to some extent world, peace and communal harmony.

Sri Lanka’s businessmen can engage to some extent.

Because stability in the region is very needed for investment.

strained ties can be found.

7. Bangladesh has been supporting Sri Lanka at every international forum. For example, in a vote on March 23, the Un Human Rights Council has been given a mandate to collect and preserve information and evidence of crimes related to Sri Lanka’s civil war. In the resolution brought by Britain on behalf of a group of countries, 22 countries voted in favour of the text, 11 opposed and 14 abstained, including Sri Lanka’s neighbors, India and nepal, and most Muslim majority countries. Bangladesh, Pakistan and Uzbekistan voted against the motion. now it is time and duty for Sri Lanka to stand in favour of Bangladesh in her moment of crisis.

However, Bangladesh has agreed with Sri Lanka to promote bilateral trade, work together in maritime security sector like Colombo Security Conclave. BangladeshMyanmar-Sri Lanka can work together in maritime trilateral trade, counter-terrorism approach, tourism if the problem between Bangladesh and Myanmar is solved. On the other hand, Bangladesh has contributed to Sri Lanka. Bangladesh is providing $250 million loan assistance to Sri Lanka through currency swap. Sri Lanka sought this loan assistance from Bangladesh. This (assistance) proves that Bangladesh is always sincere in regional cooperation. Bangladesh will lend $250 million to Sri Lanka as part of Bangladesh’s efforts to support the island nation suffering from a foreign exchange crisis. Sri Lanka should consider this. Sri Lanka should do something in favor of Bangladesh regarding Rohingya refugee repatriation to Myanmar. Sri Lanka can make Myanmar understand and agree in this regard.

Sri Lanka can play a very significant role in this regard. Sri Lanka can mediate to bolster the strained relations between Bangladesh and Myanmar. Sri Lanka can play to repatriate the Rohingyas in Rakhine in Myanmar. Sri Lanka can easily solve the problem because it has very good relations with Myanmar.

However, as a well-wisher friend and partner in the development process and trade, Bangladesh can expect cooperation and support of Sri Lanka regarding the repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar. Bangladesh deserves it. So, Sri Lanka should help, support Bangladesh and mediate in solving the crisis as soon as possible.

However, as a well-wisher friend and partner in the development process and trade, Bangladesh can expect cooperation and support of Sri Lanka regarding the repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar. Bangladesh deserves it. So, Sri Lanka should help, support Bangladesh and mediate in solving the crisis as soon as possible

Why Sri Lanka should play important role in resolving the crisis?

1. This issue is a humanitarian issue.

Rohingyas are the sons of the soil in Rakhine in Myanmar. They have a birthright to reside in Myanmar.

2. It is an issue of Justice. According to Martin Luther King Junior, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Myanmar authorities committed genocide. The perpetrators should be under international legal jurisdiction.

3. It is the issue of region. The whole South Asia and South East Asia may be volatile for this issue. As a South Asian state, Sri Lanka has some responsibilities.

4. Sri Lanka has very good relations with both Myanmar and Bangladesh.

5. Enhancing bilateral relations could contribute to the growth of trade and investment relations with ASEAn and SAARC countries. This will create an opportunity to serve grater regional interest.

6. Re-establishing the Himalayan-South Asian connectivity can occur if political and diplomatic solutions of Bangladesh-Myanmar

The writer can be pathikhasan1141@gmail.com

reached

at

InDEED, technology has paved the way for the advancements in all spheres of life. From, doing business to the household it has made everything easy to do. nowadays, it has become very important part of our lives. Everyone enjoys its benefits in respect of their use.

For instance, students use it as tool of collecting data, attending online lectures, learn through various online portals and prepare for various recruitment tests. Teachers utilize it for preparing lectures, conducting research, making notes for students and above all the educational institutes are arranging online classes in case if on-campus classes are suspended due to any mishap. Such as, at present for avoiding large gatherings to hinder the spread of the lethal pandemic i.e. Covid-19 the governments are adopting online system to arrange online classes throughout the world.

Beside this technological advancements have made the world a global village where every person can easily connect with anyone in the world without the hindrance of distance. Video calls, messaging and social websites are the sources which enable the users to communicate and contact with their peers and beloved ones whenever they want. WhatsApp, Facebook messenger, Orkut, Instagram and Twitter are main sources of communication where the users remain updated and connected with each other. now a person does not need to travel from USA to China only to see his relatives as he is connected with them through these sources of communication. It further facilitates the business activities around the world.

For example, few decades ago the trade between countries was of much hectic. The business persons had to travel from one corner of the world to the other in search of markets for supply. But today the world is different.

The technological developments have facilitated the business activities. now, the companies can sale their products in any place of the world without the fatigue of traveling. Further, the business transactions are also easily done through the online facility of banks and financial institutes. Even, now the companies are shifting towards the virtual presence of their shops on online websites and provide all information about their commodity to its consumers and attract their interests through online adverts.

This revolution has also enabled the small entrepreneurs to establish their own startups in a nominal investment. For instance a house wife is now on a single step away from starting her own business i.e. online selling of day to day products including clothes, toys, and other male female products in their own social circle through their social website accounts. In addition to this, the traditional business of selling and purchasing of huge tangible products such as cars, houses, furniture, machines, devices and many more can easily be sold through the online websites. Ali baba express and Daraz are the cases in point. You or your family can now shop directly from Daraz whatever they want just in few clicks.

Jahangir irShad iSlamabad

Recognise the environment THIS has reference to the World Environment Conference being hosted

by Pakistan on June 5, 2021. Harnessing the unique opportunity, Prime Minister Imran Khan is expected to ask global leadership to take concrete steps for the promotion of the environment to protect the future generation. In this regard, it is urged by the Prime Minister to announce the policies pertaining to the protection of children and the future generation from the environmental disasters which are anticipated to affect the lives of future generations.

Environmental damage is a pressing human rights challenge, which has an impact on children’s lives today and in the future. Violations of their rights resulting from environmental harm can have irreversible, lifelong and even transgenerational consequences. Children everywhere suffer violations of their rights to life, development, health, food, water, education, culture, play and other rights because governments fail to protect the natural environment. The impact of pollution in one place can be felt by children living far away and climate change is unquestionably a global problem. While environmental harm affects people at any age, children are particularly vulnerable, due to their evolving physical and mental development and status within society. Certain groups of children, including children from indigenous, low-income or other marginalized communities are often at a higher risk, which raises the question of environmental injustice. According to the WHO estimates ‘Of the 5.9 million deaths of children under five each year, 26% are attributable to the environment’. Air pollution alone kills 570,000 children under five every year. But these numbers are only the ‘tip of the iceberg.’ as Un Special Rapporteur Baskut Tuncak. ‘There is a ‘silent pandemic’ of disabilities associated with exposure to toxics and pollution during childhood, many of which will not manifest themselves for years or decades’. This assault on children’s rights remains largely invisible while decision-makers are not held to account.

In this regard, the Prime Minister should announce in his speech that Pakistan will formulate the future policies related to urban development and rural economy in which environmental challenges and climate change impacts will not hamper the lives of children. In doing so, the prime minister should announce inclusion of environmental rights of children in the national curriculum and introduce national policy on the environment in which children should have equal representation. Because it is time for the action and children of the country to live in an environment that needs more parks, safe water, improved health and protection from the disasters which caused displacement and migration. naJam un niSa baloch Karachi

The façade of morals TOLERAnCE is an integral quality that people of different groups should own, respecting and understanding one another. As much of an essential constituent it is for a united and prosperous Pakistani people are too busy with the pretext of acting morality greater from another, giving birth to intolerance. We intend not to accept the practices or behavior of people of different regions, cast or culture other than our own. It separates us, acts as a divider, creates disrespect, enmity and war.

Fozia a. ghaFoor JuSaK

08 WORLD VIEW 18th November 21_Layout 1 11/17/2021 10:23 PM Page 1

Thursday, 18 November, 2021

08 WORLD VIEW

‘The silence On sexUAliTy’ TO KEEP CHILDREN SAFE, TALK TO THEM MEANINGFULLY ABOUT SEXUALITY

IndIan expreSS

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PriyAngee guhA And srinidhi rAghAvAn

OCSO was legislated nine years ago to protect children from sexual abuse. Our engagement with sexuality begins early in life. For many of us, it was probably that moment when we were caught scratching the “in-between-parts” of our body and heard a resounding, “chhi chhi, don’t touch there” from adults. this statement made two salient connections in our minds — do not touch “there”; it is shameful to do so. Most children, therefore, encounter information about sexuality, sex, bodies through the lens of shame and violence. the silence around sexuality has many results. For instance, we often read news about bad sexual experiences ranging from using glue on a penis as contraception to using a pestle as a tool to masturbate. these stories may seem like outliers but are a symptom of a larger problem: there is not enough conversation on sexuality. then, where are children getting the necessary knowledge from? is it derived from romantic movies around what works in relationships? Or pornographic books and films online? is the information available simplistic and med-

icalised? information that children and adults currently have on sexuality is either archaic or overly sexualised through inaccurate sources. A lot has shifted since the internet opened doors to talk about sexuality freely and openly. But we are still to fully explore how we can meaningfully speak to children and young people. We should not just provide the information and leave. Along with comprehensive sexuality education (CSE), we should provide safe spaces to unpack the existing information, bust myths and (un)learn together.

CSE, when provided properly, attempts to address not just the violence and lack of information that children have around bodies and sex. it aims to build a culture where bodily autonomy, choice and agency are discussed. it also facilitates conversation on self-esteem. this helps us to build individuals who are more tuned with the choices they make about their bodies and sexual experiences. However, we live in an environment where most adults themselves do not have this knowledge. Adults are also not comfortable with providing this information or exploring the scope of what sexuality education enables because of the unfounded fear that sexuality education may lead to promiscuity or risk-taking behaviours in young people. thus, when we begin to speak about bodies, the automatic go-to is violatory experiences. this is because we approach it as “awareness for children” or “protection of children from violence”.

But even our attempts to protect children are not fully solidified. Unless the violence is gory, there seems to be room for “nuance”. in January, a Bombay

High Court judge dismissed a case of child sexual abuse with the reasoning that “groping without taking off clothes is not abuse” because of “lack of direct skin to skin contact”.

Does that thigh graze on the bus or that pinching of breasts count as abuse or is it not violent enough? this assumption is situated in the belief that the act of violence perpetrated is not located in the violation felt in the body but the intent of the accused. this is worse when the victim-survivor is a child because of our assumptions about who can make decisions on one’s own body. in everyday life, the guardian has the authority to give consent on behalf of the child everywhere — schools, homes, in relationships with others. So, children are heavily discouraged to say “no” once an adult has given consent on their behalf. it is presumed that they cannot give consent in any circumstances. this assumption is reflected in the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), which shifted who can provide consent — it is presumed that a person under 18 can never consent to any sexual activity.

POCSO was legislated nine years ago to protect children from sexual abuse. Has the legislation been able to fulfil its aim? According to the National Crime records Bureau’s (NCrB) reports from 2016 to 2020, the number of reported child sexual abuse cases has increased from 36,321 in 2016 to 47,659 in 2020. this is a 31 per cent increase. Even this number is merely the tip of the iceberg, according to experts. the NCrB report of 2020 states that just 36 per cent of crimes against children are

registered under POCSO. We aim to protect children from various sexual offences. But the statute primarily focuses on prosecution. is prosecution enough to protect children?

Studies show that providing CSE will promote a culture where sexual violence can be prevented. But the path to providing children and young adults with said education is full of hurdles that make it hard for us to engage openly and honestly with children and young adults. there are other concerns around freely providing this education, which in part refers to the clause in POCSO on mandatory reporting (any adult who has information on sexual acts involving a child has to report it to the police).

Many schools, when approached for conducting sessions on sexuality education, find themselves hesitating as they are not equipped to deal with the consequences of discussing consensual and non-consensual sexual experiences of children — especially if they will be punished for not speaking up about these cases. is there a way we can provide the necessary vocabulary to children? Experts working with children in various capacities say we can. Age-appropriate solutions do exist and must be sought to not only prevent violence in their lives as children but also build a better understanding of their bodies. the discourse being dominated by adults yet again forces children out of the centre of discussion and places our (dis)comforts in the centre. Are we ready to break this legacy of silence and ignorance?

Guha is a human rights lawyer and Raghavan is a disabled feminist, writer, researcher and trainer.

Religious Discrimination Bill still discriminates against many, despite removal of Folau clause

Azeem Rafiq’s evidence exposes the depth of racism across the UK

NO OTHER COMMONWEALTH ANTI-DISCRIMINATION LAW HAS EVER SOUGHT TO DIRECTLY INTERFERE IN STATE AND TERRITORY LAWS IN THIS WAY

AS SHOCKING AS THE EVIDENCE WAS, NONE OF IT, FRANKLY, WAS ANY WORSE, ANY MORE OUTRAGEOUS, THAN THE COMMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE ABOUT HIM ONLINE TODAY, RIGHT NOW, AND WILL BE AGAIN TOMORROW

Sydney MornIng Herald

O

AlAsTAir lAwrie

N Monday, while LGBtQi+ Australians, their families and friends commemorated the fourth anniversary of the majority Yes vote in the marriage equality postal survey, a group of government MPs met to discuss the latest version of the religious Discrimination Bill, legislation that would roll back the rights of LGBtQi+ Australians.

But not just LGBtQi+ Australians. Women, people with disability, single parents, divorced people, people in de facto relationships and even people of minority faiths, too.

Commonwealth Attorney-General Michaelia Cash’s final version of the bill, which will affect all those groups – and more – is set to be introduced to Commonwealth Parliament next week.

According to media accounts, the government has axed a couple of the problems contained in the 2019 exposure draft bills. this includes provisions allowing health practitioners to “conscientiously object” to providing particular health services. Also gone, reportedly, is the so-called “Folau clause”, which had sought to make it impossible for large employers to prevent their employees from making derogatory and harmful comments about others, outside of work, where they are motivated by religious belief. if these reports are true, they would indeed be welcome improvements to the final bill. At the same time, these changes fall far short of what we need to create a genuine religious Discrimination Bill, one that protects people of faith against discrimination without undermining the rights of others. that’s because the Folau clause is a much smaller problem than two bigger threats elsewhere in the bill, and in some ways is simply a distraction. the first of those threats is the “statement of belief” clause, which would override all Commonwealth, state and territory anti-discrimination laws, including the Fair Work Act, to protect comments motivated by religious belief that “offend, humiliate, intimidate, insult or ridicule: others.

Unlike the Folau clause, this provision applies to all areas of public life: in the workplace, in schools and universities, in health care, on public transport, at cafes and restaurants, on the sporting field. Everywhere. Everyday Australians could be lawfully exposed to derogatory and harmful comments in all aspects of their everyday lives.

No other Commonwealth anti-discrimination law has ever sought to directly interfere in state and territory laws in this way. As Simeon Beckett has previously highlighted, it would also make state and territory anti-discrimination frameworks effectively unworkable by creating a Constitutional issue that tribunals could not resolve. the second serious threat which remains in the religious Discrimination Bill is its approach to religious exceptions, which is also unlike anything we have seen before in Australian anti-discrimination law.

For example, the category of organisations covered by these exceptions is broader than any other Australian anti-discrimination law, the test to access these exceptions is much easier to satisfy, and these bodies no longer need to have been “established for a religious purpose”. the second exposure draft even allowed religious hospitals and aged care services to discriminate in employment on the basis of religious belief, and permitted religious schools to discriminate against students on the same grounds, meaning a Year 12 student could be disciplined simply for expressing their own religious views. the religious Discrimination Bill – or at least the versions the public has seen to date – does all of this while pre-empting the Australian Law reform Commission review into religious exceptions generally, which was referred way back in April 2019. indeed, previous attorney-general Christian Porter changed the ALrC’s reporting timeline to be 12 months after passage of the religious Discrimination Bill, and its terms of reference, to prevent it from recommending amendments to the bill.

Which seems to be completely the wrong way around – the government seeks to introduce the widest religious exceptions in any Australian anti-discrimination law, ever, before asking the ALrC to consider the same issue, while tying one hand behind its back.

Of course, most of us have yet to see the final version of the bill, so it’s possible the “statement of belief” and “religious exception” provisions have been narrowed, too. However, the reporting suggests otherwise. if they haven’t – if the government is still pushing ahead with these extraordinary and unprecedented provisions – then it’s up to the Parliament to block this attempt to undermine the rights of everyday Australians.

Alastair Lawrie is the policy manager at the Public Interest Advocacy Centre.

Independent Tom Peck

“B

rit is short for Briton. Aussie is short for Australian.

P*** is short for Pakistani. What’s the problem?” “Why should we have to change our sense of humour because this lad doesn’t like our banter?” “if people hate this country so much and think we’re all a bunch of racists, use the airport.”

Just a small selection there of some of the comments to be found beneath video footage of the cricketer Azeem rafiq, doing his best to hold back tears at a parliamentary committee hearing, as he talks of racist abuse and carrying his son “from the hospital to the graveyard”.

Why repeat it? Why give it the time of the day? Well, because, as rafiq has been making clear for a very long time, and never with more courage and articulation than in his jaw-dropping and horrific evidence on tuesday morning, things have to change. there has to be an understanding, first and foremost, that racism is alive and well in Britain today. it is thriving. it is hammering out of the fingers of ever more emboldened keyboard warriors up and down the country, and it doesn’t stop there. rafiq is 30 years old. As he sat before the committee, recounting years of racist abuse that, he said, left him considering taking his own life, until the stillbirth of his son in 2018 finally compelled him to stop looking the other way and to do something about it, he was quite rightly praised for his courage. But it takes more than bravery to do what he’s done. it takes tenacity, intelligence, determination, and a strategic approach to a fight with Yorkshire County Cricket Club that he had no natural right to win, even though the moral case was so obviously on his side. “the word p*** was used constantly,” he said, of his time in the Yorkshire dressing room. “‘You’ll sit over there near the toilets’, ‘elephant washers’.” ten years ago, as chance would have it, tottenham Hotspur football fans used to sing a chant about Emman-

ual Adebayor, in which he too was called an “elephant washer”. Complaints were registered. A spokesperson for the club denied the chant was racist, and that the “Crown Prosecution Service do not consider it racist”. the Crown Prosecution Service issued a clarifying statement of its own, to make clear they had never said such a thing, and that it certainly was racist. it seems laughable now that such a discussion could have occurred, in the public domain, in the not exactly anciently historic year of 2011, as to whether or not it was racist to refer to a man from togo as an “elephant washer”. But that’s what happened. it really did. And a football club that likes nothing more these days than to hand out training t-shirts to their players with the appropriate slogans, to applaud them as they took the knee, really were so blatantly on the wrong side of it.

So this is the world in which Azeem rafiq and the rest of us were living. And we are still living in it now. it’s just rare, rarer perhaps than it should be, for a man of rafiq’s rare gifts to stand up and say, “No, i am not going to take this anymore.”

He spoke of how hard it is to decide, for yourself, that you have to take action. “For a person of colour to accept you are being treated differently because of your race or your religion is a tough thing to take,” he said. that before you can take action against racism, you have to accept you have been a victim of it. that people you know, and perhaps even like and admire, have discriminated against you. that is a pain that is easier to ignore than to confront, and that is why things do not change.

“When i lost my son i thought, ‘hang on a minute,’” rafiq continued. “i’ve seen other players have family tragedies and get support beyond measure. And i have just carried my son from the hospital to the graveyard and how i’m getting treated here is not right. it became very clear to myself that i’d been looking the other way. there’s a problem here.” the litany of outrages were long indeed. About being forced to down red

wine in the back of a car at the age of 15. rafiq is a Muslim. (that he later became, by his own account, a heavy drinker is still, for many people, considered some kind of mitigation against that outrageous incident.) About his friend, Gary Ballance, using the word “Kevin” to describe all people of colour. Another teammate, the England batsman Alex Hales, had a black dog named Kevin, which he alleged to be an extension of the joke.

But as shocking as any of it is, none of it, frankly, was any worse, any more outrageous, than the comments that have been made about rafiq online today, right now, and will be again tomorrow, by people with public profiles, linked, in some cases, to their employers. But they don’t care.

After rafiq came the parade of suits. the now former Yorkshire County Cricket Club chairman, who resigned, apparently in response to the management structures of the club being too arcane to allow him to take the action he would have liked. And then tom Harrison, chairman of the England Cricket Board, who said, in all seriousness, that he would like to have acted sooner but “Yorkshire were very clear that they wanted to run this investigation themselves”. And they are, quite farcically, allowed to do so.

You hardly need to have done a PhD in jurisprudence to understand that, in these kind of affairs, the accused party doesn’t tend to look into the matter themselves. if they did, you wouldn’t need a police force, or even a judiciary, you’d just get Fred West or whomever it might be to accept the error of his ways and decide on an appropriate sentence. these preposterous structures are all in jeopardy now. through the force of his character, rafiq, we must hope, has torched them, though he shouldn’t have had to sacrifice so much of himself to do so. Like all those who become known for winning fights against outrageous prejudice, there is always a sense of what more they might have done with their talents, if that miserable fight hadn’t had to be fought. But more so, there remains the growing evidence that things are going backwards.

Thursday, 18 November, 2021 | ISLAMABAD

NEWS corporate corner HBL Prestige Lounge inaugurated in Sialkot

TaRIN REVIEWS PROGRESS ON FEDERaL GOVT PROPERTIES MaNaGEMENT aUTHORITy ISLAMABAD

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SIALKOT: HBL inaugurated its new Prestige Lounge located in Sialkot. This is the first HBL Prestige Lounge in the city and the twelfth across the country with future plans to expand the Prestige footprint. The inauguration was led by Muhammad Aurangzeb, President & CEO – HBL. Valued clients and senior leadership of the Bank was also present on the occasion. HBL Prestige provides a world-class banking experience to high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs). This exclusive proposition offers tailor made solutions through dedicated digital and physical channels including portfolio managers who provide personalized banking services to their clients.

The state-of-the-art Prestige Lounges are located strategically in high visibility areas of key cities.

Commenting on the occasion, Muhammad Aurangzeb, President & CEO – HBL said, “HBL is delighted to be offering its exclusive Prestige clientele with an incomparable value proposition in Sialkot. The Sialkot HBL Prestige branch is the first of its kind outside Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad, and will provide par excellence financial services to its high-net-worth clientele. We hope to remain true to HBL Prestige’s motto of “With you, in what you value.” Pr

sTaff rePorT

DVISEr to the Prime Minister on Finance and revenue Shaukat Tarin held a meeting to review the establishment of Federal government Properties Management Authority in Finance Division. Senator Aun Abass Buppi, Secretary Finance and senior officers attended the meeting.

Secretary Finance apprised the Adviser on the progress being made on the establishment of Federal Government Property Management Authority (FGPMA).

He informed that official notification for the establishment of Authority has been issued.

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and revenue stressed the need to make the Federal Government Properties Management Authority (FGPMA) fully functional at the earliest for best utilization of government’s assets and for getting best value for money for the government assets.

Senator Aun Abass appreciated the role of Finance Division in this regard.

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and revenue directed to complete the codal modalities for the establishment of Authority as soon as possible.

‘Find a solution,’ say residents as smog blankets Lahore

CTD playing important role in maintaining law and order: IGP

ISLAMABAD: Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of Islamabad police is playing important role in maintaining law and order in the city and it has professional capability to counter any challenging situation. It was stated by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Islamabad Qazi Jamilur Rehman while speaking at the concluding ceremony of six-week long course held for personnel of CTD. A total of 20 personnel including females participated in the course and they demonstrated their skills to counter any challenging situation. The IGP witnessed the performance and skills of the policemen and hoped that it would help in improving the professional capability of the participants. SSP (CTD) Jameel Zafar Malik and other senior police officials were also present on the occasion. The IGP said that establishment of special force (CTD) was crucial to counter any terrorism like incident during the course and combat crime effectively. He said that this force has performed effectively since its inception and its role is very important to eradicate crime. Islamabad police chief appreciated the SSP (CTD) over brilliant demonstration by the participants of the course. Pr

POWER SUSPENSION SCHEDULES FOR 18th NOVEMBER 2021 According to Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO)’s spokesman, System Maintenance/Development Work is in process. Therefore power supply of below mentioned feeders/areas will be temporary suspended as per given schedule: On 18th November from 08:00 AM to 05:00 PM Better Feeder, From 09:00 AM to 09:00 PM, Lohi Bhair, Coral, Latifal, Bhikri, Millat Chowk, Misryal Road, Athal, Bhara Kahu, T&T, Treat, Golf City, Chakri, Arsalan Poultry Farm, SPD, Padial, Gagan, Chahan, Mahouta, Lehtar, Khawaja, Panjar, Zia Masjid, Highway, Tramri / ISI, CDA Flats, CDA Pump, Alipur, CDA , Jinnah Super, F-8/3, G-9/1, Industrial2-, Carriage Factory, G-11/2, D-12/1, Bhara Kahu, Pindi Point, Kohala, PC, Upper Topa, Trit, 6th Road, Faizabad, Airport, Tahmasabad, Committee Chowk, Bani, Industrial, Gulzar Shaheed, People Colony, Misryal Road, NRC, Amir Hamza Colony, Bajniar, Pind Hoon, Rata, Bank Road 2-, Adam G Road , Chaklala, Sawan Garden 1-, Mehboob Shaheed, MSF, KH Road, Shahpur, Ranial, Gurja1-, RA Bazar, Mansoor Shaheed, Lehtar, Khawaja, Panjar, Hamid Jhangi, Pind Jatlan, Sukho, Syed Kasran , CB Khan 2-, Taxila. Pr

09

LAHORE afP

Lahore was declared the most polluted city in the world by an air quality monitor on Wednesday, as residents choking in acrid smog pleaded with officials to take action.

Lahore had an air quality ranking of 348, well over the hazardous level of 300, according to IQAir, the Swiss technology company that operates the AirVisual monitoring platform.

“Children are experiencing breathing diseases […] for God’s sake, find a solution,” labourer Muhammad Saeed told AFP. Air pollution has worsened in Pakistan in recent years, as a mixture of low-grade diesel fumes, smoke from seasonal crop burn off, and colder winter temperatures coalesce into stagnant clouds of smog.

Lahore, a bustling megacity of more than 11 million people in Punjab province near the border with

India, consistently ranks among the worst cities in the world for air pollution.

In recent years residents have built their own air purifiers and taken out lawsuits against government officials in desperate bids to clean the air — but authorities have been slow to act, blaming the smog on India or claiming the figures are exaggerated.

“We are poor people, can’t even afford a doctor’s charges,” shopkeeper Ikram Ahmed told AFP. “We can only plead with them to control the pollution. I am not a literate person, but I have read that Lahore has the worst air quality and then comes India’s Delhi. If it continues like this, we will die.”

“Before, I used to come (for a walk) with my children but now I don’t bring them out with me,” Saeed the labourer said.

“There are factories and small industries operating here, either shift them somewhere else, give them compensation or provide them with modern technology, so we can get rid of this smog.”

2 martyred in ‘cold blooded’ killings in IIOJK, sparks outrage SRINAGAR: Two men martyred alongside a pair of freedom fighters in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) were gunned down in “cold blood” by security forces, a relative of one of the dead said on Tuesday.

According to police, two freedom fighters were martyred the night before during a shootout inside a commercial centre in Srinagar. The building’s owner Mohammad Altaf Bhat and tenant Mudasir Ahmed also died in “crossfire”, the police added.

While police had earlier claimed that Bhat was connected to the martyred freedom fighters, his niece Saima Bhat said her uncle and Ahmed were civilians who had been murdered in “cold blood”.

Saima, a journalist in Srinagar, said that there was no gunfight the night her uncle was killed. “He was taken… as a human shield and when they couldn’t find anything, he was killed there,” she told Kashmirwala, a local newspaper.

Inspector general of police Vijay Kumar had said that both Bhat and Ahmed were working as “terror associates”. “#Terrorists have been hiding on top floor of his building,” he was quoted as saying in a statement issued on Twitter late Monday.

Eyewitnesses said army troops and police cordoned off the area on Monday evening, confiscating dozens of phones from shopkeepers and passersby.

“They later took Mohammad Altaf inside the building for a search and Mudasir also accompanied the soldiers,” an eyewitness told AFP on condition of anonymity, fearing police reprisals.

Police did not return the bodies of Bhat and Ahmed to their families, instead burying them without relatives present in the middle of the night.

The Peoples Democratic Party called for a “speedy investigation” into the murder claims.

“Least (police) could do is hand over the dead body to the family for a decent burial. Are even dead ones a threat to peace now?” the party wrote on Twitter. afP

Families in occupied Kashmir seek bodies of two civilians killed in raid SRINAGAR The associaTed Press

Dozens of relatives of two civilians killed in a controversial gunfight in Indian-occupied Kashmir staged a protest in the disputed region’s main city on Wednesday, pleading with authorities to return the bodies so they could bury them.

Four people, including two civilians and two suspected fighters, died Monday night in the raid by government forces on alleged fighters in Srinagar, police said.

Police said the civilians died in the crossfire between government troops and the fighters. However, witnesses and families of the civilians said Indian troops used them as human shields during the standoff.

Indian authorities later secretly buried the bodies in a remote northwestern village as part of a policy that

started in 2020. Since then, authorities have buried the bodies of hundreds of suspected fighters and their alleged associates, including civilians, in unmarked graves in remote areas, denying their families proper funerals.

The family members of the two civilians, identified as trader Mohammad Altaf Bhat and Mudassir Ahmed, a dental surgeon and real estate dealer, assembled in an area of Srinagar where several media offices are located and demanded the return of the bodies.

They raised slogans and some of them carried leaflets that read “Stop innocent killings & atrocities” and “We want justice.”

Saima Bhat, a relative of trader Bhat, said they had little hope of any justice.

“Justice is a long journey. We just plead right now that the bodies of our loved ones be returned,” she said. “At least respect the dead and allow us to

give them a dignified burial.”

Meanwhile, government forces deployed in half a dozen villages in the southern Gool area to enforce a ban on the assembly of more than four people, after family members of one of the slain men in Monday’s raid threatened to block a highway.

The man, 24-year-old Amir Magray, who police described as a fighter, was a salesman at a shop in Srinagar, his father Abdul Latief told reporters. Latief’s home has been protected by police guards after he killed a militant with a stone in 2005.

“Denial of the body of my son is the reward of the fight against terrorists.

My home is still guarded by police,” Latief was quoted by NDTV as saying.

“Tomorrow the security guards can kill me and claim that I was a militant.”

Authorities say the policy of not returning fighters’ bodies to their families is aimed at stopping the spread of the

coronavirus and to avoid potential law and order problems during funerals.

The policy has added to widespread anti-India anger in the region and some rights groups have fiercely criticised the move, calling it a grave violation of religious rights.

Kashmiris for years have accused Indian troops of targeting civilians and abusing power with impunity. Such allegations include staging gunfights then saying the victims were militants to claim rewards and promotions.

Indian officials acknowledge the problem but deny abuses are part of a strategy. They say the allegations are mostly separatist propaganda meant to demonize troops.

Fighters in the Indian-occupied portion of Kashmir have been fighting New Delhi’s rule since 1989. Tens of thousands of civilians, fighters and government forces have been killed in the conflict.

Thursday, 18 November, 2021 | ISLAMABAD

10 foreIgN NewS

TalIbaN appeal To US CoNgreSS To releaSe aFghaNISTaN’S aSSeTS KABUL

T

AFP

HE Taliban called Wednesday on US Congress members to release Afghanistan’s assets frozen after their takeover of the country, warning economic turmoil at home could lead to trouble abroad.

In an open letter, Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said the biggest challenge facing Afghanistan was financial insecurity, “and the roots of this concern lead back to the freezing of assets of our people by the American government”.

Washington has seized nearly $9.5 billion in assets belonging to the Afghan central bank, and the aid-dependent economy has effectively collapsed — with civil servants unpaid for months and the treasury unable to pay for imports.

Concerned nations have pledged hundreds of millions of dollars in aid, but are reluctant to commit funds unless the Taliban agree to a more inclusive government

and to guarantee the rights of women and minorities. “I present to you our compliments and would like to share a few thoughts on our bilateral relations,” Muttaqi wrote, noting that 2021 was the centenary of Washington recognising Afghanistan’s sovereignty.

In measured understatement, he added: “Akin to other world countries, our bilateral relations have also experienced ups and downs.”

Muttaqi said Afghanistan was enjoying stable government for the first time in over 40 years — a period that started with an invasion by the Soviet Union in 1979 and ended with the withdrawal of the last US troops on August 31.

From 1996 to 2001, the Taliban ruled Afghanistan with an iron fist, brutally violating human rights in the name of Islamic law, sparking fears of a return of their abuses.

The Taliban have since returning to power gone to great lengths to convince the international community that they intend to

No joke: Indian comedian Vir Das under nationalist fire NEW DELHI AFP

An Indian comedian and actor has been forced to defend himself against online accusations of “insulting the country” after he performed a “two Indias” monologue in Washington. Vir Das, one of India’s top satirical performers, is known for his willingness to critically observe his country. Critics say there has been rising intolerance against minority communities in India since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in 2014, and that freedom of speech is under threat in the country. “I come from an India where we worship women during the day and gang rape them at night,” Das told a packed Washington, DC venue during his current world tour. In an almost seven-minute long video posted Monday, he covered issues ranging from air pollution, journalism and Modi’s coronavirus relief efforts to cricket. “I come from an India where we bleed blue every time we play green,” he said, referring to the sporting uniforms of his country and arch-rival Pakistan.

“But every time we lose to green, we turn orange all of a sudden.” Orange refers to muscular Hindu nationalism, often symbolised by the colour saffron. “I come from an India that will watch this and know there is a gigantic joke. It just isn’t funny,” he said. Soon after Das released the video social media users accused him of insulting India on the global stage, and at least two police complaints were filed against him. Leading Indian actress Kangana Ranaut slammed Das, calling the video “soft terrorism” and writing on Instagram: “Strict action should be taken against such criminals.”

do things differently this time — though no female ministers have been named, and girls are still barred from returning to secondary school.

“Practical steps have been taken towards good governance, security and transparency,” Muttaqi wrote.

“No threat is posed to the region or world from Afghanistan and a pathway has been paved for positive cooperation.”

Muttaqi said Afghans “understand the concerns of the international community”, but that it was necessary for all sides to take positive steps to build trust.

He warned, however, that the economic situation could spark a mass exodus.

“If the current situation prevails, the Afghan government and people will face problems and will become a cause for mass migration in the region and world which will consequently create further humanitarian and economic issues,” he said.

Muttaqi said the United States risked further damaging its reputation in the country “and this will serve as the worst mem-

ory ingrained in Afghans at the hands of America”. “We hope that the members of the American Congress will think thoroughly in this regard,” he added.

UK inflation soars to ten-year high on energy costs LONDON Agencies

British inflation spiked close to a 10-year high in October on increased energy bills and resurgent post-lockdown demand, data showed Wednesday, sparking talk of a preChristmas interest rate hike.

The annual rate jumped to 4.2%, the highest level since November 2011, the Office for National Statistics said.

That followed 3.1% in September and was more than double the Bank of England’s 2% target.

In reaction, the pound jumped against the euro and dollar as traders priced in a December interest rate hike from the BoE. The data “now makes it odds-on that all the pre-Christmas headlines will be of the Bank of England steals Christmas variety, if they do bite the bullet and belatedly nudge rates higher”, said CMC Markets analyst Michael Hewson.

‘Odds on’ rate hike Rising consumer prices ramp up the cost of living, especially when wages fail to keep pace.

The data “makes for uncomfortable reading and goes to show the punishing effects of higher energy and food prices on family finances,” said Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.

“It almost certainly means the Bank of

England will raise interest rates soon, potentially as soon as next month,” he added.

Inflation leapt on higher prices for domestic electricity and gas, as well as motor fuel which faced shortages, the ONS said.

Second-hand car prices are surging as a worldwide semiconductor shortage dents new vehicle production.

A global supply crunch across various sectors and the soaring cost of raw materials are also fuelling inflationary pressures.

“Costs of goods produced by factories and the price of raw materials have also risen substantially and are now at their highest rates for at least 10 years,” said ONS chief economist Grant Fitzner.

The BoE had this month kept its key interest rate at a record-low 0.1 percent, but flagged a likely hike in the coming months to dampen inflation.

As countries reopen from pandemic lockdowns, businesses are struggling to

India temporarily shuts five coal-fired power plants amid surging air pollution AgENcIEs India has temporarily shut down five coal-fired power plants around the capital New Delhi as part of its drive to combat air pollution, according to an order from the federal environment ministry panel on air pollution.

The Commission for Air Quality Management has also banned trucks carrying non-essential goods and stopped construction in Delhi and its neighbouring cities.

In its latest order, the panel said there was a “compelling” need to ensure that air quality does not deteriorate any further.

Pollution levels surged to “severe” levels this month, with the Air Quality Index in New Delhi going as high as 499 on a scale of 500, indicating healthy people were also at risk of developing respiratory illnesses.

Delhi, among the world’s most

“I request […] so that doors for future relations are opened, assets of Afghanistan’s Central Bank are unfrozen and sanctions on our banks are lifted.”

polluted capital cities, battles chronic winter smog every year as a drop in temperatures trap deadly pollutants from coal-fired plants outside the city, fumes from vehicles and open

burning of garbage.

To protect students from a worsening air pollution crisis, the Delhi government on Saturday said schools would be closed for a week, but the

Commission for Air Quality Management has extended the curb until further notice.

The Commission also said at least 50% of government employees should work from home until Nov. 21.

India’s Supreme Court on Monday asked the Commission to suggest measures to cut pollution in northern India.

The Court also rapped the federal and local area governments over its failure to mitigate pollution in the city of 20 million people who endure toxic air almost every winter.

Conditions worsen in November when there is a surge in the concentration of fine particulate matter measuring 2.5 microns in width, known as PM2.5 and small enough to enter the blood stream when inhaled into the lungs, partly because of farmers burning off crop waste ahead of a new sowing season.

meet demand for goods and services, sending prices soaring.

Markets had expected the BoE to raise its main rate in November for the first time in more than three years.

Central banks at odds The BoE decision to sit tight contrasted with the US Federal Reserve, which is tightening monetary policy as growth recovers and inflation spike US inflation had rocketed to a 30-year high of 6.2% in October.

Meanwhile the European Central Bank is sticking to easy money for now.

ECB President Christine Lagarde on Monday said she would not “venture” into speculation over interest rate rises in 2023 amid pressure for the bank to define its response to high inflation.

But BoE Governor Andrew Bailey on Monday expressed growing unease over spiking prices.

“I am very uneasy about the inflation situation — I want to be very clear on that,” Bailey told a committee of lawmakers. “It is not of course where we wanted to be, to have inflation above target,” he added.

“Confirmation that inflation is moving further away from its target may seal the Bank of England´s resolve to raise rates in December,” said KPMG UK economist Yael Selfin.

New York auction smashes record for Frida Kahlo work NEW YORK AFP

A rare painting by Frida Kahlo sold in a New York auction house Tuesday for almost $35 million, a record price for a work by the iconic Mexican artist. At the same sale, a painting by French artist Pierre Soulages also broke a record for his work by reaching $20.2 million dollars. As expected, the self-portrait of Kahlo entitled “Diego y yo” (“Diego and me,” 1949), where the face of the painter’s husband Diego Rivera appears on her forehead, smashed the former record of $8 million set by a Kahlo in 2016.

That made it the most expensive Latin American work of art in history sold at auction, the previous record having gone to a painting by Diego Rivera himself, whose work “Los Rivales” (1931) sold for $9.76 million in 2018. “Diego y yo” is emblematic of Kahlo’s self-portraits, known for their intense and enigmatic gaze that made the Mexican painter, a feminist icon, famous around the world. In the painting, Rivera’s face appears on Frida’s forehead, above her distinctive eyebrows and dark eyes from which a few teardrops fall. The depiction of Rivera, who at the time was close to Mexican actress Maria Felix, as a third eye symbolizes the extent to which he tormented her thoughts, art experts say. Kahlo and Rivera married each other twice. She died aged just 47 in 1954. “Diego y yo” last sold at Sotheby’s for $1.4 million in 1990. Soulages’ painting, which had spent more than 30 years in a private collection, corresponds to the red period of the century-old French artist.

thursday, 18 Novemer, 2021 | IsLAMABAD

sports 11

No Pull-ouTS from ChAmPIoNS TroPhy 2025; SAyS rAmIz rAjA kARACHI

P

Staff RepoRt

AkISTAN Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ramiz Raja is confident that there will be no negativity and no pull-outs from the Champions Trophy as the International Cricket Council (ICC) allowed Pakistan to host the 2025 edition of the tournament.

Speaking to media via an online conference, the former captain said that there is nothing to worry about and “Pakistan is fully capable of hosting the tournament”.

The ICC on Tuesday had announced hosts for the eight major events from 2024 to 2031 with Pakistan getting the rights to host ICC Champions Trophy in 2025.

“This is a breakthrough for Pakistan cricket,” Raja said, adding that it wasn’t an easy thing for Pakistan to kill the negative perception surrounding the country and convince others that Pakistan is a deserving candidate especially after pullouts by New Zealand and England.

“We are organising this event on our own, not sharing it with anyone else. We have to do a lot of work to prepare ourselves

for this event now. This is a milestone for us and I hope there are more to come. We will be hosting the Asia Cup before that too,” he stated. Brushing aside fears of any lastminute pullouts by the teams from the tournaments, he said: “It is not going to happen.”

“They [ICC] went through all the pros and cons and after going through the details, came to the conclusion that Pakistan is fit enough to host and administer the Champions Trophy. You shouldn’t worry at all. I don’t think there will be any negativity or any pullouts at all,” said the PCB chairman.

“We won’t be going to the UAE for the Asia Cup or the Champions Trophy. Not everything happens because of India. We are also here. Don’t worry,” he said.

The commentator-turned-cricket administrator said that Pakistan has got hosting rights to a major event after 1996 — the fans and media shouldn’t be bothered about what other boards have got.

“We need to focus on what we can do, forget the rest. This is major progress, that we have hosting rights to an ICC event after 28 years. If we continue to question why this and why not that, then I would say, the sky is the limit and one can’t be satisfied. Things

don’t happen according to what one wishes, you need to bring a lot of things under consideration before finalising event hosts,” he said, when one journalist pointed out that India is hosting three events and Pakistan has got just one.

Raja said that the award of Champions Trophy hosting rights to Pakistan is the result of the country’s consecutive efforts for the last few years.

“It wasn’t an easy thing to present our case in the ICC because we had to change Pakistan’s perception. Things would’ve been much easier had New Zealand and England not pulled out. We convinced the world that Pakistan can’t be ignored.”

Shedding light on the role of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Raja said that it is not just because of PSL, a lot of factors have contributed to bringing Pakistan to this stage where it can host an international event. “One neutral security adviser had suggested that security arrangements in Pakistan are better than arrangements at EPL and Formula 1,” Raja disclosed.

Talking about ties with India, the chairman said that he has a very good working relationship with Saurav Ganguly but added

that there are political hurdles in bilateral cricket between the two countries.

“A bilateral series with India may not be something easy to organise at this stage but we may work on some triangular events sometimes. But let me tell you that one can’t withdraw that easily from a major tourna-

Fakhar, Shadab improve T20 rankings IsLAMABAD NewS DeSk

Pakistani star cricketers Fakhar Zaman and Shadab khan improved ranking following the T20 World Cup rankings as Fakhar moved up eight places to 40th following his unbeaten 55 against Australia in the second semifinal while Shadab khan has moved up seven places to 16th position after bagging four for 26 in the same match.

Mitchell Marsh and David Warner have made notable progress in the ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings after helping Australia win their first ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Dubai on Sunday.

All-rounder Marsh, who struck an impressive 77 not out off 50 balls to be named Player of the Match in the final against New Zealand, has progressed six spots to reach joint-13th position among batters while Player of the Tournament Warner’s scores of 49 against Pakistan

in their semifinal and 53 in the final have helped him move up eight places to 33rd position.

New Zealand captain kane Williamson, who top-scored in the final with a knock of 85, has gained seven places to reach 32nd position while Devon Conway gained three places to fourth position after scoring 46 against England in the first semifinal in Abu Dhabi.

Pakistan’s Fakhar Zaman moved up eight places to 40th following his unbeaten 55 against Australia in the second semifinal in Dubai while spinner Shadab khan has moved up seven places to 16th position after bagging four for 26 in the same match.

Other bowlers to gain in the latest update include Australia leg-spinner Adam Zampa, who moved up two places to third, and fast bowler Josh Hazlewood, whose haul of three for 16 in the final sees him move up two places to sixth position.

New Zealand’s left-arm seamer Trent Boult seven places to 14th position after taking two for 18 in the final while Pat Cummins (up 24 places to 37th) and Chris Woakes (up 21 places to 46th) have also moved up the bowlers’ list. England’s Liam Livingstone gained seven places to third among allrounders. Meanwhile, Canada batter Navneet Dhaliwal’s consistent performances in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Americas Regional Qualifier have lifted him 36 places to 36th position. Dhaliwal’s scores included 65 against Panama, 49 against Argentina and 44 against Canada.

ment. When a country is named as host then it means that teams have to tour the country.

I have a good working relationship with Saurav Ganguly and have discussed how to take cricket forward. As far as India-Pakistan cricket is concerned, it faces political hurdles,” he said.

ICC announces Shaheen Afridi’s spell in India clash as ‘Play of the Tournament’ News Desk The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday announced Pakistan’s pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi’s fierce opening bowling spell against arch-rival India during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup as the “Play of the Tournament.”

Sharing glimpses of his bowling during the first over in the blockbuster clash, ICC wrote on Twitter: “The winner of the Play of the Tournament from the 2021 ICC Men’s #T20WorldCup is: Shaheen Afridi’s blistering opening spell against India.” Standing at an imposing 6ft 6ins (1.98m), Shaheen Shah Afridi, the first-strike destroyer of India at the T20 World Cup, is the latest high-end product of Pakistan’s fast bowling factory — left-arm division. Unburdened by carrying the same name of one of his country’s iconic white-ball pioneers — as well as inheriting Shahid Afridi’s number 10 shirt — the 21-year-old shattered the hopes of India with a mesmerizing spell of fast bowling. His 3-31 off four overs was the prelude to Pakistan finally ending their jinx against India with the first win in 13 attempts in the World Cup competition.

PCB seeks permission from BCB to hoist Pakistan flag during practice sessions News Desk The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has sought permission from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to hoist the Pakistani flag during its team’s practice sessions in Dhaka, a news outlet reported on Wednesday. According to the report, the BCB has not expressed any displeasure over the practice or staged any protest. However, it will inform the PCB about its decision soon.

Bangladesh are set to host Pakistan for three T20Is and two Tests between November 19 and December 8. The T20I series and second Test will be played in Dhaka while the first will be played in Chattogram.

Ex-cricketer rafiq tells UK lawmakers: ‘I lost career to racism’ LONDON afp

Former Yorkshire cricketer Azeem Rafiq fought back tears as he told British lawmakers on Tuesday he had lost his career to racism, detailing widespread discrimination within the English game in compelling testimony.

An independent report found the Pakistan-born player was a victim of “racial harassment and bullying” while playing for the county club but said it would not discipline anybody — a decision greeted with widespread disbelief.

The fallout for Yorkshire over the scandal has been devastating, with sponsors making a mass exodus, resignations from top administrators and the club suspended from hosting lucrative international matches.

Tuesday’s Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee hearing offered Rafiq the chance to speak with the protection of

parliamentary privilege — freedom he used to recount his h “I felt, isolated, humiliated at times,” said the 30-year-old. “Pretty early on, me and other people from an Asian background… there were comments such as ‘you’ll sit over there near the toilets’, ‘elephant-washers’.

“The word ‘Paki’ was used constantly.

And there just seemed to be an acceptance in the institution from the leaders and no one ever stamped it out.”

The off-spinner, who said he once dreamed of playing for England, said cricket was blighted by institutional racism “up and down the country”.

Rafiq, who is a Muslim, also recounted a frightening experience of being “pinned down” and forced to drink alcohol at the age of 15 when he was at his local cricket club.

And in an highly emotional segment of his evidence, which lasted nearly 100 minutes, he spoke of the “inhuman” treatment

by Yorkshire when his son was still-born in 2017.

“They weren’t really bothered about the fact that I was at training one day and I get a phone call to say there’s no heartbeat,” he said, his voice cracking.

Rafiq, who had two spells at the club, said: “Do I believe I lost my career to racism? Yes, I do.”

He also mentioned a number of former teammates by name, speaking about how ex-England internationals Matthew Hoggard and Gary Ballance, the latter still at Yorkshire, had used racial slurs towards him. “‘kevin’ was something Gary used to describe anyone of colour in a very derogatory manner,” he said. “It was an open secret in the England dressing room.”

Rafiq said 2005 Ashes winner Hoggard had phoned him to apologise for the comments he had made.

He also said he found it “hurtful” that England Test captain Joe Root, who has spent his career at Yorkshire, had never witnessed anything of a racist nature at the

Headingley-based club.

“Rooty is a good man. He never engaged in racist language,” Rafiq said.

“I found it hurtful because Rooty was Gary (Ballance)’s housemate and had been involved in a lot of the socialising where I was called a ‘Paki’.”

On Monday, current England spinner Adil Rashid joined ex-Pakistan Test player Rana Naved-ul-Hasan in alleging that former England captain Michael Vaughan had said in front of a group of Yorkshire players of Asian ethnicity in 2009: “Too many of you lot, we need to do something about it.”

Vaughan has “categorically” denied making the comment.

Asked about Vaughan, Rafiq said: “Michael might not remember it… three of us, Adil, myself and Rana remember it.”

Rafiq was scathing in his assessment of diversity initiatives by the England and Wales Cricket Board, saying they were examples of “box-ticking” and “tokenism”.

ECB chairman Tom Harrison, who

faced an intense grilling from the MPs, admitted the organisation had let Rafiq down, saying tackling racism in the game would be a priority.

“We will fix it fast,” he said. “We know the survival of our sport depends on it. We will transform this game very quickly.”

But committee chairman Julian knight, who said Rafiq had given “harrowing personal testimony”, warned the ECB it had a huge task on its hands, with other players at Yorkshire and elsewhere also coming forward with allegations of racism.

“The ECB failed to take decisive action at the outset and it is clear there is much work for it to do as a national governing body and a regulator if cricket’s tarnished reputation in this country is to be restored,” said knight.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s official spokesman said the evidence was “concerning”, adding: “There is no place for racism in sport. “There is no place for racism anywhere in society.”

Thursday, 18 November, 2021

prayer timings

NEWS

TRG PAkISTAn ShAReS TUmble AS CeO ChIShTI GeTS embROIleD In SexUAl ASSAUlT CASe LAHORE

S

taimoor Hassan

HARE price of The Resource Group (TRG) Pakistan rallied 9.78 per cent on the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Wednesday as the news of sexual harassment allegations against company CEO Zia Chishti triggered panic selling.

Chishti, a Pakistani-American, was accused of sexual harassment and assault by a former employee of data and software company Afiniti, of which he is the CEO and chairman of the board. Afiniti, which also has on its board former UK prime minister David Cameron and Princess Beatrice, a member of the British royal family, is owned by TRG International which is owned by TRG Pakistan.

Late on Wednesday, Cameron resigned from his position as the chairman of the advisory board of Afiniti. On the other hand, Afiniti in a statement denied allegations against the CEO and said: “We take any allegations of this nature extremely seriously. Afiniti has investigated Ms Spottiswoode’s claims with independent counsel and concluded that the arbitral decision she references was erroneous. Afiniti’s CEO and chair Zia Chishti strongly disputes all accusations against him.”

Wednesday’s rally pushed the share price of TRG to Rs120.67 from Rs130.5, with 15.9 million shares traded during the day as the assault news triggered panic selling, market sources tell us. The company had maintained a bull-run since March last year, with the share price of the company soaring from Rs11.88 on March 26, 2021 to a peak of Rs181 this

year in April.

“There is a negative sentiment in the market despite the fact that the company is maintaining a stable business. While the business is fundamentally unaffected, the face of the company is under accusations in foreign markets where it has most of its business,” said market sources.

Afiniti uses artificial intelligence and machine learning software to match callers with call center agents and boasts a client roster that includes UK’s Virgin Media and Sky. The company, one of the unicorns founded by a Pakistani entrepreneur, also boasts of annual revenue growth of more than 200 per cent, and has been eyeing a public listing on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

Sources further said that the TRG stock was going to see a further fall tomorrow because shares had been traded at the lower lock during the day, but will likely recover soon because the business is fundamentally stable.

ALLegAtiONs pArt Of A mOvemeNt AgAiNst fOrceD ArbitrAtiON iN Us: The allegations against Chishti emerged during a US congressional committe hearing which is looking at how forced arbitration clauses in employment contracts can make victims of workplace sexual violence, harassment, and discrimination move into private arbitrations.

The committee heard accounts of former employees of Afiniti, American broadcaster CBS and Louis Vuitton shared accounts of sexual abuse, rape and harassment and how they had to keep quite because they had signed contracts under “forced arbitration” clauses with companies that employed them.

In the hearing, Tatiana Spottiswoode,

a law student formerly employed by Afiniti, told members of the US Congress that she had felt pressured into a sexual relationship by Chishti.

Spottiswoode told the committee that despite previously telling Chishti that she did not consent, she felt pressured into having sexual relationship with Chishti on an overseas trip, when he also allegedly beat her. Afterwards, she said, Chishti initiated arbitration against her and her father who was also employed by Afiniti.

In May 2019, Spottiswoode’s arbiter ruled in her favour that she had been sexually harassed and assaulted by Chishti, following which she said he offered to pay $1 million to drop arbitration against her father if she erased the ruling.

In corporate America, many consumer contracts including employment contracts have forced arbitration clauses which consumers and employees are often forced to sign in order to receive services or get hired and often don’t know they’ve signed-away their legal rights under the contract.

In the event of a dispute with a corporation, forced arbitration says that a consumer or an employee cannot take their case to court but instead has to go to a private arbitration forum designed by the corporation the dispute is against.

Most forced arbitration clauses require the consumer to waive their rights, while allowing the corporation to sue in courts and consumers often must pay steep filing fees just to initiate a case and pay their share of the arbitrator’s hourly charges. In addition, forced arbitration clauses often allow the corporation to choose the location, regardless of how inconvenient or costly travel will be for the consumer.

Since only businesses are repeat users of

an arbitrator, there is a disincentive for an arbitrator to rule in favor of a consumer if he expects further retentions.

Forced arbitration clauses often restrict the individual’s ability to argue his or her side of the case. For example, many restrict the individual’s ability to obtain necessary evidence. Also, it is nearly impossible to appeal adverse decisions by arbitrators.

While proceedings and records of the courts are open to the public, most forced arbitration clauses require that proceedings be kept confidential, even if the case raises important public health and safety issues.

Forced arbitration has been around since 1925 when the US Congress passed the Federal Arbitration Act to guarantee that two corporations could respectfully arbitrate disputes. The sentiment against forced arbitrations gained popularity after a US Supreme Court ruling in 2011.

On Nov 1, 2018, more than 20,000 Google employees walked out to protest the company’s pattern of unethical decision-making and forced arbitration practice. A New York Times investigation found that Andy Rubin, a top Google executive, received $90 million after an employee made a sexual assault allegation against him; because of confidentiality clauses, that was how even Google employees learned about it. They organised a walkout.

In response, the company ended its policy of requiring mandatory arbitration for sexual harassment cases a week later.

Other top tech companies like Facebook, Square, Airbnb, eBay, Uber, and Lyft soon followed suit.

Wednesday’s hearing also sought to fortify legislation that would ban the use of forced arbitration in cases of alleged sexual violence and harassment.

Pakistan’s exports increase by 25.2pc in 4MFY22 ISLAMABAD app

Amazon to stop accepting visa credit cards LONDON: Amazon said on Wednesday it would stop accepting Visa credit cards issued in the United Kingdom from next year due to the high fees charged by the payment processor for transactions. “As a result of Visa’s continued high cost of payments, we regret that Amazon.co.uk will no longer accept UK-issued Visa credit cards as of 19 January, 2022,” an Amazon spokesperson said in an emailed statement. Amazon customers can still use Visa debit cards, Mastercard and Amex credit cards, and Eurocard, the company said in a note to its customers. Merchants have long disputed with payment processors over transaction fees. A Kroger unit in 2019 stopped accepting Visa’s credit cards, citing excessive fees. Visa did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for a comment. Amazon’s plan to stop accepting these cards was earlier reported by Bloomberg News.

Exports from the country witnessed an increase of 25.2 per cent during the first four months of the current fiscal year (4MFY22) as compared to the corresponding period of last year, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported on Wednesday.

According to provisional figures released by PBS, exports during the July-October period of FY22 were recorded at Rs1,570,444 million against the exports of Rs1,254,337 million during July-October FY21.

Meanwhile, on year-on-year (YoY) basis, exports increased by 23.77pc to Rs423,371 million in October compared to the exports of Rs342,063 million in October FY21. The same also increased on a month-onmonth (MoM) basis, by 4.58pc when compared to the exports of Rs404,847 million in September FY22.

The main commodities exported during October FY22 included knitwear, readymade garments, bed wear, cotton cloth, rice, cotton yarn, towels, made up articles excluding towels and bedwear, Basmati rice, oil seeds, nuts, and kernels.

On the other hand, imports during July–October FY22 totaled Rs4,168,515 million against imports worth Rs2,514,545 million during the corresponding period of last year, showing an increase of 65.78pc.

Likewise, imports during October FY22 amounted to Rs1,096,467 million against Rs1,102,998 million in September, and Rs633,218 million during October FY21, showing a MoM decrease of 0.59pc, but a YoY increase of 73.16pc.

The main commodities of imports during October were petroleum products, natural gas, liquefied, petroleum crude, medicinal products, iron and steel, palm oil, fertiliser manufactured, plastic materials, iron & steel scrap and power generating machinery.

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Rupee surge against US dollar continues LOCAL CURRENCY HAS GAINED RS1.97 OR 1.12PC AGAINST US DOLLAR SINCE MONDAY The rupee on Wednesday continued its rise against the US dollar for the third straight session on the back of a slowdown in speculative buying of the currency.

According to data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the local currency closed at 173.76 against the US dollar in the interbank market, compared with Tuesday’s close of 174.89, gaining Rs1.13. With a fresh increase of 0.65 per cent, the rupee has gained Rs1.97 or 1.12pc against the US dollar during the last three days. The local currency closed at an all-time low of Rs175.73 against the greenback on November 12. It is pertinent to mention here that the monetary policy committee of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) will meet November 19 instead of the previously announced November 26.

The decision was taken on Tuesday because of “unforeseen developments that have affected the outlook for inflation and the balance of payments, and to help reduce the uncertainty about monetary settings prevailing in the market,” according to a statement by the central bank. news desk

FDI drops 24pc to $223m in October INFLOWS DROP 12PC TO $662.1M IN 4MFY22 COMPARED TO $750.6M IN CORRESPONDING PERIOD IN FY21 The net foreign direct investment (FDI) into different sectors like power, communications and oil and gas exploration dropped 24 per cent to $223 million in October 2021.

According to the data compiled by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), FDI declined by 11.8pc YoY to $662.1 million during 4MFY22, i.e., July to October, as compared to FDI of $750.6m reported in the corresponding period last year.

During the month of October, the foreign private investment into the country amounted to $145m, out of which $223m was attributed to direct investments, whereas disinvestment of $78m was attributed to equity securities i.e., a part of portfolio investments.

Within the direct investments, there was an inflow of $299.6m and an outflow of $76.6m during the month.

Under the foreign public investment, $1bn worth of disinvestment was witnessed in debt securities during October’21 against the outflow of $243.7m in Oct’20 and inflows of $3.3m recorded in Sep’21.

All in all, the country witnessed doreign divestments of $894.9m in Pakistan during the month when compared to net inflows of $12.3m in Oct’20 and $153.8m in September.

According to Bloomberg, the rupee has become Asia’s worst performer in the past six months.

The government earlier predicted that Pakistan’s economy will slowly and gradually gain growth momentum, which should encourage foreign investors to invest in new projects, however, the figures do not support the claim.

The overall weak global trends were also responsible for the tepid FDI inflows into Pakistan.

The Netherlands was the largest foreign direct investor in Pakistan as it invested $160.5m in the first four months of FY22. China emerged as the second biggest investor as it invested $116.5m compared to an investment of $399.5m in the same period last year while the United States emerged as the third-largest investor with an investment of $114.3m compared to $27.7m in the corresponding period last year. Investment from Hong Kong clocked in at $45.5m. news desk

FBR reaffirms commitment to reforms in meeting with ADB delegation ISLAMABAD staff report

Officials of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) officials held an important meeting with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to review the progress made on “FBR Reform Engagement with ADB” as well as issues and challenges being confronted for effective implementation here on Wednesday.

The FBR team was led by FBR Chairman Dr Muhammad Ashfaq Ahmed while the ADB team was headed by United States’ Alternate Executive Director John Hurley, who was accompanied by Country Director Yong Ye, Principal Energy Specialist Asad Aleem, Executive Director Noor Ahmed, Senior Project Officer Financial Sector Sana Masood, Senior Project Officer Infrastructure Khurram Ghafoor and Senior Economist Farzana Noshab.

Member Customs Operations Syed

Muhammad Tariq Huda, Member IR Operations Qaiser Iqbal, Member Reforms Ambreen Iftikhar, Chief Director Media Muhammad Asad Tahir and Project Director Pakistan Raises Revenue (PRR) Nadeem Basheer were also present in the meeting.

As per details, the progress on Integrated Transit Trade Management System (ITTMS) was shared with the ADB delegation in the meeting.

Giving specific details about Customs trade facilitation at Border Crossing Points (BCPs), the FBR team informed that facilitation of multi-agency administration and round-the-clock operationalisation and establishment of well-equipped import and export Custom Control Zones (CCZs) at BCPs have been ensured.

Regarding Customs Trade Harmonization at BCPs, it was briefed that the least possible human interface between entry and exit points has been ensured for an enhanced

trade facilitation.

“Moreover, WeBOC has been integrated with Pakistan Single Window (PSW) for real time data sharing with the concerned stakeholders. The Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) is also being shared with regional economies and trading partners. Speedy electronic verification of documents, clearance, weighing and scanning has expedited cross-border cargo movement under WTO’s Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) for reducing cost of doing business,” the FBR chairman said.

During the meeting, the progress on Tax Administration Diagnostic Assessment Tool (TADAT) was also shared with ADB. The visiting delegation was informed that FBR has launched the formulation of Inland Revenue Code in a bid to harmonise all inland taxation laws and maximise facilitation of taxpayers.

The meeting was told that the single In-

land Revenue Code will reduce the implementation cost of FBR and reduce compliance cost for taxpayers.

The ADB team was also apprised of broader revenue mobilisation initiatives of FBR particularly in the realm of Pakistan Raises Revenue programme (PRR).

It was informed that FBR was on its way to achieve objectives of the programme for a simple and transparent tax system, effective control of taxpayers’ obligations and facilitation of compliance and institutional development for efficiency and accountability.

Moreover, the FBR chairman FBR dilated upon key initiatives of the department which includes e-monitoring (Track & Trace System), Point of Sale (POS) integration, establishment of a single sales tax portal and similar other technological initiatives.

He reaffirmed that his team had done well in the last financial year (FY21) by ex-

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

ceeding the assigned revenue target of Rs4,691 billion and had already collected Rs235 billion in excess of the assigned budget for the first four months (July-October) of the current fiscal (4MFY22), achieving a growth of 36.7 per cent.

He informed the delegation that for the first time ever in FBR history, the country’s premier revenue collection organisation has adopted a policy of clean revenue collection by not holding back a penny in refunds payable to taxpayers and not accepting any advances as compared to practices in the past.

The ADB team appreciated FBR’s efforts to maximise revenue potential through automation and digitisation and hoped that the tax watchdog will continue to maintain its ongoing momentum to broaden the tax base through technology and thus, collect maximum revenue for the people of Pakistan.