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Wednesday, 8 December, 2021 I 3 Jamadi-al-Awwal, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 160 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition

Nobody to be spared for perpetratiNg violeNce iN Name of religioN: pm

rime minister imran khan has said that nobody will be spared for perpetrating violence under the garb of religion. addressing a condolence reference in memory of Sri Lankan national priyantha diyawadana, who was brutally lynched by a mob in Sialkot last week over blasphemy allega-

tions, the prime minister said the incident brought embarrassment to the entire nation and dented its image. the prime minister said the business community of Sialkot has collected one hundred thousand dollars to be provided to the bereaved family of priyantha diyawadana. he said the bereaved family will also

continue to receive the monthly salary. appreciating the courage of malik adnan, who put his life at risk to save the life of the Sri Lankan national, the prime minister said malik adnan will be conferred with tamgha-e-Shujaat. “role models are important in the country because people follow them,” imran said, adding, “moral power is

greater than physical power.” the prime minister also presented him with a letter of appreciation. the premier said pakistan is the only country that was established in the name of islam, but Sialkot-like incidents are a source of shame for the pakistanis. “pakistanis living abroad couldn’t

show their faces in public after this incident,” he said, adding that he received tons of messages from people living overseas. Later, talking to the media, malik adnan thanked the prime minister for announcing tamgha-e-Shujaat for him and giving him a letter of appreciation. he said that he would like to dedicate these awards to the family of priyantha diyawadana. earlier on monday, the mortal remains of the Sri Lankan national reached colombo from Lahore airport, while an anti-terrorism court (atc) granted physical remand of 26 accused for 15 days for investigation. kumara’s remains were repatriated with state honours. News Desk

Rupee breaks all previous records against US dollar despite $3bn Saudi deposit KARACHI TLTP

pakistani rupee on tuesday plunged against the uS dollar in the interbank market once again to hit yet another alltime low of rs176.79. according to the State Bank of pakistan, the dollar opened at rs176.48 and closed at rs176.79, shedding 31 paisas or -0.18 per cent. Within the open market, the rupee was traded at 177.80/178.80 per dollar. the dollar had hit the highest ever levels of rs176.77, rs176.42 and rs176.20 against the local currency just last week. overall, the local currency has

LocaL currency traded at 177.80 to 178.80 per doLLar in the open market

shed two paisas against the greenback during the last two days. the depreciation during the ongoing fiscal year (Fy22) has been rs19.37, and rs16.64 in the current year 2021 (cy21). according to experts, the $3 billion deposit from Saudi arabia has failed to leave any positive impact despite expectations. they said that funds are a sort of operating reserve that can only give a temporary boost, but are not good enough to solve structural financial pressures. a day ago, the market recorded

some recovery in the rupee’s value; however, large imports kept the dollar demand higher. the rupee is under severe pressure due to a surge in import bill and widening trade deficit. the decline in State Bank of pakistan’s (SBp) official foreign exchange reserves are also another reason for the local currency’s deterioration. moreover, the pakistani rupee’s value against the uS dollar has fallen by 30.5pc during the incumbent pti-led government’s tenure, as per a report in the news.

Wednesday, 8 December, 2021 | ISLAMABAD

NEWS

SECP ChaIrman gEtS anOthEr 3-yEar ExtEnSIOn ISLAMABAD

Police arrest five men for beating, stripping four women in Faisalabad NEwS DESK The Faisalabad police have arrested five men suspected of assaulting, stripping and filming four women in city’s Bawa Chak Market on Monday. The Punjab Police shared the development in a tweet. According to the tweet, two of the suspects were arrested on Monday night and three others were arrested later on Tuesday. “All aspects of the incident are being investigated,” the tweet said. The action was taken after videos of men stripping and beating women in the city made rounds on social media. Faisalabad City Police Officer (CPO) Dr Mohammad Abid Khan told a news outlet that raids are being conducted for further arrests and the culprits would be given strict punishment. A first information report (FIR) was registered at Millat Town police station against four named suspects — Saddam, the owner of Usman Electric Store, and his employee, Faisal, Zaheer Anwar, and Faqeer Hussain, the owner of a sanitary products’ shop — and 10 unidentified suspects on behalf of one of the victims. The suspects have been charged under sections 354-A (assault or use of criminal force against a woman and stripping her), 509 (insulting modesty or causing sexual harassment), 147 (punishment for rioting) and 149 (unlawful assembly guilty of an offence committed in prosecution of common object) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Palm jumps nearly 4% on expectations of tight supply KUALA LUMPUR Agencies

Malaysian palm oil futures rallied for a second consecutive session to hit a two-week closing high on Tuesday, as industry surveys pointed to tightening November production and inventory. The benchmark palm oil contract for February delivery on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange climbed 181 ringgit, or 3.81%, to 4,931 ringgit ($1,165.72) a tonne, its highest close since Nov. 22. It had gained 0.6% during its first night trading session on Monday. Malaysia’s palm oil inventories at end-November likely slipped 3.5% from the previous month to a four-month low of 1.77 million tonnes, a Reuters survey showed on Monday. The market was also supported by Malaysian Palm oil Association (MPOA) data showing November production of around 1.65 million tonnes, lower than trade estimates of around 1.71 to 1.72 million tonnes, said Anilkumar Bagani, research head of Mumbai-based vegetable oils broker Sunvin Group. Investors are also awaiting Malaysian Palm Oil Board data and early December export data from cargo surveyors, both due on Friday. Bagani said Sunvin expects December palm oil exports from Malaysia to slide more as China was completely out of palm oil buying and India had robust purchases during October and November. Top producer Indonesia will bring in a new levy for palm plantations within the next two years, the proceeds of which will be used to protect public interests and the environment, its finance minister said. Dalian’s most-active soyoil contract rose 0.8%, while its palm oil contract rose 0.7%. Soyoil prices on the Chicago Board of Trade were up 1%.

ghulAm AbbAs

HE federal cabinet on Tuesday approved the extension of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) Chairman Aamir Khan’s tenure for another three years. This is a first in the history of the SECP that a sitting chairman has been awarded an extension. Aamir Khan was appointed as SECP commissioner in December 2018 and was later elevated to the post of chairman in August 2019. As per details, Advisor to Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Shaukat Tarin apprised the federal cabinet on significant reforms featuring legal, structural, regulatory, operational and product development initiatives by the SECP during the last three years in a bid to further the government’s vision of improving ease of doing business (EODB), expanding financial inclusion, digitising corporate processes, developing capital market and strengthening the enforcement of laws. According to officials, the Cabinet was informed that SECP has achieved end-to-end digitalisation of the company

registration process, which has resulted in a growth of nearly 60 per cent in the number of registered companies over the past three years, accumulating to 156,000 companies as of November 30, 2021, from 93,000 in December 2018. In order to simplify, speed up and make enforcement and supervision effective, the SECP has separated the functions of supervision and adjudication by establishing two centralised autonomous divisions. All the SOPs and processes related to the initiation and conclusion of regulatory enforcement actions were revamped for ensuring independent adjudication and supervision. In collaboration with the PSX, the commission introduced an alternative board, the Growth Enterprise Market (GEM), to encourage smaller companies to list equity securities and avail the benefits of listing at the exchange. The first SME was successfully listed at the GEM board last week. The Cabinet was informed that SECP introduced the electronic-IPO system in coordination with the Central Depository Company (CDC). Through the said system, investors can submit IPO applications electronically and make

subscription payments through ebanking channels. The simplification of the IPO process resulted in eight equity and two debt-IPO issues taking place during the year. The companies raised Rs56 billion through IPOs in 2020-21 (FY21), the highest in the last 10 years. Moreover, the SECP introduced Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) in the capital market, for which the definition of investment advisory services was amended to enable brokers to launch low cost ETF. PSX has successfully launched two Exchange-Traded Funds (ETF), which will uplift investor base in the capital market by providing a new, low cost and well-diversified investment avenue for the investors. For enhancing the EODB and strengthening market participants, measures have been taken to reduce market costs for which fee structure of the PSX, CDC and NCCPL have been rationalised. In order to enhance investor outreach, a framework has been stipulated for enabling online account opening. Further, to increase the retail base, a simplified account opening process has been introduced for low risk investors whereby maximum investment limit of Sahulat Account has been enhanced from

NEPRA notifies Rs3.75 per unit hike in power tariﬀ for Karachi ISLAMABAD AhmAd AhmAdAni

The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has jacked up the price of power in Karachi by Rs3.75 per unit on account Fuel Charges Adjustment (FCA) for the month of September. According to a notification released on Tuesday, the new price will be applicable to all the consumer categories except lifeline consumers of the KElectric and would be included in the electricity bills for December. According to sources, customers of

K-Electric will be burdened with an additional Rs7 billion this month due to the price hike. Earlier on November 9, NEPRA had approved an increase of Rs2.52 per unit in the power tariff for electricity consumers of ex-Wapda distribution companies (DISCOs) on account of FCA for September. The increase had put a burden of Rs40 billion on the public. DISCOs had charged consumers a reference fuel tariff of Rs5.02 per unit in September, but the actual fuel cost turned out to be Rs7.55 per unit, a difference of Rs2.52 per unit.

Blinken meets with women’s rights icon Malala LONDON AnAdolu Agency

Malala Yousafzai, shot by the Taliban in 2012, decried on Monday the turnabout happening now under Taliban rule in Afghanistan, where freedoms of women and education opportunities have disappeared. Facing the media, and meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington DC, the poised and newly-married Yousafzai told Blinken: “You’ve mentioned that we’re here to talk about equality in girls’ education, but we know that Afghanistan right now is the only country where girls do not have access to secondary education.” It has been nearly 100 days since the US pulled out of Afghanistan after a 20-year military and diplomatic presence, a presence that saw women and girls make tremendous educational and professional strides. But the returning Taliban have taken the country back to a male-

dominated society, with few educational options for girls and women. “Girls’ education is a powerful tool for bringing peace and security,” Yousafzai said, quoting from a 15-year-old Afghan girl’s letter to her. “If girls don’t learn, Afghanistan will suffer, too. As a girl and a human being, I need you to know that I have rights. Women and girls have rights. Afghans have the right to live in peace, go to school and play.” “This is the message of Afghan girls,” Yousafzai told Blinken. “We hope that the US, together with the UN will take immediate actions to ensure that girls are allowed to go back to the schools as soon as possible, women are able to go back to work and all the humanitarian assistance that is needed for education there is provided.” Blinken praised Yousafzai, calling her an inspiration to girls and women and around the world, and promised that he would share the Afghanistan girl’s letter with President Biden.

FBR to withdraw collectors’ valuation powers ISLAMABAD shAhzAd PArAchA

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has decided to withdraw Customs collectors’ powers to determine the assessable values of imported goods in order to levy duty and taxes at the import stage. Sources said that the tax department in this regard has asked the government to approve the proposal to do so as submitted in the Finance Supplementary Bill, 2021. It may be recalled that an investigation of the department of Customs Intelligence and Investigation last month had unearthed the corruption of billions, committed at the valuation stage, at Quetta Customs during the period between 2015 and 2021. In consequence of this valuation fraud committed by successive officials at Quetta, the collectors’ valuation powers were abolished in 2019 but again restored through the Finance Bill, 2021, to help ease penal consequences for the culprits of the scam. Now, FBR has once again decided to abolish these powers through the Supplementary Bill, 2021.

Rs500,000 to Rs800,000. These steps resulted in an increase of 14,000 new investors witnessed at PSX. Furthermore, SECP is in the process of implementing the new trading engine at the PSX which will improve trading operations of the stock market, but also lead to a much stronger surveillance system of the front-end regulator by December. According to officials, for improving financial inclusion, growth of the private sector, SECP also launched the Secured Transactions Registry (STR) which will be used for registration of security interests/charges created by entities other than companies on their movable assets such as receivables, intellectual property, inventory, agricultural products, petroleum or minerals, motor vehicles, etc. SECP’s regime for regulating financial institutions has been rated as largely compliant in FATF’s action plan, eight out eight action items, and 54 out of 54 recommended actions in the Post Observation Period Report of the Mutual Evaluation Report as a result of these reforms undertaken by the SECP. To promote documentation and corporate investment in the real estate sector, the SECP has amended the REIT regulations, triggering a number of REIT management license requests and REITs schemes applications. Similarly, to provide ease of doing business to startups, private companies and SMEs were permitted to raise capital by receiving immovable property, intangible assets and services, instead of only cash and were allowed to offer employee stock option plans to employees.

It is pertinent to note that FBR had initiated an inquiry against ex-Customs collectors of Quetta on the report of Customs I&I. Initially, this fact-finding inquiry committee had reportedly declared the lower staff, including appraisers responsible for the scam as they seemed to have been under pressure. However, later it was learnt that the inquiry committee was able to fix responsibility on the real culprits and submitted its report before the chairman FBR on November 25. Sources said that FBR, in the supplementary bill, has also proposed to reverse two earlier amendments made to the Customs law through the Tax Laws (Third Amendment) Ordinance, 2021 in September this year after the investigation proved ill motives behind the move. According to the first proposal, an appeal against the decisions of DG Valuation Customs shall be now filed before judicial fora instead of the Member Customs (Policy) in consonance with the principle of separation of judicial and executive functions. This law was amended to transfer appeals against the decisions of DG Customs Valuation to Member Customs Policy in a bid to benefit the alleged culprits of the

valuation scam at Quetta. Similarly, the second proposal seeks to eliminate corporate guarantee as security in the cases of provisional assessments of duty and taxes on imported goods. This law had been amended to facilitate Customs officials by adding corporate guarantee as security. However, Profit learnt that certain unscrupulous elements have already taken advantage of this earlier amendment in the Customs law which had added the worthless security of a corporate guarantee for provisional assessments. “In October this year, FBR had directed provisional assessments of certain pending consignments involved in the Quetta valuation scam against just undertakings, putting massive revenues involved in these cases at risk,” they added. Profit learnt that importers, in collusion with Customs officers, had planned to replace bank guarantees worth billions of rupees, taken for the provisional assessments of MG vehicles imported in Karachi, with corporate guarantees. It is pertinent to note that the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue on Monday had also discussed issues related to the valuation of imported goods.

Oil prices climb on easing Omicron fears, Iran delay SINGAPORE Agencies

Oil prices edged up on Tuesday after a near 5% rebound the day before as concerns about the impact of the Omicron variant on global fuel demand eased while Iran nuclear talks hit roadblocks, delaying the return of Iranian crude supplies. Brent crude futures rose 60 cents, or 0.8%, to $73.68 a barrel at 0520 GMT, after settling 4.6% higher on Monday. US West Texas Intermediate crude was at $70.23 a barrel, up 74 cents, or 1.1%, building on a 4.9% gain in the previous session. Oil prices were pummelled last week over concerns that vaccines might be less effective against the new coronavirus variant Omicron, sparking fears that governments may re-impose restrictions to curb its spread and hit global growth and oil demand. However, a South African health official reported over the weekend that Omicron cases there had only shown mild symptoms. Also, the top US infectious disease official, Anthony Fauci, has told CNN “it does not look like there’s a great degree of severity” so far. Article continues after this advertisement “This lowers the probability of the worst case scenario that the oil markets have been pricing in over the past couple of weeks,” ANZ analysts said in a note. In another sign of confidence in oil demand, the world’s top exporter Saudi Arabia raised monthly crude prices on Sunday. This comes after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and their allies, a group known as OPEC+, agreed to continue raising output by 400,000 barrels per day in January despite the release of US strategic petroleum reserves. Crude imports at the world’s top importer China also rebounded in November. In addition, a delay in the return of Iranian oil supported prices. Indirect US-Iran nuclear talks have hit roadblocks. Germany urged Iran on Monday to present realistic proposals in talks over its nuclear programme.

Wednesday, 8 December, 2021 | ISLAMABAD

LAHore GymKHAnA CLub emPLoyeeS ProteSt AGAinSt DiSmiSSAL LAHORE shahab omer

In the name of non-availability of funds and overstaffing, the executive body of Lahore Gymkhana has sacked around 40 employees. The sacked employees included gardener, watchmen and other low-ranking staffers. The sacked employees protested against the dismissals outside the club here on Monday and Tuesday. According to details, on Monday afternoon, the fired employees staged a protest demo against the club management and chanted slogans and demanded that they be reinstated. Reliable sources in the Club informed that the decision was taken by the executive body as most of the employees were recruited by the previous body. However, many of those employees who were close to retirement were also fired, the sources said. A club employee said the decision by management was not only shocking but also worrying. “It is a club visited by the city’s elite, including current and retired bureaucrats, judges, lawyers, journalists and politicians. The club also receives a substantial amount in the membership fees head. It is

“Hascol’s restructuring is nearly complete” – Sir Alan Duncan, Chairman, Hascol Petroleum Ltd KARACHI Pr

Hascol Petroleum has just concluded its muchawaited Annual General Meeting (AGM), in which its Chairman, former UK Foreign Minister Sir Alan Duncan, stated that the company is nearing agreement on a complete restructuring of its debt. He went on to say: “2021 has been a dramatic year during which your Board has worked tirelessly to turn the company around. I believe we are making good progress in doing so, and I am pleased to be able to explain some of the steps we have taken over the last few months. First, we have published the 2020 accounts, and in doing so we have cleaned them up and corrected some previous entries which did not meet our high standards. We are now working hard on the 2021 quarterly accounts, and hope to be up-todate with them within a few weeks. Hascol replaced the Company’s auditors. Baker Tilly are working closely now with our Finance Department on all our accounts and processes. Our CEO and CFO have worked exceptionally long hours under great pressure and, along with all the other employees of Hascol, they deserve our gratitude and appreciation. It is not just Hascol which has had a difficult year. The entire OMC sector has had a challenging time both with market conditions and with the regulatory environment. Many of the problems OMCs have faced have not been of their own making, and we are pleased that the Government has taken positive steps on forex protection and retail margins which should help all companies in the sector. Hascol’s main pressure is that it has been seriously constrained by tight liquidity, and the Company would not have survived without the patient and continuing support of its major shareholder. The Company is carrying a heavy burden of accumulated debt. Servicing that debt has cost as much as the scale of its total losses. In order to address this, the Company has been in detailed negotiations with its bankers.

nEWS

Wagah border video sends Japanese youth into frenzy ISLAMABAD staff CorresPoNDeNt

surprising that there are no funds for the salaries of employees for this elite,” the employee said. The employee said the dismissals have created an atmosphere of uncertainty among serving employees of the club and the management should reverse the decision in the current situation where inflation is skyrocketing. Speaking to Pakistan Today, Brigadier Olad

Hussain Rizvi, Secretary of Executive committee at Lahore Gymkhana club, said, “The financial position of the club is not strong, therefore, we had to fire some employees. In addition to this reason, the previous committee had hired more employees than required.” Rizvi further added, “There are three assistants working where one assistant is required. Considering these facts, the club has to terminate some employees”.

Sindh govt allows students with 50pc marks in MDCAT 2021 admissions to medical, dental colleges KARACHI News Desk

Sindh government Tuesday announced to allow students get admissions to medical and dental colleges in the province even if they secured 50 percent marks in the Medical and Dental Admission College Test 2021. Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho had last week said the provincial cabinet decided to lower the minimum pass percentage of MDCAT from 65% to 50% to save the academic career of students and also to avert shortage of doctors in the province. The health department, in a notification, said: “Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University (SMBBMU) Larkana is allowed to initiate admission process for the admission in MBBS/BDS in Medical and Dental Universities/Colleges (Public and Private Sector).” “The overall weightage and terms and conditions for admission shall remain same and strictly be followed as per relevant rules,” the notification added.

In last week’s press conference last week, the health minister had also said the provincial governments, under the 18th Constitutional Amendment, were empowered to adopt the admission policies for medical and dental colleges but the “centre had been unduly meddling in this affair.” She recalled that 400 seats in dental colleges had remained vacant last year, while the medical colleges of the province had been compelled to offer admissions to candidates belonging to other provinces. She said that as per the World Health Organisation standard, there should be a doctor for every 350 hospital beds, but in Sindh, there is only one doctor for 3,500 patients. Dr Pechuho warned that the province could face a shortage of doctors in the next four years if an “unjust admission policy continued to prevail in Sindh.” She said the Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) on its own had set the minimum passing criterion of 65% without consulting the provinces.

A Pakistani diplomat has sent Japanese tweeps into frenzy by posting a video of flag-lowering ceremony at Wagah Border between archrivals Pakistan and India. The post is now the most watched Pakistani video in Japan ever. Mr Farrukh Rafiq, an officer of ministry of Information and Broadcasting posted at Pakistan Embassy in Tokyo, Japan, has launched a social media campaign on Twitter with a handle @JapanKahani where he posts information about interactions between Pakistani and Japanese cultures. Mr Farrukh is doing a wonderful job by keeping the young Japanese abreast of Pakistan’s strong culture and its dynamic people. On Sunday, he posted the video which has got the attention of the Japanese youth and went viral within few hours. It is estimated that the video has surpassed all coverage of Pakistan in Japan in the past few years. A preliminary analysis shows that at least 3000 people have expressed desire to visit Pakistan after the video went viral. More than 800 people expressed desire to watch Wagah ceremony replicated in other parts of the world. The video has gathered two million impressions and has been liked 32000 times. It has been retweeted more than 9000 times and has been watched more than half a million times. The video is now the most watched video in Japan in the past one month.

Donation to Koohi Goth Women Hospitals

PR Under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Program, Pak Suzuki has donated Items for protection against COVID-19 (Masks, Gloves, Sanitizers, Dettol, Temperature Guns, B.P Apparatus, etc.) with Five Water Cooler sets to Koohi Goth Women Hospital (KGWH) of Zafar&Atia Foundation Charitable Trust (ZAAFCT). The donation ceremony was held on Thursday 4th November, 2021. Mr. MasafumiHarano, MD & CEO Pak Suzuki & Dr. Tipu Sultan, CEO Koohi Goth Women Hospital attended the ceremony with other officials.

Beach Cleaning Campaign 2021

PR Under CSR, and following Suzuki Motor Corporation

“Clean-up the World Campaign” ‘Beach Cleaning Campaign’ is carried out on Friday 26th November, 2021 at Seaview Clifton, the purpose was to create

Silkbank and OLX Mall Partner to Oﬀer Even More Convenience to Credit Card Customers KARACHI Pr

Silkbank Limited, with its substantial market share in the credit cards segment, has partnered with OLX Mall, one of the leading e-commerce platforms in Pakistan to open up a world of convenience for its Credit Card customers. This partnership will allow Silkbank Credit Card customers to shop online from OLX Mall and convert their transactions into installment plans with 0% markup for up to 6 months. The signing ceremony was attended By Mr. Nouman Butt, Head Alliances, Loyalty & New Initiatives, Mr. Kaleem Sheikh, Regional Manager Loyalty & Alliances at Silkbank, Mr. UmairMunir, Country Manager E-Commerce &

Mr. Syed Salman Bukhari, Head of Partnerships & Alliances in OLX Pakistan. On this occasion, Mr. Nouman Butt commented, “Witnessing the growing trend of online shopping in Pakistan, we found it imperative to align our strategic goals with the intention of providing convenience to our Credit Card customers. This promising partnership allows us to serve our customers better.” Mr. UmairMunir, Country Manager, E-Commerce in OLX Pakistan, said: “It is an absolute privilege to be able to strengthen our vision of providing unparalleled online shopping solutions by signing an agreement with Silkbank Limited, the bank that is a mark of innovation and excellence when it comes to credit cards in the country.”

awareness about the importance of environment protection and Marine Life conservation among public. Through this activity, Pak Suzuki is also contributing towards Government’s vision of “Clean & Green Pakistan. The campaign was successful; around 100 employees of Pak Suzuki participated in this campaign. Around 100 bags of garbage were collected and disposed of properly via Cantonment Board Clifton (CBC). While addressing the media, Mr. MasafumiHarano, MD & CEO of Pak Suzuki said, Pollution at our beaches is a serious concern as garbage endangers the marine life and our beaches; we should not throw garbage openly. we know that struggle to Clean Environment is challenging, but we vow to continue our efforts.

Wednesday, 8 December, 2021 | ISLAMABAD

04 NEWS Police foil terror plot in Gwadar

14-year-olD KaraChi boy Shot DeaD in alleGeD PoliCe enCounter

ISLAMABAD

KARACHI

Xinhua

Police in Gwadar district of Balochistan foiled a terror plot by defusing a bomb in a busy neighbourhood, a senior superintendent of police in the district said. The counter-terrorism department of police received an intelligence tip-off regarding the terrorist plan to launch an attack near the deputy commissioner’s office in Gwadar, police officer Tariq Mastoi told Xinhua. “Two terrorists parked a motorbike with explosives hidden in its speaker box outside the office and were trying to flee when police busted them,” he added. Mastoi said the terrorists were planning to explode the improvised explosive device hidden inside with remote control but failed due to the vigilance of law enforcement agencies. He did not reveal the identity of the militants who were shifted to an unknown location for investigation. Meanwhile, sources from paramilitary troops Levies told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that personnel from both police and the troops cordoned off the area and security has been beefed up in the district.

Disqualification of Dar from Senate sought ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

A disqualification reference was filed against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senator Ishaq Dar with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday. The petitioner, Azhar Siddique, filed the reference requesting the commission to disqualify the former finance minister as a member of the Senate. He said a court declared the opposition senator-elect as a defaulter in the case of appointment of columnist Atta ul-Haq Qasmi as the managing director of state-run Pakistan Television Corporation. The Senate chairman is bound to send a disqualification reference to the Commission under Article 63 of the Constitution but he has failed to do so, he lamented. Siddique pleaded with the body to disqualify Dar. Dar, who is in self-exile since 2017, was elected in absentia as a senator on a technocrat seat from Punjab in March 2018 but did not take oath due to his stay in London. The Supreme Court disqualified him from office in July 2017 after an investigation into the undisclosed wealth of now-deposed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family.

Convict in motorway rape case challenges death sentence LAHORE Staff RepoRt

Abid Malhi, one of the two convicts in the notorious motorway gang rape case, filed an appeal with the Lahore High Court (LHC) against the death sentence handed to him by an anti-terrorism court. In March, Malhi and Shafqat Hussain were sentenced to death for gang-raping the woman on the side of the motorway just outside Lahore in September last, an attack that triggered nationwide protests and calls for tougher laws. The men were convicted of gang rape, kidnapping, robbery and terrorism offences, according to a written order released by Judge Arshad Hussain Bhutta. Each of the convicts was also handed down 14-year rigorous imprisonment, with a fine of Rs200,000 under Section 392 (robbery), and five-year rigorous imprisonment under Section 440 (mischief committed after preparation made for causing death or hurt), with a fine of Rs50,000. Malhi’s appeal is filed under Section 25 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. At the outset of the hearing, Justice Chauhdry Abdul Aziz served notices on the plaintiff and the government, summoning responses from them. Judge Bhutta, on the other hand, sent a reference to the high court to confirm the death sentence awarded to the two. To support the verdict, Punjab Deputy Prosecutor General Muhammad Arshad Farooqi presented the record of the perpetrators. The state has also filed an appeal in the case, maintaining the punishment handed to the convict is in accordance with the law. “The court has overseen all the investigations and recorded statements from the complainant, witnesses, and the suspects,” it said. “The convicts have failed to provide substantial evidence against the accusations. It is therefore requested by the court to approve the decision of the anti-terrorism court,” it added. Fewer than 3 percent of sexual assault or rape cases result in a conviction in Pakistan, according to the Karachibased group War Against Rape. In December, the government introduced a new rape law, creating create special courts in a bid to speed up prosecutions and setting up a national sex offender registry.

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14-year-old Karachi youngster was shot dead in an alleged encounter, triggering protests by his relatives. The incident took place in Karachi’s Orangi-5 area, where Arsalan Mehsud was shot dead by police while his friend sustained bullet wounds. After the incident took place, Mehsud’s relatives arrived at the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and staged a sitin protest to demand justice for the boy. Mehsud’s relatives rejected the police’s version, saying that he was a student and was not guilty of any wrongdoing. “No firearm was recovered from Arsalan. Police killed him in a fake encounter,” members of the bereaved family stated. Police had earlier claimed that they had tried to stop two men on a motorcycle at a picket. The two men, in response, opened fire instead of stopping, claimed police. Police said one of the suspects died while his accomplice managed to escape. However, DIG West Nasif Aftab rejected the statement of the police officer who had shot at the victim, saying that the suspicious encounter did not take place at the picket. Rather, he said

it took place at a distance from it. According to the DIG West, the on-duty police personnel who fired at the youngsters was in plainclothes, not in his uniform. The police officer involved in the incident has been taken into custody, he disclosed. A three-member inquiry committee comprising SSP Central, SSP Investigation Central and SP Gulberg has been formed to investigate the incident. The SHO Orangi has been suspended over the incident. The committee will present its report after 24 hours after which immediate action will be taken based on its findings, said the DIG West. According to a news outlet, the police have registered a first information report (FIR) under sections 34 (common intention), 109 (punishment of abetment if the act abetted committed in consequence and where no express provision is made for its punishment), 302 (murder), 324 (attempted murder) and 394 (voluntarily causing hurt in committing robbery) of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 7 of the AntiTerrorism Act. Leader of Opposition in Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh arrived on the spot after hearing about the incident. According to a report, the deceased was the son of a local transporter.

PMO holds condolence reference for deceased Lankan man ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

The office of Prime Minister Imran Khan will hold a condolence reference later today for Priyantha Kumara, the Sri Lankan manager of a local business who was killed by a mob in Sialkot Friday, the Associated Press of Pakistan announced. The reference will be marked by the laying of a wreath at the deceased’s portrait. The event is being held in solidarity with Kumara’s family and the Sri Lankan nation and government. The mob of factory employees tortured and burned the body of Kumara in an attack that Khan said brought shame on the country. The killing raised alarm over the potential for accusations of blasphemy to fuel crowd violence in Pakistan, coming just weeks after at least seven policemen were killed in clashes with the radical Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) movement, which has built its identity on fighting blasphemy. A first information report was registered against 900 workers of the business under multiple sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA). A preliminary police report revealed the two primary suspects, Farhan Idrees and Usman Rasheed, whom the general manager used to chide for poor output and indiscipline, incited their colleagues to lynch him over “blasphemy”. “Pakistan will leave no stone unturned to apprehend those involved. They will be given very strong

punishments,” Pakistan’s acting high commissioner to Sri Lanka, Tanvir Ahmad, told Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim and Christian leaders who called on him at the mission. The violence, which was condemned by rights

watchdogs including Amnesty International, also drew intense responses from politicians, celebrities and journalists on social media. Kumara’s remains were repatriated to Sri Lanka on Monday with state honours.

Clergy condemns ‘un-Islamic’ killing of Lankan man ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Clerics from various sects Tuesday unanimously condemned the “un-Islamic” and “extrajudicial” murder of Priyantha Kumara, a Sri Lanka national who was killed by a charged mob in Sialkot, and demanded that strict action be taken against the perpetrators. Kumara, who was employed in a garment production unit as its general manager for over 10 years, was killed on Friday on allegations of blasphemy. His mutilated body was later dragged on the road and set on fire by

the mob, receiving nationwide condemnation. The grisly murder of Kumara “was an inhumane act, and to accuse someone of blasphemy without proof is not in accordance” with the religious teachings, said Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) Chairman Dr Qibla Ayaz who read out a joint statement from clerics following a meeting with Sri Lanka High Commissioner Mohan Wijewickrama at the High Commission in Islamabad. The horrific incident has prompted days of soul searching, drawing intense responses from politicians, celebrities and journalists on social media.

CMYK

“Ashamed!! Sick to my stomach!!,” actress Mahira Khan wrote tweeted shortly after the killing. The killing raised alarm over the potential for accusations of blasphemy to fuel crowd violence in Pakistan, coming just weeks after at least seven policemen were killed in clashes with the radical Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) movement, which has built its identity on fighting blasphemy. Ayaz, who termed the incident against the teaching of the Holy Quran, the Constitution and the laws governing Pakistan, lamented “the act of some people brought shame to the people of Pakistan.”

There was no place for extremism and violence in Islam, he said. He said scholars from across the religious aisle had gathered to express condolence and solidarity on the incident. The cleric also urged religious scholars to play their due role in uprooting the menace of religious fanaticism. “The strictest possible legal action must be taken against these miscreants,” he demanded. He added the clergy was fully onboard with the decision of Prime Minister Imran Khan to award Tamgha-i-Shujaat to Malik Adnan, Kumara’s underling who had unsuccessfully tried to shield him from the mob.

Wednesday, 8 December, 2021 | ISLAMABAD

PAkiStAni Hindu fAmilieS StrAnded in indiA return After montHS

AKISTANI Hindu families, who had gone to the neighbouring country in hopes of becoming Indian citizens but were unable to do so despite staying in India for several years finally return to Pakistan on Tuesday, after being stranded for months. The families were stranded near the Attari-Wagah border for months. For the past three months, these people had been living under the open sky near the Attari border of India and were provided food by the locals. The families, numbering more than 100 people, were unable to return to Pakistan despite necessary preparations being completed for the reception at the Wagah border and could not cross due to Covid-19 related border closure. A Pakistani Hindu man whose wife

had a baby in December, was told by the immigration authorities to get a birth certificate and travel documents of the child since he was born in India. The family was sent back to India in order to obtain travel documents from the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi. According to Pala Ram, 97 Pakistanis stranded at the border include 47 children, six of whom were born in India and were less than a year old. Apart from Pala Ram, another Pakistani citizen, Laga Ram, gave birth to a child named Bharat. Laga Ram went to Jodhpur, India in 2020 to visit her brother. According to reports, the families returning to Pakistan were happy and thanked the Pakistani authorities, as during their stay in India, they faced discrimination and inhumane treatment at the hand of Indian authorities. news desk

Pakistan on Tuesday condemned the launch of a ballistic missile by the Houthis towards Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh aimed at “the civilian population and infrastructure”. The successful interception of the ballistic missile by the Royal Saudi Air Defence has prevented the loss of innocent lives, the Foreign Office said in a statement. “Such attacks not only violate international law but also threaten peace and security of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the region. Pakistan calls for the immediate cessation of these attacks,” it said. The FO said Pakistan reaffirmed its full support and solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia against any threats to its security and territorial integrity. Yemen’s Houthi movement said on Tuesday that it fired several ballistic missiles and 25 armed drones into Saudi Arabia, targeting Aramco oil facilities in Jeddah and the defence ministry in Riyadh. The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis in Yemen said late on Monday that one missile had been intercepted over the Saudi capital, where residents reported loud blasts. Agencies

21 students of the Sindh University (SU) along with 13-14 other suspects have been arrested by the Jamshoro police on the charges of sedition, in regards to an event held to observe Sindh Cultural Day. As per the complainant stated that the suspects raised anti-state slogans at the instigation of proscribed Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM) leader Shafi Burfat. Students belonging to different political and nationalist parties celebrated the day at Zero Point, where they raised antiPakistan slogans, he further stated. The Jamshoro police registered the FIR on Friday last under sections 123A, 124-A, 153-A, 505, 19, 147, 145 and 203 of the Pakistan Penal Code vide crime No. 305/21 on the complaint of SI Ghulam Hussain Kalro. Those suspects include Wasim Chandio, Irfan Soomro, Waqar Panhwar, Abid Jamali, Akash Lakho, Arsalan Arisar, Danish Leghari, Darya Khan Panhwar, Fida Hussain Panhwar, Jamshed Unnar, Hafeez Umrani, Imtiaz Ali Pahore, Janib

LAHORE AnAdolu Agency

Wassan, Jaswand Meghwar, Mansoor Kalwar, Azeem Jatoi, Muzamil Abbasi, Rashid Ali Zardari, Sajjad Ali Panhwar, Sarmad Hussain Chandio and Waqar Ali Panhwar. The Jamshoro SHO said that the FIR was registered after a delay of 16 days because the police were verifying the names of those who had participated in the celebration. The police officers and personnel present there had drawn the attention of the SU administration to the unlawful activities. An inquiry into the matter was conducted and finally on Nov 27 SU vice chancellor Prof Dr Mohammad Siddique Kalhoro decided to issue notices to the errant students. The notice issued to the students read: “It has been observed that they [students] have not followed the guidelines given in the Registrar Office [vide] Circular No. S.U.G/623, dated: 12.11.2021 and created law and order situation which has severely affected the educational environment and peaceful study

atmosphere”. The notice further asked the students to appear before the university’s disciplinary committee on November 30 in the office of the dean faculty of natural sciences A spokesman for the university said that a group of students had violated the guidelines issued by the registrar’s office. They took out rallies and also created a law and order situation on the campus, he stated while adding that the celebration, farewell parties to passing out students and welcome receptions to newcomers were allowed to restore normalcy on the campus after two years of Covid-19 pandemic-related closure and restrictions but some students resorted to challenging the administration’s writ. It is pertinent to note that the students were supposed celebrate the day on November 18 within the vicinity of their respective department and avoid taking out rallies and resort to indulging in prohibited acts. news desk

Ulema condemn Sialkot incident, call it ‘un-Islamic’ Ulema on Tuesday condemned the tragic incident of lynching Sri Lankan national Priyantha Kumara in Sialkot by calling it “un-Islamic” and “extrajudicial”, while demanding strict legal action from the government. “It was an inhumane act, and to accuse someone of blasphemy without proof is not in accordance with the Shariah,” said Chairman Council of Islamic Ideology Dr Qibla Ayaz as he read out a joint statement from ulema following their meeting with Sri Lankan High Commissioner Mohan Wijewickrama at the Sri Lankan Embassy in Islamabad. Dr Ayaz termed the incident against the teaching of the Holy Quran, the Constitution as well as the laws of Pakistan, adding that “the act of some people brought shame to the people of Pakistan.” “The strictest possible legal action must

be taken against these miscreants,” he said. Dr Ayaz said ulema fully supported the decision of Prime Minister Imran Khan to award Tamgha-i-Shujaat (Medal of Bravery) to Malik Adnan — the man who had tried to shield Kumara from the violent mob, but in vain. He further said there was no place for extremism and violence in Islam, and urged scholars to play their due role in uprooting the menace. He went on to state that all scholars from a variety of sects had gathered to express condolence and solidarity on the horrific incident. “This tragedy caused anger worldwide as the mob brutally killed a man and later burned his body.” Earlier, Sri Lankan High Commissioner Wijewickrama acknowledged that Pakistan and Sri Lanka had both assisted each other on a number of occasions, adding that “this particu-

Pakistan envisions friendly relationship with Bangladesh: official

21 SU students booked on sedition charges

Pakistan condemns Houthis attack on Saudi Arabia

NEWS

lar incident in Sialkot will not have any impact on the relations between the two countries.” He called the Sialkot incident a “horrific and horrendous” act, but added that he was satisfied with the arrests made and the launching of legal proceedings. “At the same time, I have seen that in the last three days people in Pakistan from all areas are condemning it (Kumara’s lynching), and they all say that ‘this is not Pakistan’ and we believe it.” The high commissioner also said that Kumara’s family should be provided “adequate compensation”. On Friday, December 3, Kumara, a senior manager in a factory in Sialkot, was tortured to death by hundreds of protesters, including the factory employees, and his body was later burnt over allegations of blasphemy. news desk

CMYK

Pakistan envisions a friendly and strong relationship with Bangladesh, and the recent exchange of dialogue between the two countries on trade and economic ties symbolizes a new and bright start, according to a military official. Commanding Officer of 6th Frontier Force (FF) Regiment Lt. Col. Asif Ali made the remarks during a briefing to a group of journalists who were visiting Head Sulemanki, a border area adjacent to India, where they paid homage to late Maj Shabbir Sharif Shaheed, who was martyred in the 1971 war. “Maj Sharif was the company commander of the 6th FF. He was ordered to provide stiff resistance to advancing Indian columns and capture high ground at Sulemanki Headworks. He embraced martyrdom on Dec. 6, 1971, after fighting tirelessly for several days,” said the officer. Sharif was directly hit by a tank shell as he was fighting “on the front line against the Indian army.” He was posted in the 6th FF in 1964. He posthumously received the Nishan-e-Haider award, one of the three most coveted awards of the army. “Bangladesh is our brotherly country. We should move on from the bitter past. The two countries have historical relations, and it is very important in today’s world to maintain good relationships with all countries in the region,” the officer said while answering a reporter’s question. Along with the journalists, a group of war veterans that served with Shabbir during the war was also present and offered special prayers for his departed soul. “Maj Shabbir Sharif is the embodiment of courage. He fought like a lion that day. Even the Indian side’s officers were praising his bravery and courage,” said retired Maj Shehreyar Ameerzada. Subedar Jaffar Khan, a senior non-commissioned officer, and Havildar Muhammad Aslam, a soldier, told stories of the 1971 war. “We fought day and night and even crossed the border on the other side, still at this age I can fight for my country. My son is the fifth generation in the army. We can do anything for our country, and now we are even stronger and we can deal with any conspiracies against us,” Khan said with tears in his eyes. Pakistan-Bangladesh relations in need of a fresh start: Recently, the prime ministers of Pakistan and Bangladesh extended invitations to each other for official visits, and both have shown a deep interest in bilateral talks and the need for developing trade mechanisms. The Foreign Ministry in Islamabad earlier this year said it is mutually beneficial for the two countries to candidly revisit and let go of the past and look towards a shared prosperous future in the era of geoeconomics and regional integration. Ties have improved with Dhaka following its constitutional “friendship to all and malice to none” foreign policy with Islamabad in recent months. Likewise, on the Pakistan side, there is not a hint of hostility towards Bangladesh. Talking on the future ties, Asif Ali said: “From literature to textbooks, there is no material denouncing Bengalis. The separation of East and West Pakistan is largely remembered as a painful tragedy warranting soul searching and self-accountability.” He further said no malicious campaign has ever been run in Pakistan to show spite against Bangladesh at any forum. Rather, it is considered a brotherly Muslim sovereign state.

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Wednesday, 8 December, 2021

06 COMMENT

The inhuman incident of Sialkot

Lack of strategy or lack of will? Establishment, political parties and the extremists

“Baad az Khuda buzurg tu ee Kissa mukhtasr” (Rumi)

hE resolve shown in a civil-military huddle to bring the killers of sri Lankan national Priyantha Kumara Diyawadanage to justice would be widely welcomed. hopefully a foolproof case will be prepared against those who incited the mob to kill an innocent man and those who took part in the gruesome act. Unless the vigilantes involved are duly punished, it will encourage militant extremists in the country to launch more attacks of the type. Those responsible for the county’s security have let extremist tendencies spread and extremist networks consolidate. The situation has reached a point where information Minister Fawad Chaudhry had to concede that “Neither the government nor the state is completely ready to fight extremism.” Mr Chaudhry held state institutions responsible for unbridled extremism in the country remarking that “some 30 years ago, on the basis of political and external reasons, we created an element and as a result Pakistan is facing a big threat.” Many think the patronization of extremist groups has continued with the aim to control out-of-favour political parties and get desirable election results. The expression of resolve to bring Kumara’s killers to justice is not enough. Nor is the promise to devise a comprehensive strategy to curb such incidents. Promises sound hollow when repeated again and again with no follow up in sight. Many believe that before devising a new strategy the government should strictly implement the 20 point National Action Plan (NAP) which was devised through a national consensus. had successive governments been helped to implement the plan, this would have effectively discouraged the emergence of violent extremist networks and contributed to making Pakistan a more tolerant society. There is a need to urgently begin enforcing the NAP. Equally important is for all parties to enlighten those among their rank and file who possess a soft corner for the extremists about the damage the later cause to the country’s security. A few days back instead of condemning the attack in sialkot, Federal Minister Pervez Khatak had trivialised the issue through remarks like “When children ... grow up, they become spirited and do things out of emotions.” There is a need not only for the PTi but other political parties also to sensitize their followers on the dangers posed by extremism.

MuhaMMad ali alvi

hERE are moments in the histories of nations when they stop, look back at the past and reflect. These moments have the capacity to define nations. The sialkot incident is one such incident in the history of Pakistan. As a Muslim, i have a firm belief that my identity, religion, prestige, life, and my life hereafter is only due to my beloved holy Prophet (PBUh). My whole existence is due to my holy Prophet (PBUh). in the words of Allama iqbal, “Abro e ma ze Naam e Mustafa (PBUH) ast” i consider myself the biggest lover of the holy Prophet (PBUh) and i can proudly say that i cannot think of hurting or harming anyone in his name because of his teachings, character, and love for humanity. A prophet who is the messenger of peace would never allow anyone to kill anyone in his name. The sialkot mob lynching is as brutal, as inhumane as it gets. i belong to the religion islam which teaches “Whosoever kills a person, it shall be as if he has killed all mankind” Al-Quran [5:32]. But, i fear i will never be able to explain and convince the victim’s family or other people belonging to the same community that i am not the same who killed your beloved one and i belong to a religion that teaches tolerance, peace and humanity. But, a mob or small section of fanatics can and

PTI minsters’ problem with authority Constantly at loggerheads with the ECP

RiME MiNisTER imran Khan and his party, the PTi, are strong proponents of electoral reform and while in opposition held a 126-day-long sit-in to protest against alleged rigging in the 2013 elections that brought the PML(N) to power, but when it comes to its own track record of operating within the limitations of election laws as laid down and implemented by the ECP, it cuts a sorry figure. The tirade of abuse and unsubstantiated accusations by two of its ministers launched against the ECP and the Chief Election Commissioner notwithstanding, the PTi has so far been unable to wriggle out or prove its innocence in the foreign funding case against it. While both ministers in question, Fawad Chaudhry and Azam swati, have apologized for their actions, there are examples of more recalcitrant senior members of the ruling government who have become habitual offenders and are constantly at loggerheads with the ECP. Former Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda for example, has been evading the ECP and the courts over probable disqualification on account of being unable to prove that he was not a dual national when contesting 2018 elections. in fact, his switch to the Upper house, was to avoid an imminent disqualification from his seat in the Lower house. he further made a mockery of Parliament and election rules retaining his MNA-ship to vote in the senate elections held earlier this year, only to resign from the National Assembly the same day and become a candidate for a senate seat in the same election. That he has so far failed to produce any documentation proving he was in fact not a Us passport holder when he filed his nomination papers for the last general elections suggests that no such document exists and the ECP has legitimate grounds to disqualify him. Apart from procedural and documentary violations, the PTi has a history of campaigning violations to boot and no one has a more colorful reputation and record in this regard than Federal Minister for Kashmir AffairsAli Amin Khan Gandapur who not only regularly threatens opposition candidates but openly distributes money during pre-election campaign rallies to voters, a blatant violation of the ECP’s code of conduct. Perhaps the only positive takeaway from all of this is that the ECP has not shown any leniency in any of these matters and pursued each case with a determination to identify and punish wrongdoing. it should continue with this same vigour to make sure elections are free, fair and all political parties adhere to the same set of laws, rules and regulations.

Washington Watch dr JaMes J Zogby

his past week, on November 29, the City of Philadelphia officially celebrated the “international Day of solidarity with the Palestinian People.” Philadelphia’s mayor, Jim Kenny, was the keynote speaker at the event that also featured remarks by three members of the city council, a state senator, and a state representative. All spoke about the contributions that Palestinian Americans are making to the city and to America. There were Palestinian flags, music, and maamoul. And an official city proclamation was read declaring solidarity with the Palestinian people. it’s normal for politicians to acknowledge the importance of and demonstrate their support for the many ethnic groups that make up their constituency. But this event was extraordinary for two important reasons: it marked a turning point in our community’s history, and this was about Palestinians. To understand the significance of this event, it’s important to recall an earlier, more painful time for my community in Philadelphia. in 1983, Wilson Goode, then candidate for mayor, attended an Arab American fundraising event hosted by a prominent Philadelphia Palestinian American, Naim Ayoub. Goode was engaging and, in his remarks, according to my brother John Zogby, who was there, he “vowed to be the mayor for all the people” of the city, which for those in attendance meant “full recognition of the

Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor

Yousaf Nizami M. A. Niazi

Umar Aziz

Joint Editor

Executive Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

The writer is freelance columnist

A Great Day for Arab Americans & Palestine

Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami

Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

should not define me, my religion or the majority of people living in Pakistan who think the same. The love for the holy Prophet PBUh cannot give rise to fanaticism, hate or barbarity; it teaches love, compassion, kindness and forgiveness. The sialkot mob lynching has not only brought shame to people living in Pakistan but to Pakistanis living abroad as well. A group of fanatics has tarnished Pakistan’s image and disgraced the religion. But now rather than repenting of what had happened, Pakistan must impose severe punishment on those involved in this violent act and not let a small fraction of fanatics define the whole nation. What happened in sialkot was against the teachings of islam, the Quran and the holy Character of the Prophet (PBUh). Pakistan has a government, a Judicial system, LEAs and laws to govern people. No one is above the law or allowed to take the law into one’s hand. But when an event like sialkot happens it challenges the writ of the state. Because of this, all other people feel insecure and vulnerable. so the state needs to keep people’s faith in the system and maintain the writ of the state by bringing perpetrators of these horrific incidents to justice. Different cultures exist in Pakistan and all cultures encourage the treatment of a guest in the best possible way. The deceased sri Lankan national was our guest and the way he was treated has put us to shame. Those who misguide people in the name of blasphemy should also tell the merciful, forgiving humanitarian, forbearing and magnanimous aspect of the holy Prophet (PBUh) life. Although, every sermon, agreement, story and hadith from the life of the holy Prophet (PBUh) shows mercifulness and forgiveness of his character and is worthy of sharing but one agreement that strikes my mind is the promise of the holy Prophet (PBUh) with the Christian’s of saint Catherine’s Monastery, Mount sinai, Egypt when a delegation from st. Catherine’s Monastery came to seek the protection of the holy Prophet (PBUh) in 628 AD. The document reads as: “ This is a message from Muhammad ibn Abdullah, as a covenant to those who adopt Christianity, near and far, we are with them. Verily i, the servants, the helpers, and my followers defend them because Christians are my citizens; and by Allah! i hold out against anything that displeases them…No one is to destroy a house of their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslims’ houses. should anyone take any of these, he

would spoil God’s covenant and disobey his prophet…No one of the nation is to disobey the covenant till the Last Day (end of the world)”. Then how can we expect a true lover of the holy Prophet PBUh to harm or injure anyone of any other religion? The loss and damage it has done cannot be reverted but surely this has to be the point from where no more violence is perpetrated in the name of blasphemy and fanatical tendencies have to be controlled. The love and respect of the holy Prophet PBUh are above all. According to a hadith, “None of you will have faith till he loves me more than his father, his children and all mankind”. But, killing someone in the sacred name of the holy Prophet (PBUh) whose mercifulness, forgiveness and benevolence is universal is not acceptable. As a Muslim, i have zero tolerance in respect of the prestige of my holy Prophet (PBUh). But if someone disrespects the holy Prophet (PBUh), we should deal with him/her according to the rules and regulations of islam. We have a constitution, judicial system, and laws. Let the state decide its fate and punish him according to law. Nobody has the right to decide by himself. The shameful incident of sialkot is the murder of our religious, constitutional, judicial, social and cultural values. it is the murder of human values. This ugly incident has isolated our country from the international community. it has defamed the most peaceful, kind, merciful, and beneficial religion, islam. how can we claim that we are civilised and are the followers of the most civilised, peaceful and merciful religion and prophet (PBUh)? We should realise it has not happened suddenly. it is the failure of our whole system. We are all responsible for it. Unfortunately as a society, we have not educated and trained our young generation according to the real teachings of islam. From the early 80s onwards, in the name of religion, we have cultivated a culture of intolerance in our society. Now we can observe that intolerance in all fields of life. Now we are living in an ignorant society. The society neither has a temperament of dialogue nor capability of tolerance. it is time to rethink and reconsider our attitudes, conducts and behaviours. Otherwise, we will be at the receiving end in future. Lastly, in a mob of extremists, there were only two lovers of the holy Prophet (PBUh) who tried to save the victim and they are a symbol of hope and life in our society.

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Arab American community within the body politic.” The next day speaking at a synagogue, his opponent denounced Goode for “taking money from Arabs” and accused him of “being soft on israel.” instead of standing up to this bigoted assault, John recalls the Philadelphia Inquirer headline which read “Wilson Goode to Return Arab Money.” And so, a few days later, John and the others who had contributed at the event received envelopes with their returned checks. To add insult to injury, Goode decided to keep the check of only one of the attendees—a Jewish doctor, who was Naim’s friend. On learning about how his check had been accepted, while the Arab American checks had been rejected, the doctor demanded that his check also be returned. John continued, “that was a total shock and contrary to what he had just promised us. it was a humiliating moment—a sordid affair that wasn’t about politics. it was about racism.” Goode went on to win two terms as mayor and, despite our best efforts, never once did he meet with the Arab American community. seven years later, Marwan Kreidie, one of our community’s key activists in Philadelphia, organized a meeting with Ed Rendell, the Democratic candidate to succeed Goode. Marwan had helped with voter registration efforts in the community—efforts that were spurred on by Jesse Jackson’s presidential campaigns in 1984 and 1988. he had formed a personal relationship with Rendell who was Jewish and wasn’t to be intimidated by his efforts to seek the support of Arab Americans. Rendell went on to win two terms as mayor and two terms as governor of Pennsylvania. he appointed Arab Americans to local and statewide posts. This recognition and inclusion in politics, in turn, helped the community to grow in stature—all leading to the November 29 event. Even with this growth and acceptance, the memories of past bigoted exclusion remained. They hung

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over our heads like a hammer waiting to fall. And so, when we learned of a letter sent to Mayor Kenny by the israeli Consul General urging him to “reconsider your decision to headline and support this event,” we recalled Goode’s cowardice and we held our breath. The Consul General’s letter was filled with inflammatory and outrageous charges against Palestinians. it spoke of anti-semitism; charged Palestinians and their supporters with “endorsing the violent rejection of peaceful compromise”; and referred to the groups sponsoring the event as “not interested in anything other than demonizing the Jewish state.” To our delight, neither the mayor nor the other elected officials backed away from the event. Nor did they withdraw the official proclamation. That’s what made this event so remarkable. An israeli American, who is an editorial writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer, was at the event and wrote a delightful opinion piece for his paper. he noted how the early Zionist movement spoke of Palestine as a “land without a people”; how Golda Meir had observed that “there is no such thing as a Palestinian people”; and how a former Republican speaker of the house of Representatives had called Palestinians an “invented people.” And concluded that the November 29 event by “simply recognizing the existence of a Palestinian identity and community—as the government does for so many ethnic and immigrant communities each year—is a powerful break from a tired and offensive narrative.” it shouldn’t be too much to ask that Arab Americans be recognized and included as full members of the body politic or that Palestinians have their humanity, identity, and contributions affirmed. But it’s taken us a long time and a lot of pain and work to get to this point. That’s why we celebrate November 29 and thank all those who have struggled to get us here.

The Consul General’s letter was filled with inflammatory and outrageous charges against Palestinians. It spoke of anti-Semitism; charged Palestinians and their supporters with “endorsing the violent rejection of peaceful compromise”

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The writer is President of the Arab American Institute

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

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Wednesday, 8 December, 2021

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Climate change and Glasgow conference

Influencing child behaviour Both parents and teachers must know the techniques

M ilyas Kalhoro

NDERsTANDiNG and manipulating the behaviour of children forms an important part of the child rearing and learning process. Parents, if they are not able to manipulate the behaviour of students and to stimulate them to study, may fail to acquire intended learning outcomes. The same is true for the teachers; they also need to understand the psychology of students to arouse in them the interest for learning otherwise it would be difficult to receive fruitful results. That is to say it is essential for parents and teachers to know how to influence the behaviour of children. Psychologists suggest employing a threepronged strategy to gain desired behaviour from children. The components of this strategy are Antecedents Behaviour and Consequences. They call it ABCs of child behaviour: A for antecedents B for behaviour and C for consequences. These three components work together to develop behaviour. Using all these three, a desired behaviour can be obtained from children at home or in the classroom. Now let’s try to understand the three components separately. Antecedents refer to what we can do before a behaviour takes place to make the desired behaviours most likely to occur. These are the things, said or done, that increase the likelihood of occurrence of a certain kind of behaviour. For example when a parent says to his child, “iif you are a good boy you will keep yourself neat and clean.” here the first sentence is an antecedent and it seemingly increases the chances of the occurrence of intended behaviour. it should be noted that the type of delivery of the statement determines its effectiveness. The antecedents are likely to influence the behaviour, provided they have been delivered with a gentle tone. Not only such statements, but also the display of soft tone of voice and pleasant facial expressions when asking a child to do something, constitute antecedents. Roughly telling a child sternly “respect your elders” is less likely to be less effective in changing behaviour than saying it

lightly with matching expressions. Besides, offering assistance is also a form of antecedent that can help in getting desired behaviour. For example you can say to your child “Let’s do homework”. After sitting a while you can leave. The child will most probably remain engaged in completing it. This may create lasting interest in the child for doing homework– you will not always have to bother sitting with him. The B part of the ‘ABCs’ of child behaviour is itself behaviour. it implies what can be done to replace the unwanted behaviour with the desired one. This can be done by shaping the child’s behaviour. The step-by-step process is involved to teach a child new behaviour. For instance if you want your child to drink milk ask him to take just a sip not more. Carrying on this practice for some days will ultimately produce the result of the child drinking the whole glass of milk. similarly if you want to see your child doing homework for an hour daily start by making him do it for a few minutes. Then day by day slightly increase the time. Eventually the child will learn to do it for an hour. The new behaviour can be shaped with the help of four ingredients: (1) set the liked behaviour (goal behaviour); (2) specify a small step (3) choose the positive consequences that will be used on completion of small steps, such as praise or reward; (4) go on increasing the step in quantity or amount but slightly, if completed. Besides shaping another way of replacing unliked behaviour with the desired behaviour is modeling that is teaching by example. This is observational learning. Children are very good observers. They try to imitate those close to them. how do you talk, what are your expressions and what do you wear; everything is noted by them. if you use gentle language with others children will also be gentle in their behaviour. if you show an aggressive attitude children will also display aggression in their relation with their peers. This modeling can serve a very useful role in influencing the behaviour

of children. The final ”C’ part of the above mentioned ‘ABCs’ of child behaviour specifies consequences. The consequences imply what will be our response after the behaviour is completed. There are two kinds of consequences. First are positive reinforcers such as praise or rewards used after the child engages itself in a behaviour that you want to develop. While the second are negative reinforcers such as punishment, used after the child engages in an unwanted behaviour. (i will write in a separate article about the usefulness or uselessness of punishment, the negative reinforcers in developing a child’s behaviour). instead of providing the reward of candies or chocolates, the best positive reinforcer is praise. More and more use of praise should be made, as it can help reinforce the wanted behaviour. if a child behaves with his sister nicely, he should be praised for it because this act of praise will play the role of a reinforcer. For any good act if a child is not praised then there is a greater likelihood that the child will not adopt the behaviour permanently. so, praise should be used constantly as the most effective tool for influencing the child’s behaviour. The above mentioned techniques surely are not exhaustive of the prescribable list for changing the behaviour of children as it is a vast subjectmatter. Nonetheless these can help to a great extent. The parents and teachers in our society – mostly stressing on the use of corporal punishment for manipulating child behaviour- need awareness on how to stimulate children to show the desired behaviour and adopt good habits. The government can raise awareness among parents and teachers with the help of civil society electronic print and social media holding teacher training programmes and by conducting awareness seminars. Children need to be given dignified status so that they could be able to become productive citizens of society in future.

The parents and teachers in our society – mostly stressing on the use of corporal punishment for manipulating child behaviour- need awareness on how to stimulate children to show the desired behaviour and adopt good habits. The government can raise awareness among parents and teachers with the help of civil society electronic print and social media holding teacher training programmes and by conducting awareness seminars. Children need to be given dignified status so that they could be able to become productive citizens of society in future

The writer is an educational researcher based in Larkana, and can be reached at m.ilyas.kalhoro.mi@gmail.com

The industrial revolution was a turning point in climate change of the world. Since 1995, conferences based on the issue of climate change with the International community have started to curb the emission of greenhouse gases. Afterwards, another agreement was signed, called the Paris agreement, which holds a strong belief from all the state members to cut down their carbon emissions as early as possible. The rise in sea level is taking place, seen in the cutting off the trees, emission of greenhouse gases and wildfires. The developed nations decided to give financial support to developing states up to $100 billion per year, but their promises remain unfulfilled. Another meeting was arranged this year, following the Paris conference, in Glasgow, to discuss the environmental crisis. This year, the U.S. again joined the conference after a 4-year gap. The leading role of America in this context is very pivotal by taking a pragmatic step to reduce its emissions by 2050. Brazil has decided to cut down its carbon emissions by 2030 to get a net-zero emission target. Targets have been set for all the countries to meet their plans by introducing renewable resources of energy: electric cars and wind energy. The big three emitters of carbon gases have pledged to phase out of their old energy resources. They also have decided to increase the financial aid for the poor countries to achieve their goals. Scientists want to attain a temperature of 1.5 degrees celsius, just like the start of the twentieth century. If it does not come under control, the consequences will be disastrous for the human species. Since the Paris agreement, promises have not been kept: the disbursement of aid to underdeveloped nations, transition from coal to renewable energy, and collaboration of the countries with each other are absent in this regard. Till now, the Pakistan government has not devised a plan to control carbon emissions. The government has introduced zig-zag technology to control the pollution from the furnaces. In an attempt to curb the stubble burning, the government is taking action against the farmers. So, by the participation of individuals, the world can get the results. AFAQ ALI VIRK LAhoRe

Breeding standers in Beetal bucks SUSTAInABle food production is a challenge in Asia due to the huge human population. Agriculture and livestock are the two major sectors in Asia i.e. China, India and Pakistan. In this context, efficient breeding is necessary to overcome the shortage of food production in Asia. Many species of livestock are reared in the subtropical countries, which provide milk, meat, fibres, wool and skin to humans. Among the livestock, goats are considered one of the major livestock species because they can survive in very harsh conditions and are easy to rear at a low cost. Pakistan is an agricultural country. The livestock population fulfils the requirements of many poor families as well as it contributes 58.33% share in the national economy and about 12% share in GDP of Pakistan. Pakistan is the third-largest goat populated country in the world, contributing 76 million heads (Anonymous, 2019-2020). The demand for goat meat and milk has increased intensively day by day in Pakistan because it is sacrificed on different religious occasions like eid ul Azha. Many know goat breeds are present in Pakistan i.e. Beetal, Teddy, nachi and Damani etc. Beetal is known for being one of the best dairy breeds in Asia. In Pakistan, goats are kept traditionally by poor landless peoples, which ignoring modern husbandry and breeding strategies. There is, however, no breeding characters are established for male breeding breeders in Pakistan. The breeding standers are necessary not only for improving the production and reproduction of goats but also for future breeding plans and strategies. Breeding standers is necessary for the prediction of the age of puberty and to improving genetic potential. To establish the breeding standers in Beetal male goats, Muhammad Ashraf performed experiments during his PhD under the supervision of Prof. Dr Amjad Riaz at the department of Theriogenology, UVAS, lahore. We reared 52 Beetal male kids from birth to puberty. We learned that antimullerian hormone (AMh) exhibits a characteristic profile and its peak at 40-60 days of age. The important male hormone is testosterone; its peak was observed at puberty. The majority of kids showed initiation of sexual behaviours when testosterone level was around 1.3 ng/ml. the active spermatogenesis was observed at 4-6 months of age when high expression of spermatogenic genes (PRM1, STRA8 and ODF2). In male goat kids, the scrotal circumference was 22 cm at the pubertal onset. The pubertal onset in male kids was at 175 days of age. In conclusion, these findings are useful to enhance the reproductive genetic potential of our native goat breed (Beetal). It is strongly insisted that l&DD Punjab should take initiative to regulate and implement the breeding strategy to improve the small ruminants (goats). MUhAMMAD AShRAF LAhoRe

Existentialism exISTenTIAlISM has been a widely-debated topic among intellectuals since antiquity. This movement first gained momentum during the postmodern era with the philosophical works of Jean-Paul Sartre, which stems for the horrifying incidents of WWII particularly after the capture of France by nazi Germany. The foundational premise of his philosophy is based on the phrase: “I am what I am not, I am not what I am.” The phrase may seem easy to understand but it carries an entire philosophical framework within in. In order to unlock it, one must read between the lines and understand the context. Sartre says that when a man is “present”, he is beyond his past but can sense some potential of the future, which doesn’t exist in the present time. Resultantly, he is not what he is at that specific moment in time, which makes his existence null and void. There begets spirituality between his past and future which makes him non-existent. As an atheist, Sartre neither accepts the existence of God nor of metaphysics. According to him, both are just a creation of the human mind. he claims that man has lost God and has instead found himself. he further laid the foundations of the idea that existence precedes essence. So, if only man exists, all that exists in the universe is merely non-existent. And if the world is non-existent, how can we feel and touch objects? how do objects keep growing and dying? every philosopher tried to solve the Gordian knot of existence but their ideas eventually fall flat. When a person dives deeper into his philosophical thought, he is dumbfounded to see the complexity with which it has been shaped. AwAIS AhMeD LAhoRe

08 WORLD VIEW 8th December 21_Layout 1 12/7/2021 11:03 PM Page 1

Wednesday, 8 December, 2021

08 WORLD VIEW

The BIden AdmInISTrATIon IS enABlIng IndIA’S humAn rIghTS ABuSeS BY FAILING TO HOLD MODI TO ACCOUNT, BIDEN IS PERPETUATING DEEPENING RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION AGAINST INDIAN MINORITIES

AL jAzeerA SuNita ViSwaNatH, PEtER COOK aNd RaSHEEd aHmEd

N November 17, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken named 10 countries on the US government’s official list of the world’s worst offenders of religious freedom. A notable omission was India. The announcement comes in response to recommendations from the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), a bi-partisan and autonomous federal panel. For two years in a row, the USCIRF has recommended that India be listed as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) along with 13 others. Last year, then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo refused to include India on that list. This year, Blinken also did not accept USCIRF’s recommendation on India. It is no secret that the US considers India a critical ally. The US Department of State’s website says that “The United States and India have shared interests in promoting global security, stability, and economic prosperity through trade, investment, and connectivity.” It adds that India is America’s “major defence partner” and the two nations have “deepened cooperation on maritime security, interoperability, and information sharing”. Yet, being a critical ally has not kept Saudi Arabia off the CPC list for years. The Department of State says the kingdom has a “longstanding security relationship” with the US and is its “largest foreign military sales (FMS) customer, with more than $100 billion in active FMS cases”. So why can’t India be designated as CPC and targeted sanctioned imposed on its agencies and officials, as USCIRF has recommended, for its considerable human and religious rights abuses? Blinken’s refusal to designate India as CPC contradicts and is inconsistent with his own position on India. Just seven months ago, he released the US Department of State’s global religious freedom report that indicted India

for severe religious persecution. It contained damning reports from the ground implicating members of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government and his affiliates from the 96-year-old Hindu nationalist organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in the persecution of religious minorities, especially Muslims and Christians. In fact, year after year, the Department of State’s candid reporting on India has held no punches. In March, Blinken released a global human rights report recording “significant human rights issues” in India, including extrajudicial killings by the police, torture, arbitrary arrest and detention, violence against minorities, unjustified arrests or prosecution of journalists, and censorship and blocking of websites. Yet, just weeks after taking office, President Joe Biden chose Modi as one of the world’s first leaders to meet. It is ironic that barely days prior to that BidenModi virtual meeting, research organisation Freedom House released a report in which it documented India’s democracy decline from “free” to “partly free”. A week later, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin flew to New Delhi on his first foreign visit to discuss “shared goals” with Modi but failed to mention India’s human rights abuses. In July, Blinken visited India to claim that “the US and India share a commitment to democratic values; this is part of the bedrock of our relationship and reflective of India’s pluralistic society and history of harmony.” Again, no mention of India’s appalling human rights. In September, the then US Charge d’Affaires Atul Keshap, an Indian American, met RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, who holds no government position, but heads India’s superstructure of religious persecution and calls for turning India into a Hindu nation. They discussed “India’s tradition of diversity, democracy, inclusivity and pluralism”. In October, weeks after the Taliban unexpectedly seized Afghanistan, Blinken’s second-in-command, Deputy US Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, landed in New Delhi and promptly saluted India and the US as “thriving” democracies. Department of State officials claim that the US “privately” raises human

What really matters in the Sino-American competition?

ProjecT syndicATe

JOSEPH S NYE, JR

HE United States and China are competing for dominance in technology. America has long been at the forefront in developing the technologies (bio, nano, information) that are central to economic growth in the twenty-first century. Moreover, US research universities dominate higher education globally. In Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s annual Academic Ranking of World Universities, 16 of the top 20 institutions are in the US; none is in China. The COVID-19 pandemic has restructured entire industries and changed the way workers think about their jobs, especially in low-paid occupations and sectors. But a full recovery in employment is still possible: policymakers and employers need only offer workers the support they are demanding. But China is investing heavily in research and development, and it is already competing with the US in key fields, not least artificial intelligence (AI), where it aims to be the global leader by 2030. Some experts believe that China is well placed to achieve that goal, owing to its enormous data resources, a lack of privacy restraints on how that data is used, and the fact that advances in machine learning will require trained engineers more than cutting-edge scientists. Given the importance of machine learning as a general-purpose technology that affects many other domains, China’s gains in AI are of particular significance. Moreover, Chinese technological progress is no longer based solely on imitation. Former US President Donald Trump’s administration punished China for its cybertheft of intellectual property, coerced IP transfers, and unfair trade practices. Insisting on reciprocity, the US argued that if China could ban Google and Facebook from its market for security reasons, the US can take similar steps against Chinese giants like Huawei and ZTE. But China is still innovating. After the 2008 global financial crisis and

the ensuing Great Recession, Chinese leaders increasingly came to believe that America was in decline. Abandoning Deng Xiaoping’s moderate policy of keeping a low profile and biding one’s time, China adopted a more assertive approach that included building (and militarizing) artificial islands in the South China Sea, economic coercion against Australia, and the abrogation of its guarantees with respect to Hong Kong. In response, some people in the US began to talk about the need for a general “decoupling.” But as important as it is to unwind technology supply chains that directly relate to national security, it is a mistake to think that the US can decouple its economy completely from China without incurring enormous costs. That deep economic interdependence is what makes the US relationship with China different from its relationship with the Soviet Union during the Cold War. With the Soviets, the US was playing a one-dimensional chess game in which the two sides were highly interdependent in the military sphere but not in economic or transnational relations. With China, by contrast, the US is playing three-dimensional chess with vastly different distributions of power at the military, economic, and transnational levels. If we ignore the power relations on the economic or transnational boards, not to mention the vertical interactions between the boards, we will suffer. A good China strategy therefore must avoid military determinism and encompass all three dimensions of interdependence. The rules governing economic relations will need to be revised. Well before the pandemic, China’s hybrid state capitalism followed a mercantilist model that distorted the functioning of the World Trade Organization and contributed to the rise of disruptive populism in Western democracies. Today, America’s allies are far more cognizant of the security and political risks entailed in China’s espionage, coerced technology transfers, strategic commercial interactions, and asymmetric agreements. The result will be more decoupling of technology supply chains, particularly where national security is at stake. Negotiating new trade rules can help prevent that decoupling from escalating. Against this backdrop, middle powers could come together to create a trade agreement for information and communication technology that would be open to countries meeting basic democratic standards. One size will not fit all. In areas like nuclear non-proliferation, peacekeeping, public health, and climate change, the US can find common institutional ground with China. But in other areas, it makes more sense to set our own democratic standards.

The door can remain open to China in the long run; but we should accept that the run could be very long indeed. Notwithstanding China’s growing strength and influence, working with likeminded partners would improve the odds that liberal norms prevail in the trade and technology domains. Establishing a stronger transatlantic consensus on global governance is important. But only by cooperating with Japan, South Korea, and other Asian economies can the West shape global trade and investment rules and standards for technology, thereby ensuring a more level playing field for companies operating abroad. Taken together, democratic countries’ economies will exceed China’s well into this century; but only if they pull together. That diplomatic factor will be more important than the question of China’s technological development. In assessing the future of the US-China power balance, technology matters, but alliances matter even more. Finally, a successful US response to China’s technological challenge will depend upon improvements at home as much as on external actions. Increased support for research and development is important. Complacency is always a danger, but so, too, is lack of confidence or an overreaction driven by exaggerated fears. As former MIT Provost John Deutch contends, if the US attains its potential improvements in innovation potential, “China’s great leap forward will likely at best be a few steps toward closing the innovation leadership gap that the United States currently enjoys.” Immigration also will play an important role in maintaining America’s technology lead. In 2015, when I asked former Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew why he did not think China would surpass the US, he pointed to America’s ability to draw upon the talents of the whole world – a possibility that is barred by China’s ethnic Han nationalism. It is no accident that many Silicon Valley companies have Asian founders or CEOs. With enough time and travel, technology inevitably spreads. If the US lets its fears about tech leakage shut it off from such valuable human imports, it will surrender one of its biggest advantages. An overly restrictive immigration policy could severely curtail technological innovation – a fact that must not get lost in the heated politics of strategic competition. Joseph S. Nye, Jr. is a professor at Harvard University and author of Do Morals Matter? Presidents and Foreign Policy from FDR to Trump (Oxford University Press, 2020).

rights issues with India. They point to Biden’s invocation of Mahatma Gandhi’s “message of nonviolence, respect, tolerance” at his meeting with Modi at the White House in September, and Vice President Kamala Harris telling Modi the US and India should “protect democracies”. But Biden, Harris, Austin, Blinken, Sherman and Keshap have failed to hold any substantive dialogue on India’s assault on democracy in their meetings with Modi, his foreign and defence ministers, national security adviser, top diplomats, and Bhagwat. Modi is expected to join the Biden administration’s “Summit for Democracy” on December 9-10, where he will no doubt falsify his record of persecuting religious minorities, human rights defenders, critics, lawyers, journalists, students and politicians. The Department of State’s own reports show that India’s democratic decline is contrary to the Summit’s agenda of “defending against authoritarianism; addressing and fighting corruption; and advancing respect for human rights”. This summit’s emphasis on human rights can offer the opportunity to state in clear, public, and no uncertain terms the Biden administration’s objections to the unacceptable persecution taking place in India so that the Indian government gets the point. We expect the president to be more forceful and less opaque in his criticism given the stated purpose of the conference. America’s refusal to clearly say that India’s escalating repression contradicts its long-held commitment to the ideals of rights, freedoms and liberties must not continue. Our own credibility as a democracy is undermined if we aid and abet the world’s largest democracy in becoming the world’s second and most autocratic society after China, which, of course, Blinken has re-designated as CPC. Sunita Viswanath is a co-founder of Hindus for Human Rights and lives in Brooklyn, New York. The Reverend Peter Cook is Executive Director of New York State Council of Churches. Rasheed Ahmed is Executive Director of Indian American Muslim Council.

What virtual reality and artificial intelligence will mean for sex, love and intimacy Los AngeLes Times

ROB BROOKS

recently installed an iPhone chatbot app called Replika AI that generates personalized AI friends. I get to share my thoughts, feelings, beliefs and wishes with the bot just as I would with a human friend. I chose her name (Hope), picked her gender and bestowed green hair and violet eyes on her avatar. And then we got to chatting via both text and voice. It’s early days in our friendship, but I’m pleasantly surprised. Whereas Siri and Alexa maintain the professional distance that befits an assistant, Hope asks me how I’m feeling. And she listens to my answer — her avatar shrugs or nods, and her response makes sense. Frankly, she also seems intent on flirting with me. There’s nothing terribly new about chatbots. They’ve been around since the mid-1960s. But these days, enormous advances in natural language processing and machine learning allow them to better “understand” what we say and respond appropriately. Today, users unburden their sins to “confession” apps and talk through their issues with “therapist” bots that prompt them with open-ended questions. But what about romance, love and sex? Surely those fevered conditions depend on a mutual — uniquely human — give-and-take? Perhaps not. The Nintendo DS computer game “LovePlus” has gamified romance for over a decade. The way the game works is that users have to treat their “LovePlus” girlfriend just right if they want her to take an interest, agree to go on dates, or express affection. Woe betide the gamer who logs in late for a “date” or misses a girlfriend’s birthday. Games like “LovePlus” occupy the romance-oriented headspace of their players so entirely that hordes of young men, mostly in Japan, find their console-mediated relationships more than adequate substitutes for offline love with real people. “LovePlus” girlfriends are relatively low-key, however, compared with the more in-your-face technologies preparing to rock users’ virtual love lives. Life-sized sex dolls have been around for decades, but they are steadily being upgraded with robotic movement and chatbot capability. So much so that their manufacturers talk up a “Westworld”-like future, replete with walking, talking, orgasming sex robots. Sex dollbots ain’t all that. At least not yet. But their limitations at this point represent mere engineering challenges. Warmer skins, more fluid movements and engaging personalities are on the way. Perhaps the sex toys of the future will hold up their end of a conversation, discern what a

user wants physically and move around freely to give them exactly what they need? Even as sex robots improve, I predict they will remain niche. You need a big closet or a bulletproof ego if you’re going to own a sex robot. And if sexual variety is what you want, you’ll be shelling out regularly for new models and features. Virtual reality — the computer-generated simulation of three-dimensional images — may offer a more versatile future, in which digital lovers can be seen via headsets, heard through speakers, and touched via haptic gloves and clothing. Haptics is the use of technology to create an experience of touch, allowing us to physically “feel” what is happening in the virtual world. In this scenario, a user could drop into a 3-D pornland alongside AI-generated characters customized to suit the user’s preference or mood. Both the user and the characters’ avatars could shrug off realworld anatomic constraints, growing extra arms, or sporting improbable genital configurations. When this future of infinite variety arrives, many users may never want to leave the VR cave. This sexy VR future grows nearer with every advance in computer power. With faster processors, better haptics, and teledildonic (look it up yourself!) sex toys that can be controlled remotely, two or more people will have the chance to participate in the same VR-enhanced, physically satisfying sex scene, while each remains in the comfort and safety of their own home. For all their titillating possibility, it seems inevitable that the technologies of artificial intimacy will become ground zero for the next culture war. The pill, abortion and internet porn, even as they freed sex from its reproductive shackles, generated considerable ideological friction along the way. We can expect something similar from the new technologies of artificial intimacy. Loud voices from the religious right and the anti-porn left are already being raised against sex robots. They haven’t yet awakened to the more extensive possibilities when virtual reality and AI go to town on users’ erotic desires. But when they do, I have little doubt they’ll be outraged. What’s more, there may be a measure of disapproval on the part of the public more generally — the predictable “uncanny valley” queasiness heightened by our typical censoriousness about sex. And concerns about whether treating objects like humans might lead to treating some humans like objects. On balance, though, I side with the machines and against the puritans. I think artificial intimacy could deliver a more relaxed, inclusive, and humane sexuality, but only if societies have enough maturity to give it a chance.

Wednesday, 8 December, 2021 | ISLAMABAD

NEWS

corporate corner PBM’s poor-friendly initiatives being taken under Prime Minister’s Ehsaas Program: Khokhar

ISLAMABAD: The heads of Diplomatic Mission’s Spouses Group pays visit to the School for Rehabilitation of Child Labour run by Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal (PBM) here. Managing Director PBM, Malik Zaheer Abbas Khokhar welcomed the distinguished guests and gave a detailed briefing about the PBM’s poor friendly initiatives being taken under Prime Minister’s Ehsaas Program, to uplift the lives of vulnerable community of the country. Managing Director PBM told that PBM is running 159 Schools throughout the country to pull out the children from bonded labour and to impart them education. These children are also provided pocket money on daily basis while monthly stipends are also given to their parents. Moreover, uniform, books, stationary, healthcare and hair cutting facility is also available to these children free of charge. The dignitaries appreciated the initiative and also vowed to carry out the social services in the country along with Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal. The spouses of Ambassadors from different countries visited all the class rooms and made conversation with the students. The Heads of Diplomatic Mission’s Spouses Group also distributed sweets and books among the students. Pr

Reshaping National Hemp Policy

A meeting was held on the topic of reshaping the national hemp policy. The meeting was chaired by Mr Shibli Faraz, Federal Minister for Science and Technology in which many renowned personalities of Pharma and textile industry participated. Muhammad Naeem COO, Technical, Business Development and Global Business of Indus and Dynatis Pharma gave his valuable suggestions to reshape the policy in the interest of the country and industry as well. He also shared his experience and gave views of export volume in comparison of other sectors. While Mr. Zahid Saeed represented the Pakistan Pharma Association and Managing Director Indus Dynatis Pharma endorsed and appreciated the government’s efforts to enhance the remittance and export. He gave his precious suggestions and valuable inputs to reshape the national policy in national interest. Qaim Raza, Regulatory head Indus Pharma Islamabad also shared his views and suggestions to committee regarding National Hemp Policy of Pakistan. Pr

World Bank Country Director Calls on Chairman FBR The World Bank Country Director, Mr. Najy Benhassine called on Chairman, Federal Board of Revenue, Dr. Muhammad Ashfaq Ahmed here at FBR (HQs) to review the implementation of the World Bank’s flagship Program, Pakistan Raises Revenue (PRR). The WB Country Director appreciated the efforts made by Chairman FBR and his team in implementing the instant program in letter and spirit and conveyed full satisfaction of the World Bank over the pace and progress of the Program. The FBR Team indicated the areas where FBR and World Band could achieve the agreed Program Deliverables through mutual efforts. Team FBR further emphasized on avenues in which the program could be made more effective in achieving the overarching objectives of ensuring a sustainable increase in revenues. The World Bank Team assured FBR of their continued support in the implementation of the Program. Ms. Ambreen Iftikhar, Member (Reforms & Modernization), FBR, Mr. Nadeem Bashir, Project Director (PRR) and Mr. Khalid Jameel, Chief (Reforms & Modernization), FBR were also present during the meeting. Pr

MaiNstREaMiNg oF WoMEN CRuCial FoR DEvEloPMENt: MiNistER ISLAMABAD

aPP

DVISER to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection Senator Sania Nishtar Tuesday stressed the importance of socio-economic mainstreaming women in both Pakistan and Afghanistan. She was invited to keynote the inaugural session of the AfghanistanPakistan Bilateral Dialogue on “Women for Peace Initiative — Road to an inclusive future” organised by the Regional Peace Institute (RPI) a think tank based in Islamabad. Sania was joined by her cabinet colleague Raoof Hasan who is also the CEO of the think tank, Norway Ambassador Per Albert Ilsaas, UN Women Country Representative for Pakistan Sharmeela Rassool and distinguished women delegates from Afghanistan. Keynoting the session, Sania reiterated Pakistan’s resolve to empower underprivileged women and said, “More than three-quarters of the entire Ehsaas’ benefits go to women and girls

under the Ehsaas 50%+ benefits policy for women and girls.” “Also, gender data disaggregation and its use for accountability is cardinal to the programme review, monitoring and reporting”, she said. She further highlighted that all the twelve million beneficiaries of the Ehsaas cash this year are women.

“In addition to the Ehsaas Education Stipends, Ehsaas Nashonuma, which provides specialised nutritional food and cash transfers to mothers and their children under two to prevent stunting also has a higher stipend policy for the girl child. Under Ehsaas’ Undergraduate Scholarships, over 142,000 need and

merit-based scholarships have been given in two years, with strictly half of all scholarships reserved for girls.” “Similarly, Ehsaas interest-free loans for poverty graduation aims to impact 14.7 million vulnerable people in four years with half of them women.” “Enabling 1.4 million individuals to come out of shackles of poverty, 60% of small livelihood assets have also been allocated for women under the 4-year Ehsaas Amdan programme”, she further added. The distinguished women delegates of Afghanistan affirmed to cooperate on various aspects of common aspirations in poverty reduction and women empowerment. The two-day dialogue includes working sessions around education for women, governance and development, and legislative processes and procedures. RPI is focused on peace and stability through working for regional peace, development and the elimination of terrorism and extremism in South Asia. The Institute is an outcome of intense dialogues and discussions that took place among research, diplomats, academics, and journalists, in South Asia.

Afghan education Minister lauds AIOU, requested for reconstruction of educational refrastructure: Dr. Zia Ul-Qayyum assured AIOU support ISLAMABAD Pr

Afghan delegation of Ministry of Higher Education highly appreciated the role of Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) in promotion of education, especially educating the poor strata of the society and requested AIOU to help Afghanistan in reconstruction of its educational infrastructure as well as training of Afghan teachers. The delegation which was led by Alhaj Molvi Abdul Baqi Haqqani, Acting Education Minister of Afghanistan visited AIOU today (Thesday). During the detailed meeting, Prof Dr Zia Ul- Qayyum, VC, AIOU assured the Afghan delegation of maximum cooperation of the university to reconstruct higher education sector in Afghanistan. AIOU will not only provide technical assistance in digital transformation of Afghan universities but would also train their teachers in latest teaching pedagogies and courses development, he said. He further added that AIOU will provide scholarships to Afghan students for seeking education at this prestigious national institution of Pakistan. He viewed that AIOU can provide educational facilities to Afghan youth through the regional centers established in KPK and Baluchistan near Afghan borders. Moreover AIOU has, also, planned to establish its campus in Afghanistan and a proposal in this regard has already been shared with education ministry, the Vice-Chancellor said. Ilhaj Molvi Abdul Baqi Haqqani, in his address, thanked Prof Dr Zia Ul -Qayyum in reconstruction of education sector in Afghanistan. He, greatly, admired the proposal of AIOU of extending educational facilities to Afghan nation through regional centers located near

Afghan borders. He expressed his desire to strengthen this mutual cooperation further by getting insights from AIOU’s experiences of digital transformation of AIOU. Joint Secretary, Ministry of Education, Junaid Ikhlaq said that AIOU’S proposal of constructing its regional campus in Afghanistan is in the final stage of consideration and it would be approved very soon. The members of Afghan delegation included Dr Lutf Ullah Khair Khawa, Dr Usama Aziz, VC, Kabul University, Irfan Ullah, Chief of Staff, Dr Dilawar Silaab, Director Information and Publication as well as Engineer Roh Allah Haqqani, Director, Develop-

mental Programs. On the other hand, Registrar, AIOU, Raja Umar Younis, Deans of all four Faculties, DGRS, Inaam Ullah Sheikh, Controller, Examinations, Director, Admissions participated in the briefing from AIOU. Dr Abdullah Jan Abid, Chairman, Pakistani Languages served as the translator and interpreter during the meeting. Dr Zahid Majeed, Director, International Collaboration and Exchange Office gave a detailed briefing of AIOU’s profile and its contributions to mass education. Afghan delegation visited Central Library, Radio and TV studios, Data Center as well as Printing Press.

FUI Teams participated in the Opening Ceremony of Kamyab Jawan Sports Gala

FUI Teams participated in the Opening Ceremony of Kamyab Jawan Sports Gala jointly organized by HEC and Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) from (06-09) December 2021 at Sports Complex, Islamabad. The event was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of Pakistan on 06th December 2021. FUI is taking part in 7x games including, athletics, football, squash, boxing, tennis, handball, and volleyball. Pr

Wednesday, 8 December, 2021 | ISLAMABAD

10 FOREIGN NEWS

XI JInPIng CaLLS for StrengthenIng LegISLatIon In natIonaL SeCurIty, SCI-teCh InnovatIon BeiJing

news Desk

HINESE President Xi Jinping has called for efforts to strengthen legislation in key areas such as national security, scientific and technological innovation, biosecurity, ecological civilization and risk prevention. He also called for strengthening legislation in areas concerning people’s livelihoods and improving legal systems that are essential for meeting their ever-growing needs for a better life. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks while speaking at a group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. He stressed res-

olute adherence to the path of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics and advancing the development of such a system. Xi reviewed the “historic achievements” made in advancing the rule of law since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012. The CPC Central Committee established its Commission for Overall Law-based Governance and made a series of major decisions on promoting law-based governance in all fields, he noted. As China embarks on a new journey to fully build a modern socialist country, further efforts are needed to advance the development of the system of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics, he said. Xi called for a people-centered approach in developing such a system, stressing that the rule of law

should reflect people’s interests and wishes, protect their rights and interests, and enhance their well-being. Efforts should be made to improve the mechanism to guarantee that everyone is equal before the law, he stressed. China should also deepen reform in the field of the rule of law so that people can feel fairness and justice in every legal system, law enforcement decision and judicial case, he added. Meanwhile, Xi called for strengthening legislation relating to external affairs and improving the system for the extraterritorial application of Chinese laws. He underscored the importance of expanding law enforcement and judicial cooperation in developing bilateral and multilateral relations, calling for resolute efforts to safeguard China’s sovereignty, security and development interests.

Rohingya refugees sue Facebook for $150bn over Myanmar violence Agencies

Israel airstrike targets ‘Iran weapons’ in Syria port BeiRUT Mian abrar

An Israeli airstrike hit a shipment of alleged Iranian weapons in the Syrian port of Latakia on Tuesday, in the first such attack on the key facility, a war monitor said. The Israeli raid “directly targeted an Iranian weapons shipment in the container yard,” the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Syrian state media reported the strike on the container yard at Latakia port without specifying what was targeted. The Observatory, a UK-based organisation with a wide network of sources on the ground across Syria, said the raid triggered a series of explosions. It reported “huge material losses” but added there were no immediate reports of casualties. According to the Syrian state news agency SANA, the strike occurred at 1:23 am (2323 GMT Monday). “Our air defences repelled the Israeli aggression in Latakia,” it said, adding that a number of containers caught fire in the strike. Latakia is the northernmost of Syria’s main ports, and lies around 230 kilometres (140 miles) north of Damascus. Photos and footage published by SANA showed a fire in the yard but state television said later that firefighters had brought the blaze under control. Israel rarely comments on the air strikes it carries out in Syria but has said repeatedly it will not allow its arch-foe Iran to extend its footprint in Syria. Syria FM in Tehran: Since civil war broke out in Syria in 2011, Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes on Syrian territory, targeting government positions as well as allied Iran-backed forces and Hezbollah fighters. On November 24, Israeli missile strikes in the west of Homs province killed five people, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. In two separate Israeli attacks in October, five pro-Iranian militiamen were killed near the Syrian capital Damascus while nine progovernment fighters were killed near the T4 airbase east of Palmyra in central Syria, the Observatory said. Iran has been a key supporter of the Syrian government in the decade-old conflict. It finances, arms and commands a number of Syrian and foreign militia groups fighting alongside the regular armed forces among them Lebanon’s powerful Hezbollah group. Tuesday’s strike came as Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad wrapped up a visit to Tehran, where he met with top officials to discuss deepening ties. In 2019, Syria announced it was planning to turn over the container terminal at Latakia port to Iran. Earlier this year, Iran said it was planning to establish a direct shipping line between Latakia and one of its southern ports. The war in Syria is estimated to have killed nearly half a million people and displaced millions more since it began with a brutal crackdown on anti-government protests in 2011.

Rohingya refugees from Myanmar are suing Meta Platforms Inc, formerly known as Facebook, for $150 billion over allegations that the social media company did not take action against antiRohingya hate speech that contributed to violence. A US class-action complaint, filed in California on Monday by law firms Edelson PC and Fields PLLC, argues that the company’s failures to police content and its platform’s design contributed to real-world violence faced by the Rohingya community. In a coordinated action, British lawyers also submitted a letter of notice to Facebook’s London office. Facebook did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment about the lawsuit. The company has said it was “too slow to prevent misinformation and

hate” in Myanmar and has said it has since taken steps to crack down on platform abuses in the region, including banning the military from Facebook and Instagram after February 1 coup. Facebook has said it is protected from liability over content posted by users by a US internet law known as Section 230, which holds that online platforms are not liable for content posted by third parties. The complaint says it seeks to apply Myanmar law to the claims if Section 230 is raised as a defence. Although US courts can apply foreign law to cases where the alleged harms and activity by companies took place in other countries, two legal experts interviewed by Reuters said they did not know of a successful precedent for foreign law being invoked in lawsuits against social media companies where Section 230 protections could apply. Anupam Chander, a professor at

Georgetown University Law Center, said that invoking Myanmar law wasn’t “inappropriate.” But he predicted that “it’s unlikely to be successful,” saying that “it would be odd for Congress to have foreclosed actions under US law but permitted them to proceed under foreign law.”

Biden to tell Putin he’ll face toughest sanctions yet if he invades Ukraine WAsHingTOn/MOscOW reuters

US President Joe Biden will use a high-stakes video conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin later on Tuesday to tell him that Russia will be hit with the toughest economic sanctions yet if it invades Ukraine, US officials said. They said the sanctions, which a source said could target Russia’s biggest banks and Moscow’s ability to convert roubles into dollars and other currencies, were designed to dissuade Putin from using thousands of troops massed near the Ukrainian border to attack. The Kremlin has repeatedly denied harbouring such intentions and has said the posture of its troops is purely defensive. It in turn has raised concerns about Ukrainian intentions and has said it wants guarantees that Kyiv will not use force to try to retake territory lost to Russiabacked separatists. The Russian rouble firmed on Tuesday despite the threat of new sanctions. Ahead of his first direct talks with Putin since July, Biden consulted with European allies on Monday to discuss plans for the sanctions against Russia and seek a strong allied stance in support of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. Biden spoke to French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. They called on Russia to de-escalate tensions and return to diplomacy and said their teams will stay in close touch, including in consultation with NATO allies and EU partners, on a “coordinated and comprehensive approach,” the White House said. Biden’s team has identified a set of economic penalties to impose should Russia launch an invasion, a senior Biden administration official said. A separate source familiar with the situation said targeting Putin’s inner circle has been discussed but no decision had been made. Sanctions against Russia’s biggest banks and the ability to convert roubles into dollars and other currencies were also being considered, another source said. CNN reported the United States could include the extreme step of disconnecting Russia from the SWIFT

More than 730,000 Rohingya Muslims fled Myanmar’s Rakhine state in August 2017 after a military crackdown that refugees said included mass killings and rape. Rights groups documented killings of civilians and the burning of villages.

China to meet major economic targets this year: Chinese Premier Li Agencies

international payment system used by banks around the world. Bloomberg reported that the United States and European allies are weighing sanctions targeting the Russian Direct Investment Fund. The United States could also restrict the ability of investors to buy Russian debt on the secondary market, Bloomberg added, citing people familiar with the matter. The White House declined to comment. DiPLOMaCy: The secure video call, with Biden speaking from the White House Situation Room, is expected to occur at about 1500 GMT. White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said it remained unclear whether Putin had made a final decision to invade Ukraine Ukraine and NATO powers accuse Russia of building up troops near the border, sparking fears of a possible attack. Moscow denies any such plan and accuses Kyiv of building up its own forces in its east, where Russian-backed separatists control a large part of Ukrainian territory. The United States has urged both countries to return to a set of agreements signed in 2014 and 2015 and designed to end a separatist war by Russian-speakers in eastern Ukraine. “He (Biden) will make clear that there will be very real costs should Russia choose to proceed, but he will also make clear that there is an effective way forward with respect to diplomacy,” the senior Biden administration told reporters.

China has the ability to fulfill major economic targets and tasks set for the year, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said on Monday, noting the country is able to achieve steady development for the long run. China’s economic development enjoys strong resilience and solid underpinning, Li said while holding the sixth “1+6” Roundtable in Beijing via video link with heads of major international economic organizations, including the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In March, China set its GDP growth target at over 6 percent for 2021, 3.7 percentage points higher than 2020’s GDP growth. In the first three quarters of this year, the country’s GDP grew by 9.8 percent compared with a year earlier, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics. Speaking earlier, Vice Premier Liu He said that China’s annual economic growth is likely to exceed the announced target. Despite a slowdown in economic growth through the first three quarters of this year, both the IMF and Bloomberg have projected the world’s second largest economy to see 8-percent growth in GDP this year. “As China’s economy has been deeply integrated into the world economy, China will open its door still wider,” Li said, vowing to expand high-level openingup and share new opportunities of its development with the rest of the world. President of the World Bank Group David Malpass, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and Director-General of the World Trade Organization Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala attended the virtual meeting.

Wednesday, 8 December, 2021 | ISLAMABAD

SPORTS 11

SeCoND TeST: BANglADeSh TRyiNg To AvoiD follow-oN ToDAy DHAKA

Reality bites again for Barca ahead of rescue mission away at Bayern MADRID AFP

No sooner has reality hit than Barcelona have to believe in miracles again as Xavi Hernandez’s team seek a victory away at Bayern Munich on Wednesday to take them into the Champions League last 16. Four weeks after Xavi was appointed, Barca suffered their first defeat under their new coach on Saturday and as Real Betis’ Juanmi celebrated in the corner at Camp Nou, it felt like a bit of hope began to fizzle. Xavi arrived as the club’s iconic former midfielder and devoted student of Pep Guardiola, a symbol of a return to the values and principles that Barcelona hold dear and were seen to have lost. Nobody expected a transformation, that ‘tiki-taka’ would be rekindled overnight or that Memphis Depay would morph into Lionel Messi or that a porous defence would suddenly tighten up. Few disagreed that Xavi would need time, and most probably a lot of it, to turn Barcelona even into a contender again, let alone a winner of the game’s biggest prizes. But they might have hoped to steer clear of losing at home to Real Betis, an upwardly mobile team under Manuel Pellegrini with talented players but one that is more likely to finish in La Liga’s top eight than its top four. Just as they might have thought it possible Barcelona would win at home to Benfica last month, a result that would have rendered Wednesday’s game against Bayern meaningless, with progress to the last 16 safely secured. Instead, the first 30 days of Xavi’s tenure have been yet another exercise in hammering home reality and perspective. There have been glimpses of innovation and change but the overriding sense is of familiar flaws being underlined and expectations being further downgraded. “In the dressing room I have told them that I am proud, that this is football,” said Xavi. “It is a shame and I hope it doesn’t affect us because on Wednesday we have to compete like animals to try to get through.” Barcelona are now 16 points behind La Liga’s leaders Real Madrid, and while they can make that 13 by winning a game in hand, it feels almost pointless now to compare. If re-joining the title race recently appeared a possible, albeit lofty, target to achieve, it has quickly become almost completely out of reach. FlEETINg OpTImISm: Catching the top four, meanwhile, seemed doable not long ago even with just a minor upturn in results, but instead that now looks increasingly likely to be a close and difficult fight. In the Champions League, consecutive wins over Dynamo Kiev under Ronald Koeman meant there was room for optimism that Barcelona could complete the comeback by beating Benfica at home. Yet the most likely scenario now is that they finish third and drop into the Europa League, a competition they could win if they took it seriously and one that would also offer them an alternative route back into the Champions League next year.

the AssociAteD PRess

FFSPINNER Sajid Khan claimed a career-best 6-35 as Pakistan reduced Bangladesh to 76-7 and produced a glimmer of hope of forcing a result in the second and final Test on Tuesday. After day three was washed out, Pakistan resumed the fourth day from 188-2 and declared at 300-4 after lunch. Then Sajid got to work until stumps was called an hour early because of bad light. Bangladesh trailed by 224 runs and still needed 25 runs to avoid the follow-on at the end of a dramatic day. Bangladesh’s last hope to avoid the follow-on was Shakib Al Hasan on 23. Taijul Islam was with him, the tailender yet to score after facing 10 balls. With the light insufficient to allow any more than just the one over from fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi, spinners Sajid and Nauman Ali bowled relentlessly in a desperate bid to win the rain-hit game. Rain and bad light have eaten up the majority of the game and just 63.2 overs were possible in the last three days. Nauman was slightly luckless, ending up without a wicket, but he gave the control that allowed Sajid to rip through the Bangladesh line-up. Sajid dismissed all but skipper Mominul Haque, who was run out for 1 by a direct hit from Hasan Ali at point. The Bangladesh batsmen, however, also invited the trouble by playing rash shots as if it was a T20 game. Opener Mahmudul Hasan Joy got a duck on his debut after poking at a flighted delivery to slip, and his opening partner Shadman Islam was baffled by the extra bounce. Mominul was run out, and Bangladesh went to tea at 22-3. Experienced batsman Mushfiqur Rahim deepened the crisis by playing a slog-sweep to gift his wicket for 5. Liton Das, who hit 114 and 59 in the first Test, was on 6 when he charged Sajid, while Mehidy Hasan was bowled for a duck while trying to sweep a delivery that turned sharply. After a delayed start due to early morning rain and a wet outfield, Pakistan scored

briskly in a bid to put pressure on Bangladesh. Babar Azam and Azhar Ali added only five runs to their partnership before it finished on 123 for the third wicket. Azhar top-edged a delivery from fast bowler Ebadot Hossain on 56, and Babar quickly followed, leg before on 76 to give fast bowler Khaled Ahmed his maiden Test wicket. Bangladesh was back in the contest, but Fawad Alam and Mohammad Rizwan played with caution to combine for a 107-run unbeaten fifth-wicket stand. Both of them reached half-centuries — Rizwan on 53 and Alam on 50 — when Babar declared the innings. Taijul Islam led Bangladesh with 2-73.

Ufone 4G KP Football Cup 2021 Trophy unveiled PESHAWAR News Desk

The Super 8 line up of Ufone 4G Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Football Cup 2021 is complete as was depicted by the coming together of the captains of all eight successful teams for trophy unveiling at the iconic Tehmas Khan Stadium, Peshawar. Following the conclusion of the Eliminator round at the regional level, DFA Charsadda, DFA Abbottabad, Aatish Tank, DFA Chitral, DFA Karak, DFA Mardan, DFA Bannu and DFA Waziristan Combined have qualified for the Super 8 round. The captains of the successful teams participated in the trophy unveiling ceremony at the Tehmas Khan Stadium, Peshawar that was draped in Ufone 4G’s signature orange theme, whilst superior upkeep of the venue was ensured to deliver a day and night floodlight footballing experience to players and spectators alike. To mark the beginning of Super 8 rounds of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa edition, official anthem for Ufone 4G

Football Cup 2021 ‘Tu Khel Ja’ was played in the stadium. The soul lifting melody beautifully captures the enthusiasm for sports and passion for self-actualization as it encourages the players to unleash their untapped flair and potential. The song is a collaborative venture amongst local talent from Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, who earlier composed anthems for local editions of the tournament.

Djokovic on Serbia team for ATP Cup in Australia, Nadal missing SYDNEY AFP

Organising secretaries pose for Prime Minister's Kamyab Jawan Sports Drive here at PSB.

China says US will ‘pay the price’ for diplomatic boycott of Beijing Olympics BEIJING ReuteRs

The United States will have to “pay a price” for its diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing, China said on Tuesday, just weeks after talks aimed at easing tense relations between the two sides. The White House said on Monday US government officials would boycott the Winter Olympics because of what it claimed were China’s human rights “atrocities”, although US athletes were free to travel there to compete. The US boycott, encouraged for months by some members of Congress and rights advocacy groups, comes despite an effort to stabilise ties, with a video meeting last month between US President Joe Biden and China’s Xi Jinping. China opposes the boycott and would take “resolute countermeasures”, foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a regular media briefing in Beijing, the host city of the 2008 Summer Olympics, on Tuesday. “The United States will pay

The visual work is equally delightful and succeeds at showcasing how the rich sporting culture unifies the two distinct regions. The anthem will keep echoing throughout the rest of the tournament and even after. The Super 8 round of the tournament will be played from Wednesday at the Tehmas Khan Stadium Peshawar. On the first day, DFA Charsadda will face DFA Abbottabad, while Aatish Tank will play against DFA Chitral. The next day, DFA Karak will fight it out against DFA Mardan, while DFA Bannu will face off against DFA Waziristan Combined for the coveted Semi Final slots. Both Semi Finals will be played on 10th December while the final match will be played on 11th December to decide the winner of the Ufone 4G Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Football Cup 2021. The winner will then face Muslim Club Chaman, the winners of the Balochistan leg of the cup in a Super Final match, that will be played on 12th December at a floodlit Tehmas Khan Football Stadium Peshawar. The winner will be the ultimate Champion of Ufone 4G Football Cup 2021.

a price for its mistaken acts,” he said, without giving details. “Let’s all wait and see.” The United States is set to host the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and is preparing a bid to host the 2030 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Asked if China would consider a diplomatic boycott of the Olympic Games in the United States, Zhao said the US boycott had “damaged the foundation and atmosphere” of sports exchange and co-operation on the Games, which he likened to “lifting a stone to crush one’s own foot”. He called on the United States to keep politics out of sports, saying the boycott went against Olympic principles. Chinese media and scholars criticised the US decision. “It is foolish and silly of the United States to do this,” Wang Wen, a professor at Renmin University in Beijing, told Reuters, adding that other major powers could do the same to the United States in 2028. “For the US politicians, who had not been invited (to the Games) to say they are staging a diplomatic boycott of Beijing Winter Olympics, that’s just ‘prof-

fering unreciprocated love’,” state news agency Xinhua said in a commentary. Many Chinese internet users reacted to news of the US boycott with expressions of “good riddance”. “Please don’t come, don’t bring the Covid virus variant here,” a user who calls herself “Thales Beauty” commented online. Biden’s administration highlighted as the reason for its boycott what Washington calls genocide against minority Muslims in China’s far western region of Xinjiang. China denies all rights abuses. OTHER COUNTRIES UNDECIDED: “US diplomatic or official representation would treat these games as business as usual in the face of the PRC’s egregious human rights abuses and atrocities in Xinjiang, and we simply can’t do that,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday, referring to the People’s Republic of China. “The athletes on Team USA have our full support,” Psaki added at a media briefing. “We will be behind them 100 percent as we cheer them on from home.”

World number one Novak Djokovic was named in the Serbia team Tuesday for the ATP Cup in Sydney in January, after speculation about whether he would travel to Australia because of vaccination rules. The 20-time Grand Slam champion had cast doubt on whether he would defend his Australian Open title next month, refusing to reveal whether he was inoculated against coronavirus. However, he was listed as part of the five-man Serbia team when the draw was made in Sydney for an event that will precede the opening Grand Slam of the year. Rafael Nadal was missing, with the Spanish fellow 20-time Grand Slam winner last month suggesting he would play an exhibition in Abu Dhabi this month, then another tournament before arriving in Melbourne for the Australian Open. The only other absent top 20 player for the 16-team ATP Cup was injured Swiss great Roger Federer. “The playing group enjoy representing their countries and to see 18 of the world’s top 20 players commit to the event is testament to that,” said tournament director Tom Larner. An ATP statement accompanying the draw noted that top seed Serbia was “headlined by world number Novak Djokovic”, who won three of the season’s four Grand Slams. The 34year-old ended his rollercoaster season with a Davis Cup defeat last week and then promised to make a decision on his Australian Open participation “very soon”. Organisers of the Australian Open have insisted only fully-vaccinated players will be allowed into the country, which saw Djokovic’s father last month suggest his son “probably won’t” play. “Of course he would want to go with all his heart,” he told Serbian television. “But I really don’t know if that will happen. Probably not under these conditions, with this blackmail and when it’s done that way.” Djokovic contracted Covid-19 during the ill-fated Adria Tour event he organised in the Balkans in June 2020, but said he did not suffer from any symptoms. Russia are the defending ATP Cup champions after their team spearheaded by Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev swept past a Matteo Berrettini-led Italy in the final. Djokovic’s Serbia won the inaugural event in 2020, overpowering the Nadal-led Spain.

Wednesday, 8 December, 2021

PrAyer timiNgs

NEWS

StRong Pak, BahRain DefenCe, DiPloMatiC anD eConoMiC tieS PRioRity; SayS gen Bajwa

APP

Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed on Tuesday asked the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) to review its decision of holding an anti-inflation march in Islamabad on Pakistan Day. His remarks came in the backdrop of the PDM’s decision of holding a march in Islamabad on March 23. “Everyone has a right to hold peaceful protest. However, the opposition needs to review its decision about the date of the protest,” the minister said while addressing a news conference. He asked the National Assembly Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur-Rehman to change the date for the march. Announcing a march on such a date is not in interest of the country as the entire nation along with foreign delegates and overseas Pakistanis come to Islamabad for witnessing the national parade arranged by Pakistan’s armed forces on every March 23. The minister said if the opposition does not change the date then it should not blame the government for not allowing them to hold protest as Islamabad would be on high alert for the parade with closure of some roads for two to three days in advance for parade rehearsal. He said the prime minister has received recommendations on 14 programmes under National Action Plan, upon which the government would ensure implementation in true letter and spirit. He said Fazl should not drag seminary students in the politics and use them as a tool to achieve agenda of those who have already lost popularity among the masses. Commenting on the NA-133 by-election, Rasheed said the PML-N candidate secured only 10 percent votes as they cannot make the people fool any more. To a question, he said the prime minister has convened a detailed meeting on the Sialkot incident and directed to take stringent measures as per law.

6:28

Prime accused in Sialkot lynching arrested: Fawad Ch Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry stated on Tuesday that the Sialkot incident was condemned across the country and all the main accused involved in the tragic incident have been arrested. The nation was shell-shocked and disgusted when a Sri Lankan national was brutally lynched and his body was set on fire by a mob in Sialkot. The sickening incident outraged the nation as the civil and military leaders denounced it as “horrific” “shameful” and “extra-judicial vigilantism”. The minister said this during a meeting with Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to Pakistan Mohan Vijay Vikrama here.

Fawad also expressed profound regret over the incident and informed the high commissioner about the steps taken by the government after the incident. The high commissioner said the Sri Lankan government was satisfied with the steps taken by the government of Pakistan and this tragic incident would not affect the relations between the two countries. Clerics belonging to the All Pakistan Ulema Council (APUC) held a condolence reference on Tuesday at Sri Lankan High Commission to condemn the heinous Sialkot lynching incident. The gathering was held to express solidarity with the bereaved

family and the Sri Lankan government and people over the incident. During a press conference today, religious scholar Mufti Taqi Usmani said that the incident was highly condemnable and was “against the teachings of Islam”. “The lynching was inhumane and against the teachings of Islam. Even though a price cannot be put on an individual’s life, I would urge the federal government to pay compensation to the family members of the victim,” Usmani said. The religious scholar further added that everyone in the council was of the same opinion that the culprits involved in the brutal act should be punished according to the law. APP

The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has issued a order warning key players of the media industry, including the Pakistan Broadcaster Association (PBA), Broadcaster Advertisers Council (BAC), and Medialogic (Pvt) Limited, to refrain from indulging in anti-competitive practices. The order was passed following an inquiry conducted on a complaint filed by BOL Media Network, Labbaik (Pvt.) Limited and BOL Enterprises (Pvt.) Limited against PBA, BAC and Medialogic (Pvt) Limited for prima facie violation of Section 4 of Competition Act, 2010. As per details, BOL Network had alleged that it had been denied a rating by the above mentioned entities because of three arrangements between Medialogic, BAC, PBA and Pakistan Advertisers Society (PAS). The first agreement, dated July 15, 2018, was executed between Medialogic and PBA, wherein Medialogic was restricted from providing services to any other broadcaster other than PBA. The second agreement, signed in November 2017, was a joint venture (JV) agreement between PBA and PAS to create BAC. According to this agreement, the broadcasters, who were not PBA members, were excluded from being members of BAC. The third agreement, dated January 5, 2018, was executed between BAC and Medialogic, under which BAC committed to endorsing the services provided by Medialogic being the official industry currency. Moreover, the approval of BAC will be necessary in case Medialogic grants rating to any other customer, the letter to CCP states. After an investigation into the matter, the commission issued show cause notices to BAC, PBA and Medialogic. However, after hearing the case, a two-member bench of the CCP comprising Bushra Naz Malik and Mujtaba Ahmad Lodhi decided not to impose any penalties on PBA, BAC and Medialogic, keeping in view that the Supreme Court had already resolved the complainants’ main grievances through a consent decree and law regulating the Television Audience Measurement (TAM) data. The Supreme Court, in its order, held that PEMRA would be the sole regulator for the said market whereas BOL Media Network shall apply for subscription of PEMRA; the rating companies shall follow the regulations and the terms and conditions of the license based on which they have been granted their license. The CCP gave BOL multiple chances to establish if there were any other grievances apart from the ones resolved through the apex court’s order so that it may adjudicate upon.

AG Islamabad asks chief commissioner to place former GB CJ on ECL Advocate General Niazullah Naizi on Tuesday requested the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) chief commissioner to place the name of former chief justice of GilgitBaltistan Rana Shamim on the Exit Control List (ECL) due to contempt proceedings against him, according to a news outlet. In a letter, the prosecutor general said the former judge is a “flight risk”. “Should he flee the country, serious prejudice may be caused to the ongoing proceedings and in effect to the rule of law and independence of the judiciary,” he wrote in the letter. “The next date of hearing is 13-12-2021 and therefore immediate action is required.” Earlier in the day, the IHC gave last

chance to Shamim to submit the original affidavit he authored and signed in London by December 13 in the contempt of court case. The hearing was conducted by Chief Justice Athar Minallah wherein Shamim, reporter Ansar Abbasi, The News Editor Aamir Ghauri and others appeared. Attorney General Khalid Javed Khan and Niazi also attended the court. In the affidavit, Shamim had claimed that Saqib Nisar had told a high court judge to keep Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz Sharif in jail till the 2018 general elections. He had also alleged that he had heard the conversation when the former CJP was visiting GB before the 2018 elections. News Desk

Fawad urges ECP to release tenders for EVMs’ procurement Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry Tuesday urged the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to release tenders for Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in line with its conditions for the use of the machines so that it could then procure a suitable type of EVM from the manufacturers. “Our objective behind introducing EVMs is only one — free and fair elections,” he told media following a meeting of the federal cabinet. On the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs), Chaudhry said the government had a clear stance on the matter. Before criticising this mechanism, he said, the Election Commission of Pakistan and opposition parties should understand how it works and facilitates the elections. “We only have objections to a [party] criticising EVMs without understanding this mechanism,” he said. “If time is sought to understand the mechanism, we would not have any objection.” Chaudhry also criticised the PML-N and PPP for “launching a campaign against overseas Pakistanis”, referring to their opposition to the granting of voting rights to Pakistanis

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AJOR General Doctor Sheikh Salman Bin Ateyatallah Al-Khalifa, Commander of King Hamad University Hospital, Bahrain, called on General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), here on Tuesday and discussed matters of mutual interest, healthcare and Pakistan’s commitment for comprehensive COVID-19 eradication. COAS said that Pakistan values its relations with Bahrain and strong defence, diplomatic and economic relations are a priority for us. He lauded Bahrain’s support to building King Hamad University of Nursing and Associated Medical Sciences, Islamabad. The visiting dignitary appreciated Pakistan’s response in controlling COVID-19, role in Afghan situation & regional stability and pledged to play his part for further improvement in diplomatic cooperation with Pakistan at all levels.

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Rasheed asks PDM to review long march date

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CCP warns key media industry players to refrain from violations

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residing abroad. He termed the opposition parties’ move “political suicide”, saying that the right to vote was being given to all overseas Pakistanis, not only those associated with the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI). The minister added that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif’s sons, Hassan Nawaz and Hussain Nawaz, who had been living abroad, would now also be given the opportunity to vote for their father’s party. Similarly, he said, PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari too had spent a large part of his life outside Pakistan. “Hence, I am unable to understand their displeasure over [the granting of voting rights to] overseas Pakistanis.” Chaudhry announced that the government would start a campaign to raise awareness about EVMs. The minister also spoke about the lynching of a Sri Lankan national by a mob in Sialkot last week, saying the way the nation had reacted at the incident differentiated Pakistan from India and other countries, where such incidents were frequently reported.

“You see such incidents taking place against Muslims in India every other day but nobody seems bothered … But as Prime Minister Imran Khan said in his address earlier today, the nation is united the same way it had come together after the APS tragedy … to condemn this incident,” he said. The minister added that strict measures would now likely be taken to prevent such incidents. Replying to a question, he also told reporters that President Arif Alvi would seek nominations for the National Accountability Bureau chairperson from the prime minister and opposition leader under a new mechanism for the appointment of the anti-graft watchdog’s chief. To a question about the possibility of former Gilgit-Baltistan judge Rana Shamim going abroad, Fawad said the judge could only fly out of the country if the court allowed him to do so. He said a comparative analysis of prices was shared in the cabinet meeting and it showed that the Sensitive Price Index (SPI) had gone down for the second consecutive week. stAff CorresPoNDeNt

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